#NewBook – Page 5 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Witch’s Orchard: A Novel by Archer Sullivan #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

A ninth generation Appalachian herself, Archer Sullivan brings the mountains of North Carolina to life in The Witch’s Orchard, a wonderfully atmospheric novel that introduces private investigator Annie Gore.

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore joined the military right after high school to escape the fraught homelife of her childhood. Now, she’s getting by as a private investigator and her latest case takes her to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one where she grew up.

Ten years ago, three little girls went missing from their tiny mountain town. While one was returned, the others were never seen again. After all this time without answers, the brother of one of the girls wants to hire an outsider, and he wants Annie. While she may not be from his town, she gets mountain towns. Mountain people. Driving back into the hills for a case this old—it might be a fool’s errand. But Annie needs to put money in the bank and she can’t turn down a case. Not even one that dredges up her own painful past.

In the shadow of the Blue Ridge, Annie begins to track the truth, navigating a decade’s worth of secrets, folklore of witches and crows, and a whole town that prefers to forget. But while the case may have been buried, echoes of the past linger. And Annie’s arrival stirs someone into action.

My Review:

Yes! Start with Book 1 of a new series and love it when you discover a debut author and new series that catches your attention.

Annie Gore PI is a former Air Force Special Investigator. She’s taken on a case that sends her back to an Appalachian holler similar to that of her childhood. It’s a cold case. A very old, cold case, but one she couldn’t resist looking into—being close to home in more ways than one.

Of course, the setting is right down the author’s alley—she knows those mountains and those people. These are mountain people, tough, resilient, and generous. Also, closed to any that’s not one of them. The soul of the people pervades the background as another character, subtle, but ever present.

‘”Too proud to whitewash, too poor to paint” comes to mind.’

Annie is a great protagonist, strong, smart, capable. She has an ingratiating nature that gives the reader a connection and an interest in who she is and why. It’s fun to work with her in her investigation as she slowly wheedles more clues, more info, more insight. She’s no bully, but she can get what she needs.

Entertaining, compelling, providing an atmosphere with an engaging main character, it’s a winner. I’m in and looking for Book 2.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction, Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ASIN: B0DDJ8YPX5
Print Length: 320 pages
Publication Date: August 12, 2025
Source: Publisher and Netgalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: ARCHER SULLIVAN is a ninth-generation Appalachian. She’s moved thirty-seven times and has lived everywhere from Monticello, Kentucky to Manhattan, New York and from Black Mountain, North Carolina to Beverly Hills, California. Her work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Tough, Shotgun Honey, Reckon Review, Rock and a Hard Place, and The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2024.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Parents Weekend: A Novel by Alex Finlay #BookReview #psychologicalthriller

Book Blurb:

From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families gather over dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up to dinner.

At first, everyone thinks they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours tick by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths soon call them—come from very different families. What drew them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril—or a threat to the friend group from within?

Told from each family’s point of view—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days in the dorms when friends become family.

His Review:

Parents are going to be spending a weekend with their students at Santa Clara University. There are five families with varying levels of enthusiasm waiting to join their offspring. The festivities begin but there is a problem, where are the students?

The book examines each of the families and their inter-reactions and expectations.

The event falls apart because none of the students show up at the event. At first, it is considered a college prank but then one of the students’ bodies is found drowned in a cave near the ocean. All the adults become frantic. Are the students OK?

The book is very well written but the format of the story left me flummoxed. The author presented each of the different families’ perspective and point of view. I found myself torn wanting a more consistent dialogue regarding each of the families. I was left wanting answers before a second set of family attitudes were presented.

Because there are five families with ten adults each having their own issues, I could not maintain a logical thread in my reading. Therefore, for me, the story fell through the cracks in the narrative. 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense Thrillers
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1250360722
ASIN: B0DBVV6PMG
Print Length: 308 pages
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Alex Finlay is the bestselling author of several acclaimed novels, including the 2021 breakout EVERY LAST FEAR, the 2022 GoodReads Choice nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller, THE NIGHT SHIFT, the 2023 LibraryReads Hall of Fame recipient, WHAT HAVE WE DONE, and his latest 2024 release, USA TODAY bestseller, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME. His novels regularly appear on best-of-the-year lists and have been translated into twenty-four languages and are sold around the world. Alex’s books are optioned for film and television, and EVERY LAST FEAR is in development for a major series. Alex lives in Washington, DC and Virginia, where he is at work on his next novel.

Have a Great Sunday

Book graphic banner by Canva.com AI

A Lesson in Dying: The First Inspector Ramsay Novel by Ann Cleeves #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Inspector Ramsay Series Book 1

Book Blurb:

Before Shetland and Vera, Ann Cleeves wrote the Inspector Ramsay series featuring a talented, brilliant detective—now in print for the first time in the US.

Who hung the headmaster in the playground on the night of the school Halloween Party?

Almost everyone in Heppleburn either hated or feared the viper-tongued Harold Medburn. Inspector Ramsay is convinced it was the headmaster’s enigmatic wife but Jack Robson, school governor and caretaker, is determined to prove her innocence.

With the help of his restless daughter Patty, Jack digs into the secrets of Heppleburn, and uncovers a cesspit of lies, adultery, blackmail and madness . . .

My Review:

I once asked if Ann Cleeves was an acquired taste. Perhaps I fall into that category, totally mystified by not only her prolific writing history, but the lengths at which one of her bestselling series has gone. One I haven’t even tapped yet, the Shetland books. And, good grief, it’s a critically acclaimed series of crime novels appearing on BBC in it’s ninth season. Whaa??

Admittedly, her books, what I’ve read so far, haven’t exactly hooked with a sensational start. These are generally a slow build up and sometimes even sag in the middle. So why did I return to Vera Stanhope, for instance?

This novel begins the Inspector Ramsay series, first published in 1990. Goodness! One of her first or just one of her shortest? (Thank heaven.) Perhaps this wouldn’t be a good example of her later writing style as it fails to dig deeply into developing main (or multiple) characters but I like getting into a series with Book 1 where I can, so I downloaded this one.

The atmosphere is rather dreary and the storyline fairly simple, doesn’t lapse into a complex plot. The supporting characters are about as strong as the inspector, small village, lots of gossips. Inspector Ramsay just didn’t have the punch, and really, I didn’t particularly like him.

Of course there is a quick and easy perp arrested for the crime (among all the others who hated him equally), and Inspector Ramsay isn’t exactly a fireball and appears to let others do his job. The plot is rather dull, predictable, and in the end (for me) a snoozer. The first of six. Disappointing. Yes, I recommend Ann Cleeves; no, I don’t recommend the first of this series.

Okay, it’s an early effort and I can attest she later developed a compelling writing style. I enjoy the Vera Stanhope books, the last I read being The Rising Tide. Love that the character is a mature woman, isn’t a boozer, a bed-hopper, and damaged by calamitous history.

Well, obviously, I’m going to have to find Raven Black, the first in the Shetland books. What have I missed? I’m going to find out. Are you a diehard fan of Ann Cleeves? Did you read this one?

I downloaded this copy from my local library and appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own opinions.

Rosepoint Rating: Two point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Detective Mysteries, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Minotaur Books
IASIN: B0DJZ54RXJ
Print Length: 227 pages
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Ann (born October 1954) is the author of the books behind ITV’s VERA, now in it’s third series, and the BBC’s SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann’s DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann’s Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands…

Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs – child care officer, women’s refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard – before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.

While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person’s not heavily into birds – and Ann isn’t – there’s not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.

In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.

[Truncated—please see her published bio on Amazon and Goodreads.]

Ann’s books have been translated into sixteen languages. She’s a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200.

Bio and photo from Goodreads.

Follow her on Twitter (X): https://x.com/anncleeves?lang=en

Where will your books take you this month?

The Cartagena Cartel by T C Roberts #BookReview #travelhumor

The Misadventures of a Modern-Day Nomad: Book 2

Book Blurb:

Archie Flynn, heartbroken and restless, flees his homeland in search of adventure, freedom, and a fresh start as a digital nomad. His destination? Cartagena, Colombia.

But paradise turns to peril when a chance encounter with a femme fatale leaves him drugged, robbed, and broke in a city where desperation breeds bad decisions. Forced into a dangerous game with the local cartel and corrupt cops, Archie’s dream of escape quickly spirals into a nightmare.

Just when all seems lost, the enigmatic Julianna steps into his life—an unexpected ally who rekindles his faith in women and offers a glimmer of hope. But in a city where romance and danger walk hand in hand, can Archie survive long enough to rewrite his fate?

The Cartagena Cartel is a gripping, darkly comedic thriller about heartbreak, survival, and self-discovery in the underbelly of paradise.

His Review:

The largest cash crop for Cartagena is drugs and the second biggest for the country of Columbia. The drug cartels run the country, the government, and the police force. Archie Ignatius Flynn is an Australian who has made Columbia his current home and is a drug enthusiast. He is in the city to write and send stories back to Australia regarding the enormous drug problem. However, as you read the story you realize that drugs are not a problem for Cartagena but rather for the rest of the world.

Entering the country is risky in and of itself. The rain forest is a large part of the country and the many ways to die are incredible.

The rain forest is not an environment to be taken lightly and many die each year thinking they can enter it, but Archie is not involved in the rain forest at this time. He does enjoy a little recreational cocaine and has a number of very beautiful women who pursue him. One of these lovely ladies is involved with people who drug him and steal his identity, passport, and all of his money. If he had not prepaid for his lodging, he would be penniless and out in the street.

I found this to be a very interesting book and a warning for non-drug users to avoid the country at all costs. The women are gorgeous and engaging. However, their target may be you, the tourist, and all of your possessions. (At one point, Archie is left totally naked in the street with nothing.) There are scenes that lend a dark, noir foreboding to the storyline. Read and be forewarned by his adventures! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Travel Humor, Crime Action Fiction, Crime Action & Adventure
ASIN: B0F1FHFW8W
Print Length: 301 pages
Publication Date: April 8, 2025
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: T.C. Roberts is the independent author of the non-fiction title, “Goodbye Office, Hello World!”, his debut novel, “Highly Flawed Individual”, and the forthcoming sequel, “The Cartagena Cartel”. Originally from Sydney, Tim has no fixed address and considers himself a citizen of the world. When he is not writing, he’s exploring new places, swimming in the ocean or seeking out his next destination.

AI generated graphic courtesy Freepik.com

Beautiful Ugly: A Novel by Alice Feeney #AudiobookReview #DomesticThrillers

Editors’ pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible: a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

My Review:

Boy, howdy, I do get tired of damaged narrators. Grady Green is a narcissistic author whose wife apparently disappeared the very day he was over the moon with the news he’d landed New York bestseller status. He couldn’t wait to tell her, but the journalist stopped her car on the way home to check out someone in the road and was never seen again. Yeah. They found her car.

Grady is a mess. The loss of his wife appears to put the kibosh on his writing skills. He’s hit the wall and struggling with everything, staring down the laptop as it continues to cool its jets. That’s when his publisher mentions she has a cabin on an island in which he could sequester himself peacefully and just write.

And I gotta admit. I was hooked in this first part. He’s almost sympathetic. The cabin is nice. Very nice. The view of the water and the area surreal. His dog Columbo loves it. The only problem is the people of the little village—too small to have much—they are a tight bunch who heave a big sigh when tourist season is over—for them it’s over—and he’s not a particularly welcome guest.

It’s weird then that things begin to manifest—seeing his wife. Is sure he sees his wife. Or maybe not. The deeper into his history, the less sympathy I felt, and there were really no support characters that grabbed me. Pretty unlikable all round. Except for Columbo.

The storyline became complex, and the more so, the more incredulous or implausible it became as well. Yeah, twists that didn’t make sense. I had to shake my head…wait, what?

The author built suspense alright and kept this reader turning pages, and it was getting pretty far out there until the one big one in the denouement. To the point of almost being funny. Really? Okay, Karma is a b*tch.

Fan of Feeney? You may very well find this one a thriller you’ll enjoy. You can’t say it isn’t entertaining.

I also read and enjoyed Good Bad Girl a couple years ago, along with a couple others, but find this author still a bit inconsistent for me. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Family Life Fiction, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0D3QS21DQ
Listening Length: 9 hrs 19 mins
Narrator: Richard Armitage, Tuppence Middleton
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)

Title Links:

Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Alice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author of novels including His & Hers, Sometimes I Lie, Rock Paper Scissors and Daisy Darker. Her books have been translated into over thirty-five languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations, with His & Hers currently in production for Netflix, produced by Jessica Chastain, and starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal.

Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years. Her seventh novel, Beautiful Ugly, will be published around the world in January 2025.

You can follow Alice on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. To find out the latest book and TV news, or to sign up for Alice’s free newsletter, please visit alicefeeney dot com

Happy Thursday

First Pub on the Right by David Irish Anderson #BookReview #Motorcycles

“Driving a car is like watching a movie, while riding a motorcycle is like being a part of it.”

Book Blurb:

With the quick wit and dry humour of a true Irishman, David “Irish” Anderson documents his epic eighteen-month motorcycle adventure from Ireland to South Africa in this captivating travel memoir.

What begins as a lofty idea in a pub becomes a reality after six years of planning when Irish and his wife purposely set out with their two heavily loaded motorcycles. Somewhere along the way, Irish loses his wife, but amidst the heartbreak, turmoil, and challenges on the long and often bumpy road, he gains a whole new perspective on life.

Follow his exciting journey as he does what you’re absolutely not supposed to do when you see an elephant, involuntarily exfoliates himself during a desert sandstorm, and receives plenty of well-meaning but impractical advice from strange characters.

With a telling eye for detail, Irish artfully captures the characteristics of each country he visits, the encounters with people he meets, the difficulties he faces, and the joy of discovery that comes with travelling to unfamiliar places, providing the reader with a rich tapestry of experience.

My Review:

Yes, of course, I was caught by the photo of the BMW GS on the cover. And while that is not the model of the bike I rode, mine was a R1200C—gorgeous bike—I’d have never attempted this ride. Much less ever had the money for it. It’s hard not to get pangs for the saddle though when you no longer ride.

Then, bonus: The author is from Ireland and I can include this book in Reading Ireland Month, or as we call it, #Begorrathon, an annual event hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. And, too, had to laugh at the title as we often heard from the CE that we’d (finally!) stop at the next café on the right. Hot, tired, hungry, and totally exhilarated by a sweet ride and creating life-changing memories.

This man, however, and at the beginning, his wife, undertook to ride from Cork, Ireland to Cape Town, Africa. Six years in the planning still SOOO much unexpected in the execution that I couldn’t fathom why, first, the money didn’t run out.

Not entirely without experience in long distance traveling overland on a motorcycle since both journeyed through South America, this was still more ambitious. In the end, he traveled forty countries in eighteen months for a total of 39,047 miles.

Virtually impossible to fix an itinerary with a ride of this magnitude, the routes were kept rather loose. It should be noted, of course, that this man also had extensive worldwide knowledge of rafting colleagues, a huge network of acquaintances and friends, having worked or lived on virtually every continent of the planet. For this trip, he’d be doing a lot of wild camping and there was always a question of available fuel.

Irish settled on a BMW 800GS, while his wife chose the BMW F650 as she insisted on riding her own for this trip rather than “two-up” as they did in South America. As they each divvied up necessary equipment, I wondered how he managed the equipment she’d carried at the beginning.

I loved the account of so many places the CE and I have been fortunate enough to see and lived again the scenery, beauty, and welcome of the people this time vicariously on a bike rather than the tour bus. The description of the City of Split on the Dalmatian coast was of particular interest since that’s where our “Croatian son’s” family was living his first time back home following the Balkan War.

The loss of his wife was sudden and heralded a period of heavy introspection and downtime. It seemed the timbre of his voice changed subtly after that to more a chronology than storyline. I was definitely surprised at the turn of events but it turned on a philosophy gene that he continued to explore and engage the rest of the book.

He spoke of “experience overload” which was a familiar occurrence back then. As with most riders, he eventually found an appropriate name for his bike and likened “her” not as a machine but more a part of him as a sentient being with whom he’d shared a magnificent and healing experience.

The narrative exposed a raw personal side of the author and his eventual acceptance of his new life as much as the people and countries in which he rode. He faced a lot of obstacles, many of which would have some giving up. It was by the completion of the trip, however, that he managed to come to terms with everything that happened along the way and to find his way forward.

A travelogue as well as a diary of a motorcycle odyssey, you don’t have to love riding to enjoy the experience of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Motorcycles, Travel Writing Reference, Travelogues & Travel Essays
Publisher: Pure Ink Press
ISBN: 979-8987586631
ASIN: B0DWBJCFQC
Print Length: 346 pages
Publication Date: February 4, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: David “Irish” Anderson has been an outdoor educator and adventure guide for over thirty years. Originally from Ireland, he has lived and worked on every continent, including Antarctica, while pursuing his passion for exploration and discovery. He caught the motorcycle travel bug at a young age and has spent more nights sleeping under the stars than he can possibly remember. Irish currently lives in Queenstown, New Zealand, where he divides his time between guiding, writing, and planning more shenanigans.

Sunday explorations — AI generated graphic courtesy Freepik.com

Guardian of the Crossroads: A Novel by Melanie Forde #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Catherine Devine briefly becomes a minor celebrity in Fauquier County, Virginia, when she saves a child from an oncoming truck. Cate is an unlikely heroine, stuck in a dead-end job as a school crossing guard and part-time art teacher. Stalled in her early forties, she lacks sufficient faith in herself to craft any plans—grand or small. But Cate harbors an extraordinary secret—she occasionally experiences psychokinesis. As she ponders just how she stopped that truck, she comes to believe her mind can move more than just physical objects. Perhaps she can move time itself. Melanie Forde’s riveting sixth novel takes readers on a journey of discovery as Cate explores not only her paranormal quirks but artistic talents that can heal old wounds. Accompanying her on this journey is her faithful wolfhound, Hecuba, an old soul who has always considered her mistress someone very, very special—perhaps even a goddess.

My Review:

This is not an author who churns out one series installment every six months. Ms. Forde takes her time to deliver a complex plot line and crafts a spellbinding literary novel.

Thoughtful storylines may take a bit longer to build but are rewarded by deeply moving and thoughtful characters wrestling with life and circumstances the best they can with the gifts they were born with. Such is the story of Catherine Devine of Fauquier County, Virginia.

The author generates a raw and emotional main character in Catherine who, following the extraordinary save of a young girl from being killed by a run-a-way vehicle in her school crosswalk, begins to question her ability to have moved that fast and effectively. As Cate begins to reflect on obscure memories in her life, she instigates a plan to solve what might be an act of psychokinesis.

Essentially without family, Cate does have a few friends but she begins an earnest investigation into her abilities and consults a professional. Single, her closest ally is a giant wolfhound named Hecuba. I loved this character! I could picture and invest in her.

In the study of her background, Cate comes across her old paintings, something she’d loved years ago and was very good at.

There is one very dark, ugly, but powerful painting she comes across that stirs strong emotions and she realizes that is the direction she must follow. She also remembers the catharsis her artistic abilities brought her and dives back into it with abandon, wondering what secrets she has long repressed will be revealed.

Yikes! The storyline turns dark, a startling surprise for me. Definitely caught off-guard, the plot becomes so compelling, you’ll have to follow to the denouement.

“The law of unintended consequences.”

It’s an intelligent and sensitive writing style that pulls in the reader. The themes examine the loss of familial trust, sexual deviation, paranormal and kinesis abilities, along with Greek mythology.

“…physical abuse breaks bones. Sexual abuse breaks the spirit.”

The author is a powerful storyteller. This is one of those stories that is laid out carefully, quietly, and then bestows a “wow” mystical factor at the end when the readers’ mind catches up. Whether or not you believe in paranormal or psychokinesis abilities, the narrative will leave you satisfied.

I greatly enjoyed The Quarry’s Girl, my last read by this author. Each of her novels is totally unique. I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. While there were some edit misses, they will be corrected. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Literature & Fiction
Publisher: D Street Books, a division of Mountain Lake Press
ISBN: 1959307436
ASIN: B0DSQ98DL1
Print Length: 471 pages
Publication Date: January 9, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: For most of her writing career, Melanie Forde ghosted on international security issues. She published her first novel, Hillwilla, in 2014, followed by On the Hillwilla Road in 2015. Her West Virginia trilogy culminates in Reinventing Hillwilla, 2018. Twenty years in the making, her Irish-American family saga, Decanted Truths, was also released in 2018. In 2022, Forde mined the stories about her French Canadian ancestors, to publish another period novel and family saga, The Quarryman’s Girl. Legends about the goddess Hecate were the starting point for her sixth novel. Published in 2024, Guardian of the Crossroads combines paranormal, psychological and literary themes.

AI generated Irish Wolfhound courtesy Freepik.com

History’s Pages: The Knocknashee Story – Book 3 by Jean Grainer #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

in Historical Irish Fiction

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

In the tumultuous year of 1940, an extraordinary friendship spans the Atlantic. Grace Fitzgerald, rooted in the seemingly peaceful Irish village of Knocknashee, and Richard Lewis, an intrepid war correspondent from Savannah, Georgia, share a connection that transcends simple categorization as World War II rages on.

As Europe burns and America deliberates its involvement, Grace and Richard find themselves witnessing history from vastly different vantage points. While the tight-knit community of Knocknashee anxiously monitors “the Emergency” from neutral Ireland, Richard brings the harsh realities of war to life through his reports from bomb-ravaged London.

Though each explores romantic possibilities closer to home, Grace and Richard’s bond remains unmatched—a connection that defies distance and circumstance. But as the world plunges deeper into conflict, they face crucial choices that could alter their lives forever. Can their unique relationship withstand not only separation, but also the life-changing decisions each must make in a world torn apart by war?

“History’s Pages,” the captivating third installment of the Knocknashee Story, weaves a tale of deep friendship, personal choices, and resilience against the sweeping canvas of history. Perfect for fans of “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and “The Nightingale,” this novel will transport you to a world where ordinary people navigate extraordinary challenges, and where the most profound connections often defy simple definition.

My Review:

Oh my goodness, can Ms Grainger weave a tale or what?

I am loving this series, I swear her best one yet, and this one particularly grips with graphic inclusion of the escalating war weaving in and out of the quiet Irish village of Knocknashee where Grace is headmistress.

Grace Fitzgerald and Richard Lewis missed each other on her trip to the states with Declan as I mentioned in Book 2, Yesterday’s Paper. The year is 1940 and with Hitler on the march and Europe descending into continent wide war, Richard, with his sister Sarah and boyfriend and budding war photographer Jacob Nunez, are finding success with their articles and photos sent home for their U.S. paper.

Between their experience in France and then London, Richard finally gets a hasty chance to run to Knocknashee to meet Grace. It was a fast and furious, emotionally charged meeting between the two, leaving far more emotive glances than words. Opposites in every way from his old money background and masculine physicality to her simple and poor childhood. a bandy leg legacy of the polio suffered as a young girl. Still…The attraction couldn’t be denied.

Their correspondence continues but on a cautious level. The Irish village men and women are shocked when a beloved priest is sent away to make room for the canon no one wished to see back. While Ireland maintains their neutrality, the war continues to escalate with Richard and his crew seeing first-hand how Londoners dig in to combat the conflagration inflicted nightly on their city.

The author turns on that strong sense of ironic humor as she moves her women through the awakening of male dominated jobs that become easily performed out of necessity by the absence of men during war time. The scarcity of food and supplies become a matter of money and coupons. More than goods, services are increasingly dear—including the delivery of mail—which complicates the relationship even further.

This juxtaposed against the strict moral codes dictated by the church and imposed even as the world outside a cloistered setting crumbled daily.

So much going on in these tales, the depth of “the Emergency” creating havoc and modification to daily life everywhere.

Loved the new characters introduced, including the Cockney girl, Pippa, and the sophisticated Swiss miss, Virginia. Again, the contrast between the characters astonishing yet so well developed.

The third installment hooks and doesn’t disappoint, ending too quickly and looking for the next. Her writing style is compelling, endearing, and unique, assuming a kinship with her reader. She loves her work, obviously inspired with this storyline, well researched and authentic. It shows. I hope you didn’t miss Book 1 and 2. You may wish to start at the beginning but should not miss this episode.

While I was hooked and flipping pages, my only negative would be the full repeat of a few of those letters. Still, the storyline kept me so captivated and flipping pages, it didn’t become a big issue. I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature, Friendship Fiction
ASIN: B0DGFZ94G5
Print Length:
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Jean Grainger is a USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction, acclaimed for her authentic portrayal of Irish life and history. Born in Cork, she draws from her experience as a history lecturer, teacher, and tour guide to craft engaging narratives. Grainger’s works span multiple series and standalone novels, covering significant periods in Irish history, including World War I, the 1916 Easter Rising, World War II, and the mid-20th century. Her stories often intertwine historical events with personal journeys, exploring themes of family, friendship, and human resilience. Grainger’s writing style, characterized by its warmth and authenticity, has earned her comparisons to renowned Irish authors like Maeve Binchy. Her dedication to research and character development has resulted in a loyal readership who feel deeply connected to her stories and characters.