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. 

The Scrivener

The Scrivener is the third book in Robin Blake’s fantastic mystery series featuring Preston Coroner Titus Cragg and his good friend Dr Luke Fidelis. Although this book is part of a series it can easily be read as a stand alone as enough explanation of the back story is provided to pique the reader’s curiosity without causing any confusion. The date is 1742 and Preston is preparing for the Preston Guild a celebration held every twenty years and overseen by the town mayor; currently Ephraim Grimshaw. Cragg and Grimshaw are old adversaries it would seem and when Cragg discovers the town pawnbroker and would-be banker Philip Pimbo slumped over his desk with a bullet in his head Grimshaw immediately panics assuming that Pimbo had made bad investments and committed suicide. Cragg is not so sure and with the aid of Dr Fidelis they investigate Pimbo’s business and personal life, his connection to a shady Liverpool Scrivener, a missing civil war treasure trove and the Guinea trade in human slavery. This book is filled with a wonderful cast of characters; good, bad and everything in between and is an utterly enjoyable romp through Georgian society; high and low. Witty, mysterious and very well told, Cragg and Fidelis are the Holmes and Watson of their era. Perfect for fans of Lloyd Shepherd.

Originally published in HNR 73 HERE

The Silvered Heart

The Silvered Heart is Katherine Clements follow up to her critically lauded debut The Crimson Ribbon and with this new story she has returned to the civil war era once again using a real person as a springboard for her storytelling. The Silvered Heart is the fictionalised account of Lady Katherine Ferrers. Lady Katherine was a seventeenth century heiress and legendary highwaywoman who lost her land during Cromwell’s rule and was rumoured to have become a highwaywoman in order to survive. Clements makes the legend her own with this book bringing the “wicked lady” of folktale to vivid life as a real and sympathetic character as we follow her from childhood with her mother’s untimely demise and her own very young and unhappy marriage to finding friendship, love and final happiness. The research is impeccable and the storytelling first rate. You can feel the hunger of Lady Katherine and her faithful retainers through the lean years and smell the dirt and filth of the age. The book brilliantly highlights the dangerous time Lady Katherine lived in when even a king could be put on trial as we watch the political fortunes of those around her change with the wind and her husband’s often feeble attempts to switch allegiance and save his own neck. The book is a fantastic portrayal of the friendship between Lady Katherine and her lady’s maid Rachel and the close bonds that can be formed between women while their destinies are decided by the men around them. This is powerful historical fiction at its best.

This review originally appeared in Historical Novel Review Issue 73

and can be viewed online Here

I am in Blood by Joe Murphy

I am in Blood is the third novel from Wexford born author Joe Murphy. This outing sees the author combine the psychological suspense of Dead Dogs and the historical fiction of 1798 Tomorrow the Barrow We'll Cross. I am in Blood proposes the fictional possibility that after his Whitechapel murders Jack the Ripper came to Dublin. The story is told through three narrative voices; Nathan Jacob a present day teenager coming to terms with his father's death, Sgt George Frohmell a member of the 1890s Dublin Metropolitan Police force and the killer himself.
The book opens with the brutal killing of Mary Shortt in Victorian Dublin's notorious red light district The Monto and as Frohmell investigates he starts to see similarities to the Whitechapel slayings. The narrative device is incredibly clever as we see Nathan map out and follow in the footsteps of George who is also attempting to map out and track the killer.
The book is an utterly compelling read and I simply couldn't put it down. Murphy's setting and his characters are wonderful depictions and his portrayal of Victorian Dublin's poverty, crime and politics are top notch. I particularly enjoyed the portrait of George the DMP Sergeant. Frohmell is sandwiched uncomfortably between the powers that be at Dublin Castle who consider him beneath their notice and are only interested in stamping out Fenian unrest and the ordinary masses of Dublin's teeming poor who spit at him and consider him a filthy peeler and an even filthier prod. Nonetheless George's dedication to his city and his people is absolute, topped only by his dedication to the woman he loves. I felt wrenched out of 1890s Dublin when the book ended and could happily have read another hundred pages about these characters. I think this is Joe Murphy's best work yet. If you are a fan of Kevin McCarthy's Peeler and Irregulars you will love this book and I am sure this book will see Joe Murphy gain many new fans.

The Raven's Head by Karen Maitland

This review originally appeared in the Historical Novels Review Issue 71 February 2015. You can also see it online here http://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-ravens-head/

The Raven’s Head is an intoxicating blend of history, mystery and magic, and Maitland’s storytelling is deft and detailed. Told in the form of three interlocking narratives, the stories converge beautifully. The raven’s head is a beautiful carved silver object covered in alchemical symbols, and Vincent is stuck with it after his attempt to blackmail his master causes him to leave his job as an apprentice scribe in France. On the run, Vincent is a wanted man and begs passage to England hoping to sell the head and make enough money to become a wealthy man. However, the raven’s head is powerful, and it refuses to be sold. Meanwhile young Gisa, the apothecary’s niece, must put all her knowledge of herbs and plants to use in her new position as a servant for the mysterious alchemist Lord Sylvain. We also get the story of young Wilky, given to the Abbey where the strange and secretive White Cannons promise an education for young boys in their care, but when the boys begin to disappear it seems they also have a darker purpose.

Each story is spun out separately, but in the final section of the book they come together as Lord Sylvain’s experiments grow increasingly dangerous and magical. Maitland’s research is superb, and her storytelling wonderfully captures the period. The book also includes a useful glossary of medieval words and some historical notes on the supernatural beliefs of the time and the practice of alchemy. Highly recommended.

Nunslinger by Stark Holborn

Set in 1864, Nunslinger tells the story of Sister Thomas Josephine a Visitandine nun who has chosen to travel out to the state of California to bring God and her nursing skills to the Catholic mission in San Francisco. On the way however her wagon train is attacked and burned out. She is rescued by union soldiers but just a few hours later she is kidnapped by the outlaw Abe Muir and thus begins her wild ride through the old west as she meets fur trappers and Mexican bandits, homesteaders and outlaws. Falsely accused of murder she escapes hanging and goes on the run with Muir by her side and Lieutenant Carthy on her trail.

This is a whipcracking tale full of wit and adventure, perfect for fans of historical fiction or adventure. Sister Josephine must stay one step ahead of the law wherever she goes and rely on her own wit and skill to keep her out of a variety of scrapes as she travels across the territories from Indian country to the Sierra Nevada and Missouri to Mexico. Her reputation precedes her and soon the “six gun sister” is a creature of legend and as her crimes mount she must ask God for forgiveness. I wouldn’t usually pick up a western but I was pleasantly surprised and I think you will be too.

This review originally appeared on welovethisbook.com http://www.welovethisbook.com/reviews/nunslinger

You can find out more about the author here http://starkholborn.com/

Blog Tour for Winter Siege by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman

Winter Siege is the final novel from an author I adore, Ariana Franklin also known as Diana Norman. This book has been completed by Diana's daughter Samantha and the transition from one writer to another is seamless so I do hope that Samantha will continue to write historical fiction.

The book is the story of a large cast of characters but the main focus is on eleven year old Em, brutally attacked in the bleak winter fens and rescued by big hearted mercenary Gwil. Together they form an unbreakable bond of friendship and Gwil teaches this tough and tenacious young girl how to fight as they try to track down a sadistic killer and prevent him killing again. It also deals with the siege of Kenniford Castle and we find another heroine here in sixteen year old Maud, the castle's young chatelaine. All of the characters are small players caught up in the war between Stephen and Matilda. the historical detail is fantastic and clearly the research has been meticulously carried out. Maud puts the welfare of her staff and villagers above her own needs and the interactions between her and those in her charge give the reader a fascinating insight into the period. 

The England of the twelth century is beautifully recreated in this wonderful book, The atmosphere, the characters are all riveting and it bears the trademark storytelling we expect from an Ariana Franklin novel. At times brutal and harsh I was nonetheless captivated from the first page. I cannot recommend this book highly enough it is mystery, crime and historical fiction all at once and above all that it is a thumping good read. Perfect for fans of CJ Sansom, Giles Kristian and Hilary Mantel.

The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson

This novel marks the debut of an incredibly talented new novelist. The Devil in the Marshalsea is both an excellent whodunnit and an incredible work of historical fiction. It's no surprise then that Antonia won the CWA Historical Dagger. Tom Hawkins is a wonderful creation, young, handsome, arrogant an inveterate gambler and drinker. After he is robbed and beaten he is unable to pay his debts and ends up in the Marshalsea debtors prison. He has asked his friend upright citizen Rev Charles Buckley to help him and Charles has returned with a deal from his patron Sir Philip Meadows who is the Knight Marshal and runs the gaol, an inmate has been murdered and Sir Philip wants Tom to discover the killer. However Tom must be careful because his new cellmate is everybody's prime suspect. As further deaths occur and Tom discovers at first hand the depredation and cruelty in the Marshalsea he must uncover the killer before he becomes the next victim.Tom will learn a great deal about the dark underbelly of Eighteenth Century London. This is outstanding page turning writing. I loved it.

Out now in paperback from Hodder (Thanks to Kerry Hood for a review copy)

Friday Feature Author Antonia Hodgson

I am so sorry I am late with the Friday Feature this week but better late than never and I am delighted to have had award winning and bestselling author Antonia Hodgson agree to take part. Antonia's debut The Devil in the Marshalsea has won The CWA Historical Dagger award and is featuring in The Waterstones and the Richard and Judy bookclubs. 

The book is a riveting tale set in London's Marshalsea prison for debtors in 1727. So we have moved on less than twenty years from the world of last week's featured book but a world away from the isolated Ulster Scots community to the filth, noise and bustle of London.

Q&A

1. Do you plan the story first and then do the research or does reading and research spark ideas.


The initial spark always seems to come from the research - at least is has done for the first two books I’ve written, and I’m just starting to think about the third! It’s quite intuitive - and is also driven in part by character. Tom Hawkins, my protagonist, is a risk taker and very bad with money. So when I first started thinking of him and a possible novel, I decided he would probably be in a debtors’ gaol in the opening pages. Then I stumbled across the story of the Marshalsea and realised I had to set the whole novel in there.

I do plot out a fair bit before I start and I do a lot of thinking about all the main characters. I’ll jot down detailed notes on them and develop the plot as I’m creating character. And vice versa. They’re very much intertwined.

Then I’ll trick myself into thinking I’ve got the whole plot ready and get to work. After about five or six chapters I’ll realise that it’s not fully plotted at all, that characters are doing all sorts of surprising things or the plot I’ve put together doesn’t actually work. Then the fun begins. (And by ‘fun’ I mean agonising self-doubt, chronic pacing about the room and the occasional happy moment of resolution.)

For me, one of the great joys of writing is the way a novel develops as I write. So while I need a plan of some sort, and often have lots of ideas about plot twists, murders, the killer - nothing is sacred. I’ll pull it all apart if need be - and actually that can be fascinating and thrilling.


2. Do you think historical fiction is enjoying a resurgence and why is that?


I think it’s always been popular. I love it because it allows me to escape into a different world while also learning about a moment in history. And then there’s that thrill of connection and understanding - it’s a very powerful thing, to discover how far we’ve changed and how much we’ve stayed the same.


3. What draws you to writing about the past?


I think for the same reasons I’ve described above. Also I really enjoy the research. I like taking what I’ve learned and turning it around in my imagination. I learn a lot, both at the research stage and in its transformation into fiction.


4. Do you have a typical working day?

Write, write, stretch, coffee, write, lunch, coffee, write, write, stretch, write, stop.


5. What are you working on now?

I’m just redrafting my second novel. It’s a sequel to The Devil in the Marshalsea and it needs a title. So I’m working on that, too... I already have an idea for book three and can’t wait to start the research on that. 

Antonia's Top Five Favourite Books

Of course I reserve the right to name five different books tomorrow. It changes all the time.


The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Heartbreaking.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Also heartbreaking.

A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
A theme is developing...

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Not entirely devastating.

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Pure joy.

Antonia's Top Five Writing Tips

1) Give yourself the space to dream. Walk to work if you can. Stare into space. Empty hours are precious and vital. You need to be on friendly terms with your subconscious and give it room to play.


2) Read. Would you trust a singer who doesn’t listen to music?


3) Love writing - or at least feel compelled to do it. If it feels like a chore, or forced, you’ve probably picked the wrong story. If this keeps happening, or you keep finding excuses not to write... maybe try something else. Life is short and there are lots of other pleasant things to do.


4) Be resilient. Rejection is tough but inevitable at some point - everyone goes through it.


5) Agents and editors are not intentionally scary. They genuinely want to find the next great writer. The process of submitting material is terrifying (I know, I’ve been there and I still feel it whenever I hand my editor something new). It’s perfectly normal and indeed rational to feel vulnerable and anxious when you send work out into the world. But don’t feel intimidated by anyone in the industry. They’re just a bunch of people - and most of them are very nice and friendly. Also, their jobs don’t exist without authors. So ‘who’s queen’ now?



Thanks a million Antonia for taking part. The Devil in the Marshalsea is available in paperback now.

The Royalist by S J Deas

The Royalist is the first in a new series of historical crime novels from a bestselling fantasy author. The fate of William Falkland; farmer and soldier in the King’s army seems to be sealed. He awaits the hangman’s pleasure in Newgate prison far from his West Country home and family. He is finally taken from the prison, to his surprise, not to his death but to a meeting with Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell promises to spare Falkland if he will turn investigator for him and travel to the New Model Army’s winter camp where a number of young boys have died in mysterious circumstances. Deas writes at a furious pace and we are soon caught up the mystery of the young men’s deaths. However it is his wonderful description and his creation of a powerfully charged atmosphere that really capture the reader; the sights, smells and the freezing cold of a snow bound village, the claustrophobic feeling of a town that has been invaded, the fear of the local people, the hunger of the scrawny barefoot children, the arrogance of the soldiers who have destroyed churches, thrown people out of their homes and who now resent questions being asked by a King’s man. Falkland is aided in his investigation by his landlady Kate and a constant air of menace pervades the narrative. I look forward to many more of Falkland’s investigations. A perfect read for fans of Shona MacLean and C.J. Sansom. Published by Headline The Royalist is out now.This review originally appeared on welovethisbook.com