Rendezvous with Death by Sally Spencer

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting: England, 1898

First Sentence: The fog had begun of descend just before nightfall, and within minutes it had covered the whole of the area north of the river.

This novel is the first in Spencer's Inspector Blackstone series which currently runs to twelve books.

Sally Spencer is the pen name of English author Alan Rustage.

This novel was a fantastic read.  I just could not put it down.  The pages flew by, and I finished the book in a day. (Which is pretty fast for me!)

Since this is the first book in the series, the author had to introduce us to our main character, Sam Blackstone.  So, sprinkled throughout the novel are tantalizing references to Blackstone's backstory.  But for the most part, the author told us what we needed to know, and got on with the plot.

Inspector Blackstone is a dedicated officer of Scotland Yard.  Normally, his cases are easy to solve.  Just a few questions, and a couple of threats, and the culprit is easily identified.

Now, Blackstone is presented with a different type of murder.  The victim is a member of an aristocratic family more concerned with protecting the family name than identifying the murderer.  Every step of the way it seems that Blackstone's investigation is impeded by the social norms concerning those who live at the top of British society.

Queen Victoria's grand sixtieth Jubilee forms the back drop of the novel.  Could it be that Blackstone's case might have repercussions reaching to the pinnacle of British aristocracy, the Queen herself?

In Blackstone, the author has created a great character.  I liked him, and I liked this novel.

And I intend to read the entire series.

Five Stars!

                                                

Desolate by Robert Brumm Jr.

Genre: Science Fiction

Setting: Earth, in the near future.

First Sentence: If one were to fly over the South Shetland Islands, just off the northwest side of the Antarctic, one might notice a small horseshoe shaped island settled in between the larger islands in the chain.

Strap on your seats belt boys and girls, you are in for a wild ride.  Using a nonlinear writing style, the author takes us on an adventure.  We bounce around between different points of view.  We go forward and backward in time.  And in the end, we arrive at a very different place from where we started.

In the beginning, our main character Howard, is beginning his life-with-no-parole sentence at a superman prison in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

After years of hard labor, the prisoners discover an alien spacecraft.  Opening the craft releases a deadly virus and a deadly predator alien.  The virus kills most of the people on earth.  Then the predator decides that humans make a tasty meal.

Through pluck, and a lot of luck Howard avoids death.  He makes friends who usually end up dead.  And there are several action packed battle scenes between Howard, and his friends, and the aliens.

Finally, Howard and his surviving friends find a way to escape from the creatures.  And the story limps home to a somewhat hokey conclusion.

I really liked this novel.  It was great fun to read.  The last half of the story kept me riveted and I could not put the book down.

A real pager turner!

Five stars!


                                                                      

Blackstone and the Heart of Darkness by Sally Spencer

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting: England in the Year 1900.

First Sentence: Emma Walsingham had been missing for two days when Giles Yarrow, an agricultural laborer, came across the body.

This novel is the sixth in Sally Spencer's Blackstone series which currently runs to twelve books.

Wow! This book was a real page turner.  I just could not put it down.  There is plenty of action.  The exposition and description moves the plot forward without slowing the story down with too many unnecessary details.  And the final solution was a real surprise.

This novel focuses on the investigations of three of the leading characters in this series.

Inspector Sam Blackstone, of Scotland Yard, is investigating a smuggling ring near the salt mines in a rural English village.  His friend and partner Archie Patterson is investigating a brothel which  illegally procures young girls.  And, Dr. Ellie Carr, a female doctor who specializes in the new science of forensic pathology, is investigating a  series of horrible murders involving the young daughters of well-to-do families.

The story moves back and forth between the three plot lines.  At the climax, the solution, while logical, caught me by surprise.

Reading this novel was great fun.  The characters are interesting and unique.  And the plot was wonderfully tangled.

I know I'll be reading the entire series.

Five stars!

                       

Deadly Proof by M. Louisa Locke

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting: In 1880's San Francisco, California

First Sentence: Time to head out Dunk.

This novel is the fourth in Locke's Victorian San Francisco series, which also includes four short stories.

Our main character is Annie.  She is an independent woman living is an era when women were expected to be dependent on men.  In the past she has had unfortunate experiences when she let men control her life.  Her beau, Nate, is a man of that era.  He expects to be in control.  He is learning how to treat Annie as an equal.

There has been a murder at a local print shop.  Nate, who is a lawyer, has been retained to investigate the killing.  An innocent woman has been arrested for the murder.  It's Nate's first big case, and it's up to him, with Annie's help, to solve the case and discover the true culprit.

While the investigation is proceeding, Annie and Nate are planning their wedding.  Annie wants the wedding to be perfect for Nate and his family.  Nate just wants Annie to be happy.

Will Annie and Nate find the evidence that will free and innocent woman?
Will they learn how to share their feelings truthfully, and have a prefect wedding after all?

Louisa Lock is one of my favorite authors.  I enjoy the plots she crafts.  Each of her novels has a murder to solve.  And each novel follows Nate and Annie as they learn to respect and love each other.    

For me, this was a nice, easy, and fun read.


                                       

Egypt: The Book of Chaos by Nick Drake

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting: Egypt, four years after the death of Tutankhamen.

First sentence: I stared down at five severed heads that lay in the dust, at the godforsaken crossroads, in the small dark hour before dawn.

This novel is the third in Drake's Rahotep series.

Due to his loyalty to the Queen of Egypt, Rahotep has lost his status as a Medjay detective. Now there are new ritualistic murders in Thebes.  And he is not allowed to investigate.

There is a new powerful gang in town. They have taken over the opium trade.  And, they are murdering anyone who is in their way.  Which includes Rahotep's friend and partner Khety.

Rahotep wants revenge.

But the Queen needs Rahotep's help.  She is the daughter of Nefertiti and wife to King Ay. The king is soon to die. There is no male relative to take his place.  Only the feared General Horemheb.

So the queen proposes a marriage to one of the sons of the king of the Hittites.  Even though the Hittites are the enemies of Egypt.  The queen believes that this marriage would end the war between the Hittites and Egypt.

The queen wants Rahotep to accompany the Royal Envoy to present the proposal.  Along the way, Rahotep keeps his eyes open, and discovers clues which eventually lead him to the secretive leader of the opium gang.

Will Rahotep discover who the leader is, and get the revenge he desires?

I liked this novel.  The author set the plot in a realistic depiction of Egypt in those long ago days.  There is action.  There is danger.  And along the way, we learn about the Egyptian culture.

For me, it was an enjoyable read.


                                                   

Saturnalia SPQR V by John Maddox Roberts

Gere: Historical Mystery

Rome, 61 AD

First Sentence:  I set foot on Italy once more on a filthy day in December.

This novel is the fifth in Roberts' SPQR series which currently runs to fourteen books.

Our main character, Decius, has been recalled to Rome.  One of his male relatives has been murdered.  Rumors around Rome say that the murdered man has been poisoned, probably by his wife who is widely known as a scandalous woman.

Rome is not a safe place for Decius.  Two separate factions have threatened Decius about the case.  One group will kill Decius if he finds her guilty, the other will kill him if he finds her innocent.

Aided by his fiancee, and his loyal(?) boy servant Hermes, Decius searches to uncover the truth.  Along the way he encounters ruffians, aristocrats, slaves, witches, and a strange religious cult.

It seems that every time he gets close to the truth, Decius finds another body. Someone is doing a good job of covering his tracks.

Will Decius untangle the mystery to discover who is actually the culprit?

This was a enjoyable book.  Roberts uses an easy to read style to paint a realistic portrait of ancient Rome.

In the end we get a great historical fiction novel, with a tangled mystery to solve.


                                                  

Better World by Autumn Kalquist

Genre: Science Fiction

Setting: 300 years in the future, aboard a spacecraft and on an inhospitable planet.

First Sentence: Control. That's all Maeve wanted, but in the fleet, no one had that.

This novel is the prequel to  Kalquist's Legacy Code novel.

For three hundred years a fleet of spacecraft has been searching for a new planet to live on.  Earth is a memory.  The vessels are worn, almost beyond repair.  The people are tired too.  Many are losing hope that a better world will ever be found.

One of these is our main character Maeve.  She feels that the has no control over her life.  This novel tells of her struggles to make her life have meaning.  And to regain her hope for the future.

I like Kalquist's universe.  The reality of travel through the vast distances of space is not as squeaky clean as some novels portray.  Her universe is aboard an old worn out spacecraft with jury rigged equipment.  Life is harsh.  Maybe someday they will find a that better world.  But now they just struggle to survive.

I enjoyed this novel.  It is a gripping story told in an easy to read style.

                                                          

The Friendly Sea by Andrew Wareham

Genre: Historical Fiction, Nautical Fiction

Setting: On British Naval Ships during the late eighteenth century.

First Sentence: Waiting, twitching, belly acid, tapping the hilt of his sword, checking his pistols in their holsters for the tenth time, the darkness pressing down on the silent long boat.

This novel is the first in Wareham's Duty and Destiny series which runs to five books.

In England, in the eighteenth century , the oldest son inherited the family's lands and wealth.  The younger sons needed to find their own way in the world.

Very early in life, since he was a younger brother, Fredrick Harris realized that he would need a career.  He chose the Navy because he would earn a salary, there was the opportunity for upward mobility, and he would have a share of any captured prizes.

In this novel, we follow the exploits of Fredrick.  Due to luck, pluck, patronage, promotion, and knowing which palms to grease, Fredrick becomes a successful captain.

Back home, a pretty young lass is waiting.  And Fredrick's older brother is leading an unhealthy life style.

I liked this novel.  Wareham keeps the plot moving with exciting descriptions of naval battles, and judicious use of exposition.  Just like a roller coaster, you know where you're going, the exciting part is how you get there.

For me, it was an exciting, enjoyable read.