Publication Date: May 2nd , 2025
Publisher: Preseli Press
Series: The Elizabethan Series, Book #6
Pages: 337
Genre: Historical Fiction/Tudor Fiction
Book Description
Bess Throckmorton defies her notorious background and lack of education to become Queen Elizabeth’s Gentlewoman and trusted confidante.
Forced to choose between loyalty and love, duty and desire, will she risk her queen’s anger by marrying adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh without permission?
Entangled in a web of intrigue, from the glittering Palace of Whitehall to the cells of the Tower of London, Bess endures tragedy and
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Monday, June 16, 2025
Last Train to Freedom by Deborah Swift
Read an Excerpt
Publication Date: 8th May 2025
Publisher: HQDigital
Pages: 361
Genre: Historical Fiction Book Description 'Taut, compelling and beautifully written – I loved it!’ ~ DAISY WOOD 'Tense and thought-provoking' ~ CATHERINE LAW 1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive. A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop
Publisher: HQDigital
Pages: 361
Genre: Historical Fiction Book Description 'Taut, compelling and beautifully written – I loved it!’ ~ DAISY WOOD 'Tense and thought-provoking' ~ CATHERINE LAW 1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive. A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Lady of the Quay by Amanda Roberts
Read a Snippet
Publication Date: May 9th, 2025
Publisher: Hickory Press
Series: Isabella Gillhespy Series, Book #1
Pages: 256
Genre: Historical Mystery/Suspense Book Description Knowing she is innocent is easy … proving it is hard 1560, Berwick-upon-Tweed, northern England Following the unexpected death of her father, a series of startling discoveries about the business she inherits forces Isabella Gillhespy to re-evaluate everything she understands about her past and expects from her future. Facing financial ruin, let down by people on whom she thought she could rely, and suspected of crimes that threaten her
Publisher: Hickory Press
Series: Isabella Gillhespy Series, Book #1
Pages: 256
Genre: Historical Mystery/Suspense Book Description Knowing she is innocent is easy … proving it is hard 1560, Berwick-upon-Tweed, northern England Following the unexpected death of her father, a series of startling discoveries about the business she inherits forces Isabella Gillhespy to re-evaluate everything she understands about her past and expects from her future. Facing financial ruin, let down by people on whom she thought she could rely, and suspected of crimes that threaten her
Friday, June 06, 2025
Luminous by Samantha Wilcoxson
5th Publication Anniversary Book Blast
Publication Date: June 5, 2020
Publisher: independently published
Audio narration: Joanne Joyce
Pages: 319
Genre: biographical historical fiction
Book Description Tragic true story of a radium girl. Catherine's life is set on an unexpected course when she accepts a job at Radium Dial. The dial painters forge friendships and enjoy their work but soon discover that an evil secret lurks in the magical glow-in-the-dark paint. When she and her friends start falling ill, Catherine Donohoe takes on the might of a big corporation and becomes an early pioneer of social justice in the era between world wars. Emotive and inspiring - this book will touch you
Publisher: independently published
Audio narration: Joanne Joyce
Pages: 319
Genre: biographical historical fiction
Book Description Tragic true story of a radium girl. Catherine's life is set on an unexpected course when she accepts a job at Radium Dial. The dial painters forge friendships and enjoy their work but soon discover that an evil secret lurks in the magical glow-in-the-dark paint. When she and her friends start falling ill, Catherine Donohoe takes on the might of a big corporation and becomes an early pioneer of social justice in the era between world wars. Emotive and inspiring - this book will touch you
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Falling Pomegranate Seeds by Wendy J. Dunn
Read a Snippet
Publication Date: February 28th, 2025
Publisher: Poesy Quill
Series: Omnibus Edition
Pages: 1030 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Tudor Fiction Book Description In the Falling Pomegranate Seeds Duology, readers are transported to the rich historical tapestry of 15th and 16th-century Europe, where the lives of remarkable women unfold against the backdrop of political upheaval and personal struggles. In the first book, beginning in 1490 Castile, Doña Beatriz Galindo, a passionate and respected scholar, serves as an advisor to Queen Isabel of Castile. Beatriz yearns for a life beyond the constraints imposed on women, desiring to control her own destiny. As she
Publisher: Poesy Quill
Series: Omnibus Edition
Pages: 1030 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Tudor Fiction Book Description In the Falling Pomegranate Seeds Duology, readers are transported to the rich historical tapestry of 15th and 16th-century Europe, where the lives of remarkable women unfold against the backdrop of political upheaval and personal struggles. In the first book, beginning in 1490 Castile, Doña Beatriz Galindo, a passionate and respected scholar, serves as an advisor to Queen Isabel of Castile. Beatriz yearns for a life beyond the constraints imposed on women, desiring to control her own destiny. As she
Thursday, May 01, 2025
A Darn Good Read Named One of the 70 Best Historical Fiction Blogs & Websites for 2025
This year I'm taking a step back from blogging for a number of reasons, although I am still participating in blog tours and will post the occasional review.
Recently, my spirits received a welcome boost when I learnt from Feedspot that my blog had been included in the 70 Best Historical Fiction Blogs and Websites in 2025.
My fellow recipients are some of the popular and well-respected historical book blogs and websites on the internet today and I am very flattered that A Darn Good Read is ranked amongst them.
The complete list and the criteria used for selection can be viewed here.
Thank you, Feedspot!
Friday, April 25, 2025
White Feathers by Susan Lanigan
Read an Excerpt
Publication Date: 21/3/2025
Publisher: Idée Fixe Press
Series: White Feathers, Book #1
Pages: 398
Genre: Historical Fiction Book Description "Anti-war and anti-patriarchy without ever saying so - a bravura performance of effortless elegance" - Irish Echo in Australia SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROMANTIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD 2015 In 1913, Irish emigrée Eva Downey receives a bequest from an elderly suffragette to attend a finishing school. There she finds friendship and, eventually, love. But when war looms and he refuses to enlist, Eva is under family and social pressure to give the man she loves a white
Publisher: Idée Fixe Press
Series: White Feathers, Book #1
Pages: 398
Genre: Historical Fiction Book Description "Anti-war and anti-patriarchy without ever saying so - a bravura performance of effortless elegance" - Irish Echo in Australia SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROMANTIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD 2015 In 1913, Irish emigrée Eva Downey receives a bequest from an elderly suffragette to attend a finishing school. There she finds friendship and, eventually, love. But when war looms and he refuses to enlist, Eva is under family and social pressure to give the man she loves a white
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
The Cross of Ciarán by Andrea Matthews
Spotlight
Publication Date: June 18, 2020
Publisher: Inez M. Foster – self-published
Series: The Cross of Ciarán series #1
Pages: 362
Genre: Time Slip Romance Book Description When a fifth century pagan priest is unearthed in Ireland fifteen hundred years after being entombed, archaeologist Caitlin O’Connell is convinced it’s the find of the century. The body is in perfect condition, right down to the intricate tattoos adorning the Celt’s skin. In fact, if scientific data hadn’t proved otherwise, she would swear he hadn’t been interred more than a few hours. Eager to discover more about the mysterious Celt, Caitlin accompanies the body back to the New York museum where she’s employed,
Publisher: Inez M. Foster – self-published
Series: The Cross of Ciarán series #1
Pages: 362
Genre: Time Slip Romance Book Description When a fifth century pagan priest is unearthed in Ireland fifteen hundred years after being entombed, archaeologist Caitlin O’Connell is convinced it’s the find of the century. The body is in perfect condition, right down to the intricate tattoos adorning the Celt’s skin. In fact, if scientific data hadn’t proved otherwise, she would swear he hadn’t been interred more than a few hours. Eager to discover more about the mysterious Celt, Caitlin accompanies the body back to the New York museum where she’s employed,
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Oscar's Tale by Chris Bishop
Spotlight
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025 (new paperback)
Publisher: Historical Fiction Company
Pages: 166 (pb)
Genre: Historical Fiction Book Description Oscar’s Tale is that of a Saxon boy who sets out to find and rescue his father who has been taken by Viking slavers. The story begins in 877, just prior to the Viking attack on Chippenham in which King Alfred was routed. Against this backdrop, Oscar is obliged to set out on his all but impossible quest and quickly becomes embroiled in all that’s going on in Wessex at this turbulent time, culminating in him playing a small but important part in the battle at Edington.
Publisher: Historical Fiction Company
Pages: 166 (pb)
Genre: Historical Fiction Book Description Oscar’s Tale is that of a Saxon boy who sets out to find and rescue his father who has been taken by Viking slavers. The story begins in 877, just prior to the Viking attack on Chippenham in which King Alfred was routed. Against this backdrop, Oscar is obliged to set out on his all but impossible quest and quickly becomes embroiled in all that’s going on in Wessex at this turbulent time, culminating in him playing a small but important part in the battle at Edington.
Wednesday, April 09, 2025
Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits of North Devon by Helen Hollick with Kathy Hollick
Read an Excerpt
Publication Date: 27th February 2025
Publisher: Taw River Press
Pages: 201
Genre: Non-Fiction (with a bonus of two short stories) Book Description Everyone assumes that ghosts are hostile. Actually, most of them are not. You either believe in ghosts or you don’t. It depends on whether you’ve encountered something supernatural or not. But when you share a home with several companionable spirits, or discover benign ghosts in public places who appear as real as any living person, scepticism is abandoned and the myth that ghosts are to be feared is realised as nonsense.
Publisher: Taw River Press
Pages: 201
Genre: Non-Fiction (with a bonus of two short stories) Book Description Everyone assumes that ghosts are hostile. Actually, most of them are not. You either believe in ghosts or you don’t. It depends on whether you’ve encountered something supernatural or not. But when you share a home with several companionable spirits, or discover benign ghosts in public places who appear as real as any living person, scepticism is abandoned and the myth that ghosts are to be feared is realised as nonsense.
Sunday, April 06, 2025
A Recipe for Murder by Verity Bright
Book Review - Blog Tour
Publication Date:31 March 2025
Publisher: Bookouture
Format: Print, e-book and audio
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #21
Genre: Historical Mystery, Cosy Mystery Book Description Cream cakes, cucumber sandwiches, apple tarts and… poison? Lady Swift is trying to plan the menu for her wedding, until murder strikes in kitchens across the village! Lady Eleanor Swift’s marriage to dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon is just days away. There’s a lot to organise from the dress to the catering, including, of course, the all-important wedding cake. But Eleanor is heartbroken when their chef, apple-cheeked Annie Tibetts, dies of
Publisher: Bookouture
Format: Print, e-book and audio
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #21
Genre: Historical Mystery, Cosy Mystery Book Description Cream cakes, cucumber sandwiches, apple tarts and… poison? Lady Swift is trying to plan the menu for her wedding, until murder strikes in kitchens across the village! Lady Eleanor Swift’s marriage to dashing Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon is just days away. There’s a lot to organise from the dress to the catering, including, of course, the all-important wedding cake. But Eleanor is heartbroken when their chef, apple-cheeked Annie Tibetts, dies of
Wednesday, April 02, 2025
The Midnight of Eights by Justin Newland
Read an Excerpt
Publication Date: 28th October 2024
Publisher: The Book Guild
Page Length: 288
Series: The Island of Angels (This is book 2 of 2. The first book is called The Mark of the Salamander. Book 2 is written as a stand-alone, or can be read after reading book 1.)
Genre: Historical Fiction Book Description 1580. Nelan Michaels docks at Plymouth after sailing around the world aboard the Golden Hind. He seeks only to master his mystical powers – the mark of the salamander, that mysterious spirit of fire – and reunite with his beloved Eleanor. After delivering a message to Francis Walsingham, he’s recruited into the service of
Publisher: The Book Guild
Page Length: 288
Series: The Island of Angels (This is book 2 of 2. The first book is called The Mark of the Salamander. Book 2 is written as a stand-alone, or can be read after reading book 1.)
Genre: Historical Fiction Book Description 1580. Nelan Michaels docks at Plymouth after sailing around the world aboard the Golden Hind. He seeks only to master his mystical powers – the mark of the salamander, that mysterious spirit of fire – and reunite with his beloved Eleanor. After delivering a message to Francis Walsingham, he’s recruited into the service of
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