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/

The Constant Queen by Joanna Courtney

The Constant Queen is the second in Joanna Courtney's series which examines historical events leading up to the Norman conquest of 1066. This follows The Chosen Queen which I reviewed last year. You can read that review here. The Constant Queen does not follow directly from the previous book in the trilogy because each book tells the story of a different Queen, so they each feature different characters and though the historical events have an impact on each Queen in the series there is no interaction between them. Therefore they can be read in any order. The Constant Queen is Elizaveta who was born into royalty as a Princess of the Rus, growing up with her many brothers and sisters at Kiev. 

This is the story of a fierce and lifelong romance between Elizaveta and  Harald of Norway who comes to be known as Harald Hardrada. Exiled from his own land Harald at first fought for Elizaveta's father and then went on to seek riches and glory in Constantinople before escaping imprisonment to return to Kiev and claim her hand. Travelling victoriously to Norway Harald is able to regain the throne but Elizaveta must contend with Harald's first love and handfasted wife Tora. 

This book is different in many ways from Joanna Courtney's previous novel because there is a greater emphasis on the detail of Elizaveta's domestic life and her frustration at being kept in the dark about events and being kept waiting. Because of this I felt the pace of the book sagged a little in the middle, However once Tora and Elizaveta come to a tacit truce the pace picks up again particularly as Harald prepares to invade England. 

Harald is often called the last of the great Vikings and there is certainly a great deal of detail about Viking life; both domestic and military and overall the book makes for a fascinating read. 

If you are a fan of Carol McGrath or Tracey Warr then you will enjoy this book.

Thanks so much Jess Duffy at Pan Macmillan for a copy of the book. The Constant Queen is out now in paperback. 

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

Susanna Kearsley's latest novel is out in paperback now. I bought this while on holidays and started it straight away I had heard great things from The Historical and Time Slip Novels Book Club on facebook so I just had to have it. I certainly wasn't disappointed. Nicola has a special gift she can hold an object and see a glimpse of its past. It's a tool that's come in handy in her work as an art dealer. Margaret Ross travels down from Scotland to the London gallery where Nicola works to find out more about a family heirloom and how much it could be worth. Nicola holds the carved wooden firebird for a moment and immediately she sees that the Ross family stories are true it was given to an ancestor of Margaret's by The Russian empress Catherine. However Nicola has never told her boss or any clients about her gift so she needs to find evidence to back up her vision. She decides to investigate and enlists the help of old flame Rob McMorran who has a psychic gift even greater than Nicola's. Together they uncover the fascinating story of Anna a young Scottish woman who  lived  in Eighteenth Century St Petersburg and became embroiled in Jacobite politics. This is a brilliant and well written tale perfect for fans of Diana Gabaldon and Barbara Erskine.

Out now from Allison & Busby.