The Black Country

Inspector Walter Day, and Sergeant Neville Hammersmith have been called from The Yard to Blackhampton to aid in the investigation of a missing boy and his parents.   One of the interesting things Day learns almost immediately is that the first wife of the missing man had disappeared a few years earlier.

At the inn that evening, the vicar's wife surreptitiously hands him a ten word cryptic note that implies that 'she' is buried beneath the floor.  But which floor?  When the two men sit down to supper in Day's room, Hammersmith is sure that the food has been drugged.  The two detectives begin to search the woods that evening with the help of Constable Grimes, and a visiting birder.  When Day becomes separated from the others, he sees an apparition.  Is it truly an man or is it something else?

The following day, Dr. Kingsley arrives to help with the investigation.  At the same time, Hammersmith falls ill.  Day finds out that the community has been struck down by an illness of some sort when he goes to the church, which has been made into a makeshift hospital.  Hearing that all the people drank water from the same well, Dr. Kingsley is sure that they have typhoid.

Sadly, Day finds the body of the missing child at the bottom of the well.  This news brings his mother out of hiding, followed by his father.  The question now arises:  who killed the lad and why?  Author Alex Grecian has lots of action left in the plot and a surprising murderer.  An entirely good, quick read.

The Iron King

Philippe IV of France, also known as Philippe the Fair, has long envied the wealth and power of the Knights Templar.  To gain control of their wealth he has jailed many of them, including the Grand Master, Jacques de Molay.  Tortured, Molay admitted to crimes he and the Knights Templar had never committed.  When he is burned at the stake, Molay curses Phillipe, the Pope and Guillaume Nogaret, his torturer.

Meantime, two of Philippe's daughters-in-law are actively involved in adulterous affairs.  Isabella, Queen of England, and Phillipe's daughter is well aware of these affairs and intends to let her father know of them.  As a result of of torturing the lovers of the princesses, they were condemned to life imprisonment while the lovers were to be executed.

Within days of the execution, Pope Clement is dead.  Both Phillipe and Nogaret wonder who is next.  Not long after that, Nogaret is dead, too.  Will Phillipe die soon, too?  Will his line be accursed to to the thirteenth generation as all heard Molay state as he died in the fire?  Author Maurice Druon has written an excellent historical novel, which had me engrossed.  I'm looking forward to reading the sequels.

When Women Were Warriors ~ Book I: The Warrior's Path

Tamras has been sent to Merin's fortress for what she thinks is to be training as a warrior, however Merin tells her that she is to start as a companion to a warrior by the name of Maara.  Unfortunately Maara doesn't want a companion.  She persists in helping Maara anyway.  When Maara is badly wounded, Tamras uses healing skills taught to her by her mother, helping the warrior to survive.

Merin asks Tamras to find out more about Maara because so little is known about her.  Merin is concerned that she may be a spy.  Tamras feels a loyalty to both women, so it is difficult for her to do as asked.  Once Maara becomes well enough, she begins to train Tamras in sword play.  She also takes Tamras into the wilderness to find her guardian spirit.

When Maara goes to the northern front on her own, the community is concerned that she may have taken information to the enemy.  Tamras believes that she will return.  When she does return, she is treated as a spy.  However, she provides information that tells of a threat to the community.  Merin warns her that if she has been false, then Tamras' life is forfeit.  Fortunately the information is true.

Wise beyond her years, Tamras provides advise to Merin, which she takes to heart.  During the ensuing winter, Maara teaches Tamras much about skills needed to be a warrior and how to survive off the land.  However, when spring arrived, so did a crisis for Maara.  How will she, Tamras and the community handle it?

Author Catherine M. Wilson has written a novel of a different time, of life, confusion and enlightenment.  At times she is wordy, and at times the story seems to lack direction, but she brings the meanderings back together.  A short, quick read.

The Painted Lady

Sarah Ann Ashby's mother was a harlot, and by the age of fifteen she too was offering her body to the men around her.   With the Battle of Waterloo complete, and her mother dead, Sarah decides to start a new life in Brighton, because there were no longer any soldiers in the area she had grown up in.

In Brighton, Sarah meets Lieutenant Stanville, newly home from Waterloo.  After a brief interlude of getting to know each other, Lieutenant Stanville introduces Sarah to Madge Perrin, a brothel keeper.  Madge quickly gets Sarah working.  She takes to the work with enjoyment.  It is to her that now Captain Stanville brings his younger cousin, Lord Denton for his sexual initiation.

David, Lord Denton has fallen in love with Sarah.  She is astounded at the wealth he has to hand.  He is convinced that she will marry him, however Sarah thinks otherwise.  He does manage to convince her to meet his parents, but she must not wear her paint and must dress accordingly.  However, Octavia Stanville, David's second cousin is not fooled by her.

In 1820, Lord Denton achieved his majority, so with his own finances at hand he convinced Sarah to join him on a tour of Europe.  Their idyllic love excursion comes to an end when Denton receives news that his father has died, he is now Lord Southbourne, lord of the manor and must return home.

Will Sarah be able to keep the love of Lord Denton once they get back to England?  What does the future hold for the two of them?  Author Richard Masefield has written a novel of sex and love that is a good quick read.

1914 (The War Years)

Fourteen year old twins, Danny and Charlie Keeton have set up a profitable business of buying cigarettes from fifteen year old Jack Warren, and selling them on.  They are keeping the profits to themselves, rather than sharing them with their family who live in poverty.  Unfortunately, the lads get pummelled by an Irish gang after selling cigarettes in their territory.

In August, the twins' elder brother, Michael married Sophie.  Their eldest brother William was able to be home from the army for the wedding.  The next day, Britain declared war on Germany.  A short time later, when an army recruiting drive comes to town, Michael joins up.  The twins' intellectual brother, sixteen year old Jacob fears that he will be the next to go.  As men disappear into the army, Danny and Charlie find themselves working twelve hour shifts at the mill.

When Jacob is handed a white feather, he doesn't know what to do.  However, he finally decides to sign up.  Danny goes with him and convinces Charlie to come with them, which turns Charlie against him.  At Etaples training camp, they meet an abusive Sergeant Braddock.  The young men are fortunate to have Corporal Dettmer on their side.  They are all shocked to find that Braddock is sent to the front with them.

It doesn't take long for them to learn the hell of trench war fare, the noise of the guns, the lack of sleep, the stench, the nightmares and the murderous over the top attacks.

A thoroughly good read that takes the reader up to the end of 1914.  Author James Farner takes the reader through the working conditions for the lower classes in Britain up to the beginning of stalemate of The Great War, that would endure for four years.  It is a quick read, but leaves the reader looking forward to the sequels and what will become of Danny, Charlie and their mates.

Dead on Demand

Edwin Murphy has been served divorce papers by his wife Eleanor, and then to top it off, he is fired from his position as editor of "The Impartial".  He is angered by it all, so he takes out an ad on the internet asking for someone to get rid of a package.

Although the system he used to get an assassin used a proxy, the young woman who responded also lived in London.  He offers to solve her problem if she solved his.  He wanted the job done in a week while he was in Vancouver for a job interview.  When he returns to London, a message awaits him with the information as to whom he was to snuff.

DCI David Morton has been assigned the case of an unidentified dead woman found in a park.  Shortly afterwards a missing woman is reported, one Eleanor Murphy.  Morton is suspicious of Murphy from the get go.

Murphy needs to eliminate the woman who killed his wife, just in case she might be able to identify him.  Just as a piece of glass shatters outward from the point of impact, Murphy's initial crime imitates that, and DCI Morton begins to put the pieces together.

One thing about dual authors is that you can tell when a new one has taken over the story line.  Thus it is with authors Sean and Daniel Campbell.  I also question some of the police procedures that they used in this murder mystery.  Also, numerous errors occur throughout, such as indicating that one killer had killed two people, when in fact he had killed three before killing a fourth.  A fair read.

Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor

It is July 1936 in Dublin, and Fingal O'Reilly has just graduated from medical school landing a job in the tenements of Dublin.  It is exactly where he wants to be a doctor.  He is immediately dropped in the deep end upon his arrival by Doctor Phelim Corrigan.  Fingal is suspicious of Corrigan's methods, but everyone sings his praises.  Following his interview with Corrigan, Fingal's mind is changed.

Fingal is able to convince his classmate, Charlie Greer, to join him in the practice with Doctor Corrigan.  That would ease the workload.  Unfortunately it is at this time that Fingal's father passes away,

Working conditions were different then; one of the surgeries Fingal is involved in was done at the home of the patient.  This is the same era as Hitler, Mussolini and the Spanish Civil War.  Fingal's girlfriend, Kitty, is concerned about all the orphaned children in Spain as a result of Franco's policies.  Although Fingal learns a lot working in the tenements of Dublin, how long will his job last when its funding comes from the Irish Sweepstakes and Britain has outlawed its sales there?  Can he maintain the love of Kitty when he is so very busy?

Throughout the novel, author Patrick Taylor, intersperses Fingal's story of 1936 with his current situation of 1965 when he was bringing a young woman, Doctor Jenny Bradley, into the practice.  It was not easy for a woman at that time to be accepted as a doctor, but she was slowly impressing the locals.  Will Fingal be able to keep her involved in the practice?

Taylor's story telling is both informative and amusing.  You can tell that he enjoys telling a story, leaving the reader with a smile on their face.  I highly recommend the series.

The Chalice of Blood

Brother Donnchad has been found dead in his cubicle with stab wounds to his back.l at the abby of Lios Mor.  The confounding thing is that his cell was locked from the inside.  The abbot requests that Sister Fidelma be sent to investigate.  She readily agrees.  However, the king agrees to send her on the condition that she take Brother Eadulf to aid with the investigation. The two had recently had disagreements and had gone their separate ways.

Eadulf reluctantly agrees to go along.  The king assigns Gorman to travel with them as a guard.  It is fortunate that he does travel with, because he prevents them from being killed in an ambush.n later at the abbey, Fidelma learns that the steward, Brother Lugna, was not in favour of her being sent for.  He is sure that the monks could have handled the situation by themselves.

One of the first things of note at the abbey is the new construction of stone buildings.  Eadulf and Fidelma wonder where the funds for such a building project has come from.  In the course of the investigation, they find out that the steward has told the monks to limit the amount of information that they pass on to the pair of investigators.

Soon after that a visitor comes to Lios Mor, requesting Fidelma arbitrate in a robbery of books.  As the group returns to his community, they see warriors leaving and shortly thereafter see that the library is on fire.  Is this a precursor to all out war amongst the tribes of this part of Ireland?  Will Fidelma and Eadulf be able to resolve this crisis and solve the murder before things escalate?  In order to solve this conundrum, Fidelma needs to find the key evidence.

Author Peter Tremayne has written an excellent murder mystery set in the first millennium at a time when the church was still finding its way.  Potential suspects are thrown up to the reader with the real culprits left to the very end of the story.  Well worth the read.

The Hidden Child

Patrik Hedstrom is on the first day of his paternity leave from his job with the police.  While out walking his one year old daughter, he happens on police cars going to the scene of a dead body.   Despite his misgivings, he goes to the scene.  It turns out that Patrik's wife, Erica, had been to the house to get some information about a Nazi medal her mother owned from the victim.  The police determine that the victim has been murdered.

Three months later, an elderly woman dies in suspicious circumstances.  As a young girl she was friends with the first victim.  Erica had visited this woman earlier in a quest to know more about her mother.  Erica is interested to learn that both victims were friends of her mother.  While she continues to research into her mother's past, the police continue with their investigation into the two deaths.  Even though Patrik is supposed to be on leave, his colleagues ask for his expertise.

It is while Erica is in the cemetery visiting her parents' graves that an inspiration comes to her.  To confirm her idea, she needs the help of Patrik and his boss.  Family secrets will be revealed, but will all of the truth come out?  Author Camilla Lackberg uses flashbacks to help fill in the plot of this page turner.  A well written murder mystery, which you will have difficulty putting down.

The Traitor's Mark

Thomas Treviot has sent his man, Bart Miller, to Johannes Holbein for a design Treviot needed for his goldsmithing.  Unfortunately all he got back was a young lady with a note indicating that Bart had been involved in a fight at Holbein's place and subsequently been arrested.  It also appears that Holbein has disappeared.

Later Treviot is fearful when his presence is required by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.  However, Cranmer puts his mind at rest when he indicates that he too, is concerned about the welfare of Holbein.  However, Treviot is informed of conspiracies, which threaten Cranmer.  He is told that he must be a spy to find out about these conspiracies.

Treviot has Holbein's and Bart's children safely ensconced at his residence in Kent.  At least he thinks they are.  The children are taken, along with their governess, while Treviot is away at a meeting.  Has his host been involved in the kidnapping?  As Treviot continues his investigation and works to protect those close to him, he finds himself drawn into a political and religious whirlpool.

It would appear that all is lost when Holbein is captured by ruffians loyal to religious conspirators.  It is certain that Holbein has gone to his death.  Meantime, the religious strife seems to worsen.

Will the capture of the leader of the murderous gang be enough to free Treviot and his friends of his troubles?  Will it point to the people responsible for much of the religious strife, or just prolong the agony?  Author D. K. Wilson has woven an excellent story of murder plus political and religious intrigue during Tudor times.  It is an excellent read for fans of historical fiction.

The Black House

DI Fin Macleod has been sent from Edinburgh to his home, the Isle of Lewis, to help with an investigation into a murder he was investigating on the mainland just before the tragic death of his so.  He is welcomed in Stornoway by DS George Gunn, however, not by DCI Tom Smith, who had also been sent up from the mainland to run the investigation.

As DS Gunn drives Macleod around his former home, memories come flooding back.  His investigation leads him to a childhood friend, whose daughter had been allegedly raped by the victim.  He also meets with an animal rights protester who had been beaten up by the victim.  Could either of these men have killed the man and then hoisted him to a rafter?

The more Macleod investigates, the more about his own past comes to light.  Yet will that past continue to haunt him as the investigation progresses?  Author Peter May has written a fast paced, riveting murder mystery, which will keep the reader engrossed.

I initially read this book a few years ago, and upon reading it a second time, I found that author Peter May really spoke to me on a personal level.

Hannibal - Clouds of War

After the battle of Cannae, Hannibal refuses to follow and destroy the Roman army, because he knows what it could cost his own army.  A little over two years later, he splits up Hanno and his two brothers, sending Bostar to Iberia, Hanno to Sicily and keeping Sapho by his side.

Unbeknownst to Hanno, his former owner and friend, Quintus has also been posted to Sicily.  When misfortune occurs for Quintus' sister and she receives a cryptic message from Hanno, she decides to travel to the toe of Italy to be near those that she loves.  More misfortune befalls Aurelia when the ship she is on is captured and she is enslaved and taken to Syracuse.  There she becomes a concubine to one of the rulers of the city.

Hanno accidentally discovers the position that Aurelia is in, and desperately manages get her released, but shortly afterwards is sent off to fight the Romans.  Foolishly she follows his battle group, thus endangering herself once more.  Fortunately they manage to escape, but the city they are in is threatened by the Roman army.  Will they find Aurelia's brother in the opposing army?  How long can Syracuse withstand the siege?

Author Ben Kane takes the reader one further step into the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, which results in the fall of Syracuse.  Quintus, Aurelia and Hanno survive this portion of the war and will live to fight another day in the next volume of this series.  As a fan of historical fiction, I look forward to reading it, too.

Corridors of the Night

Hester Monk is filling in for a nursing friend at the hospital when she is waylaid by a young girl.  The girl takes her to her brother who she claims is dying.  Hester administers water through the night to the lad and he seems to recover somewhat.  But, why are children in a soldiers' hospital?

Later, an older man comes in suffering from the white blood disease.  Hester is asked to serve as his nurse.  She is surprised to see that the doctor and his brother, a chemist are putting blood into the patient.  She realises that it has come from the young lad that she had helped earlier.  Will it help the patient?

Meantime, Hester's husband, William, is working on the river to break up a gun smuggling gang.  During the battle with the gunrunners, his mentor is killed.  Exhausted, Monk returns home, but Hester is not there, nor is she the following morning.  When he enquires at the hospital, he is told that she suddenly left.

Monk begins to search for Hester and fear that her life may be in danger.  He discovers that the patient, her daughter, the children and the chemist have all disappeared.  After discovering where Hester might be, Monk and some friends set out to retrieve her and the children.  Although Monk and his team manages to rescue Hester and the children, a court case looms now.  The chemist is charged with kidnapping, but can Oliver Rathbone prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hester did not go willingly?

Other questions arise after the court case.  Is blood transfusion safe? Why does it save some and not others?  Why was the daughter of the first patient murdered and by whom?  Blood typing and transfusions wouldn't be successful until 1901.  Author Anne Perry has written a novel that shows how medicine and the courts must have struggled with the new concepts.  An entirely enjoyable read.