Six Degrees of Separation: From Ethan Frome to The Age of Innocence

The first Saturday of the month is time to play Six Degrees of Separation. This meme is hosted by Kate of Books Are My Favourite and Best. The aim is to link six books to each other from the starting point.

This month the starting point is Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, a sad and tragic story, and not one I will ever read again. A sledding scene in the novella takes me to my first link - a much more uplifting one than what happened in Ethan Frome

The Bobbsey Twins Annuals were a staple of my Christmases growing up, as was the fun of sledding. We had a few mishaps, but the worst thing that happened to us was that we went home cold and wet!

Another childhood delight was the Bunty and Judy girls' comics filled with stories of boarding

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

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

Synopsis

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

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

The London House by Katherine Reay Book Review

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

Synopsis

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

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

Rebel's Knot by Cryssa Bazos Book Review

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

Synopsis

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

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

The Wrecking Storm by Michael Ward Book Review

Synopsis

1641.

London.

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

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

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

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

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

Synopsis

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

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

The Demon in the House by Angela Thirkell Book Review

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

Synopsis

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

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

Wild Strawberries by Angela Thirkell Book Review

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

Synopsis

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

My Thoughts

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

November is AusReading Month!

November has snuck up on me and with it this challenge hosted by Brona @ This Reading Life.

I hope to read and review as many books by Australian authors as I can and perhaps post reviews for books I read earlier this year but didn't review.

A quick sort through my TBR has revealed I have a few books by Australian authors, with a few others ordered from the library that may be available in time. Not sure if I'll be able to read them all, but at

A Letter From Pearl Harbor by Anna Stuart Book Review

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

Synopsis

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

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

Six Degrees of Separation: From What Are You Going Through to At Summer's End

The first Saturday of the month is time to play Six Degrees of Separation. This meme is hosted by Kate of Books Are My Favourite and Best. The aim is to link six books to each other from the starting point.

This month the starting point is What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez, which centres around a woman dying of cancer. This brought to mind The Winter House by Nicci Gerrard where a group of friends travel to Scotland to be with another friend who is also terminally ill with cancer.

Scotland is the link to my next book, Strings of Murder by Oscar de Muriel, the first in a Victorian mystery series that features a mismatched pair of detectives. McGray believes that the supernatural is behind many of their cases and Frey believes there is a

High Rising by Angela Thirkell Book Review

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

Synopsis

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

Every Word Unsaid By Kimberly Duffy Book Review

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

Synopsis

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

Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg Book Review + Blog Tour Giveaway (US only)

eBook Publication Date: October 1, 2021
Publisher: Lion Heart Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction

Triple-gold-medal-winning author Rebecca Rosenberg serves up a triumphant tale of talent and ambition, love and loss, betrayal and redemption, and accepting yourself and others for who they are.

Synopsis

Champagne, France, 1800
Twenty-year-old Barbe-Nicole has inherited Le Nez (an uncanny sense of smell that makes her picky, persnickety, and particularly perceptive) from her great-grandfather, a renowned champagne maker.

Her parents, however, see Le Nez as a curse

Traitor's Knot by Cryssa Bazos Read an Excerpt

Publication Date: 1st October 2021
Publisher: W.M. Jackson Publishing
Page Length: 450 Pages
Series: Quest for Three Kingdoms
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Historical Romance

Synopsis

England 1650: Civil War has given way to an uneasy peace . . .   

Royalist officer James Hart refuses to accept the tyranny of the new government after the execution of King Charles I, and to raise funds for the restoration of the king’s son, he takes to the road as a highwayman.

 Elizabeth Seton has long been shunned for being a traitor’s daughter. In the midst of the new order, she risks her life by sheltering

Dare the Dark by Bruce Mitchell Book Review

In Dare the Dark, Bruce Mitchell has set aside his Thornton family saga for the time being to venture into the historical mystery genre.

Synopsis

Sydney, January 1879.

A body with its eye hacked out is found in a suburban street, and a cryptic note promises more. Detectives Kennedy and Walsh scour the city for a crazed killer dubbed ‘Doctor Hacksaw’ by the press.

A female suffrage march turns ugly and Kennedy’s wife Mary defends three accused women in a courtroom drama. Walsh’s partner Victoria Chen has information on a crime boss that could get her killed.

Lives spiral out of control as the body count

The Inns of Devonshire, A Timeless Regency Collection by Sally Britton, Annette Lyon, & Deborah M. Hathaway

Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Publisher: Mirror Press
Series: Timeless Regency Collection (Book 18)
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook
Length: (300) pages
Genre: Regency Romance, Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction

Synopsis

Three novellas, three times the romance, and three times the love . . . in this brand new Timeless Regency Collection

The Seventh Star Inn by Sally Britton

After years of looking after one another, Susan Baxter and her mother view their neighbors in Totnes as family. When a new landlord inherits