Review: How Angels Die by David-Michael Harding

It is 1944 and France is resisting the Nazi invasion as best as it can, hoping that the rumours of an Allied invasion come to fruition.  Two sisters, Monique & Claire McCleash are part of the Resistance but they operate in totally different spheres.  Claire goes on operations, ambushing and killing German soldiers whereas Monique goes to a well known club and seduces German officers in order to garner intelligence that could prove useful to their movement.

Monique's role is a constant source of hurt and betrayal to Claire and the sisters are battling each other as much as the Nazis.  When their Resistance cell is in danger of being discovered, a series of tragic events reveal family secrets that will have the power to rip the McCleash family apart or make it stronger than ever.

REVIEW:

This is an extremely well-written and disturbing independent novel.  It is rare that an author will examine the role of women in wartime, especially ones who take such a dangerous and proactive role in resisting their oppressors.

The plot is simple, but fraught with suspense, intrigue and danger.  You immediately strike up an affinity with both of the McCleash sisters and David-Michael Harding has a talent for creating flawed characters who find themselves at war, not only with an enemy force, but with people they love.

This book is not easy reading, it will challenge your perceptions and morals but saying that it has been produced to a high standard and the quality of the prose, the construction of the plot and the creation of the characters are perfectly executed.  This is a very good novel and I look forward to reading more of Mr Harding's work.

I give "How Angel's Die" 4 Crosses!!

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Review - Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell

London 1854 - the nightly fog that obscures most of London is the perfect hiding place for a killer.  A family is found dead in their home; father, mother, two young children and their housemaid.  All beaten to death and their throats cut.

Detective Inspector Sean Ryan is the policeman in charge of the investigation and it quickly becomes apparent that these shocking deaths are similar to a murder that happened 43 years previous and which were written about in an essay by the infamous writer Thomas de Quincey.  Famous for his book detailing his lifetime addiction to opium "Confessions of an Opium Eater", de Quincey had written a piece called "Murder as a Fine Art" all about the brutal Ratcliffe Highway murders.  It seems this new slaying is a homage to the original and de Quicey, being in London to promote his writing, is the prime suspect.

Ryan is pushed into a premature arrest by the Home Secretary, the powerful an popular Lord Palmerston. But when an attempt on de Quincey's life fails it becomes clear that there are forces at work which have great influence and unlimited resources.  Ryan, his assistant Constable Becker, Thomas de Quincey and his daughter Emily, end up fighting the establishment and a group of hidden assassins not only to discover the killer's identity but to uncover a conspiracy that could have drastic consequences to the British Empire.

Review

David Morrell transports you back 150 years to a time of social deprivation and when London was one of the most unhealthy places to live in the known world. The odour of sewage, the smog, the gaslit streets and the atmosphere of fear caused by the horrific murders are portrayed evocatively.  

The story is well researched and certainly inventive, however I did feel at times that the writing became a homage to the level of research undertaken by the author, rather than a novel which told a story.  I also felt the pace was slightly off, parts of the plot were revealed to quickly in my opinion and a few of the characters needed a bit more "meat on their bones".  I am not a fan of Americans who write novels set in Britain but who feel it acceptable to use American slang rather than the correct words.  For example, an English street urchin would not ask for a "cookie" and neither would they stand on "sidewalks".  I found this to be off-putting, especially as the author has done such a sterling job by thoroughly researching the era in question.

However, there is no doubt that this is a very original piece of work and the author is passionate about Victorian London.  The prose is easy to read and you can clearly imagine being in London as night falls and the fog comes down around you.  Overall, it is an entertaining novel and would be a great holiday read.  

I give "Murder as a Fine Art" 4 Crosses !

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Review - The Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell

England 1170 - King Henry II has uttered a sentence that will reverberate for centuries.  Five knights are charged with the arrest and detainment of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket.  One of the five, a young mercenary called Sir Benedict Palmer, sees this opportunity as a way to escape his poverty stricken existence and gain favour with the king.  However when the clandestine arrest turns into cold blooded murder, his life is turned upside down.

The main reason for the attack on the most revered holy man in England is to secure a young nun, Theodosia who unknowingly holds the key to a secret.  The ring leader of the group, Sir Reginald Fitzurse, has plans for the young nun which involves rape, torture and murder.  Palmer's conscience gets the better of him and he escapes from Fitzurse with Theodosia.  As they make their escape, they venture across England and try to discover the real motive behind Becket's assassination, a truth that could destroy England and bring about the King's downfall.

Review

Re-telling history is a dangerous and often thankless task. Rather than accepting the author's fictional account of what might of happened, you tend to get "helpful readers" as Bernard Cornwell calls them, who are keen to point out the minutiae of errors in facts or are plainly affronted that you have  been brave enough to write a different version of events.  However, I believe good historical fiction is based on two words..."What If?"

E.M. Powell has asked that question and written a tale that gives an alternative version of one of history's most infamous killings.  There were, of course, four knights involved in Thomas a'Becket's however what if there were five?  This is the wonderful premise of an engaging and well-written novel that was originally released as a Kindle serial.

A flawed, chivalrous hero paired with a naive yet beautiful heroine is always a mix that works, regardless of genre.  Their pursuers are sociopathic and sadistic, there is a conspiracy and the fate of a nation hangs in the balance as good battles evil. What more could you ask for?

"The Fifth Knight" is thoroughly enjoyable, well researched and easy to read.  E.M. Powell has created a novel that will appeal to all and I award it 4 crosses!

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Review - Like Chaff in the Wind by Anna Belfrage

Set in present day Sweden and 17th Century Virginia and Scotland, the saga of the Graham family continues.  Matthew Graham is kidnapped and sent to Virginia to work as slave labour on a tobacco plantation.  His brother, Luke, wants revenge on Matthew who cut off his nose in retaliation for the abuse he inflicted on his wife, Alex which resulted in the death of their unborn baby.

Matthew's wife, Alex, makes the decision to travel across the Atlantic to free him - a journey that should take two months ends up taking a year and Alex is plagued by nightmares which show her the degradation and suffering Matthew is having to endure.

Can she make it to Virginia and pay the indenture fee to release her husband before he is worked to death?

REVIEW

Timeslip novels are tricky things to get right.  Many historical novel purists are reticent to read them as they push the genre to its limits, others enjoy them as they try to bring freshness and new direction.  I am normally one of the purists; I like timeslip and science fiction but to reconcile them into a historical fiction setting is normally off-putting, but "Like Chaff in the Wind" is so well-written, I concede defeat!

Anna Belfrage creates characters that jump off the page and the multi-era storyline is superbly crafted.  She portrays the desolation and fear of the protagonists as they fight to survive a situation not of their making and as Alex's modern day life threatens to intervene and stop her from saving Matthew, you find yourself not actually being aware of reading a timeslip novel - but just a very good novel.

This is a saga with a previous chapter and it would benefit the reader to have read the first novel in the series, but if like me you haven't the story is still enjoyable. Anna Belfrage is definitely a novelist to watch.  Once again, an independent author demonstrates that the industry is one filled with talent and that they ares not afraid to challenge the sensibilities of genre fiction. 

I award "Like Chaff in the Wind" 4 Crosses!

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Review - Mistress of the Sea by Jenny Barden

Publisher:          Ebury Press

Date:                2012

Price:                £9.59 hb

Pages:              416

ISBN:              9780091949211

Plymouth, England - 1570.

Will Doolan is a caulker and adventurer who has travelled to the Americas with the infamous Sir Francis Drake.  There they raid and pillage the Spanish galleons that transport gold and silver back to Spain.  But Will is deeply troubled and rents an attic room from a merchant, Nicholas Cooksley, from where he plot his return to the lands where he lost his honour.  But Will has fallen for the beautiful Lady Ellyn, Mr Cooksley's daughter and so his conscience is troubled even further as he knows if he goes with Drake then his chance of winning Ellyn's hand will disappear.

Will convinces Cooksley to part-subsidise Drake's adventure, but shockingly the gout-riddled, wheezing merchant insists on making the voyage with them.  Ellyn is horrified when she learns of her father's intentions, and when Will dares to show her his true feelings, she is desperate not to lose the two most important men in her life.  Ellyn makes a rash decision that endangers everything she holds dear and threatens the life of not only those she loves, but the fleet of ships and even the famous adventurer himself.

Review  

Mistress of the Sea is a real, old fashioned swash-buckler of a novel that will appeal to all readers.  Its is a story that harks back to the very start of the Golden Age of Discovery and the author has weaved a marvellous work of fiction around a very well-known historical figure and his “antics”.

Sir Francis Drake was both hero and villain to England and Jenny Barden creates characters that explore the most pertinent questions about his intentions as well as crafting a story that is strong and set apart from Drake’s own.  It is, essentially, a love story.  But not only about the love between hero & heroine but the love of family, the love of humanity and, ultimately, the realisation and acceptance of the price each of us must pay to find happiness.

This is a rip-roaring story where heroes are crafted in the spirit of Errol Flynn & the heroine could be Olivia de Haviland.  Jenny Barden writes scenes that you picture in your mind just like the films of yore where dashing heroes fight with dark, brooding enemies in order to win the heart of the maiden in distress.  All in all this is a very good debut novel by an author who has a talent for creating exciting, vibrant stories.

I give MISTRESS OF THE SEA 5 Crosses!

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(EDITED 02/12/2012:  Originally I gave Mistress of the sea 4 crosses, but on reflection felt the quality of the writing, the imaginative storyline and the overall standard of the book deserved a higher mark. )

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Review - The Lincoln Conspiracy by Timothy L. O'Brien

Author’s name:            Timothy L. O’Brien

Publisher:                     Ballantine Books

Year:                           2012

Price in sterling:           £12.59

Format:                       Hb & eBook

# of pages:                  368

ISBN:                         978-0345496775

The Civil War has ended and the President who has done the most in recent to bring about social and political change is dead, murdered in a theatre by a radical lone gunman. As the fledgling United States struggles to comprehend the loss of Abraham Lincoln, a Washington D.C detective, Temple McFadden, becomes embroiled in a situation that could rock the establishment to its core.

He is dragged into a shoot out at the B&O Railroad Station and, on the body of a dying man, he finds two diaries that put him and the ones he loves in mortal danger.  One is that of the President’s widow, the other is written in a mysterious code,  He is soon on the run, using his wits and guile to keep the diaries out of the hands of Lafayette Baker, the head of the Union Army Spy Service and Allan Pinkerton, the famous private investigator amongst others.  What follows will cause him to doubt everything he believes in and if the real reason for Lincoln’s murder was revealed, it would endanger everything the great man had strived to achieve.

Review

The murder of Abraham Lincoln is one of history’s most defining moments.  Whilst it is undoubtedly a story which is of great importance to the American people, it also has meaning to many people around the world.  A man with a vision who wanted to create a society where everyone had worth, where everyone was equal and no one could claim ownership over another.  But in Timothy O’Brien’s novel, that presumption is turned on its head.

Most readers enjoy a good conspiracy thriller, I thoroughly enjoy the re-workings and re-inventions that talented writers develop around actual events and this story is one of the best I have read this year.  I know little about the history of the USA but that did not spoil the enjoyment of the book because the author seems to have taken that into account and expertly provides a narrative that educates as well as entertains.

The main protagonist, Temple McFadden is a typically flawed hero with a strong, independent wife and a group of friends who cover the whole spectrum of society.  The antagonists are larger than life and twice as nasty and the writing is of a high quality.  All in all this is an extremely enjoyable book that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and thrillers alike.  As such I am awarding The Lincoln Conspiracy 4 Crosses!

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Review - The Sister & The Daughter by Ciel Dexter

Publisher:                    Independent (Mirador Publishing) 

Year:                          2012

Price in sterling:           £8.99 pb / £3.24 Kindle

Format:                       Paperback & eBook

Pages:                         201

ISBN:                         978-1-908200-84-6

It is a time of fear, of suspicion and of death.  Medieval Europe has long been under the shadow of the Black Death and now England is succumbing to the plague.  A family of Roma gypsies cross the Narrow Sea and find themselves on the outskirts of a village where the Black Death has struck.  Sophia, the eldest, is a woman of confidence. She has knowledge of healing using herbs, something that could be misconstrued as witchcraft but the people of the village just want their loved ones to survive.  She clearly states that there is no cure, but still they beg her for their assistance.  Her companions are a brother, Shandor and his younger sister, Kali. 

The village is dominated by its feudal lord, a man with little mercy for the plight of his people.  In an attempt to protect his family – his daughter especially – from the plague, he order the gates to the Manor House closed and leaves those outside to face certain death.  His malicious attitude towards his serfs is noted with scorn by Sophia who decides to stay.  When the Roma come up with a plan to save the remaining villagers and give them an opportunity to take their revenge on their cruel overlord, they readily agree to assist.  But revenge, love and passion come with a price and the question remains – can you risk it all in order to win your heart’s desire?

Review

Writing in first person perspective, using two of the central characters rather than the usual one, is a tricky skill to master.  It is possible to lose track of the story, even to become confused between which character is talking but in The Sister & The Daughter, Ciel Dexter pulls it off with ease.  The story that grabs you right from the start and it is impossible not to be moved by the plight of the villagers as they are excluded from sanctuary by a man who values his black stallion more highly than the men and women who work his land and harvest his crops. 

Each character is superbly created and the different sides of their personality are gently teased out as the story develops.  The plot is never lacking in depth and each page provides glimpses, pieces of a jigsaw, that you are compelled to complete and you read on with excitement and anticipation.  The description of the plague and the brutal way it decimates a community is written emotionally, as are the characterizations. 

An independently published writer needs to make their work as attractive as possible, in the standard of writing and by creating an attractive cover – or at least one that catches the eye.  I have to say I am no fan of the cover; it is too garish and is slightly off-putting.  However, the writing is wonderfully rich and vibrant.  This book is a great example of how good independent writing can be and I am proud to award “The Sister & The Daughter” 4 Crosses .

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