My Review (4 stars out of 5) Set in a changing America, the story centres on Sarah, who is haunted by a difficult upbringing. Growing up in the rural town of Tolerance, Arkansas, and having endured a traumatic childhood, she now struggles to alter the course of her life and overcome the traumas of the…
Category: Historical
‘They Have Their Exits’ by Airey Neave
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Long before he became a senior member of Thatcher’s Government and his subsequent assassination by the IRA, Airey Neave had a distinguished war record. Taken prisoner in 1940, he made several escape attempts and was one of the few British prisoners to successfully make a ‘home-run’ from Colditz…
‘Salt and Honey’ by Candi Miller
My Review (5 stars out of 5) In 1950s South Africa, Koba’s tribe are hunter-gatherers, following the traditional ways of life of an ancient culture. But when her family clashes with a group of white people, the outcome is tragic, leaving her orphaned. Taken to their home, the girl grudgingly learns to speak their language…
‘Arrow of Alba’ by Allan Webster
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Young warrior Odo escapes Paris (where his father is accused of plotting against the king) and joins a barbarian ruler’s army in northern Britannia. A Saxon slave girl takes his fancy, but another woman—the wife of his new boss—also has her eye on Odo. Caught in a difficult…
‘A Pact with the Devil’ by Anna Legat
My Review (4 stars out of 5) 1491, Cracow, Kingdom of Poland. University students Nicolaus Copernicus and his brother Andreas find themselves enmeshed in a devilish mystery when alchemist Doctor Faustus is found hanging over a crucible of boiling tar with a pentagon carved into his chest. A man is arrested on suspicion of murder…
‘Troubled Times for Tilly’ by Kay Seeley
My Review (4 stars out of 5) This is book 2 in the Water Gypsy series, though you don’t have to have read the first one to understand what’s already happened. Tilly and Sam strive to make a safe home for themselves and their children, though Tilly’s older son—Joey—is the offspring of a wealthy father,…
‘Story of a Murder’ by Hallie Rubenhold
My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) The story of legendary wife-murderer Dr Crippen, told with an emphasis on his victim and the women who knew and worked with her. When music hall artiste Belle Elmore disappears from her north London home, the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild want to know why. Pestering the police…
‘Men of Iron’ by MJ Porter
My Review (4 stars out of 5) This is the first book in a new series titled The Dark Age Chronicles. With little historical documentation to fall back on, the story is instead inspired by archaeological evidence, though the author’s knowledge of the period (real or imagined) does shine through. The plot revolves around several…
‘The Woven Lie’ by Liz Harris
My Review (4 stars out of 5) This is the first book I’ve read by this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I lived in Suffolk for several years, so it was interesting to come across places I’m familiar with, such as The Angel, in Bury St Edmunds, where Charles Dickens stayed while…
‘The Mirror and the Light’ by Hilary Mantel
My Review (5 stars out of 5) England, May 1536. Following the execution of Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell continues his climb to power and wealth, while Henry VIII settles into a brief marriage with Jane Seymour. Cromwell strives to keep his head unparted from his body, dealing with threats of invasion, plots against himself and…
Colin Garrow 