#AconspiracyOfWolves #NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this hoped for 11th book in the Owen Archer series. Owen is considering employment Prospects. but has has more than one "iron in the fire" as the tale begins. He is mourning his wife' s aunt Dame Phillipa, as well as his former long time employer John Thoresby, Archbishop of York.
Enter Crispin Poole, merchant and former soldier bitten by a dog or ...a wolf? .. into his life as well as Geoffrey Chaucer on a mission from the Prince Edward. Wolves or dogs are woven through most of the tale in a complicated mystery of retribution.
I had to reorient myself to all the players in Dame Lucie and Owen's life which took awhile. I enjoyed the last chapter immensely with it's suggestion of things to come.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for this ARC/eDoc of my first Priscilla Masters Mystery, Blood on the Rocks. DI Joanna Piercy, pregnant, was directed to find ninety-six year old Zachary Foster, suffering from dementia who had wandered out of a residential care home. Zachary was said to be looking for his teddy bear he had had for over 90 years- this was not the case.
Since this is my first DI Joanna experience, I was unaware of the particulars leading up to what seems like a lot of animosity between the DI and some of her peers. Perhaps things are less "rocky "normally in the Staffordshire Moorland and Joanna's life ( no pun intended).
Because of her zealousness as a law officer, she has some seriously wild and dangerous enemies on the street and also with a knowledge of moorland caves. I will tell you that all was well at the end of the story, for Joanna and Zachary- less so for others. I plan to try another in the series.
Ten acclaimed authors.Immerse yourself in Ancient Rome through a collection of thrilling narratives, featuring soldiers, statesmen and spies.
Very glad I ordered this short story collection and surely would get another one, IF I could get from one book to another without plowing through every one of them.
I especially liked, of course Ruth Downie's Ruso outing ( loved actually) , Nick Brown's "Maker of Gold", "Exiles" by Antonia Senior and "The Wedding" LJ Trafford. I do like to skip around because sometimes, in middle of the night, the fighting scenes are too graphic, however accurately portrayed.They were all, of course very well done and my compliments to everyone.
That's just me and my choice of reading which runs more to upbeat historical fiction, and historical mysteries. I recommend this book to fans of Rome and Roman Britain (the latter my fave).
Loved loved loved this book and truly did not want it to end, I tried to read slowly and checked the last 2 books to see how old Mara would be? Did they get back to Rome after the last book ended? I was asking the book questions and laughing out loud at things Russo said.
On a serious note, Downie's excellent Author's Note explores the vast social inequalities of that time. Her characters, especially Ruso and Tilla, grow and evolve in their wisdom and as their relationship has developed. They both are, and are not, products of their environment. They do not necessarily "think" like most 2nd century people, which is a credit to the author's great writing skills, and her extensive research, which includes archaeological "hands on".
THIS of course sums the story up better than I can:"It's AD 123 and the sun is shining on southern Gaul. Ex-military medic Ruso and his British wife Tilla are back after a long absence - but it's not the reunion anyone had hoped for.
Ruso's brother has left him in charge of a farm he has no idea how to manage, a chronic debt problem and a gaggle of accident-prone small children. Meanwhile his sister Flora has run away to rescue her boyfriend, who's accused of murdering a wealthy guest at a party. "
How could you possibly not want to read this small book which could stand alone? Then of course you need to go back and begin with book #1 and begin the series. I have read it twice and am now going back to reread parts of this one. Get one for yourself right now!
Thanks NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC 4.5 stars ( rounded up) mostly for the last half of the book. It's Mystery #15 and I felt that Brother Thomas and Prioress Eleanor needed to settle their relationship issues. Guess what? They did so!!
"Prioress Eleanor is escorting her younger brother, Robert, and his wife, who is in labor, from their Marcher lands to greater safety at a Wynethorpe manor in a village just inside the English border. With her are Brother Thomas and Sister Anne. " .. Naturally a mystery awaits all of them.
The history of a twice-hanged man was an actual 1307 canonization case for Thomas de Cantilope, a bishop and a Welsh rebel William Cragh, who was hanged twice the same day 1287. He survived it was said because of the intersession of prayers to Bishop de Cantilope.
There was lots of other actual historical data used about this particular war or rebellion. Abbot Gerald also was modeled after Gerald of Wales also Loved that too as both de Cantilopes and Geraldis Cambrensis connect to both my paternal family ( Carrow) and maternal family (Faunt or L'Enfant) in Wales.
The ending was terrific and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Preorder yours now!
