The Patriarch

The friend of an important family has died suddenly.  Although it appears to have been of natural causes, St. Denis Police Chief Bruno is not 100% convinced.  He is also shocked when the body is quickly cremated.

Later, Bruno finds out that the man has a large trust fund in Lichtenstein, and a mysterious heir.  The case begins to take on an air of mystery.

Bruno’s mind is forced elsewhere when a major accident takes the wife of a prominent lawyer.  The accident had occurred close to a place where a woman allowed deer to roam freely.  It appears that a deer had caused the accident, and now people are up in arms.  The event quickly becomes a political hot potato.

Things take a drastic change when Bruno is attacked by a man with an axe.  Fortunately his army training kicks in and he manages to take the man prisoner, but not without himself being injured.  Was this an attempt to stop the investigation from proceeding any further?

Author Martin Walker’s novel includes international intrigue that could destroy people’s integrity.  But will murder prevent that from happening?  A very good read, which was hard to put down.

Betrayal

Captain Thomas Kydd and his ship, L’Aurore, is patrolling the east coast of Africa when they encounter a French corvette.  However, it escapes before it can be engaged.  Later it is discovered up the Zambezi.  Kydd makes a daring plan to capture it.  Will the crew be successful in adding to their prize money?

Sadly it was not to be.  Now the ship awaits orders in Cape Town.  Before long, Commodore Popham begins plans to cross the Atlantic and attack the Spanish city of Montevideo.  He has information that the people there are tired of their Spanish rulers.  Popham schemes with Kydd to get an attack planted in the mind of the governor, as he is the only one who can order it.

However, Kydd’s good friend, Nicholas Renzi has some serious reservations about Popham.  When they are explained to Kydd, he wonders about the validity of the expedition.  When they arrive at St. Helena, they discover that Prime Minister Pitt has died.  This means a new government, and one not likely to be in favour of the expedition.

Once the ships arrive at the River Plate, Popham changes his strategy.  He decides that an attack on Bueno Aires, the capital is better than tanking Montevideo.  General Beresford objects, but has no support.  Would this change of plans lead to success or sheer disaster?

Success it was, but now can they hold the city until reinforcements arrive?  Shockingly, the people who were supposed to support the British now turn on them.

What will be the fate of the expedition?  Author Julian Stockwin’s latest novel is based on actual events.  Popham did try to capture Bueno Aires, but unfortunately it was unsuccessful.  What’s next for Kydd and Renzi?

Dark Stars

Charlie Tuesday, thief taker, and his friend Lily Boswell are at the debtors prison to have a ruby ring examined by a man known for his talents in that area.  He tells them that it is a code breaker ring.  All of the old king’s cryptographers were killed by Cromwell.  Charlie counters, except the Cypher.  He also tells the pair that the two rings are part of a larger set.

The rings seem to be connected to a recent almanac, which predicts an upcoming lunar eclipse.  The eclipse and related astrology point to a forthcoming disaster as the eclipse is to come on All Hallows’ Eve - Halloween!

Lily also tells Charlie that she has learned that there is a Dutch fireship pilot known as Janus, who seems to have an intense hatred of Charlie, but the reason is unknown.

Can Charlie and Lily get the remaining rings before Janus manages to upset their plans?  Will Janus be able to pilot a fire ship into London on All Hallow’s Eve allowing the Dutch to invade England?

Author C. S. Quinn’s historical novel is a real page turner; based on historical facts it makes history truly seem stranger than fiction.  A very good and exciting read.

The Corpse Reader

1206 in eastern China and Ci is under the thumb of his elder brother Lu.  While out working in a paddy Ci discovers a head and later the body of the father of the girl he has been seeing.  A judge that Ci has been training with determines that the killer is Lu.  Ci hopes to get his sentence reduced.  However, Ci’s efforts only land him into trouble.  He needs to escape from the town.

Ci has numerous adventures as he runs away.  He soon learns that there is a sheriff on his trail.  Will he be able to get to safety?  In Lin’an Ci discovers that his father had been embezzling funds, so it would be difficult for him to get accreditation.  What was he to do now?

Since he has his ailing sister with him, Ci is desperate.  He finds work with a man who works in the cemetery.  He is able to use his knowledge about how people died to earn extra money for them.  At the same time. Ci is learning more about the causes of death while examining corpses.  When his sister dies, Ci is finally able to enter the Ming Academy to study forensics.  He also has the opportunity to reorganise medical books.

A particular case that Ci solves catches the interest of the emperor.  The emperor takes Ci into his service, but there Ci runs into an old rival from the academy.  The emperor has assigned Ci a very perplexing case, and Ci’s rival is tasked with helping him.

There would be many trials and tribulations for Ci as he did his investigation.  It would also include conspiracy and double crossing by people he thought he could trust.

When I started reading this historical novel by Antonio Garrido, I wasn’t sure I would like it.  However, I was quickly drawn into the story and found the book hard to put down.  A very good read.