TimeStorm by Steve Harrison: But What Genre is It?

I recently submitted my blog to the Australian Book Blogger Directory. This morning I was making my way down the list of blogs in the Historical Fiction section when I came across Steve Harrison's entitled Storming Time dedicated to his debut novel TimeStorm.

This is a very entertaining blog, but what actually made me chuckle is his post on publishers having difficulty allocating his novel to a particular genre and his praise for Elsewhen Press who took up the challenge and published it.

 " ... They weren’t daunted by the 4,356 genres included in the novel ... and instead let the story speak for itself ..."

4,356 genres? A slight exaggeration, perhaps, but I love it!

Of course, being a historical fiction fan, I was hooked by the first sentence of the book description. Reading further I realised this wasn't going to be the straight historical I'd expected.

Did I still want to read it? Yes!

Why? There are a number of reasons. Besides being an unusual idea for a novel, references to C.S. Forester, Patrick O'Brian and Alexander Kent can't be ignored. Plus it has all the right elements for an exciting read. Another incentive was the great reviews I read on Amazon and Goodreads. Steve Harrison, though born in Yorkshire, U.K., is considered to be an Australian author and I can add this book to the Aussie Author Challenge 2015. Love the title. Love the cover.

So, what genre is it? For my purposes I'm calling it a historical fiction time slip novel. I don't have the stamina or the will to list all 4,356 genres ...

 In 1795 a convict ship leaves England for New South Wales in Australia. Nearing its destination, it encounters a savage storm but, miraculously, their battered ship stays afloat and limps into Sydney Harbour. Here, the convicts rebel, overpower the crew and make their escape, destroying the ship in the process. Fleeing the sinking vessel with only the clothes on their backs, the survivors struggle ashore. Among the escaped convicts, seething resentments fuel an appetite for brutal revenge against their former captors while, for their part, the crew attempts to track down and kill or recapture the escapees. However, it soon becomes apparent that both convicts and crew have more to concern them than shipwreck and a ruthless fight for survival; they have arrived in Sydney in 2017. TimeStorm is a thrilling epic adventure story of revenge, survival and honour set in a strange new world of unfamiliar technology and equally unfathomable social norms. 

 In the literary footsteps of Hornblower, comes Lieutenant Christopher 'Kit' Blaney, an old-fashioned hero, a man of honour, duty and principle, dragged into the 21st century - literally. A great fan of the grand seafaring adventure fiction of CS Forester, Patrick O'Brien and Alexander Kent, and modern action thriller writers such as Lee Child, Steve Harrison combines several genres in his debut novel. 

The book was inspired by a replica 18th century sailing ship on Sydney Harbour and a question from Steve's brother, Tony: "What if that was a real convict ship?" TimeStorm explores that question in a fast-paced story as a group of desperate men from the 1700s clash in 21st century Sydney.


TimeStorm is available as an e-book or paperback from Amazon AU, Amazon US, Amazon UK or direct from Elsewhen Press

Book Review: Scapegallows by Carol Birch

Scapegallows is the fictionalised story of Margaret Catchpole, a horse thief, who escaped the hangman's noose twice and was eventually transported to Australia in 1801, for life.

If you hale from Suffolk, U.K., you will probably be familiar with Margaret Catchpole's legendary status. In Ipswich there is a Grade 2 listed public house bearing her name, which reflects her connection to the brewing family, the Cobbolds.

In Australia, she is venerated as one of the country's first midwives and her letters are a great source for historians due to their descriptions of early nineteenth century life in the colony. A maternity ward at the Hawkesbury Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, is aptly named in her honour.

Margaret Catchpole was born into a family of Suffolk tenant farmers in Nacton, a village on the banks of the River Orwell. Her life had its share of hardship and family tragedy. Some of her misfortunes were the result of her own impetuous decisions and the company she kept.

Uneducated, Margaret found work as a servant, but her life improved greatly when she was employed by the Cobbold family as a children's nurse and then cook. Here, she learned to read and write and became a valued member of the household. Even when imprisoned and transported, she still remained in the family's affections and kept up a correspondence with Mrs. Cobbold.

Margaret's greatest weakness was her love for Will Laud, a boat builder and sailor turned smuggler. Will Laud is in and out of Margaret's life for various reasons, sometimes for years, but she remained loyal to him. As romantic as this sounds, this devotion proved to be her downfall.

For a novel described as "a wonderful adventure story", I'd expected a much faster pace than the slow, ambling read it was. My interest did wane three-quarters through, but I persevered to the end. While my emotions weren't totally engaged, I did enjoy this novel for its historical value: the social history of 18th century Suffolk and the life of one of Australia's convict pioneers.

Saturday Sleuthing: More Regency Mystery Series, A Tale of the Stuart Court and An Intriguing Story of A "Slip-Gibbet"

I'm very excited by yesterday's book hunt. Not only did I discover more Regency mystery series to follow, but two very interesting novels, one set after the death of Charles II, during the reign of William and Mary and the other based on the true story of a woman who escaped the gallows and was transported to Australia. All these authors are new to me and I'm looking forward to adding these books to my reading pile.

The Heiress of Linn Hagh by Karen Charlton

2013 Paperback cover

Northumberland, November 1809: A menacing figure stalks women through Hareshaw Woods and a beautiful, young heiress disappears from her locked bedchamber at Linn Hagh. The townsfolk cry 'witchcraft' and the local constabulary are baffled. Fearing for her safety, Helen Carnaby's worried uncle sends out for help from Bow Street magistrates' court in London.
Detective Stephen Lavender and Constable Woods now face their toughest and most dangerous case. The servants and the local gypsies won’t speak to them, Helen’s siblings are sly and uncooperative and the sullen local farmers are about to take the law into their own hands.

2015 Paperback cover

Isolated in this beautiful but remote community, Lavender and Woods find themselves trapped in the middle of a simmering feud and are alarmed to discover a sinister world of madness and violence lurking behind the heavy oak door of the ancient pele tower at Linn Hagh.

Helen Carnaby's disappearance is to prove one of the most perplexing mysteries of Lavender's career. Why did she flee on that wintry October night? How did she get out of her locked bed chamber? And where is she now?

This is the first in a series of Regency mysteries featuring detective Stephen Lavender and Constable Edward Woods. Originally published in 2013, a new paperback edition of this novel will available from June 9, 2015. The Heiress of Linn Hagh has also be released as The Missing Heiress.

A Moment of Silence by Anna Dean

UK edition

1805. An engagement party is taking place for Mr Richard Montague, son of wealthy landowner Sir Edgar Montague, and his fiancee Catherine. During a dance with his beloved, a strange thing happens: a man appears at Richard's shoulder and appears to communicate something to him without saying a word. Instantly breaking off the engagement, he rushes off to speak to his father, never to be seen again. Distraught with worry, Catherine sends for her spinster aunt, Miss Dido Kent, who has a penchant for solving mysteries. Catherine pleads with her to find her fiance and to discover the truth behind his disappearance. It's going to take a lot of logical thinking to untangle the complex threads of this multi-layered mystery, and Miss Dido Kent is just the woman to do it.

A Moment of Silence  is the first book in a series featuring Miss Dido Kent, a crime solving spinster. It has also been released as Bellfield Hall for the US market. Below are the covers for the rest of the series. I love them: so very Jane Austenesque in appearance.

The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner

London, 1816 Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic Wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is piqued when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey's search for the girl leads to the discovery of murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld. At the same time, he faces his own disorientation transitioning from a soldier's life to the civilian world, redefining his role with his former commanding officer, and making new friends--from the top of society to the street girls of Covent Garden.

There are nine books in the series to-date. As well as writing historical mysteries as Ashley Gardner, she also writes historical and paranormal romance under the pseudonyms of  Allyson James and Jennifer Ashley

A Pledge of Better Times by Margaret Porter

A sweeping tale of ambition, treachery, and passion incorporating historical figures and events. For generations Lady Diana de Vere's family loyally served England's crown. But after King Charles II's untimely death, her father firmly opposes James II's tyranny. Charles Beauclerk, Duke of St. Albans-the late king's bastard son by actress Nell Gwyn-also rebels against his newly crowned uncle's manipulation. Secretly pledging to wed Diana, he departs for the Continent to become a soldier. Political and religious turmoil bring about revolution and yet another coronation before Charles returns to claim his promised bride. As companion to Queen Mary Stuart, Diana has followed her de Vere forbears into royal service. She expects Charles to abandon his military career after marriage, but he proves unwilling to join the ranks of the courtiers he despises and mistrusts. In palace corridors and within their own household the young duke and duchess confront betrayals, scandals, and tragedies that threaten to divide them. And neither the privileges of birth nor proximity to the throne can ensure their security, their advancement-or their happiness.

This is Margaret Porter's first mainstream historical novel and is due for release in April, 2015. She also writes historical romances as Margaret Evans Porter.


Scapegallows by Carol Birch

This is the story of Margaret Catchpole, born into a smugglers' world in Suffolk in the late 1700s. As the valued servant of a wealthy family and a friend of criminals, Margaret leads a double life that inevitably brings about her downfall, and she is sentenced to hang not once, but twice. But she escapes the gallows and is transported with other convicts to Australia. A wonderful adventure story, Scapegallows takes inspiration from the life of the real Margaret Catchpole. A woman who lived by her wits, she was a slip-gibbet, a scapegallows.

Carol Birch has written eleven novels. Scapegallows was the first of her novels to be set totally in the past. It is based on the true story of Margaret Catchpole.

Saturday Sleuthing: Some Great Historical Mystery Finds

What do Richard Nottingham and Tom Harper have in common? They both solve crime in Leeds, England: in the 18th and 19th centuries respectively. From Chris Nickson come two historical mystery series: The Richard Nottingham Mysteries and The Detective Inspector Tom Harper Mysteries.

The Broken Token (The Richard Nottingham Mysteries #1)

 Leeds, England, 1731.

When Richard Nottingham, Constable of Leeds, discovers his former housemaid murdered in a particularly sickening manner, his professional and personal lives move perilously close. Circumstances conspire against him, and more murders follow. Soon the city fathers cast doubt on his capability, and he is forced to seek help from an unsavory source. Not only does the murder investigation keep running into brick walls as family problems offer an unwelcome distraction; he can't even track down a thief who has been a thorn in his side for months. When answers start to emerge, Nottingham gets more than he bargains for.

The next in the series is Cold Cruel Winter, followed by The Constant Lovers (#3), Come the Fear (#4), At The Dying Year (#5) and Fair and Tender Ladies (#6)


The Detective Inspector Tom Harper Mysteries is a relatively new series by Chris Nickson consisting of two books so far. It was the second book in the series, Two Bronze Pennies, that caught my eye first.

Gods of Gold (The Detective Inspector Tom Harper Mysteries #1)

June 1890. Leeds is close to breaking point. The gas workers are on strike. Supplies are dangerously low. Factories and businesses are closing; the lamps are going unlit at night. Detective Inspector Tom Harper has more urgent matters on his mind. The beat constable claims eight-year-old Martha Parkinson has disappeared. Her father insists she's visiting an aunt in Halifax - but Harper doesn't believe him. When Col Parkinson is found dead the following morning, the case takes on an increasing desperation. But then Harper's search for Martha is interrupted by the murder of a replacement gas worker, stabbed to death outside the Town Hall while surrounded by a hostile mob. Pushed to find a quick solution, Harper discovers that there's more to this killing than meets the eye - and that there may be a connection to Martha's disappearance.


Two Bronze Pennies (The Detective Inspector Tom Harper Mysteries #2)

Leeds, England, Christmas Eve, 1890. DI Tom Harper is looking forward to a well-earned rest. But it's not to be. A young man has been found stabbed to death in the city s poverty-stricken Jewish district, his body carefully arranged in the shape of a cross, two bronze pennies covering his eyes. Could someone be pursuing a personal vendetta against the Jews?
Harper's investigations are hampered by the arrival of Capitaine Bertrand Muyrere of the French police, who has come to Leeds to look into the disappearance of the famous French inventor Louis Le Prince, vanished without trace after boarding a train to Paris.
With no one in the close-knit Jewish community talking to the police and with tensions rising, DI Harper realizes he'll have to resort to more unorthodox methods in order to unmask the killer.


These two series appeal to me because of their setting. Leeds is a city I remember from my childhood, though I don't know much of its history only that it was, like many towns in Yorkshire, famous for its woollen mills. So I'm hoping these novels have lots of historical detail, as well as being great mysteries.

Chris Nickson has a post on his blog entitled So Why Do I Write Historical Crime?  It's always interesting to know why an author has chosen to write in a particular genre. I found it very informative.

Book Review: The Fort by Bernard Cornwell

Synopsis

While the major fighting of the war moves to the south in the summer of 1779, a British force of fewer than a thousand Scottish infantry, backed by three sloops-of-war, sails to the desolate and fog-bound coast of New England. Establishing a garrison and naval base at Penobscot Bay, in the eastern province of Massachusetts that would become Maine, the Scots, the only British troops between Canada and New York, harry rebel privateers and give shelter to American loyalists.

In response, Massachusetts sends a fleet of more than forty vessels and some one thousand infantrymen to captivate, kill or destroy the foreign invaders. Second in command is Peleg Wadsworth, a veteran of the battles at Lexington and Long Island, once aide to General Washington, and a man who sees clearly what must be done to expel the invaders.

But ineptitude and irresolution lead to a mortifying defeat and have stunning repercussions for two men on opposite sides: an untested eighteen-year-old Scottish lieutenant named John Moore, who will begin an illustrious military career; and a Boston silversmith and patriot named Paul Revere, who will face court-martial for disobedience and cowardice.

Grounded firmly in history, inimitably told in Cornwell's thrilling narrative style, The Fort is the extraordinary novel of this fascinating clash between a superpower and a nation in the making.

My Thoughts

My introduction to the writing of Bernard Cornwell was through his very successful  Sharpe series of  novels and so I expected The Fort to be a good read.

Set during the American Revolutionary Wars, The Fort is based on the true story of the 1779 Penobscot Expedition. This expedition was organised to oust the British Army from Fort George, on the Majabigwaduce Peninsula, Penobscott Bay, in present day Maine, and to prevent the establishment of a British colony there.

The expedition was under the command of Commodore Dudley Saltonstall, Adjutant General Peleg Wadsworth, Brigadier General Solomon Lovell and Lieutenant Colonel Paul Revere.  Bernard Cornwell’s research revealed that Saltonstall and Lovell, the naval and land force commanders respectively, continually disagreed; Revere was a law unto himself and Wadsworth, the only one of the four to emerge from this disaster with his reputation intact.

The British were greatly out numbered, but the reluctance of Commodore Saltonstall to commit his ships to taking the harbour, gave the British time to strengthen the defences of the fort and send for aid. Time and again, an opportunity for the Americans to launch a successful land attack was thwarted by disagreement. Eventually British reinforcements arrived forcing a retreat up the Penobscott River.

Peleg Wadsworth was certainly the hero of the expedition and of this novel. The opening chapter, with its heart-warming images of Peleg Wadsworth practising army drills with the help of his children, endeared the man to me. Throughout the novel he is the calming influence on those around him and unlike the other commanders does not engage in petty rivalries.  Wadsworth took charge of organising the retreat up the Penobscott River, ensuring that as many men as possible got away in the ensuing chaos.

Paul Revere did not fare well in this narration and I was surprised that he was not quite the hero I imagined him to be.  Bernard Cornwell himself pointed out that most of us are familiar with the Paul Revere from the poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a descendent of Peleg Wadsworth. In The Fort he is depicted as  incompetent and a coward.

General Francis McLean was in command of the British and one of his subalterns was none other than John Moore, later to become Sir John Moore, hero of the Peninsular Wars, who lost his life at the Battle of Corunna, Spain, in 1809

The ending is ironic in that Saltonstall’s obsession with keeping his ships safe resulted in most of the American fleet  being destroyed: the ships were either captured by the Royal Navy or burned by the Americans themselves as they retreated up the Penobscott River.

The Fort is another fine historical novel by Bernard Cornwell. Readers interested in this era will certainly enjoy it and those after a good adventure story will also find satisfaction here.

More Adventures in Redcoats

Surfing the internet has once again uncovered two more authors writing in the historical military fiction genre, IAIN GALE and ADRIAN GOLDSWORTHY
 

"FOUR DAYS IN JUNE" was the debut novel by Iain Gale released in 2006.  It covers the four days of the Battle of Waterloo from the view points of five  military figures, Wellington, Napoleon, Marshal Ney, General De Lancey, Colonel MacDonnell and General Ziethen, a Prussian officer.

This novel was followed by the adventures of Jack Steel set during the Spanish Wars of Succession. There are three books in the series so far.

 

His latest novel is KEANE'S COMPANY released this year and is set during the Peninsular Wars (1808).  James Keane, an officer in the 27th Foot, and his band of hand-picked men, are sent on an intelligence gathering mission behind enemy lines.

Iain Gale also writes military fiction set during World War II and has written a number of non-fiction books on a variety of subjects.

"TRUE SOLDIER GENTLEMAN" is the first in a series of novels by Adrian Goldsworthy set during the Napoleonic Wars. Four books, out of a possible twelve, are currently available. The titles are all taken from songs popular at the time and another little gem, especially for fans of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Wickham is amongst the officers of the 106th Regiment of Foot.

 

Adrian Goldsworthy is also an ancient historian who has written several non-fiction books about the Roman Empire.

Book Review: The Dashing Captain Daniel Rawson

Captain Daniel Rawson is the main character in a series of novels by Edward Marston set during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 to 1714). 

The Battle of Blenheim and the Duke of Marlborough’s residence, Blenheim Palace, I knew of, but I was unfamiliar with other events in this war in Europe, during the reign of Queen Anne.

I have just finished reading the first three of the five available: “SOLDIER OF FORTUNE”, “DRUMS OF WAR” and “FIRE AND SWORD”. These three novels cover the  war years to 1708 and the Battle of Oudenarde.

Edward Marston, while telling a good tale, provides background and reasons for this war through the opinions of his characters. The battle scenes are descriptive and the story moves forward at all times and is never bogged down in the detail.

Captain Daniel Rawson is all that a hero should be – clever, loyal, courageous, handsome and a favourite of the ladies. His exploits as an intelligence gatherer behind enemy lines are daring and his plans ingenious. 

Humour is provided by the dour Sergeant Henry Wellbeck and the unusual relationship he shares with the Captain.  Wellbeck seems to hate everyone and everything, especially army life. His gruff exterior, however, does not hide the camaraderie and respect he has for Daniel Rawson.

I’m looking forward to more of the Captain’s adventures in the next two novels in the series “UNDER SIEGE” and “A VERY MURDERING BATTLE”.

Love a Man in Uniform - Especially a Redcoat

My bookshop browsing has unearthed more gems for my reading pile - the Captain Daniel Rawson series by Edward Marston.

From the dust jacket of the first book in the series, SOLDIER OF FORTUNE, comes the description of our hero:

"The dashing Captain Daniel Rawson - spy, linguist, duellist, ladies' man and career soldier - can charm a woman as well as he can parry a sword."

The Jack Absolute Trilogy by C.C. Humphreys

I just came across a new author (to me anyway), C.C. Humphreys (also writing as Chris Humphreys), who has written a number of novels in the historical adventure and fantasy genres.

The 'Jack Absolute Trilogy' caught my eye as Jack Absolute is described as " the 007 of the 1770s".

This prompted a visit to my local library but unfortunately the three books - Jack Absolute, The Blooding of Jack Absolute and Absolute Honour were out on loan.

This series is a little unusual as the latter two novels are the prequel and sequel to the prequel respectively. Confusing, I know, but you can choose to read them in chronological order or in the order in which they were written.