Author Jan Guillou continues the story of Arn and Cecilia that he started in "The Templar Knight". Arn is now in The Holy Land as a Templar Knight and Cecilia is confined to a cloister in western Gotaland, without her newborn son. Both have 20 years to serve before they are free.
At the beginning of the story, Arn saves Saladin from robbers, which puts creates a friendship between the two. Back at home Cecilia meets another Cecilia in the cloister who has been put in the cloister for her own protection while war wages between two rival factions trying to gain control of the country. Together they outwit the abbess, yet at the same time manage to bring wealth to the cloister.
Arn is involved in several battles in the Holy Land with the Saracens and he gains their respect. But in his mind, although living the austere life of a Templar Knight, he only wants to fulfill his time and return home to Cecilia and his child. He looks forward to living a life without fighting. One big battle remains against the forces of Saladin. Will Arn survive because of the treachery of those who have come to The Holy Land only to procure riches?
The novelist tells a great story of what life was like in The Holy Land at the time of the crusades and also what it was like back in a country that will someday become Sweden. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and am looking forward to Book Three, "Birth of the Kingdom".
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Dark Fire
London, the summer of 1540. It is hot and dry. Lawyer Matthew Shardlake has been asked to investigate the case of Elizabeth Wentworth, who has been accused of murdering her cousin. She refuses to speak and judge orders her to be pressed in order to get her to talk. However, fortunately for her, moments after her case has been heard, Shardlake receives information that her pressing has been postponed for 12 days.
Shardlake has been ordered by Lord Cromwell to check into Greek Fire. Both Cromwell, and the man sent to help Shardlake, a man by the name of Barak have seen Greek Fire in action. However, the men who demonstrated the power of Greek Fire have disappeared. Cromwell wants the Greek Fire so that he can stay in the good books of Henry VIII. Death and mayhem follow as Shardlake and Barak work to find the Greek Fire. They are followed and murder is attempted on them.
Meantime Shardlake still has to find proof of Elizabeth's innocence, something of which he is convinced. However, finding that proof is going to be difficult. Both he and Barak become very exhausted during the course of both investigations.
What will happen to them at a time of many court intrigues? Author C. J. Sansom keeps the reader guessing and involved. A very good historical crime novel.
Shardlake has been ordered by Lord Cromwell to check into Greek Fire. Both Cromwell, and the man sent to help Shardlake, a man by the name of Barak have seen Greek Fire in action. However, the men who demonstrated the power of Greek Fire have disappeared. Cromwell wants the Greek Fire so that he can stay in the good books of Henry VIII. Death and mayhem follow as Shardlake and Barak work to find the Greek Fire. They are followed and murder is attempted on them.
Meantime Shardlake still has to find proof of Elizabeth's innocence, something of which he is convinced. However, finding that proof is going to be difficult. Both he and Barak become very exhausted during the course of both investigations.
What will happen to them at a time of many court intrigues? Author C. J. Sansom keeps the reader guessing and involved. A very good historical crime novel.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Goodnight Sweet Prince
It is 1891 and Lord Powerscourt has been asked to investigate a death. It is the death of Prince Eddy, son of the Prince of Wales, grandson to Queen Victoria. Prince Eddy has been foully murdered and the Prince of Wales wants the murder covered up; made to look as though his son has died from influenza.
Why would the Prince of Wales want the murder covered up? Prince Eddy had been involved in numerous affairs, many of them homosexual, which was frowned upon at that time. However, when more deaths and blackmail occur Powerscourt's investigations take an interesting turn. Are the deaths and blackmail connected to the murder of Prince Eddy?
Powerscourt's investigation will lead him to Venice where he confronts the prime suspect. Later, upon returning to London and after giving his report to the Prince of Wale's staff, the prime suspect is also murdered. Is Powerscourt now a potential victim because he knows too much?
Author David Dickinson has written an excellent historical novel, which I am sure that you will enjoy reading.
Why would the Prince of Wales want the murder covered up? Prince Eddy had been involved in numerous affairs, many of them homosexual, which was frowned upon at that time. However, when more deaths and blackmail occur Powerscourt's investigations take an interesting turn. Are the deaths and blackmail connected to the murder of Prince Eddy?
Powerscourt's investigation will lead him to Venice where he confronts the prime suspect. Later, upon returning to London and after giving his report to the Prince of Wale's staff, the prime suspect is also murdered. Is Powerscourt now a potential victim because he knows too much?
Author David Dickinson has written an excellent historical novel, which I am sure that you will enjoy reading.
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Winter Palace
Eva Stachniak's novel "The Winter Palace" is filled with the intrigue and machinations that brought Catherine the Great to the throne of Russia.
Barbara is a young woman when her bookbinding father dies. He had repaired a book for the Empress when she was a young woman. He asked the Empress to look after his daughter should anything happen to him. When he died, Barbara was left an orphan, and was now known in Russian as Varvara was taken into the royal household to work. There she came under the influence of the Chancellor who taught her to spy, "to be his tongue".
Shortly afterwards another young woman, Sophie came to the Russian court. Sophie was to become the bride of Peter who is next in line to the throne. Sophie and Varvara become friends, too close for the Empress' pleasure, so Varvara is forced to marry a Russian soldier. However, Varvara manages to still stay in the good graces of the Empress and works to help Sophie, who upon marrying the heir to the throne becomes known as Catherine. The Empress expects Sophie to become pregnant as soon as possible. When it doesn't happen, Catherine is shunned.
As the story draws to a conclusion we discover how Catherine came to become the Empress of Russia. Stachniak is working on the sequel to this novel that tells the story of Catherine as Empress. I look forward to reading it.
Barbara is a young woman when her bookbinding father dies. He had repaired a book for the Empress when she was a young woman. He asked the Empress to look after his daughter should anything happen to him. When he died, Barbara was left an orphan, and was now known in Russian as Varvara was taken into the royal household to work. There she came under the influence of the Chancellor who taught her to spy, "to be his tongue".
Shortly afterwards another young woman, Sophie came to the Russian court. Sophie was to become the bride of Peter who is next in line to the throne. Sophie and Varvara become friends, too close for the Empress' pleasure, so Varvara is forced to marry a Russian soldier. However, Varvara manages to still stay in the good graces of the Empress and works to help Sophie, who upon marrying the heir to the throne becomes known as Catherine. The Empress expects Sophie to become pregnant as soon as possible. When it doesn't happen, Catherine is shunned.
As the story draws to a conclusion we discover how Catherine came to become the Empress of Russia. Stachniak is working on the sequel to this novel that tells the story of Catherine as Empress. I look forward to reading it.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Anatomist's Apprentice
It is 1780 in England. A young man has come from Philadelphia to study anatomy with one of the best anatomists in England. They use cadavers provided to them by grave robbers, but it is this study that will lead to better knowledge of the human body.
Out in Oxford a young nobleman dies an excruciating death and Dr. Silkstone, the anatomist's apprentice is called upon to determine the cause of death. However by the time that he arrives the body is well decomposed. He takes several organs back to London to study. He is unable to find a cause of death, however during the inquest the victim's brother-in-law is made to appear to have poisoned the victim.
Silkstone is fortunately able to prove that this is not the case, but not before the brother-in-law is arrested. Shortly after he is arrested he is found hanging in his cell, an apparent suicide. How will Dr. Silkstone save the man's name?
Author Tessa Harris in this novel presents the first real forensic doctor in a very positive light as he goes about his work without the modern technology now available. A good read.
Out in Oxford a young nobleman dies an excruciating death and Dr. Silkstone, the anatomist's apprentice is called upon to determine the cause of death. However by the time that he arrives the body is well decomposed. He takes several organs back to London to study. He is unable to find a cause of death, however during the inquest the victim's brother-in-law is made to appear to have poisoned the victim.
Silkstone is fortunately able to prove that this is not the case, but not before the brother-in-law is arrested. Shortly after he is arrested he is found hanging in his cell, an apparent suicide. How will Dr. Silkstone save the man's name?
Author Tessa Harris in this novel presents the first real forensic doctor in a very positive light as he goes about his work without the modern technology now available. A good read.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Martyr
Queen Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen, holds the throne of England. However, her throne is threatened by the Roman Catholics and especially King Philip of Spain. Sir Francis Drake is her best sea captain and it is his aim to protect England from the huge armada that Philip is building.
Intelligence has been gathered that there is an assassin who is planning on killing Drake. John Shakespeare, working for Walsingham is given the task of finding this assassin before he has a chance to kill Drake. Into the mix comes Topcliffe, a man assigned by the Queen to root out any Jesuit priests who are spreading dissension in her realm. Topcliffe and Shakespeare will come into conflict as they go about their assignments.
This is an excellent historical novel that boils continually throughout reaching a climax, followed by another stimulating anti-climax. Rory Clements has done a great job to keep the attention of his readers. I look forward to the sequel entitled "Revenger".
Intelligence has been gathered that there is an assassin who is planning on killing Drake. John Shakespeare, working for Walsingham is given the task of finding this assassin before he has a chance to kill Drake. Into the mix comes Topcliffe, a man assigned by the Queen to root out any Jesuit priests who are spreading dissension in her realm. Topcliffe and Shakespeare will come into conflict as they go about their assignments.
This is an excellent historical novel that boils continually throughout reaching a climax, followed by another stimulating anti-climax. Rory Clements has done a great job to keep the attention of his readers. I look forward to the sequel entitled "Revenger".
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Frozen Assets
Iceland is on the verge of going into an economic tailspin when a body is found in the water alongside a small town. Sergeant Gunna sets out to investigate. As she investigates, she discovers that the death was not a drowning, but likely a murder and the murder could be tied to another death by a hit and run vehicle.
Throughout the story are reports by a blogger about corruption within the government and at a new aluminium smelting plant that is being built near Gunna’s town. Gunna’s investigation seems to tie the murders to the smelting plant, which is the target of “Clean Iceland”, an Icelandic environmental group, and to the manager of a PR firm involved with the smelting plant. The manager of the PR firm is married to the minister of the environment and together they have investments in the smelting plant and PR firm.
As the story progresses, the pace picks up leading to an interesting climax.
Author Quentin Bates keeps the reader involved, but the unusual Icelandic place names can be real tongue twisters. All-in-all a very good read.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Cuckoo's Child
Laura Harcourt has just finished school and has taken the opportunity to work with poor women in London. Now the job has come to an end, and her friend Philip Carfax (a lawyer) has suggested that he has an opportunity of work for her. She could catalogue the books of a rich industrialist up in Yorkshire.
Shortly after arriving at Farr Clough she meets the industrialist, Ainsley Beaumont, his grandchildren, twins Gideon and Una and daughter-in-law Amelia. Gideon helps Ainsley at the woolen factory while Una has become involved in the suffragette movement. Ainsley thinks that Laura will do just fine.
Sometime after Laura has set to work on the Beaumont library, Ainsley is found floating at the dam that supplies water to the factory. Detective Womersley and his Sergeant Rawlinson soon determine that he has been murdered. It doesn’t look good for Laura when she is named as a recipient of £15 000.00 in Ainsley’s will. However, that doesn’t stop Womersley looking for other possible culprits and author Marjorie Eccles offers many potential suspects before giving the reading a surprising end to the story.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Bleeding Heart Square
London, 1934 and a young socialite is about to tell her husband something, but unfortunately she interrupts a meeting he is having. He later slaps and punches her because she interrupted the meeting. As a result she packs a bag and leaves going to live with her father in Bleeding Heart Square.
There Lydia Langstone comes upon the story of Miss Penhow and how she was swindled out of her savings and home. The thing is, Miss Penhow has been missing for four years. While Lydia is looking for a job she discovers a man watching Bleeding Heart Square. And, unbeknownst to her, a young journalist is looking into the disappearance of Miss Penhow on behalf of her niece. Rory Wentwood has just returned from working as a journalist in India, and moves into the same building that Lydia is now living in.
Together the two young people begin to put their heads together to determine what has happened to Miss Penhow. Lydia's husband has joined the British Union of Fascists, and their brutal tactics play a role in the story. Throughout the story, author Andrew Taylor continually references the diary of Miss Penhow. The diary slowly puts together her story.
Although the story is slow at the start it builds up a good head of steam and in the end the reader is given a totally surprising conclusion! A very good read.
There Lydia Langstone comes upon the story of Miss Penhow and how she was swindled out of her savings and home. The thing is, Miss Penhow has been missing for four years. While Lydia is looking for a job she discovers a man watching Bleeding Heart Square. And, unbeknownst to her, a young journalist is looking into the disappearance of Miss Penhow on behalf of her niece. Rory Wentwood has just returned from working as a journalist in India, and moves into the same building that Lydia is now living in.
Together the two young people begin to put their heads together to determine what has happened to Miss Penhow. Lydia's husband has joined the British Union of Fascists, and their brutal tactics play a role in the story. Throughout the story, author Andrew Taylor continually references the diary of Miss Penhow. The diary slowly puts together her story.
Although the story is slow at the start it builds up a good head of steam and in the end the reader is given a totally surprising conclusion! A very good read.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
A Christmas Homecoming
Charlotte Monk's mother Caroline and her actor husband Joshua Fielding have been invited to Whitby, Yorkshire by the Netheridge family for Christmas. Accompanying them are a troupe of actors who have been asked to put on a play created by Alice Netheridge, the only daughter of the Netheridges. The play is based on the newly released book by Bram Stoker, "Dracula". The play is to be presented just after Christmas to friends of the Netheridges.
The play needs work and a winter storm strikes Whitby, burying it in snow. Shortly after the storm hits, a stranger arrives at the door. His carriage has broken a wheel and he is in need of shelter. Before long, the unexpected guest is helping with the reworking of the play. Everything seems to go smoothly until he is found murdered in the hallway near the in-house theatre. Caroline sets out to solve the murder because they are snowed in and the police won't be able to get there in good order.
This is a neat little novelette written by Anne Perry; a quick read.
The play needs work and a winter storm strikes Whitby, burying it in snow. Shortly after the storm hits, a stranger arrives at the door. His carriage has broken a wheel and he is in need of shelter. Before long, the unexpected guest is helping with the reworking of the play. Everything seems to go smoothly until he is found murdered in the hallway near the in-house theatre. Caroline sets out to solve the murder because they are snowed in and the police won't be able to get there in good order.
This is a neat little novelette written by Anne Perry; a quick read.
A Pig of Cold Poison
Gil Cunningham freely admits at the beginning of the story that he has seen the poison administered, but he can't figure out how it is done.
Thus starts "A Pig of Cold Poison" by Pat McIntosh, another murder mystery set in 12th century Glasgow. Without the advantages of modern day DNA techniques, Gil has to set about solving a murder by poison that occurs right in front of a crowd of people in his sister's home. A mummer is poisoned by a splash of what is supposed to revive another mummer during a play. A number of apothecaries could be responsible, but which one. It takes some time for the type of poison to be determined and by that time two more deaths will occur, both in the same family; a family which is made up of apothecaries. Could they be set upon murdering one another since they all have knowledge of mixing potions.
Another good historical murder mystery by author Pat McIntosh.
Thus starts "A Pig of Cold Poison" by Pat McIntosh, another murder mystery set in 12th century Glasgow. Without the advantages of modern day DNA techniques, Gil has to set about solving a murder by poison that occurs right in front of a crowd of people in his sister's home. A mummer is poisoned by a splash of what is supposed to revive another mummer during a play. A number of apothecaries could be responsible, but which one. It takes some time for the type of poison to be determined and by that time two more deaths will occur, both in the same family; a family which is made up of apothecaries. Could they be set upon murdering one another since they all have knowledge of mixing potions.
Another good historical murder mystery by author Pat McIntosh.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
An Irish Country Courtship
For those who enjoy Patrick Taylor's "Irish Country Doctor" series, this is another pleasurable read from the author.
Dr. Barry Laverty has been working with Dr. Fingal O'Reilly for the past six months. It is New Year's Eve, and Dr. Laverty receives the devastating news that his girlfriend plans to dump him. On the other hand Dr. O'Reilly's romance seems to be on the upswing. Kinky Kincaid, their housekeeper, is worried that the lady in Fingal's life is going to take her spot.
For the next several months life in Ballybucklebo is typical for small town doctors of the '60s in Ireland. There are constant house calls and normal surgery life, and of course the typical Irish blarney. Amidst this is a swindle involving a racehorse owned by a syndicate of a belligerent councillor and his workers that Fingal sets out to put right plus an outbreak of ringworm at the local school that Barry is confused over.
All-in-all a fun and amusing read. Well worth the light heartedness that it provides the reader.
Dr. Barry Laverty has been working with Dr. Fingal O'Reilly for the past six months. It is New Year's Eve, and Dr. Laverty receives the devastating news that his girlfriend plans to dump him. On the other hand Dr. O'Reilly's romance seems to be on the upswing. Kinky Kincaid, their housekeeper, is worried that the lady in Fingal's life is going to take her spot.
For the next several months life in Ballybucklebo is typical for small town doctors of the '60s in Ireland. There are constant house calls and normal surgery life, and of course the typical Irish blarney. Amidst this is a swindle involving a racehorse owned by a syndicate of a belligerent councillor and his workers that Fingal sets out to put right plus an outbreak of ringworm at the local school that Barry is confused over.
All-in-all a fun and amusing read. Well worth the light heartedness that it provides the reader.
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