A Year In Oxford- A Geoffrey Chaucer Mystery- Tim Shaw- 5 Stars- Love Geoffrey ~

Geoffrey Chaucer is a favorite of mine to read about and Tim Shaw's mysteries represent him so well. Delighted to have gotten a "first look" at it, hoping book 3 will start him into his adult years with family.

"A young Geoffrey Chaucer is sent to Oxford University to study, but soon starts to notice a disturbing pattern of "accidental" deaths. What is the significance of the phrases left on fresh graves, and which of his fellow students might be a murderer? Also, will he be able to keep up with his homework?"

Well Geoffrey kept up his homework but still kept delving into a mystery which began to prove dangerous for him. Fortunately he had other employ to fall back on and rewards for his prior services.

My very favorite part of the story takes place at the beginning when the daughter of Gilles, the Queen's usher, Philippa Roet " at the age of not-yet-ten.. would foolishly go for a walk on the ice at the ponds near Woodstock Castle"..
Enter Geoffrey Chaucer as hero and " that is when I learned about Gilles and the de Roet family"

You need to get your own copy which is out now at Amazon and read about the mystery which ensues.           

No Mark Upon Her - Deborah Crombie- Super Terrific Series ~ 5 Stars ~

"Olympic rowing hopeful and senior Metropolitan Police officer DCI Rebecca Meredith goes out alone to train on the river in Henley on a dark afternoon in late October - and doesn't return."
Really enjoyed this one, 5 Stars. Three books left until the new one comes out ( but I'll be rereading for sure.)

The characters and the mystery behaved impeccably with lots of twists and turns. Happily the newer folks in the cast of characters "buddied up" at the culmination which builds anticipation.

Every new book has a different theme which creates the learning curve that makes them so special.(for me, why I read this type of mystery) 

#TheStrangerDiaries #NetGalley#EllyGriffiths - Order Yours Now! 5 Stars-

#TheStrangerDiaries #NetGalley#EllyGriffiths
Loved this new standalone novel of Elly Griffiths so much..I was not sure I was going to, and some parts were a bit scary, but the characters developed quickly and helped me along.At the beginning I was thinking "this is not Ruth..or the Magic Men" but as always this very fine and brilliant author brought me right into the mystery and empathized with the characters. Now I am hoping it is not a standalone since Elly Griffiths always is a winner with me.

from the publisher:"Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. As a literature teacher specializing in the Gothic writer RM Holland, she teaches a short course on it every year. Then Clare's life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an RM Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer's works somehow hold the key to the case."

Clare's daughter Georgie ( Clare is divorced), DS Harbinber Kaur, and Clare tell the story each from their own viewpoint, which works very well. Herbert the dog is engaging as are Georgie's schoolmates and associates. Very well done.

Each murder or sinister event is accompanied by a handwritten note," Hell is Empty - All the Devils are here-". The surprising ending rackets to a finish on a sleeper train to Scotland. PreOrder your copy now!!

Reading the Ages: The Real Wallis Simpson - Anna Pasternak - Well Re...

Reading the Ages: The Real Wallis Simpson - Anna Pasternak - Well Re...: #NetGalley This was a very well researched and impressive book about Wallis Simpson and the former King Edward VIII. I am not exactly sur...

The Real Wallis Simpson - Anna Pasternak - Well Researched~

#NetGalley This was a very well researched and impressive book about Wallis Simpson and the former King Edward VIII. I am not exactly sure it was a new history, because most of the facts are known, but probably a somewhat different slant. However you present their affair, marriage, and life together it remains a tragedy and not happy reading. It was quite comprehensive, perhaps too much so, and offered perhaps new evidence for the rift between the Prince and former king and his brothers. Financial insecurity, the fact that "David's"  brother did not want to be King and the antipathy of King George's wife led to a lifetime estrangement. The book was very well done and painstakingly researched. I enjoyed the earlier chapters of Wallis' life prior to coming to England the best. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Victory Garden- Rhys Bowen - A Novel- #TheVictoryGarden #NetGalley

#TheVictoryGarden #NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union and Rhys Bowen for this very interesting read, Rhys Bowen's first non- mystery was quite good. Not being British I did not know about the "Land Girls" and that it was formed in World War I.

Emily Bryce was the only surviving child, from a wealthy family and wanted to follow her best friend, a volunteer nurse, into service for England. Her family, having lost their son early in the War as well as having class issues with volunteers, refused to let her.

When she turns 21, having met a wounded Australian pilot at the hospital next door, she goes to volunteer. The only possible job she qualifies for is to be a Land Girl and she gladly volunteers and leaves home with essentially the clothes on her back.

The Australian pilot, Robbie and she are in love and plan to marry but their liaison results in a child and he is killed when he ditches his plane to save a village. She finds peace and purpose in a Devonshire estate with two new friends who share her willingness to work hard, if not her background.

The ending is poignant and hopeful for a revisit to these characters ( who hopefully will acquire more depth in a sequel) Recommended for historical fans of British war stories.

Joan - Forgotten Women of History I - Anne R. Bailey~ Interesting read~

An interesting book about the wife of Roger Mortimer, Joan de Geneville and her life and times. It started off a bit wobbly but improved a great deal. 4 Stars.

Joan's early life and how she inherited from her grandparents was quite fascinating to me. Her Grandfather was Justiciar of Ireland, and one of my ancestors was also a Justiciar so I was intrigued. Her early life was a bit quiet but her marriage to Mortimer presumably was happy for many years, producing 12 living children. They were Marcher nobility, something that presumably went to Mortimer's head as he took more and more risks( the author skipped over that a bit)

Roger Mortimer's relationship with Queen Isabella and the rising of the Marcher Lords against the King led to his downfall and eventual death. Joan, who had nothing to do with her husband's insurrection, lived in relative comfort after Edward III pardoned her.