A delightful and engrossing Medieval mystery about a real person, Ela of Salisbury. I stumbled upon this at Amazon and cannot wait for the next book, out next month. I hope J.G.Lewis has many more planned as she is a terrific writer!
We meet Ela, who was the Countess of Salisbury in her own right, at the funeral mass of her beloved husband William Longespee. As she leaves the Cathedral, she is informed of a body of a young woman found in the River Avon, and as she has determined to assume what she feels is her role as sheriff of Salisbury she rides with the Coroner to the site.
Ela is a widow and hereditary castellan of Salisbury Castle as well as a mother of 8 children. The author makes this character into a vibrant female with ideas far beyond the norm of her time.
A very complicated murder investigation ensues, as well as the illness of her younger children and an attempt on her life. I should add that she is not sure of how her husband died, perhaps he was poisoned?
I am hoping of many more in this series, both before and after Ela plans to take the veil in a religious house she will found. An amazing first mystery!
"Georgie and Darcy are finally on their honeymoon in Kenya's Happy Valley, but murder crashes the party in this all-new installment in the New York Times bestselling series."
Great read in this series as was the last one ( the wedding)- they just get better! Georgie is surprised when Darcy tells her royal relatives that they may go to Kenya for the rest of their honeymoon, but soon finds that his career as an undercover investigator has something to do with it.
They had a near miss on safari, and with connivance the murderer ( who all had sympathy for- including the victim) went into another province and laid low. Happily they sailed home to their own, inherited by Georgie, estate
Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for this fine review book. It is obvious why Ann Cleeves has such success with her mysteries and this one may be the best one I have read.
A new series, this tale begins in North Devon with Matthew Venn's sadness at the early part of his life and ends on an upturn of those same facts. This was one book I essentially "read right through" unusual for me!
In between comes a cast of interesting and complex characters who were developed exceptionally well which include Detective Matthew Venn, his husband Jonathon, Matthew's team and a cast of characters portrayed with warmth and dignity. Entrancing.
Several women who had varied developmental disabilities were introduced to us, all of them very vibrant and likeable. Cherished by their parents and their educators they were drawn into a complicated plot to defraud where they and others were in harms way.
I am so looking forward to the next book in this unique series
"Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “The Wedding of the Century” to the Duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold.”"
5 Stars! What a terrific book.. I wanted to read it after I read Robin Paige's, "Murder at Blenheim Palace", and I will try to get Consuelo Vanderbilt's own memoir, which is on kindle also I think.
What a life she led and much of it she made happen herself. Yes, of course she was a millionaire, but..
She ended up having a good and memorable life, despite a marriage she did not choose or want herself..
Sons, grandchildren and charitable foundations and a very happy 2nd marriage. Recommended!!
#AprisonerOfPrivilege #NetGalley I received this ARC from NetGalley and Severn House for an honest review. I gave it 4.5 stars rounded to 5 and enjoyed it a lot. There are times when Libertus' adventures are a bit too much for me, but this time I was happily surprised.
Libertus was being a normal Roman official ( Born a Celt) as duumvir for Glevum and not trying to do anything extraordinary. A series of deaths and the insistence by his patron, Marcus, inserts him in the middle of the "who is the spy" mystery.
Since most of the story takes place between his roundhouse and the town apartment at his disposal, I had a good taste of Roman British life. Rosemary Rowe, the author has a fine foreword where she describes the living situations and the current political situation in Rome. In 194 AD Britannia was still being rocked but a succession of rulers, each one being deposed or killed.Suspicion was rife and it was every man for himself.
A murder of the official sent to spy on the city occurs in Libertus townhouse and he discovers it. A sort of odd ingestion of a poison renders him almost unable to defend himself, but finally recovers and the ending is quite satisfactory.
A fun series in my favorite Roman Britain, preorder yours now .and start reading earlier volumes.
A great and fun read- it ended with Georgie's honeymoon after a wedding with the royal family! What more could you ask for in a book?
"In the days leading up to her wedding to Darcy O’Mara, Lady Georgiana Rannoch takes on the responsibilities of a grand estate, but proving she can run a household just may be the death of her in the new Royal Spyness Mystery "
Not sure there were four actual funerals but four deaths and a mystery that embroiled Georgiana's mother, grandfather, Darcy, Queenie and ultimately her ex-stepfather. The cast of characters at the end may change the focus of future books. Cannot wait!!
#ListenToTheWind #NetGalley I received this ARC for a review, and found it enjoyable. It was a bit reminiscent of Roland at Roncevaux., although a different era..
"Two orphans flee for their lives during the last crusade of the French against the Cathar heretics in the Midi. With no knowledge of their past, they are drawn onward to an uncertain future where they face unimaginable peril. Will they discover the secret of their origins and fulfill their destiny?"
Azalais and Azemar, together through some mysterious circumstance as children, and separated by warfare they did not understood, reunite as adults. This is the first of a trilogy and there is sample of part 2 for us to think about. Will the Cathar mystery and that of their own parentage find solutions?
Will they reunite with Johana and Jordane, and what does the future hold for all of them?
