Historical Novels by Anne Perry and Jim Eldridge

Some NetGalley books scheduled to be released in 2016 

Revenge in a Cold River by Anne Perry.  I started reading Perry's historical mysteries some twenty years ago.  I enjoyed the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels first, but after reading The Face of a Stranger, the first William Monk novel, I was completely hooked.  

A little background (although I think each novel works well as a stand alone):  In 1856 William Monk was seriously injured in a carriage accident and has no memory of his life before the accident.  He has managed, with the help of the estimable Hester Latterly, to resume his career and to keep his lack of memory a secret from almost everyone.

In Revenge in a Cold River, Monk begins to realize that his nemesis--customs officer McNabb--has finally realized that Monk has no memory of events before 1856 and intends to destroy him.  Finally, the fans of this series discover why McNabb hates Monk and are given a glimpse of Monk's background as a young man.

As usual, Perry's period depictions are detailed, the suspense is palpable, and her characters flawed and imperfect, but often courageous.  Familiar characters populate the novel, and we learn more about Beata York, the woman Oliver Rathbone loves.  I've been curious about her and was happy to see Beata has more to offer. Hester takes a smaller role in Revenge, but her dedicated and independent nature is, as always, of primary support to Monk.  

I'm really not certain which books I like better--those that feature Monk or those that feature Hester.  Perry's switching the lead protagonist keeps the series interesting and allows her to focus on different elements of the Victorian period.

(Amazon is offering a bundle of the first three books in the series, and if you relish good Victorian novels--this is a bargain.)

NetGalley/Random House/Ballentine

Historic Mystery.  Sept. 6, 2016.  Print length:  320 pages.

Assassins by Jim Eldridge.  "The first of a new mystery series featuring Winston Churchill and King George V: an intriguing departure for bestselling children's author Jim Eldridge. "   

I enjoyed this first installment of a new series featuring DCI Paul Stark and set in the early 1920's.  Churchill, always controversial, is presented with both his flaws and his strengths, and I liked the way Stark's initial dislike of Churchill alters as the book progresses even as he continues to view him honestly.

Eldridge includes some of the most difficult issues faced by the British Government during the time:  debt, unemployment and the demobilization of soldiers following WWI, the problem of Irish Home Rule, women's suffrage (only women over 30 who owned property were given the vote in 1918, so the issue was still active), socialism, etc.   

The most interesting part for me, however, is the role played by secondary characters like Michael Collins.  I knew Collins was associated with Sinn Fein and the struggle for Irish Independence, but that was the extent of my knowledge.  Even though his role in the novel isn't large, his personality and appeal are obvious.  I wanted to know more and did some online research--Collins and Eamon de Valera are part of a fascinating era of history. (Now, I want to see the 1996 film Michael Collins with Liam Neeson and  Alan Rickman.) 

A good mystery and a series I will follow.

NetGalley/Severn House

Historic Mystery.  Oct. 1, 2016.  Print length:  256 pages.

I will mention both of these books again closer to publication.

Two French Novels (Wolf Hunt and The Man with the Lead Stomach)

I received ARCs from these two authors last year and was happy to receive two more, although I've certainly delayed reviewing them.  Last year, I liked Cabasson's The Officer's Prey better than Parot's The Chatelet Apprentice, but this time I preferred Parot's novel.

Wolf Hunt           trans.  Isabel Reid

Armand Cabasson is a French psychiatrist and novelist, and Wolf Hunt is the first in this series about Quentin Margont, an officer in the Napoleonic Wars.  While I'm not sure where The Officer's Prey is chronologically in the series, I thought it more accessible than Wolf Hunt.

In Wolf Hunt, someone is killing orphans, and Margont is asked by a beautiful woman to find the killer.  Luckily(?), he is able to team up with Lukas Relmyer, who managed to escape the killer years ago.

The killer is now operating under the cover of war, hoping to evade capture.

Unfortunately, the characters refused to take any real dimension, and the plot didn't feel reasonable to me; the pace was plodding--especially, in places such as when searching Austrian documents for clues about the murderer.

The Officer's Prey, however, showed much improvement over this first novel.  These may be the only two so far to translated.

ARC from Gallic Books.

Historic Mystery.  reprint 2014.  298 pages.

The Man with the Lead Stomach   trans. Michael Glencross

This is the second novel in the series featuring Nicholas Le Floch, newly appointed police commissioner.  I liked this one better than The Chatelet Apprentice, which was the first in the series.

Again, Parot shows a great ability to create the atmosphere of Paris in 1761, a complex mixture of the shimmer of wealth, the filth of Paris streets and lack of sanitation, intrigue and betrayal, and the seeds of revolution.

The characterization of Le Flock and his friends is better than in the first book; they seem more human, more interesting.  The author has abandoned some of the distance with which he presented them in the first novel.

The plot involves the death of a courtier's son, a locked room, and a bizarre murder, the means of which is only established later.  Charles-Henri Sanson, the famous executioner, again plays a role in this novel.

ARC from Gallic Books.

Historic Mystery.  reprint 2014.  338 pages.  

Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield

I loved Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale (2006) and have looked forward to another one of her books.  When NetGalley offered Bellman and Black, I jumped at the chance to read  her second novel. 

I can see why it took so long for this book; the writing is impressive, graceful, and full of detail about rooks, mills, cloth, mourning accessories, and accounting.  It is lovingly written.

So why didn't I like it?  It started out well, full of atmosphere and a hint of mystery.  I kept waiting for the story line to develop--you know, the rising action, the meat of the story.  Finally, a bit of an inciting incident.  Then... more details of the mill and Bellman's total immersion in his new business, with quotes about rooks thrown in at intervals to keep the reader mindful of the opening situation.

It took me forever to finish, and I read at least 10 books during the time I was reading B & B.  When I would return to the book, I'd read awhile, then stop and pick up another book.

If the events in the book are a punishment for a child killing a rook with a slingshot, it seems totally out of proportion since young William never thought he could make the shot at such a distance.  On the other hand, sympathy for the adult William ends shortly after the fever that hit the town passes.

The characters?  The mill, the Bellman and Black mourning emporium, and maybe the rooks.  William, Dora, and Lizzie become ciphers.  I can see the theme, but by the end of the book (hard to call it a resolution), I simply was not concerned about the the characters--animate or inanimate.


NetGalley/Atria Books

Historical novel.  Nov. 5, 2013.  Print version:  336 pages.

Rapscallion

Rapscallion  is the third in this series featuring Matthew Hawkwood, but I have not read the previous two.  Hawkwood, a Bow Street Runner, has received an undercover assignment to the British Navy.  Two Navy lieutenants have gone missing while investigating a smuggling ring aiding the escape of French prisoners of war.

Hawkwood is given the identity of a captured American who has joined Napoleon's army.  As he speaks French, he will be able to discover more information about the escapes and the missing Navy men.  His assignment puts him close to Paul Lasseur, a French privateer and fellow prisoner.  The two men attempt to negotiate the horrors of the prison hulk (an older ship, no longer seaworthy, that  functions as a prison).
 
Hawkwood's respect and liking for Lasseur grows as they both suffer the indignities and hardships of prisoners of a war, and Lasseur is a likable and competent individual with definite sympathies for the underdog.

What is most fascinating are the descriptions of conditions aboard the hulk.  Even as I read, I was thinking, "Can this be true?  Were the conditions this awful?"   I knew I'd be researching this when I finished the book, but the author included a section at the end that gave the resources for his descriptions saving me some trouble.

McGee's historic research was also fascinating in the area of smuggling, especially in connection with the town of Deal, a legendary smugglers' haunt, and the information about guinea boats.

The novel gives a wealth of historic atmosphere and some thrilling action.  The characters are well-drawn and the plot kept me involved.  I don't know what I expected from this novel, but it delivered much more for someone who loves historic detail.  Hawkwood is an interesting character, but Paul Lasseur (Hawkwood's erstwhile enemy and present friend) is worthy of a novel of his own.

Net Galley/Open Road Int. Media/Pegasus Books.

Historical Fiction/Adventure.  Orig. published 2009.  Re-release May 7, 2013.  Print version 464 pages.
ISBN-10: 0007212747

Midnight Magic and Twilight Magic by Shari Anton

Midnight Magic and Twilight Magic are the first two in a trilogy by Anton.

About Midnight Magic from Booklist:  Gwendolyn de Leon had no choice but to surrender Camelen Castle to Alberic of Chester. Gwendolyn's father and brother, supporters of Queen Maud, had been killed in battle by Alberic, who had been given Camelen as reward by King Stephen. Fortunately, Gwendolyn has one hope for not only reclaiming what her family has lost, but also of ending the bloody civil war that is ruining England. For centuries, one de Leon woman in each generation has held the key to a powerful spell that, if invoked, would recall King Arthur from Avalon. The only problem is that she needs the de Leon ring, which now belongs to Alberic. Gwendolyn will do anything to get the ring back, but she never imagined she would fall in love with the enemy. A sharp-tongued heroine clashes romantically with an honorable warrior in Anton's latest entrancing medieval historical, in which the author expertly adds a hint of magic to a powerfully passionate love story. John Charles

Twilight Magic from Booklist: Lady Emma de Leon simply could not let an innocent man be executed, especially when one of Emma's visions foretold that one day he would be her lover. So, when Darian of Bruges is charged with the murder of Edward de Salis, Emma swears to King Stephen and his court that Darian could not have committed the crime, since he was with her the entire night. As the daughter of a traitor, Emma's reputation is already tattered beyond repair, but she never thought that, as the result of her announcement, King Stephen would force Darian to wed her. The last thing either Emma or Darian wants is to remain married, but the idea of an annulment becomes much less appealing the longer the two remain wed. Anton adds a generous measure of danger and intrigue--along with a sprinkling of magic--to her latest expertly crafted, utterly beguiling medieval romance, the second in her de Leon sisters trilogy. John Charles

I also didn't initially realize that these were romance novels; from the titles,  I was kind of thinking "witchy" --which would have made them good choices for R.I.P.

They really didn't turn out to be good R.I.P. choices, however; not much magic and nothing really witchy going on.

They are nice little historic and romance YA novels.   Quick reads.

Fiction.  Historical Romance/ YA.  

Murder on Sister's Row by Victoria Thompson

Murder on Sister's Row is a Gaslight Mystery with 13 titles and featuring Sarah Brandt, a midwife, and Sgt. Frank Malloy.  The setting is 19th c. New York.  This is the first one I've read: I pulled it from the new book shelf at the library.

Sarah Brandt has been summoned to deliver a baby at what she first assumes to be a private home, then believes to be a rooming house for young ladies, and finally realizes is an upscale brothel.  The mother manages to confide in Sarah that she wants to leave, but that leaving is dangerous, so she prevails on Sarah to take a message to a wealthy society woman who helps women escape from prostitution.

Sarah does deliver the message and ends up becoming slightly involved with the attempt to rescue the young woman and her baby.  The "slightly" comes back to bite her, and just as the house was not what it originally seemed, many of the characters, including the young mother are not what they seem.

The writing and dialogue at the beginning was simplistic, but did improve.   The characters are a little thin--especially Sgt. Malloy whose role is definitely limited.

About a C in a grading scale.  I didn't  mind reading it, but it wasn't terribly involving.

Fiction.  Historical Mystery.  2011.  289 pages.

Heresy by S.J. Parris

Parris, S. J.  Heresy.

In 1583, Elizabeth I is on the throne of England and trying to keep the political and religious turmoil in check.

Her Secretary of State (and spymaster), Sir Francis Walsingham handled both espionage and domestic security.  He had close ties with Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, and his son-in-law was Sir Philip Sidney. Among his reported "intelligencers" were Christopher Marlowe and Giordano Bruno.  All but Marlowe play a role in this historical mystery.

The fictional version of Giordano Bruno finds himself recruited by Walsingham and is to accompany his friend Sir Philip Sidney to Oxford, ostensibly to take part in a debate, but also on a mission to uncover secret Catholics suspected of plotting treason.

Bruno finds himself trying to solve a gruesome murder that may or may not have to do with those involved in treason.  When another murder is discovered, Bruno is under even greater pressure to solve the mystery, stop the murderer, and prevent the treasonous plot.

If you are familiar with the characters and events of the time period, the sense of paranoia and fear of betrayal are even more palpable.  Those who have enjoyed the Matthew Shardlake novels by C.J. Sansom will enjoy this novel that has made use of extensive research into the period, folding real events and real characters into a fictional mystery.

Fiction.  Historical Mystery.  2010.  448 pages.

A Duty to the Dead

Todd, Charles.  A Duty to the Dead.

A new series for the mother and son team that write as Charles Todd, features Bess Crawford, a WWI nurse.  After the sinking of the hospital ship on which she served, Bess returns to England for recuperation.

While in England, Bess feels required to carry out a promise to a wounded soldier with whom she had become very close.  Arthur Graham, shortly before his death, asked Bess to take a cryptic message back to his brother.  Bess decides to perform this duty in person, but she finds some unsettling feelings in the Graham home.  When some tragic circumstances delay her departure, Bess finds herself wondering about the truth about events past and present.


What I liked:  details about England and the effects of the first World War.  I like historical novels and have always enjoyed the Todd team's series about Inspector Ian Rutledge and looked forward to a different perception of the war from the Bess Crawford  character.  I think that part was a success.  Looking at the war and its devastating effects, physical and emotional, from a woman's pov appeals to me.

What I didn't like:  The writing felt less cohesive and much of the plot lacked plausibility. 

Some spoilers: The idea of a child who had been emotionally abused, segregated from his family, kept in virtual seclusion, labeled as odd and learning disabled,  told he was responsible for a horrendous murder and committed at 14 to a mental institution in the early 1900's for another 14 years, then emerging pretty much in tact...well, I couldn't quite swallow that.  Also had trouble with the mother's role; not that there don't exist truly wicked people, but the character seemed to lack any depth.

I didn't want to put the novel down; I did want to see how it ended, but was disappointed that it didn't live up to my expectations of the authors of the Ian Rutledge series.  However, I have hopes that the Bess Crawford character will evolve and the Todd team will become more comfortable with the character and the new series.

Also, need to add that I am again in the minority on this one.  Most reviews I saw were entirely positive.  

Fiction.  Historical Mystery.  2009.  329 pages.

Grave Goods

Franklin, Ariana. Grave Goods.

Another in the series of medieval doctor Adelia Aguilar, Henry II's Mistress of Death. Adelia has solved several murders for Henry (this is the third in the series) and is once again offered little choice but to attempt to verify the bones found at Glastonbury. Purported to be the skeletons of Arthur and Guinevere, the skeletons could help Henry lay to rest the myth Arthur's return.

Adelia, Mansur, Gytha, and Allie find themselves in the middle of more than one mystery during their sojourn in Glastonbury. Henry wants Adelia to find definitive proof concerning the skeletons (difficult, indeed), but Lady Emma (from The Serpent's Tale) and her entourage has also disappeared near Glastonbury, and Adelia is much more concerned about her friend's fate.

As usual, Franklin includes excellent historic detail, creates interesting characters, and includes a little hint of romance when Rowley appears once again.

I especially enjoyed the group of men who made up Useless Eustice's Frank Pledge. Although these characters had little time individually, they had definite personalities and added the best dash of spice to the story.

Henry II's reforms had huge impact on the development of English law, and Franklin always includes details in a manner well-integrated with the story. A towering historic figure (remember Eleanor of Aquitaine & Thomas a'Beckett?), Franklin's Henry incorporates much of what has been said about him historically and still makes him fit seamlessly into her mysteries.

Those who have savored the previous books in this series will appreciate this one as well. The first was the best, but I've enjoyed all of them.

Fiction. Historical Mystery. 2009. 331 pages.

Silent on the Moor

Raybourn, Deanna. Silent on the Moor.

The third in Raybourn's series about Lady Julia Grey.

I have to admit that the cover nearly prevented me from checking the book out. A poor choice, I think. The earlier covers were excellent, and the series is popular so there was no need for the change in style. I would never have read the first novel if the cover had been in this vein.

Oh, well, having read the first two in the series, I bit my tongue and bagged the book.

I did enjoy it, of course. The first book was the best, partly because of that wonderful opening sentence, but this was a nice bit of mystery to occupy an empty evening. The immediacy of the first novel is not present in this one, and I'm a little tired of the Heathcliff image with Nicholas Brisbane--although it fit in perfectly with the setting in the Yorkshire moors.

Hopefully, the next in the series will see Brisbane begin to grow out of his petulance and to exhibit a bit more humor. I'd like to see Brisbane and Lady Julia more as partners than contestants; this possibility is implied in the conclusion, but the relationship will never run perfectly smooth.

And will there be more of Portia and Jane? This series has a number of interesting minor characters who deserve more time.

Raybourn writes light historic mysteries that make for enjoyable reading.

Fiction. Historic novel/Mystery. 2009 465 pages.

Regency Buck

Heyer, Georgette. Regency Buck.

Again romance mixed with a little suspense, but with less wit and humor than in The Reluctant Widow. Judith Taverner and her brother Perry are traveling to London to meet their new guardian, Lord Worth. On the way, Perry learns of a "mill" - a prize fight that all of the fashionable (and unfashionable) men are excited about. As a result of the delay, the young Taverners meet some of the characters who will be involved in their London life.

The match Heyer describes is one of the famous matches between Tom Molineaux and Tom Crib, the British heavyweight champion. Again Heyer exercises her meticulous knowledge of the time period, not only with the descriptions of boxing, but with the fashion and manners of the time period and with the contemporary obsession with snuff - snuff blends, snuff boxes, and snuff "etiquette."

The stage is set with great skill, including characters like the Prince Regent, the Dukes of Cumberland and York, Beau Brummel and places like Brighton and London. Heyer manages to educate us seamlessly while telling her stories which are one part comedies of manners, one part romance, and one part mystery/suspense.

However, I liked this novel more for the historical detail than for the plot or the characters, who are one-dimensional and a bit irritating. I very much missed the wit and humor of The Reluctant Widow.


Fiction. Historical Romance. 1935 & 2008. 392 pages.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Shaffer, Mary Ann, and Annie Barrows. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Perhaps my favorite book this year. Dear Reader, I loved this book. I loved the characters, I loved the epistolary style, I loved the history, I loved the plot. I loved the literary references and the importance of books. The only thing that I didn't love was finishing this delightful novel.

Don't let the title fool you. Whimsical as it is (and I don't believe I mentioned that I loved the title AND the cover), the novel is not all whimsy and good humor. The subject matter - the occupation of the Channel Islands during WWII - is serious, well-researched, and detailed.

Did I mention the influence of Charles Lamb? Charles Lamb, my favorite essayist, is influential in establishing the initial contact between Juliet Ashton and the Guernsey Literary Society, and Mr. Lamb makes his presence felt throughout if only in a minor way.

I don't want to tell too much. This is a book that should be personally discovered by every lover of books and literature; the wit, the charm, and the literary delight are ever present, and ever balanced by the serious consequences of German Occupation.

Lesley's review first caught my interest, so when I saw it at the library, I couldn't resist. This, however, is a book that I'd like to own and return to whenever the need for it might arise.

Other reviews: Marg, Kay, and Katherine

Fiction. Historical novel and much more. 2008. 274 pages.

The Moonstone (R.I.P. #4)

Collins, Wilkie. The Moonstone. T.S. Eliot admired The Moonstone and called it "the first and greatest English detective novel." He also added that it was "the longest" of its kind. Collins himself is considered the "father" of the modern English detective novel, but The Moonstone is much more than a detective story: it experiments with multiple narrators of varying degrees of reliability and pertinent information, speaks to British colonialism and racial assumptions, raises questions of class, treats religious fanaticism satirically and humorously, and shows a contempt for the hypocrisy of certain philanthropic organizations.

Collins begins with a background of the moonstone (a huge yellow diamond) and its violent theft, then moves to the narrative of Gabriel Betteridge who gives a background to the Verinder family. The moonstone, with its curse, is presented to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday, but by the next morning has disappeared.

Through the narratives of various individuals, the mystery of the diamond's disappearance and its aftermath is gradually related. The novel first appeared as a serial in Dickens' All the Year Around (which also published such authors as Edward Bulwer-Lytton and Elizabeth Gaskell) in 1868. It is easy to imagine the eagerness with which the audience would have looked forward to the installments that ran from January through August of that year. Rather like a soap opera or a television mini-series, The Moonstone must have been responsible for myriads of conversations and speculations among the Victorians.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I remembered the solution to the mystery, but little else, so it provided an enjoyable reread after 4 decades. While, in my mind's eye, I retained the image I formed of the actual theft, the references to Robinson Crusoe, the narratives of silly Miss Clack and the sadly alien Ezra Jennings were lost over the years. In many ways, it turned out to be a completely different novel that what I remembered, but just as rewarding. The Moonstone is a classic for good reason...

Fiction. Mystery/detective. Signet Classic. 493 pages.

Dissolution (R.I.P. & Unread Author Challenges)

Sansom, C.J. Dissolution. I put this one on my TBR list sometime back, then Jill posted about it and renewed my interest; when the R.I.P. and Unread Author Challenges came up, I finally ordered the book. Given Jill's recommendation, the subject matter (dissolution of monasteries), time period (Tudor era), and genre (mystery), I was pretty sure that I would like this one...and I did.

Matthew Shardlake is a lawyer, a royal commissioner under Thomas Cromwell, and a hunchback. When Cromwell orders him to solve the murder of another royal commissioner at the Scarnsea monastery, Matthew has no choice. He and Mark Poer find a complicated set of individuals and behaviors at the monastery and evidence of quite a few misdeeds and secrets. Then...another murder.

Gothic elements: monks, monastery, mystery, secret passages, etc. Historic tidbits include information about the Reformation and various viewpoints, the dissolution of the monasteries, the power-hungry and greedy attitude that accompanied many "reformers," a bit out about Ann Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Mark Smeaton.

Matthew Shardlake is a genuine believer in the Reformation, but is forced to confront some of the aspects to which he has willfully blinded himself...about his master and about religious reform. Shardlake is intelligent, flawed, interesting, and ethical in a difficult time.

In May, Jill mentioned Dissolution again and posted some great links that you might want to check out. Mary and Ann have also given it a thumbs up.

I will certainly want to follow up with Dark Fire and Sovereign.

An interview with the author.

Fiction. Historical/mystery. 2003. 390 pages.

The Chess Machine

Lohr, Robert. The Chess Machine. Lohr has written a fascinating fictional account of historical events. In 1769, Wolfgang von Kempelen created a machine that could play chess , a thinking machine. Except, of course, that it was a deception that required a real person to think and play chess. Kempelen and many of the minor characters existed, but Lohr has fashioned an intriguing story around Kempelen's invention by including Tibor, the dwarf who is recruited to operate the machine in the fictional version, and Jacob, the cabinet maker who builds the automaton and cabinet.

Jacob and Tibor, both social outcasts, add humanity and interest to the factual and imaginative elements of the narrative. Tibor is a chess prodigy, and when Kempelen hears about Tibor's ability, he searches him out to become the brains of the Mechanical Turk. While Tibor's life improves in many ways, he is kept in seclusion as nothing must reveal the truth about how the Mechanical Turk plays chess. Tibor's isolation wears on him, but thanks to his friend Jacob, he eventually finds ways to leave Kempelen's compound on occasion. Jacob, a Jew with a lively sense of humor and an irreverent view of life, is largely responsible for Tibor's growth as an individual.

The novel has mystery, murder, love interest, social commentary, and suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My copy (thanks again to Brian Yingling) is an Advanced Uncorrected Proof.

Aside: the chess machine played the likes of Benjamin Franklin and in a definitely funny incident, Napoleon.

A recreation of The Chess Machine.

An articled written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1836: Maelzel's Chess-Player (Maelzel purchased the machine from Kempelen).

Fiction. Historical novel. 2007. 344 pages.

Water for Elephants

Gruen, Sara. Water for Elephants. Jacob Jankowski is in his 90's and living in a nursing home when a circus begins setting up locally. Hoping to attend the show on Sunday, Jacob begins replaying the events of his youth during the depression: the death of his parents, having to leave before his final exams to become a veterinarian, and ending up jumping a train--which turns out to be the train for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.

The story alternates between Jacob's life in the nursing home and his memories of his years with the circus, and both stories, both Jacobs are compelling.

Gruen does an excellent job in evoking the world of a traveling circus in the 1930's. The characters are skillfully drawn, the details and the language well-researched (in fact, the material at the end of the book concerning her research and sources is fascinating), and the suspense involving love, friendships, and murder kept me involved throughout. I don't want to say too much about the plot or give anything away, but it is a captivating story.

I read this very quickly as I found it difficult to put down. I'll be looking for Gruen's previous books!

Fiction. Historical fiction/mystery. 2006. 331 pages + additional material.

Jubilee Trail

Bristow, Gwen. Jubilee Trail. I thoroughly enjoyed this re-read of one of my favorite books from my adolescence. In 1844, Garnet Cameron graduated from Miss Wayne's Select Academy for Young Ladies in Manhatten. Ready to tackle the world, Garnet finds the confines (and eligible young men) of New York society boring, but is too well-bred and polite to completely understand her own feelings.

Along comes a handsome young man from California who, after several years of crossing the continent as a prairie trader, finds New York society as restricted as Garnet does. As Oliver Hale regales Garnet with stories of California and the Oregon Trail, Garnet's longing for adventure increases, and she falls in love with the man who offers her experiences she could never have otherwise.

Before long the two are married and off for a brief honeymoon in New Orleans before embarking on the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri, crossing the prairies, mountains, and desert to California, a journey of 2000 miles. The first stretch, the Santa Fe Trail, was 900 miles and took nearly two months across the prairies. After that, more than half the journey, the Rockies, and the desert were still ahead.

There are some wonderful characters, lots of exciting adventures, great hardships. The historical aspects from this time period when the Texas, New Mexico, and California territories belonged to Mexico are fascinating, and the hardships endured by those who made this journey were so tremendous that my respect for those early pioneers is almost boundless.

The book is a bit old-fashioned, but still a great read.

(some diaries from early pioneers on the trail)


Fiction. Historical romance/adventure. 1950. 564 pages.

Mistress of the Art of Death

Franklin, Ariana. Mistress of the Art of Death. The novel takes place in 1171, when Adelia, a female doctor from Salerno is sent with Simon of Naples to Cambridge in hopes of discovering who has murdered three children. Adelia is accompanied by Mansur, an Arab who functions as her bodyguard. All three are outcasts of a sort: Simon is himself a Jew; Adelia is an Italian, the foster daughter of a Jew, and a woman doctor (a coroner, actually) from the only place that allows women to become doctors, Salerno, Italy; and Mansur is an Arab eunuch, castrated by monks to preserve his singing voice--they are truly foreigners and outcasts.

While Chaucer is never mentioned, the pilgrimage, Thomas a'Becket, and the Nun's Tale all have their place in this thriller.

The Jews have been blamed for the murders of the children, and the incensed villagers have already murdered two Jews and are threatening the rest, who have been taken into the castle for protection. The atmosphere is volatile, and Henry II wants the situation resolved without having to expel all of the Jews from England, as they are a large source of his income.

The characters are the kind that reach you; not only the main characters, but many of the minor characters hold great charm. In spite of the murder of the children, Franklin's humor inserts itself into the lives of the villagers and the investigators.

Although Henry II is best remembered in connection with the martyred Archbishop of Canterbury, I've always retained an admiration for his creation of a system of common law that standardized some punishments and allowed for a jury process that helped create a more uniform legal structure with some sense of equity. He also instituted land reforms and protected tenants against their landlords. All of this was to his benefit, of course, but our legal system has its roots in Henry's common law. William Churchill considered Henry II to be England's greatest king.

Henry II plays only a small role in the novel, but his influence on events is huge, as he is the one who sent to the King of Sicily a request for the three investigators.

The author admits to some anachronisms that she felt helped the story, but I have to admit that nothing bothered me to the point of being distracted.

I'd love to see Adelia, Rowley, Prior Geoffrey, Gyltha, and Ulf again, and hope that Franklin will consider letting them join forces in solving future crimes.

Fiction. Mystery/ historical. 2007. 381 pages.

The Rossetti Letter

Phillips, Christi. The Rossetti Letter. Claire Donovan has the opportunity to attend a conference in Venice that will enable her to complete her Ph.D. dissertation on the Spanish Conspiracy. In order to afford the trip she must agree to chaperone a teenager. As you can imagine, this involves its own set of problems. Then at the first seminar, Andrew Kent, a well-known Cambridge historian announces his forthcoming book debunking the Spanish Conspiracy theory. Claire's approach has been based on a letter written by a famous courtesan of the time, and she must now find proof from primary sources or abandon her dissertation, losing all of the time and effort that she's put into it. Unfortunately, some of the information she needs is reserved for Kent's own research.

The chapters alternate between Claire's 21st century problems and the life of the early 17th century courtesan, Allesandra Rossetti. The reader follows both stories as Claire looks for evidence and Allesandra becomes entangled with the both Spanish and Venetian conspirators.

A light read, but some interesting historical information about life and politics in the Venice. of 1618. There was no Rossetti letter, but the Spanish Conspiracy was an actual event and several of the characters were real people caught up in the affair.

Fiction. Mystery. 2007. 383 pages.

The Poe Shadow

Pearl, Matthew. The Poe Shadow. I'm not sure why I read the whole thing; it was a struggle to do so. Quentin Hobson Clark is determined to unravel the riddle of Poe's death, and in a manner that makes others question his sanity (& intelligence?), Clark ends up in Paris seeking the help of the man on whom Poe modeled his brilliant detective, C. Auguste Dupin. Long, slow, needlessly and boringly complicated. No characters particularly likable. Pearl's research may be admirable, but the novel is not interesting (hard to imagine given the subject).

Historical fiction. 367 pages. c. 2006.