Review: The King's Witch by Tracy Borman

I do love reading historical novels about witches and royalty, and I did like the look of this one, with its lovely red and gold cover. However, although the story started off with a wise woman in the time of King James I (a rather perilous occupation in those days!), it was actually about something else entirely - which I won't mention because of spoilers!

Frances Gorges's parents were courtiers to the old Queen  Elizabeth but have fallen out of favour now that James is on the throne. While Frances would have been happy to stay at home growing her flowers and herbs, and concocting potions to heal the sick, her uncle has managed to get her the job of lady-of-the-bedchamber to eight-year-old Princess Elizabeth. Arriving at Court, Frances is immediately plunged into all the political intrigue surrounding the King and is soon forced to choose a side - possibly not the right one! While her uncle wishes her to use this time to make an important marriage that will benefit her family, unfortunately Frances only has eyes for one, very unimportant man - yet is he all that he seems?

The author has included an incredible amount of detail about the way these people lived and I was quickly caught up in their lives. I particularly loved Frances for her forthright opinions, although these soon got her into trouble. Although I don't know much about this time period, I began to recognise some of the characters' names and soon realised where the story was headed! Even though I knew what the outcome would be, I still found the story completely gripping. I think my only niggle was that I'd liked to have known which parts were fiction and which were based on fact. (Google wasn't much help!)

I really enjoyed The King's Witch and could imagine it appealing to fans of authors such as Philippa Gregory. Although readers expecting something more witchy might be disappointed in the way the plot goes in a different direction.

Thank you to Tracy Borman, Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy of The King's Witch, which will be published in the UK on 14 June 2018.

Review: Too Wilde to Wed (The Wildes of Lindlow Castle #2) by Eloisa James

I love Eloisa James's historical romances, and I am so pleased she has gone back to the Georgian period for this new series, as her Desperate Duchesses books are favourites of mine. Eloisa's particular strength is her ability to write lovable characters, even in small roles. They are usually part of a close family or group of friends, and you can almost believe you know these people in real life - and wish you did! The Wildes of Lindlow Castle are a particularly lovely bunch. However, there are an awful lot of them so, if you are considering reading this book, you might benefit from reading Wilde in Love first.

This story is about Lord Roland (known as 'North'), who is the eldest surviving son of the Duke of Lindlow but his reluctant heir. Prior to the start of this story (another reason to read Wilde in Love first!), North fell madly in love with Miss Diana Belgrave but she promptly jilted him at their betrothal party. Now he has returned home from war in America to find her employed by his family as a governess - along with a young son, who everyone believes is his!

I absolutely loved North. In fact I loved him so much there were times I felt Diana didn't deserve him. All through the book he makes compromises for her, yet she doesn't seem to make any sacrifices in return. Also, although I really, really enjoyed the book, I did find the ending a little unsatisfying.

Too Wilde To Wed has some interesting things to say about how love sometimes isn't enough to make a happy marriage, and that two people have to be completely right for each other and able to move freely in each other's world. It seemed particularly timely that I read this book shortly after the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and could consider how someone from a show business background, used to dealing with both the public and the media, would fit perfectly into the royal family. In Too Wilde To Wed, as much as Diana loves North, she has no confidence in her ability to make a good duchess.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Born to be Wilde, which will be out in the UK on the 31st July - whoop! 

Related Reviews:

Wilde in Love (The Wildes of Lindlow Castle #1) by Eloisa James

Seven Minutes in Heaven by Eloisa James

Review: Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

The striking cover of this book caught my eye but I wasn't sure if it was going to be my 'thing', because I am not keen on stories told in the format of letters. But my friends were raving about it so I thought I'd take a chance, and I'm so pleased I did.

On impulse Tina Hopgood writes to Professor Glob, who dedicated his book on the Tollund Man to her and her classmates over fifty years ago, asking whether she should visit his museum in Denmark. Unfortunately, the professor died some time ago and instead she receives a reply from Anders Larsen, the current curator. Tina and Anders begin a correspondence, tentative at first, then confiding personal aspects of their lives until they are more than just penpals.

Meet Me at the Museum is a sweet story that reminded me a bit of The Shop Around The Corner, although the two main characters don't secretly know each other or work in a shop! It is a leisurely, subtle read that some might find a bit slow, but once I got into it I did enjoy learning about the very different lives of these two characters, their hopes and dreams, and the tragedies that have made them the people they are. I particularly enjoyed reading about Anders' life in Denmark as I know little about that country, and it was also refreshing to read about characters who are in their (I think) sixties. I loved the snippets of historical detail about the Tollund Man and the way the story ended (no spoilers!). So I have no hesitation in recommending this one - and that cover is gorgeous!

Thank you to Anne Youngson, Transworld/Random House, and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Brighton Mermaid by Dorothy Koomson

My main reason for picking this book was the beautiful cover (at the time I hadn't read Dorothy Koomson's previous book, The Friend). I also liked the idea of a woman so obsessed by a twenty-five year old murder she's determined to solve it herself.

Nell and her friend Jude found the body of a young woman on Brighton beach when they were teenagers and from that moment their lives were changed irrevocably. No spoilers, so I'll just say that every member of Nell's family felt the pond-ripple effect of her discovery.

Twenty-five years later and the mystery of who killed the woman who became known as 'The Brighton Mermaid' is no nearer to being solved. Although Nell now works as the deputy manager in a supermarket, she has developed a sideline in helping people find long-lost relatives using family trees and DNA testing. (She has an ulterior motive with the DNA!) The story starts as Nell takes a year's break from work to use these skills to finally discover the Brighton Mermaid's real identity - she's hoping this will lead to the woman's killer.

I absolutely loved this book! It has all the ingredients I adore - an old mystery, believable but flawed characters, a fabulous heroine, a dysfunctional family, a bit of a romance - and lots of twists! I liked that everything wasn't wrapped up neatly at the end and that I didn't guess the identity of the murderer. I thought the plot was clever and twisty, and it caught me out more than once. I also loved the thoroughly nasty villain. I can't say much more, because of spoilers, but this was one of my favourite reads this year. Recommended, especially for fans of family/domestic murder mysteries and authors such as Lisa Jewell and Harlan Coben.

Thank you to Dorothy Koomson, Cornerstone Digital, and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Related post:

The Friend by Dorothy Koomson

Review: Thunder and Roses by Mary Jo Putney

I downloaded this book because it was (a) free (don't judge me!) and (b) I had heard good things about the author. With hindsight, I was a bit too quick to download it because the trope of the heroine offering herself to the rakish hero to save her village is not the kind of story I like. It jars in the current 'Me Too' climate, but mainly it has been done too many times before. Although, to be fair, the story was originally published twenty-five years ago. 

However, the characters are likeable, the story was well-written and the hero-in-peril plot kept me reading. The 'demon' Earl wasn't really bad (surprise!) and the heroine, a Methodist minster's daughter struggling with her religious beliefs, made a refreshing change. The romantic suspense plot revolved around the Earl's coal mine, now leased to an ex-friend, which has become dangerous. As the Earl can't persuade his friend to make the mine safer, he decides to begin quarrying slate on his estate and lure the workers away. Obviously this doesn't end well! I particularly liked that the story is set in Wales and there is mention of Penrhyn Castle, which is just down the road from me.

I wavered between giving this story three or four stars; with hindsight three seems a little mean of me, but I do prefer the romances I read to have some humour in them. However, if you are a particular fan of historical romances, you might consider this a four star read.

Review: The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins

This is another book I was attracted to because of the pretty and unusual cover (hardback version: scarab beetle). The other thing that caught my attention was the mention of a Victorian diary - I'm a sucker for stories with old diary entries. Although, as it turned out, there were no historical flashbacks in this one!

The Night Visitor is about Olivia, a TV historian, who is finding it impossible to juggle family commitments with her high-flying career. When she comes across the Victorian diary of one of the first female doctors she knows it will make a brilliant book, but she can't spare the time to do the research. So she hires Vivian to do the work for her. Vivian takes care of the dilapidated gothic house where the diary was found and was apparently once a university professor - the perfect research assistant. Except Vivian sees herself more as Olivia's co-writer and friend, and she has ideas for lots more books that they can write together. Oh, and she believes that every night she's visited by a 'ghost' who wants to kill her...

The Night Visitor is particularly clever in that I felt sympathy for the character whose viewpoint I was reading, but as soon as the viewpoint changed so did my allegiance! I don't think I would have liked to have been friends with either of these women in real life but they were incredibly compelling to read about. Creepy and deliciously twisty, I couldn't put this one down. Some of the twists I guessed, some took me completely by surprise. And although I never thought I'd say this, I found all the stuff about the beetles completely fascinating! Particularly clever is the way the author links the different types of beetles and their traits to the behaviour of the humans.

Brilliant stuff, and thoroughly recommended for anyone who loves psychological suspense and character-driven mysteries. Another of my favourite reads this year.

Thank you to Lucy Atkins, Quercus, and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Paper Ghosts by Julia Heaberlin

I was attracted to this book because of the pretty cover (yes, I truly am that shallow). I thought the premise was clever: the sister of a serial killer's victim kidnaps him, hoping to coerce him into telling her where he buried her sister.

Like the main character in Rebecca, our heroine doesn't have a name. Carl, the man she believes murdered her sister, was once a famous photographer but is now in a care home supposedly suffering from dementia. She begins to visit him, pretending to be his daughter, before taking him out on 'holiday'. In reality she's planned a road trip around Texas, visiting all the locations in his photography book - the last places his victims were seen alive.

The relationship between Carl and his 'daughter' reminded me of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, and the story itself a kind of cross between Silence of the Lambs and As Good As It Gets - even though no one falls in love, or gets eaten! I particularly loved Carl's dark sense of humour, and how the heroine's meticulously thought-out plan quickly unravels. They also meet a host of eccentric characters along the way - my favourite was Trudy, the gun-toting estate agent! 

Although the subject matter is dark, there are no scenes of graphic or gratuitous violence. The story is mostly about the mystery of the missing girls and the relationship between Carl and his 'daughter'. The places mentioned are real and the book contains 'Carl's' photographs amongst the text, which add an eerie note. Towards the end there are perhaps a couple too many coincidences, but Paper Ghosts is one of my favourite books this year - possibly ever!

Thank you to Julia Heaberlin, Michael Joseph (Penguin), and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey

I was first attracted to this book by the unusual cover, and then I realised Emma Healey is the author of Elizabeth is Missing, which I already own but haven't got around to reading yet (I think I should have that written on my tombstone).

How do you rescue someone who has already been found?

Whistle in the Dark is a mystery/family drama, and unusual in that the story starts at the moment fifteen-year-old Lana is found safe and well after being missing for four days in the Peak District. Lana and her mother Jen had been on a mother-daughter bonding holiday at an artists' retreat. Lana, depressed and self-harming, hides behind her sulky teenager persona, whereas Jen tries (and fails) not to be a helicopter parent. While overjoyed to have Lana back home, Jen becomes increasingly obsessed with finding out exactly what happened to her daughter during those four missing days - because Lana is saying nothing.

Any parent of teenagers will identify with Jen; desperate to do the best for her daughter and yet infuriated by Lana's unwillingness to open up and confide in her (typical teenager, basically). I loved the characters, especially Jen's husband (and Lana's father) Hugh, reassuringly pragmatic and easy-going, and happy just to have his daughter back. 

Whistle in the Dark is mainly about family relationships and the unravelling of Jen's sanity as she worries about her daughter. (I loved the imaginary cat!) The mystery about what happened to Lana almost takes second place, but it kept me guessing and I only managed to work out part of it before the end. There is a nail-biting ending, but anyone expecting a fast-paced, psychological/thriller type story with a lot of twists might be disappointed. I think it would appeal best to fans of authors such as Joanna Cannon. But I found it very well-written, with brilliant characters I could really identify with, and I absolutely loved it. One of my favourite reads this year.


I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of this book, which will be published in the UK on the 3rd May 2018.

Thank you to Emma Healey, Viking, and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Text by Claire Douglas

This clever little short story is currently free to download, and perfect to read on a phone while in a waiting room or stuck in a queue.

Emily Latimer has booked a trip to Edinburgh with her friends but now her new boss wants her to work instead. Furious, she sends a text to her boyfriend telling him the news, adding that she hopes her boss dies - but accidentally includes her entire office group. The next day the police turn up on her doorstep. Her boss has died and she is high on their list of suspects - but what if the murderer is one of her friends?

The Text is listed as having 40 pages, but the story ends at about 65% and the rest is an extract from one of the author's novels, Last Seen Alive. But it is a little gem of a murder mystery, packed with twists. I felt as though it ended a bit abruptly, but I think that is because I was enjoying it so much - I just wanted it to carry on! Recommended!

Review: The Body in the Boat (Hardcastle and Chaytor Mysteries #3) by A.J. MacKenzie

I downloaded this book because I was attracted by the cover and I love historical mysteries. I then realised it was actually #3 in a series, so I had to quickly read the other books first!

The Body in the Boat probably has one of the best openings I've read for a long time. One foggy night, the local constable and sometime smuggler Joshua Stemp catches his rival with a coffin in his boat. Is he up to no good? Undoubtedly. But the other man has a large dog and an equally large knife, and so Joshua is forced to make a tactical retreat. A few days later a local banker is found washed up in another boat, extremely dead, along with one bloodstained gold coin. Are the two events connected? It's up to the Reverend Marcus Hardcastle and his friend Amelia Chaytor to find out.

These books are usually centred around a historical event, and in this case it is the introduction of paper money, and the effect it had on the banks. All the lovably eccentric characters from the earlier books are here: wily smugglers, sneaky French spies, feisty widows, and a Wicked Lady-ish debutante turned smuggler. Although the plots are suitably twisty, it is definitely the characters that make this series for me, along with the flashes of dry humour. While this particular story started a bit slowly, the end was as nail-bitingly thrilling as its predecessors.

The only negative for me was that Rev Hardcastle spent a large chunk of the story questioning each suspect in turn, and I'd rather he had become directly involved with the action like the earlier books. And in this one Amelia doesn't have a lot to do. But I love this series and hope I won't have too long to wait for the next one! Recommended! 

Thank you to A.J. MacKenzie, Bonnier Zaffre, and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Related Posts:

Review: The Body on the Doorstep by A.J. MacKenzie (Hardcastle and Chaytor Mysteries #1)
Review: The Body in the Ice by A.J. MacKenzie (Hardcastle and Chaytor Mysteries #2)