It's Monday! What Are you Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

I spent a lot of time last week searching out books and adding them to various lists rather than actually doing much reading.

I did finish The Tailor's Girl by Fiona McIntosh. I enjoyed this well written post World War I romance and hope to read more books by this author.

The other book I finished last week, The Crimes of Charlotte Brontë by James Tully, was a very interesting re-look at the lives of the Brontës. The author is a retired criminologist with specialist knowledge of 19th century poisons. Finding discrepancies in the accounts of the Brontës' lives and deaths, he decided to research further and was inspired to present his findings in the form of a novel. It is a believable alternative to what we know of this family and as the title suggests Charlotte Brontë does not fair too well. He depicts her as a villain, an accessory to murder motivated by greed, which upset a few people when the novel was first released.

This week I'm reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I've only read a few pages so have not read enough to form an opinion, but it's off to a good start.

I'm also reading a novel that I've wanted to read for a long time but never got around to it, The Flight of the Heron by D.K. Broster. It was first released in 1925 and is the first novel of her Jacobite trilogy.

I recently read an excerpt of S.J. Deas' English Civil War novel, The Royalist and I'm eager to read more. A copy is on its way to me. Hopefully, I'll receive it by the time I've finished the two books I'm reading this week otherwise I'll have to sort through my TBR pile.

What I Read Last Week

The Tailor's Girl by Fiona McIntosh

A humble soldier, known only as 'Jones', wakes in hospital with no recollection of his past. The few fleeting fragments of memory he glimpses are horrifying moments from the battlefield at Ypres. His very identity becomes a puzzle he must solve. Then Eden Valentine comes gliding into his world, a stunning tailoress who has a dream of her own business in high fashion but whose duty to her family may never permit her to fulfil. Her fiancé resents the intrusion of the disarming Jones who is in desperate need of her help to unravel his past. Surrounding the mystery is Alex Wynter, the influential heir to an industrial empire and country manor Larksfell Hall. With his aristocratic family still reeling from a recent tragedy, he brings news that will further rock the foundations of their privileged lives. When their three very different worlds collide, the pieces of the past finally fall into place and lead them into wildly unexpected futures. What they discover will bring shattering consequences that threaten to tear apart far more than just the heart of the tailor's girl.

The Crimes of Charlotte Brontë by James Tully

The story of the lives of the Bronte family is as haunting and tragic as their novels: three sisters and an alcoholic brother shut in the bleak and claustrophobic parsonage at Haworth.
Noted criminologist James Tully became fascinated by inconsistencies he found in the accounts of the lives and deaths of the Brontes, and soon became enmeshed in seeking out the mysteries of Haworth. So dark and unexpected were the results of his researches, he decided to tell the story in the form of a novel which brings to the fore many disturbing questions ... All of which leads to one final question: Was there a cold-blooded and calculating murderer at the heart of the Bronte household?

What I'm Reading Today

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I have two weeks. You'll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.
That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine - and I will do anything, anything to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again. He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France - an Allied Invasion of Two. We are a sensational team.

The Flight of the Heron by D.K. Broster

1745. When Bonnie Prince Charlie lands in Scotland, the mountains and glens of the Highlands ring to the pipes and drums of the clans who flock to his banner. Charged with excitement, heroism and romance, this stirring tragic adventure that is the unforgettable story of the 'King Over the Water', has never been better told.

What I Hope to Read Next

The Royalist by S.J. Deas

William Falkland is a dead man. A Royalist dragoon who fought against Parliament, he is currently awaiting execution at Newgate prison. Yet when he is led away from Newgate with a sack over his head, it is not the gallows to which they take him, but to Oliver Cromwell himself. Cromwell has heard of Falkland's reputation as an investigator and now more than ever he needs a man of conscience. His New Model Army are wintering in Devon but mysterious deaths are sweeping the camp and, in return for his freedom, Falkland is despatched to uncover the truth. With few friends and a slew of enemies, Falkland soon learns there is a dark demon at work, one who won't go down without a fight. But how can he protect the troops from such a monster and, more importantly, will he be able to protect himself?

Book Review: The Right-Hand Man by K.M. Peyton

K.M. Peyton writes for children/young adults and is famous for her pony stories and, of course, her Flambards novels that were adapted for television back in the 1970s.

The Right-Hand Man is one of her historical novels. First published in 1977, it has been re-printed a few times, but not with such an eye catching jacket as the first edition. The illustrator is Victor Ambrus who has a very distinctive style and has illustrated many children's books including his own.

The Right-Hand Man is set in 1818. Twenty-year old Ned Rowlands is a stagecoach driver with a reputation for speed and recklessness. He is the "... youngest, and certainly the most desirable (not to say the cleverest, cheekiest and most conceited) of the coachmen on the Harwich Road ...".

Arriving at Ingatestone behind schedule, Ned is taken to task by Lord Ironminster, who was once the best dragsman in the land before an accident left him disabled. Still disgruntled by their earlier encounter, Ned is not pleased when Ironminster sits beside him on the box seat for the next leg of the journey. As the journey progresses, Ned and Ironminster soon find they share a common love of horses, coach driving and speed. During their conversation, Ironminster reveals he is looking for a coachman and offers the position to Ned, but Ned declines preferring a life of public driving to that of being a liveried servant and all it entails.

When he loses his job, Ned has no option but to reconsider Ironminster's offer. Presenting himself at Threadgolds, Ironminster's estate, he learns the real reason he has been offered the position. Ironminster has a long standing racing wager against his cousins, James and Rupert Saville, to drive a coach from the gates of Threadgolds to Whitechapel Church in under seventy-five minutes, the prize £5,000. To outwit his cousins and win the wager, all he needs is Ned's help. A partnership is formed and an unusual friendship develops between the pair.

However, there is more at stake than the prize money. Ironminster is not a well man and racing carriages is a dangerous pursuit. Should he die without marrying and producing an heir, James Saville stands to inherit his estate. The dowager Lady Ironminster has found her son a suitable wife, but Ironminster's affections lay elsewhere.

When a tragic accident occurs, Ned is arrested and imprisoned in Newgate. Many rally round to help him, but it is the sacrifice Ironminster makes that shows Ned the true depth of their friendship.

I borrowed this book from the library, but loved it so much that I immediately purchased a second-hand copy (with illustrations) to add to my keeper shelf. From the first chapter to the last I was completely immersed in Ned Rowland's world. The minutia of being a coachman is skilfully woven into the story and there is lots of other period detail.

Not being a horsey person, I was unaware of the skill required to drive a coach-and-four. Now I appreciate there is much more to it than holding onto the reins and giving them a twitch now and then. There are so many variables to consider. I have also learned the value of a good leader, what a wheeler is and how easily disaster can strike.

The carriage racing scenes are spectacular and are responsible for a few heart-stopping moments. At times Ned and Ironminster behave like a pair of Georgian hoons, but this only adds to the excitement and emphasises how dangerous a mixture of speed, horses, bad roads and a disregard for the road rules can be.

The story unfolds from Ned's perspective as he reflects on the day that changed his life forever and the ten months that followed. Even though Ned is more comfortable with horses than people, he is well aware of the effect his "beguiling brown eyes" and his other physical attributes have on the female population, young and old, but is totally unprepared for the depth of feeling Ironminster arouses in him. As he becomes emotionally involved in his new master's life, Ned begins to understand the significance of his role as Ironminster's right-hand man and the true meaning of courage.

The Right-Hand Man is a fast-paced historical adventure. Everything about this novel, the characters, the plot, the setting and K.M. Peyton's expertise in bringing it all together, makes it a very enjoyable and engrossing tale of an unusual friendship. Ned and Ironminster will live on in your mind long after their story is told.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Last week I read three books: Dacre's War by Rosemary Goring, Lord Somerton's Heir by Alison Stuart, an Australian author I'd not read before, and The Right-Hand Man by K.M. Peyton, an historical novel for young adults. While all three were good reads, my favourite was The Right-Hand Man, a story about an unusual friendship involving horses and carriage driving. Once started, I couldn't put it down. You can read my review here.

This week I'm reading The Tailor's Girl by Fiona McIntosh and The Crimes of Charlotte Bronte by James Tully, which is an interesting take on the lives of the Bronte family.

Up next will be another book written for young adults, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I've seen good reviews of this book set during World War II and can't wait to read it.

What I Read Last Week

Dacre's War by Rosemary Goring

Dacre's War is a story of personal and political vengeance. Ten years after the battle of Flodden, Adam Crozier, head of his clan and of an increasingly powerful alliance of Borderers, learns for sure that it was Lord Thomas Dacre - now the most powerful man in the north of England - who ordered his father's murder. He determines to take his revenge. As a fighting man, Crozier would like nothing better than to bring Dacre down face to face but his wife Louise advises him that he must use more subtle methods. So he sets out to engineer Dacre's downfall by turning the machinery of the English court against him. A vivid and fast-moving tale of political intrigue and heartache, Dacre's War is set against the backdrop of the Scottish and English borders, a land where there is never any chance of peace.

The Right-hand Man by K.M. Peyton

It's 1818, and reckless Ned Rowlands is the fastest stagecoach driver for miles around. Ned attracts the attention of the young Lord Ironminster - determined to win a racing wager against his wealthy cousins, the Savilles, and desperate for Ned's help.

Ned is quickly drawn into a strange partnership with Ironminster; as his new friend's right hand man, Ned has an important role to play in helping him outwit the Savilles and preventing his title and estate from passing to them.

Lord Somerton's Heir by Alison Stuart

From the battlefield of Waterloo to the drawing rooms of Brantstone Hall, Sebastian Alder’s elevation from penniless army captain to Viscount Somerton is the stuff of dreams. But the cold reality of an inherited estate in wretched condition, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his cousin’s death, provide Sebastian with no time for dreams — only a mystery to solve and a murderer to bring to justice.

Isabel, widow of the late Lord Somerton, is desperate to bury the memory of her unhappy marriage by founding the charity school she has always dreamed of. Except, her dreams are soon shattered from beyond the grave when she is not only left penniless, but once more bound to the whims of a Somerton.

But this Somerton is unlike any man she has met. Can the love of an honourable man heal her broken heart or will suspicion tear them apart?

What I'm Reading Today

The Tailor's Girl by Fiona McIntosh

A humble soldier, known only as 'Jones', wakes in hospital with no recollection of his past. The few fleeting fragments of memory he glimpses are horrifying moments from the battlefield at Ypres. His very identity becomes a puzzle he must solve. Then Eden Valentine comes gliding into his world, a stunning tailoress who has a dream of her own business in high fashion but whose duty to her family may never permit her to fulfil. Her fiancé resents the intrusion of the disarming Jones who is in desperate need of her help to unravel his past. Surrounding the mystery is Alex Wynter, the influential heir to an industrial empire and country manor Larksfell Hall. With his aristocratic family still reeling from a recent tragedy, he brings news that will further rock the foundations of their privileged lives. When their three very different worlds collide, the pieces of the past finally fall into place and lead them into wildly unexpected futures. What they discover will bring shattering consequences that threaten to tear apart far more than just the heart of the tailor's girl.

The Crimes of Charlotte Bronte

The story of the lives of the Bronte family is as haunting and tragic as their novels: three sisters and an alcoholic brother shut in the bleak and claustrophobic parsonage at Haworth.
Noted criminologist James Tully became fascinated by inconsistencies he found in the accounts of the lives and deaths of the Brontes, and soon became enmeshed in seeking out the mysteries of Haworth. So dark and unexpected were the results of his researches, he decided to tell the story in the form of a novel which brings to the fore many disturbing questions ... All of which leads to one final question: Was there a cold-blooded and calculating murderer at the heart of the Bronte household?

What I Hope to Read Next

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I have two weeks. You'll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.
That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine - and I will do anything, anything to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again. He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France - an Allied Invasion of Two. We are a sensational team.

Book Review: The Governor's House by J.H. Fletcher

J.H. Fletcher is an author I've not read before and I looked forward to reading The Governor's House a dual time frame narrative set in the present day and mid-19th century Australia.

Joanne Fletcher is Dean of Historical Studies at a Tasmanian university where she has been assigned the task of locating a precious artefact that went missing over 100 years ago and is somehow linked to her convict ancestor, Cat Haggard. Armed with a journal and a code book written by Cat, Joanne seeks clues within their pages to the artefact's whereabouts and once the Prime Minister takes an interest, pressure from her boss to find it doesn't make her task any easier. However, others are also searching for the same artefact and will resort to violence to get their hands on it.

Cat Haggard, falsely accused of theft, is transported to Tasmania for the term of fourteen years. She endures the four-month voyage and a stay in the Cascades Female Factory before finally being assigned to Doctor Morgan and his wife. Under the tutelage of the doctor, Cat is transformed from "fisherman's brat to lady".

A new house for the Governor, being built on land adjacent to the Morgan's property, becomes a symbol of Cat's new life in the colony. As she watches the walls go up, Cat dreams of one day being invited to the Governor's House.

Cat's adventurous spirit, determination and business acumen bring her romance, wealth and social standing, but when a person from her past arrives in Hobart all that she's worked towards is threatened. Presented with an opportunity to help the colony and a chance for revenge, she becomes part of a daring plan, the consequences of which bring mystery and danger into Joanne's life.

J.H. Fletcher has a style of writing that makes The Governor's House a quick and easy read. The two story lines complement one another beautifully. Cat's is a "rags to riches" story filled with historical detail and moves at a gentler pace than Joanne's present day narrative. Although Cat's story flags a little when the focus is on her later years, the drama and excitement of what is happening to Joanne makes up for it.

I enjoyed this novel and its characters. The setting of colonial Tasmania made a pleasant change from the more popular colony of New South Wales and highlighted how little I knew about the colonization of Tasmania. I found the Author's Notes interesting reading too, helping to separate fact from fiction, and explaining how significant moments in history inspired certain aspects of Cat's life.

For fans of dual time narratives or for those looking for an entertaining read that combines Australian history, romance, mystery and suspense, I can recommend The Governor's House.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Harlequin Australia as a winner of a Goodreads' First Reads Giveaway.

It's Monday! What Are You reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

My greatest achievement last week was that I finished Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen. The condition of the 30 year old book, some loose pages and a clump of pages re-stuck out of sequence, gave me a heart-stopping moment when I thought a crucial part of the story was missing, but it wasn't. I'm off to purchase a copy for my "keeper" shelf and can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Face to Face.

I also finished Waratah House  by Ann Whitehead. If you like stories about servants in big houses, with an Australian setting, this is the book for you. Three strong female protagonists push the story along and there is lots of period detail to transport you back to the late 1800s.

This week I'm hoping to finish the final chapters of Dacre's War by Rosemary Goring. The Tailor's Girl by Fiona McIntosh is up next, followed by a book just added to my reading pile, The Right-Hand Man, by K.M. Peyton. Peyton writes for children/young adults and is the author of Flambards, a trilogy adapted for television which was screened in 1979.

What I Read Last Week

Waratah House by Ann Whitehead

Waratah House, a beautiful mansion in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, is the only home Marina has ever known. Orphaned at a young age, Marina finds a new family in the colourful characters that occupy the bustling servants' quarters of this stately house.
But not every resident of Waratah House has Marina's best interests at heart and she finds herself forced into exile. Years later, Marina's daughter Emily discovers the past has a way of repeating itself. She must fight for her chance at happiness – a chance that some will do anything to prevent . . .

Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

Karleen Koen's sweeping saga contains unforgettable characters consumed with passion: the extraordinarily beautiful fifteen-year-old noblewoman, Barbara Alderley; the man she adores, the wickedly handsome Roger MontGeoffry; her grandmother, the duchess, who rules the family with cunning and wit; and her mother, the ineffably cruel, self-centered and licentious Diana. Like no other work, Through a Glass Darkly is infused with intrigue, sweetened by romance and awash in the black ink of betrayal.

What I'm Reading Today

Dacre's War by Rosemary Goring

Dacre's War is a story of personal and political vengeance. Ten years after the battle of Flodden, Adam Crozier, head of his clan and of an increasingly powerful alliance of Borderers, learns for sure that it was Lord Thomas Dacre - now the most powerful man in the north of England - who ordered his father's murder. He determines to take his revenge. As a fighting man, Crozier would like nothing better than to bring Dacre down face to face but his wife Louise advises him that he must use more subtle methods. So he sets out to engineer Dacre's downfall by turning the machinery of the English court against him. A vivid and fast-moving tale of political intrigue and heartache, Dacre's War is set against the backdrop of the Scottish and English borders, a land where there is never any chance of peace.

What I Hope to Read Next

The Tailor's Girl by Fiona McIntosh

A humble soldier, known only as 'Jones', wakes in hospital with no recollection of his past. The few fleeting fragments of memory he glimpses are horrifying moments from the battlefield at Ypres. His very identity becomes a puzzle he must solve. Then Eden Valentine comes gliding into his world, a stunning tailoress who has a dream of her own business in high fashion but whose duty to her family may never permit her to fulfil. Her fiancé resents the intrusion of the disarming Jones who is in desperate need of her help to unravel his past. Surrounding the mystery is Alex Wynter, the influential heir to an industrial empire and country manor Larksfell Hall. With his aristocratic family still reeling from a recent tragedy, he brings news that will further rock the foundations of their privileged lives. When their three very different worlds collide, the pieces of the past finally fall into place and lead them into wildly unexpected futures. What they discover will bring shattering consequences that threaten to tear apart far more than just the heart of the tailor's girl.

The Right-hand Man by K.M. Peyton

It's 1818, and reckless Ned Rowlands is the fastest stagecoach driver for miles around. Ned attracts the attention of the young Lord Ironminster - determined to win a racing wager against his wealthy cousins, the Savilles, and desperate for Ned's help.

Ned is quickly drawn into a strange partnership with Ironminster; as his new friend's right hand man, Ned has an important role to play in helping him outwit the Savilles and preventing his title and estate from passing to them.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Not much happened on the reading front over the past week and I can't even blame being outside getting our property bush fire ready. Although this is still ongoing, it didn't take up all of my time.  I did spend quite a few hours on a task that is yet to be completed i.e. sorting my bookshelves on Goodreads, and on Pinterest. Pinning can be very addictive.

The only book finished last week was Time's Echo by Pamela Hartshorne. While an enjoyable, quick read, I didn't think it was as good as her other time slip novels, Edge of Dark and The Memory of Midnight.

I'm halfway through Dacre's War  by Rosemary Goring and have read a few more chapters of Through a Glass Darkly  by Karleen Koen. The latter is borrowed from the library (inter-library loan) and is due back in a couple of weeks. With no renewals allowed, this book will be my main focus after I finish Dacre's War. I could still be reading it next week. For those not familiar with this novel, it is a big read of 775 pages. I'm also hoping to finish Waratah House by Ann Whitehead.

I'm still looking at Fiona McIntosh's The Tailor's Girl  for my next read or it could be The White Cross  by Richard Masefield which is currently being offered as a free download from Amazon. An offer I took advantage of as I'd not heard of this author before. It is set during the late 12th century around Richard I's crusade to Jerusalem.

What I Read Last Week

Time's Echo by Pamela Hartshorne

York , 1577: Hawise Aske smiles at a stranger in the market, and sets in train a story of obsession and sibling jealousy, of love and hate and warped desire. Drowned as a witch, Hawise pays a high price for that smile, but for a girl like her in Elizabethan York, there is nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. Four and a half centuries later, Grace Trewe, who has travelled the world, is trying to outrun the memories of being caught up in the Boxing Day tsunami. Her stay in York is meant to be a brief one. But in York Grace discovers that time can twist and turn in ways she never imagined. Drawn inexorably into Hawise's life, Grace finds that this time she cannot move on. Will she too be engulfed in the power of the past?

What I'm Reading Today

Waratah House by Ann Whitehead

Waratah House, a beautiful mansion in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, is the only home Marina has ever known. Orphaned at a young age, Marina finds a new family in the colourful characters that occupy the bustling servants' quarters of this stately house.
But not every resident of Waratah House has Marina's best interests at heart and she finds herself forced into exile. Years later, Marina's daughter Emily discovers the past has a way of repeating itself. She must fight for her chance at happiness – a chance that some will do anything to prevent . . .

Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

Karleen Koen's sweeping saga contains unforgettable characters consumed with passion: the extraordinarily beautiful fifteen-year-old noblewoman, Barbara Alderley; the man she adores, the wickedly handsome Roger MontGeoffry; her grandmother, the duchess, who rules the family with cunning and wit; and her mother, the ineffably cruel, self-centered and licentious Diana. Like no other work, Through a Glass Darkly is infused with intrigue, sweetened by romance and awash in the black ink of betrayal.

Dacre's War by Rosemary Goring

Dacre's War is a story of personal and political vengeance. Ten years after the battle of Flodden, Adam Crozier, head of his clan and of an increasingly powerful alliance of Borderers, learns for sure that it was Lord Thomas Dacre - now the most powerful man in the north of England - who ordered his father's murder. He determines to take his revenge. As a fighting man, Crozier would like nothing better than to bring Dacre down face to face but his wife Louise advises him that he must use more subtle methods. So he sets out to engineer Dacre's downfall by turning the machinery of the English court against him. A vivid and fast-moving tale of political intrigue and heartache, Dacre's War is set against the backdrop of the Scottish and English borders, a land where there is never any chance of peace.

What I Hope to Read Next

The Tailor's Girl by Fiona McIntosh

A humble soldier, known only as 'Jones', wakes in hospital with no recollection of his past. The few fleeting fragments of memory he glimpses are horrifying moments from the battlefield at Ypres. His very identity becomes a puzzle he must solve. Then Eden Valentine comes gliding into his world, a stunning tailoress who has a dream of her own business in high fashion but whose duty to her family may never permit her to fulfil. Her fiancé resents the intrusion of the disarming Jones who is in desperate need of her help to unravel his past. Surrounding the mystery is Alex Wynter, the influential heir to an industrial empire and country manor Larksfell Hall. With his aristocratic family still reeling from a recent tragedy, he brings news that will further rock the foundations of their privileged lives. When their three very different worlds collide, the pieces of the past finally fall into place and lead them into wildly unexpected futures. What they discover will bring shattering consequences that threaten to tear apart far more than just the heart of the tailor's girl.

The White Cross by Richard Masefield

The White Cross is a whole new reading experience; a book that brings something entirely original to historical fiction. Set in the late twelfth century at the time of King Richard I's crusade to win back Jerusalem from the Saracens, the story deals with timeless issues - with the moralities of warfare and fundamental religion, the abuse of power, the heights of martial fervour and the depths of disillusionment The writing blazes with colour (literally in the case of the printed edition, which makes groundbreaking use of colour throughout). It pulses with life, capturing the sights and sounds, the very smells of medieval life. At the novel's heart is the relationship between Garon and Elise - the story of an arranged marriage which rapidly develops into something deeper, to challenge a young husband's strongly held beliefs and set him on a long and painful journey to self-realisation, to break and finally restore a woman's spirit as she battles for recognition and for justice in a brutal man's world. And then there is the Berge dal becce; a character who is surely more than he appears? The only way to uncover all the secrets of The White Cross is to read it!