Audiobook Review: Three Lessons in Seduction by Sofie Darling & Giveaway

Three Lessons in Seduction by Sofie Darling
Book 2 in the Shadows and Silk series
Unabridged; 9 hrs.
Sofie Darling
Mary Sarah (Narrator)
December 13, 2017
★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical Romance/Thriller

Source: Received download from Audible with Audiobookworm Productions tour

Paris, September 1824

Lord Nicholas Asquith needs his wife. Too bad he broke her heart ten years ago.

Can he resist a second chance at the love he lost?
When Mariana catches the eye of the man at the center of an assassination plot, Nick puts aside their painful past and enlists her to obtain information by any means necessary, even if it means seducing the enemy agent.
Even if the thought makes his blood boil.

Only by keeping his distance from Mariana these last ten years was he able to pretend indifference to her. With every moment spent with her, he feels his tightly held control slipping.

Can she trust the spy who broke her heart?

Mariana spent the last decade forgetting Nick. Now she has the chance to best him at his own game, an opportunity she can’t resist, even as her view of him begins to shift. Increasingly, she wants nothing more than to seduce her own husband.

It's only a matter of time before mad passion ignites, a passion never convincingly extinguished. A passion that insists on surrendering to the yearning of the flesh and, quite possibly, of the heart.

I always love romance novels where the characters are married right from the beginning. It brings a very different tone between the characters than that of two characters that are just meeting for the first time. In this case, Mariana and Nick are not at all happily married, they actually have had very limited interactions over the last few years and are brought together surprisingly to them both. How they find their way through the web of lies and intrigue that have existed between them to determine if they can ever be actually together is quite fun. The plot builds their romance up over time in a satisfying manner, a true slow burner. I found them to be such a fun pairing.

I have also always enjoyed historical thrillers, it just adds something more to the traditional historical novel and I appreciate thrillers in modern settings as well. Here, we add the layers of thriller on top of the layers of romance, which makes for added depth to the story and characters. It adds more complication to the relationship between Mariana and Nick it also moves the plot along more quickly as the spy lessons continue which also result in danger for Mariana.

Oh and I loved how each chapter began with an entry from The Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue! It was fun!

★★★★ ½☆

Narrator Mary Sarah has such a soothing voice that it is an absolute pleasure to listen to and I could listen to the novel for long periods of time without needing to take a break – even if I wasn’t enjoying the story! Her tone is also excellent for the thriller/spy aspect of the novel as well; it well conveys the intrigue/romance/anticipation throughout. She also has an excellent French accent for the characters from that country. Sarah appears to have narrated many romance novels and I think that is an excellent choice! I would listen to any of them!

You can preview a sample of the audiobook below:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Two Ends of the Pen
• RT Book Reviews

Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible| iTunes

Also by Sofie Darling:

Tempted by the Viscount

Find Sofie Darling: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Find Mary Sarah: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

Giveaway!

As part of the tour, there is a tour wide giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card, open internationally.  The giveaway is open March 20 to the 26th.  All entries are made via the Gleam form on any of the tour stops.  Any questions should be directed to Audiobookworm Productions.  Good luck!!

Three Lessons in Seduction Giveaway: $50 Amazon Gift Card

Follow the Tour

On the Audiobookwork Productions website.

Mar. 20th:
T's Stuff (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Giveaway)
The Book Junkie Reads . . . (Review, Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)

Mar. 21st:
The Maiden's Court (Review)

Mar. 22nd:
What Is That Book About (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)

Mar. 23rd:
Jazzy Book Reviews (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)
The Bookworm Lodge (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)

Mar. 24th:
Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm (Review, Author Interview)

Mar. 25th:
Lilly's Book World (Review)

Mar. 26th:
The Book Addict's Reviews (Review, Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview)

Copyright © 2018 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: The Woman in the Camphor Trunk by Jennifer Kincheloe

The Woman in the Camphor Trunk by Jennifer Kincheloe
Book 2 in the Anna Blanc Mystery series
Unabridged, 10 hr. 52 min.
Jennifer L. Kincheloe, Ltd
Moira Quirk (Narrator)
December 6, 2017
★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical Mystery/Thriller

Source: Received audio download for review as part of the tour with Audiobookworm Productions

Los Angeles, 1908. In Chinatown, the most dangerous beat in Los Angeles, police matron Anna Blanc and her former sweetheart, Detective Joe Singer, discover the body of a white missionary woman, stuffed in a trunk in the apartment of her Chinese lover. Her lover has fled. If news gets out that a white woman was murdered in Chinatown, there will be a violent backlash against the Chinese. Joe and Anna plan to solve the crime quietly and keep the death a secret. So does good-looking Mr. Jones, a prominent Chinese leader who has mixed feelings about helping the LAPD and about Anna.
Meanwhile, the Hop Sing tong has kidnapped two slave girls from the Bing Kong tong, fuelling existing tensions. They are poised on the verge of a bloody tong war that would put all Chinatown residents in danger.

Joe orders Anna out of Chinatown to keep her safe, but to atone for her own family's sins, Anna must stay to solve the crime before news of the murder is leaked and Chinatown explodes.

Oh dear Anna Blanc, how you get yourself into even bigger scrapes in this book than you did before! One might have thought you would have learned something…but it is just as hilarious, so keep bringing it. That is one thing that I have to mention – while this book is a historical mystery and sometimes thriller, there is so much comedy in the writing and dialogue that it keeps me listening hour after hour!

Book 2 picks up just a short time after the culminating events of the previous installment – Anna is figuring out even more how to navigate the working class world on her own, without her father’s money. But what she lacks in know-how she makes up for in spirit! As she gets herself wrapped up in a case of kidnapped Chinese women and a simmering war in Chinatown, she continuously bests the “real” cops is solving the crime. She knows a little more about the seedy world than she did before, but Chinatown is WAY out of her experience zone, so she is constantly playing catch-up. Through this storyline the author explores many Chinese customs as well as the barriers and stereotypes that the Chinese faced at this time.

I still loved Joe Singer and Anna’s relationship – that push-pull is there no matter how much they fight it, avoid it, and move on, but they are still SO hung up on each other that their working together is HILARIOUS. I loved the scene where Joe is in jail and Anna is intent on taking on solving this crime herself – he is having NONE of it! They are from such different worlds and really want different things in life, but something keeps pulling them back together and some of their best scenes are when they are looking out for each other.

The plot was pretty tight and covered A LOT of ground. There were a couple spots in the middle where I felt we didn’t need to be off on this tangent (while still relevant), but the banter and relationship growth moved me quickly through it enough that I don’t feel that it much affected my enjoyment of the novel. I would pick up another installment in a heartbeat! There is still so much unresolved!

★★★★★

Much like the first book, this was one of THE best audio productions I have listened to. It is excellently narrated. Moira Quirk is someone that would now lead me to pick up a book I’m not even interested in because she could interest me in it through her performance (believe me, I have already went and shelved a few of her other works in my Audible wishlist that are paranormal in genre, which isn’t my typical thing). And a performance it truly is. Quirk doesn’t just read the novel, but imbues Kincheloe’s characters with even more life. As I stated above, Kincheloe wrote some amazing characters that I loved, but Quirk brings out their complete nature to where you feel like they are standing in the room next to you. Yes, each character has their own unique voice, but many narrators do that. However, Quirk not only brings a different voice, but you can envision their mannerisms as well just from the way they are speaking. I’m not sure how she does this, but whatever it is, keep doing it! There is quite the range of nationalities and type of personalities in this novel and Quirk makes them all feel truly real, not cookie cutter or stereotyped. And there is singing! Actual singing! That is one of the things that always disappoints me is when a part that is clearly intended to be sung is instead simply read. And while I know that there are often legitimate reasons this has to be done, it does take away from the experience of the book and colors my perception of it.

Loved the book, loved the production, loved the narrator! Go pick up this book in print (if you don’t listen to books), but I HIGHLY encourage you to check out this audiobook production, it is FANTASTIC and you will not regret it!

You can check out a sample of the audio production by clicking the play button below.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• The Lit Bitch
• The Internet Review of Books

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Jennifer Kincheloe:

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc (Book #1)
[My Review]

Find Jennifer Kincheloe: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Find Moira Quirk: Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

Follow the Tour!

On the Audiobookworm Promotions Webpage

Jan. 4th:

• Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jan. 5th:

• AudioSpy
• The Writing Train

Jan. 6th:

• terriluvsbooks

Jan. 7th:

• The Maiden's Court

Jan. 8th:

• Buried Under Books

Jan. 9th:

• The Book Addict's Reviews

Jan. 10th:

• Jorie Loves A Story
• History from a Woman’s Perspective

Copyright © 2018 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe
Book 1 in the Anna Blanc Mystery Series
Unabridged, 12 hr. 44 min.
Jennifer L. Kincheloe, Ltd.
Moira Quirk (Narrator)
November 14, 2016
★★★★★

Genre: Historical Mystery/Thriller

Source: Received audio download for review as part of the tour with Audiobookworm Productions

It's 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals. Determined to break free of the era's rigid social roles, she buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are covering up. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself.

If the police find out, she'll get fired; if her father finds out, he'll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he'll cancel the wedding.

Anna must choose--either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.

Prepare for me to fan-girl all over this review. You have been warned!

I couldn’t get enough of The Secret Life of Anna Blanc from the moment I picked it up! I listened to it every moment that I had: in the car commuting to work, while at work, while running on the treadmill, out-loud while sitting at home with my husband (which made for some extremely comical discussion!). I didn’t want the book to end and I’m thrilled to learn that this is a series and book 2 is coming out at the end of this year so I can inhale more of Anna Blanc!

One of the things that immediately connected me to this book was the style. It reminded me in many ways of the early Janet Evanovich comedy/romance/mystery novels: girl is completely out of her depths trying to solve a mystery and has no idea what she is doing. Beyond that, Kincheloe’s writing style is full of wit and comedic timing. I was constantly laughing either at what one of the characters was doing or how they were saying it.

Anna is delightfully naïve in the world of the underbelly of society, which makes sense because she comes from money. But she wants to get out and see more of the world, not sit around and wait to get old while her father refuses to find a man for her to marry. She is bold and daring and comes up with an over-the-top way to become employed as a police matron at the local police station. Is she qualified? Not in the slightest. Does she get the job because the man hiring her thinks she is nice to look at? Absolutely.

But despite her lack of skills, somehow Anna manages to get the job done…with a lot help from both willing and unwilling friends and accomplices. Officer Joe Singer is one of those sometimes willing and unwilling friends. Thinking back on it now, he really reminds me a lot of Luke from Gilmore Girls: totally in love with the heroine and will do anything to help her, but will go out of his way to make it seem like a hardship and be grouchy about doing it. I loved how Kincheloe played Anna and Joe off of each other and their conversations were some of the best of the book. The author really knows how to write banter between two people who are so at odds with each other but totally into one another.

Oh, and speaking of the writing – hands down, the best parts were when we get inside Anna’s head and what she is thinking, especially when it comes to romance where she is a complete novice. In terms of what happens in the book, it’s no more than PG-13, but Anna’s thoughts are hilarious in where she takes these rendezvous. (It’s even more hilarious when your husband walks into the room when one of these segments is playing out loud and he abruptly walks back out of the room! I credit the author with some entertaining conversations that arose from this over the rest of the week.)

Beyond the mystery storyline, there is a lot to be said about women, their rights, and how they are perceived during this time. Anna attends a rally for women’s right to vote (really just because she wants to do something sensational), which gets her arrested and infuriates her father. On the job there is a lot of sexist remarks made toward Anna or spoken in front of her (lots of conversations about going to the horse stables with Joe and what that means, true or not). Her father and fiancé are appalled with her antics and want her to be well behaved – she even ends up with a bevy of chaperones and the lengths she goes to in order to get around them are hilarious. Then beyond Anna, there is the whole element of the brothel girls and how the deaths of these girls is handled and how these women are treated. It was all very well integrated into the novel as a whole.

I cannot wait for book 2 to be released and will be on my auto-buy list as I had the most fantastic time reading this book. This is an EXCELLENT debut from this author and I have and will continue to highly recommend this book to everyone I talk with.

★★★★★

You know how I was fan-girling hard above? It continues here too!

This was one of THE best audio productions I have listened to and I am even more impressed as it appears it was published by the author, because the quality is that of one of the big name audiobook publishers. It is excellently narrated. Moira Quirk is someone that would now lead me to pick up a book I’m not even interested in because she could interest me in it through her performance (believe me, I have already went and shelved a few of her other works in my Audible wishlist that are paranormal in genre, which isn’t my typical thing). And a performance it truly is. Quirk doesn’t just read the novel, but imbues Kincheloe’s characters with even more life. As I stated above, Kincheloe wrote some amazing characters that I loved, but Quirk brings out their complete nature to where you feel like they are standing in the room next to you. Yes, each character has their own unique voice, but many narrators do that. However, Quirk not only brings a different voice, but you can envision their mannerisms as well just from the way they are speaking. I’m not sure how she does this, but whatever it is, keep doing it! There is quite the range of nationalities and type of personalities in this novel and Quirk makes them all feel truly real, not cookie cutter or stereotyped. And there is singing! Actual singing! That is one of the things that always disappoints me is when a part that is clearly intended to be sung is instead simply read. And while I know that there are often legitimate reasons this has to be done, it does take away from the experience of the book and colors my perception of it.

Loved the book, loved the production, loved the narrator! Go pick up this book in print (if you don’t listen to books), but I HIGHLY encourage you to check out this audiobook production, it is FANTASTIC and you will not regret it!

You can check out a sample of the audio production by clicking the play button!

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• A Bookaholic Swede
• The Lit Bitch

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Jennifer Kincheloe:

The Woman in the Camphor Trunk (Book 2)
(Coming Nov 2017)

Find Jennifer Kincheloe: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Find Moira Quirk: Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

Follow the Tour!

Audiobookworm Productions Webpage

Mar. 1: Chapter Break (Review, Spotlight, Dream Cast, & Narrator Interview)

Mar. 2: Candid Ceillie (Review & Author Interview)

Mar. 3: The Bookworm Central (Review); Rolo Polo Book Blog (Spotlight & Music Playlist)

Mar. 4: Lilly's Book World (Review)

Mar. 5: The Desert Bibliophile (Review & Spotlight)

Mar. 6: A Bookaholic Swede (Review); terriluvsbooks (Review & Dream Cast)

Mar. 7: Working Mommy Journal (Review)

Mar. 8: The Maiden's Court (Review) – Here!; The Bookworm Lodge (Spotlight); A Literary Vacation (Review)

Mar. 9: Babs Book Bistro (Review & Spotlight)

Mar. 10: Dab of Darkness (Review); Desert Rose Reviews (Review, Music Playlist, & Dream Cast)

Mar. 11: Literature Approved (Review); Spunky 'n Sassy (Review & Spotlight)

Mar. 12: History From A Woman's Perspective (Review)

Mar. 13: Jorie Loves A Story (Review); Bound4Escape (Review)

Mar. 14: A Page To Turn (Review & Dream Cast); XOXO Book Blog (Music Playlist); Ronelle Antoinette (Narrator Interview)

 

Copyright © 2017 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Unabridged, 10 hr. 7 min.

Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Morven Christie & Lucy Gaskell (Narrators)

June 6, 2012

★★★★★

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Downloaded from Audible (Personal Purchase)

I have two weeks. You'll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine - and I will do anything, anything to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France - an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

Wow – I’m trying to come down off this high from reading this book, and my thoughts might be a little scattered as I process it all – but I absolutely wanted to share this book with you right now and not scatter it further down my review calendar.

Code Name Verity is a story of friendship, a story of women behind the lines during WWII, and a story of bravery. It’s a historical thriller that will grab you from the opening lines and just carry you all the way to the end; there is truly no lull in the action. From the outset, you know what type of peril is on the line for our narrator – that isn’t a surprise – but everything that led up to the current situation and what occur during and after is intense.

The structure of this novel is told through two narrators, Queenie and Maddie, but it is not told through alternating narration. Queenie leads us through the first half of the novel telling us their backstory and how she came to be a “guest” of the gestapo as she puts forth her confession for them. Interspersed throughout that narrative she tells us about what is happening during her stay with the Nazis, her frustrations, and other little excerpts. The second half of the novel is told by Maddie as she writes in her journal documenting what has happened since the two of them were separated and everything that is being done to bring her home, she also brings an alternative telling to some of the events that Queenie told us about. It really is a fantastic way of telling this story.

This novel also brings a different thread to the greater drama of WWII, beyond the typical story of women on the homefront or men on the front lines. It crosses all of those boundaries and then some.

★★★★★

This was, hands down, one of THE best audio book productions I have EVER listened to! The narrators were both AMAZING! Sure, they had incredible accents, that’s always helpful when those are done well as we all know that terrible accents can destroy a wonderful book, but that is certainly not all. The pacing of their reading was spot-on – every terrifying, exhilarating, and infuriating moment was perfectly portrayed here by these narrators. There was singing and shouting and whispering. Each portrayed one of the young women that this novel revolves around and lived within their skin – they WERE Queenie and Maddie. I could not have asked for more from the production.

I not only recommend this book, but I strongly recommend it in audio book version.

Check out a sample of this excellent narration:

 
Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• The Book Smugglers
• The Book Monsters

 
Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

 
Also by Elizabeth Wein:

Rose Under Fire

Black Dove, White Raven

 
Find Elizabeth Wein: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

Find the Narrators: Lucy Gaskell and Morven Christie
 

 

Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Galerie by Steven Greenberg & Giveaway

Galerie by Steven Greenberg
ARC, e-book, 246 pages
Evolved Publishing LLC
October 24, 2015
★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller, Literary

Source: Received for review as part of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour

Every family has secrets, but some are far darker, reach deeper, and touch a rawer nerve than others.

The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Vanesa Neuman’s childhood in the cramped intimacy of south Tel Aviv is shadowed by her parents’ unspoken wartime experiences. The past for her was a closed book... until her father passes away and that book falls literally open. Vanesa must now unravel the mystery of the diary she has received—and the strange symbol within—at all costs.

From Jerusalem, to the backstreets of Prague, and into the former “paradise ghetto” of Theresienstadt, Vanesa’s journey of understanding will reveal a seventy-year-old secret darker than she could have ever imagined.

After reading the final pages of Galerie by Steven Greenberg I felt like I had not stopped to take a breath for the last 30 pages at least! And the majority of the book was that way as well. Greenberg keeps the reader on their toes, never knowing which way the plot is going to turn next. Despite a page count that is less than 250 pages, you never once get the feeling that it is that short as the story is so full of twists and shockers. The plot of this novel definitely had a feel similar to The Da Vinci Code, where one discovery just spirals into the next and sucks the reader along in the intrigue. This is not only a story of events that transpired during World War II, but also the lingering effects on those who survived the Holocaust and the next generation. This was a new angle to the WWII story for me.

I didn’t necessarily love the format of the story – I struggled with it initially, but after the first half of the novel I started to get used to it. I struggled with 2 things: that the narrator did not really experience any of the events himself, it is mostly all second hand knowledge so I found him to be an unreliable narrator. There is even a scene where he imagines what might have happened and then tells the reader that he has no knowledge that this happened at all. The second thing was that the storytelling jumps all over the place in the timeline. You will go from the 1990s back to the 1940s and then the next chapter is the 1980s and there are different family members whose stories are being told. It all comes together and ultimately works, but I had a hard time keeping the storylines straight throughout.

Despite the stylistic quirks that troubled me early on, the story being told rocked!


Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Man of La Book
• Library Educated

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

     Available on Kindle Right Now for Only $2.99!!!

 
Also by Steven Greenberg:

Enfold Me

 








Find Steven Greenberg: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 
Giveaway!!

I have the opportunity to offer one e-book copy of Galerie to offer to one reader and it is open worldwide!!  Here are the rules:

– Must be 18 or older to enter.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– All entries are made through the Rafflecopter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour

On the HFVBT Website

On Twitter: #GalerieBlogTour #HistoricalFiction

Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell

Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell
Book 2 in the Thomas de Quincey series
ARC, 352 pages
Mulholland Books
March 24, 2015
★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller

Source: Received from publisher as part of HFVBT tour

The year is 1855. The Crimean War is raging. The incompetence of British commanders causes the fall of the English government. The Empire teeters.

Amid this crisis comes opium-eater Thomas De Quincey, one of the most notorious and brilliant personalities of Victorian England. Along with his irrepressible daughter, Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions, Ryan and Becker, De Quincey finds himself confronted by an adversary who threatens the heart of the nation.

This killer targets members of the upper echelons of British society, leaving with each corpse the name of someone who previously attempted to kill Queen Victoria. The evidence indicates that the ultimate victim will be Victoria herself. As De Quincey and Emily race to protect the queen, they uncover long-buried secrets and the heartbreaking past of a man whose lust for revenge has destroyed his soul.

Brilliantly merging historical fact with fiction, Inspector of the Dead is based on actual attempts to assassinate Queen Victoria.

When I started this book, I honestly couldn’t remember what had happened during Murder as a Fine Art – so I had no idea what to expect from reading this one. The only thing I remembered what that I had really enjoyed the previous book. And guess what, I really enjoyed this one too! I absolutely inhaled this one.

Thomas de Quincey, his daughter, Emily, and Scotland Yard men Ryan and Becker are all back and up to their necks in another murder mystery that is somehow surrounding Queen Victoria. The relationships and connections between these characters builds on the first book in a very natural manner. These are characters that I easily fell in love with during Murder as a Fine Art and just grew more dear. Again we travel from those seedy locales to the palace of the Queen and everywhere in between as Victorian London comes to vivid life in the pages of this book. Morrell is one of the best writers I have found to express the Victorian world in a way that is palpable to readers.

When looking back at my review of Murder as a Fine Art, one of the things that I found interesting was how my perception had changed over the style of the book. While reading the first book, I found that I did not really appreciate the shifting perspectives as well as the shift between narration and the journaling of Emily de Quincey. While reading Inspector of the Dead, I did like how these different sections were utilized to move the plot forward. I’m not sure if it is just that I was more used to the style after having read the first book or if the nature of the story being told just fit better with the style.

I never saw the resolution of this mystery coming – I actually was misled in another direction – which is a great mark of a mystery novel where they can tend to be very formulaic. I can’t wait to see what Morrell has up his sleeve for another book in this series as he finds these little nuggets of history to spin his mystery/thriller.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book? On Morrell’s website he has some great photoessays on the locations featured in the book – check them out (about halfway down the page)!

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Mina’s Bookshelf
• Back Porchervations

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

 

Also by David Morrell:

David Morrell has written many contemporary set thrillers, of those, his historical thrillers are as follows:

Murder as a Fine Art (Thomas de Quincey book 1)
[My Review]

The Opium Eater (Thomas de Quincey short story)

Find David Morrell: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+

Follow the Tour!

On Twitter: #InspectoroftheDeadBlogTour    #HistoricalMystery

HFVBT Tour Page

 

 

Copyright © 2015 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Tudor Vendetta by C.W. Gortner

The Tudor Vendetta by C.W. Gortner
Book 3 in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles
ARC, E-book, 304 pages
St. Martin’s Griffin
October 21, 2014
★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical Fiction - Thriller

Source: Received for review from publisher as part of HFVBT tour

“Winter, 1558: Elizabeth I has ascended the throne but the first days of her reign are already fraught with turmoil, the kingdom weakened by strife and her ability to rule uncertain.

Summoned from exile abroad at the new queen's behest, Brendan Prescott arrives in London to face his shattered past. He soon finds himself pitted in deadly rivalry with his life-long foe, Robert Dudley, but when a poison attempt overshadows the queen’s coronation, Elizabeth privately dispatches Brendan on a far more dangerous assignation: to find her favored lady-in-waiting, Lady Parry, who has vanished in Yorkshire.

Upon his arrival at the crumbling sea-side manor that may hold the key to Lady Parry's disappearance, he encounters a strange, impoverished family beset by grief, as well as mounting evidence that they hide a secret from him. The mystery surrounding Lady Parry deepens as Brendan begins to realize there is far more going on at the manor than meets the eye, but the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery, the more he becomes the quarry of an elusive stranger with a vendetta— one that could expose both his own buried identity and a long-hidden revelation that will bring about Elizabeth's doom.

From the intrigue-laden passages of Whitehall to a foreboding Catholic manor and the prisons of the Tower, Brendan must risk everything to unravel a vendetta that strikes at the very core of his world, including his loyalty to his queen.”

The first two books in the Elizabeth I Spymaster series I ate right up – amazing as they were. I took The Tudor Vendetta with me on my recent vacation and finished the whole thing on the flight! Yes, it is that good (the flight wasn’t that long)! While the third book might wrap up the trilogy (please write some more stories for Brendan!) it blazes ahead at the same speed as its predecessors to a satisfying conclusion.

As is the case with Gortner’s novels, the characters are so lifelike and real you can envision yourself in their shoes or encountering them in some dark alleyway. They pull at your heartstrings or make you incredibly angry with their actions. As Brendan is employed by Cecil, he is always right in the thick of some intrigue, danger, or otherwise shady circumstance. Brendan is a true HF hunk.

As has been the case with the drama Brendan has been tied up with in the past, what he faces here is not a plot twist that I saw coming. Gortner does a great job of grounding the plot in historical reality, but also playing with some of the rumors and scandals from the Tudor era to add some depth to the intrigue. Certainly plausible, definitely entertaining.

I’m saddened that we have reached the end of the Spymaster trilogy, but the novel closed with what isn’t a definitive ending, so I hope someday to be treated to more of the thrill that this series is.

Author C.W. Gortner also has written The Tudor Secret (book 1) and The Tudor Conspiracy (book 2) among other novels. You can visit Gortner’s website or blog for additional information about the book. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

My reviews of other books by this author:

• The Tudor Secret
• The Tudor Conspiracy
• The Queen’s Vow
• The Confessions of Catherine de Medici

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Reading the Ages
• Bloggabook Book Reviews

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

You can follow along with the rest of the tour by visiting the HFVBT site or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #TudorVendettaBlogTour.

There is also a tour wide giveaway (it is being hosted on all the blogs on the tour and the winner will be selected by the tour coordinator).   It's a pretty epic giveaway too, for a complete set of the Spymaster Trilogy!! Get your entries in!  Here are the rules:

• Open to residents of the USA
• Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on November 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
• Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on November 29th and notified via email.
• Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen
• Entries are made through the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner

The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner
Book 2 in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles
Paperback, 352 pages
St. Martin’s Griffin
July 16, 2013
★★★★½☆

Genre: Historical Fiction - Thriller

Source: Received for review from publisher as part of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour

Winter 1554. Brendan Prescott, spymaster to the Princess Elizabeth, has discovered that he is connected to the Tudors by blood as well as allegiance. Though his secret is known only by a few, it could be his downfall as he is called to London to protect the princess.

Accompanied by his young squire Peregrine, he reluctantly leaves his sweetheart Kate behind - but in the city he discovers that no one is quite what they seem. What fate does Queen Mary intend for her sister? Is Robert Dudley somehow manipulating the princess, even though he is locked in the Tower? And should Brendan trust the alluring Sybilla, Mary's lady-in-waiting, who professes to be on his side?

As he tries to unravel the mysteries of the Tudor court Brendan's life will be put in danger many times, and along the way he learns more about his own past.

If you remember, when I wrote my review of The Tudor Secret in February 2011, I crowed, “Best Book of 2011!”. While this may not be my #1 favorite of 2013, it will inevitably be within my top 5 reads this year (it will be hard to beat out my love for Roses by Leila Meacham which I read a few months ago). I’m always slightly hesitant when reading the second book in a series – especially when I really enjoyed book one – but I am pleased to say that there is no sophomore slump here.

While the plotline of this novel deals primarily with the Wyatt Rebellion, which I didn’t previously know much about, the heft of the emotional plotline is the backstory of our hero, Brendan. He learns a lot about himself throughout the span of these pages and really has to grapple with emotions and various questions of conscience. These events will change him as a character is some ways I’m sure.

There was great drama and pacing of the novel – which is a strength which the author does well. While we do get to spend time with some of the favorite characters from the prior novel, more time is focused on some newer characters. I was sad about this in some ways, but the characters are well developed and I enjoyed them just as much.

My only complaint was that at times it was difficult to remember which of his two identities, Brendan was at any given time; and further, who knows him as which name. I would hazard that the author found this to be a challenge as well. At one point, Queen Mary refers to Brendan as “Mr. Prescott” when all along she and 95% of the court have only known him as Daniel Beecham (pg. 74). As neither Brendan nor any of the other characters reacted to this incorrect name, I’m assuming that it wasn’t meant to be some sort of revelation.

Overall a great second book in this series and I can’t wait for more. Gortner makes the Tudor court once again new and exciting!

Author C.W. Gortner has written several biographical novels as well as book 1 in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, The Tudor Secret. You can visit the author’s website or blog for additional information about the book. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

My reviews of other books by this author:

• Confessions of Catherine de Medici
• The Queen’s Vow
• The Tudor Secret
• The Tudor Vendetta

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Paternoster Row Legacy
• The Tudor Book Blog

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour by visiting the HFVBT website or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #TudorConspiracyTour.

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell

Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell
E-Book (Kindle), 368 pages
Mulholland Books
May 7, 2013
★★★★½☆

Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller

Source: Received through Netgalley as part of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour

“GASLIT LONDON IS BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES IN DAVID MORRELL'S BRILLIANT HISTORICAL THRILLER.

Thomas De Quincey, infamous for his memoir ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater,’is the major suspect in a series of ferocious mass murders identical to ones that terrorized London forty-three years earlier.

The blueprint for the killings seems to be De Quincey's essay ‘On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts.’ Desperate to clear his name but crippled by opium addiction, De Quincey is aided by his devoted daughter Emily and a pair of determined Scotland Yard detectives.
In Murder as a Fine Art,David Morrell plucks De Quincey, Victorian London, and the Ratcliffe Highway murders from history. Fogbound streets become a battleground between a literary star and a brilliant murderer, whose lives are linked by secrets long buried but never forgotten.”

This was one powerful novel. At every turn the reader is taken by surprise and the suspense keeps you moving on to that next page. You don’t know who the murderer is until the author wants you to know – I dare you to guess in advance and see if you are right!  The style very much reminds me of Dan Simmons in The Terror.

The point of view of this novel was interesting. You get both 3^rd person omniscient, which is more of a rarity, as well as 1^st person in the form of a series of journal entries. While I didn’t mind either the 3^rd person omniscient or 1^st person on its own, I didn’t really like them juxtaposed one after another. It didn’t seem like the segues between them made sense. If hard pressed, I would state that I didn’t find much value in the journal entries of Emily De Quincey. Her character seemed to be with the others who were being narrated about in the other sections and we didn’t learn anything new from these sections. According to an author’s note, this POV style was used in keeping with the styling of a Victorian sensation novel and in accordance with the time period and events transpiring in the novel, which I find admirable, however as this isn’t a style I’m used to, it was a little difficult to adapt to.

There were also some awkward areas where the novel seemingly turned into a non-fiction. The author would begin doing a lot more telling and a lot less showing. The things that he was choosing to explain I didn’t feel needed explaining necessarily; it felt jarring and unnecessary.

I do have to admit that I loved the characters. Detective Inspector Ryan and Constable Becker were my two favorites. I enjoyed learning about the early use of forensics within Scotland Yard as well as the understanding of medicine. These two men were quite admirable and were enjoyable to read about in every scene, especially when they were in them together. I wouldn’t mind seeing them in a series.

Author David Morrell has written many other books within the thriller/mystery category, but as far as I can tell, this is his first historical. You can visit his website for additional information about the book.

You can also watch the book trailer below:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Quite Bookish
• So Many Books, So Little Time

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour by visiting the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour site or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #MurderAsAFineArtTour.

Also, as part of the tour, I have a giveaway opportunity for one lucky person from the United States.  Simply make your entries in the Rafflecopter below before June 2nd to have a chance to win.  The giveaway is sponsored as part of the HFVBT tour for the book and will be mailed out by the publisher. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court