The Five Famous for nothing more than being victims of Jack the Ripper, the reputations of five women have for years been tarnished by claims that they were simply prostitutes, sex workers who led selfish, pointless lives. But in truth, their stories have never been told. Now, Hallie Rubenhold uncovers the real lives of Polly,…
Category: Historical
‘The Reckoning’ by John Grisham
The Reckoning (Audiobook) 1946. In Clanton, Mississippi, the townspeople are left shocked and confused when local farmer and war hero Pete Banning drives over to the Methodist Church and shoots and kills the Reverend Dexter Bell. Instructing a bystander to fetch the sheriff, Banning returns home to await his arrest. However, what baffles everyone, not…
‘The Murder of Harriet Monckton’ by Elizabeth Haynes
The Murder of Harriet Monckton November 1843. A young woman, 23-year-old Harriet Monckton, is found dead in the privy behind the chapel in Bromley, Kent. It appears she died from swallowing prussic acid, but when the autopsy reveals she was also six months pregnant, the community begin to wonder who might be responsible, and if…
‘The Healer’s Secret’ by Helen Pryke
The Healer’s Secret She’s lost her job, is threatened with divorce and struggling to cope with her dependency on alcohol. What else can go wrong in Jennifer’s life? But thanks to her mother, the thirty-one-year-old is thrown a lifeline. Offered the opportunity to discover her Italian roots, she eventually agrees to move into her family’s…
‘Move to Murder’ by Antony M Brown
Move to Murder Liverpool, 1931. A telephone message is left for insurance agent William Wallace at his chess club, informing him that a Mr Qualtrough would like to meet him concerning an endowment policy. But following the instructions the next evening, Wallace finds the address he’s been given doesn’t exist. Returning home, he discovers his…
‘Trouble in Nuala’ by Harriet Steel
Trouble in Nuala Moving from a busy post in the city to the sleepy town of Nuala, Inspector de Silva and his English wife are looking forward to a peaceful life, but the death of an arrogant plantation owner forces the policeman into an investigation that could upset the locals, not to mention his boss.…
‘Biggles and the Black Peril’ by Captain WE Johns
Biggles and the Black Peril After a clammy white mist makes visibility impossible, flying ace James Bigglesworth and his pal Algy are forced to land their Vandal amphibian somewhere in Norfolk. The apparently desolate landscape prompts the pair to do a spot of exploring with a view to finding somewhere to eat. However, on discovering…
‘Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World’ by Niall Ferguson
Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World For years the imperial red of the British was splattered over vast areas of the world, including America, Asia and Africa. But how did a tiny island manage to take on almost the entire planet? I bought both the hardback and audio versions of this fabulous book so…
‘The Queen of Bedlam’ by Robert McCammon
The Queen of Bedlam When a respected doctor is murdered in 1700s New York, a tide of fear sweeps through the city. Branded ‘the Masker’ by a local printer, a second body is soon discovered, spreading further alarm amid the community. Law clerk Matthew Corbett has questions he wants answered, but no-one is willing to…
‘The Dillen Doll’ by Jez Lowe
The Dillen Doll Set at the turn of the nineteenth century, Jez Lowe’s first novel brings together characters from folk songs of the period, including the central figure of Dolly Coxon from the Tyneside song, “Do Li A”. The story attempts to explain why an impoverished woman from the Tyne quayside should have been celebrated…
Colin Garrow 