Review - Gracianna by Trini Amador

Discovering a Luger pistol in his grandmother's house as a four year old boy, Trini Amador had no idea about the truly remarkable life his grandmother, Gracianna, had lived.

Gracianna Lasaga was a heroine of the French Resistance during World War II.  Her early life was difficult but a chance meeting with some American tourists, would change her life forever.  They promised her a job in America and so she left her rural Pyrenees village and went to Paris, then hoping to earn enough money to sail to America.  She finds a job in a cafe and then war is declared, which changes everything.

Gracianna finds herself dragged into a horrific world of violence and death, of occupation and oppression.  The challenges and choices she makes have a profound effect on those around her and, ultimately, the fate of her country.  There is love, family conflicts and devastating cruelty - but Gracianna does her best to overcome all obstacles and survive.

REVIEW

GRACIANNA is a cleverly constructed book that could deceive you.  The author writes in a very easy to read manner, which means you devour the pages.  But if you are not careful, you miss the beautifully crafted world of his grandmother and fail to appreciate the amazing life she had.

I don't think any of us could imagine living in our own country once a foreign power had invaded, let alone be able to work in the shadows as a member of the resistance, risking life and limb in order to try an topple an evil regime.  Some of the choices Gracianna has to make, some of the ethical decisions that shape her life, are so unbelievable today, that you can scarcely believe this was the way of the world, in Europe a mere sixty years ago.

Trini Amador has written a book that will inspire, move, scare and shock you.  But it is written with care, with love and with obvious respect to a woman who, along with thousands of others, made the brave decision to put their lives on the line and fight an enemy they were forced to co-habit with.  I loved this story and found it to be though-provoking and inspirational.

I give "Gracianna" 4 Crosses!

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Review: The Riddle of Solomon by D.J. Niko

Dr Sarah Weston is a rich girl rebelling against her heritage.  An archaeologist, she is a constant disappointment to her father who wants his daughter to be more obedient and take up a position slightly more fitting to her lineage and gender.  Rachel is happiest in the field and her partnership with Dr Daniel Madigan is one full of excitement, pent up passion and together they make one hell of a dig team.

A chance discovery of an ancient scroll, buried for centuries in the middle of a desert in Saudi Arabia give Sarah and Daniel cause to believe the lost treasure of Solomon is not a biblical myth, but a reality and they begin to ask questions that result ina  deadly attack on their camp.  A British millionaire, Trent Sacks,  has spent his life trying to uncover the secret location of Solomon's treasure.  He is the last living descendant of the Davidian line and as soon as he discovers the scroll exists, he sends his own agents to secure it.

Is Solomon's myth real?  Is there a treasure to be found and will Sarah and Daniel live long enough to discover it before Trent Sacks who wants to use it to announce himself as The Messiah, in accordance with Scripture?

Review

One of the good things about running your own blog, is that you can break your own rules every know and then.  My wonderful followers know I concentrate on historical fiction, but I do read other genres and I was very surprised to find how much I enjoyed "The Riddle of Solomon", a modern day novel with a heavy emphasis on the Biblical past.

Biblical conspiracy novels are ten a penny and most travel the same well-worn path, rehashing the same plotlines and not breaking any new ground.  However, D.J Niko has written a novel steeped in rich detail and written with care and passion.  I am not an expert in archaeology, or the Bible for that matter, but it is a refreshing change to read a novel where the author has done extensive research and has obvious knowledge of the subject in hand, rather than make things up for the sake of it and hope no one thinks too much about the historical element of the story.

With summer coming, I am putting a list of reads together for my audience and I am happy to suggest "The Riddle of Solomon" for anyone taking their Kindle or a paperback to the beach.  It is rich in detail, has a fast-paced plot and I give it  4 CROSSES !!

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