It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

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

As I predicted last Monday most of my reading time for the rest of the week was devoted to  Now Face to Face.  While I enjoyed the continuing story of Barbara, Lady Devane, I was a little disappointed with the ending. The fates of the important characters were made known in the epilogue, but it seemed a little rushed. I'm hoping that there will be another book in this series. After all Barbara is still a young woman and the Jacobite cause is still very much alive. At least I still have the prequel to Through A Glass Darkly, the first book in the series, to read.

The other book I was reading last week, and is still my main read for this, is Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer. I am enjoying this Australian saga very much. I also managed to read the first chapter of The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox, but it is still too early to form an opinion of it. Another book I started this week is Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore. I nominated this book as part of the Reading England/Reading Yorkshire Challenge. Once again I have not read enough to form an opinion but the little I have read has me intrigued as it involves wills, deeds and inheritances. Mary Anerley is yet to make an entrance.

The book I hope to read next is Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best, which uses the premise that  Oliver Twist was a real boy and not just a fictional character created by Charles Dickens.

What I Read Last Week

Now Face to face by Karleen Koen

The beloved heroine from Koen's bestselling Through a Glass Darkly returns in a passionate, unforgettable, romantic tapestry. A widow at age 20, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances, Barbara Devane leaves colonial Virginia for London to confront her enemies and to pursue a deeply satisfying yet dangerous clandestine love.





What I'm Reading Today

Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer

1846. Newly arrived from England, Thomas Baker is young, penniless and alone. Eager to make his mark on this strange new place called South Australia, he accepts work as an overseer on a distant sheep property, believing this will be the opportunity he seeks. But when Thomas’s path crosses that of ex-convict, Septimus Wiltshire — a grasping con man hell bent on making a new life for himself and his family at any price — trouble is on the horizon.
But Thomas is made of stern stuff and his fortunes take a turn for the better when he meets spirited farmer’s daughter Lizzie Smith, and soon he envisages their future together.
But this land is like no other he has encountered: both harsh and lovely, it breaks all but the strongest. When his nemesis intervenes once more and drought comes, Thomas finds himself tested almost beyond endurance with the risk of losing everything he and Lizzie have worked for… even their lives.

The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox

The Orphan Gunner is an unconventional romance set in bomber command in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. Evelyn and Olive grew up together in the Canabolas Valley near Orange. They are in England at the outbreak of war: Evelyn as a pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary, Olive in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. They're joined by Evelyn's brother Duncan, a novice gunner in Lancaster L-Love, flying bombing raids over Germany. The raids take their toll on the crew, and the two women are drawn into a plot involving disguise and mistaken identity, to get the exhausted Duncan out of service. The Orphan Gunner explores the seductions of passing, the licence granted by risk, and the selflessness - and selfishness - of sacrifice. The relationship between the two women is portrayed with subtlety and warmth, and an extraordinary sense of historical detail which brings its wartime setting vividly to life.

Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore

An early 19th century romance set in Yorkshire. Mary Anerley falls in love with smuggler Robin Lyth, but the relationship is discouraged by Mary's family due to Robin's obscure beginnings and his occupation as  a smuggler.







What I Hope to Read Next

Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best

Who killed Nancy? Did Charles Dickens frame Bill Sykes and if so, why? As an adult, Oliver Twist receives deeply unsettling information written years earlier by Fagin while he was awaiting execution. It convinces Oliver that Dickens did not tell the entire truth about the events leading to Nancy's death. Now Oliver must embark on a complex investigation that takes him into the worst slums of London as he seeks out the whereabouts of some of the most memorable figures from his past—Betsy, Noah Claypole, Mr Bumble, and Charley Bates—not forgetting, of course, the Artful Dodger. Oliver's life is set to change dramatically as he uncovers not only what happened to Nancy, but also the astonishing truth about his own identity.

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.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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

This week's post will be short as the book I was reading last week is still the book I'm reading today, Now Face to Face  by Karleen Koen. 

This is the sequel to Through a Glass Darkly and continues the story of Barbara, Lady Devane, as she comes to terms with the loss of her husband and his financial ruin due to the collapse of the South Sea Company in 1720.

The first part of the book is set in colonial Virginia where Barbara has been sent by her grandmother, the matriarch of the family, who has a plantation there. The latter part of the book sees Barbara return to an England preparing to defend itself against the threat of another Jacobite Rising.
  
I'm enjoying this novel very much. Barbara's extended family are an interesting mix of characters, as are her friends and acquaintances.  Some are sympathetic to the Jacobite cause, some  are loyal to King George I and others seek only personal gain. I knew very little about this period in history except for the basics and I'm gaining a greater insight into the political machinations of the time. This book is a great family saga full of espionage, family intrigue and romance. 

Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer has been set aside for the time being and I'm still eager to read The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox

What I Read Last Week and What I'm Reading Today

Now Face to face by Karleen Koen

The beloved heroine from Koen's bestselling Through a Glass Darkly returns in a passionate, unforgettable, romantic tapestry. A widow at age 20, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances, Barbara Devane leaves colonial Virginia for London to confront her enemies and to pursue a deeply satisfying yet dangerous clandestine love.




What I Hope to Read Next

Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer

1846. Newly arrived from England, Thomas Baker is young, penniless and alone. Eager to make his mark on this strange new place called South Australia, he accepts work as an overseer on a distant sheep property, believing this will be the opportunity he seeks. But when Thomas’s path crosses that of ex-convict, Septimus Wiltshire — a grasping con man hell bent on making a new life for himself and his family at any price — trouble is on the horizon.
But Thomas is made of stern stuff and his fortunes take a turn for the better when he meets spirited farmer’s daughter Lizzie Smith, and soon he envisages their future together.
But this land is like no other he has encountered: both harsh and lovely, it breaks all but the strongest. When his nemesis intervenes once more and drought comes, Thomas finds himself tested almost beyond endurance with the risk of losing everything he and Lizzie have worked for… even their lives.

The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox

The Orphan Gunner is an unconventional romance set in bomber command in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. Evelyn and Olive grew up together in the Canabolas Valley near Orange. They are in England at the outbreak of war: Evelyn as a pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary, Olive in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. They're joined by Evelyn's brother Duncan, a novice gunner in Lancaster L-Love, flying bombing raids over Germany. The raids take their toll on the crew, and the two women are drawn into a plot involving disguise and mistaken identity, to get the exhausted Duncan out of service. The Orphan Gunner explores the seductions of passing, the licence granted by risk, and the selflessness - and selfishness - of sacrifice. The relationship between the two women is portrayed with subtlety and warmth, and an extraordinary sense of historical detail which brings its wartime setting vividly to life.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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

A good reading week for me overall. Three books read and two started, one of which is another lengthy book that has been sitting in my TBR pile.

While reading The Mind's Own Place by Ian Reid I wasn't sure if I liked this book . This week I can say that I'm glad I persisted with it. The Mind's Own Place  is one of those books that feels bland until you realise you've reached the end and actually enjoyed it.  

Lyrebird Hill  was another quick read from Anna Romer and didn't disappoint. Michael Arnold's novella, Highwayman Ironside, was also a quick read because of its length and very entertaining.You can read my review of it here.

This week's focus is on Now Face to Face by Karleen Koen and I've picked up another book set in colonial Australia, Heart of the Country  by Tricia Stringer, an Australian author I've not read before.

The book I'm hoping to read next is The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox.

What I Read Last Week

The Mind's Own Place by Ian Reid

Two women and three men, displaced in different ways by the rapid transformation of Victorian England, travel separately to a small settlement on Australia’s western rim. With them they carry social ambitions and psychological wounds. As their lives intersect in the Swan River Colony, what they encounter is not quite what they expect.
Though fictional, The Mind’s Own Place is partly based on the actual experiences of historical figures: a pair of convicts from respectable backgrounds, talented and enterprising but troubled; two female immigrants, free settlers, not equally fortunate or resilient; and the first detective in Western Australia, who eventually uncovers more than he intends.

Lyrebird Hill by Anna Romer

When all that you know comes crashing down, do you run? Or face the truth?
Ruby Cardel has the semblance of a normal life – a loving boyfriend, a fulfilling career – but in one terrible moment, her life unravels. The discovery that the death of her sister, Jamie, was not an accident makes her question all she’s known about herself and her past.
Traveling back home to Lyrebird Hill, Ruby begins to remember the year that has been forever blocked in her memory . . . Snatches of her childhood with beautiful Jamie, and Ruby’s only friendship with the boy from the next property, a troubled foster kid. Then Ruby uncovers a cache of ancient letters from a long-lost relative, Brenna Magavin, written from her cell in a Tasmanian gaol where she is imprisoned for murder. As she reads, Ruby discovers that her family line is littered with tragedy and violence.
Slowly, the gaps in Ruby’s memory come to her. And as she pieces together the shards of truth, what she finally discovers will shock her to the core – about what happened to Jamie that fateful day, and how she died. A thrilling tale about family secrets and trusting yourself...

Highwayman Ironside by Michael Arnold

England: 1655. A nation reeling from the turmoil of bloody civil war. An island in the iron grip of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate.The forces of King Charles have been utterly defeated. The sovereign is dead, his supporters beaten, humiliated and scattered. But it is not just former Cavaliers who find themselves hounded by the new regime. Many of those who fought for Parliament have fallen foul of the oppressive rule of the Major-Generals. One such man is Major Samson Lyle: Roundhead, outlaw, fugitive. Forced into exile after a dispute with the ruling elite, he has returned, intent on waging war against those now in command. Skilled with pistol and blade, Lyle takes the fight onto the busy roads south of the capital, forging a formidable reputation as a notorious highwayman. Along with his trusted young ward Bella, and Eustace Grumm, an irascible former smuggler, Lyle dodges the ever-present threat of capture to menace those against whom he has sworn revenge. But when the robbery of a powerful lawyer alerts Lyle to the imprisonment of a former comrade, the Major is plunged into a dangerous game of intrigue and deceit that may finally prove his undoing. And he must tread carefully, for Parliament have dispatched their own man to hunt the elusive outlaw. The villainous Colonel John Maddocks is tracking Lyle's every move, and soon he will come face to face with the Ironside Highwayman.

What I'm Reading Today

Now Face to face by Karleen Koen

The beloved heroine from Koen's bestselling Through a Glass Darkly returns in a passionate, unforgettable, romantic tapestry. A widow at age 20, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances, Barbara Devane leaves colonial Virginia for London to confront her enemies and to pursue a deeply satisfying yet dangerous clandestine love.




Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer

1846. Newly arrived from England, Thomas Baker is young, penniless and alone. Eager to make his mark on this strange new place called South Australia, he accepts work as an overseer on a distant sheep property, believing this will be the opportunity he seeks. But when Thomas’s path crosses that of ex-convict, Septimus Wiltshire — a grasping con man hell bent on making a new life for himself and his family at any price — trouble is on the horizon.
But Thomas is made of stern stuff and his fortunes take a turn for the better when he meets spirited farmer’s daughter Lizzie Smith, and soon he envisages their future together.
But this land is like no other he has encountered: both harsh and lovely, it breaks all but the strongest. When his nemesis intervenes once more and drought comes, Thomas finds himself tested almost beyond endurance with the risk of losing everything he and Lizzie have worked for… even their lives.

What I Hope to Read Next

The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox

The Orphan Gunner is an unconventional romance set in bomber command in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. Evelyn and Olive grew up together in the Canabolas Valley near Orange. They are in England at the outbreak of war: Evelyn as a pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary, Olive in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. They're joined by Evelyn's brother Duncan, a novice gunner in Lancaster L-Love, flying bombing raids over Germany. The raids take their toll on the crew, and the two women are drawn into a plot involving disguise and mistaken identity, to get the exhausted Duncan out of service. The Orphan Gunner explores the seductions of passing, the licence granted by risk, and the selflessness - and selfishness - of sacrifice. The relationship between the two women is portrayed with subtlety and warmth, and an extraordinary sense of historical detail which brings its wartime setting vividly to life.

it's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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

Once again due to the incessant hot weather I'm confined indoors with the air conditioner and my books. I did take some photographs today to share. Rather than add them to this post they can be found here if anyone would like to look.

After a slow start to my reading this year, last week I read two books in quick succession, started two and continued with one I had previously started but set aside. This is the upside of having to remain indoors.

The Lake House by Kate Morton proved once again that her books are worth waiting for. Despite being lengthy, it was a quick read and kept me guessing until the end.

I'd enjoyed Anna Romer's Thornwood House so much that I wasn't going to leave her latest book in my TBR pile for long. I set aside my plans to read Now Face to Face and picked up, Lyrebird Hill. However, I set this book aside too when I received a reminder from the library that Sweet Wattle Creek by Kaye Dobbie was due back on the 19th January and had "unsatisifed holds". Not knowing how long it would be before this book came my way again, I decided that the best thing to do was to read it immediately.

Kaye Dobbie is one of my favourite dual-time authors. I always find her books easy to read and engrossing. Sweet Wattle Creek was no exception. Being set in Australia, especially in areas I know, added extra enjoyment. Though the town of Sweet Wattle Creek is fictional, it could be based on any small Victorian country town.

This week I'm still reading The Mind's Own Place by Ian Reid. This is a slow-paced novel and one I can't decide whether I like or not. 

Lyrebird Hill is proving to be just as good as Thornwood House and Michael Arnold's novella, Highwayman Ironside, has also started well. 

I'm still planning to read Now Face to Face as this is due back to the library very soon.

What I Read Last Week

The Lake House by Kate Morton

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…
One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.
Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

Sweet Wattle Creek by Kaye Dobbie

The chance discovery of an antique wedding dress weaves together the fascinating stories of three women from different eras: Sophie, in hiding from a troubled past; Belle, who must lose everything to learn what really matters; and Martha, forced to give up those she loves in order to avoid exposure.
It’s 1931 and Belle Bartholomew has arrived in rural Sweet Wattle Creek to claim her inheritance – a run-down grand hotel formerly owned by Martha Ambrose. Determined to solve the mystery of her birth and the reason why she was bequeathed the hotel Belle runs into difficulties with the townsfolk and their desire to keep their secrets safe.
Sixty years later Sophie Matheson is on a quest to find Belle and her family after discovering the wedding dress. The Sweet Wattle Creek Centenary brings more challenges when her past catches up and she must fight for all that matters to her. Who were Belle and Martha and what links their lives together?

What I'm Reading Today

The Mind's Own Place by Ian Reid

Two women and three men, displaced in different ways by the rapid transformation of Victorian England, travel separately to a small settlement on Australia’s western rim. With them they carry social ambitions and psychological wounds. As their lives intersect in the Swan River Colony, what they encounter is not quite what they expect.
Though fictional, The Mind’s Own Place is partly based on the actual experiences of historical figures: a pair of convicts from respectable backgrounds, talented and enterprising but troubled; two female immigrants, free settlers, not equally fortunate or resilient; and the first detective in Western Australia, who eventually uncovers more than he intends.

Lyrebird Hill by Anna Romer

When all that you know comes crashing down, do you run? Or face the truth?
Ruby Cardel has the semblance of a normal life – a loving boyfriend, a fulfilling career – but in one terrible moment, her life unravels. The discovery that the death of her sister, Jamie, was not an accident makes her question all she’s known about herself and her past.
Traveling back home to Lyrebird Hill, Ruby begins to remember the year that has been forever blocked in her memory . . . Snatches of her childhood with beautiful Jamie, and Ruby’s only friendship with the boy from the next property, a troubled foster kid. Then Ruby uncovers a cache of ancient letters from a long-lost relative, Brenna Magavin, written from her cell in a Tasmanian gaol where she is imprisoned for murder. As she reads, Ruby discovers that her family line is littered with tragedy and violence.
Slowly, the gaps in Ruby’s memory come to her. And as she pieces together the shards of truth, what she finally discovers will shock her to the core – about what happened to Jamie that fateful day, and how she died. A thrilling tale about family secrets and trusting yourself...

Highwayman Ironside by Michael Arnold

England: 1655. A nation reeling from the turmoil of bloody civil war. An island in the iron grip of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate.The forces of King Charles have been utterly defeated. The sovereign is dead, his supporters beaten, humiliated and scattered. But it is not just former Cavaliers who find themselves hounded by the new regime. Many of those who fought for Parliament have fallen foul of the oppressive rule of the Major-Generals. One such man is Major Samson Lyle: Roundhead, outlaw, fugitive. Forced into exile after a dispute with the ruling elite, he has returned, intent on waging war against those now in command. Skilled with pistol and blade, Lyle takes the fight onto the busy roads south of the capital, forging a formidable reputation as a notorious highwayman. Along with his trusted young ward Bella, and Eustace Grumm, an irascible former smuggler, Lyle dodges the ever-present threat of capture to menace those against whom he has sworn revenge. But when the robbery of a powerful lawyer alerts Lyle to the imprisonment of a former comrade, the Major is plunged into a dangerous game of intrigue and deceit that may finally prove his undoing. And he must tread carefully, for Parliament have dispatched their own man to hunt the elusive outlaw. The villainous Colonel John Maddocks is tracking Lyle's every move, and soon he will come face to face with the Ironside Highwayman.

What I Hope to Read Next

Now Face to face by Karleen Koen

The beloved heroine from Koen's bestselling Through a Glass Darkly returns in a passionate, unforgettable, romantic tapestry. A widow at age 20, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances, Barbara Devane leaves colonial Virginia for London to confront her enemies and to pursue a deeply satisfying yet dangerous clandestine love.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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

It is three weeks since I last posted and while I managed to finish all the novels I was currently reading before the end of the year, my reading for 2016 got off to a slow start. The first few days of the new year were spent sorting out the challenges I was signing up for, making lists of books I am hoping to read for those challenges and finally writing sign-up posts.

My last four books for 2015 were all excellent reads. I enjoyed the first of D.K. Broster's Jacobite trilogy, but am not ready to continue with the second book just yet. My re-read, Georgette Heyer's A Civil Contract, while entertaining is not one of my favourites and I now remember why. The ending was a little sadder than most of her other Regencies. Though it ends on a happy note, there are undertones the marriage between our two protagonists will always be one of convenience. Not a usual Heyer ending.

My final books for 2015 were the first two in The Great South Land Saga by E.V. Timms. The next book in the series will be a re-read. I first read The Beckoning Shore a long time ago and as I can't remember any of the story line it will seem like a new novel.

My first book of 2016 was from an author I've read before, Shadow of the Hangman by Edward Marston. I have previously read his Captain Rawson novels set during the War of the Spanish Succession and some of his books featuring Inspector Colbeck, the Railway Detective, which I'd enjoyed. Shadow of the Hangman is the first of the Bow Street Rivals series and introduces identical-twin detectives, Peter and Paul Skillen. Needless to say, their physical resemblance is put to good use and makes for some very entertaining moments. This first book is set in 1815. You can read my full review here.

The other book I finished last week was Thornwood House by Anna Romer. This book had been a part of my TBR pile for a while. It is an excellent mystery story, full of suspense, that kept me reading all weekend and lamenting I should have got to it sooner. You can read my review here.

At the end of last year I had a number of lengthy books waiting to be read, but just couldn't face them. I'm happy to say that the temporary aversion to those books has vanished with the old year. I am currently readingThe Lake House by Kate Morton and loving it. I'm also reading The Mind's Own Place by Ian Reid.

Now that I'm back in the mood for lengthy books I'm hoping to read Now Face to Face by Karleen Koen as it is due back to the library in a couple of weeks.

My Last Books for 2015

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.

A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer

Adam Deveril, the new Viscount Lynton and a hero at Salamanca, returns from the Peninsula War to find his family on the brink of ruin and the broad acres of his ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. It is Lord Oversley, father of Adam's first love, who tactfully introduces him to Mr Jonathan Chaleigh, a City man of apparently unlimited wealth with no social ambitions for himself, but with his eyes firmly fixed on a suitable match for his one and only daughter.

Forever to Remain by E.V.Timms

In 1831 the London Lass sets sail for Australia, the Great South Land, with a shipload of settlers eager to start new lives in a new land. Among them is the elegant and beautiful Eleanor, travelling to Australia's hot, dry sun for the sake of her sick brother's fading health. And, seeking the adventure and challenge of the young colony, there is Simon, Eleanor's childhood sweetheart, whom she once jilted but can never forget. Reunited by chance, both are alarmed by this turn of events but they are still attracted to one another - as all on board can see, especially the brutal Captain Lush, who desires the lovely Eleanor for himself; and the vivacious young Penelope, who is determined to win Simon's heart before the end of the voyage ...

The Pathway of the Sun by E.V.Timms

Into the new colony of Western Australia - and into the idyllic love of Simon and Penelope, two if its early settlers - bursts a green-eyed, chestnut-haired hell-cat called Ginny Lockey, alias Margaret Cameron, a convict from Van Diemen's Land who carries the scars of the lash on her back. With the aid of the lecherous Gaston Fonfrede, Ginny has escaped from the penal settlement and has come west to search for her young son who has been so cruelly snatched from her. But even in 1832 the iron hand of the Law could reach out to the free colony of Western Australia to reclaim its victims ...

What I Read Last Week

Shadow of the Hangman by Edward Marston

In this first instalment of the Bow Street Rivals series a riot breaks out in Dartmoor prison, enabling some American inmates to escape. The twin detectives Peter and Paul Skillen catch wind of a projected assassination but the target is unknown. Trouble ensues when a woman from the Home Office vanishes; a mysterious lady turns up at the archery shooting gallery; and Paul’s gambling addiction worsens...

Thornwood House by Anna Romer

When Audrey Kepler inherits an abandoned homestead in rural Queensland, she jumps at the chance to escape her loveless existence in the city and make a fresh start. In a dusty back room of the old house, she discovers the crumbling photo of a handsome World War Two medic - Samuel Riordan, the homestead's former occupant - and soon finds herself becoming obsessed with him. But as Audrey digs deeper into Samuel's story, she discovers he was accused of bashing to death a young woman on his return from the war in 1946. When she learns about other unexplained deaths in recent years - one of them a young woman with injuries echoing those of the first victim - she begins to suspect that the killer is still very much alive. And now Audrey, thanks to her need to uncover the past, has provided him with good reason to want to kill again.

What I'm Reading Today

The Lake House by Kate Morton

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

The Mind's Own Place by Ian Reid

Two women and three men, displaced in different ways by the rapid transformation of Victorian England, travel separately to a small settlement on Australia’s western rim. With them they carry social ambitions and psychological wounds. As their lives intersect in the Swan River Colony, what they encounter is not quite what they expect.

Though fictional, The Mind’s Own Place is partly based on the actual experiences of historical figures: a pair of convicts from respectable backgrounds, talented and enterprising but troubled; two female immigrants, free settlers, not equally fortunate or resilient; and the first detective in Western Australia, who eventually uncovers more than he intends.


What I Hope to Read Next

Now Face to face by Karleen Koen

The beloved heroine from Koen's bestselling Through a Glass Darkly returns in a passionate, unforgettable, romantic tapestry. A widow at age 20, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances, Barbara Devane leaves colonial Virginia for London to confront her enemies and to pursue a deeply satisfying yet dangerous clandestine love.

2015 Reading Challenges - Wrap Up

Here is my wrap-up post for the various challenges I participated in last year. A mixed result, with some successes and some failures, but all enjoyable nonetheless.

AUSSIE AUTHORS CHALLENGE

I failed to read all of the books I'd nominated for this challenge. I only read and reviewed two books from my challenge list. However, looking through the list of books I'd read in 2015, fifteen were by Australian authors. While I haven't fulfilled the challenge, I am still pleased to see I'd read that many Australian authors. I'm signing up for this challenge again in 2016. I know I can do better.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WRITERS CHALLENGE

This is my second year participating in this challenge. I succesfully completed it in 2014, reading and reviewing three books. Hoping to improve on that in 2015, the level of participation I opted for was Miles: read six – if reviewing, review at least four. I managed to read more than six novels, a mixture of old and new publications, but only reviewed one. According to the rules, I have successfully completed this challenge, though not to my personal satisfaction. I'm signing up again in 2016. Hopefully, I will do better this year with reviews written as well.



BACK TO THE CLASSICS

This was another failure. Of the twelve categories nominated, I only managed to fulfill two. I'm signing up for this challenge again in 2016. I'm not sure if I'll carry over the unread books from my 2015 list to this year's.


BRITISH BOOKS

I successfully completed this challenge. Twelve books read and reviewed. This is another challenge I'm signing up for this year.


GOODREADS

Another success and one that needs no explanation. The simplest of all the challenges I participated in last year. My goal was a 100 books. I read 103. You can see My Year in Books here. It goes without saying that I'm participating again this year.






HISTORICAL FICTION

This was another successful challenge. As I read mostly historical fiction failure was not an option. My goal was 50+ books, which I read comfortably, even allowing for the dual time frame novels and one contemporary novel I read as part of another challenge. I'm definitely signing up again this year.






POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE

This challenge was a bit of fun. I ticked off 18 out of 50 books. Not a bad result seeing as I mainly read historical fiction. A more eclectic reader would have done better. I've all ready downloaded and printed off the 2016 check list. Let's see how I do this year. You can see my 2015 check list here





READING ENGLAND

I did better than I thought with this one. For some strange reason I started at the highest level. My goal was to read 12 books each set in a different county. I managed six counties. So this challenge is another fail, but I'm signing up again to finish my journey.





RE-READ CHALLENGE

I didn't re-read as many books as I thought I would. With one re-read only in 2015, I've decided not to sign up for this challenge again.





THE CLASSICS CLUB

I originally signed up for The Classics Club in January, 2015. To-date I've read two novels from the fifty I've nominated to read by January 2020. Not sure why I'm not on the list of members, so I'm going to sign up again.






Out of nine challenges (I'm not counting The Classics Club as that is still ongoing) I completed four. I didn't expect to complete them all, but my results were better than I thought they would be. I'm hoping to complete a few more challenges in 2016.