Review ~ Moon Cutters by Janet Woods

Severn House Publishers

February 2014

Dorset, England in the 1840s is an area alive with the tang of the sea and the promise of smugglers. With illicit contraband and an eye for danger, they steal a march on the excise men who struggle to keep control. When the dashing Fletcher Taunt returns to Dorset after a profitable sea voyage, he hopes to be able to make amends with his uncle, Sir James Fenmore with whom he has quarrelled.

Sir James Fenmore is a local philanthropist with an added interest in illicit contraband. When he rescues Miranda and Lucy Jarvis from destitution and takes them into his home he seems on the surface to have their best interests at heart. However, as the story progresses and we get to know more about the characters, we also start to be aware of some sinister aspects of James Fenmore’s personality.

Hidden family secrets, young maidens rescued from obscurity, a family quarrel and a dashing hero all combine to make this an enjoyable, if fairly ordinary historical romance. Everything fits together, the story flows well, and the sinister aspects of the novel is in keeping with the Gothic nature of the story, and yet at times I felt that there was something lacking, both in the personalities of the lead characters and in the predictability of the story.

I read Moon Cutters over the space of an afternoon, it's a light easy read which fits into the cosy historical romance genre.

My thanks to NetGalley and Severn Books for my ecopy of this book

~*~*~

About the author

Janet Woods is the author of over 35 novels

Find more here

Sunday War Poets...

Alfred Edward Housman

1859-1936

Epitaph on Army of Mercenaries (1914)

These, in the days when heaven was falling, 

The hour when earth's foundations fled, 

Followed their mercenary calling 

And took their wages and are dead.

Their shoulders held the sky suspended;

They stood, and the earth's foundations stay; 

When God abandoned, these defended, 

And saved the sum of things for pay.

During the First World War, Housman published several poems about the conflict including Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries (1914), written after the First Battle of Ypres. 

He is best known for his work, A Shropshire Lad, which he published at his own expense in 1896.

*~*~*

Review ~ This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash

January 30 2014

Random House UK, Transworld Books

As the story opens, twelve year old Easter and her six year old sister, Ruby live in foster care following the unexpected death of their mother. Their short lives have been blighted by unpredictable and capricious behaviour and even living in a state owned facility does nothing to allow them the comfort of normality. Their errant father, Wade, a washed up minor league baseball player, appears back in the girl’s lives; ostensibly to take care of them, but having once signed away his rights to his daughters, the authorities now take a grim look at his behaviour and refuse his request, reasoning that his demand is not entirely in the girls’ best interest. Unaccustomed to taking no for an answer Wade decides that he’s just going to damn the consequences, and take them anyway. However, Wade is about to discover that this is easier said than done, especially as Brady Weller, the state appointed guardian is on hot on his case, along with Robert Pruitt, a vengeful and volatile man who has his own score to settle with Wade.

The story is told by three very different narrators, namely Weller, Pruitt and Easter who each have their own distinctive way of making the story come alive. Ultimately, it’s the story of a broken family, who have been shattered into pieces by broken dreams and long forgotten promises. Easter’s character is sensitively portrayed, she is a child who is way too old, and yet speaks with a poignant authority as she stands up for herself and Ruby. Wade is a profligate mess, a petty criminal who is deeply immersed in both regret and ruined ambition. We know him through Easter’s narration and his deeply personal story of reparation, redemption and broken dreams acts as a tragic warning.

“Why are you here?” Easter demands.

“I just want to spend some time with you and your sister.”

“You can’t,” Easter tells him. “It’s too late.”

There is no doubt that the author has captured this bleak and rather dark look at unconventional family relationships and captures the very heart and soul of dark despair but counteracts it with delicate acts of compassion, which demonstrate that it is indeed a dark and often lonely road to mercy.

My thanks to NetGalley and  Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my copy of this book.

About the Author

 Wiley Cash is the best selling author of A Land More Kind than Home

~*~*~

Review ~ Under His Protection by Stacy Von Haegert

White Rose Trilogy #1
Pubshelf
2013

Hot-headed and handsome young men, dastardly villains and a beautiful and tempestuous heroine, all combine to make this an enjoyable romp through the glitterati of Victorian England. Not to be taken too seriously, the story tells of the turbulent attraction between the enigmatic Duke of Ravenswood and the passionate Greyland Kingston, a woman whose very beauty sets Victorian society blazing. However, the Kingston family, newly returned to England, are the keepers of a long buried secret, which if discovered, could compromise the stability of the English royal family.

What then follows is an enjoyable romantic adventure with a likeable heroine and a sexy swashbuckling hero who fights almost to the very death to protect the woman he loves and admires. Overall, I found much to enjoy in the story, although at times I did have to suspend belief at the historical interpretation and I was disappointed that the final edit of the book did not correct the glaringly obvious spelling mistakes, which I’m afraid became a real irritation.

However, I am sure that if you enjoy romantic historical fiction and are not too troubled by historical inconsistencies and you can overlook spelling mistakes then you are going to find much to enjoy within the story. Its characters are lively and engaging and the added frisson of sexual tension which threads through the story is nicely written without being overly salacious.

As this is the start of a proposed trilogy, my hope is that as the series progresses, the story will go from strength to strength.

My thanks to pubshelf.com for my ecopy of this book to read and review.

~***~

Review ~ Once Upon a Timepiece by Starr Wood

Bo Tree Books

January 2014

The twelve short stories which appear in Once upon a Timepiece each represent a month of the year, which on the surface should have absolutely nothing in common, and yet as you approach the month of February, you realise that there is indeed a very clever link, and the connection is a rather expensive 1946 Breitling Chronomat wristwatch.

Using the wristwatch as its focus, each of the stories demonstrates both the very best and the very worst of society; there’s greed, corruption, lust and deceit, and even as the worst sins of society are illustrated, you start to realise that when faced with a moral dilemma, each of us, almost without thinking, reverts to a lowest common denominator, namely self-preservation.

Beautifully crafted and with great skill the author manipulates each of the stories with a subtle hand, and although it may take you a little while to put together the connection, when the ‘penny dropping’ moment arrives, there is no mistaking the bond which links the story to its predecessor.

I'm really excited about this book. I am sure that it is one of those that will succeed by word of mouth , as once the book is finished there is an overwhelming need to pass the book onto someone else, so that the continuity of time passing remains a link to be cherished.

Highly Recommended.

About the author

Starr Wood is a British journalist, writer and economist. He was born in England in 1970, but grew up in Nigeria, Ras Al Khaimah, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan. In 1992, Starr graduated from the London School of Economics and began his career as a journalist working for a variety of news media in London and the Middle East. Since 1999, he has worked at The Economist Group, first in London, and then in Asia. Today, he lives in Singapore with his wife and three children. 

Once Upon a Timepiece is his debut novel.

*~*~*

My author in the spotlight is .....Wendy Percival

Please welcome

Wendy Percival

Author 

of

Blood-Tied 

Silverwood Books
October 2013

A hidden crime, kept secret for 60 years... but time has a way of exposing the truth…

*~ Wendy ~ welcome to Jaffareadstoo ~*

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for Blood-Tied?

It started with an old photograph, set as a Photo Short Story competition in Writing Magazine. It was of a family group (Edwardian, I think) standing on a railway station. I didn’t enter the competition, eventually, but I did draft out an idea for a story. When I started researching my family history, I recalled the story line and the two things fused together and became the starting point of the plot.

What can you tell us about the story that won't give too much away?

It’s about Esme Quentin, a former journalist’s assistant, who has returned to Shropshire to embark upon a new career as a genealogist and history researcher. Her sister’s apparent unprovoked attack proves to be the catalyst for Esme coming to terms with her own tragic past, as well as resolving the awkward relationship she’s always had with her sister.

Why do you choose to write in your particular genre?

I’ve always enjoyed mysteries, which I attribute to having The Secret Garden read to me as a child! I love being intrigued and surprised in stories, particularly ones where there’s a secret to unravel along the way. And they do say write what you enjoy reading!

Have you always wanted to be a writer?        

I’ve always enjoyed writing, even before I’d ever thought about ‘being a writer’. As a child, I was always dressing up and acting out elaborate stories, and I used to write great long letters to pen friends. It wasn’t until I saw a copy of Writing Magazine in WH Smith’s about 15 years ago that I wondered about writing more seriously. Even then I nearly didn’t buy it, thinking perhaps I was being a bit flaky! But eventually I went back to the rack, grabbed the magazine and marched to the check-out before I changed my mind. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Which writers have inspired you?

I used to read Catherine Cookson avidly. She tells a story so seamlessly. I was introduced to Daphne du Maurier by my mum so I’ve always had a soft spot for her books, particularly with their links to Cornwall, where I’ve been many times on holiday. Elizabeth George’s earlier Lynley novels are favourites. I’ve always enjoyed Dick Francis’s books, although I’m not at all interested in horse riding, which says a lot about his ability to capture his reader! Susan Howatch’s novels, especially her Starbridge series, are brilliant. In recent years I’ve read a lot of Peter Robinson, PD James, Ruth Rendell, Ian Rankin and CJ Sansom, amongst others. But one of my absolute favourites, and probably the writer who I find the most inspirational, is “master of the double twist”, Robert Goddard.

Have you any other novels planned, and if so, can you give us a taster of what is to come?

So many people told me how much they liked Esme Quentin that, after much deliberation as to whether to go down the ‘series character’ route, I decided to write another Esme novel. Again inspired by genealogy and influences from the past, it’s set on the north Devon coast, near where I live. Esme finds a dying woman at the foot of a cliff and gets caught up with the mystery of a 19^th century convict, transported to Australia in 1837. I'm currently working hard to get the final draft finished!

 More about Wendy can be found here:

 http://www.wendypercival.co.uk

http://engagewritebrain.blogspot.com
http://familyhistorysecrets.blogspot.com
http://facebook.com/wendypercivalauthor

Wendy is very generously giving a printed copy of Blood -Tied to one lucky UK winner of this giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thank you so much Wendy for spending time with us.
Jaffa and I look forward to reading more stories about Esme.

*~*~*

My thoughts on Blood-Tied.

Esme Quentin is worried when her sister Elizabeth is attacked in a London park. Thinking that this is a random attack by a stranger, Esme is unprepared when the police reveal that Elizabeth’s attack may not be as random as first thought. With Elizabeth gravely ill in hospital, it falls to Esme and Elizabeth’s daughter, Gemma, to delve a little deeper into Elizabeth’s personal affairs. What they discover are long buried family secrets which span over sixty years, and which open up to scrutiny all that Esme and Gemma once believed to be true.

What then follows is a finely crafted family mystery which abounds with both trickery and deception. The author has a real skill with words, and with fine attention to detail has produced a very convincing crime story. There are more than enough twists, turns and unexpected red herrings in the story to keep you guessing until the very end. I rather liked Esme, she is a determined and feisty protagonist who uses her skill as a researcher to delve into the past; however, it is her tenacity and generosity of spirit which gives the books its heart and soul and which leads eventually to the conclusion of the family mystery.

Blood-Tied works well as a standalone story, it is well presented and professionally produced to a high standard. However, I can see great potential for future character developments as Esme deserves to put her sleuthing skills to good use in future follow-ups.

*~*~*

Review ~ Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll

Faber and Faber

October 2013

Frost Hollow Hall stands in a frosty hollow surrounded by shadows and mystery. The murky depth of its lake holds a secret that no one has been able to discover, and yet when young Tilly Higgins is tempted to skate on the frozen lake, only an unseen spiritual presence saves her from a near death experience.

What then follows is a remarkably accomplished ghostly read which uses the atmospheric Frost Hollow Hall and its assorted clutch of characters and weaves together a story of unnatural grief and heartbreaking maternal anguish.

From the very start of the book I was enchanted with Tilly, she is a feisty and worthy protagonist and yet the supporting characters of Will, the butcher’s son, and the Mrs. Jessop, the Hall’s unfathomable housekeeper adds a delicious richness to the story. Life below stairs in Frost Hollow Hall really comes to life and the narrative is filled with just the right amount of Gothic gloom so that it never becomes clichéd. The poltergeist activity of flying crockery and ghostly visitations really do make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The lightness of the narrative and the control of both plot and malice made this book an absolute joy to read.

Aimed primarily at the young adult market, this is beautifully written historical fiction and is undoubtedly one of those excellent crossover books which will appeal just as well to adults.

More about Emma Carroll can be found on her website.

My thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for my advance reading copy of this book

~*~*~