Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: Eleventh century England, after the Norman conquest.
First sentence: It took three strong men to help him into the saddle.
This novel is the seventh in Marston's Domesday Book series.
After gaining control of England, the Norman king ordered a recording of all the land in England. This record, the Domesday Book, detailed all of the parcels of land in England, and their rightful owners.
In Marston's novels, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret lead a group of King's commissioners. Their duty is to visit the various towns and villages. There, the commissioners investigate inconsistencies and errors in the Domesday Book. The arrival of the commission is often a cause of concern for the local land owners. Many of whom claim ownership of land that is not legally theirs.
In this installment of the series, the King's commissioners have arrived at Chester castle near the Welsh border. The castle belongs to Earl Hugh. Hugh is a man with a large appetite and a short temper. Several untimely deaths in nearby Delamere Forest have convinced Hugh that the Welsh are planning an invasion. Earl Hugh is holding a Welsh prince hostage in the castle's dungeon.
Why would the Welsh endanger the life of their prince by rebelling?
Can Ralph and Gervase discover the truth behind the killings and avert a bloody battle?
This novel is another satisfying tale in Marston's Domesday series. I always enjoy the unique characters who people his novels. And I thoroughly enjoy his entertaining dialog.
Check out my eBook
Friday, September 27, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Silver Lies by Ann Parker
Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: A mining town high in the Rocky Mountains during the Colorado Silver Rush of the 1880's.
First sentence: If there was an arctic version of hell, Joe Rose was living it in Leadville, Colorado.
This novel is the first in Parker's Silver Rush mystery series.
Leadville, Colorado during the silver rush was a dangerous town. A smart person did not go out alone or unarmed. Unfortunately, Joe Rose found himself inebriated and alone in an alley at night. The next morning his body was found behind the Silver Queen saloon. Apparently, Joe had been trampled to death by a horse. Finding the body near the Silver Queen leads the local marshal to think that the owners of the Silver Queen might know something about the murder. The Silver Queen is owned and operated by Inez Stannert and her negro partner Abe Jackson.
Inez is good friends with Emma Rose, the wife of the victim. In order to clear her name, and to help Emma, Inez begins to ask questions. As she gather information about the murder, she learns that many of Leadville's citizens have personal secrets. Secrets they keep hidden by telling lies.
Inez herself, along with Abe, and Inez's missing husband once were part of a counterfeiting ring. The handsome new minister may not be who seems be. The clumsy bar helper, Useless, once worked at the finest brothel in town. And even the legendary lawman Bat Masterson arrives to provide Inez with some important information.
Over all, I enjoyed this novel. The middle of the story seemed to drag a little. But the climax was very exciting.
This novel put me in mind of other historical mysteries. Similar novels have an independent female lead who forms a friendship with a male character. I enjoy reading about these women who solve mysteries, and do not require a man to save the day. If you are a fan of M. Louisa Locke or P. B. Ryan, you might enjoy this historical mystery.
Check out my eBook!
Setting: A mining town high in the Rocky Mountains during the Colorado Silver Rush of the 1880's.
First sentence: If there was an arctic version of hell, Joe Rose was living it in Leadville, Colorado.
This novel is the first in Parker's Silver Rush mystery series.
Leadville, Colorado during the silver rush was a dangerous town. A smart person did not go out alone or unarmed. Unfortunately, Joe Rose found himself inebriated and alone in an alley at night. The next morning his body was found behind the Silver Queen saloon. Apparently, Joe had been trampled to death by a horse. Finding the body near the Silver Queen leads the local marshal to think that the owners of the Silver Queen might know something about the murder. The Silver Queen is owned and operated by Inez Stannert and her negro partner Abe Jackson.
Inez is good friends with Emma Rose, the wife of the victim. In order to clear her name, and to help Emma, Inez begins to ask questions. As she gather information about the murder, she learns that many of Leadville's citizens have personal secrets. Secrets they keep hidden by telling lies.
Inez herself, along with Abe, and Inez's missing husband once were part of a counterfeiting ring. The handsome new minister may not be who seems be. The clumsy bar helper, Useless, once worked at the finest brothel in town. And even the legendary lawman Bat Masterson arrives to provide Inez with some important information.
Over all, I enjoyed this novel. The middle of the story seemed to drag a little. But the climax was very exciting.
This novel put me in mind of other historical mysteries. Similar novels have an independent female lead who forms a friendship with a male character. I enjoy reading about these women who solve mysteries, and do not require a man to save the day. If you are a fan of M. Louisa Locke or P. B. Ryan, you might enjoy this historical mystery.
Check out my eBook!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Cold Copper by Devon Monk
Genre: Steam Punk
Setting: A steam punk version of the Western United States in the late 19th century.
First Sentence: There were plenty of good ways to die.
This novel is the third in Monk's The Age of Steam series.
There is a power in the world. It is called the Strange. The Strange possesses terrible power which could destroy mankind.
There are unscrupulous humans who can control the Strange and use it to gain power and wealth. To control the Strange, evil humans have created a device called the Holder. Their goal is to overthrow the U.S. government and control the world. The Holder has been broken into seven parts. Our intrepid band of characters are following the trail of one of the pieces.
Our main character is Cedar Hunt. Cedar and his brother have been cursed by the Pawnee to destroy the Strange and find the Holder. To keep him true to the cause, on the night of the full moon, Cedar transforms into a wolf and roams the countryside looking for Strange to kill.
Travelling with Cedar is an eclectic group of people. Each has a unique talent for casting spells, inventing devices of sensing unseen phenomena.
In the dead of winter, Cedar has followed the scent of the Holder, and led his fellow travelers to Des Moines. The mayor of Des Moines, Killian Vosbrough, has used his family's wealth and influence to gain control of the city. There he has been amassing metal, machines, and even the power of the Strange, for some nefarious purpose.
Somehow connected with this gathering of evil is the mystery of the missing children. Many of the children of Des Moines have simply vanished. It is up to our intrepid protagonists to find the Holder, solve the mystery of the children, and to defeat the evil Mr. Vosbrough.
I enjoyed reading this novel. There is lots of action in every chapter. In each chapter the characters are taking chances, defending themselves, or running for their lives. For me, from the first page, it was suspend disbelief and hang on for the ride!
Although this novel could be read by itself, most readers would enjoy it more if it were read in sequence. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series.
Check out my eBook!
Setting: A steam punk version of the Western United States in the late 19th century.
First Sentence: There were plenty of good ways to die.
This novel is the third in Monk's The Age of Steam series.
There is a power in the world. It is called the Strange. The Strange possesses terrible power which could destroy mankind.
There are unscrupulous humans who can control the Strange and use it to gain power and wealth. To control the Strange, evil humans have created a device called the Holder. Their goal is to overthrow the U.S. government and control the world. The Holder has been broken into seven parts. Our intrepid band of characters are following the trail of one of the pieces.
Our main character is Cedar Hunt. Cedar and his brother have been cursed by the Pawnee to destroy the Strange and find the Holder. To keep him true to the cause, on the night of the full moon, Cedar transforms into a wolf and roams the countryside looking for Strange to kill.
Travelling with Cedar is an eclectic group of people. Each has a unique talent for casting spells, inventing devices of sensing unseen phenomena.
In the dead of winter, Cedar has followed the scent of the Holder, and led his fellow travelers to Des Moines. The mayor of Des Moines, Killian Vosbrough, has used his family's wealth and influence to gain control of the city. There he has been amassing metal, machines, and even the power of the Strange, for some nefarious purpose.
Somehow connected with this gathering of evil is the mystery of the missing children. Many of the children of Des Moines have simply vanished. It is up to our intrepid protagonists to find the Holder, solve the mystery of the children, and to defeat the evil Mr. Vosbrough.
I enjoyed reading this novel. There is lots of action in every chapter. In each chapter the characters are taking chances, defending themselves, or running for their lives. For me, from the first page, it was suspend disbelief and hang on for the ride!
Although this novel could be read by itself, most readers would enjoy it more if it were read in sequence. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series.
Check out my eBook!
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