December Girl By Nicola Cassidy #BlogTour

I am delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for Nicola Cassidy's debut novel December Girl. This is a gritty historical tale of family, heartbreak and secrets set in Ireland and London. The author was inspired by The Boyne Valley area where she grew up and where she still lives. This is an area rich in history and elements of the novel are inspired by real locations and events. The heroine of the novel is Molly Thomas a smart and independent young woman who's life is changed forever when her family is evicted from their home. The loss of her home, her father and her way of life hits Molly hard and following a shocking betrayal she travels to London to start again, but thrust into London's dark underbelly she faces heartbreak once again as her baby boy is snatched from his pram.
The hero of the tale is Henry Brabazon; the landlord's son. Henry and Molly move in different circles, but Henry does not want to to emulate his entitled, spendthrift father; he too faces crisis and must make hard choices, but in Molly he sees a bright and feisty character, someone who could perhaps be a friend. A graceful blend of timelines, mysteries and fine storytelling, December Girl seamlessly straddles the territory between saga and historical mystery, making this a perfect choice for fans of historical fiction and mysteries alike.
I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for this novel while Nicola was writing it and to see and read it in it's finished form is a real thrill. I loved the story from the beginning and in particular the two main characters; each on their separate and difficult journeys as their paths cross again and again. Nicola is an assured and talented writer and I'm delighted to have watched her journey to publication.

You can download the book from Amazon for only 99p right now. December Girl

December Girl is published by Bombshell Books and the Blog Tour continues details below.

Nicola Cassidy blogs at http://ladynicci.com/

The Four Horsemen by Gregory Dowling

The second book from Gregory Dowling to feature secret agent Alvise Marangon in Eighteenth century Venice is as fast paced and unpredictable as the first. The book opens with intense action as Alvise is chased by some casino bruisers after apparently insulting their boss and is promptly arrested as the brawl spills into St Mark’s Square. Brought before the Missier Grande he is asked to investigate the mysterious death of another agent. A seemingly quiet, bookish man Sior Padoan fell from the roof of his home in what was apparently a tragic accident. Alvise however is certain that the man’s missing diary will provide some clues. There is a connection to a secret society known as The Four Horsemen and Alvise once again must seek help from the bookseller Fabrizio and his beautiful daughter Lucia and his gondolier friend Bepi. Though his investigations are blocked at almost every turn by the city’s Inquisitors and he is caught up in the dark and shadowy world of a scandalous noblewoman, Alvise soon begins to unravel the curious threads that led to poor Sior Padoan’s death. This is fast paced historical crime with great writing, smart plotting and a host of interesting characters bringing Venice to vivid life. Really enjoyable and perfect for fans of Diana Bretherick and Andrew Taylor. 

Lawless and the House of Electricity Blog Tour Guest post from William Sutton.

I am delighted to be involved in the blog tour for the latest instalment in the Campbell Lawless series of crime thrillers set in mid Victorian London, perfect reading for the Madwoman in the Attic. Thanks so much to William for the guest post he has provided here about Victorian advertising and to Lydia Gittins at Titan for sending me a copy of the book.


Lawless & the House of Electricity by William Sutton, third in his series of Lawless mysteries exploring the darker sides of Victorian London, is published by Titan Books, and features a mad woman in the attic, whose symptoms are all too Victorian.

ASTHMA CIGARETTES: ADVERTISEMENTS AND INSPIRING ILLNESSES
Victorian advertisements beguile me. They speak volumes of the age, of its anxieties and its swindlers. Dr Batty’s Asthma Cigarettes For the temporary relief of paroxysms Not recommended for children under 6

You couldn’t make this stuff up. Well, you could, but the real examples are better. (View more on Pinterest.)
With all our vitamins, homeopathics and aromatherapies, you might think this is the age of dodgy medications, but you wouldn’t believe the things Victorians tried. In writing Lawless & the House of Electricity, I returned over and again to advertisements and other picture inspirations for two strands of the book: terrorism and illness.




VICTORIAN DIAGNOSES
A wonderful range of ailments is purportedly cured by Dr Williams’ Pink Pills for Pale People: “paralysis, locomotor ataxia, anaemia, weakness, scrofula, sundry ailments”. From this I derived diagnoses, more and less reasonable, for Lady Elodie, the mysterious absentee at Roxbury House.

Arsenical Soap was used to treat “disfigurements: blotches, blemishes, freckles, pimples and pustulance”. The fact that it was poisonous caused problems, and suspicious deaths accelerated through the mid-century. The Arsenic Act of 1851 did not stop the panic over poisonings, as seen in ITV’s drama Dark Angel.

I recommend you read further in Kathryn Harkup’s A is for Arsenic, which gives encyclopaedic detail on the myriad ways you may poison your loved ones (or your characters).



DIABOLICAL DIAGNOSES I got so inspired by all this, I wrote a ditty about it for the Writing Edward King project (hear it on Soundcloud), characterising the wild range of diseases that sent people to those daunting and magnificent asylums that sprung up around the country after the Asylums Act.

I’ll admit that scrofula and pustulance aren’t too common today (at least in Europe, though Dickensian concerns are often still operative in the wider world). But researching hysteria in Asti Hustvedt’s excellent Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Paris made me think twice before mocking Victorian medicine.
We may laugh at “strolling congestion, drawing room anguish, dissipation of nerves and imaginary female trouble” (genuine contributory factors cited upon commitment to a Victorian asylum). But if we mock Victorian diagnoses, what will today’s diagnoses look like in future?

Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test explodes the alarmingly arbitrary origins of today’s diagnostic criteria (psychologists using DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Perhaps we should think how today’s diagnoses will be laughed at in the future.
I resisted classifying Lady’s Elodie’s disease by modern criteria (depression, epileptic absences, fugues). It has more in common with the encephalitis lethargica of Oliver Sacks’ Awakenings and the catalepsy-lethargy-somnambulism of Charcot’s hysterics in the Saltpêtrière Hospital of Paris.
The pictures remind us that the past was once the present: laugh if you dare, but you will be laughed at in turn one day.


TOP VICTORIAN PIC SOURCES
Follow these stars of Twitter and the blogosphere and the world of Victorian pics will open up: 1. My pictorial inspirations on Pinterest 2. British Library’s Open Source archive 3. Whores of Yore (Kate Lister @WhoresofYore). See especially her Word of the Day and Historical Hotties 4. Victorian London (Lee Jackson @VictorianLondon) 5. Wayward Women (Lucy Williams @19thC_Offender

Electric Blog Tour Day 1 (Tags: writing, Vic Pics, diagnoses, ads, inspiration, asylum, madness) 

Blog Tour Warning

Just a note to say that on Monday I will be kicking off the Blog Tour for Lawless and The House of Electricity. This is the third instalment of the Lawless series by William Sutton. If you aren't already aware they are a superb series of crime novels featuring Sergeant Campbell Lawless; a Scottish born policeman based in the Victorian East End. All the stops on the blog tour are listed above. Check out more about the books and the author here.  https://www.william-sutton.co.uk/

The Coroner's Daughter by Andrew Hughes

Andrew Hughes' second novel returns to the Dublin setting of his first but earlier in the century to the summer of 1816 when Northern Europe was engulfed in a wintry fog which perplexed scientists and caused much proclamation about the end of the world from religious fanatics. It was known as the year without a summer. The young lady of the title is Abigail Lawless, eighteen years old, a budding scientist full of curiosity and passion for learning. When a young nursemaid in the house of a neighbouring family apparently murders her newborn Abigail cannot help being intrigued about the young woman’s circumstances. She discovers a message from the young maid’s lover and is soon embroiled in an investigation into the fanatical religious sect known as The Brethren and their bitter rivals the rationalist Royal Astronomer Professor Reeves and his followers. Abigail is clever, defiant and resourceful. Her father has provided a thorough scientific education and while he is aware of her intelligence he is also aware of the restrictions society imposes on her, as a woman and there are a number of clashes between father and daughter. Andrew Hughes is a wonderfully talented author bringing Dublin and its surroundings to life with deft characterizations, detailed but never laboured descriptions and a plot which will have readers racing through the pages. An utterly transporting book. Highly recommended especially for fans of Sophia Tobin and Lloyd Shepherd.

Published in February 2017 by Doubleday in hardback 

This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review Issue 79 Feb 2017

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-coroners-daughter/

Murder By Ghostlight

Murder by Ghostlight is the latest installment in J. C. Briggs Charles Dickens & Superintendent Jones Investigate series. Having brought a production of Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s Money to Manchester, Charles Dickens discovers a dead body on the stage of the empty theatre and is immediately suspected of murder. With the aid of his friend Superintendent Jones of Bow Street and the local police the pair set out to prove Dickens’ innocence and unravel a web of intrigue surrounding the dead man. This is a fast paced and page turning tale and the author clearly pays homage to Dickens both in the style of writing; Dickensian descriptions of poverty, industry and gloomy weather abound, but also in the colourfully named characters such as razor nosed Eva Stabb and solicitors Tape and Binding. The portrait of Dickens himself is a balanced one, while he enjoys fatherhood he is a neglectful husband and though aware of his own flaws in many instances, he has a tendency to pomposity and the dramatic. This is a cleverly written Victorian mystery which will have broad appeal, while the author doesn’t stint on the gore the narrative is witty and intriguing. Highly recommended for fans of Dickens obviously, but also for anyone who enjoys Oscar de Muriel’s Frey and McGray series of Victorian mysteries, The Sherlock Holmes novels or the novels of Diana Bretherick.

Published by The Mystery Press 2016

This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review Issue 80 May 2017 and can be viewed here 

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/murder-by-ghostlight/

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

The Pearl Thief is Elizabeth Wein’s fourth book for young adults. While previous books have featured daring female pilots and WW2 heroines the heroine of The Pearl Thief is Julie; a 1930s Scottish aristocrat back from finishing school to help her mother close up her grandfather’s estate for the last time. Grieving for her grandfather and for the summers she used to have Julie meets a family of Scottish Travellers including brother and sister Ellen and Euan whose way of life is also being closed off and who meet disdain, prejudice and opposition at every turn. On top of this Julie and her new friends have mysteries to solve; what happened to visiting academic Dr Housman who has disappeared? Who knocked Julie unconscious? And what has happened to the pearls in her grandfather’s collection. It’s not all about the mystery though as there is also romance, humour and a lovely portrait of a way of life slowly coming to an end as the countryside changes and the threat of war looms. The struggles with class, poverty and a changing way of life are all deftly handled. Elizabeth Wein is a powerful and consummate storyteller. Beautifully crafted and unputdownable The Pearl Thief is a wonderful mystery, filled with nostalgia and a real homage to the author’s adopted home of Scotland, to the Scottish countryside and to a fading way of life. With echoes of I Capture the Castle and Agatha Christie this will be a real hit with slightly older fans of Robin Stevens, and Enid Blyton.

This book will be published on May 4th 2017.

With thanks to LoveReading and Bloomsbury for a copy. 

Books to Watch out for in 2017 Part Two

There are always many more books that I want to read than I can afford or even have time to read. So here's another post about the books that are just out or coming soon and why you will want them too.

Just Published

The international bestselling author of The Historian returns with an intriguing new book published by Text Publishing in April. A young American woman Alexandra Boyd arrives in Sofia and has a mix up with a bag after helping an elderly couple to find a taxi, so she finds herself trying to track down the Lasarov family and thus begins an epic tale of Bulgaria; it's people, it's history, it's tragedy. Also what a stunning cover. 

This is a dark YA fantasy ideal for fans of Leigh Bradugo and Sarah J Maas. Tea comes from a family of witches but her abilities are different; so when she accidently raises her brother from the dead she is rejected by her own community. She is taken in by an older, wiser bone witch who trains her in elemental magic but dark forces are rising. Released in March by Sourcebooks in hardback this debut has had rave reviews.

Antonia Senior returns to the mid Seventeenth Century for her third novel which features Patience Johnson who believes she has a great destiny to fulfill. Her brother Will meanwhile has been appointed as lawyer to Oliver Cromwell. The Tyrant's Shadow blends romance, drama and political intrigue in an exciting and dangerous era. Published in April by Corvus.

Daniela Sacerdoti's new series sees her move to a new publisher; Headline, and it features another beautiful and atmospheric Scottish location. The first book in The Seal Island series is winning rave reviews and throngs of readers and I hope will bring this brilliant author to a wider audience. Out now in hardback with a paperback due in September.

Tanya Landman travels back to Roman Britain for her latest YA novel about runaway slave girl Cassia who does the unthinkable; crosses Hadrian's Wall to seek freedom. If you are a fan of Manda Scott's Boudica series or N. M. Browne's YA fiction then this is essential reading. Published in April by Walker Books.

Having enjoyed their previous adventures I am keen to discover what Frey and McGray get up to next. This latest instalment of the Edinburgh set detective series sees guest appearances by Ellen Terry and Henry Irving as a new production of the Scottish play comes to town.  Published in April by Penguin.

Set in 1361 as a new wave of plague visits England, this is dark, mysterious, historical fantasy. Perfect for me then. The paperback was just published in April by Headline.  

Arrowood by Mick Finlay

Arrowood is the debut novel from Mick Finlay. It's set in South London in 1895 and it features a consulting detective, but this is not Sherlock Holmes. The tagline for this story is "London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes everyone else goes to Arrowood." Arrowood is fat, balding, often drunk. He's a terrible brother an even worse employer and friend and he hates Sherlock Holmes with a burning passion. The police generally aren't interested in his help so he has to use unconventional or even illegal methods to find information but somehow he and his partner Barnett seem to get the job done. When a young French woman seeks their help in locating her missing brother Barnett and Arrowood soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that includes a dangerous criminal gang, Irish American revolutionaries and corruption at the highest levels of power. The writing is furious and fast paced Finlay knows his way around Victorian London and like Arrowood he knows people; from the drunks at the bar to the kind hearted women like Arrowood's sister who nurse the sick and the destitute, to the servants quarters and flop houses this is a Victorian London that's richly peopled and beautifully drawn. If you a fan of Sarah Pinborough's Mayhem or if love the camaraderie of Frey and McGray in Oscar de Muriel's books then Arrowood is for you. If you are fan of Sherlock Holmes you will probably love it all the more. All the familiar Sherlockian tropes are there but they are subtle and carefully used and the whole story is also shaded with political ideas and a darker and grittier tone than Conan Doyle ever used. This is a fantastic start to what I hope will be a longer series.
Thanks very much to the team at LoveReading and to the publishers HQ (Harper Collins) for the chance to read and review this novel before release.
Arrowood will be out on 23rd March 2017 in hardcover

The Moonstone's Curse by Sam Siciliano

The Moonstone's Curse is the latest title in Titan Books Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series. I am always happy to read anything set in the Sherlock universe and this book was a fine addition to that world neatly blending plot and characters from Wilkie Collins The Moonstone with Sherlock's London society. Well to do aristocrat Charles Bromley seeks the help of Holmes and his cousin Dr Henry Vernier because he believes his wife is in imminent danger. His wife Alice has inherited the priceless diamond known as the Moonstone from her father Neville who inherited it from his mother Rachel Verinder the original recipient of the diamond in Wilkie Collins novel of 1868. Bromley goes on to explain the diamond's bloody history and the belief that Alice's ancestor had stolen the diamond during the siege of Srirangaptana and murdered the man tasked with guarding it. Alice is convinced that because of this bloody history the Moonstone is cursed. She believes that it killed her parents and she wants to get rid of it. However Alice is prevented from selling the diamond by a clause in her inheritance which means the diamond must pass intact to her surviving kin. Alice has recently begun to see faces at the window and is convinced that someone has come from India to take the diamond back. Sherlock Holmes is of course intrigued and the game is indeed afoot. Following on the trail of a murdered jeweller Holmes and Vernier are soon entangled in the mystery of The Moonstone and under its sinister spell. Tying Sherlock Holmes to what most would consider the first detective or mystery novel is a smart move on the part of the author and one that Siciliano has pulled off before; his previous Sherlock Holmes novels include The White Worm inspired by one of Bram Stoker's less successful outings. The Moonstone's Curse is however a twisty mystery full of intriguing characters especially Vernier and his wife Michelle Doudet-Vernier  also a doctor. The contrast between the frightened and laudanum addicted Alice and the redoubtable Michelle offers a marked commentary on Victorian feminity.
I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more of the adventures of Holmes and the Verniers.

The Moonstone's Curse is published today 14th February and is available in paperback and ebook from Titan Books. Thanks so much to Phillipa Ward for sending me a copy.

Ordeal by Fire Sarah Hawkswood

Sarah Hawkswood’s second outing for the detecting duo of Bradecote and Catchpoll means a change of publisher, but readers shouldn’t worry about having to read the books in order as this story works just as well as a standalone. The setting is Worcester in 1143 during the anarchy of the reign of King Stephen and features undersheriff Hugh Bradecote and Serjeant Catchpoll investigating a series of fires in the town. While the first fire could have been an accident, the Serjeant’s suspicions are raised when a second fire results in a death. Catchpoll is fearful and enraged that a killer seems to be attacking his neighbours while Bradecote is more pragmatic.

The pairing is an enjoyable one for the reader, as we see the experienced Catchpoll bristle at the restraint of the recently appointed undersheriff, while Bradecote struggles to assert his authority and also deals with a family tragedy. This book also sees the appointment of Walkelin; a bright if at times overly enthusiastic young man, whom Catchpoll raises up as his apprentice. The author’s detailed research is obvious without ever overwhelming the narrative, and the details of everyday life in medieval Worcester provide fascinating background and the hint of many future outings for the duo.  Ordeal by Fire is an ideal choice for fans of Ariana Franklin, Peter Tremayne and S.D. Sykes.
Reviewed for HNR 78
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/ordeal-by-fire/

The Strange Case of Madeleine Seguin

A striking blend of fiction and fact William Rose’s novel focuses on a patient at the famous Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris as the 19^th Century draws to a close. The author presents us with a series of reports, case notes and letters written by the various characters who each for their own reason has a particular interest in Madeleine and her development. Through the letters we are given a glimpse into the decadent world of the fin de siècle and the various groups and salons; the experimental young artists and poets, those dabbling in magic and the occult and the scientists and psychiatrists who both help and experiment on the people they treat. There is a gothic undercurrent to the narrative which makes it darkly compelling and sinister. There is a sense of hedonism and thrill seeking amongst a number of the protagonists which intensifies the decadent and gothic atmosphere of the story.

The book places the mad girl at the centre of the story but as in life it is not her voice we hear, instead we only learn about her through others. The author presents a fascinating insight into a particular place and time; The Countess fascinated by the devil, the young artist seeking an introduction into society, the young doctor and his rejection of religion in favour of science and the professor as a kind of impresario using his patients as props to impress. The author’s interest in psychoanalysis and art is apparent and makes for an intriguing combination. A recommended read for fans of Diana Bretherick.

Reviewed for HNR Issue 78

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-strange-case-of-madeleine-seguin/

The Counterfeit Detective by Stuart Douglas

The Counterfeit Detective is the latest installment in Titan Books The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and it is Stuart Douglas's second contribution to the series.
The book begins with an anonymous letter which informs Holmes and Watson of another Sherlock Holmes at work in New York, and so the intrepid pair set out to investigate this false Holmes. The year is 1899 and their adventures begins almost immediately as they investigate the murder of a sailor on the ship as they travel across the Atlantic.
Arriving in New York with a letter of introduction from Inspector Gregson they meet a Yorkshireman; Simeon Bullock now an Inspector with the New York City Police and they begin to investigate the counterfeit Sherlock. However almost as soon as they begin the body count of former clients starts to mount.
This is an intriguing mystery full of twists and turns and Douglas does a great job at capturing the essence of everyone's favourite detective duo. The mystery here is sufficiently convoluted as to satisfy even die-hard fans and the introduction of Inspector Bullock; world weary and yet insightful is a welcome addition.
I think this novel is accessible to readers new to the series and to more seasoned readers and it makes a welcome addition to the cannon and to Titan's impressive output of Sherlockiana. With Season 4 of Sherlock due to broadcast on New Year's Day, another outing for the film franchise with Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law in the works and Elementary with Johhny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu continuing it's popularity Sherlock fever isn't going anywhere.
Thanks very much to Alice Morgan at Titan Books for a review copy of this book. 

An Almond for a Parrot by Wray Delaney

An Almond For a Parrot is the spectacular adult debut from award winning children's author Sally Gardner and be warned it is very much a book for adults. The novel is the tale of the life, loves and romantic and sexual awakening of Tully Truegood.
Following in the footsteps of eighteenth century heroines like Moll Flanders and Fanny Hill, Tully's story begins in 1756 in Newgate Prison where Tully awaits trial for murder. Through a series of recipes and recollections Tully recounts her journey from a neglected childhood with her drunken father to a life of luxury as the mistress of a Lord.
Treated as little more than a servant by her father, who gambled and drank away what little money they had after her mother's death, the only kindness Tully receives is from a indifferent gin-soaked cook. Her father trades Tully like a commodity; at 12 she is a bride in a "Fleet Marriage" at 16 she is the payment for a gambling debt. Tully enjoys fleeting happiness when her father brings home a new wife; as she has the kindness of a mother and a chance at learning, as well as new gowns and shoes but it is all too soon snatched away. When Tully finally makes her escape from her father's house it is the first time she has ever set foot outside and she is dazzled and thus begins her progress through the highs and lows of the decadent London of the eighteenth century.
With a powerful physic ability and a beautiful face Tully is soon the most celebrated courtesan of her age, before a shadowy figure from her past emerges to challenge her safety and position.
This is an incredible page turner full of immaculate period detail and peopled with great characters. A writer to watch.  If you are a fan of Debra Daley, Laurie Graham or Sarah Waters then you will love this book.
Publishing next Thursday; 3rd November and coming from new imprint HQ; part of Harper Collins this is a book that should not be missed. An Almond for a Parrot has already been listed in Buzz Feeds 24 most anticipated books of the Autumn and you can expect to hear a lot more buzz about it as publication approaches.
Thanks so much to Sophie Calder at Harper Collins for a copy of the book.

Upcoming Blog tour for Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody

Delighted to be involved in the Blog Tour for Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody details here.

Ascension by Gregory Dowling

Gregory Dowling’s fifth novel; his first foray into historical territory, is set in mid 18^th Century Venice and introduces a charming protagonist in the form of cicerone or tour guide Alvise Marangon. Having grown up mostly in England Alvise makes guiding British tourists his specialty but he gets more than he bargained for when he offers to guide the young Mr. Boscombe and his tutor Mr. Shackleford.

Soon Alvise is entangled in the city’s criminal underbelly finding himself arrested, robbed, beaten up and finally persuaded to join the city’s secret network of spies to uncover a criminal threat that goes to highest levels of Venice’s aristocratic society.

This is a wonderful page turner with a fabulous cast of characters from the gambling dens to the theatres, the booksellers to the taverns, the courtesans to the gondoliers. Alvise is able to use his innate sense of theatre and charm to move fluidly between all the classes and this also makes him a perfect spy.

Dowling’s storytelling is superb and the sights, sounds and smells of 18^th Century Venice are brilliantly realised. Although the plot is resolved the book has the feel of the first in a series so I hope there will be a return for Alvise. This book would be ideal for fans of Diana Bretherick and Robin Blake.

Published by Polygon 2015.

This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review Magazine

The Redemption of Alexander Seaton by Shona Maclean

The Redemption of Alexander Seaton is the first in a four part series by Scottish writer Shona /S.G. Maclean. Set in Banff in Scotland in 1626. Alexander is a failed minister now a schoolteacher of morose character. His two truest friends are the doctor and the music master.When a man is found dead in suspicious circumstances, murder is suspected and Alexander's friend the music teacher a rival in love to the murdered man is arrested. Tasked with helping the investigation Alexander is determined to prove his friend innocent.
This is a wonderfully written tale from a master storyteller. The setting and characters are so vivid and intense I felt utterly immersed and sad to leave them all behind. This is a series I will certainly continue and cherish.
If you like S J Deas, Robin Blake or Antonia Hodgson this book is for you.

Here is an interview the author did with Shots e-zine which will give you some insight into her research and an explanation for the mid series name change.



http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/interview_view.aspx?interview_id=237

The Butcher's Hook by Janet Ellis

Janet Ellis has written a startling and original historical novel inThe Butcher’s Hook. The smart, astute and fascinating heroine and mesmerising narrative belie the fact that this is a debut. Anne Jacob is a middle-class girl in the middle of the 18^thcentury, hungry for books and for knowledge, but a betrayal at the hands of her tutor leads her to explore other avenues of learning and realise the limits of her world. Following the loss of her beloved baby brother, Anne detaches herself from emotion until she meets Fub, the butcher’s boy, and in him she finally finds purpose and passion.

Determined to make a life for herself separate from her parents and the plans they have made for her, Anne will go to any lengths to maintain her newfound happiness, no matter how dark the path she must tread. The book highlights the restrictive limits set on women in the Georgian era and the psychological damage such restriction could lead to, and it is also an immersive portrait of London: its sights, smells, tastes and sounds. While Anne is at the centre of the narrative, we also see her mother, worn out by countless pregnancies and grief; the maids Jane and Grace, limited by their position but ever watchful; and the men who control the women around them with a word, a smile or a frown. The book is also a wonderful portrait of the intensity of first love and the madness of that intensity. Highly recommended. Published by Two Roads Books.

This review can also be viewed at the the HNS website Here

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

Lyndsay Faye has produced an audacious homage to Jane Eyre just in time for Charlotte Brontë’s 200th birthday. Unlike recent books which re-write a classic from the point of view of another character, Faye gives us another Jane altogether, one who is entirely aware of Brontë’s heroine and aware of how that story mirrors her own but only in the broad sweep of the tale; in detail Jane Steele is a very different heroine, a murderess, a liar and a teller of tales.

Jane suffers at the hands of her aggressive cousin, her cruel aunt and her even crueler headmaster, and like Jane Eyre she is called wicked, but for Jane Steele this accusation is true because she takes revenge on those who threaten her and her loved ones. When Jane applies for a governess job at Highgate House, she sees a chance to regain her lost inheritance, but what she finds is a new family and the love of Mr. Thornfield. Added to this is a high-octane crime caper involving the Anglo-Sikh wars, lost jewels and some dastardly East India Company men.

Lyndsay Faye has created an enthralling gothic tale which is both a tongue-in-cheek homage to the Victorian novel and a superbly crafted, plot-twisting crime thriller. She has pulled off a masterstroke with this book, perfect for fans of Charlotte Brontë and Arthur Conan Doyle. Published by Headline.

I reviewed this book for The Historical Novel Society Magazine. See the original review online Here

Book Recommendations based on your Favourite TV Programmes

Turn off your television! Here are some books that are just as thrilling, just as suspenseful and just as fun as anything the small screen has to offer. As recommended by bookseller, Lisa Redmond.

Posted on 6th December 2015 by Lisa Redmond

“So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall.”  Roald Dahl

 

Are you in a Book Slump? If you haven’t found a book that really grabs your attention recently sometimes it’s just easier to pop the telly on and indulge in your favourite show. Obviously as a bookseller I would normally recommend several hours of Saturday afternoon browsing in your local Waterstones to sort this problem out, but in the meantime here’s a quick guide to help you find a book that I think you’ll enjoy based on similarities to your favourite show.

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For Fans of Poldark (BBC)

 

If you are eagerly anticipating the next series of Poldark then The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson is bound to suit your tastes featuring as it does a roguish but well-meaning hero. Tom Hawkins has a taste for the ladies but it is his gambling habit that sees him end up at the Marshalsea debtors’ prison in London in 1727. This is book full of nefarious characters and a wonderful glimpse at the intricacies of the class structure, as well as being an excellent and well plotted read. (It is also the first in a series).

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For Fans of Ripper Street (BBC)

This show made a welcome comeback this year and if you are looking for a book that covers a similar theme while at the same time presenting an entirely new version of the Jack the Ripper saga then I am in Blood by Joe Murphy will appeal to you. In this book the author poses the idea that Jack the Ripper stopped killing in London because he came to Dublin. The story is told through a police sergeant investigating the case, a modern day teenager reading the accounts for research and the killer himself. It is a thrilling read that crime fans will love. 

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For Fans of Capital (BBC)

Obviously if you are enjoying this recent BBC series then your first port of call will be the book, Capital by John Lanchester, on which the series is based. However if you have already read this, then why not try Bleak House by Charles Dickens which features a large, ensemble cast, perceptive observations, a financial mystery and unexpected plot twists and turns. Dickens was a master of pace and suspence and as you may have already heard, Capital is "Dickens for the 21st century".

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For Fans of Wolf Hall (BBC)

If you loved the BBC’s adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Booker prize winning novel, Wolf Hall, and fancy indulging in some more Tudor intrigue then you might enjoy The John Shakespeare series by Rory Clements although the first published book in the series was Martyr start with The Queen’s Man if you want  to read in chronological order. This series rivals CJ Sansom’s Shardlakeseries for politics, intrigue and backstabbing. Set through the 1580s and 1590s it puts hero John Shakespeare at the centre of the Elizabethan court as one of Sir Francis Walsingham’s most trusted spies. 

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For Fans of Downton Abbey (ITV)

  

If you are addicted to the upstairs, downstairs drama at the abbey then Tyringham Park by Rosemary McLoughlin might just be your next favourite book. Set in a beautiful stately home in Co Cork the book features a missing baby, a horror of a nanny and a timid heroine who finds her wings. Through the grand sweep of history the story travels from Ireland to England and Australia before returning to the beloved house at the heart of the story. 

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For Fans of Outlander (RTE)

This show set in the Scottish highlands of the eighteenth century was aired by Ireland’s National Broadcaster though British viewers have so far only been able to watch it online. Based on Diana Gabaldon’s series of novels I cannot recommend the books highly enough but if you are looking for something similar, but without the time travel, then try After Flodden and Dacre’s War by Rosemary Goring set in the Scottish borders in the early Sixteenth Century as well as being rollicking good reads these novels give a unique glimpse of everyday life in the Scottish clans. So much is written about the Tudor world but hardly any novels depict the Scottish side of the border in the same period.

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For Fans of Supernatural (Channel 4)

If you are fan of this wacky, spooky show about two brothers who travel across America hunting down demons then you will love The Awesome by Eva Darrows. It features a mother-daughter team of hunters who are government agents in the fight against unregistered monsters. Maggie is a wonderful narrator tough and sassy but with a soft side, she is not your typical teenager, the laugh count is high and the storytelling is whip crack smart. 

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For Fans of Doctor Who (BBC)

Whether you are a recent convert or a diehard old school fan, you will enjoy the clever and stylish The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. Irene is a librarian with a difference she travels to different dimensions to collect literature from the alternate Universes. In the first instalment of this clever new series Irene must collect a copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales which has extra stories. Sent to an unstable version of Victorian London which includes fae, vampires and steam punk style travel Irene and her mysterious new assistant Kai must risk their lives to obtain the book. 

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For Fans of River (BBC)

This mesmerising new drama features a little Nordic Noir with the inclusion of Stellan Skarsgård in the lead role. Traumatised by the death of his partner, River continues to see and talk to her and to other dead people, he tells his psychiatrist that they are not ghosts but manifests. In James Oswald’s Inspector McLean series starting with Natural Causes an Edinburgh Detective is dealing with the loss of his fiancée to murder and he too seems to see strange things. Oswald who also writes fantasy as JD Oswald here sprinkles just a touch of the supernatural turning an excellent crime series into something extra special. 

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 For Fans of Doctor Foster (BBC)

If you enjoyed this recent drama which dealt with betrayal, regret and a poisonous marriage then you might also like I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh in a summer that saw many books aim for Girl on the Train or Gone Girl territory this little gem went a little under the radar. Centred around the aftermath of an accident in which a child dies, this is a brilliantly told story with a shocking twist that will knock your socks off.