Puritan by David Hingley

Puritan is the follow up to the outstanding Birthright and continues the intriguing story of Mercia Blakewood. Having arrived in America and discovered the whereabouts of the Oxford Section, Mercia is looking forward to seeing a bit more of the New World and accepts an invitation from Governor Winthrop to visit Connecticut. She befriends local healer Clemency Carter and travels into the countryside of New England and the town of Meltwater where Puritan settlers have forged an uneasy alliance with the native tribes. The description of both the landscapes and the harsh lives of the New Englanders are vivid and captivating and the new characters introduced in this novel; Clemency in particular are fascinating. However the peacefulness and beauty are shattered when one of the townspeople is murdered. Mercia is determined to discover why. It soon becomes clear that the tensions between those who support the restoration and those who fought for the commonwealth are just as powerful and dangerous here in the New World as they were back in England. As more murders occur suspicion grows and neighbour turns against neighbour. Soon Mercia finds herself in danger and fighting for her life.

This is a thrilling follow up and I am eager to read more about Mercia Blakewood. A must for fans of historical crime fiction and ideal for fans of Andrew Taylor, SJ Deas and SG MacLean.

Published by Alison&Busby 2017 in hardback.

this review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review Issue 80 May 2017 and can be viewed online 

and this link https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/puritan/ 

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

The Witches of New York is the third novel from bestselling author Ami McKay. While the new novel sees the return of Moth from her previous novel The Virgin Cure it can be read as a stand alone. The story opens in New York in September 1880 with Moth; now Adelaide and her dear friend Eleanor who have opened Tea & Sympathy a tea shop where they offer spells, remedies and advice to the well heeled ladies of Manhattan. While Eleanor is the expert on remedies and tea, Adelaide is a talented seer and happy to proclaim herself a witch. Having lost an eye to an acid attack from a jealous rival she revels in her witchy appearance. The ladies workload has increased and so Adelaide places an advert seeking an apprentice and Beatrice comes into their lives. Beatrice has travelled from small town upstate New York seeking adventure and magic and she is a wonderful addition to the store but it soon becomes obvious that she has incredible magical abilities. While Eleanor wants to help the girl to develop at her own pace Adelaide wants to test out Beatrice’s abilities and before long Beatrice disappears. Has she run away? Or has she been taken? Because in a society that condemns women is it ever safe to be a witch? The growth of Beatrice’s character is skillfully woven throughout the novel as she turns from country girl to a young woman in charge of her own destiny. This is a beautiful novel, impeccably researched, powerfully plotted and packed with intriguing characters. Carefully blending fantasy, crime and historical fiction this is a charming and atmospheric read. Perfect for fans of Sophia Tobin, Susan Hill and Essie Fox.

Available now from Orion Books

This review originally appeared in Historical Novel Review 79 (Feb 2017) as an Editor's Choice. 

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-witches-of-new-york/ 

The Secret Wife by Gill Paul

Gill Paul’s latest novel is an intriguing blend of two stories in two different eras. A young woman hides away at a cabin inherited from her great-grandfather in upstate New York; Kitty is reeling after discovering her husband’s infidelity and still mourning her parents’ sudden death. The cabin offers her a place to think, and she determines to learn more about the man she inherited it from.

Dmitri Malama is a Russian soldier recovering from an injury in 1914 at Tsarskoe Selo, where he is looked after by Grand Duchess Tatiana who, along with her mother and her sister Olga, is training as a nurse to help the war effort. Dmitri and Tatiana grow close and begin to exchange letters, and gradually we come to understand the connection between Kitty’s family and the Russian royal family.

The Secret Wife is an enthralling and page-turning story linking two intriguing women and the very different lives they lead. This book follows the characters’ journeys across the century from the horror of the First World War and the terrors of the Russian Revolution, to the émigré community of Berlin between the wars, and the hustle and bustle of the mid-century New York publishing scene. It is wonderfully researched and beautifully written. This novel will appeal to fans of Rachel Hore and Lucinda Riley and offers readers a perfect blend of romance and history.

Editor's Choice HNR 78

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-secret-wife/