Book Review: Florence Grace by Tracy Rees

Fifteen year old Florrie Buckley likes nothing more than to run barefoot on the Cornish moors, enjoying nature and the freedom of the wild and open spaces. Her life is simple and while not always easy, she is content.

When tragedy strikes, she leaves behind her beloved Cornwall to live in London with the wealthy Graces, her mother's relatives.

The Grace household is ruled by her grandfather, the domineering and irascible Hawker Grace, who is determined to re-establish the family's reputation, no matter the sacrifices he calls upon his family to make.

To Florrie her new home becomes a prison. She is forbidden to mix in society until she learns how to behave like a lady and, above all else, like a Grace. The rules and regulations threaten to dominate her free spirit and she often suffers cruel and spiteful treatment at the hands of her aunt and female cousins. Her only support comes from the male members of her family, in particular her cousin and grandfather's heir, Turlington, who is often at odds with his grandfather because of his behaviour. But Turlington is a troubled soul, harbouring secrets.

Florrie soon realises that to survive in her new life she must conform though in her heart she will always be the girl from Cornwall. Losing her Cornish accent and way of speech, her outspokenness and stubbornness, and sadly her father's name, she transforms from Florrie Buckley to Florence Grace, with all the advantages and disadvantages of being part of a wealthy family.

When the Graces' lives are thrown into turmoil by a death in the family, Florrie becomes the one they rely on. Ultimately this event sets Florrie free.

Once again Tracy Rees brings to life Victorian society with its rigid class structure and strict views on morality as it affects the Grace family. Not only do they have to contend with these outside pressures, family dynamics causes friction within the home too. There is a lot of unhappiness in this family and it is interesting how each member deals with Hawker's dictates.

The ending was not what I expected. It leaves Florrie's future and, to some extent, that of the rest of the Grace family, to be interpreted by the reader. Some may be disappointed in the ending, but in my opinion it only reinforces the strength of Florrie's character. In particular, her resolve to be true to herself and happy, even if that means making some heartbreaking decisions.

Florence Grace was the highly anticipated second novel from Tracy Rees and like many I wondered if she could follow up the success she had with her debut novel Amy Snow.  I believe she has, but I was hard pressed to decide which book I liked best, though the more I contemplated this question, the more Florence Grace came out on top. It is a more thought provoking read.

Tracy Rees' third novel, The Hourglass, is due out in May, 2017. While I'm disappointed that it's not set in the Victorian era as her previous two are, I'm eager to see if she can work her magic in a different time frame.

Book Review: In the Silence of the Snow by Jessica Blair

French-born Marie Gabin forms a friendship with Veronica Attwood in their final two years at school, but this is tested when Marie is forced to disclose a secret to her friend.

The First World War takes its toll when Marie loses the man she loves. Veronica's husband suffers injuries which eventually leave her a widow, but she finds consolation in her love for the land. Returning to France, Marie marries her childhood sweetheart, but once again life brings involvement in war for the two friends.

Loving their Yorkshire land, Veronica and her daughters enlist in the Land Army. When a bomber squadron arrives on a newly constructed airfield on part of the estate, relationships are formed. Veronica's daughter Elise joins the RAF and is recruited into the SOE. But secrets will out. On a mission to France, Elise faces dangers she did not expect as she searches for Marie and the truth - a truth that will have an outcome she never envisaged.

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This promised to be a great family saga. With a synopsis mentioning a Yorkshire setting, two World Wars and the Land Army, it was irresistible and I was prepared to be swept away. Unfortunately, this didn't happen and I finished the book feeling badly let down.

While the plot line was good, it was predictable in places. This wasn't the cause of my disappointment as much as the lack of evocative description to draw me into the different time periods and round out the characters.

None of the characters appealed to me. Their thoughts and actions were presented in a manner that didn't allow attachments to be formed. I wasn't involved in their lives and I so wanted to be; to feel their sorrow and grief, their happiness and their love for the land. My emotions weren't engaged at all and this made what I thought would be an exceptional read dull and lifeless.

I didn't dislike this book enough not to finish it, but believe it could have been so much better had pivotal events in the plot (some mentioned in the synopsis) been developed further and not rushed through, and had there been more evocative and emotive description.

As In the Silence of the Snow is the first I've read by Jessica Blair, I'm hoping that not all her books are written in the same style. Perhaps another book would have been a better introduction to this author. So to be fair, I will give Jessica Blair another try.

Book Review: Highwayman Ironside by Michael Arnold

This is not the first Michael Arnold novel I've read. His English Civil War Chronicles following the exploits of the Royalist soldier Stryker have turned up in my reading pile from time to time. Highwayman Ironside is much lighter in tone than these novels, but just as good.

The setting is 1655 during the Protectorate, a time after the Civil War when Oliver Cromwell was installed as Lord Protector and a period in history I know very little about other than it was a time of relative peace and Royalists were still paying the price of defeat.

Major Samson Lyle, a Parliamentarian deserter, has taken to the highway as an act of revenge against the New Parliament. He is assisted by his young ward, Bella; an ex-smuggler, Eustace Grumm, and a horse that suffers from what can only be described as equine traumatic stress disorder, making it more of a liability than an asset.

Among papers found in a strongbox taken from their latest victim is a letter concerning the movement of a Royalist prisoner from one prison to another. Setting this prisoner free is an opportunity to strike at the New Protectorate, but the only way to find out when the transfer will take place is for Lyle to attend a masquerade ball given by a prominent Parliamentarian and question one of the guests. A simple but daring plan that could put an end to Lyle's career as a highwayman should he be recognised.

This novella is an exceptional piece of writing and so much fun to read. An exciting and humourous start grabbed my attention immediately and the story held me captive through all of its three parts.

Highwayman Ironside is a classic adventure story, with the hint of a romance, close shaves, sword fights, chases and a hero bent on outwitting those who want to see him captured and punished.

I enjoyed this introduction to Major Samson Lyle and can't wait for the next installment. Michael Arnold states at the end of his historical note that "The Ironside Highwayman will ride again". Whether it is another novella or a full length novel remains to be seen.

I received this ebook for free from Endeavour Press as a participant in their first ever Virtual Historical Fiction Festival to be held in April, 2016.

Book Review: Shadow of the Hangman by Edward Marston

My first book for 2016 was Shadow of the Hangman by Edward Marston.  Marston is famous for a number of crime series set in various historical time periods ranging from the 11th century through to World War I.

My introduction to this author was through his 18th century adventure series about the exploits of Captain Daniel Rawson, a soldier serving under the Duke of Marlborough during the Wars of the Spanish Succession. I have also read several of Marston's Victorian series featuring Inspector Colbeck, the Railway Detective.

Shadow of the Hangman is the first in Marston's new Regency crime series. It introduces identical-twin private detectives Peter and Paul Skillen, whose physical resemblance makes for some very entertaining moments and causes some heartache for one of the brothers.

The setting is 1815: the Battle of Waterloo has been fought and England is no longer at war with the French or the American colonies, though prisoners from both conflicts are still being held in prisons around the country.

Following a riot and massacre at Dartmoor prison, two American seamen escape and make their way to London hoping to tell the authorities their version of what happened during the riot without being recaptured. Over at the Home Office, a respected cleaning lady disappears leaving behind untidy offices and overflowing waste paper baskets. Has she run off with a lover or is her disappearance a part of something more sinister?

The Bow Street Runners are called in to provide security for an upcoming public function at which the Home Secretary and other dignitaries will be present. While their nemeses, the Skillen brothers, are hired to investigate the disappearance of the cleaning lady and to track down the American fugitives. This does not go down well with Micah Yeomans, a Principal Officer of the Bow Street Runners, and even though his men have not been assigned these cases he is determined to solve them before the Skillen brothers, by fair means or foul.

I enjoyed this first offering of the new series from Edward Marston. It has a great line-up of characters made more interesting by the protagonists being twin brothers, identical in looks but dissimilar in nature. Multiple sub-plots keep the pace of the story moving and the animosity that Micah Yeomans feels for the Skillens adds another level of suspense as he plots to thwart their investigations and bring them into disrepute. The Bow Street Runners are outsmarted by the Skillens more than once, sometimes unintentionally, bringing a dash of humour to the story.

As in all the Edward Marston novels I've read to-date, the historical detail is subtly introduced. In Shadow of the Hangman it is present in sufficient quantity to transport the reader back to post-Waterloo era London with all its social and political problems.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the Skillen brothers get up to next and the continued rivalry between them and the Bow Street Runners, which I'm sure will be another entertaining read. The Bow Street Rivals has all the elements to be another successful series for Edward Marston.