📖 Blog Tour ~ The House of Echoes by Alexandra Walsh

Boldwood Books
30 January 2025

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

‘The Brandon blood is dark with lies and treachery and as it flows through my heart, my vow is this: they will all pay.’

Hampton Court Palace - 1530s

Anne Brandon has always understood the power of a king’s patronage and, though the court of Henry VIII is a dangerous place for women, as the daughter of the king’s best friend, Anne feels safer than most. But Anne’s husband Lord Powis is tiring of her childlessness and when Henry VIII begins plotting to rid himself of a queen in his quest for an heir, suddenly Anne’s life is in danger. And as whispers of the name of her friend Anne Boleyn get ever louder, there is peril in every loose word, every forbidden conversation.

Pembrokshire - Present Day

Caroline Harvey has spent years helping her grandfather, the reclusive bestselling novelist Dexter Blake, hide from his legions of fans in his home on the Pembrokshire coast. After his death, the vultures begin to circle Dexter’s fortune. When Caroline’s ownership of the house she has inherited is called into question, her research into its history reveals it was once owned by Anne Brandon who had sought refuge there. Intrigued, Caroline is determined to discover why Anne fled the court of Henry VIII.

Two women divided by centuries but joined by secrets and courage. And when a twist in their histories threatens them both with the same fate – losing the man they love – their revenge will be the same too. Because there’s no one mightier than a woman underestimated or more powerful than the need to save those they love.

My Review..

Growing up in the shadow of the Tudor court was no easy place to be and with her step-mother being, not only Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France, but also Henry VIII’s beloved younger sister, Anne Brandon is more than familiar with court intrigue. Anne’s ill-fated arranged marriage to Edward Grey of Powis and the subsequent scandal of Anne living openly with another man forms part of the story and is the link to the modern day element of the book which features Caroline Harvey and her quest to discover more about the history of her Pembrokeshire house, and land on which she is living.

The dual time plot is complicated and whilst both heroines are very different there are connections which are revealed as the story moves along. I found both Anne and Caroline fascinating and not knowing much about Anne Brandon other than her scandalous relationship with a man who was not her husband, I looked to discover more about her, as women at this time had little choice in the way they lived their lives, so it was interesting to see how all the stands of her particular puzzle came together. I also really enjoyed the literary references in Caroline’s part of the story and in particular her association with a series of sci-fi novels written by her grandfather. I thought this was cleverly done and brought an interesting dynamic, especially when some big twists are revealed at the end of the book. Keeping everything together is the House of Echoes itself which gives up its secrets slowly. 

The House of Echoes is an interesting dual time story about the lives of two strong women and the place which connects them both.

About the Author

Alexandra Walsh is the bestselling author of dual timeline historical mysteries, previously published by Sapere. Her books range from the fifteenth century to the Victorian era and are inspired by the hidden voices of women that have been lost over the centuries. Formerly a journalist, writing for national newspapers, magazines and TV, her first book for Boldwood will be published in Spring 2023.

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📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay

Headline Review
30 January 2025

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

They whisper her name in every corner of town.

The lady with a hundred faces, a thousand lives.

Five moves, five days - for such are the rules of her game.

1898. Quinn Le Blanc, London's most talented con woman, has five days to pull off the seemingly impossible: trick an eligible duke into marriage and lift a fortune from the richest family in England.

Masquerading as a wealthy debutante, Quinn is the jewel of the season. Her brilliant act opens doors to the grand drawing rooms and lavish balls of high society - and propels her into the inner circle of her target: the corrupt, charismatic Kendals.

But as she spins in and out of their world, Quinn becomes tangled in a dangerous web of love, lies and loyalty. The Kendal family all have secrets of their own, and she may not be the only one playing a game of high deception...

📖My Review

Having enjoyed this author’s debut book, The Housekeepers, I have been delighted to discover that his second novel is every bit as good as the first as with skilful manipulation we are drawn into a devilishly clever story of conspiracy and subterfuge. Quinn Le Blanc is the infamous Queen of Fives, a mistress of deception in a long line of female con artists however, being short of money Quinn needs to pull off one of her most audacious confidence tricks. Setting her sights on the wealthy Duke of Kendal, Quinn must entice him into a quick marriage but the stakes are higher than even Quinn could have anticipated. 

Deep, dark and filled with secrets of a family in turmoil, Quinn must be able to pull off the subterfuge within the obligatory five days without revealing her true identity however, there are people who have their own agenda, as Quinn soon discovers. I raced through the book with all the eagerness of an amateur sleuth trying, sometime in vain, to put together all the pieces of the complex puzzle which the author blends together so cleverly. There are secrets and lies to be disclosed but before the final pieces of the puzzle click together there is a tremendous adventure to enjoy. The Victorian world comes alive with all its dark and complex ways, and as we sit in the grand drawing rooms alongside Quinn so we get embroiled in her world of deception, intrigue and deadly danger. And as Quinn enters the world of high society, a place so riddled with secrets, it soon becomes impossible to see where the truth ends and the lies begins.

Intricately plotted, and with a feisty protagonist at its heart, The Queen of Fives is every bit as good as I hoped it would be. I look forward to reading more exciting historical fiction from this talented writer.

About the Author

Alex Hay grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff and has been writing as long as he can remember. He studied History at the University of York, and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector, and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Write Your Novel course. The Housekeepers is his debut novel and won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022. 

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📖 Book Review ~ January Conversations, with dogs by Di Slaney

Valley Press
January 2025

Illustrations by Jane Burn

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

In this tender, observational journey through the rhythms of winter walks and quiet companionship, Di Slaney captures the feeling of crisp air, frosted fields, and the warmth of connection – inviting readers to reflect on the solace of routine and the stories carried by every wagging tail.

📖 My Review…

Those who know me understand that I am more of a cat lover than I am a dog person however, I enjoy country walks and come upon many interesting people out walking their dogs and am often struck by the way that dog walkers have a penchant for conversation and how they all seem to know each other and how they often wonder where my dog is as if walking without a dog is rather lonely.

Starting on January 5th, and taking us through to the 25th January, each poem is accompanied by a lovely bright illustration which captures the essence of each poem so beautifully that it becomes a real delight to turn each page. Each poem is so well observed, I felt as if I was alongside the author, and her dog, as they walk their walks through muddy fields, glimpsing hawks, and runners and tall men with Mohican haircuts. The verses are delicately done, spare of words, sometimes succinct but always emotive with a real sense of purpose. Difficult to choose a favourite as they all deserve praise but I think 20th January and meeting a ‘widowed friend in the wood’ was so poignant, it stuck with me, and needed more than one reading.

A way with words is a phrase much used, often maligned, as it’s only when you read something by someone who really does have a way with words that you appreciate what a privilege it is to read something so beautifully put together. Coming in at forty-two pages, with twenty-one poems, you can comfortably read the poems in just a short time and yet I found myself going back over the ones I had read, maybe reading the pamphlet a couple of times and finding something different to observe each time. 

January Conversations, with dogs would make a lovely gift for anyone who likes dogs, walking in nature or just appreciating the gentle observations of country life.

About the Author

Di Slaney lives in an ancient farmhouse on the edge of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, where she runs livestock sanctuary Manor Farm Charitable Trust and independent publisher Candlestick Press. She has a degree in English and European Literature from the University of Warwick and an MA in Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University. Di was the winner of The Plough Poetry Prize 2022, and her poems have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, widely anthologised, and highly commended in the Forward Prize 2016 and Bridport Prize 2020. She is Poet in Residence at Nottinghamshire Local History Association.

Jane Burn is an award-winning poet, hybrid writer, artist and illustrator who lives for most of the year off-grid in Northumberland. Her illustrations have been used for many poetry book covers.

Website 

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Student by H M Lynn

Boldwood Books
28 January

Thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

Some secrets should never be shared…

I’ve spent years running from my past.

After what happened to my parents, I needed to start fresh, far away from the whispers and stares. Now, as a struggling university student, I barely scrape by, living in a new town where no one knows me or the tragedy I’ve tried to forget.

To make ends meet, I take on a ghostwriting job for a high-profile client. But the deal comes with one strange condition: their identity must remain a secret. Their only communication is through a distorted voice on an app.

At first, it seems like just another job. But as I work with this mysterious person more, their ideas hit too close to home. It’s as if they know everything about me, even the darkest parts of my past.

When my oldest friend goes missing, I realise I can't trust this client. But I can't escape their hold on me.

Because they know how this story ends. I survived once, but can I survive this?

📖 My Review..

University student, Francesca is an aspiring writer so when she is offered the chance to become a ghostwriter, with a lucrative pay out, she jumps at the opportunity as the money offered would give her and her boyfriend the opportunity to rent a place of their own. However, when Francesca meets the enigmatic client online she is met with a sinister robotic figure, who seems to know far than is comfortable about Francesca’s troubled past. With little choice but to continue with the job, Francesca soon finds that strange and frightening things start to occur and her trying to keep one step ahead of danger, whilst doubting her instincts, is what makes this story all the more compelling.

The story moves quickly, with short and snappy chapters, which helps to keep the suspense level set to high. There are lots of twists, turns and red herrings and I enjoyed trying to put all the pieces in place. Francesca is a complex protagonist, with some major flaws in her character, which makes what is happening to her all the more fascinating. The way in which the tension builds certainly helped to keep my attention and I thought that the last few chapters were particularly tense with all the threads of the plot finally coming together in a way I really didn’t see coming.

The Student is a real pager turner of a read which fired my imagination from start to finish.

About the Author

Hannah has had twenty of her works published, spanning a number of genres and has been translated into half a dozen languages. After travelling extensively, she is now settled back in the UK with her husband, daughter and clowder of cats, she spends her days writing romantic comedies and historical fiction.

Facebook: @HannahLynn

Twitter: @HMLynnauthor

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📖 Book Review ~The House of Second Chances by Lauren Westwood

Boldwood Books
1 January 2025

If you save a crumbling mansion, will it mend a broken heart?

A month ago, Amy Wood had her perfect home, perfect boyfriend, and perfect job in London. Now she’s broken-hearted, living in her parents’ tiny bungalow, and working in an estate agents in Bath.

But Amy gets a new lease on life when she undertakes to sell Rosemont Hall, a crumbling Georgian mansion riddled with woodworm, dry rot – and secrets.

Amy searches for the perfect owner to restore the house to its former glory, but time is running out for Rosemont Hall. As Amy clashes with unscrupulous property developers and the enigmatic heir to the house, she begins to uncover pieces of the past that some people would rather remain hidden.

📖 My Review…

After a disastrous breakup with her boyfriend, Amy returns to her parents bungalow and with her self esteem at a low ebb she takes on a minor role at a local estate agent. Once there she is given the task of finding someone who would be interested in buying a seriously neglected property. With emotions running high, Amy discovers an affinity with the neglected Rosemont Hall and is determined to do her best for this crumbling estate. The house very soon becomes another character in the story and I loved watching Rosemont Hall come alive in the imagination especially as Amy encounters lots of problems and hidden secrets along the way.

The story flows beautifully, Amy is a lovely character and grows both in  confidence and self esteem as the story progresses and the author describes everything in such detail that I could well imagine the dusty rooms and the allure of the mysterious painting of the young woman whose identity is gradually revealed.

The House of Second Chances was everything I wanted in a story, a crumbling gothic mansion, a feisty heroine and a cast of characters who each bring their own dynamic to this lovely story.

Previously Published as Finding Home.

About the Author

Lauren Westwood is the US author of bestselling atmospheric historical mystery novels. Her first new book with Boldwood, The House of Light and Shadows, will be published in February 2025.

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Dylan Thomas Prize ~ Longlist 2025

 

Worth £20,000, this global accolade recognises exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under, celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama. The prize invokes the memory of Dylan Thomas to support the writers of today, nurture the talents of tomorrow, and celebrate international literary excellence.

Mosab Abu Toha, Forest of Noise (4th Estate) – poetry collection (Palestinian)

Emma Glass, Mrs Jekyll (CHEERIO publishing) - novel (British)

Jo Hamya, The Hypocrite (Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Orion)) - novel (British)

Seán Hewitt, Rapture's Road (Jonathon Cape (Vintage, Penguin Random House)) – poetry collection (British-Irish)

Ferdia Lennon, Glorious Exploits (Fig Tree, Penguin Random House) – novel (Irish)

Andrew McMillan, Pity (Canongate Books) – novel (British)

Lottie Mills, Monstrum (Oneworld (Oneworld Publications)) – short story collection (British)

Ruthvika Rao, The Fertile Earth (Oneworld (Oneworld Publications)) – novel (Indian)

Yael van der Wouden, The Safekeep (Viking, Penguin Random House UK) – novel (Dutch)

Rebecca Watson, I Will Crash (Faber & Faber) – novel (British)

Eley Williams, Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good (4th Estate) – short story collection (British)

Yasmin Zaher, The Coin (Footnote Press) – novel (Palestinian)

This year sees one of the youngest nominated writers in contention for the highly coveted prize – winner of the BBC Young Writers' Award, Lottie Mills age twenty-three – who is in the running for her debut short story collection Monstrum, a beautifully gothic series of tales that captures the experience of characters excluded by a society that cannot accept their difference, and is inspired by her own experiences of living with cerebral palsy and lupus. The second short story writer on the longlist is the Granta Best Young British Novelist Eley Williams, who is recognised for her dazzling new collection Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good, exploring the nature of relationships both intimate and transient.

This year, two writers have been longlisted for their poetry collections, including the award-winning British-Irish writer Seán Hewitt who is recognised for Rapture’s Road, which explores the reciprocal relationship between queer sexuality and the natural world through a journey into the hypnotic ‘nightwoods’. Also nominated is the award-winning Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha, who is celebrated for Forest of Noise, a deeply powerful collection of poems about life in Gaza, sharing first-hand experiences of family, loss and courage from a live war zone.

There is a second Palestinian writer amongst the eight novelists longlisted – Yasmin Zaher – who explores identity and heritage in her debut book The Coin, in which she draws on her own experiences to dissect nature and civilisation, beauty and justice, class and belonging. There are three further debut novelists, all of whom look to the past in their longlisted books: Ireland’s Ferdia Lennon journeys to Ancient Sicily in his highly acclaimed Glorious Exploits; India’s Ruthvika Rao explores love, friendship, betrayal and class in post-partition India within her stunning debut The Fertile Earth; and the Netherlands’ Yale van der Wouden brings domestic drama to the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961, with a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII in The Safekeep.

The four further novelists in contention include the immensely talented Welsh writer Emma Glass, who is longlisted for Mrs Jekyll, her tender and devastating reimagination of Stevenson's gothic classic, contorted into a sumptuous and shocking account of modern womanhood. The highly lauded poet Andrew McMillan has been recognised for his gritty and magnificent first novel Pity, which is set across three generations of a South Yorkshire mining family, and is both a lament for a lost way of life as well as a celebration of resilience and the possibility for change.

And finally, strained family relationships are also explored, with Jo Hamya and Rebecca Watson both following up their smash-hit debuts Three Rooms and Little Scratch with extraordinary second novels. Hamya is recognised for The Hypocrite, which considers the fractured dynamic between a father and daughter unravelling over a decade, while Watson delves into the complexities of an estranged brother and sister as they search for forgiveness, in I Will Crash.

The longlisted titles will now be whittled down to a six strong shortlist by an impressive panel of judges chaired by Namita Gokhale, the multi-award-winning Indian writer of more than twenty-five works of fiction and non-fiction (Paro: Dreams of Passion, Things to Leave Behind) as well as the co-director of the famed Jaipur Literature Festival, who is joined by: Professor Daniel Williams, Director of the Richard Burton Centre for the Study of Wales and Co-Director of the Centre for Research into the English Literature and Language of Wales at Swansea University; Jan Carson, award-winning novelist and writer (The Fire Starters, The Raptures); Mary Jean Chan, winner of the Costa Book Award and former Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize shortlistee (Flèche, Bright Fear); and Max Liu, literary critic and contributor to the Financial Times, the i and BBC Radio 4.

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📖 Book Review ~ Sizar by Susan Grossey

Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries #2

Thanks to the author for my copy of this book

In Cambridge in the late Regency, Gregory Hardiman is learning the ropes as a university constable. But his quiet life is about to be disrupted by the gentlemanly sport of horse-racing and the lengths people will go to to win...

In the spring of 1826, ex-soldier Gregory Hardiman is settling in to civilian life as an ostler and university constable in Cambridge. When an undergraduate is found hanged in his rooms at St Clement’s College, the Master asks Gregory to find out what could have driven the seemingly happy young man to take such a drastic step. A second death at the same college suggests something altogether more sinister, and Gregory sets out to discover whether a love of illegal gambling on horse races could lie at the heart of the tragedies.

In the second of the Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries, Gregory finds himself on shifting sands – torn between family ties in Spain and the possibility of new affections in Cambridge.

If you're drawn to atmospheric Regency mysteries and immersive historical detail, you should make Gregory's acquaintance.

📖 My Review..

In his role as a Cambridge University Constable Gregory Hardiman often finds himself in the midst of unruly students but when he is called to investigate the suspicious death of one of the undergraduates he finds that there is far more to this mysterious death than even he could have imagined. This second book in the series offers just as good a mystery as the first and with inexplicable deaths occurring and a link to an illegal gambling ring, Hardiman must use his skill and determination, both qualities he has in abundance, to discover why the undergraduates at Cambridge are meeting such untimely deaths.

There is much to be appreciated in starting a series from the beginning as that way you get to know the characters so much better and certainly in this second book I feel that I have learned rather more about Hardiman’s character, his strengths and weaknesses and his unfailing steadfastness is to be commended. His unique ability to get right into the minutiae of the case is never doubted however, it’s just as fascinating to try to second guess the many twists, turns and red herrings which the author intersperses throughout, as it is to learn more about Hardiman’s role as Ostler at the Hoop Inn, his family connection to Spain and even to a possible romantic attachment at home in Cambridge.

With the author’s usual flair for bringing history alive, nineteenth century Cambridge would be instantly recognisable to anyone who once walked its streets. The research is meticulous, so much so, it feels as if you have been transported back to 1826 and sit companionably with Hardiman as he eats his, sometimes unappetising, supper with his landlady, Mrs Jacobs, enjoys a tankard of strong ale in the Angel or shares challenging vocabulary conundrums with his friend, Geoffrey Giles, the bookseller.

Spending time with Gregory Hardiman in Sizar has been a real pleasure and I look forward to many more companionable hours spent in his company in the next three books in this five book series of historical mysteries.

About the Author

Susan Grossey is the author of the successful Constable Sam Plank series of historical novels set in the early part of the nineteenth century. Sizar is the second novel in the Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries, set in Cambridge in the 1820s and narrated by a university constable called Gregory Hardiman.

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📖 Book Review ~ Lake of Widows by Liza Perrat

 

October 2024

Women of the Lake #2

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

Three women. One shared struggle. Can they survive? 

1970. When Adrienne Chevalier’s perfect life in a chic quartier of Lyon unravels, she flees to rural Sainte-Marie-du-Lac to escape her controlling husband, Emile.

Taking refuge at the idyllic L’Auberge de Léa, Adrienne befriends Blanche Larue, who is herself trapped by her husband’s infidelity. Adrienne begins to understand the subtle strictures that keep women chained across generations.

But to what diabolical lengths will Emile go to reclaim his wife?

And can Blanche find the courage to choose truth over appearances?

1914. Suzanne Rossignol bids farewell to her beloved husband as he marches off to war. Through Suzanne’s journal entries, Adrienne discovers that the damaged soldier who returns from the trenches is a stranger, leaving Suzanne to navigate a home-front battlefield.

Join Adrienne, Blanche and Suzanne on their emotional journeys amidst the tranquil French countryside as they fight to escape the shackles of tradition and abuse. Their stories, bridging half a century, are bound by a timeless struggle.

A heart-wrenching blend of historical and women’s fiction, Lake of Widows explores the complexities of marriage, family secrets and self-discovery in 20th-century France.

📖 My review..

Lake of Widows is the second book in The Women of the Lake series which introduces us to a strong set of female characters who each have their share of heartache. In this novel we get to know Adrienne Chevalier who escapes a troubled marriage in a time when women simply didn’t walk out on their husband and children and we soon learn that life in 1970s rural France is a very different place. Combine Adrienne’s story with that of Suzanne Rossignol’s tragic marriage in the aftermath of WW1 and we get a picture of two troubled women, separated by time, whose sympathetic connection will prove to be a salvation for one of them.

Set around Lyon, we are introduced to the community of characters who live at Sainte-Marie-du-Lacwho we met in the first book, Lake of Echoes, so it’s been really interesting to revisit the area again and meet again with a few of the characters however, this is very much Adrienne’s complex story. Beautifully evocative, and with a rather harrowing story at its core, the author brings the lives of women during the early, and mid-parts, of the twentieth century alive and creates a picture of complex marriages in which women had very little control over their own destiny. 

The author writes with such passion that both place and people come alive, so much so I read the book in one sitting as I wanted to discover more about this intriguing group of women. Whilst Lake of Widows can be read very much as a standalone story as with any series it is best to start at the beginning, you won’t be disappointed.

About the Author

Liza grew up in Australia where she worked as a general nurse and a midwife. When she met her French husband on a Bangkok bus, she moved to France, where she has been living with her family for thirty years, working as a medical translator and a novelist.

Several of her short stories have won awards, and been published in anthologies and small press magazines. Her articles on French culture are published in international magazines such as France Magazine, France Today and The Good Life France.

Sign up for Liza’s occasional newsletter about new book releases and receive a FREE copy of Friends & Other Strangers, her award-winning collection of Australian short stories.

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