📖 Book Review ~ The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

Head of Zeus
May 2021

The Wolf Den Trilogy #1

Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara.

 Welcome to the Wolf Den...

Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father's death plunged her family into penury. Now she is a slave in Pompeii's infamous brothel, owned by a man she despises. Sharp, clever and resourceful, Amara is forced to hide her talents. For as a she-wolf, her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others.

But Amara's spirit is far from broken.

By day, she walks the streets with her fellow she-wolves, finding comfort in the laughter and dreams they share. For the streets of Pompeii are alive with opportunity. Out here, even the lowest slave can secure a reversal in fortune. Amara has learnt that everything in this city has its price. But how much is her freedom going to cost her?

Set in Pompeii's lupanar, The Wolf Den re-imagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked.

📖 My Thoughts..

Any story which brings to attention the lives of the forgotten women of history is to be applauded and The Wolf Den shines a much deserved light on the lives of the prostitutes who were used, and so often abused, in the wolf dens of the ancient world. Set in Pompeii, five years before its  destruction by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, The Wolf Den takes us deep into the heart of the lupanar and into the re-imagined lives of the she-wolves who once lived there.

When her family fall on hard times, Amara is sold into slavery but rather than become just another victim, Amara is determined to gain her freedom even though life with an avaricious brothel keeper in Pompeii's notorious lupanar is both difficult and fraught with danger. Women employed as prostitutes have no say in what happens to them, nor do they have the luxury of turning down custom so, for them, freedom seems an impossible dream. However, rising above the harsh reality of their lives, is a group of strong and determined women who form a bond of sisterhood, which is, in itself, empowering. There's humour in the novel and also the usual bitchiness which can invariably happen when a group of women live together but there's also a feeling of camaraderie and a sense of belonging even when their lives are shown in emotional detail.

Combining historical fact with fiction, the story brings alive the casual violence of this ancient world. The dark and gloomy atmosphere of the lupanar, from the spluttering lights of smelly candles, the individual rooms which offered no privacy, to the pornographic graffiti on the walls and the erotic paintings which advertise their trade all highlight the harsh reality of the life of a she-wolf in the wolf dens of AD74 Pompeii.

The Wolf Den is a well written, fascinating and finely detailed, character driven novel, which certainly gets the trilogy off to a really good start. 

About the Author

Elodie Harper is a journalist and prize winning short story writer. Her story 'Wild Swimming' won the 2016 Bazaar of Bad Dreams short story competition, run by The Guardian and Hodder & Stoughton and judged by Stephen King.

The House with the Golden Door, Book #2 in The Wolf Den trilogy is due to be published in 2022.

Twitter @ElodieITV

@HoZ_Books

Book Review ~ The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

 

Mira Books
March 2020

Jaipur Trilogy #1

Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own…

Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.

My thoughts...

After escaping an abusive marriage, Lakshmi, a gifted henna artist, is building her career amongst the wealthy ladies of Jaipur, where as a guest in their fabulous homes, Lakshmi is privy, not just to their secrets, but also to their hopes and fears. However, as the guardian of their insecurities, Lakshmi leaves her own life open to scrutiny, so when her thirteen year old sister, Radha, suddenly appears in Jaipur, a sister she never knew existed, Lakshmi's settled way of life is suddenly disrupted, and not always in a good way.

The sumptuous descriptions of life in 1950s Jaipur with its mix of wealth, and poverty, comes to vibrant life, and over the course of the story a picture is painted of a colourful world of chattering gossip and, sometimes, sly innuendo, but always with a distinct sense of the importance this society places on social class. Lakshmi is welcomed by the ladies of Jaipur who value her artistry but she is never one of them, and as she discovers, to her cost, this hard earned affability can change very quickly.

The story flows beautifully and the life that Lakshmi lives with her unexpected guest is an interesting one and filled with all the sights, scents and sounds of a teeming city at the height of its success. I especially enjoyed how henna art is explained, from the mixing of the henna paste, to the intricacies of Lakshmi's stunning designs as she seeks to create individual patterns for her clients which have their own special meaning, and which bring her such acclaim. However, success is fickle and Lakshmi has some difficult choices ahead of her before she can find her own true happiness.

The Henna Artist is the first book in a trilogy and I'm so pleased to have finally found the time to listen to the unabridged audio version of this fascinating story, which is so beautifully narrated, over 10 hours, by Sneha Mathan. I'm already looking forward to listening to the second book, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, which is out now.

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur 

Mira Books
24 June 2021

Jaipur Trilogy #2

About the Author

Alka Joshi was born in India and raised in the U.S. since the age of nine. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of Arts. At age 62, Joshi released her debut novel, The Henna Artist, which immediately became a NYT bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Book club pick, was Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and is being developed for a TV series. The Secret Keeper of Jaipur is its sequel.

Twitter @alkajoshi

Website

@HQStories

📖 Book Review ~ The Night Hawk by Elly Griffiths

 

Quercus

Hardback 1 February 2021
Paperback edition 8 July 2021

Dr Ruth Galloway returns to the moody and beautiful landscape of North Norfolk to confront another killer. A devastating new case for our favourite forensic archaeologist in this acclaimed and bestselling crime series.

The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, are searching for buried treasure when they find a body on the beach in North Norfolk. At first Nelson thinks that the dead man might be an asylum seeker but he turns out to be a local boy, Jem Taylor, recently released from prison. Ruth is more interested in the treasure, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons. Nelson at first thinks that Taylor's death is accidental drowning, but a second death suggests murder.

Nelson is called to an apparent murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. Nelson ignores this, even when the owner's suicide note includes the line, 'He's buried in the garden.' Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog.

All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn't scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm.

📖 My thoughts..

The Night Hawks is the thirteenth book in the Ruth Galloway series of crime novels and as always this story gets off to a dramatic start when a group of metal detectorists, who call themselves The Night Hawks, discover the body of a young man in an isolated spot on the beach alongside some buried treasure which may well be artifacts from the Bronze Age. 

Bringing forensic archaeologist, Ruth Galloway into the case means that she is, once again, working alongside DI Harry Nelson and his investigative team as they seek to discover more about the victim. As if this wasn't complicated enough the whole investigation becomes even more sinister with the discovery of  two bodies in an isolated farmhouse, known locally as Black Dog Farm, a darkly sinister place where unusual things have happened before. That these unrelated deaths may be linked in some way is what makes this such a fascinating and complex crime story.

The Ruth Galloway series is by far my favourite crime series and I devour the books in the space of one sitting as they are, in my opinion, unputdownable. Having been a fan from the very first book , meeting up with Ruth and Harry in each successive story is like meeting up with your old friends. I enjoy how the author intersperses details of Ruth and Harry's complex relationship into the story as well as bringing back all the supporting characters, especially Cathbad and Judy, who are such an integral part of the story.

The plot in The Night Hawks is as complex as ever and the author deftly weaves together several complex story threads, gradually increasing the tension, until in the latter part of the novel the danger is ramped up to high and both Ruth and Harry have to find their inner reserves of strength in order to keep one step ahead of someone who really does want to see them come to harm.

This may well be the thirteenth book but the series hasn't lost any of its freshness nor its appeal to readers and if you haven't started this series then I do urge you go to the beginning and work your way through some excellent crime novels.

About the Author

Elly Griffiths was born in London. She worked in publishing for many years. Her bestselling series of Dr Ruth Galloway novels, featuring a forensic archaeologist are set in Norfolk.The series has won the CWA Dagger in the library, and has been shortlisted three times for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of theYear. Her Stephens and Mephisto series is based in 1950s Brighton. She lives near Brighton with her husband and their two children.

Twitter @ellygriffiths #TheNightHawks

@QuercusBooks