The Hittite

Author Ben Bova offers us an insight into the classic tale about Troy from the point of view of a soldier who fought there.

Lukka has gone in search of his wife and two young sons who have been captured and taken as slaves. He and his loyal soldiers find themselves at the seige of Troy. Here we meet, Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon, Paris, a host of other Greek heroes, and of course the famous Helen. The battles and destruction of Troy are renewed for the reader in this story.

A good read.

The Last 10 Seconds

Author Simon Kernick got me from the get go.  This was a book that I didn't put down until I finished it.  It is very fast paced, and covers a time period of 36 hours in the life of an undercover cop in London.

A serial killer has been stalking and killing women in London.  His method is very brutal, and he has become known as the Night Creeper.  DI Tina Boyd has discovered that one murder doesn't quite fit the scheme and her discoveries lead her on to bigger fish.

Meantime undercover cop Sean Egan has infiltrated a notorious criminal gang.  His work finds him involved in murder and mayhem.

The two coppers find themselves working towards the same goal, although they don't know it.  And before you know it, you have finished this thriller, wanting more from this author.

Heresy

A most excellent read. Author S. J. Parris takes the reader to the early part of Elizabeth I's reign when life was tough for those of the Catholic faith. Our protagonist, Bruno, is an Italian excommunicate looking for a safe country to live in. He has been befriended by Philip Sydney and hired by Walshingham (Elizabeth's spymaster) to root out Catholic troublemakers in Oxford.

While there several murders occur in the confines of Lincoln College where Bruno is residing. He is asked by the rector to investigate them, and during the course of his investigation he stumbles upon a secret group of Catholics. This in turn leads to a series of tribulations for Bruno.

This is a book for the fan of historical fiction. You will not want to put it down.

The Flesh is Weak

As I started to read this book by Tim Ellis I couldn't help but feel this author was a first time author. However as I read further along I discovered that this wasn't the case. The story developed well, however at the same time I found it to be a little on the fantastic side. I must say that I did enjoy the read.

The Forest Laird ~ A Tale of William Wallace

Jack Whyte is an excellent historical novelist and once again, in The Forest Laird, he has struck a chord with those who love to read historical fiction.

The Forest Laird is a tale of Wallace's life before he takes on his life of war against the English as seen through the eyes of and narrated by his cousin James Wallace.  William Wallace simply wanted to life his life unbothered by the English invaders, love his wife and children away from the troubles of the time.  However, events would preclude that.


For those who would love to read an historical tale of the legend of William Wallace, this is a great read for you.

An Honorable German

Author Charles McCain went to a great deal of research to tell this story.  I was glad to read it because it details life during World War II from a German perspective, in particular a German naval officer.  Max served first upon the Graf Spee, whose naval career was short lived.  It was scuttled in the Rio Plata before the British could pound it with their naval guns.

Max would go on to become a submarine commander and the life of a submariner is well documented.  The story is not all about navy life, but includes Max's love life and what life was like for the ordinary German in Germany during the war.  There was faith in the leadership, but when the British and Americans began to dominate the sky they wondered where the Luftwaffe was.  German radio reports hid the damaging truth that was occurring on the Eastern Front.

For those who enjoy a good historical novel, I recommend this read to you.

Beric the Briton

When I first started reading this e-book, I was bothered by the sentence structure.  It seemed very Victorian.  I Googled the author, George Henty, and discovered that the book had not been published in 2010 as indicated, but rather in 1893!  No wonder the sentence structure was Victorian.

It is a good story, about those who rebelled with Boudica against the Roman invaders and what life was like at these times.  Beric, was taken captive and taken to Rome where he would be trained as a gladiator.  Because he saved the life of a Christian lass in front of a huge crowd, he was granted his freedom, but at the expense of having to work for Nero.  Eventually that would lead to his own rebellion and escape from the emperor with some of his compatriots.

If you are a fan of historical novels and don't mind the Victorian sentence structure, this is a good read.