Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: Londinium, Britannia, - London, England 75 AD
First Sentence: "It depends what we mean by civilization," the procurator mused.
This book is the fourteenth novel in Davis's Falco mystery series.
In the previous Falco novel, Falco has been sent to Britannia by the emperor. Traveling with Falco are his wife Helena, their young daughters, Falco's sister Maia, her children, and Falco's pal Petro. The emperor wanted Falco to investigate the finances of the local tribal king's new palace. As part of the solution, a warrior named Verovolcus is exiled to Gaul.
On the way home, the entourage has stopped in Londinium to visit Helena's aunt. Unfortunately, a British warrior has been found dead. It seems that the deceased warrior "accidentally" drowned in a well near a bar. I turns out that the victim is Verovolcus. Of course, Falco is asked to investigate.
As Falco begins to investigate the case, he begins to feel that he is being stonewalled. But he keeps his eyes open. Soon he begins to notice that Roman mobsters have been operating in Londinium. Some how the warrior's death is connected to the mobsters' activities. So Falco begins to gather the evidence needed to arrest the criminals.
During his investigation, Falco renews his acquaintance with a female gladiator named Amazonia. Once, Falco and Amazonia were lovers, long before he and Helena met. Of course, that doesn't keep Helena from feeling jealous.
This novel reads more like a thriller than a mystery. For most of the story, we are following Falco as he learns about the gangsters. There is lots of action and danger. There is a gladiator style battle to the death in the arena. And in the end the characters have to live with a less than perfect conclusion.
In this novel, Davis introduces the character Albia. Albia is a British orphan. In future novels she becomes part of Falco and Helena's family. She is also the main character in "The Ides of April", the first novel in another historical mystery series by Lindsey Davis.
I like Davis's writing style. In Falco she has created a great character. And I enjoy reading about him.
Check out my eBook!
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis
Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: Rome, 89 AD
First Sentence: Lucius was three years old when his mother took her eyes off him and he ran out of the house to play.
Lindsey Davis is one of my favorite authors. She is the author of the twenty novel Marcus Didius Falco historical mystery series. Set in the first century AD, these novels feature a most unique main character. Falco is an informer, what we would call an investigator. He is Rome's version of Sam Spade: tough, with an eye for detail, and a sense of justice.
Flavia Alba, the main character of this novel, is the adopted daughter of Falco. Unlike most Roman women, she lives by herself and is self supporting. Like her father she too is an informer. She also has a tough spirit and keen sense of justice.
The action of this novel takes place twelve years after the Falco novel "Nemesis." One of Flavia's clients has died under mysterious circumstances - suddenly and without obvious wounds. After making some inquiries, Flavia finds that several other people have died under similar circumstances.
Flavia then learns that the authorities are aware of the mysterious deaths. At first, they ask Flavia to stop investigating the case. The authorities are afraid of frightening the populace. Soon, the authorities learn that Flavia's investigations are helpful in solving the case.
While working on the case, Flavia makes some visits to her interesting family, and she acquires a friend/love interest.
As she gets closer to solving the case, Flavia learns that she and her brother are at risk.
Will Flavia discover the identity of the murderer before she and her brother become victims?
I enjoyed this mystery. I was successful in identifying the culprit before the reveal. And the action surrounding the capture of the murderer kept my interest to the very end of the novel.
If you are a fan of Falco, you will enjoy this novel. It is written in a similar easy to read style. If you haven't read the Falco books, this novel is a good introduction to Davis's writing style. It's a stand-alone novel that introduces a great new character. I look forward to reading more novels about Flavia Alba in ancient Rome.
Check out my eBook!
Setting: Rome, 89 AD
First Sentence: Lucius was three years old when his mother took her eyes off him and he ran out of the house to play.
Lindsey Davis is one of my favorite authors. She is the author of the twenty novel Marcus Didius Falco historical mystery series. Set in the first century AD, these novels feature a most unique main character. Falco is an informer, what we would call an investigator. He is Rome's version of Sam Spade: tough, with an eye for detail, and a sense of justice.
Flavia Alba, the main character of this novel, is the adopted daughter of Falco. Unlike most Roman women, she lives by herself and is self supporting. Like her father she too is an informer. She also has a tough spirit and keen sense of justice.
The action of this novel takes place twelve years after the Falco novel "Nemesis." One of Flavia's clients has died under mysterious circumstances - suddenly and without obvious wounds. After making some inquiries, Flavia finds that several other people have died under similar circumstances.
Flavia then learns that the authorities are aware of the mysterious deaths. At first, they ask Flavia to stop investigating the case. The authorities are afraid of frightening the populace. Soon, the authorities learn that Flavia's investigations are helpful in solving the case.
While working on the case, Flavia makes some visits to her interesting family, and she acquires a friend/love interest.
As she gets closer to solving the case, Flavia learns that she and her brother are at risk.
Will Flavia discover the identity of the murderer before she and her brother become victims?
I enjoyed this mystery. I was successful in identifying the culprit before the reveal. And the action surrounding the capture of the murderer kept my interest to the very end of the novel.
If you are a fan of Falco, you will enjoy this novel. It is written in a similar easy to read style. If you haven't read the Falco books, this novel is a good introduction to Davis's writing style. It's a stand-alone novel that introduces a great new character. I look forward to reading more novels about Flavia Alba in ancient Rome.
Check out my eBook!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Bloody Rain by Rick Spilman
Genre: Short Story
Setting: Aboard the Queen Charlotte, a three masted iron bark, in India during the 1880's.
First sentence: The Queen Charlotte was anchored fore and aft off the Calcutta wharves in the Hoogly River, waiting for cargo.
Captain John McPherson is a cruel taskmaster. He treats his crew harshly, and is not above using physical violence to enforce his rule.
When he kills one of his crew members, he descends into madness.
Ultimately, the captain's own harshness brings about his own punishment.
I liked this short story. It reminded me of other "guilty conscience" type stories. For me, it provided a nice break between heavier tomes.
Check out my eBook!
Setting: Aboard the Queen Charlotte, a three masted iron bark, in India during the 1880's.
First sentence: The Queen Charlotte was anchored fore and aft off the Calcutta wharves in the Hoogly River, waiting for cargo.
Captain John McPherson is a cruel taskmaster. He treats his crew harshly, and is not above using physical violence to enforce his rule.
When he kills one of his crew members, he descends into madness.
Ultimately, the captain's own harshness brings about his own punishment.
I liked this short story. It reminded me of other "guilty conscience" type stories. For me, it provided a nice break between heavier tomes.
Check out my eBook!
Hostile Shores by Dewey Lambdin
Genre: Nautical Fiction
Setting: 1805-1806, at sea, in England, and in foreign lands during the Napoleonic Wars.
First Sentence: A jaunt ashore would clear his head and provide a brief but welcome diversion from his hew responsibility and worry, he was sure of it.
FYI: Some adult content.
This novel is the nineteenth in Lambdin's Alan Lewrie Naval Adventure series.
In the grand tradition of naval fiction, the author follows his main character as his career progresses from midshipman to captain during the Napoleonic wars. In Captain Sir Alan Lewrie, Lambdin has created a unique and memorable main character.
Lewrie is a bold captain who will lead his crew into battle. Even if he is against long odds. His crew likes him because he rarely uses the cat to enforce discipline.
At the beginning of this novel, Lewrie is the commanding officer of the British Navy's small contingent protecting the Bahamas. There is a rumor that the French fleet is in the area. When a squadron of warships approaches, Lewrie leads his small group of vessels in a suicidal mission to defend the port. At the last moment, just before Lewrie opens fire, the approaching ships identify themselves as British. Lewrie's reaction to this ill-conceived jape puts him in bad graces with the new commander.
Thus, Lewrie gets orders to return to England to have his ship refitted. Lewrie's unexpected arrival, and lack of further orders, makes his ship a low priority.
Fortunately, Lewrie knows how to navigate the bureaucracy of the Admiralty offices. He finagles orders to join a combined navy and army force headed to South Africa to take the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Town from the Dutch.
After a month of refitting and visiting with his love interest, the Lady Lydia Stangbourne, Lewrie joins a convoy headed to Africa. Along the way, Lewrie learns about the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Lord Nelson.
After the conquest of Cape Town, Lewrie's ship becomes a part of an expeditionary force organized by Commodore Popham. Popham has a grand idea to become the next great naval hero. Acting without orders, he sails to Argentina to "liberate" the Argentinians from Spanish control. Lewrie knows that this invasion is a fool's errand.
Can Lewrie find glory for his ship and crew without becoming entangled in what is sure to be a failed mission?
In Lewrie, Lambdin has created a unique hero. And in this novel, Lambdin tells a realistic tale of a ship's captain.
I enjoyed reading this novel. And, I enjoyed reading about the exploits of Captain Lewrie.
Check out my eBook!
Setting: 1805-1806, at sea, in England, and in foreign lands during the Napoleonic Wars.
First Sentence: A jaunt ashore would clear his head and provide a brief but welcome diversion from his hew responsibility and worry, he was sure of it.
FYI: Some adult content.
This novel is the nineteenth in Lambdin's Alan Lewrie Naval Adventure series.
In the grand tradition of naval fiction, the author follows his main character as his career progresses from midshipman to captain during the Napoleonic wars. In Captain Sir Alan Lewrie, Lambdin has created a unique and memorable main character.
Lewrie is a bold captain who will lead his crew into battle. Even if he is against long odds. His crew likes him because he rarely uses the cat to enforce discipline.
At the beginning of this novel, Lewrie is the commanding officer of the British Navy's small contingent protecting the Bahamas. There is a rumor that the French fleet is in the area. When a squadron of warships approaches, Lewrie leads his small group of vessels in a suicidal mission to defend the port. At the last moment, just before Lewrie opens fire, the approaching ships identify themselves as British. Lewrie's reaction to this ill-conceived jape puts him in bad graces with the new commander.
Thus, Lewrie gets orders to return to England to have his ship refitted. Lewrie's unexpected arrival, and lack of further orders, makes his ship a low priority.
Fortunately, Lewrie knows how to navigate the bureaucracy of the Admiralty offices. He finagles orders to join a combined navy and army force headed to South Africa to take the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Town from the Dutch.
After a month of refitting and visiting with his love interest, the Lady Lydia Stangbourne, Lewrie joins a convoy headed to Africa. Along the way, Lewrie learns about the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Lord Nelson.
After the conquest of Cape Town, Lewrie's ship becomes a part of an expeditionary force organized by Commodore Popham. Popham has a grand idea to become the next great naval hero. Acting without orders, he sails to Argentina to "liberate" the Argentinians from Spanish control. Lewrie knows that this invasion is a fool's errand.
Can Lewrie find glory for his ship and crew without becoming entangled in what is sure to be a failed mission?
In Lewrie, Lambdin has created a unique hero. And in this novel, Lambdin tells a realistic tale of a ship's captain.
I enjoyed reading this novel. And, I enjoyed reading about the exploits of Captain Lewrie.
Check out my eBook!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Hell Around the Horn by Rick Spilman
Genre: Nautical Fiction
Setting: Aboard the Lady Rebecca, a sailing ship, in 1905.
First Sentence: Captain William Jones paused on the bridge wing as the MormacMar steamed up the River Plate.
This novel is based upon real ship and its passage around the Horn in 1905.
As Captain William Jones is bringing his ship into port in Uruguay, he spies a rusted hulk beached on the shore. He recognizes the abandoned derelict. It is the Lady Rebecca. The Lady Rebecca was one of the last of a dying breed, a square rigged sailing ship still operating at the beginning of the 20th century. She was a steel hulled, three masted windjammer.
It was in this ship that Captain Jones took his first sea voyage as an apprentice.
On June 11, 1905, the Lady Rebecca left Cardiff, Wales carrying a load of coal, bound for the port of Pisagua, Chile. On board are twenty able seamen, four apprentices, the ship's officers, and the captain's wife and two children.
After 139 days at sea, the ship finally arrives at her destination. Along the way there have been terrible hardships. There was a fire in the cargo hold. They spent 71 days battling freezing weather and contrary winds while rounding the horn. Four seamen lost their lives. Many were injured or sick. And there was the threat of a mutiny.
The tale of this voyage makes for a thrilling story of adventure on the high seas. Spilman tells the tale of this fateful voyage through the eyes of William, the Captain, his wife, and an American sailor. Through their experiences we get a glimpse of the realities and hardships faced by sailors during the Age of Sail.
The author does a great job of integrating actual maritime vocabulary into his telling of the story. He has also added a glossary of nautical terms to help the reader understand that colorful jargon.
In my opinion, this novel would be a great place to start if you're interested in trying out nautical fiction. And for those who are experienced readers of this genre, it's an exciting ocean going yarn.
Check out my eBook!
Setting: Aboard the Lady Rebecca, a sailing ship, in 1905.
First Sentence: Captain William Jones paused on the bridge wing as the MormacMar steamed up the River Plate.
This novel is based upon real ship and its passage around the Horn in 1905.
As Captain William Jones is bringing his ship into port in Uruguay, he spies a rusted hulk beached on the shore. He recognizes the abandoned derelict. It is the Lady Rebecca. The Lady Rebecca was one of the last of a dying breed, a square rigged sailing ship still operating at the beginning of the 20th century. She was a steel hulled, three masted windjammer.
It was in this ship that Captain Jones took his first sea voyage as an apprentice.
On June 11, 1905, the Lady Rebecca left Cardiff, Wales carrying a load of coal, bound for the port of Pisagua, Chile. On board are twenty able seamen, four apprentices, the ship's officers, and the captain's wife and two children.
After 139 days at sea, the ship finally arrives at her destination. Along the way there have been terrible hardships. There was a fire in the cargo hold. They spent 71 days battling freezing weather and contrary winds while rounding the horn. Four seamen lost their lives. Many were injured or sick. And there was the threat of a mutiny.
The tale of this voyage makes for a thrilling story of adventure on the high seas. Spilman tells the tale of this fateful voyage through the eyes of William, the Captain, his wife, and an American sailor. Through their experiences we get a glimpse of the realities and hardships faced by sailors during the Age of Sail.
The author does a great job of integrating actual maritime vocabulary into his telling of the story. He has also added a glossary of nautical terms to help the reader understand that colorful jargon.
In my opinion, this novel would be a great place to start if you're interested in trying out nautical fiction. And for those who are experienced readers of this genre, it's an exciting ocean going yarn.
Check out my eBook!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Behold a Pale Horse by Peter Tremayne
Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: Northern Italy, A.D. 664
First Sentence: The elderly man was obviously a religieux.
This novel is the 22nd book in Tremayne's Sister Fidelma series. In the chronology of the series, the action in this novel takes place immediately after The Shroud for the Archbishop.
Sister Fidelma is a religieux, essentially a nun. In Ireland she is a highly trained and respected lawyer. She is also a princess. Her father was the king, and her brother is the heir apparent to the throne of Muman, in Ireland.
In this novel, Fidelma is returning to Ireland. She had been in Rome. There she solved a mystery with the help of a Saxon monk named Eadulf.
On her way home, her ship is damaged. While she is waiting for another ship, Fidelma helps to save an elderly religieux from an attack. While talking to the elderly religieux she discovers that a former tutor and mentor of hers is sick and near death in a nearby abbey. Fidelma decides to go to the abbey to visit him.
Once at the abbey, Fidelma finds herself in an unsettling situation. The local warlords are planning attacks. The local clergy are threatening each other over competing religious beliefs. In addition, several people, including her old tutor, warn her that there is evil in the abbey and advise her to leave.
When Fidelma's tutor dies, she knows that he has been murdered. Fidelma begins to gather clues, however her investigation is made difficult because Fidelma is just a visitor to the abbey, and has no authority to investigate. In the end, six people have been slain. Among them are a shepherd boy, his mother, a monk, and a prince's nurse.
Who is the murderer, and why is he killing his victims? As the warlords plan their attacks, can Fidelma unravel the mystery in time to avoid more unnecessary deaths?
This mystery had me stumped. I didn't know the identity of the culprit until the author revealed it. This novel was a great read - a fine addition to a very good historical mystery series.
Check out my eBook!
Setting: Northern Italy, A.D. 664
First Sentence: The elderly man was obviously a religieux.
This novel is the 22nd book in Tremayne's Sister Fidelma series. In the chronology of the series, the action in this novel takes place immediately after The Shroud for the Archbishop.
Sister Fidelma is a religieux, essentially a nun. In Ireland she is a highly trained and respected lawyer. She is also a princess. Her father was the king, and her brother is the heir apparent to the throne of Muman, in Ireland.
In this novel, Fidelma is returning to Ireland. She had been in Rome. There she solved a mystery with the help of a Saxon monk named Eadulf.
On her way home, her ship is damaged. While she is waiting for another ship, Fidelma helps to save an elderly religieux from an attack. While talking to the elderly religieux she discovers that a former tutor and mentor of hers is sick and near death in a nearby abbey. Fidelma decides to go to the abbey to visit him.
Once at the abbey, Fidelma finds herself in an unsettling situation. The local warlords are planning attacks. The local clergy are threatening each other over competing religious beliefs. In addition, several people, including her old tutor, warn her that there is evil in the abbey and advise her to leave.
When Fidelma's tutor dies, she knows that he has been murdered. Fidelma begins to gather clues, however her investigation is made difficult because Fidelma is just a visitor to the abbey, and has no authority to investigate. In the end, six people have been slain. Among them are a shepherd boy, his mother, a monk, and a prince's nurse.
Who is the murderer, and why is he killing his victims? As the warlords plan their attacks, can Fidelma unravel the mystery in time to avoid more unnecessary deaths?
This mystery had me stumped. I didn't know the identity of the culprit until the author revealed it. This novel was a great read - a fine addition to a very good historical mystery series.
Check out my eBook!
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