My Review (4 stars out of 5) Detective Superintendent Roy Grace must investigate a vicious robbery at a Brighton mansion, which soon turns to murder when an old woman dies. The search for valuable antiques stolen from the house pits Grace against the dead woman’s brother, who is keen to recover one particular item, as…
Category: Historical
‘As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning’ by Laurie Lee
My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) Leaving his home in a Cotswolds village, Laurie Lee walked to London, earning a living as a labourer and busking in the streets with his violin. Yearning to travel, he set out for Spain, travelling from the northern to the southern coast… I never got around to…
‘A Long Way From Home’ by Peter Carey
My Review (4 stars out of 5) Speed-loving Irene Bobs and her car-salesman husband embark on the Redex Trial, a ruthless car race around 1950s Australia, over bad roads and in terrible conditions. Along with their neighbour—former school-teacher-turned-navigator, Mr Bachuber—they aim for the prize. But things don’t go the way they planned, not least when…
‘The Promise Tree’ by Elisabeth J Hobbes
My Review (4 stars out of 5) Eighteen-year-old Edwin lives with his grandfather – a man who appears not to like his grandson, though the reasons are unclear. Haunted by memories of a mysterious girl and a sycamore tree, Edwin is grateful when the old man allows him to escape to Yorkshire to stay with…
‘A Necessary Evil’ by Abir Mukherjee
My Review (4 stars out of 5) In 1920s India, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee of Calcutta Police embark on a murder investigation after witnessing the assassination of a maharaja’s son. Journeying to the kingdom of Sambalpore, they find that, aside from its diamond mines and beautiful palaces, the region is torn by conflict.…
‘The Riddle of the Sands’ by Erskine Childers
My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) First published in 1903, The Riddle of the Sands influenced many spy stories by writers such as John Buchan, Ian Fleming and John le Carre. When civil servant Caruthers is invited on a duck-shooting holiday with his yachting enthusiast pal, Davies, he learns about his friend’s recent…
‘Queen of Eventide’ by Matthew Ward
My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) Back in her childhood home, Maddie Lincoln tries to take control of her life. But when a series of strange events befall her, she finds herself drawn into a mysterious other world that lingers in a dense mist on the edge of the town. A bizarre meeting…
‘Thames Valley Tales’ by Tim Walker
My Review (4 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) This collection of nine short stories is inspired by the author’s experience of living in Thames Valley towns, mixing modern-day themes with tales and legends from the area between London and the heart of rural England. As with all short story collections, there are those which stand…
‘The Way of All Flesh’ by Ambrose Parry
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Edinburgh, 1847. Medical student Will Raven begins an apprenticeship to the renowned Dr Simpson where he meets housemaid Sarah Fisher – who also has an interest in medicine. Though the two initially don’t hit it off, they share a concern about a series of gruesome deaths in the…
‘Divided Empire’ by Brian Kitchen
My Review (4 stars out of 5) Britain, 391 AD. While the powers-that-be in Rome vie for control of the empire, Flavius Vitulasius and his pal, Siward, are engaged on a confidential mission – an important document, the ‘Pagan Concord’, could rip Britain apart leading to civil war between the Christians and Pagans. Teaming up…
Colin Garrow 