The Warmth of Snow by Heidi Eljarbo Read a Snippet

Publication Date: 24th October 2023
Publisher: self-published
Page Length: 212
Series: Heartwarming Christmas
Genre: Sweet Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Scandinavian Literature

Synopsis

There must be a way to thaw a heart long frozen. Can she help him, or does he have other plans?

Sweden 1810.
August Brandell, the count of Linborg, has returned home after four years of war against the French Empire under the direction of Napoléon Bonaparte. Wounded and downtrodden, he is a meager shadow of the man he used to be. One day, a lovely young

Bone Rites by Natalie Bayley Book Review

Publication Date: 31st October, 2023
Publisher: Aurora Metro Books
Format: Paperback
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis

"I collected the first bone when I was twelve. This fact was not mentioned in court... Such a tiny little bone, more like a tooth. I only kept it to keep him safe."

Kathryn Darkling, imprisoned in Holloway, is facing death by hanging for her vengeance killing. Haunted by a spirit, she still hopes to perform the ancient black magic that will free her soul, or her struggle to punish the mighty will have been in vain. Will the love of her life

Jane and the Final Mystery by Stephanie Barron Blog Tour - Book Review

Publication Date: October 24, 2023
Publisher: Soho Crime
Series: Being a Jane Austen Mystery (Book 15)
Length: (312) pages
Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook
ISBN: 978-1641295055
Genre: Historical Mystery, Austenesque Fiction

Synopsis

The final volume of the critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Jane Austen as amateur sleuth

March 1817: As winter turns to spring, Jane Austen’s health is in slow decline, and threatens to cease progress on her latest manuscript. But when her nephew Edward

War Sonnets by Susannah Willey Read an Excerpt

Publication Date: 5 July 2023
Publisher: Utter Loonacy Press
Page Length: 364
Genre: Historical Fiction / World War II

Synopsis

1942: In the war-torn jungles of Luzon, two soldiers scout the landscape. Under ordinary circumstances they might be friends, but in the hostile environment of World War II, they are mortal enemies.

Leo Baldwin, a US Army sergeant, writes sonnets. His sights are set on serving his country honorably and returning home in one piece. But the enemy is not always Japanese…Dooley wants Leo’s job, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get it…Leo finds himself fighting for his reputation and freedom.

Lieutenant Tadashi Abukara prefers haiku. He has vowed to serve his emperor honorably, but finds himself fighting a losing battle. Through combat, starvation, and the threat

Guest Post from Natalie Bayley, Author of Bone Rites

I'm pleased to be part of an October blog tour for Bone Rites, Natalie Bayley's historical fiction novel.

My participation is twofold: hosting a guest post today and providing a review closer to publication day.

Bone Rites is described as a dark, literary tale of love, loss and one woman’s obsessive fight for justice and redemption within a ruthless world and will be released on October 31st, 2023.

Natalie has written the following about some of the weird and wonderful facts she has uncovered while researching. Like me, I'm sure you will find it interesting. Thank you, Natalie.

Burning Secret by R J Lloyd Read An Excerpt

Publication Date: 24 May 2022
Publisher: Matador
Page Length: 384
Genre: Historical Fiction


Synopsis

Inspired by actual events, Burning Secret is a dramatic and compelling tale of ambition, lies and betrayal.

Born in the slums of Bristol in 1844, Enoch Price seems destined for a life of poverty and hardship-but he’s determined not to accept his lot.

Enoch becomes a bare-knuckle fighter in London’s criminal underworld. But in a city

Murder by Invitation by Verity Bright Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: 27 September 2023
Publisher: Bookouture
Format: Print, e-book and audio
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #15
Genre: Historical Mystery, Cosy Mystery

Synopsis

Lady Swift has been cordially invited to a huge royal celebration in Little Buckford to toast the King’s birthday… but wait, is that a body in the village hall?

Lady Eleanor Swift and her loyal butler Clifford are busy lending a hand with preparations for the big day. The grand dining room at Henley Hall is overflowing with home-sewn flags, paint and royal rosettes. Even Gladstone the bulldog and his new friend Tomkins the ginger cat are invited!

Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare Book Review

Publication Date: August 29, 2023
Publisher: Berkley Trade Paperback
Series: The Canary Club Mystery #2
Genre: Historical Mystery

Synopsis

As Mixed-race jazz singer Lena Aldridge arrives in New York she thought she left the seedy underworld of jazz clubs behind in London, but secrets and murder seem to have followed her across the Atlantic. After a chaotic journey at sea aboard the Queen Mary, Lena is happy to be back on dry land and eager to spend some time in the city with Will, her new flame, before returning to London.

But the prospect of love isn’t the only reason Lena decides to stay in New York—revelations from her time aboard the Queen Mary imbue

Buccaneer: The Early Life and Crimes of Philip Rake by Chris Thorndycroft Release Day Spotlight

Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Publisher: Chris Thorndycroft
Series: The Molucca Star Quartet
Page Length: 232
Genre: Historical action and adventure

Synopsis

Bristol, 1713. When Philip Rake, pickpocket, smuggler and scoundrel is arrested and thrown in jail, he assumes he has a short walk to the gallows. But his father, a wealthy merchant who has remained a figure of mystery throughout his life, throws him a lifeline; become an indentured man on an expedition to the East Indies led by his friend, Woodes Rogers.

Woodes Rogers is looking for Libertatia - the fabled pirate kingdom of the legendary buccaneer Henry Avery - and the hoard of

Six in Six - 2023 Edition

Another July has come around which means it's time for this fun meme hosted by Jo @ The Book Jotter, now in its eleventh year.

The aim of Six in Six is to share what we've read in the first six months of the year by choosing six of the categories given and listing six books under each category. More information and the list of categories can be found here.

This meme is a great way to look back on what you've read so far in the year and to see any emerging trends. Looking at what I've read over the past six months,

Mystery in the Highlands by Lydia Travers Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: July 26, 2023
Publisher: Bookouture
Series: The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency #3
Format: Paperback, ebook and audio
Genre: Historical Mystery, Cosy

Synopsis

When members of a choir start dropping dead in the Highlands, Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid Daisy go undercover to discover the inharmonious culprit. But will they uncover the killer before another murder takes place?

Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud and Daisy receive a letter from Daisy’s cousin, Clara, sharing her fears that two sudden deaths in her local choir weren’t accidental, at first Daisy thinks her cousin is overreacting. But Maud’s

Murder in Manhattan by Verity Bright Book Review - Blog Tour

Publication Date: 29 June 2023
Publisher: Bookouture
Format: Print, e-book and audio
Series: A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #14
Genre: Historical Mystery, Cosy Mystery

Synopsis

Glitzy parties, sightseeing at the Statue of Liberty and strolls through Central Park with Gladstone the bulldog… Lady Eleanor Swift is loving her first trip to the city that never sleeps, until she witnesses a murder!

After crossing from England on the SS Celestiana, Lady Eleanor Swift sets up her home-away-from-home in a lavish apartment in New York City. She is soon the toast of the town, with no high-class soirée complete without her presence. Of course, she drags