Back to the Classics Challenge 2017 - My Sign Up Post

Hosted by: Karen at Books and Chocolates.
Challenge period: 1st January to 31st December, 2017
Sign up: by 1st March, 2017
Aim: To encourage bloggers (and others) to read more classics.

 
More information and how to sign up can be found here.

As last year, reading and posting a review for a minimum of six books will get you an entry into the prize draw for a $30.00 gift from Amazon or The Book Depository. Reading and reviewing more books will get you additional entries into the prize draw.

There are 12 categories, but you don't have to do them all. You can select which ones appeal to you and still qualify for the draw. If you complete six categories, you get one entry; complete nine categories, you get two entries and if you complete all twelve categories, you get three entries!

Here are the categories and the books I hope to read for each one. I'm not sure if I will manage to complete all 12 categories, but I had fun searching out the titles. I'm aiming for at least six, to be read in no particular order.

01. A 19th Century Classic: BARNABY RUDGE by Charles Dickens (first published 1841)

02. A 20th Century Classic: THE NEBULY COAT by John Meade Falkner (first published 1903)

03. A classic by a woman author: DEERBROOK by Harriet Martineau (first published 1838)

04. A classic in translation: WITH FIRE AND SWORD: AN HISTORICAL NOVEL OF POLAND AND RUSSIA by Henryk Sienkiewicz (first published in 1884) 

05. A Classic originally published before 1800: THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD by Oliver Goldsmith (first published 1766)

06. A Romance Classic: MARY BARTON by Elizabeth Gaskell (first published 1848)

07. A Gothic or horror classic: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE USHER by Edgar Allan Poe (first published 1839)

08. A Classic with a number in the title: THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES by Nathaniel Hawthorne (first published 1851)

09. A Classic about an animal or which includes an animal in the title: THE NEST OF THE SPARROWHAWK by Emmuska Orczy (first published 1909)

10. A Classic Set in A Place You'd like to visit:  THE BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR by Sir Walter Scott (first published 1819). The story is set in Scotland.

11 . An Award-winning Classic: THE AGE OF INNOCENCE BY EDITH WHARTON (first published 1920, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1921)

12. A Russian Classic: HOME OF THE GENTRY by Ivan Turgenev (first published 1858)

Australian Women Writers Challenge 2017 - My Sign Up Post

Hosted by: Australian Women Writers.
Challenge period: 1st January to 31st December, 2017.
Sign Up: Throughout the year until 30th November, 2017.
Aim: To help overcome gender bias in the reviewing of books by Australian women.

All the information about the challenge and how to join can be found here.

This year the challenge has changed slightly by encouraging participants to also read and review one or two classic novels as well as contemporary ones.

Again there are four levels:

Stella: read 4 – if reviewing, review at least 3
Miles: read 6 – if reviewing, review at least 4
Franklin: read 10 – if reviewing, review at least 6
Create your own challenge: nominate your own goal

Last year I opted for Miles and easily read six books, but didn't manage as many reviews as I would've liked. This year I'm being a little more daring choosing Franklin. 

Here are the ten books I hope to read and review (in no particular order) for this challenge. I've selected a mixture of old and new releases and some yet to be released in 2017.

01. My Father's Moon by Elizabeth Jolley (not read)
02. And Then Mine Enemy by Alison Stuart (not read)
03. The Currency Lass by Tea Cooper
04. Daughter of Mine by Fiona Lowe
05. My Love Must Wait by Ernestine Hill (not read)
06. Skylarking by Kate Mildenhall
07. Mayfield by Joy Chambers (not read)
08. Ambulance Girls by Deborah Burrows
09. Whispers in the Wind by Janet Woods
10. Tiger Men by Judy Nunn (not read)


11. Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar 
12. Perseverance by L.F. McDermott
13. The Unmourned by Meg Kenneally, Tom Keneally
14. Poppy's Dilemma by Karly Lane
15. If Wishes Were Horses by Karly Lane
16. Troubadour by Isolde Martyn
17. The Woolgrower's Companion by Joy Rhoades
18. May's Rose by Kaye Dobbie
19. The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey
20. Daughter of the Murray by Darry Fraser
21. The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay
22. Willow Tree Bend by Kaye Dobbie
23. Home Before Sundown by Barbara Hannay
24. We That Are Left by Lisa Bigelow
25. A Time of Secrets by Deborah Burrows
26. A Stranger in My Street by Deborah Burrows
27. Lighthouse Bay by Kimberly Freeman

Aussie Author Challenge 2017 - My Sign Up Post

Hosted by: Jo at Book Lover Reviews

Challenge period: 1st January to 31st December, 2017

Sign Up: Anytime during the year

Aim: To showcase the quality and diversity of the books being produced by Australian authors.

All the information and how to join is here on the sign-up page.

There are three levels to choose from and, as last year, I'm opting for the lowest level, Wallaby. To successfully fulfill this level I have to read and review three titles written by Australian authors, of which at least one of those authors are female, at least one of those authors are male, and at least one of those authors are new to me, fiction or non-fiction, any genre.

These are the three books I've selected for this challenge, all are fiction:

•  Daughter of Mine by Fiona Lowe (author new to me)
• The Currency Lass by Tea Cooper
• The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald (another author new to me)

This will be my third year participating in the Aussie Author Challenge. My previous two attempts have been failures due to reviews not being posted, but this year I hope to be better organised and, as a result, successfully finish this challenge.

2016 Reading Challenges - Wrap Up

Here is my wrap-up post for the various challenges I participated in during 2016. A mixed result, with some successes and some failures - well, mostly failures. Reading has not been the problem. Writing reviews is where I came unstuck, but I plan to be better organised in 2017, that is, write my reviews as soon as I finish a book. That's my New Year's resolution for 2017 and my only one because I usually fail at keeping those too! Anyway, onto the challenges.


AUSSIE AUTHORS CHALLENGE

2016 was my second year participating in this challenge. I opted for the Wallaby level, which meant I had to only read and review three books. While I read the three books I'd nominated and more, reviews did not get posted.

A quick check of the books I've read this year showed that twenty-five were by Australian authors, a mixture of male and female. This total is ten up on last year, a great result.

I'm signing up for this challenge again in 2017 and hope to do better.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WRITERS CHALLENGE

2016 was my third year participating in this challenge. 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. Technically this challenge was successfully completed. I have reviews to be posted, but these have missed the challenge completion deadline so won't count.

Looking through my list of books for 2016, I've read a total of 19 books by Australian women authors.

BACK TO THE CLASSICS

I didn't do well in this challenge at all. None of the books I'd nominated were read, but I did read three 20th century classics, two Georgette Heyer novels (The Nonesuch and The Unknown Ajax) and one by Catherine Gaskin (Blake's Reach).

I'm determined to successfully finish this challenge one year. Hopefully 2017 will be that year! So yes, you've guessed, I'm signing up again.

BRITISH BOOKS

I easily read the twelve books needed to complete this challenge, but only reviewed half of them. So another failure, but I'm not discouraged. I'm signing up again in 2017.


GOODREADS

Yay! A successfully completed challenge. Not much to say about this one other than I'm signing up again for 2017 and increasing my target slightly from 110 to 120 books.




HISTORICAL FICTION

My goal again for 2016 was 50+ books, which I read comfortably, but didn't review as many as I would've liked. I'm determined to successfully complete this challenge so I'm signing up again in 2017.







POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE

As always this challenge was a bit of fun. I ticked off 17 out of 41 books. Not a bad result. I'm participating in this challenge again in 2017. Let's see how I do this year.







READING ENGLAND AND READING YORKSHIRE

I successfully completed the Reading Yorkshire 2016 Challenge  by reading and reviewing one book!

I failed the Reading England 2016 Challenge. Even though I opted for the lowest level (1-3 counties), I didn't read any for this part of the challenge.

I'd like to sign up again for this challenge in 2017, but as yet haven't seen any posts about it. Hopefully it will be offered again this year.


Well, that's it, my wrap up for 2016. Not a very successful year for challenges, but another great reading year filled with lots of interesting and exciting books.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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

A very quiet reading week for me with only two books read, the first two in a mystery series by M.J. Carter. I enjoyed them both and so have found a new series to follow. I'm looking forward to the next book, The Devil's Feast.

I seem to be in the mood for historical mysteries. This week I'm reading another, the fourth book in the Westerman and Crowther series by Imogen Robertson, Circle of Shadows and will follow this up with the next book, Theft of Life.

After that, I'll be looking to my pile of review books for my next read in an effort to catch up and post reviews as promised.

What I Read Last Week

The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter

Calcutta 1837. The East India Company rules India - or most of it; and its most notorious and celebrated son, Xavier Mountstuart, has gone missing.
William Avery, a down-at-heel junior officer in the Company's army, is sent to find him, in the unlikely company of the enigmatic and uncouth Jeremiah Blake. A more mismatched duo couldn't be imagined, but they must bury their differences as they are caught up in a search that turns up too many unanswered questions and seems bound to end in failure.
What was it that so captivated Mountstuart about the Thugs, the murderous sect of Kali-worshippers who strangle innocent travellers by the roadside? Who is Jeremiah Blake and can he be trusted? And why is the whole enterprise shrouded in such secrecy?
In the dark heart of Company India, Avery will have to fight for his very life, and in defence of a truth he will wish he had never learned.

The Infidel Stain by M.J. Carter

It's 1841, and three years after we left them at the close of The Strangler Vine, Blake and Avery are reunited in very different circumstances in London. There has been a series of dreadful murders in the slums of the printing district, which the police mysteriously refuse to investigate, and Blake and Avery must find the culprit before he kills again.





What I'm Reading Today

Circle of Shadows by Imogen Robertson

Death at the Carnival: riddle, ritual and murder.
Shrove Tuesday, 1784. While the nobility dance at a masked ball, beautiful Lady Martesen is murdered. Daniel Clode is found by her body, his wrists slit and his memories nightmarish. What has he done? Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther race to the Duchy of Maulberg to save Daniel from the executioner's axe. There they find a capricious Duke on the point of marriage, a court consumed by luxury and intrigue, and a bitter enemy from the past. After another cruel death, they must discover the truth, no matter how horrific it is. Does the answer lie with the alchemist seeking the elixir of life? With the automata makers in the Duke's fake rural idyll? Or in the poisonous lies oozing around the court as the elite strive for power?

What I Hope To Read Next

Theft of Life by Imogen Robertson

London, 1785. When the body of a West Indies planter is found pegged out in the grounds of St Paul's Cathedral, suspicion falls on one of the victim's former slaves, who was found with his watch on the London streets. But it seems the answer is not that simple. The impact of the planter's death brings tragedy for Francis Glass, a freed slave now working as a bookseller and printer in the city, and a painful reminder of the past for William Geddings, Harriet Westerman's senior footman. Harriet is reluctant to be drawn in to the difficult and powerful world of the slave trade, but she and her friend, reclusive anatomist Gabriel Crowther, begin to understand the dark secrets hidden by the respectable reputation of London's slave owners. Together, they negotiate the interests of the British government, the secrets of the plantation owners, and a network of alliances stretching across the Atlantic. And they must confront the uncomfortable truth that some people are willing to do great evil when they believe their cause to be just.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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

It's been a while since I participated in this meme (the beginning of December last year) and I've missed seeing what you are all doing and reading.

I've re-joined the work force after over a year off and am now working at a local motel, in one of the main tourist areas of country Victoria. As you can imagine, summer is a very busy time. Going back to work has been a shock to my system, but I'm enjoying it, though the hot, humid weather Melbourne and other parts of Victoria are experiencing is very draining.

I'm still reading, but my blog has been neglected. I'm still trying to write a wrap up post for my 2016 reading challenges and decide which challenges to participate in this year.

My first book for 2017 was Coachman which I read in a day and loved. Lots of historical detail regarding the ins and outs of the coaching industry made this a very interesting read.

Fiona Buckley's Late Harvest was also good. She normally writes novels set in Tudor times, namely the Ursula Blanchard mystery series, which I've yet to read.

I also enjoyed Daughter of the Murray by Darry Fraser. A lovely romance, which doesn't run smoothly due to an impetuous heroine, who rails against the constraints of being a female in the late Victorian era.

My current read is The Strangler Vine, the first in a series by M.J. Carter. It is slow paced, but I'm loving the historical aspect of India and its culture.

I'm not quite sure what I'll be reading next, but The Infidel Stain,  the second book in M.J. Carter's series is in my TBR pile and I'm liking the first book enough to carry on with the series.

What I Read Last Week

Coachman by Sue Millard

Queen Victoria is crowned, and England is at peace, but 1838 isn't a good year to be a coachman, not even when you're good looking and ambitious. George Davenport travels to London with his bride Lucy, determined to make the most of his skill in driving a four-in-hand of horses. But industry is hitting its stride, and as the railways begin to open across the country they threaten to kill off the work he loves.
George finds employment with William Chaplin, the "Napoleon of coaching," but he discovers that the boss's daughter has designs on him that have nothing to do with his driving - and she isn't used to taking "No" for an answer.


Late Harvest by Fiona Buckley

Exmoor, 1800. When farmer s daughter Peggy Shawe meets the charismatic Ralph Duggan, son of a so-called free trader, it s love at first sight. Determined to prevent the match, Peggy s widowed mother sends her daughter to live with the Duggans for six weeks, believing she will be put off marriage to Ralph when she discovers what life is like among a smuggling family.
Matters take a dramatic turn however when Ralph s brother Philip is suspected of murder, and Ralph and Philip are despatched to distant relatives across the Atlantic. Heartbroken, Peggy vows to be reunited with her lover one day. But it will be several years before she and Ralph are destined to meet again and in very different circumstances . . .

Daughter of the Murray by Darry Fraser


1890s, River Murray, Northern Victoria
Georgina Calthorpe is unhappy living with her indifferent foster family the MacHenry’s in their crumbling house on the banks of the River Murray.
Unlike the rest of the family, she isn’t looking forward to the return of prodigal son Dane. With good reason. Dane MacHenry is furious when on his return he finds his homestead in grave decline. Unaware that his father has been drinking his way through his inheritance, he blames Georgina and Georgina decides she has no option but to leave. Unfortunately she chooses Dane’s horse to flee on, and when Dane learns she has stolen his prized stallion, he gives chase. From this point their fates become intertwined with that of a businessman with a dark secret, Conor Foley, who offers Georgina apparent security: a marriage with status in the emerging nouveau-riche echelons of Melbourne. But none of them could imagine the toll the changing political and social landscape would have on homes, hearts and families. Will Georgina’s path lead her into grave danger and unhappiness, or will she survive and fulfil her destiny?

What I'm Reading Today

The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter 

Calcutta 1837. The East India Company rules India - or most of it; and its most notorious and celebrated son, Xavier Mountstuart, has gone missing.
William Avery, a down-at-heel junior officer in the Company's army, is sent to find him, in the unlikely company of the enigmatic and uncouth Jeremiah Blake. A more mismatched duo couldn't be imagined, but they must bury their differences as they are caught up in a search that turns up too many unanswered questions and seems bound to end in failure.
What was it that so captivated Mountstuart about the Thugs, the murderous sect of Kali-worshippers who strangle innocent travellers by the roadside? Who is Jeremiah Blake and can he be trusted? And why is the whole enterprise shrouded in such secrecy?
In the dark heart of Company India, Avery will have to fight for his very life, and in defence of a truth he will wish he had never learned.

What I Hope To Read Next

The Infidel Stain by M.J. Carter

It's 1841, and three years after we left them at the close of The Strangler Vine, Blake and Avery are reunited in very different circumstances in London. There has been a series of dreadful murders in the slums of the printing district, which the police mysteriously refuse to investigate, and Blake and Avery must find the culprit before he kills again.

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer Book Review

I'd forgotten how delightful a Georgette Heyer novel can be. Having read all her regency romances in my early teenage years, picking this one up again after so long had all the excitement of a first time read.

The Nonesuch is one of Heyer's later and less popular novels (my favourite will always be The Black Moth, her debut novel and my introduction to this author) but it is still full of the wit, charm and endearing characters one expects to find in her light-hearted romances.

Sir Waldo Hawkridge (The Nonesuch) travels to Yorkshire with his younger cousin, Lord Lindeth, to inspect the estate he has recently inherited. The arrival of these two eligible bachelors in the village of Oversett causes a stir among the local gentry: mothers of marriageable daughters vie with one another to entertain them and the young men wish to emulate Sir Waldo due to his
reputation as a sportsman.

Sir Waldo, being over thirty, believes he is past the age of falling in love. That is, until he meets Ancilla Trent, governess and companion to the spoilt, self-centred, seventeen year old heiress, Tiffany Wield.

Tiffany, feted for her beauty, believes no man can resist her charms, and while Sir Waldo is quite immune, it is Lord Lindeth who falls under her spell and joins the ranks of her admirers.

Initially, the young men are eager to gain Tiffany's favour, despite her  abominable treatment of them, but one by one her admirers fall away when she throws one tantrum too many and the lies she has told are revealed.

Apart from her appealing characters and entertaining plots, one of Georgette Heyer's trademarks is her witty dialogue and The Nonesuch has it in abundance, enhanced by lots of delightful Regency slang.

Unusually for a Heyer novel, the romance unfolds quietly in the background, while the behaviour of Miss Trent's charge, Tiffany, dominates the story from start to finish. Perhaps this is the reason The Nonesuch is not as popular with Heyer's fans as her other books, but I enjoyed it. Tiffany's tantrums were amusing and the romance between Ancilla and Sir Waldo does have its obligatory misunderstanding, but this too was amusing if not a little unbelievable given how sensible Ancilla was supposed to be.

I read this novel as part of the Reading Yorkshire 2016 Challenge and loved that it was set in a part of the county I am familiar with.

The fictional village of Oversett is " ... situated in the West Riding, rather closer to Leeds than to Harrogate, and not above twenty miles from York ...".

A shopping expedition to Leeds, a town in 1816, is the scene of one of Tiffany's tantrums.  The mention of the red brick buildings of Leeds brought back memories of childhood visits there. For me those red brick buildings will always be associated with Leeds.

The cause of another of Tiffany's tantrums, is a proposed visit to the Dripping Well or the Petrifying Well at Knaresborough, a popular tourist destination even today. Tiffany is thwarted in her plans to get there by the illness of one of the party. No matter what she proposes, her travelling companions are all in agreement that the outing should be abandoned. Poor Tiffany!

Have you read The Nonesuch? What did you think? Did you find Tiffany's tantrums amusing like I did, or tedious?

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: The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney

While investigating the murder of an American missionary in Ethiopia, rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane becomes obsessed with a magical word square found inside an underground church guarding the tomb of the biblical Adam.

Drawn into a web of esoteric intrigue, she and a roguish antiquities thief named Elymas must race an elusive and taunting mastermind to find the one relic needed to resurrect Solomon's Temple. A trail of cabalistic clues leads them to the catacombs of Rome, the crypt below Chartres Cathedral, a Masonic shaft in Nova Scotia, a Portuguese shipwreck off Sumatra, and the caverns under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Intertwined with this modern mystery-thriller, a parallel duel is waged: The year is 1452. One of the most secretive societies in history, Portugal's Order of Christ, is led by a reclusive visionary, Prince Henry the Navigator. He and his medieval version of NASA merged with the CIA scheme to foil their archenemies, the Inquisitor Torquemada and Queen Isabella of Castile, who plan to bring back Christ for the Last Judgment by ridding the world of Jews, heretics, and unbelievers.

Separated by half a millennium, two conspiracies to usher in the Tribulations promised by the Book of Revelation dovetail in this fast-paced thriller to expose the world's most explosive secret: The true identity of Christopher Columbus and the explorer's connection to those now trying to spark the End of Days

******************************

From the synopsis and opening chapters I realised that The Virgin of the Wind Rose was going to be a very different book than I was used to reading. It's not often I pick up a book with a religious focus and usually the mention of the CIA or other such organisation in the description would see me pass it over. This is not a book I would have chosen for myself.

So why did I agree to read and review it? There were a number of reasons: I was excited to be offered the book to review, I'd not read any of Glen Craney's books before, I'm a fan of dual time narratives, I like a good conspiracy theory and the most compelling was the historical aspect.

In the 15th century, three young boys (Pero, Dias and Zarco) share ambitions to become sea-faring explorers and pass various tests to be admitted into a secret society. This part of the novel follows their lives and how they become part of a conspiracy to thwart Queen Isabella of Castile's plans. Prince Henry the Navigator and Queen Isabella of Castile are familiar historical figures, but in The Virgin of the Wind Rose Glen Craney puts a very different connotation on the relationship between Portugal and Spain.

Alongside this narrative is one set in the modern-day and it was this part I had difficulty getting into, at first. I didn't warm to the main character, Jaq. This wasn't a good sign, though she did improve in my estimation as the story progressed. I had trouble reconciling her religious beliefs with her role in modern society and also found her relationship with her mentor, the fanatical Reverend Merry, whom she blindly trusts, a little disturbing.

As a result of my first impressions I had a couple of false starts. I began to feel that this novel was not for me, but at some point, and I'm not quite sure where in the modern-day story this happened, there was a shift in pace and I found myself eagerly awaiting Jaq's next move, caught up in the non-stop action as each clue was discovered, solved and followed.

My favourite character was Elymas, the antiquities thief. In the early chapters he flits in and out of the story, turning up when least expected like the proverbial bad penny. The scenes he featured in were always entertaining and he was the perfect foil for the more controlled Jaq.

On the whole Glen Craney's writing style appealed to me, as did his sense of humour which surfaced in the exchanges between Jaq and Elymas, raising a chuckle or two; there is also a memorable description of a barkeeper. I should quote them here, but I believe these gems should be savoured first hand. They provided a little comic relief before the story raced off again.

Glen Craney was also successful in separating the two time frames, giving each part the distinctive feel of the period in which they were set. Each one could have been a standalone novel, yet they complemented each other in such a way that no matter what time frame I was in, I was eager to get back to the other. This surprised me as I usually favour the historical setting in dual time narratives.

The attention to detail is phenomenal, as are the many twists and turns as each conspiracy unfolds. I admit to getting lost a few times and having to back track to make sense of what had happened. For me, the greatest twist was the dramatic conclusion and definitely not the outcome I expected.

I can understand why this book would appeal to fans of authors such as Dan Brown and despite my initial misgivings, I was pleasantly surprised how much I'd enjoyed it. While I may not read any of Glen Craney's other thrillers, his historical novel The Spider and the Stone is on my list of books to read.

Thank you to Glen Craney for providing a free copy of The Virgin of the Wind Rose for me to read and review.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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

I had intended to just focus on my current read, Beyond the Orchard, last week, but slipped in two quick reads, Night in Eden and Tenant of Chesdene Manor.

Before C.S.Harris introduced Sebastian St. Cyr in her regency mysteries, she wrote historical romances under the pen name of Candice Proctor. Night in Eden was her debut novel, which won various awards on its release. This novel is still set in the regency era, but in colonial Australia. I enjoyed it and now I'm looking forward to reading more of her novels set in Australia.

Tenant of Chesdene Hall is a regency romance from Alice Chetwynd Ley. I've read a few of her regency romances now and liked them. They are a little more serious than those regencies written by Georgette Heyer, but still good entertainment.

My current read is still Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer. It's taking me a lot longer to get through this book than I'd anticipated due to reading it on my laptop, but I'm hoping to finish it this week.

Up next is Karen Brooks' latest, The Locksmith's Daughter and my selection after that will be from various books I've requested from Net Galley, which include Mackenzie Crossing by Kaye Dobbie and Daughter of the Murray by Darry Fraser, both set in Australia. I also have a very long ebook of 1013 pages, White Spirit by Lance and James Morcan, also set in Australia and based on a true story, that I'm hoping to get to soon.

What I Read Last Week

Night in Eden by Candice Procter

Bryony Wentworth, once a wealthy, privileged English landowner, is convicted of murdering her husband. After being transported to a penal colony in New South Wales while pregnant, Bryony gives birth to her child, then loses it to fever. Captain Hayden St. John collects her from the prison so that she can become a wet nurse for his son. Grief stricken over the loss of his wife, Hayden is bitter and untrusting. Bryony, fearful and angry at her fate, finds much to resent in Hayden, but his child offers her a new will to live. Although Hayden and Bryony fight their attraction, their union is so deeply passionate that it seems nothing can threaten their happiness until Bryony's past comes to haunt her.

Tenant of Chesdene Manor by Alice Chetwynd Ley

Diana Chalfont and her mother were left nearly penniless when gambling-happy Sir Peter Chalfont died. So they resolved to find a tenant to share the neglected Chesdene Manor - and from nowhere came quiet, good-looking Mr. Richmond, about whom no one seemed to know very much at all. But when Diana went to stay in London with her cousins, she met him frequently at parties and balls - so who was he? The answers lay amongst the tombstones in Chesdene churchyard ...



What I'm Reading Today

Beyond the Orchard by Anna Romer

Lucy Briar has arrived home in turmoil after years overseas. She’s met her fiancé in London and has her life mapped out, but something is holding her back.
Hoping to ground herself and find answers, Lucy settles into once familiar routines. But old tortured feelings flood Lucy’s existence when her beloved father, Ron, is hospitalised and Morgan – the man who drove her away all those years ago – seeks her out.
Worse, Ron implores Lucy to visit Bitterwood Estate, the crumbling historic family guesthouse now left to him. He needs Lucy to find something– an old photograph album, the very thing that drove Ron and his father apart.
Lucy has her own painful memories of Bitterwood, darkness that has plagued her dreams since she was young. But as Lucy searches for the album, the house begins to give up its ghosts and she is driven to put them to rest.
And there, held tightly between the house, the orchard and the soaring cliffs, Lucy uncovers a long-hidden secret that shattered a family’s bond and kept a frightened young girl in its thrall ... and Lucy discovers just how fierce the lonely heart can be.

What I Hope To Read Next

The Locksmith's Daughter by Karen Brooks

In a world where no one can be trusted and secrets are currency, one woman stands without fear.
Mallory Bright is the only daughter of London’s master locksmith. For her there is no lock too elaborate, no secret too well kept. Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster and protector of Queen Elizabeth – the last of the Tudor monarchs – and her realm, is quick to realise Mallory’s talent and draws her into his world of intrigue, danger and deception. With her by his side, no scheme in England or abroad is safe from discovery; no plot secure.
But Mallory’s loyalty wavers when she witnesses the execution of three Jesuit priests, a punishment that doesn’t fit their crime. When Mallory discovers the identity of a Catholic spy and a conspiracy that threatens the kingdom, she has to make a choice – between her country and her heart.
Mallory, however, carries her own dark secrets and is about to learn those being kept from her – secrets that could destroy those she loves.
Once Sir Francis’s greatest asset, Mallory is fast becoming his worst threat … and everyone knows there’s only one way Sir Francis deals with those.

Mackenzie Crossing by Kaye Dobbie

An old photograph holds the key to a missing man, a past love and a long-lost mountain village.
A passion for photography draws two stories together across time to Mackenzie Crossing.
Neville ‘Pom’ Darling, is on the hunt for the perfect photograph.
Skye Stewart, is searching for her long lost grandfather.
It’s 1939, and Neville, escaping an unhappy marriage and his memories of the Great War, finds himself in Mackenzie Crossing on the day of the terrible Black Friday bushfires. He meets the beautiful Georgie Mackenzie and in an instant knows that she is the subject he has been looking for. As the heat intensifies, Georgie and Pom begin to wonder if they have a future together; but first, they must survive the blaze.
Almost sixty years later, Sky Stewart returns to the area in search of her grandfather. Did he survive the Black Friday bushfires? Who is the exotic woman in the photograph she found? But when she arrives in Elysian, the closest town to where Mackenzie Crossing used to be, she finds more of her hidden past than she bargained for. A more recent past which she would prefer stayed forgotten…

Daughter of the Murray by Darry Fraser

1890s, River Murray, Northern Victoria
Georgina Calthorpe is unhappy living with her indifferent foster family the MacHenry’s in their crumbling house on the banks of the River Murray.
Unlike the rest of the family, she isn’t looking forward to the return of prodigal son Dane. With good reason. Dane MacHenry is furious when on his return he finds his homestead in grave decline. Unaware that his father has been drinking his way through his inheritance, he blames Georgina and Georgina decides she has no option but to leave. Unfortunately she chooses Dane’s horse to flee on, and when Dane learns she has stolen his prized stallion, he gives chase. From this point their fates become intertwined with that of a businessman with a dark secret, Conor Foley, who offers Georgina apparent security: a marriage with status in the emerging nouveau-riche echelons of Melbourne. But none of them could imagine the toll the changing political and social landscape would have on homes, hearts and families. Will Georgina’s path lead her into grave danger and unhappiness, or will she survive and fulfil her destiny?

White Spirit by Lance and James Morcan

Based on the remarkable true story of Irish convict John Graham, WHITE SPIRIT is an epic historical adventure set in 19th Century Australia. After escaping from the notorious Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, Graham finds refuge with the Kabi, a tribe of Aborigines who eventually accept him as one of their own.
Attempts to recapture Graham are orchestrated by a variety of contrasting characters working for the all-pervasive British Empire. They include Moreton Bay's tyrannical, opium-addicted commandant Lord Cheetham, the dashing yet warlike Lieutenant Hogan, native tracker Barega and the penal settlement's captain, Tom Marsden.
Marsden's young daughter Helen, a progressive lady ahead of her time who is both an egalitarian and a feminist, boldly inserts herself into the clash between the Irish convict, her father and Moreton Bay's other iron-fisted rulers. Helen complicates things further when she finds herself in a Pride and Prejudice-style love triangle with men on opposite sides of the conflict.
When Scottish woman Eliza Fraser is found shipwrecked and close to death in Kabi territory, Graham and his legion of pursuers, as well as the Irishman's adopted Aboriginal family, are all forced to navigate a multi-faceted rescue mission. The precarious rendezvous is made all the more dangerous by Helen Marsden's ethically-driven meddling that often outwits the men involved.
WHITE SPIRIT is not only based on arguably the great Australian (true) story, a sweeping tale that encapsulates all the nuances of the southern continent's unique history, it also provides readers with detailed insights into the tribal life of First Australian (Aboriginal) peoples.