Jane and the Year Without a Summer by Stephanie Barron

Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Publisher: Soho Press
Series: Being a Jane Austen Mystery (Book 14)
Length: (336) pages
Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook
Genre: Historical Mystery, Austenesque


Synopsis

May 1816: Jane Austen is feeling unwell, with an uneasy stomach, constant fatigue, rashes, fevers and aches. She attributes her poor condition to the stress of family burdens, which even the drafting of her latest manuscript—about a baronet's daughter nursing a broken heart for a daring naval captain—cannot alleviate. Her apothecary recommends a trial of the curative waters at

Summer Half by Angela Thirkell Book Review

Synopsis

To his parents' dismay, Colin Keith - out of the noble but misplaced sense of duty peculiar to high-minded young university graduates - chooses to quit his training for the Bar and take a teaching job at Southbridge School. Little does Colin imagine that he will count among his pupils the demon in human form known as Tony Morland; or that the master's ravishing, feather-brained daughter Rose will, with her flights of fancy and many admirers, spread chaos throughout school and village. Humorous, high-spirited and cleverly observed, Summer Half is a comic delight.

My Thoughts

Tangled relationships and quirky characters abound once more as quiet and unassuming

The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb Book Review

Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Format:Print and ebook
Genre:Historical Fiction

Synopsis

Ellis Island, 1902: Two women band together to hold America to its promise: "Give me your tired, your poor ... your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."

A young Italian woman arrives on the shores of America, her sights set on a better life. That same day, a young American woman reports to her first day of work at the immigration center. But Ellis Island isn't a refuge for Francesca or Alma, not when ships depart every day with those who are refused entry to the country and when corruption ripples through every corridor. While

Out Front the Following Sea by Leah Angstman Book Review + Blog Tour Giveaway (US only)

Publication Date: January 11, 2022
Publisher: Regal House Publishing
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook; 334 pages
Genre: Historical / Literary / Epic

Synopsis

**Shortlisted for the Chaucer Book Award**

OUT FRONT THE FOLLOWING SEA is a historical epic of one woman’s survival in a time when the wilderness is still wild, heresy is publicly punishable, and being independent is worse than scorned—it is a death sentence.

At the onset of King William’s War between French and English settlers in 1689 New England, Ruth Miner is accused of witchcraft

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews Book Review + Blog Tour Giveaway (US only)

Publisher: Berkley Romance
Publication Date: January 11, 2022
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook
Length: (432) pages
Series: Belles of London (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction

Synopsis

Victorian high society’s most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London’s most sought after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor.

Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling

The Girl from Paris by Ella Carey Book Review

Publication Date: January 4, 2022
Publisher: Bookouture
Series: Daughters of New York #3
Format: ebook, print and audio
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis

Vianne rushes through the crowded streets of Paris as the German bombs begin to fall. As she rounds the corner she sees the familiar spires of the old church burst into flames. Too late, she realizes that her mother and sister are trapped inside…

Paris, 1918. The end of war is in sight, and young seamstress Vianne Mercier is longing for the day when she can stop sewing military uniforms and start creating the beautiful dresses that she has been dreaming up in her

Some Rise By Sin by Siôn Scott-Wilson Book Review

Synopsis

1829 is a tough year to be a body snatcher. Burke and Hare have just been convicted of killing people to sell their bodies, to widespread outrage—but despite the bad press, doctors still need fresh corpses for medical research.

Sammy and Facey are a couple of so-called ‘resurrection men’, making a living among society's fringe-dwellers by hoisting the newly departed from the churchyards of London whilst masquerading as late-night bakers. Operating on tip-offs and rumours in the capital’s drinking dens and fighting pits, the pair find themselves in receipt of some valuable intelligence: an unusual cadaver has popped up on the market, that of a hermaphrodite.

For any medic worth his salt it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—a medical curiosity and

Mrs England by Stacey Halls Book Review

Synopsis

West Yorkshire, 1904.

When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there's something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs England.

Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband, and is far from 'the angel of the house Ruby was expecting. As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy as her

The Infernal Riddle of Thomas Peach by Jas Treadwell - Book Review

Synopsis

Who is Thomas Peach?

Ah, reader! - if you would have us answer THAT question - What mysteries you shall compel us to expose!

It is the year 1785, and a gentleman of modest means has left London for the countryside, to look after his ailing wife.

Among his neighbours, tongues being to wag. Why does he keep a locked chest under the stairs? Is it really full of forbidden books? And what is exactly the matter with his wife?

For the most part, though, the couple live in peace -- until a letter arrives, threatening to cut off their livelihood and expel them from

August Folly by Angela Thirkell Book Review

Synopsis

It's August in the Barsetshire village of Worsted, and Richard Tebben, just down from Oxford, is contemplating the gloomy prospect of a long summer in the parental home. But the numerous and impossibly glamorous Dean family - exquisite Rachel, her capable husband and six of their nine brilliant children - have come for the holidays, and their hostess Mrs Palmer plans to rope everyone into performing in her disastrous annual play. Surrounded by the irrepressible Deans, Richard and his sister Margaret cannot help but have their minds broadened, spirits raised and hearts smitten

My Thoughts

After three novels, I'm becoming familiar with what to expect from Angela Thirkell: lots of quirky characters, multiple romances, upper

Death on a Winter's Day by Verity Bright Book Review

Publication Date: November 19, 2021
Publisher: Bookouture
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #8
Format: ebook, print and audio
Genre: Historical Fiction/Cosy Mystery

Synopsis

Christmas at the castle with holly, handmade gifts, snowflakes and… is that a body under the tree? Someone call Lady Swift!

Winter, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, amateur sleuth and reluctant lady of the manor, has been invited to spend Christmas in Scotland, at the beautiful castle of her dear friends Baron and Baroness Ashley. Even her favourite companion, master of mischief Gladstone the bulldog, is coming along to share a slice of turkey. As snow begins to fall outside, the rather mismatched group are cozy

The London House by Katherine Reay Book Review

Publication Date: November 2, 2021
Publisher: Harper Muse
Length: (368) pages
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook 
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Synopsis

Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried

Rebel's Knot by Cryssa Bazos Book Review

Publication Date: 8th November 2021
Publisher: W.M. Jackson Publishing
Series: Quest for Three Kingdoms
Page Length: 350 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Historical Romance

Synopsis

Ireland 1652: In the desperate, final days of the English invasion of Ireland . . .

A fey young woman, Áine Callaghan, is the sole survivor of an attack by English marauders. When Irish soldier Niall O'Coneill discovers his own kin slaughtered in the same massacre, he vows to hunt down the men responsible. He takes Áine under his protection and together they reach the safety of an encampment held by the Irish forces in Tipperary. 

The Wrecking Storm by Michael Ward Book Review

Synopsis

1641.

London.

The poisonous dispute pushing King Charles and Parliament towards Civil War is reaching the point of no return.

Law and order in the city are collapsing as Puritan radicals demand more concessions from the King. Bishops and lords are attacked in the streets as the Apprentice Boys run amok. Criminal gangs use the disorder to mask their activities while the people of London lock their doors and pray for deliverance.

No one is immune from the contagion. Two Jesuit priests are discovered in hiding and

Down a Dark River by Karen Odden Book Review + Blog Tour Giveaway (US Only)

Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Series: An Inspector Corravan Mystery #1
Format: Hardcover and ebook, 363 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery

Synopsis

In the vein of C. S. Harris and Anne Perry, Karen Odden’s mystery introduces Inspector Michael Corravan as he investigates a string of vicious murders that has rocked Victorian London’s upper crust.

London, 1878. One April morning, a small boat bearing a young woman’s corpse floats down the murky waters of the Thames. When the victim is identified as Rose Albert, daughter of a prominent judge, the Scotland Yard director gives the case to Michael

The Demon in the House by Angela Thirkell Book Review

This is the third book in Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire series and recounts the mischief Tony Morland gets up to during school holidays, most of them during the summer break.

Synopsis

This is the frighfully frustrating story of Tony Morland who first appeared in High Rising. A sweeter demon doesn't exist than this 12 year old with a gift for disconcerting remarks and getting what he wants from his mother.

Boys will be boys, and little Morland is no exception, boasting, bragging, breaking windows, messing about in boats and demanding breakfast in bed, all very much to the despair of his mother, Laura. More than anything, Tony is desperate for a bicycle and although Laura is certain he'll come home in

Wild Strawberries by Angela Thirkell Book Review

This is the second book of Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire series, which focuses on the Leslie family of Rushwater House and their welcome and unwelcome guests.

Synopsis

Pretty, impecunious Mary Preston, newly arrived as a guest of her Aunt Agnes at the magnificent wooded estate of Rushwater, falls head over heels for handsome playboy David Leslie. Meanwhile, Agnes and her mother, the eccentric matriarch Lady Emily, have hopes of a different, more suitable match for Mary. At the lavish Rushwater dance party, her future happiness hangs in the balance...

My Thoughts

I think I may be one of the few people that did not fully appreciate the comedy or the romance in this novel. Having enjoyed High Rising, the first book in the series, I looked forward to this one. Although it started promisingly when Lady Emily and her family are introduced through the observations of the local vicar, I didn't take to

A Letter From Pearl Harbor by Anna Stuart Book Review

Publication Date: November 5, 2021
Publisher: Bookouture
Format: ebook, print and audio
Genre: Historical Fiction, World War II

Synopsis

Ninety-eight-year-old Ginny McAllister’s last wish is for her granddaughter to complete a treasure hunt containing clues to her past. Clues that reveal her life as one of the first female pilots at Pearl Harbor, and a devastating World War Two secret.

1941, Pearl Harbor: On the morning of December 7th, Ginny is flying her little yellow plane above the sparkling seas when she spots an unknown aircraft closing in on her. She recognises the red symbol of the Japanese fighter planes almost too late. Somehow, she manages to land unscathed but

High Rising by Angela Thirkell Book Review

Back in May 2021, Kay @ Whatmeread announced a challenge to read Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire series in order, starting with High Rising in June. While I've managed to keep pace with the reading, my reviews haven't, a situation I'm hoping to remedy before the end of the year.

Synopsis

Successful lady novelist Laura Morland and her boisterous young son Tony set off to spend Christmas at her country home in the sleepy surrounds of High Rising. But Laura's wealthy friend and neighbour George Knox has taken on a scheming secretary whose designs on marriage to her employer threaten the delicate social fabric of the village. Can clever, practical Laura rescue George from Miss Grey's clutches and, what's more, help his daughter

Every Word Unsaid By Kimberly Duffy Book Review

Publication Date: November 2, 2021
Publisher: Bethany House
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook
Length: (368) pages
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Inspirational Fiction

Synopsis

Augusta Travers has spent the last three years avoiding the stifling expectations of New York society and her family's constant disappointment. As the nation's most fearless--and reviled--columnist, Gussie travels the country with her Kodak camera and spins stories for women unable to leave hearth and home. But when her adventurous nature lands her in the middle of a scandal, an opportunity to leave America offers the perfect escape.