The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham – #BookReview – #historicalfrenchfiction

The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham

A gripping and emotional World War 2 novel, inspired by true events

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Nazi-occupied Paris, 1942. “I want to create a world where we are free to be together, to be in love,” he whispered. I gulp down the sobs building in my throat. “I want that too. I’ll come back to you. I swear I’ll come back.”

Elena Garcia knows that the mission she has been tasked with is her most dangerous yet. With a tearful goodbye to the man she has grown to love, the dark-eyed and warm-hearted Santiago Lozano, she hurries to catch the train to the drop-off point, the coded maps she is delivering for the resistance concealed in a pack of playing cards in her purse.

As she leaves the underground meeting, she hears heavy footsteps closing in behind her. Her heart pounds, and a dark figure comes into her line of sight. Expertly fighting off her attacker, Elena races back to the station, barely making it onto the train. She is forced to confront the worst: her cover is blown and now nowhere will be safe. Somebody close to her is a traitor, but when you live in the shadows, how do you know who you can really trust?

To stay alive, Elena must flee the country – and that means leaving Santiago behind. But she refuses to abandon her mission while Europe is still in the clutches of the enemy, and she will not leave Santiago to face the wrath of the Gestapo alone.

But when Elena uncovers that the love of her life has been having meetings with high-ranking government officials and hears German officials greeting him by name in the street, it’s clear that Santiago has his own secrets.

Elena must now ask herself: should she risk everything to save Santiago… or was he the one who betrayed her to the enemy? And now, with millions of innocent lives across Europe at stake, how can she know what is the right choice?

An epic, gripping and emotional wartime novel based on the true stories of the female spies sent into occupied Europe. Fans of The Alice Network, Soraya M. Lane and Pam Jenoff will be totally hooked.

His Review:

Elena has grown up in the Los Angeles area but loves the letters from her Grand-mere Rose. After Pearl Harbor, Elena is approached by the Office of Strategic Services to become an operative. Her beloved grandmother had moved back to France and is now encased in a Nazi-controlled country. Because Elena speaks three languages fluently, she is a perfect candidate to become a spy.

Her training in a camp in Maryland is extensive and rigorous. She is taught many things including how to disarm or kill a man in close physical combat. Her training includes ciphers and other coding techniques. She knows that if she is caught, she will be tortured by the enemy for information and secrets and then killed.

She wants to be an actress and has been training to become one. Her persona is a Spanish actress working in a play in Madrid. She has a minor role in the production. Madrid is lousy with German operatives who are trying to catch allied personnel who are trying to get back to England! Her primary role is to infiltrate the German high command and thereby help the pilots elude capture.

The author has written a believable saga of a young girl in occupied Europe. The amount of danger and efforts to stay alive bring credibility to this character. Knowing the result of not staying vigilant will result in a slow and painful death. Danger moves with her every step of the way. I could not put the book down. Read and enjoy the efforts of this masterful storyteller. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical French Fiction, Women’s Religious Fiction, Women’s Historical Fiction
Publisher: Bookouture
ASIN: B0B12NDDTD
Print Length: 426 pages
Publication Date: July 27, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Secret Keeper [Amazon]

Siobhan Curham - author — Siobhan Curham – author

The Author: Thank you for visiting my Amazon author page! It still blows my mind to be able to say that I’m an award-winning, best-selling author of over 40 books for adults, young adults and children, because I’m also a former council estate kid and university drop-out who gave up on my writing dream because I didn’t think I was from the right (aka posh enough) background. So I really am proof that miracles can happen!

It’s safe to say that my books cover very wide ranging subjects, from spirituality, love and friendship to World War 2, the refugee crisis and talking animals! One theme remains constant however, my desire to leave my readers feeling uplifted and inspired.

My first historical novel, An American in Paris, was published in 2021 and became an Amazon best-seller in the US and UK, which I was over the moon about, as it turns out I have a real passion for writing historical fiction. I love unearthing the lesser known facts and details from World War 2 and presenting them to readers in stories that will resonate today. My other World War 2 novels are Beyond This Broken Sky, The Paris Network, and the yet to be titled ‘Book 4’ – which will be published by Bookouture in August 2022.

I’m also currently writing two more books for my Moonlight Dreamers series for young adults.

Because my path to writing success has been such a bumpy one, I love nothing more than helping other people achieve their writing dreams via my online community, THE WRITING ADVENTURE (you can find us on Facebook).

You can find out more about my writing and sign up to my newsletter, GRIT, GRACE & GRATITUDE, at http://www.siobhancurham.com

And you can connect with me on social media here…

Facebook: Siobhan Curham Author

Instagram: @SiobhanCurham

Twitter: @SiobhanCurham

Thanks so much to everyone who has read my books and taken the time to leave a review here on Amazon, it really helps so I very much appreciate it.

Siobhan

My fairy garden

The Iron Way (The Sarmatian Trilogy Book 2) by Tim Leach – #BookReview – #ancienthistoricalfiction

The Iron Way by Tim Leach

Book Blurb:

AD 175, Vindolanda, Britannia. After their cavalry was broken by the legions on the frozen waters of the Danube, Sarmatian warrior Kai bought his people’s lives with a pledge to serve Rome. Bound to the will of the Emperor, the Sarmatians are ready to fight and eager to die – death in battle is the only escape from the dishonour of their defeat.

Exiled from their home lands, they are ordered to take the Iron Way to the far north and the very edge of the Empire. Here, a great wall of stone cuts across the land as straight as the stroke of a sword. On one side, Rome’s dominion; on the other, mist and rumours – stories of men closer to giants, of warriors who fight without fear or restraint.

For a people who knew no borders, who were promised war, garrison duty is cruel punishment. But as insurrection stirs on both sides of the wall, Kai will discover that every barrier has its weaknesses – and he will have his chance to fight, perhaps to die.

His Review:

The Romans had the perfect solution to protect their part of the British Island. Build a wall to keep the “northern hoards” and rabble out. Hadrian’s Wall is a constant reminder that isolationism and border walls do not work.

The northern part of the British Isles has been an area of contention for many centuries. The Romans invading the island did nothing to change that. Therefore, they built a very impressive border wall with guard towers every mile to dissuade foreign invaders from attacking and occupying the region.

Thousands of invaders approached the wall carefully. Surely an attack was imminent! Remarkably no defense was supported on the wall and the army just pushed through on their journey to London. The invaders could not believe the arrogance of the people on the other side of the wall.

A Roman Centurion was the leader of the defense brigade. He considered this posting to be punishment for his inability to control the population. The prefect hated his job and could not wait to retire. His greatest concern was that he would not be invited to return to Rome or its environs, but would instead retire on a small parcel in England. This was one of his greatest nightmares.

This story exemplifies the schism that was the British Isles during the first one thousand years of the current epoch. Being the representative of Rome in such a backward area was tantamount to total ostracizing. The invaders heading toward England simply went to the hole in the wall and advanced on toward London.

This story is a very interesting look at the calamity that befell various nomadic tribes which colonized those islands at the time. The Roman’s promise was that 25 years in the Roman Legions would result in freedom to go home and live a retirement of ease. The Romans knew that this would never happen. Twenty-five years at that time was almost surely a death sentence.

This book is well written and certainly has poetic license at its core because there is no written history of many of these tribes. Read and enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my unbiased opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Ancient Historical Fiction, Historical Thrillers
Publisher: Head of Zeus—an Aries Book
ASIN: B09GZR81KT
Publication Date: August 4, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Links: The Iron Way [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: [Goodreads] Writer, climber, whisky drinker, chess dabbler and general purpose layabout. London exile currently encamped in the North and loving it. I’ve studied and taught creative writing at the University of Warwick and worked in bookshops in London and Greece.

If you’d like to know any more about me or my books, just ping me a message. Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great weekend!

The Faithful Dog: A Civil War Novel by Terry Lee Caruthers – #BookReview – #historicalfiction

The Faithful Dog by Terry Lee Caruthers

in Children’s 1800s US Historical Fiction

Book Blurb:

When German-born Louis Pfeif leaves home to join the Fifty-Eighth Illinois Infantry Regiment in 1862, his dog accompanies him. At Chicago’s Camp Douglas, Bärchen charms Louis’s fellow officers—even Colonel Lynch. As the Civil War escalates, the unit is transferred to Tennessee and placed under the command of General Lew Wallace. Shortly afterward, they come under fire at Erin Hollow. Bärchen proves his mettle—remaining by Louis’s side amid the boom of cannon and the rattle of musketry. Then one morning the two are thrust onto a battlefield, where one will die and the other must learn to carry on.

Based on a true story and the history of the Fifty-Eighth Illinois, The Faithful Dog powerfully illustrates the unwavering bond of devotion between dogs and their humans.

His Review:

A country was torn in the conflict between the north and the south. Many of the combatants who fought were immigrants or first-generation Americans in the new world. Second Lieutenant Lewis W. Pfeif was one of those volunteers. He served valiantly fighting to support President Lincoln and his new homeland.

This story is about his faithful dog Bänchen. The family dog was his pride and joy and went with him to the various camps. Second Lieutenant Pfeif was attached to the Fifty-Eighth Illinois regiment. They were transported by rail or steamboat to the various battlefields they fought in. The dog was a constant companion and was instrumental in alerting the regiment whenever danger was near.

Second Lieutenant Pfeif was killed in a battle against the Thirteenth Tennessee commanded by Confederate Colonel Alfred J. Vaughn. A head wound dispatched the Lieutenant instantly but the dog stayed by his master’s side and could not be coaxed to leave, nor would he allow anyone to approach or assist his master. Despite all of his efforts, his master would not rise.

After the war, his mistress went to the battlefield to try to find her husband’s remains. She was unable to find him until she was approached by a very tired and beleaguered Bänchen. The dog was so dirty and mangy that she hardly recognized him. However, he was able to lead her to the location of her husband’s remains and they were dug up and returned to Illinois.

This well-written story describes the horror and sacrifices the combatants suffered on both sides during the Civil War. The heartbreak of most families during this conflict was the lack of knowledge of where their brothers, fathers, or sons fell and were buried. Because of this war dog, he was able to get his master’s remains back to the proper burial site in Illinois. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Children’s 1800s US Historical Fiction, Children’s Dog Books, Children’s 1800s American Historical Fiction
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ASIN: B09VPXZV1N
Print Length: 166 pages
Publication Date: July 7, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Links: The Faithful Dog [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble

The Author: Terry Lee Caruthers enjoys writing, storytelling, and cats with a little cross-stitching on the side. Her preference is to spend her days curled up in the porch swing with a large glass of ice water and a good book. And yes! Unbelievably, she actually has a porch swing in her living room!

Terry credits her mother and maternal grandmother for nurturing her love of books. As a lifetime reader, she is drawn to coming-of-age novels and Southern literary fiction, but can’t pass up a good mystery. Her favorite book of all time is Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird,” which she was assigned to read in ninth grade–and has re-read almost every year since. Because of her prior involvement in cat rescue, Terry collects books on stray, feral, lost, and abandoned cats.

While fall is her favorite time of the year, she does love a good, deep snow. Summer is a season she could do without–although she does love its caladiums!

When not working, Terry spends her time writing. She has several more manuscripts in progress which she hopes to share with you in the future!

Enjoy Your Sunday

Cold Justice by Nolon King and David W Wright – #BookReview – #pulpthrillers

Cold Justice by Nolon King and David W Wright

Book Blurb:

A collection of corrupt men inside the justice system ruined his cousin Frank’s life, and now Stan Manning is going to make them pay. Instead of starting at the bottom, he enlists the help of his old friend and special ops army veteran, Moses White.

Frank Grimm left behind a notebook with a list of interesting names. At the top was Senator Royse Mickelson.

Stan assembles a small crew to build evidence against the Senator to bring him to justice, but when the senator dies in a terrible — and suspicious — car accident on the way to the police station after his public arrest, Stan must once again go into hiding.

His Review:

Hiding in a closet and listening to the footsteps of the killers coming for you is a tough way to start a day. Stan was inside a closet trying to make himself invisible but with little success. He calculates the correct angles to disable them and prepares for the worst. The footsteps get closer.

Four killers ought to be better prepared to complete their mission. Success is most often contained in the minutia and details. They learned too late that their prey was also armed as portions of a closet door disintegrated in a loud debris storm. Two killers down and two calling from below, “was the job done?”

These authors collaborate brilliantly in developing frightening snippets of lives saved and lives wasted. Reading this book, I wondered if people intent on killing someone could be so obtuse. A hunter needs to consider the survival instincts of the prey they are after. Overconfidence causes some of the best-hired guns to make life-ending mistakes.

The book is well written and leaves no time for recollection. The chapters are fast and the results impressive. I applaud the collaboration of these two writers. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Pulp Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Suspense
Publisher: Sterling & Stone
ASIN: B0B146QP4Q
Print Length: 215 pages
Publication Date: June 20, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Links: Cold Justice [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Authors:

Nolon King writes psychological thrillers designed to have you on the edge of your seat. His stories are dark, twisty, and often decidedly close to home.

When not writing you will find Nolon drinking black coffee and observing humans in their natural habitats.

↔↔↔↔↔↔

David Wright is a suspense thriller writer and co-author of the bestselling #1 horror and #1 sci-fi series, “Yesterday’s Gone.”

…With Nolon King, he is the co-author of the standalone suspense thriller “12” and the vigilante thriller series “No Justice.”

…He is the author of the non-fiction book, “Into the Darkness” which looks at how books and comics provided an escape from his youth and now he writes to offer that same escape to readers.

He is also one third of The Story Studio Podcast with authors Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant.

He currently lives on the east coast with his wife, his young son, and the world’s most poopingest cat.

When he’s not writing books, David can be found writing about the things he enjoys (TV shows, movies, books, video games, and going off on the occasional rant) at http://DavidwWright.com.

Have a Nice Weekend!

The Peaceful Village by Paulette Mahurin – #BookReview – #historicalfiction

The Peaceful Village by Paulette Mahurin

Book Blurb:

During the German occupation of France, nestled in the lush, verdant countryside in the Haute-Vienne department of central France was the peaceful village of Oradour-sur-Glane. It was a community where villagers woke to the medley of nature’s songs, roosters crowing, birds chirping, cats purring, and cows plodding on their way out to pasture. The people who lived there loved the tranquil nature of their beautiful home, a tranquility that existed year-round. Even with the German occupation, Oradour-sur-Glane – the village with cafés, shops, and a commuter tram to Limoges – remained relatively untouched by the stress of the occupation.

While Oradour-sur-Glane enjoyed the lack of German presence, twenty-two kilometers to the northwest in Limoges, the Germans were reacting with increasing cruelty to organized attacks on their soldiers by the armed resistance organization Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP). Headed by Amédé Fauré, the Limoges FTP was considered the most effective of the French Resistance groups. Fauré’s missions prompted the German military to kill and incarcerate in concentration camps anyone perceived as supporters or sympathizers of the Resistance.

Up until the middle of 1944, the German anti-partisan actions in France never rose to the level of brutality or number of civilian casualties that had occurred in eastern Europe. A little before the Allies landed in Normandy, all that changed, when German troops, and in particular the Waffen-SS, stationed on the Eastern Front were transferred to France. It was then that FTP’s increasing efforts to disrupt German communications and supply lines were met with disproportionate counter attacks, involving civilians. Fauré’s response was to target German officers. When he set his sights on two particular German officers, all hell broke loose.

Based on actual events as told by survivors, The Peaceful Village is the fictionalized story of the unfolding of the events that led up to one of the biggest World War II massacres on French soil. Much more than an account of Nazi brutality and the futility of war, this is a story of love.The love of family. The love of neighbor. The love of country. Compassion and courage burn from the pages as the villagers’ stories come alive. Written by the international bestselling author of The Seven Year Dress, Paulette Mahurin, this book pays homage to the villagers who lived and loved in Oradour-sur-Glane.

His Review:

The village is far away from the concentrations of Nazi’s in the metropolitan areas of France. Oradour has not been occupied and the village enjoys the ambiance of pre-war France. There is no occupation force and the area is a haven for Jews being sheltered by the local populace. The primarily Catholic area spreads the families out through the countryside and all is well.

Everything is quiet until the French Resistance decides to kill ranking German officers. Someone within the area has been tortured and reveals the large number of Jewish refugees hidden within the surrounding homes. Retaliation is swift as the entire village is wiped out in a swift slaughter.

Men, women, children and all of the animals including dogs are executed. The retaliation is retribution by a small group of the Resistance who decided to eliminate two offending German officers. Why did these people have to die that close to the end of the war?

I enjoyed the book and the efforts the local people took to remain neutral during WW II. Living a quiet life while the war raged all around them was the best of circumstances. I thought the Resistance leaders did not adequately think through the consequences of executing two German officers and the resultant carnage. Why was it necessary to kill them?

The author presented a very good description of a quiet area in war-torn France. The actions of a few resulted in the death of many. Rated at 4.5 sad stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical French Fiction, Historical European Fiction, Historical Fiction
ASIN: B0B2MBB4HT
Print Length: 245 pages
Publication Date: May 27, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Peaceful Village [Amazon]

Paulette Mahurin is an international best selling literary fiction and historical fiction novelist. She lives with her husband Terry and two dogs, Max and Bella, in Ventura County, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Science.

Her first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. Her second novel, His Name Was Ben, originally written as an award winning short story while she was in college and later expanded into a novel, rose to bestseller lists its second week out. Her third novel, To Live Out Loud, won international critical acclaim and made it to multiple sites as favorite read book of 2015. Her fourth book, The Seven Year Dress, made it to the bestseller lists for literary fiction and historical fiction on Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K. and Amazon Australia. Her fifth book, The Day I Saw The Hummingbird, was released in 2017 to rave reviews. Her sixth book, A Different Kind of Angel, was released in the summer of 2018 also to rave reviews.

Semi-retired, she continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in Ventura County. When she’s not writing, she does pro-bono consultation work with women with cancer, works in the Westminster Free Clinic as a volunteer provider, volunteers as a mediator in the Ventura County Courthouse for small claims cases, and involves herself, along with her husband, in dog rescue. Profits from her books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters.

Enjoy Your Sunday

What She Found (Tracy Crosswhite Book 9) by Robert Dugoni – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

What She Found by Robert Dugoni

Book Blurb:

Solving a decades-old disappearance sets Tracy Crosswhite on a dangerous collision course with the past in a pulse-pounding novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite has agreed to look into the disappearance of investigative reporter Lisa Childress. Solving the cold case is an obsession for Lisa’s daughter, Anita. So is clearing the name of her father, a prime suspect who became a pariah. After twenty-five years, all Anita wants is the truth—no matter where it leads.

For Tracy, that means reopening the potentially explosive investigations Lisa was following on the dark night she vanished: an exposé of likely mayoral graft; the shocking rumors of a reserved city councilman’s criminal sex life; a drug task force scandal compromising the Seattle PD; and an elusive serial killer who disappeared just as mysteriously as Lisa.

As all the pieces come together, it becomes clear that Tracy is in the midst of a case that will push her loyalties and her resilience to the limit. What she uncovers will come with a greater price than anyone feared.

My Review:

What I love about the Tracy Crosswhite series? This is Book 9 and could still be read as a standalone. I popped into this series with Book 7 A Cold Trail, and then read Book 8 In Her Tracks. I feel I know Tracy pretty well, although as a complex, intelligent detective in Seattle there is always more that can be discovered. Lisa has been relegated to Cold Cases after a couple little disagreements with her former superior.

This entry to the series has decorated Detective Crosswhite looking into the disappearance of investigative reporter Lisa Childress at the behest of her daughter, Anita, who was two years old at the time of her mother’s disappearance. After 25 years and the circumstances surrounding her departure though, there are few possibilities—none with what would look to have a positive outcome.

Lisa was full-tilt into an extremely dangerous investigation that certainly pointed to the circumstance of finding herself at risk. She was meeting someone in the middle of the night that might have exposed corruption within the department, a murder, and a crooked drug task force. It was Lisa’s husband, however, that became the local police focal point and they looked no further following scrutiny of their family life.

Chief of Police Marcella Weber may be a stumbling block in Crosswhite’s digging into the Childress case as her objective is positive public opinion and council approval and the desire to investigate only those cases where new DNA evidence is found that might lead to a resolution of the case.

Crosswhite still maintains a strong bond with recent partners from the Homicide Division, all strong support characters as well as maintaining a happy home life with a successful, supportive hubby and sweet baby girl. But she has a history and Crosswhite is driven to find the answers to the Childress case whether she secures approval or not.

I loved the direction it took, well-plotted, and the conclusion is very satisfying.

520 floating bridge into Seattle — Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Seattle, WA

Dugoni’s novels are well-paced and deliver leads that keep the reader engaged. I always enjoy references to the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge better known as the 520 bridge, bringing back memories of the sensation of riding over it on my motorcycle. These narratives are always intelligent offering learning opportunities as well as incite to strong characters and motives. Easy to invest in Crosswhite, follow her discoveries, look for the next, and applaud her victories.

I’ve also read the Charles Jenkins series (even started with Book 1 The Eighth Sister!) and now I’m thrilled to see a new Dugoni book come up, whether one of either series or a standalone; a go-to author. This is one you won’t want to miss! Currently on pre-order.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

[goodreads]

Book Details:

Genre: Murder, Women Sleuths, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: ‎ 1542008328
ASIN: B08ZMWPP9Q
Print Length: 343 pages
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 8 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, and the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award and the critically acclaimed, The World Played Chess; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Several of his novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a three-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website at http://www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertD

520 floating bridge attribute: Wikipedia

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No Strangers Here by Carlene O’Connor – #BookReview – #mystery

No Strangers Here (A County Kerry Novel Book 1) by Carlene O’Connor

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

In the powerful tradition of Ann Cleeves and Louise Penny, USA Today bestselling author Carlene O’Connor’s new series set in Ireland brings together complex characters and a fascinating setting, focusing on a female vet who returns home to the village where she grew up and must reckon with her past while untangling mysteries in the present.

On a rocky beach in the southwest of Ireland, the body of Jimmy O’Reilly, sixty-nine years old and dressed in a suit and his dancing shoes, is propped on a boulder, staring sightlessly out to sea. A cryptic message is spelled out next to the body with sixty-nine polished black stones and a discarded vial of deadly veterinarian medication lies nearby. Jimmy was a wealthy racehorse owner, known far and wide as The Dancing Man. In a town like Dingle, everyone knows a little something about everyone else. But dig a bit deeper, and there’s always much more to find. And when Detective Inspector Cormac O’Brien is dispatched out of Killarney to lead the murder inquiry, he’s determined to unearth every last buried secret.

Dimpna Wilde hasn’t been home in years. As picturesque as Dingle may be for tourists in search of their roots and the perfect jumper, to her it means family drama and personal complications. In fairness, Dublin hasn’t worked out quite as she hoped either. Faced with a triple bombshell—her mother rumored to be in a relationship with Jimmy, her father’s dementia is escalating, and her brother is avoiding her calls—Dimpna moves back to clear her family of suspicion.

Despite plenty of other suspects, the guards are crawling over the Wildes. But the horse business can be a brutal one, and as Dimpna becomes more involved with her old acquaintances and haunts, the depth of lingering grudges becomes clear. Theft, extortion, jealousy and greed. As Dimpna takes over the family practice, she’s in a race with the detective inspector to uncover the dark, twisting truth, no matter how close to home it strikes . . .

His Review:

Dingle is a peninsula in Ireland where the wealthy, like all cream, rise to the top and the O’Reilly family was the cream. They owned a good part of the peninsula and had many of the residents working for them. The patriarch of the family was Jimmy O’Reilly. Well dressed, he is found wearing a tie, dragged up on a beach from the ocean and very dead!

Cormac O’Brien is assigned to the case. The tie around Jimmy’s neck is tied correctly and looks almost new. He is in a very well-designed suit that does not look like it came out of the sound! The well-connected Mr. O’Reilly’s death must be solved and as quickly as possible.

A tarot card and vial of a strong sedative is found on the body indicating a veterinarian may be involved. Why would one of the wealthiest men in Dingle wind up on the shores of the sound murdered?

The local veterinarian is Dr. Wilde. He is well known throughout the community and everyone is concerned because he exhibits signs of advancing dementia, which has left him befuddled and confused. His practice is suffering and his daughter, Dr. Dimpna Wilde, also a very good veterinarian, decides to return to her hometown to help her father.

It has been 27 years since Dimpna left Dingle for college and founded her own veterinary practice. Since the death of Mr. O’Reilly was presumed to be by someone with access to veterinary medications, the suspicion fell on the Wilde family.

The author weaves a very fascinating tale of duplicity, jealousy, and avarice. I found myself glued to the dialogue which shifted around identifying many suspects. But could the vet have been the perpetrator? 5 stars – CE Williams

[I’ve read many books by this author following the Irish Village Mystery series, including Murder on an Irish Farm, Murder in Connemara, and Murder in an Irish Cottage, all delightful 4.5 star reads. I thought the CE would enjoy starting this one. He did!]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Currently on pre-order.

Book Details:

Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Murder
Publisher: Kensington Books
ASIN: B09RGG842R
Print Length: 320 pages
Publication Date: October 25, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Links: No Strangers Here [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Carlene O’Connor comes from a long line of Irish storytellers. Her great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland to America during the Troubles, and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places across the pond she’s wandered, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork. Carlene currently divides her time between New York and the Emerald Isle.

http://www.carleneoconnor.com

Enjoy Your Sunday

Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Katherine J Chen – #BookReview – #medievalhistoricalfiction

Joan by Katherine J Chen

Book Blurb:

Girl. Warrior. Heretic. Saint? From the acclaimed author of Mary B comes a stunning, secular reimagining of the epic life of Joan of Arc.

1412. France is mired in a losing war against England. Its people are starving. Its king is in hiding. From this chaos emerges a teenage girl who will turn the tide of battle and lead the French to victory, becoming an unlikely hero whose name will echo across the centuries.

In Katherine J. Chen’s hands, the myth and legend of Joan of Arc is transformed into a flesh-and-blood young woman: reckless, steel-willed, and brilliant. This meticulously researched novel is a sweeping narrative of her life, from a childhood steeped in both joy and violence, to her meteoric rise to fame at the head of the French army, where she navigates the perils of the battlefield and the equally treacherous politics of the royal court. Many are threatened by a woman who leads, and Joan draws wrath and suspicion from all corners, while her first taste of fame and glory leaves her vulnerable to her own powerful ambition.

With unforgettably vivid characters, transporting settings, and action-packed storytelling, Joan is a thrilling epic, a triumph of historical fiction, as well as a feminist celebration of one remarkable—and remarkably real—woman who left an indelible mark on history.

His Review:

Jacque de Arc did not like his daughter. She was tall and gangly and he thrashed her whenever he got the chance. As she grew older she became unmanageable and someone who gave as good as she got. The death of her brother and older sister sent her into a life of revenge against her father.

War in France is divided between many factions including the Burgundians, the Dauphine, John the Fearless, the English and others. Joan knows she is a child of God and attends mass two or three times a day. Her father has no use for her. The Dauphine who is the rightful heir to the throne is being hunted by his uncles and others aspiring to the throne and is in constant danger. France is fighting England as well as civil war throughout the kingdom. Charles the VII of France, the Dauphine and rightful heir to the throne of France, is protected by Joan.

The Dauphine seems unable to take care of himself and is not ready to take his throne. His uncles and relatives would like to eliminate him and rightfully become the king of France. Joan protects the Dauphine and leads armies into battle against the British and those who want to control the country. The king, under her protection, gains cities on his way to Paris. The population feels that Joan must be a witch or worse! Her victories are thought to be the work of the devil.

Charles becomes disillusioned with Joan and begins to fear his best ally. He puts her in prison after they captured Reims and are near the gates of Paris but wary of her becoming too powerful releases her again to man inadequate armies to continue regaining control of France (and to die in battle). The church also has trepidations regarding Joan’s success and begins to plan her overthrow and burn her at the stake.

Ms. Chen has written a very convincing tale of the plight of “The Maid of Orleans.” Anyone associated with King Charles and so many victories must be suspect! She is ultimately burned at the stake because of the suspicion of her being an instrument of the devil. France is free under Charles the VII but Joan is executed.

This is a well-written tale of the life and times of Joan of Arc. I strongly recommend it to history buffs and those who enjoy medieval novels. 4.5 stars

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Medieval Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: ‎ 1984855808
ASIN: B09HTKVV9P
Print Length: 353 pages
Publication Date: July 5, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc [Amazon]