Alan has just returned to Robin of Locksley's castle with a sealed note
from King Richard. While waiting for Robin, Alan falls asleep and is
attacked, the attacker thinking Alan is Robin. It is learned that there
is a 100 pound bounty on Robin's head, posted by Sir Ralph Murdac,
former Sheriff of Nottingham. He is now in the company of Prince John,
brother to King Richard.
In need of funds for his commitment to King Richard's crusade, Robin and
Alan travel to York to borrow money from Reuben, a Jewish money lender
and friend of Robin's. While in that city a crowd threatens the Jewish
population. They retreat to the King's tower where Robin organises them
to defend themselves. Unfortunately the Jews in the tower decided to
commit suicide, only Robin, Alan and Reuben made their escape.
We next find Robin and his followers on their way to The Holy Land. An
attempt is made on Robin's life by placing an adder in his bed. Later
they join King Richard in Messina, where a third attempt is made on
Robin's life. How can they go about finding the assassin?
Unfortunately, Alan would suffer a severe attack, which puts his life
in jeopardy while fighting the Cypriots. He would lie in a coma for a
long time while the crusaders attacked Acre. Another attempt has been
made on Robin's life in Acre. Alan has his suspicions, but doesn't want
to commit himself to wild speculation.
Robin returns to banditry in The a Holy Land to finance his crusade,
while King Richard kills almost three thousand Saracens because Saladin
refused to pay a ransom. Things are really turning ugly for Alan.
However, now the crusade advances on Jerusalem.
Will the crusaders survive the trek to Jerusalem or will Saladin's army
destroy them enroute? Author Angus Donald has based this second novel
of Robin Hood on actual historical events. It is a very good read for
fans of historical fiction.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Sunday, February 21, 2016
The Bellingham Bloodbath
Pendragon and Pruitt have been called to Buckingham Palace to
investigate the murder of a young soldier of the Queen's Guard and his
wife. Pendragon ensures the major in charge that he will solve the case
in three days. Taken to the scene of the crime by Sergeant McReady of
the Guards, Pendragon begins his investigation. It isn't long before
Inspector Varcoe of Scotland Yard is there telling them to be gone.
However, McReady stands his ground.
Returning home, the pair find a woman who is prepared to pay them an outlandish amount to find her missing dog. Meanwhile Pruitt gets his hands on the file of autopsy report on the young soldier and takes it to Pendragon. Not long after the police show up demanding the file back.
Checking up on the woman whom the soldier was supposedly having an affair with, turns into a dead end. However, there are other leads to follow.
A quick read with a surprising conclusion. However, there were a couple of things that I took umbrage with. Author Gregory Harris had the major call the empire a republic. No British major would have ever said anything like that! Also, there are no hummingbirds in England. As I said about his first book, "The Arnifour Affair", a fair read.
Returning home, the pair find a woman who is prepared to pay them an outlandish amount to find her missing dog. Meanwhile Pruitt gets his hands on the file of autopsy report on the young soldier and takes it to Pendragon. Not long after the police show up demanding the file back.
Checking up on the woman whom the soldier was supposedly having an affair with, turns into a dead end. However, there are other leads to follow.
A quick read with a surprising conclusion. However, there were a couple of things that I took umbrage with. Author Gregory Harris had the major call the empire a republic. No British major would have ever said anything like that! Also, there are no hummingbirds in England. As I said about his first book, "The Arnifour Affair", a fair read.
At the Sharp End
This is the first volume in a two part series about the Canadians fighting in the Great War from 1914 - 1916.
Author Tim Cook begins by outlining the conditions that led up to the outbreak of the First World War. Once Britain declared war, Canada was automatically in because foreign affairs were still controlled by Britain at the time. Most Canadians were in favour of the war primarily for two reasons; because The Mother Country was involved and secondly they thought it would be over by Christmas, and the men didn't want to miss out on the excitement.
Initial training occurred at Valcartier, Quebec in a hastily set up camp. Minister of Defence, Sam Hughes wanted to have his say in everything. Further training would take place on the Salisbury Plains in cold and rain. As a result, the Canadians didn't enter the fighting until 1915.
The author graphically describes the horrors of trench warfare that the Canadians encountered. We're it not for pairing with the, by now, hardened British troops, matters would have been worse. The Second Battle of Ypres was where the Canadians would forge their reputation.
Snipers, artillery, set battle attacks through craters, mud, machine gun bullets and poison gas brought death on a daily basis. Men couldn't stay in those conditions for a long time, so they were rotated out on a regular basis for rest. As time progressed the Canadians began to take over their own corps. They had a style of fighting that was different compared to the British who regarded them as wild colonials.
The Somme in 1916 was a battle intended to relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun. On July 1st, the Newfoundland Regiment was virtually wiped out, but General Haig wanted the battle to continue despite the heavy loss of life. It would be a learning time for the Canadians, and they would become better soldiers for it. These battles created a new national identity for them, too.
The author offers great detail about the first two years of the war, based on military dairies, the dairies of soldiers and their letters home. Maps augment the telling of this story that would eventually see the Canadian army come to fight as an army unto itself, and not just a part of the British Expeditionary Force. War is not nice, but it did have a way of forging a nation in fire.
Author Tim Cook begins by outlining the conditions that led up to the outbreak of the First World War. Once Britain declared war, Canada was automatically in because foreign affairs were still controlled by Britain at the time. Most Canadians were in favour of the war primarily for two reasons; because The Mother Country was involved and secondly they thought it would be over by Christmas, and the men didn't want to miss out on the excitement.
Initial training occurred at Valcartier, Quebec in a hastily set up camp. Minister of Defence, Sam Hughes wanted to have his say in everything. Further training would take place on the Salisbury Plains in cold and rain. As a result, the Canadians didn't enter the fighting until 1915.
The author graphically describes the horrors of trench warfare that the Canadians encountered. We're it not for pairing with the, by now, hardened British troops, matters would have been worse. The Second Battle of Ypres was where the Canadians would forge their reputation.
Snipers, artillery, set battle attacks through craters, mud, machine gun bullets and poison gas brought death on a daily basis. Men couldn't stay in those conditions for a long time, so they were rotated out on a regular basis for rest. As time progressed the Canadians began to take over their own corps. They had a style of fighting that was different compared to the British who regarded them as wild colonials.
The Somme in 1916 was a battle intended to relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun. On July 1st, the Newfoundland Regiment was virtually wiped out, but General Haig wanted the battle to continue despite the heavy loss of life. It would be a learning time for the Canadians, and they would become better soldiers for it. These battles created a new national identity for them, too.
The author offers great detail about the first two years of the war, based on military dairies, the dairies of soldiers and their letters home. Maps augment the telling of this story that would eventually see the Canadian army come to fight as an army unto itself, and not just a part of the British Expeditionary Force. War is not nice, but it did have a way of forging a nation in fire.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Season of the Raven
Sir Faucon de Ramis has been called by his uncle, Bishop William to
Blacklea for a meeting. There he is shocked to find that he has been
appointed Keeper of the Pleas. Brother Edmund has been assigned to be
his right hand man. With this job comes an annual income of 20 pounds.
Faucon is to be the crowner, whose job it is investigate crimes and to
impose judgements and fines in the shire, and collect them on behalf of
the king.
The following day, Faucon has his first case. A miller has been found stuck in the race below his wheel. Can the wheel be claimed by the church for killing the miller? Fortunately Brother Colin, an apothecary, happens to point out that there are no drowning signs evident on the body. So, Faucon intends to find the killer.
The potential murder weapon and murder site is found, but who had reason to kill the miller? Many it seems, and possibly one in particular?
While pursuing the investigation further, Faucon is called into the countryside to investigate the murder of a young female. Her partially degraded remains had been found by hunters.
Faucon and Edmund do find the murderer of the miller, but Faucon is convinced that he was not the lone murderer. How will he ever be able to catch the second? Afterwards, while visiting with Brother Colin, Faucon finds out that there have been similar murders of young girls. Colin had thought they had stopped, but this more recent death proves otherwise.
Author Denise Domning has written a good murder mystery set in medieval times. It is a quick, light read. I look forward to reading its sequel.
The following day, Faucon has his first case. A miller has been found stuck in the race below his wheel. Can the wheel be claimed by the church for killing the miller? Fortunately Brother Colin, an apothecary, happens to point out that there are no drowning signs evident on the body. So, Faucon intends to find the killer.
The potential murder weapon and murder site is found, but who had reason to kill the miller? Many it seems, and possibly one in particular?
While pursuing the investigation further, Faucon is called into the countryside to investigate the murder of a young female. Her partially degraded remains had been found by hunters.
Faucon and Edmund do find the murderer of the miller, but Faucon is convinced that he was not the lone murderer. How will he ever be able to catch the second? Afterwards, while visiting with Brother Colin, Faucon finds out that there have been similar murders of young girls. Colin had thought they had stopped, but this more recent death proves otherwise.
Author Denise Domning has written a good murder mystery set in medieval times. It is a quick, light read. I look forward to reading its sequel.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Dead and Buried
DS Ben Cooper is out on the moor on a routine patrol following a grass
fire when firemen discover a nylon backpack buried in the peat. It
appears to have been buried for some time, also has what appears yo have
blood stains on it. It also contains a wallet with identification,
pointing to two missing people. This means major crimes will now be
involved. DS Diane Fry is assigned.
After the scene is secured, and Ben has gone home, Diane decides to check out and old abandoned pub. There she finds a body of a recently murdered man.
The following day Cooper's team meets to discuss the missing persons case. DC Gavin Murfin had been involved in the search two tears ago. He is sure that the pair set themselves up with new identities and disappeared. Fry scoffs at that idea. The victim in the pub is identified as a teacher in nearby Edendale. Coincidentally his name had come up earlier in the case of the missing persons.
Cooper and DC Carol Villiers are tasked with trying to retrace the last route of the missing persons while Fry works with DCI Mackenzie on the murder victim case. Ben points out to Fry that the cases now overlap, but as usual she is not overly co-operative. Later, two bodies are accidentally found, wrapped in plastic in an abandoned mine shaft.
Now that the bodies have been found, can the case be wrapped up? Does the team have the evidence they need to jail the right people? Author Stephen Booth wraps up this murder mystery in exciting and shocking fashion. An excellent read, hard to put down.
After the scene is secured, and Ben has gone home, Diane decides to check out and old abandoned pub. There she finds a body of a recently murdered man.
The following day Cooper's team meets to discuss the missing persons case. DC Gavin Murfin had been involved in the search two tears ago. He is sure that the pair set themselves up with new identities and disappeared. Fry scoffs at that idea. The victim in the pub is identified as a teacher in nearby Edendale. Coincidentally his name had come up earlier in the case of the missing persons.
Cooper and DC Carol Villiers are tasked with trying to retrace the last route of the missing persons while Fry works with DCI Mackenzie on the murder victim case. Ben points out to Fry that the cases now overlap, but as usual she is not overly co-operative. Later, two bodies are accidentally found, wrapped in plastic in an abandoned mine shaft.
Now that the bodies have been found, can the case be wrapped up? Does the team have the evidence they need to jail the right people? Author Stephen Booth wraps up this murder mystery in exciting and shocking fashion. An excellent read, hard to put down.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Bad Wolf
Chief Detective Superintendent Pia Kirchoff has been called out to a
canal where the body of a young girl has been found. It would appear
that she had been in the water for sometime and that a boat propeller
had cut her back. The autopsy reveals that the girl was about 15 years
old and had suffered numerous broken bones, lacked vitamin D and had
drowned in a pool or a jacuzzi.
Hanna Herzmann, a controversial TV host has been found beaten, raped and dehydrated in the trunk of her car. Pia, and her boss, Oliver Bodenstein, were called to the scene. Hanna's daughter, Meike, searches her mother's computer for clues, and what she discovers, shocks her. The police discover fingerprints on Hanna's car that point to a paedophile. What is the connection?
While working on the investigation, Pia is informed by a good friend of hers that she suspects that her husband may be sexually abusing their daughter. Shortly after this, the body of Hanna's psychotherapist is discovered by Meike who had gone to question her about her mother. New questions about connections arise. As the investigation expands, Pia begins to have doubts about certain aspects of the investigation. As the investigation goes further along, the threads begin to tie together.
Once again, author Nele Neuhaus has maintained a fast paced, action filled thriller from the first page to the last. It was a book that was hard to put down. I'm looking forward to the next instalment in this series.
Hanna Herzmann, a controversial TV host has been found beaten, raped and dehydrated in the trunk of her car. Pia, and her boss, Oliver Bodenstein, were called to the scene. Hanna's daughter, Meike, searches her mother's computer for clues, and what she discovers, shocks her. The police discover fingerprints on Hanna's car that point to a paedophile. What is the connection?
While working on the investigation, Pia is informed by a good friend of hers that she suspects that her husband may be sexually abusing their daughter. Shortly after this, the body of Hanna's psychotherapist is discovered by Meike who had gone to question her about her mother. New questions about connections arise. As the investigation expands, Pia begins to have doubts about certain aspects of the investigation. As the investigation goes further along, the threads begin to tie together.
Once again, author Nele Neuhaus has maintained a fast paced, action filled thriller from the first page to the last. It was a book that was hard to put down. I'm looking forward to the next instalment in this series.
Monday, February 15, 2016
The Eagle of the Twelfth
Demalion, Centurion Cadus, and Pantera are returning from a mission in
Parthia. The former two are speculating on how to handle a war with
Parthia; how could legionnaires stand up to thousands of heavy cavalry?
Once back in Roman held territory, Pantera reveals to the other two a
message that he had received enroute. Pantera is to go to Britain,
while the other two are to join the Twelfth Legion. Cade's is to be
centurion of the sixth cohort while Demalion is to be a clerk and scribe
in the second cohort.
The Twelfth is not a respected legion, but their commander intends to right that. He sends them into the mountains for training with another legion. The legions are to test one another. From that, comes the theft of an eagle from another legion by Demalion's cohort. They take the nickname The Bloody First after that escapade.
Four years on, the Twelfth is a well trained legion, however they have a new commander. Paetus is a former consul of Rome, and aspires for glory. He breaks an agreement between Nero and the Parthian king by entering Parthian territory. He also thinks that he can relax during the winter. The Parthian King has other ideas.
Due to the inaction of Paetus, Demalion and Cadus are taken prisoner. Demalion is told to take a message of surrender to Paetus. Fortunately the Parthian king releases the prisoners. They retreat, humiliated. They are are ordered back to Syria to reform. To rebuild the Twelfth, Demalion is tasked with being a centurion. It took another four years to re-create the Twelfth, but there was plenty of resentment from all who were conscripted to join a legion, which had surrendered.
Will their new legion be able to meld together enough to be able to put down a rebellion of the Hebrews in Jerusalem? The initial battle with the Hebrews indicates that they have learned Roman tactics. However, the second battle is a bad one for the Romans, as the Twelfth loses its eagle in the battle. Can Demalion and his comrades get it back, or will Vespasian, the new governor of Syria have to write the Twelfth off the list of legions?
Author M. C. Scott has written an intriguing novel about the Twelfth legion based on true events. A good read for fans of historical fiction.
The Twelfth is not a respected legion, but their commander intends to right that. He sends them into the mountains for training with another legion. The legions are to test one another. From that, comes the theft of an eagle from another legion by Demalion's cohort. They take the nickname The Bloody First after that escapade.
Four years on, the Twelfth is a well trained legion, however they have a new commander. Paetus is a former consul of Rome, and aspires for glory. He breaks an agreement between Nero and the Parthian king by entering Parthian territory. He also thinks that he can relax during the winter. The Parthian King has other ideas.
Due to the inaction of Paetus, Demalion and Cadus are taken prisoner. Demalion is told to take a message of surrender to Paetus. Fortunately the Parthian king releases the prisoners. They retreat, humiliated. They are are ordered back to Syria to reform. To rebuild the Twelfth, Demalion is tasked with being a centurion. It took another four years to re-create the Twelfth, but there was plenty of resentment from all who were conscripted to join a legion, which had surrendered.
Will their new legion be able to meld together enough to be able to put down a rebellion of the Hebrews in Jerusalem? The initial battle with the Hebrews indicates that they have learned Roman tactics. However, the second battle is a bad one for the Romans, as the Twelfth loses its eagle in the battle. Can Demalion and his comrades get it back, or will Vespasian, the new governor of Syria have to write the Twelfth off the list of legions?
Author M. C. Scott has written an intriguing novel about the Twelfth legion based on true events. A good read for fans of historical fiction.
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