What I've Been Reading - July 2019

First of all, The Herald of Day by Nancy Northcott. I have read and enjoyed other stories by Ms. Northcott and was eager to read this one.

The Herald of Day has so many features I love – mystery, history, romance, magic, and wow, such suspense! It’s the first in a trilogy during which a noble English family, cursed for a fatal mistake at the time of Richard III, seeks to lift the curse by clearing the king’s name. 

This story takes place at the time of Charles II; the next one will be during the Napoleonic Wars. I can’t wait to read it, and also to see how Ms. Northcott’s characters finally lift the curse – which I assume (and hope) will be at the end of Book 3. Lots of exciting reading ahead!

Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler is a mystery which goes back and forth in time between London during the Blitz and in the early 21st Century. It takes a while to get accustomed to the switching back and forth because you have to use the context to know which time period you're reading about.

The mystery was well done, as was the portrait of London during the Blitz, including the Palace Theatre (which still exists). The two detectives, Bryant and May, are the sort you want to meet again. All in all, well worth the read, and I will try others in the series. The only problem was reading so much about bombing and murders, because one already sees so much inhumanity and horror in the news.

 

After reading about so much violence, I needed something comforting, so I turned to Untried Heart by Nicky Charles and Jan Gordon.

I read the first in the series (In the Cards) a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, and I liked this one even more. The concepts of Heaven, the archangel Michael, and Guardian Angels (the heroine is one) are a lot of fun. The romance is heartwarming and uplifting and left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. :) I look forward to the next in the series.

That's it for now!


Barbara

What I've Been Reading - June 2019

I’ve been too busy writing (and finalizing stuff to do with my new Regency romance) to read much, but I have a few good reads to share.

First, I was lucky enough to learn about a free download from Ashley Gardner/Jennifer Ashley, Past Crimes. It includes three novellas, each of which introduces a different series. My favorite was the first one, A Soupçon of Poison. The main character, Kat Holloway, is the cook in a wealthy Victorian-era household. She’s a wonderful character, a joy to read, and her counterpart, a mysterious male, is delightfully intriguing. After reading the novella, I went straight on to read the first full-length book in the series, Death Below Stairs. Also an excellent read! I will definitely go on to enjoy more of this series.

The other two series Ms. Gardner introduces are intriguing, too. The second novella takes place in Ancient Rome, another era I like to read about. The hero is a retired gladiator, and his female counterpart is brilliant. I hope this develops into a long series. The third novella intros the Captain Lacey series, of which I’ve read and enjoyed a few. Anyway, do download Past Crimes, which hopefully will still be free for a while.

Second, Acqua Alta by Donna Leon happened to be on special, so I snapped it up. Her Commissario Brunetti series takes place in Venice, and the city itself is pretty much a character in the series. I was extremely lucky to be given one of her mysteries to read while I was actually in Venice on holiday years ago. I love learning something new when reading fiction, and with each book I learn something fascinating about Venice. This one is about forgery of ancient ceramic art, and if that’s not enough, it takes place when Venice (which already has an excess of water) is flooding. It’s suspenseful, and be warned, there are some violent bits. A gripping read for sure.

That’s it for now,

Barbara