Book Review - The Pact (The Illustrated Colonials, Book One) by Tom Durwood @TDurwood @maryanneyarde

 

The Pact

(The Illustrated Colonials, Book One)

By Tom Durwood

Publication Date: June 22, 2021. Publisher: Empire Studies Press. Page Length: 218 Pages. Genres: Young Adult / Historical Fiction / Adventure.

Six international teens join the American Revolution.

Coming of age and making history.  

They went into 1776 looking for a fight. Little did they know how much it would cost them… 

Six rich kids from around the globe join the Bostonian cause, finding love and treachery along the path to liberty. 

A new perspective on one of history’s most fascinating moments. 

Amply illustrated edition of a young-adult historical fiction novel. 

 

Book Rating:

📚📚📚📚📚⭐ = A book in a million

📚📚📚📚📚 = I could not put this book down. I Highly Recommend it.

📚📚📚📚 = A really great read.

📚📚📚 = It was enjoyable.

📚📚 = It was okay.

📚 = Um...! 😕

My Review

The Pact

📚📚📚📚 

This story is about six young and wealthy children who are brought together to attend a special school (The School for young Monarchs) where they learn various lessons all of which leads them towards the American Revolutionary Wars.

If you are looking for a fun historical fantasy with great illustrations then this is the book for you. If you are looking for a fantasy that runs along with the historical accuracy of the era then this book isn't for you. The author does not let anything as tedious as historical fact get in the way of a good story!

I thought the concept of this novel was very original if not a little underdeveloped. I wanted to spend more time with the characters, to get to know them and to watch and understand as they begin to know themselves and what part they have to play in this story. There is some brilliant writing in the story, I would have liked just a little more detail.

I took some times to think about how many stars I was going to give this novel. Initially, I thought to give it 3 stars, but I decided to read the novel again (as it is quite a short book this was no hardship) before I settled upon a star rating and I am glad that I did. On the second reading, I felt a little more at home in the world that the author has created and the illustrations certainly helped to bring the story alive. Therefore I have settled on a 4-star rating.

You can pick up your copy of this book on Amazon. If you subscribe to #KindleUnlimited you can read this novel for free.

Tom Durwood is a teacher, writer and editor with an interest in history. Tom most recently taught English Composition and Empire and Literature at Valley Forge Military College, where he won the Teacher of the Year Award five times. Tom has taught Public Speaking and Basic Communications as guest lecturer for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group at the Dam’s Neck Annex of the Naval War College.

Tom’s ebook Empire and Literature matches global works of film and fiction to specific quadrants of empire, finding surprising parallels. Literature, film, art and architecture are viewed against the rise and fall of empire. In a foreword to Empire and Literature, postcolonial scholar Dipesh Chakrabarty of the University of Chicago calls it “imaginative and innovative.” Prof. Chakrabarty writes that “Durwood has given us a thought-provoking introduction to the humanities.” His subsequent book “Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism” has been well-reviewed. “My favorite nonfiction book of the year,” writes The Literary Apothecary (Goodreads).

Early reader response to Tom’s historical fiction adventures has been promising. “A true pleasure … the richness of the layers of Tom’s novel is compelling,” writes Fatima Sharrafedine in her foreword to “The Illustrated Boatman’s Daughter.” The Midwest Book Review calls that same adventure “uniformly gripping and educational … pairing action and adventure with social issues.” Adds Prairie Review, “A deeply intriguing, ambitious historical fiction series.”

Tom briefly ran his own children’s book imprint, Calico Books (Contemporary Books, Chicago). Tom’s newspaper column “Shelter” appeared in the North County Times for seven years. Tom earned a Masters in English Literature in San Diego, where he also served as Executive Director of San Diego Habitat for Humanity.

Social Media Links:

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Book Review – Sisters at War by Clare Flynn @clarefly

 

Sisters at War

By Clare Flynn

Publication Date: 1st May 2021

Publisher: Cranbrook Press

Page Length: 314 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

1940 Liverpool. The pressures of war threaten to tear apart two sisters traumatised by their father’s murder of their mother.

With her new husband, Will, a merchant seaman, deployed on dangerous Atlantic convoy missions, Hannah needs her younger sister Judith more than ever. But when Mussolini declares war on Britain, Judith's Italian sweetheart, Paolo is imprisoned as an enemy alien, and Judith's loyalties are divided.

Each sister wants only to be with the man she loves but, as the war progresses, tensions between them boil over, and they face an impossible decision.

A heart-wrenching page-turner about the everyday bravery of ordinary people during wartime. From heavily blitzed Liverpool to the terrors of the North Atlantic and the scorched plains of Australia, Sisters at War will bring tears to your eyes and joy to your heart.

Book Rating:

📚📚📚📚📚⭐ = A book in a million

📚📚📚📚📚 = I could not put this book down. I Highly Recommend.

📚📚📚📚 = A really great read.

📚📚📚 = It was enjoyable.

📚📚 = It was okay.

📚 = Um...! 😕

My Review

Sisters at War

📚📚📚📚📚

I came into this book fully aware of the fact that it was mainly based in Liverpool during the Second World War. This should have prepared me for the emotional whirlwind this book bestowed upon me, yet I found myself ever hopeful that historical events would not play out and that all the characters would live happily ever after.

Will Kidd is a merchant sailor, which means he spends very little time at home with his wife, Hannah. Although he longs to be with her, he also can’t deny the pull of the sea or his duty. His time at sea is his contribution to the war effort, and even love cannot keep him from that.

Hannah is such a loving person. She spends most of her time worrying about Will, filling the gap that his absence leaves in her life by looking after her sister and everyone else living in the house with them. The fear for Will’s life nearly destroys her every time he leaves, and she wakes up every day hoping that today will not be the day that the telegram boy knocks on her door.

One of Will’s best friends, Paolo, comes ashore with him all but once for his life to change forever. He immediately falls for Hannah’s sister, Judith, but his Italian heritage may be the thing that either pulls them apart or pushes them together. Their romance may not have been central to the story, but it was so incredibly beautiful.

This is not a book without tragedy. This book will have you in tears, and you may just go through an entire box of tissues. Such sadness, such pure heartbreak, comes across so intensely that you feel it yourself. I cannot stress enough how wonderful this book is, or how much I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. There were some points where I was so distraught I had to put the book down and step away to process it, which only goes to show how impactful this story is.

This story is simply amazing, and I beseech you to get yourself a copy as soon as is physically possible.

*I received a copy of this novel from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.

You can pick up your copy HERE.

The Poison Keeper by Deborah Swift #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour @swiftstory @maryanneyarde

 

The Poison Keeper

By Deborah Swift

Publication Date: 18th May 2021. Publisher: Quire Books. Page Length: 394 Pages. Genre: Historical Fiction

Naples 1633

Aqua Tofana – One drop to heal. Three drops to kill.

Giulia Tofana longs for more responsibility in her mother’s apothecary business, but Mamma has always been secretive and refuses to tell Giulia the hidden keys to her success. When Mamma is arrested for the poisoning of the powerful Duke de Verdi, Giulia is shocked to uncover the darker side of her trade.

Giulia must run for her life, and escapes to Naples, under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, to the home of her Aunt Isabetta, a famous courtesan. But when Giulia hears that her mother has been executed, and the cruel manner of her death, she swears she will wreak revenge on the Duke de Verdi.

The trouble is, Naples is in the grip of Domenico, the Duke’s brother, who controls the city with the ‘Camorra’, the mafia. Worse, her Aunt Isabetta, under Domenico’s thrall, insists that she should be consort to him – the brother of the man she has vowed to kill.

Based on the legendary life of Giulia Tofana, this is a story of hidden family secrets, and how even the darkest desires can be vanquished by courage and love.

‘Her characters so real they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf’ Historical Novel Society

Book Rating:

📚📚📚📚📚 ⭐ = A book in a million.

📚📚📚📚📚 = I could not put this book down. I Highly Recommend it.

📚📚📚📚 = A really great read.

📚📚📚 = It was enjoyable.

📚📚 = It was okay.

📚 = Um...! 😕

My Review

The Poison Keeper

📚📚📚📚📚 ⭐ = A book in a million.

I am so excited to share my thoughts of The Poison Keeper with you today. I have never read a book by Deborah Swift but I have heard brilliant things about her books so I could not wait to get started. And guess what, everything that is said about Swift's writing is true, this book is amazing!!

The story follows the life of Giulia whose life is turned upside down by her mother's shenanigans - her mother is a healer but she also likes to dabble in poison, and this comes back to bite her because she has been selling poison to the Duke de Verdi wife, but Lady Valentina has a change of heart and decides not to kill her husband - a mistake that both Lady Valentina and Giulia will come to deeply regret. The Duke, being the unforgiving sort, seeks his revenge, and thus the story begins. This novel is about a young woman who is forced to flee for her life. She takes refuge at her aunt's house - but it turns out her aunt is a courtesan which causes all sorts of problems. I am not going to say any more because this book is just so exciting that I want you to read it for yourself and to enjoy the richness of the story and the dramatic historical backdrop. 

There are villains aplenty in this novel and there are some scenes that some readers might find very upsetting. I certainly found myself in tears on more than one occasion.

I thought this novel was a wonderfully written and very insightful story. I will certainly be checking out more novels from this very talented author. 

This novel really is a book in a million!

You can find this novel on Amazon. It is also available on #KindleUnlimited

Deborah Swift lives in the north of England and is a USA Today bestselling author who has written fourteen historical novels to date. Her first novel, The Lady’s Slipper, set in 17th Century England, was shortlisted for the Impress Prize, and her WW2 novel Past Encounters was a BookViral Millennium Award winner. 

Deborah enjoys writing about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and most of her novels have been published in reading group editions. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and is a mentor with The History Quill.

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Read an excerpt from The Custard Corpses by M J Porter #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #BlogTour @coloursofunison @maryanneyarde

 

The Custard Corpses

By M J Porter

A delicious 1940s mystery.

Birmingham, England, 1943.

While the whine of the air raid sirens might no longer be rousing him from bed every night, a two-decade-old unsolved murder case will ensure that Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is about to suffer more sleepless nights.

Young Robert McFarlane’s body was found outside the local church hall on 30th September 1923. But, his cause of death was drowning, and he’d been missing for three days before his body was found. No one was ever arrested for the crime. No answers could ever be given to the grieving family. The unsolved case has haunted Mason ever since.

But, the chance discovery of another victim, with worrying parallels, sets Mason, and his constable, O’Rourke, on a journey that will take them back over twenty-five years, the chance to finally solve the case, while all around them the uncertainty of war continues, impossible to ignore.

Excerpt

Inside the door, plush carpets stretched out all around, and a beautiful receptionist, with her hair styled in the latest fashions wearing bright red lipstick, walked directly towards them.

“Can I help you?” She had a pleasant voice, for all she sounded as though she’d been raised at Buckingham Palace. Sam detected iron behind it. She was used to keeping out the riff-raff.

“Good day. I’m Chief Inspector Mason,” at his words, her smile faltered just a little.

“You are the people Superintendent Smythe from Erdington police station telephoned about?”

“Ah, he managed to get through, did he? It was impossible yesterday.”

“We had a large auction taking place. I’m afraid that all three phone lines were busy all day long. But, we’re expecting you, and I’ve informed our modern art expert that you require some time with him. Now, if you’ll come this way, I’ll get you set up in an area where you’re unlikely to be disturbed.” 

“Thank you,” Sam responded quickly.

He went to follow the receptionist, only to realise that O’Rourke wasn’t beside him. He turned and found her, mouth agape, staring at part of the display in the foyer.

“Look at that,” she gasped, pointing.

“Yes, it’s a piece of needlepoint showing Louis XIV of France,” the receptionist trilled. “It’s been sold, but we’re displaying it for the time being. Please, don’t breathe on it incorrectly.” Her words snapped with irritation.

“Breathe on it wrong?” O’Rourke mused while Sam shrugged. It was a strange thing to say, but perhaps it made sense to the receptionist.

“It sold for two hundred thousand pounds,” the receptionist offered, holding open an opulent door for them, which disappointingly opened onto a room that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the dour police station in Erdington. “I really wish they’d keep it behind a screen, but you know, they say they know best. Now, can I get you tea, coffee? Biscuits, and I’ll inform Mr Rain at the same time.”

Sam asked for tea and biscuits, as did O’Rourke, and then they settled themselves in the chairs waiting for Mr Rain to appear. 

It was an odd room, a lone green-leafed plant inhabiting one of the corners. But there were no windows, and it felt cool, too cold as they’d been on a train for close to three hours and had then walked from Euston to Mayfair while the wind had whipped their coats and hats. The train had been delayed, first of all by a signalling problem, and then because they’d had to wait for a freight train laden with coal to pass them.

There was a low table and also a high table, and they sat around it, choosing an end each, with the slimmed-down portfolio between them. Sam stifled a yawn. It had been an early start, and he’d not thought to sleep on the train journey, even though he probably should have done. O’Rourke had buried herself in an Agatha Christie book for the length of the train ride, and he’d had little to do but consider what they knew so far. The solution felt tantalisingly close but also very far away. 

“Here you go,” the receptionist returned before Mr Rain arrived, and the purpose of the lower table became abundantly clear as she placed the tea tray there.

“It’s better to keep fluid away from canvas,” she offered, with half a smile. “He won’t be more than five minutes,” she assured them and then left again.

You can find this novel on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon AU.

M J Porter writes historical fiction set before 1066. Usually. 

This is M J's first foray into the historical mystery genre and the, relatively recent, twentieth century. 

M J writes A LOT, you've been warned.

Social Media Links:

Website • Blog • Twitter • LinkedIn • Instagram • Pinterest • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads • Tumblr

Book Review - The Sterling Directive by Tim Standish #HistoricalThriller #AlternateHistory #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @timstandishuk @maryanneyarde

 

The Sterling Directive

By Tim Standish

Publication Date: 20 August 2020 Publisher: Unbound Page Length: 304 pages Genre: Alt-historical thriller

It is 1896. In an alternative history where Babbage’s difference engines have become commonplace, Captain Charles Maddox, wrongly convicted of a murder and newly arrested for treason, is rescued from execution by a covert agency called the Map Room. 

Maddox is given the choice of taking his chances with the authorities or joining the Map Room as an agent and helping them uncover a possible conspiracy surrounding the 1888 Ripper murders. Seeing little choice, Maddox accepts the offer and joins the team of fellow agents Church and Green. With help from the Map Room team, Maddox (now Agent Sterling) and Church investigate the Ripper murders and uncover a closely guarded conspiracy deep within the British Government. Success depends on the two of them quickly forging a successful partnership as agents and following the trail wherever, and to whomever, it leads. 

An espionage thriller set in an alternative late 19th-century London.

Book Rating:

📚📚📚📚📚⭐ = A book in a million

📚📚📚📚📚 = I could not put this book down. I Highly Recommend.

📚📚📚📚 = A really great read.

📚📚📚 = It was enjoyable.

📚📚 = It was okay.

📚 = Um...! 😕

My Review

The Sterling Directive

📚📚📚📚📚

Captain Charles Maddox was in exile, forced to fight in the army to save himself from execution for a crime long since committed. When he returns to London before his exile is finished, under a fake name, and almost immediately finds himself fighting a duel, things aren’t looking good for him. He is arrested, albeit not because of the duel, then broken out of prison by a mysterious agency calling themselves the Map Room. The Map Room makes a deal with Charles – join the agency and gain a pardon, or leave and be arrested and, most likely, executed.

This book is one that I cannot compare to anything else. I have never read a book like it before, and this is a positive reaction! This book is based in the Victorian Era, yet there is technology that simply didn’t exist in that time period, creating a fantasy world that is easy to get lost in. Charles takes on the offer and becomes an agent, agent Sterling, to be specific, and he is immediately given a directive – to investigate the Ripper murders for, although it has been a few years since they last happened, there is a new suspicion in the agency that Jack the Ripper was not just one person. This might be the information necessary to catch him, or indeed, them.

Charles and his partner, Church, head off on an adventure of mystery, murder and action, creating a very exciting story that I found it difficult to put down. Despite being a fantasy, I had no trouble understanding the world that I found myself in, as everything was explained wonderfully.

I thought this book was thrilling and incredibly gripping, and it is the sort of book that I don’t mind reading again.

You can find this book over on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, Audio

Tim Standish grew up in England, Scotland and Egypt. Following a degree in Psychology, his career has included teaching English in Spain, working as a researcher on an early computer games project, and working with groups and individuals on business planning, teamworking and personal development.

He has travelled extensively throughout his life and has always valued the importance of a good book to get through long flights and long waits in airports. With a personal preference for historical and science fiction as well as the occasional thriller, he had an idea for a book that would blend all three and The Sterling Directive was created.

When not working or writing, Tim enjoys long walks under big skies and is never one to pass up a jaunt across a field in search of an obscure historic site. He has recently discovered the more-exciting-than-you-would-think world of overly-complicated board games.

Author image taken by Hannah Couzens Photography.

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Read an excerpt from ESSEX - Tudor Rebel (Book Two of the Elizabethan Series) by Tony Riches #Elizabethan #Tudors #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @tonyriches @maryanneyarde

 

ESSEX - Tudor Rebel 

(Book Two of the Elizabethan Series)

By Tony Riches

Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, is one of the most intriguing men of the Elizabethan period. Tall and handsome, he soon becomes a ‘favourite’ at court, so close to the queen many wonder if they are lovers.

The truth is far more complex, as each has what the other yearns for. Robert Devereux longs for recognition, wealth and influence. His flamboyant naïveté amuses the ageing Queen Elizabeth, like the son she never had, and his vitality makes her feel young.

Robert Devereux’s remarkable true story continues the epic tale of the rise of the Tudors, which began with the best-selling Tudor trilogy and concludes with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Excerpt 

Walsingham House, April 1590

Robert noted the faded velvet and worn gilding on the ornate arms of the chair as he waited for Lady Frances. Walsingham House in Seething Lane, by the Tower of London, looked grand from outside, but there seemed to be few servants and the rooms were cold, with rush matting floors, and moth-eaten tapestries. 

He’d called out of courtesy, to offer his sympathy on the death of her father. He could have written, but thought he should see Frances in person, out of respect. He’d not forgotten the connection he’d once sensed.

The door creaked open and Lady Frances appeared in the doorway. Robert had expected her to be in mourning dress, but was surprised at how well her black gown showed off her figure, with a fan-shaped ruff, open at the front and a laced bodice with a carcanet of gauze. 

Two small spaniels entered with her, and one went bounding up to Robert for attention, licking his hand, its tail wagging furiously. The other dog stared at him with too-knowing eyes, as if making up its mind whether he was welcome.

‘Eris!’ Frances called her boisterous dog to heel, but it ignored her.

Robert smiled as he recalled his tutor’s lessons. ‘Eris was the Greek goddess of chaos, strife and discord.’

Frances gave him a warm smile. ‘They are sisters, but could not be more different.’ She looked down at the dog hiding in her skirts. ‘This one’s called Harmonia, goddess of harmony and concord.’ 

She called for her maidservant to take the dogs outside and turned to Robert. ‘Thank you for coming. I hear much about you these days, my lord.’

He remembered the reason for his visit, and took off his hat as he stood to bow. ‘I’m sorry for your loss, my lady. Her Majesty said her life will never be as safe without your father.’

A flicker of sadness showed in her cornflower-blue eyes. ‘Father loved his work, but it cost him dearly.’

‘I know he suffered with poor health these past months.’

‘I pleaded with him to stay at home and rest, but he told me the queen showed little sympathy, and insisted he must return to work.’

Robert nodded. ‘Her Majesty is the most demanding of mistresses.’

‘Father had to meet the costs of his network of agents from his own pocket.’ Frances frowned. ‘He worried about his debts, and having so little to show for all those years of loyal service. He was buried in haste, at midnight, to outwit his creditors.’

‘I truly had no idea.’ Robert shook his head at yet another example of the queen taking advantage of those who served her. He’d not attended the funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral. ‘I will speak to Her Majesty on your mother’s behalf. It’s only right she should clear your father’s debts to the Crown.’

Frances nodded. ‘My mother will be most grateful. I know she worries about how we will cope without my father.’

‘And you, Frances, are you provided for?’

‘I’m fortunate that I have few expenses.’ She forced a smile. ‘Mother has left for Barn Elms, our house in Richmond. Will you do me the honour of keeping me company for supper?’

‘I have no other plans for the evening.’ Again, she’d surprised him. ‘It would be my pleasure.’

He followed her into the dining room, where a warming log fire burned in the grand fireplace under a flattering portrait of the queen in her youth. He stared into the painting’s dark eyes and cursed under his breath. His father, his stepfather, and even Sir Francis Walsingham, had all been crippled by debt as a reward for their loyalty.

Robert Devereux’s remarkable true story continues in ESSEX- Tudor Rebel, the epic tale of loyalty and love and adventure follows Robert from his youth to his fateful rebellion.

You can find your copy on Amazon. This novel is free to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription.

Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of best-selling Tudor historical fiction. He lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the history of the Wars of the Roses and the lives of the early Tudors. Tony’s other published historical fiction novels include: Owen – Book One Of The Tudor Trilogy, Jasper – Book Two Of The Tudor Trilogy, Henry – Book Three Of The Tudor Trilogy, Mary – Tudor Princess, Brandon – Tudor Knight and The Secret Diary Of Eleanor Cobham. 

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