BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Truro-Bound Coach and Four - Mark Butterworth

In the shimmering heat of summer, 1795, Kit and Samuel Cade are returning to Cornwall, taking the coach and four from London to Truro. Their travelling companions each have their own challenges and stories, and they are thrown together as they face the perils of stormy weather and the dangers of the road.

Lieutenant Edward Pascoe, badly wounded in a naval battle with the French, is heading home to begin a new life in Cornwall. He finds himself captivated by the beautiful Bethany Strange, yet she holds a secret that brings him further pain. Will Kit ever be able to see the shy governess, Alice, again?

The wealthy and sophisticated Mrs Meredith Darling has inherited a Cornish estate that she is uncertain she wants. Turning to Samuel Cade for guidance, she forms an unexpected friendship with him, but can they overcome the difference in their ages?

Will the stagecoach reach Cornwall safely, free from attack by highwaymen, and will love blossom during the week-long journey?

 

What did I think?

I enjoyed The Truro-Bound Coach and Four; it's a very charming story that made me feel very grateful about how easily we can travel from A to B these days.

There's a map at the start of the book showing the journey from London to Truro which is roughly 280 miles and would take around 5 hours by car today.  Back in 1795 though, travellers took a coach and four that stopped off at various locations so the horses could rest.  What a long and arduous journey this must have been!  

Anyone who could afford to travel by coach and four, especially with the luxury of an inside seat, would very likely encounter highwaymen along the way.  The coach and four journey is beautifully described by Mark Butterworth and I love how he balances the danger and mundanity of travel with a hint of romance.  The travellers may have started as strangers but they finish as friends due to the shared experience of the journey.

It's a very gently paced book but I rather enjoyed the change of pace.  I was completely invested in the characters and wanted them to reach their destination safely.  The story and the style of writing has the feel of a modern classic and I absolutely loved how it ended.  It's an atmospheric and enchanting historical fiction novel that is well worth a read.

I received a gifted paperback for the Novel Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Daisy Chain - Al Campbell

Set in an incredibly exciting period of history, a pacy debut, brimming with adventure and romance

England, 1771: Recently orphaned Daisy Salter moves from quiet Suffolk society to the hustle and bustle of London. A talented botanical illustrator and amateur scientist, frustrated Daisy finds herself governess to the daughter of her sister and brutish noble brother-in-law.

However, a chance encounter with pre-eminent scientist Joseph Banks changes everything and, when the extent of her talent is revealed, Daisy not only becomes Artist in Residence at the magnificent Kew Gardens, but confidante of Queen Charlotte, King George III’s wife.

But whilst science and plant hunting expeditions are flourishing, at sea the ‘triangular trade’ is in full swing and Daisy is unwittingly inveigled into espionage, tea smuggling and the slave trade. Who is friend and who is foe? Can Daisy work out whom to trust before disaster strikes?

 

What did I think?

Before I even start to tell you what I thought of The Daisy Chain, I have to mention the absolutely beautiful cover.  The majority of the book is set in Kew Gardens and not only did Al Campbell's writing transport me there, but the stunning cover drew me in and I could almost smell the flowers.

The book has a little bit of everything in it that kept me enthralled from start to finish: there's romance, history and feminism (to name but a few) but it's also filled with tension as we don't know who Daisy can trust.  I loved the main character of Daisy and equally so her maid, Kate.  Kate becomes more friend than maid at a time when parliament is debating the abolition of slavery.

Daisy is a strong and incredibly likeable character.  Daisy is a talented artist and this is recognised by Kew Gardens who invite her to become the Artist in Residence, much to the chagrin of her brother-in-law, the odious Hugo.  Hugo took Daisy in when her father died as he thought he would get a free governess for his daughter; after all, what are women for if not to do a man's bidding?  Thankfully, Daisy breaks those chains!

Slavery is one of the threads running through the book and reading about the plight of slaves both angered and saddened me.  Al Campbell writes about this very respectfully and sensitively, but you can't help yourself imagining what these frightened people went through after being snatched from their homes and transported to a cold, wet and windy island.

There are lots of plot lines but my favourite has to be Daisy's personal life; Daisy has two suitors but only one will win her heart and the ending couldn't have been more perfect.  I also loved the glimpse into the royal court of King George III and Queen Charlotte.  I could write so much more about the book but I don't want to spoil it for others.

The Daisy Chain is a fabulous debut, set in the Georgian era - a period of history that I knew little about.  The writing is beautiful, the plot is enthralling and I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction, or readers looking for something different to read.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Lost Apothecary - Sarah Penner

 

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate―and not everyone will survive.

What did I think?

I am completely lost for words (no pun intended); The Lost Apothecary has taken my breath away and left me completely speechless.  I was mesmerised by the beautiful cover from the minute I saw it on social media and I still can't stop looking at it, long after finishing the book.  The Lost Apothecary is the exception that proves the rule; you can definitely judge this book by its cover as it is stunning both inside and out.  

When I finally managed to tear my eyes away from the cover, I was even more delighted to find a map of 18th century London inside.  Oh how I love maps inside books!  After poring over it for several minutes, I did actually refer to the map throughout the book when streets or places were mentioned as I was so immersed in the story that I wanted to follow in the characters' footsteps.

With a compelling past and present storyline that sees an American tourist in present day London researching a glass bottle that she found on the banks of the Thames, my eyes were firmly glued to the page.  I loved following Caroline's research and it felt like a treasure hunt as she digs through old maps and newspaper reports.  Whilst Caroline is researching, her chapters are interspersed with two forgotten voices from the 18th century: Nella and Eliza.

Nella is an apothecary in a hidden shop in London, that can only be found by those in the know.  She meets 12 year old Eliza when Eliza's mistress sends her to Nella for a tonic to rid her of her lecherous husband and Eliza's interest in poison and magic is piqued.  Although Nella is wary about letting anyone into her life, she forms a tentative friendship with Eliza and their lives become intertwined when a simple mistake by Eliza causes the police to suspect foul play in a recent death.

Sarah Penner's tale of mystery, murder and poison transports the reader to 18th century London in her remarkable debut novel.  Beautifully written with vivid descriptions and immersive prose, The Lost Apothecary is as addictive as laudanum and I couldn't put it down once I had picked it up.

Breathtaking, intriguing and mysterious, The Lost Apothecary is an absolutely stunning novel and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.  I loved it so much that I want to read it again as soon as possible and I can easily see this being one of my top books of 2021.  Do not miss this amazing book!

Many thanks to Legend Press for sending me an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Death Makes No Distinction: A Dan Foster Mystery - Lucienne Boyce

The Rachel's Random Resources Blog Tour for Death Makes No Distinction by Lucienne Boyce is visiting my blog today and I am delighted to release my review as part of the tour.

Two women at opposite ends of the social scale, both brutally murdered.

Principal Officer Dan Foster of the Bow Street Runners is surprised when his old rival John Townsend requests his help to investigate the murder of Louise Parmeter, a beautiful writer who once shared the bed of the Prince of Wales. Her jewellery is missing, savagely torn from her body. Her memoirs, which threaten to expose the indiscretions of the great and the good, are also missing.

Frustrated by the chief magistrate’s demand that he drop the investigation into the death of the unknown beggar woman, found savagely raped and beaten and left to die in the outhouse of a Holborn tavern, Dan is determined to get to the bottom of both murders. But as his enquiries take him into both the richest and the foulest places in London, and Townsend’s real reason for requesting his help gradually becomes clear, Dan is forced to face a shocking new reality when the people he loves are targeted by a shadowy and merciless adversary.

The investigation has suddenly got personal.

What did I think?

Having loved Bloodie Bones, the first Dan Foster Mystery, I have been eager to get back to this period of Georgian history.  Although I haven't yet read book 2, I didn't feel disadvantaged at all as Lucienne Boyce gives enough of Dan Foster's back story to fill in any blanks I may have had.

Dan Foster's story is one thread of the book and I'll come back to that in a moment, but the murders he is investigating are the main story.  Dan is just about to investigate the brutal murder of a penniless woman, presumed to be a prostitute, when a lady of higher class is murdered and his focus is forcibly shifted.  Dan isn't the sort of policeman to give up without a fight (pun intended) and it is his talent for pugilism that draws him into boxing at the request of the Prince of Wales.  I love that word 'pugilism', it makes boxing sound so fancy!

There's a lot going on in Dan's life at the moment; he has a wife and a son, although his wife isn't his son's mother.  As if that isn't intriguing enough, he is also in love with his wife's sister who has just got married.  What on earth have I missed?  I need to read The Butcher's Block immediately!  Although I have clearly missed things by missing out book 2; it didn't spoil my enjoyment one bit, it just makes book 2 all the more alluring to me in order to fully fill in the blanks.

I really felt as if I had been transported to the slums of London when reading Death Makes No Distinction.  I think with the Prince of Wales featuring and gentlemen huzzah-ing now and again, I pictured the scene somewhat like Blackadder III, with garishly painted ladies of the night and drunken madams frequenting the pubs and rowdy drunken lords patronising the gentlemens clubs.

The murder mystery aspect is excellent and there are so many suspects that I really couldn't have guessed who the actual perpetrators were.  I think it was because it was so hard to guess that I didn't really try to work it out and just enjoyed the thrill of sniffing out clues along with Dan Foster.

Death Makes No Distinction is a superb historical murder mystery with a down to earth and realistic protagonist.  I think it could definitely be read as a standalone and I have no doubt that any readers picking up Dan Foster's story at this stage will be eager to read the previous books too.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:
Book Depository
Wordery
Foyles
Amazon UK
Amazon US




About the author:

Lucienne Boyce writes historical fiction, non-fiction and biography. After gaining an MA in English Literature (with Distinction) with the Open University in 2007, specialising in eighteenth-century fiction, she published her first historical novel, To The Fair Land, in 2012, an eighteenth-century thriller set in Bristol and the South Seas.

Her second novel, Bloodie Bones: A Dan Foster Mystery (2015) is the first of the Dan Foster Mysteries and follows the fortunes of a Bow Street Runner who is also an amateur pugilist. Bloodie Bones was joint winner of the Historical Novel Society Indie Award 2016, and was also a semi-finalist for the M M Bennetts Award for Historical Fiction 2016. The second Dan Foster Mystery, The Butcher’s Block, was published in 2017 and was awarded an IndieBrag Medallion in 2018. The third in the series, Death Makes No Distinction, was published in 2019. In 2017 an e-book Dan Foster novella, The Fatal Coin, was trade published by SBooks.

In 2013, Lucienne published The Bristol Suffragettes, a history of the suffragette movement in Bristol and the west country. In 2017 she published a collection of short essays, The Road to Representation: Essays on the Women’s Suffrage Campaign.

Contributions to other publications include:-

‘Not So Militant Browne’ in Suffrage Stories: Tales from Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin and Letchworth (Stevenage Museum, 2019)

‘Victoria Lidiard’ in The Women Who Built Bristol, Jane Duffus (Tangent Books, 2018)

‘Tramgirls, Tommies and the Vote’ in Bristol and the First World War: The Great Reading Adventure 2014 (Bristol Cultural Development Partnership/Bristol Festival of Ideas, 2014)

Articles, interviews and reviews in various publications including Bristol Times, Clifton Life, The Local Historian, Historical Novels Review (Historical Novel Society), Nonesuch, Bristol 24/7, Bristol History Podcast, etc.

Lucienne has appeared on television and radio in connection with her fiction and non-fiction work. She regularly gives talks and leads walks about the women’s suffrage movement. She also gives talks and runs workshops on historical fiction for literary festivals, Women’s Institutes, local history societies, and other organisations. She has been a radio presenter on BCfm, and a course tutor.

In 2018 she was instrumental in devising and delivering Votes for Women 100, a programme of commemorative events by the West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network in partnership with Bristol M Shed and others. She also campaigned and raised funds for a Blue Plaque for the Bristol and West of England Women’s Suffrage Society.

She is on the steering committee of the West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network, and is also a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Society of Authors, and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

She is currently working on the fourth full-length Dan Foster Mystery, and a biography of suffrage campaigner Millicent Browne.

Lucienne was born in Wolverhampton and now lives in Bristol.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @LucienneWrite

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucienneWriter

Blog: https://francesca-scriblerus.blogspot.com/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437832.Lucienne_Boyce

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Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey tells the story of a young girl, Catherine Morland who leaves her sheltered, rural home to enter the busy, sophisticated world of Bath in the late 1790s. Austen observes with insight and humour the interaction between Catherine and the various characters whom she meets there, and tracks her growing understanding of the world about her.

In this, her first full-length novel, Austen also fixes her sharp, ironic gaze on other kinds of contemporary novel, especially the Gothic school made famous by Ann Radcliffe. Catherine's reading becomes intertwined with her social and romantic adventures, adding to the uncertainties and embarrassments she must undergo before finding happiness.

What did I think?

I really really wanted to love Northanger Abbey but I really really didn't.  It simply couldn't hold my interest for more than a few pages and I found the characters so one-dimensional that I forgot them as soon as their sentence ended.

Catherine was an ok character; the benefit for me being that she was clearly the main protagonist so I knew to take notice of her.  I only felt that she endeared herself to me in the second half of the book, though.  I did enjoy Catherine looking around her room in Northanger Abbey and being a bit nosy but that's the only occasion I could describe it as humorous.

I think Northanger Abbey must be for die-hard Jane Austen fans as I really couldn't see the appeal.  Sorry Austen fans, this one wasn't for me.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Heart of Stone - John Jackson

I had the pleasure of meeting John Jackson recently and, as a fan of histfic, my ears pricked up when he told me he had written an historical novel.  As I was remaining in Newcastle from afternoon to evening, I had a self-imposed book buying ban but luckily there was an upcoming blog tour that I could join, so I am thrilled to release my review for the tour.

Genre: Historic Fiction

Release Date: 24^th October 2017

Publisher: Crooked Cat Books

Dublin, 1730

When young and beautiful Mary Molesworth is forced to marry Robert Rochfort, widowed heir to the earldom of Belfield, she finds that her idea of love is not returned. Jealous, cruel and manipulative, Robert ignores her after she has provided him with a male heir, preferring to spend his nights with his mistress. Power-hungry, Robert builds up a reputation that sees him reach for the highest positions in Ireland. 

Caught in an unhappy marriage, Mary begins to grow closer to Robert’s younger brother, Arthur. Acknowledging their love for each other, they will risk everything to be together. But Robert’s revenge threatens their lives and tears them apart. 

Will Mary and Arthur find a way to escape Robert’s clutches? 

Based on real events, Heart of Stone is a tale of power, jealousy, imprisonment, and love, set in 1740s Ireland.

What did I think?

John Jackson has based his debut novel on his real ancestors and states that, as a work of fiction, this is the story that he thinks they should have had.  The real Robert Rochfort can even be seen on the cover of the book, and I think perhaps that John has put him on there so that many readers can stick pins in him!  Robert Rochfort is an odious, officious man!  He did anything he wanted and treated people like dirt, simply because he could.  His answer whenever challenged was: 'because I can.'  As the first born son, he lorded over and envied his brothers: Arthur and George.

When Robert finds himself widowed and without an heir, he arranges to marry young and beautiful Mary Molesworth.  I thought of her a bit like Cinderella as her father clearly loves her but her (wicked) step-mother wants rid of her so she can concentrate on marrying off her own daughters.  Mary thought she was happy on her wedding day until she locks eyes with Robert's brother, Arthur.  In that one precious moment, she fell in love.  How cruel to fall in love on your wedding day, but not with your husband.  Mary is a respectable young woman, so she does her duty and, after bearing him a daughter, produces an heir for Robert.  Robert now has what he wants so drops Mary and spends all his time with his mistresses.  Trapped in a loveless marriage, Mary's eyes once again catch those of Arthur and she finds that her feelings are mirrored in his eyes.  They begin a very dangerous liaison, knowing that they will face the full force of Robert's fury should they ever be found out.

As this story is based around fact, it makes it so much more emotional.  The fate awaiting Arthur and Mary would melt even the coldest heart, although it didn't even chip Robert's Heart of Stone.  Robert is a cold and jealous man, who treats people like his property and has no concern for their feelings.  His jealousy for his brothers, especially George who inherited the family home, had me absolutely mesmerised and eventually in stitches.  You will not even believe the lengths Robert will go to in order to get one over on George and that part of the story is true!

The writing is impeccable; it is engrossing and authentic and the fact that it is based on real people makes it a superb read.  I do hope John Jackson has more stories up his sleeve as Heart of Stone was so hard to difficult to put down and I wouldn't hesitate to read more of John's books.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon UK

Buy it from Amazon US

About the author:

Following a lifetime at sea, John Jackson has now retired and lives in York and has now turned his hand to writing fiction.

An avid genealogist, he found a rich vein of ancestors. They included Irish peers, country parsons, and army and navy officers. They opened up Canada and Australia and fought at Waterloo.

John is a keen member of the Romantic Novelists Association and graduated through their New Writers Scheme. He is also a member of the Historic Novel Society and an enthusiastic conference-goer for both.

He describes himself as being "Brought up on Georgette Heyer from an early age, and, like many of my age devoured R L Stevenson, Jane Austen, Edgar Allen Poe and the like."

His modern favorite authors include Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow, Lindsey Davis, Liz Fenwick and Kate Mosse.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=597036631

Twitter: @jjackson42

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17103004.John_Jackson?from_search=true

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john5642/

Blog: https://johnjacksonauthor.com/

The Blackstone Key (Mary Finch #1) - Rose Melikan

1795, and a young woman called Mary Finch travels in haste from Cambridge to the Suffolk coast. She has been invited to meet her wealthy uncle - and so end a twenty-year estrangement. But before she reaches her destination she discovers a dying man on the road. He is a stranger, and yet he is carrying an oddly familiar watch bearing her uncle's initials. He also seems to know who Mary is, and hints that she is in terrible danger. 

His whispered warning soon exposes Mary to a ruthless conspiracy that threatens not only her family's reputation, but her very life. Far from home, Mary must learn quickly how to distinguish friend from foe. Can she trust the two men who want to help her? What is their interest in the mysterious Blackstone Key? Does it guard a secret treasure, or might it have a more sinister purpose...?

The first in an exciting new mystery series, The Blackstone Key is a gripping and vivid historical adventure that will appeal to fans of such classic tales as Jamaica Inn.

What did I think?

I bought this in a pack of 3 from The Book People quite a while ago and it got lost in my overflowing bookcase.  When I noticed it, whilst rearranging (stroking) my books one day, my interest was piqued so I thought it was time for a spot of historical fiction.

The book started well as we join Mary Finch whilst she makes her way via coach to visit an uncle she has never met.  I got the impression straight away that she is a confident, brave, intelligent young woman and couldn't imagine many women travelling alone at the end of the 18th Century.  On the way, her coach is stopped by a blockage in the road: an injured man.  Mary volunteers to stay with this man whilst the coach goes on to raise the alarm and bring help.  Mary is shocked to find that the man is carrying a watch identical to hers which belonged to her father, identical but for the initials engraved upon it: those of the uncle she is travelling to meet.

As Mary continues her journey, she is joined by Captain Holland who seems to latch on to her.  I was naturally suspicious of him and my suspicions increased when he accompanied Mary to her uncle's house, but thankfully he was there when they encountered a band of smugglers taking up residence.  It left me wondering whether he saved Mary or whether it was all a big set up so she would take him into her confidence.  Then it all got a bit confusing with a bucketload of characters thrown in and a narrative that confused my brain as to which time period I was supposed to be in.

I really enjoyed the code-breaking storyline but I did lose track of all the characters and wished I'd written them down.  Mary has two men vying for her attention: Captain Holland and the exotic foreigner, Mr Paul Déprez.  Do both of them have honourable intentions?  I then got a bit waylaid with Captain Holland's visit to Sir William.  It was here that I felt the time period slipped as Sir William's daughter, Charlotte, could have just stepped out of the 1920's with her mannerisms and expressions.  I'm not quite sure what value this family added to the story as it only resulted in confusing me.

With a strong beginning and end, it was quite a good little story; I just felt like it lost its way in the middle and had a tendency to be a little boring.  On its own, it's not one I'd recommend but I'll see how I feel when I read the next two books in the series, although I do think it will be a while before I pick the next one up.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon