Sowing Poison

Thaddeus Lewis and his wife Betsy have now settled in Wellington where he will help his sister and husband run a hotel.  Some time after their move, Nathan Elliot has returned home to pay his respects to his dying father.  Unfortunately he has gone missing.  His wife and son arrived shortly after that and take up residence in the hotel.

Clementine Elliot claims to be able to speak with the dead.  Lewis thinks that this is absurd.  However it isn't long before she has customers visiting.  However, if she can commune with the dead, why hasn't she said anything about her missing husband?  Lewis decides to attend a session.  Clementine goes into a trance and suggests that a Mary is now in the room.  Lewis' daughter Mary had died as a child, but he refuses to accept that this might be his daughter back from the dead and instead asks about Nathan.  The session abruptly ends.

Later, Lewis learns how the clairvoyant has duped so many people.  At the same time, one of the hotel guests has disappeared.  The clairvoyant has no knowledge of what might have happened to him.

Author Janet Kellough has plenty more for Lewis to discover before she presents an interesting conclusion.  Another good quick read by this author.

On the Head of a Pin

1838, Demorestville, Upper Canada, where Methodist preacher Thaddeus Lewis has arrived to serve the people, is also known as Sodom.  The members of his new congregation hope to change that.  It is only one community on his circuit.  There he meets a young woman who reminds him of his recently deceased daughter, Sarah.

He figures that it will take him four weeks to complete the circuit.  Unfortunately, left at home is his wife Betsy, who is not well.  They had recently lost their daughter and although the doctor had declared her death to be by natural causes, Lewis is sure her husband had killed her.

There had recently been a rebellion in Canada, which was unsuccessful, and now the leader, Mackenzie is in the United States and encouraging an invasion.  Men are required for the defence of the colony, but Lewis is sure of a deferment because he is now a preacher.

About nine months later the young woman Lewis had met in Demorestville died suddenly and for no apparent reason.  However, her neck had red marks on it plus there was a small book in her lap.  This was consistent with the manner in which Lewis' own daughter had died.  Lewis decides to begin an investigation of his own.  Later while travelling on his circuit he comes across another woman who has been murdered.  Evidence points to similarities in the two previous killings.

Not long after this, Lewis finds out that his son-in-law could not be the killer.  So who is it, then?

A fourth killing of similar circumstances occurs, but seems to be more vicious.  Discussion with a doctor leads them to conclude that it is a man who travels freely about the area.  As Lewis continues his investigation, it seems to point one man in particular.

This murder mystery gets off to a slow start, but before long, I found myself engrossed in it.  Author Janet Kellough draws the reader in and engages them in this historical murder mystery.  I'm glad that I chose to read it, and am looking forward to picking up the sequel.

Seaflower

Thomas Kydd has given a statement about the sinking of his ship, Artemis.  However he is not called as a witness before the court martial.  Rather, he and his Artemis shipmates are consigned to serve aboard a cutter, not having been given any shore leave.  Assigned to the Trajan, and headed to the West Indies, it isn't long before Kydd is once again appointed a petty officer.

Immediately after arriving at Barbados, the Artemis is sent on to Guadeloupe.  This is a French island the British intend taking from them.  Sent ashore, it doesn't take Kydd long to learn that fighting on land is very different than on a ship.  Later, the Trajan takes a pummelling from a hurricane.  Under a skeleton crew, she sets sail for Antigua for a refitting.  Unfortunately there, the ship is condemned.  The men who were aboard are dispersed amongst other ships.  Kydd is given the opportunity to serve the shipwright as "Master of the King's Negroes".  He sees this as an opportunity to learn more about ships.  Not long after this, Kydd is struck down by yellow fever, which he fortunately survives.  However, it is not long after this that he loses his job.

Meanwhile, Kydd's good friend, Nicholas Renzi has been seconded to work for the admiral on Jamaica.  Not surprisingly, Kydd turns up in Jamaica.  Using his position, Renzi surreptitiously assigns Kydd and several other members of his former crew from Artemis, plus himself to the Seaflower, a cutter in need of crew.

It isn't long before they capture a prize, but are sent out to sea immediately again.  On this voyage, they run into a French schooner.  Fortunately the little cutter comes out the best in the sea battle, but is forced to go to Antigua for repairs.  This is not something that Kydd is not looking forward to.

Author Julian Stockwin has plenty of action remaining for the crew of the Seaflower; three different captains, and a hurricane bring both glory and danger.  Well written, an exciting read, hard to put down.  I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Dead in the Water

The Prosecutor Fiscal, Sheila Milne has requested that a 1985 cold case be reviewed.  DI Fleming is tasked with it; but it has some issues for her in that her late father and her current boss were involved in the investigation.

Fleming plans on questioning the family of the dead woman.  Fortuitously the former boyfriend of the victim is in the area preparing to do one of the TV series in which he stars.  However, it appears that he has a solid alibi.  The interviews with the mother and brother of the victim leave Fleming wondering more about the situation at the time the girl died.

Shortly after this, late in the evening, the TV star is attacked with a knife at the door to his house.  Could this attack be linked to the cold case?  Fleming is surprised when the footprint specialist informed her that there could well have been a second, smaller person nearby at the time of the attack.  Were there people lining up to attack the victim?

When a fatal knifing occurs, Fleming's hands are full.  She faces a dilemma, how is she to handle it all?

Author Aline Templeton has done a superb job with this murder mystery.  She presents several potential suspects, and slowly eliminates them.  The reader is alway left wondering until the last minute.  She also gives real human frailties to Fleming, which plague her along with the cases she has to deal with.  All in all, a very good read, which was hard to put down.  I'm looking forward to the sequel.

The Legion

Cato has been raised to the rank of prefect now, and he and his friend, Centurion Macro are at sea in search of their old nemesis, Ajax a rogue gladiator.  They come across a cargo ship seemingly abandoned at sea, but upon it they find all of the men butchered except one.  He claims that a Roman galley had waylaid them.  He said that the man in charge claimed to be Centurion Macro.  Upon arriving in Alexandria, Cato and Macro are placed under arrest.

Fortunately a witness to the barbaric actions of Ajax is unable to identify the pair.  Governor Petronius is able to provide them with six more ships to carry on the search for Ajax.  Petronius has other troubles to the south where the Nubians are making probes into Egypt.  Before the month given to the Romans to find Ajax is up, they are ordered back to Alexandria because the Nubians have invaded Egypt.

However, a chance discovery leads Cato and Macro to the lair of Ajax.  However would they get to their goal before the wily Ajax escaped once again?  That is just the case, Ajax and some of his men escape into a mangrove swamp.  Cato sets out to follow with fifty men.  Who will survive the insects, snakes and crocodiles?

Ajax manages to ambush Cato and his men and then escape once again before Macro and his reinforcements can arrive.  Having returned to Alexandria to make his report, Cato is shocked to learn that Petronius has assigned him and Macro to the Twenty-second Legion in the south to help repel the Nubians.  The pursuit of Ajax is put on hold.  Cato is unsure about the abilities of the 22nd as it was raised by Mark Anthony and hasn't seen battle in some time.

When the pair arrive at the southern most post, they find that the legate is missing.   He and his escort are found dead.  A survivor indicates that it was Ajax who ambushed them.  The new legate is not one to inspire confidence; he refuses advice from Cato and Macro and assigns them to train the 22nd and make them ready for battle.  However, before they are fully ready, Ajax and a contingent of Nubians are across the Nile from them.

Who will come out the victor?  The hunter or the hunters?  Author Simon Scarrow has begins to build the tension as he leads the two heroes into a deadly battle.  An exciting end to this particular historical novel, which leaves me looking forward to the sequel.

A Very Murdering Battle

January 1709 and Europe is in a deep freeze.  Daniel Rawson has been sent to Paris once again.  Having had some documents passed on to him, Daniel must now escape Paris.  It will not be easy in the cold, snowy days ahead.  However, nothing seems to stop Daniel and it isn't long before he is in The Hague, passing the information on to Marlborough, Captain General of the allied armies.

Returning to Amsterdam to see his fiancé, Amalia, Daniel is shocked when the tapestry that Marlborough had commissioned is stolen.  He is told by Marlborough to do everything that he can to retrieve it.  It isn't long before the thieves demand a ransom.  Daniel calls on his friend Sergeant Henry Walbeck to help him with his investigation.  The pair successfully recover the tapestry and take it to Marlborough who insists that Daniel accompany him as he takes it home to Blenheim.

Hopes for peace being negotiated end in the spring when France refuses the demands of the Allies.  Both sides prepare for more war.  Tournai is laid siege to by the Allies.  However, the French will not give in easily.  While the siege slowly progresses, Marlborough sends Daniel to spy out the city of Mons as the next potential site to attack.  He takes Rachel Rees along.  He pretends to be a priest and she his sister grieving the loss of their father in Mons.

Successfully having besieged Tournai, Marlborough turns his attention to Mons.  However, the French have other plans and have sent General Villar to do battle with the Allies.  At Malplaquet, the French definitely hold the upper hand, ambushing the British in the centre and hiding behind stout defences on the flanks.  In this battle, which Marlborough called a "very murdering battle", losses would be high on both sides, however larger for the Allies, thus giving the French further hope of continuing the war.

Author Edward Marston has written an engaging historical novel based on facts.  A good, quick read.

Ravenspur - Rise of the Tudors ~ War of the Roses

Henry Tudor has been a prisoner in Pembroke Castle since his birth.  He has known neither his father nor his mother, but he has had some knightly training.  His uncle Jasper helps him to escape to London.  London, where the Earl of Warwick has freed Henry VI from imprisonment, and now conspires to have his son-in-law, the Duke of Clarence, named as second in line to the throne.

Meanwhile, Edward IV still lives and lays claim to the throne.  Warwick's army marches north in an attempt to capture Edward.  Edward and his brother, Richard, flee to Flanders.  Five months later, Edward and Richard have returned with a small Flemish army.  Will men flock to join him as he hopes?  As Edward marches south from York, his army does grow, but slowly.  Just outside Coventry, Edward's brother George joins him, bringing three thousand men away from Warwick.

However, Edward decides not to lay siege to Coventry; rather he sneaks off in the dark of night, headed for London.  The gates of London remained open to Edward's small army.  He was now in possession of the city and Henry.  Warwick marches on London with an army that is larger than Edward's, but in the ensuing battle Edward wins.

On the south coast of England, Margaret of Anjou has returned with her son, Edward, The Prince of Wales.  Hearing of the battle near London they set out for Wales in search of an army to face her nemesis with.  It isn't long before Edward is fast on their trail.  They turn to face him at Tewksbury.  There the Lancaster line would end.  The Prince of Wales killed, and Margaret taken prisoner.  Old King Henry dies not long after.

In Flanders a young Henry Tudor is reminded by his uncle Jasper, that he has Lancaster blood in his veins.  However, will he ever get back to England?

When Edward dies, Richard becomes Lord Protector to ensure the safe passage of the throne.  Richard has Edward's two sons placed in The Tower, supposedly for their protection.  It doesn't take long for a scheming Richard to have his brother's children declared illegitimate and himself crowned as the new king.

Peace descends on England under the rule of Richard.  However, it isn't long before The Duke of Buckingham rises in rebellion.  Richard wonders if it is to put his nephew, Edward on the throne.  Rumours abound that the two princes have already been killed in the tower.  If Buckingham fails is the rebellion truly over?

Knowing that his chance was now, Henry Tudor and his uncle Jasper, sailed for Wales.  There he began to build an army and march toward England.  Richard would not stand for it.  He gathered a larger force.  The two armies met at Bosworth Field.  It was there that the House of York would be brought down and the Tudor reign begin.

Author Conn Iggulden has written a terrific historical novel, which concludes a series of four; all excellent unto themselves.  All four make tremendous reading.  Considerable research has gone into these novels, which any fan of historical fiction will find hard to put down.

The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins

Thomas Hawkins has been asked by a notorious gangster, James Fleet, to meet with a woman of repute on his behalf.  Just before he is to meet with the woman in question, she is attacked.  Hawkins comes to her defence and is badly beaten, but he successfully overcomes the assailant.  Meantime, she escapes to safety.

Hawkins is shocked when he is summoned by the queen.  She wants him to work for her as a spy.  He is to get in the good graces of Lord Howard, the man he had bested; the husband of the woman who he had saved from his attack on her.  Unable to bow out gracefully, Hawkins is trapped in a servitude he doesn't want.

However, the following morning, Hawkins is arrested by the local magistrate for the murder of his neighbour.  Tortured, Hawkins is prepared to confess when an order for his release is provided by the city Marshal.  He is also tasked with finding his neighbour's killer.  Hawkins knows that it is not going to be easy.

Despite having learned of who the real killer is, Hawkins is arrested and charged with the killing.  There seems no way out now.

Author Antonia Hodgson provides plenty of twists and turns throughout this murder mystery and completes the plot with a surprising end.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Riverman

DCI William Lorimer has been called down to the Clyde where a Riverman has pulled a body out of the water.  The victim is easily identified, but was the death an unfortunate accident or something more?  However, when the tox screen determines that a large amount of GHB was in his bloodstream, it would appear that it is more likely to be a murder.

The victim had been a major partner in a large accounting firm.  Lorimer wonders if there is some connection between the death and the firm.  The HR person claims she is unable to identify the woman who called about the victim falling into the river, but Lorimer is sure that she knows.  Then news arrives that an accountant from the firm, who was supposed to transfer to New York has been found in a shallow grave in the forest there.  It appears that his personnel files have disappeared.  What is going on?

Lorimer requests the help of Dr. Solomon Brightman, a local psychologist, primarily because the body in New York wasn't who it was supposed to be, and things are definitely not what they seem.  Why has one of the partners of the accounting firm suddenly disappeared?

Author Alex Gray has plenty of twists to the plot of this murder mystery.  It includes international intrigue and the reality of the river.  A good, quick read.