eyes.2c Reviews

Curse of the Gypsy (Lady Anne Addison Mysteries #3) by Victoria Hamilton                On her return to Kent from her time in Yorkshire and Cornwall, Anne is dismayed to catch a glimpse of her determined suitor, Anthony, the Marquess of Darkefell, in a gypsy camp on her family property. Suitably cross Anne pens a letter to the Marquess and his family. A letter that brings them all to Kent. Again mysteries beget mysteries and death stalks them all. Gypsy curses, stolen property and mob mentalities play a part. Anne and Darkefell come to the heart of the past as it intrudes on the present to a shocking conclusion. Anne continues to struggle with her anxities about marriage and the loss of independence. The outcome is littered with misunderstandings and dark deeds and a return to the original scene of troubles--Yorkshire! A fitting, yet complex closure! This tale was originally published by Donna Lea Simpson. It has been updated and rep...

Revenge of the Barbary Ghost (Lady Anne Addison Mysteries #2) by Victoria Hamilton                Lady Anne Addison's heartfelt confusion, her refusal of marriage to the enigmatic and attractive Marquess of Darkefell continues, peppered with the chasing down of smugglers and murderers in a crumbling manor atop the Cornish cliffs. A house with the perfect smuggler's bay at the foot of its cliffs. I'm agog at where Anne's indecision, or maybe yes her decisiveness, will take her. Anne flees Darkefell's attentions to join her dear friends Pamela and Marcus St. James, at their rented house on the Barbary Coast.  An "effervescent brother and sister, [they have been] friends since Anne’s disastrous Season many years before." However there's another mystery brewing! And the endings all atremble with it! A ghostly figure rises up out of the mists just as smugglers are landing their goods and the excise men are surrounding the beach landing a...

Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark (Lady Anne Addison Mysteries #1)   by Victoria Hamilton                Lady Anne Addison's arrival in Yorkshire is surrounded by mishap. The picture of her arrival at the public coaching stop is both daunting and amusing. It does serve to show the mettle of this determined Georgian miss. Anne has flown to the defense of her friend Lydia after a letter that summons Anne post haste to her marital abode, Darkefell Castle. Anne's arrival problems compound when she is forced to continue to the Castle on foot. She hears a wolf like howl swell out over the forest, some rustling amongst the trees and undergrowth, and then she trips over a body. Enough to send me scurrying home! Not however Anne. Her arrival at the castle has elements of humor, farce and terror, covered as she is in mud and blood! This is an intelligent young woman who will follow clues and use logic to find the truth of the matter, even as t...

The Unicorn Anthology edited by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman. Tales by Peter S. Beagle, Garth Nix, Carrie Vaughn, Patricia A. McKillip, Bruce Coville, Carlos Hernandez, Karen Joy Fowler, Jane Yolen, Nancy Springer, Cailtin R. Kiernan, Margo Lanagan Maybe my expectations were too high. Or maybe some of the writers ideas about unicorns and mine didn't mesh. Although I didn't expect to read about my granddaughters' favorite pillow representations of soft cuddly unicorns that are straight out of Disney, I was unprepared for many of the raw facets presented. Unfortunately quite a few of these tales just didn't excite me. I knew this collection was going to be unconventional but it seems I over anticipated my enjoyment. At moments I felt I'd wandered onto some sort of darkly modern gothic TV set. I was taken but not captured by the twist in Carrie Vaughn's “A Hunter’s Ode to His Bait.” I would say my favorite was “The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix but ...

Mistress of the Ritz by Melanie Benjamin               I must admit that when I began reading Mistress of the Ritz I was unsure about how my response would pan out. By the end I was absolutely fascinated by American Parisian Blanche Ross Auzello's story. Of how she came to be involved with Claude Auzello, who become Director of the famed Ritz Hotel. And most importantly, Blanche's presence and impact at the Ritz. The tone throughout the novel is right up there with, "The Germans wore grey. You wore blue." (from Casablanca [movie]) The story flits between Claude and Blanche, between the early days of their relationship (1920's) and forward to the days of 'Occupation'. (March 1940 on) The central player around which all swirls is of course, the Ritz. The story of Paris under Nazi rule comes to life. The response when the Germans marched into Paris, the survival of the couple the hotel's workers and previous inhabitants, as the rop eschelon of th...

Blood On The Stone by Jake Lynch     Amidst the turmoil of these Restoration times King Charles II (and his two mistresses, Nell Gwynn and the Duchess of Portsmouth, Louise de Kérouaille, known as "the Catholic whore") come to Oxford. Charles has declared the sitting of the Whig parliament should take place here. Charles has taken extraordinary security measures with his Royal Guard. Of course this brings troubles to that city. BTW I loved that Lynch included the famousline Nell Gwynn is reported to have called to the rambunctious crowd, “Calm yourselves, good people… I am the Protestant whore!” Luke Sandys, is the Chief Officer of the Oxford Bailiff and it's he who is in charge of the city side of protecting the king against troublemakers. And trouble comes to one Luke cares for. When William Harbord, the Member for Thetford, an agitator of the Popish Plot, is found murdered, overnight the city sits a knife edge of explosive flash points. Popular option escala...

One Night for Seduction (Wicked Dukes Club #1) by Erica Ridley               A quirky lady of breeding concerned with efficiency and organization like the need for standardizing weights and measures so that a customer is not cheated, or shorted in their purchasing measurements, be it bushels or gallons. Diana Middleton is a very different central character. A mathematical genius she sees herself as a covert agent of change, able to, “Have a positive impact on the world around her, at a level outside the home. " "A humble sleuth, avenging misapplied mathematics every day for the betterment and fair treatment of all England’s citizens." A simply gorgeous duke who came by his dukedom because everyone else died out, so had to find his own way through the mire of all things dukely. Caleb Sutton, fifth Duke of Colehaven,(Col) takes his role seriously and is on parliamentary committees seeking change including one of interest to Diana that "pushe...

The Governess of Penwythe Hall (The Cornwall Novels #1)   by Sarah E. Ladd            As stories go concerning smugglers in Cornwall, a governess with a heavy secret, and a struggling landowner who finds himself suddenly a guardian to five children, this should have been a solid gratifying read. Cordelia Greythorne leaves Cornwall after her husband's death, threatened by her powerful smuggling-in-laws because she won't give them the information they desire. As she left her mother-in-law spat out, "If you’ve any sense in you, you’ll ne’er return to Cornwall. You’ve betrayed the Greythornes, and none will forget.” Cordelia spends three years away, only to find herself back in Cornwall, a mere twenty miles away from the wicked clan, continuing as a governess to honor a dying father's request. Of course the brutal family finds out about Cordelia's return. Of course she steps into danger. And then there's her developing relationship with the childr...

Romantic Intentions Quarterly #4 - January 2019   As I've previously asserted, the breadth Romantic Intentions covers is exceptional. "From written word to film types featuring an overwhelming array of the romantic in various genres. Historical romance through to SciFi." If you're an eclectic reader as I am from the Brave to the Brash, from the Raw to the Awe, and in this edition, a cad thrown in, then this magazine is for you. Great review article by Kate Nagy on romance in Dickens' novels with some interesting revelations about the cad Dickens really was in his personal life. Oh my!  An informative interview with Anna Bradley by Rachel Hyland, looking at Bradley's publications and their inter-relativeness. Well worth the read! Want to delve more into works by Grace Burrowes, Sarah MacLean and Mirandah K. Pennington? Then Kate Nagy's essay, The Tom Hardy Files - Three Different Books about Three Different Toms, is for you.  I do so enjoy browsin...

Madame Fourcade's Secret War:  The Daring Young Woman Who Led France's Largest Spy Network Against Hitler by Lynne Olson            All I can say is Shame! Shame! Shame! Why has there been no over-the-top acknowledgment of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade? This woman masterminded the biggest spy ring across the length and breadth of occupied France during World War II. She controlled thousands of agents. Yet shockingly, no bright light has shone on her stupendous achievements and sacrifice for her country. Hopefully Olson's novel will begin to rectify that. Olson's research is outstanding. Her adherence to complexity and detail and the Bibliography gives weight to this. But back to my opening question. Olson's 'Author's Notes' do give some guidance as to why there was a lack of recognition to the actions of women in these times. Amongst the reasons are the complexity of French politics after the war and post war ideas on the role of women. Further to ...

Romantic Intentions Quarterly - Issue 1, April 2018   An exciting quarterly edited by the very insightful and talented editor-in-chief, Rachel Hyland. I do enjoy her writing style and this RI Quarterly reflects her quiet humorous turn of phrase and ability to use that when cutting to the chase. The breadth of Romantic Intentions amazed me. From written word to film types featuring an overwhelming array of the romantic in various genres. Historical romance through to SciFi. Interviews with authors, book reviews to tantalize! Totally encompassing! The Quarterly had me jumping between my "go to" booksellers and library, adding new authors to my upcoming titles lists, and alternatively, making new title requests to my library to make sure I didn't miss out. Although I have been somewhat tardy in posting this review, let me just say that for a serious romance reading fan the Romantic Intentions Quarterly is well worth the investment! A couple of gems: Yes Means YES! ...

The Girl in the Painting: A heartbreaking historical novel of family secrets, betrayal and love  by Renita D'Silva            This was a compelling story that switched between India in 1926 and England of 2000. It evoked strong emotions with the beauty of its prose. For me it started slowly and it was some time before I was fully immersed. As Margaret is nearing the end of her life she deeds her Indian house to her granddaughter Emma with an accompanying request. To take a particular painting to India to her former maid Archana. Margaret sends a heartfelt message for Archana, "Tell her… tell her that I understand why she did what she did, that I forgave her for it a long time ago. Ask her, please, to forgive me." The painting Margaret lyrically refers to "was created beside the stream, swollen water glimmering starburst silver, the opposite bank dotted with saris singing in kaleidoscopic colour as they dried on rocks, the spiced grit taste of...

A Conformable Wife: A Regency Romance with a Spirited Heroine  by Alice Chetwynd Ley  I haven't read any of Alice Chetwynd Ley's books for years, so when the opportunity came to revisit one her works I took it. I'm glad I did. It's 1814 and the Honorable Julian Aldwyn decided it's about time to marry. He is persuaded by his sister to consider Miss Henrietta Melville, a spinster of twenty-six, with a nicely timed sense of humor, an intelligent outlook, and an heiress. Henrietta has been chatelaine of her father's house. After his death her brother has inherited her childhood home. It is becoming more apparent that it is no longer the place for her. No home needs more than one mistress. Her brother's wife is determined to be mistress and the servants find it hard to drop old habits of consulting Henrietta. An unfortunate dilemma. On the pretext of being in the neighborhood Julian decides to become acquainted with his sister's friend. An untimely p...

A Fall of Shadows (A Bess Ellyott Mystery #2) by Nancy Herriman    Once again murder stalks the Elizabethan village of Wiltshire. This time it seems to be accompanied by a whiff of witchcraft and dark magic. The fearful villagers close ranks. A man is found foully murdered near the Druids mound--a dark place to be avoided. A woman covered in blood collapses at healer Bess Ellyott's door. Life in the village is disrupted. Constable Kit Harwoode has his hands full with the murdered man, an old harmless vagrant being accused of murder, a dead servant girl, and the mysterious blood covered woman given refuge by Bess. Meanwhile the villagers are claiming it's all the work of those aligned with the black arts. Suspicious happenings keep piling up. These play into the villagers' fears finding its outlet through mob harassment and worse as those targeted as black magic practicers are besieged. All is a puzzle! At one time Kit exclaims to his cousin Gibb Hardwoode, "m...

Who Slays the Wicked (Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery #14)   by C. S. Harris              Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is asked by Bow Street magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy to investigate the savage murder of the debauched Anthony Ledger, Lord Ashworth. The investigation becomes one of personal involvement, with international diplomatic overtones, specifically related to a state visit by the Tsar's sister, the Grand Duchess Catherine of Oldenburg. Sebastian's niece Stephanie is the personal issue. She'd married Ashworth despite Sebastian's vigorous protest. Having given birth to twin boys, Stephanie moved out to live  with Ashworth' s father, the Marquis of Lindley,  ostensibly whilst their house is being refurbished. Ashworth  the townhouse. Sebastian has long suspected Ashworth of being involved in the kidnapping and murder of young children. He just hasn't had proof. The problem is that it appears Ashworth might have been k...

Holy Sister (Book of the Ancestor #3) by Mark Lawrence                The Ancestor trilogy's final novel "Holy Sister" is just as intricate and pressing as its predecessors. Lawrence's "Story So Far" chapter succinctly locates us once more in time and place for the continuing saga. "Abeth is a planet orbiting a dying red sun. It is sheathed in ice and the vast majority of its people live in a fifty-mile-wide ice-walled corridor around the equator" which is shrinking as the ice advances. "The empire is under siege from the Scithrowl in the east and the Durns in the west. Everywhere, the emperor’s armies are in retreat." Nona Grey and her band of sister novices, Ara (Arabella), Zole, Ruli, and Jula, who started together at the Convent of Sweet Mercy are being called upon (little do they know it) to put in place Abbess Glass's long term planning. (Despite not being present she has a long reach!) At the center lies the shipheart...

Triple Jeopardy (Daniel Pitt #2) by Anne Perry              A slow beginning opening with a Pitt family reunion. Daniel's sister Jemima, her husband Patrick and their two lovely children having come from Washington D.C. to England for a visit. A visit that coincides with the charge of embezzlement for a young English diplomat, Philip Sidney, who had fled Washington claiming diplomatic immunity against a more serious charge, the attack and theft from a young woman Miss Rebecca Thorwood whilst she was sleeping. Rebecca is a friend of Jemima's. Her father is a powerful man and has been a friend to Patrick. Patrick wants to see the opportunistic coward Sidney brought to justice. Coincidentally the Thorwoods have arrived in London to settle an inheritance for Rebecca from her aunt. Rebecca's  parents desire for punishment of Sidney seems to override the harm the publicity might do to their shy, retiring daughter. Patrick requests that Daniel ta...

The Road to Grantchester (Grantchester Mysteries #7) by James Runcie               This is the prequel to the wonderful series that is Grantchester. But here's the thing of art and form, of image and words. I love the tv series. Because I'm addicted to the visual presentation of Grantchester  I adore Sidney and all the other characters. I ask myself a question. How to divorce that exploration of the visual senses from the literary imaginative senses? Need I? Bother! I can't!  I keep seeing the actors doing their thing. I hear their voices in the prose. Should my already imaged characters be different from my imagined literary characters? Does it lessen the story's ability to stand in its own right? Well you can't put the genie back in the bottle! That's enough of a convoluted thought process, I just have go with what I've perceived through all the mediums. Hopefully one informs and enhances the other. It's pre war 1938 London...

Rough Music (A Gragg and Fidelis Mystery #5) by Robin Blake               Titus Gragg determines that he and his family will flee the miasma of a sweltering 1744 summer and the threat of disease by taking a house in a small village in East Lancashire. What he walks into is a murder inquiry. A shrewish wife has recently died from the practice of stanging. And with that the idiosyncrasies and customs of a remote rural hamlet left to its own devices soon becomes apparent. The opening is a damning comment on the spread of gossip and of speculation growing into disturbing action. I was immediately struck by it. "At the beginning there were just three conspirators, but like a wine spill on a tablecloth the disturbance spread and soon most of the village had caught the stain." A brilliant introduction! All in all, an unusual story that has a distinctive writing style which continued to lure me in. I found myself becoming more readily involved...

The Singular Mr. Sinclair (The House of Lovell #1) by Mia Marlowe I really enjoyed this first in Mia Marlowe's series, The House of Lovell. I loved Caroline's search for a meaningful life. I was drawn to the austere soldier nature of Lawrence Sinclair back from the American Wars. Caroline has quite deliberately avoided the marriage-go-round. This her third season and if she can avoid marriage she will be able to take up an inheritance from her grandmother and see the wider world. My heart quite ached for the little boy Lawrence was, ignored and left to be alone. When Lawrence comes to stay with his friend Edward Lovell, Lord Bredon, whom he met on the coninent, he is uncomfortable about being an Earl's heir, with none of the social graces expected. His uncle Lord Ware hates him, blaming him for a terrible misfortune when Lawrence was a child. He will go to any length to stop Lawrence from inheriting the title. We see that Lawrence is comfortable with his own sense...

Godless, The (The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan #19)  by Paul Doherty             Once again the medieval site of of 1381 London becomes the backdrop for another horrific Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston murder investigation. Truly, with this particular spate of grotesque killings it seems like the minions of hell have escaped the netherworld to inhabit the darkness of the city. Prostitutes have been found dispatched, stripped and crowned with red wigs and floating on the Thames in sciffs.  Meanwhile, a king's war cog making for Calais has blown up and there are rumors of a figure adorned with a red wig having been seen. These happenings seem linked. But how? As Athelston and Cranston move through the dank streets seeking answers I felt like I'd descended into a Dantesque Inferno and as the plot proceeds I'm not far off. The red bewigged figures harken some twenty years back to the rape and pillage of Normandy in 1363 by ...

An Artless Demise (Lady Darby Mystery #7) by Anna Lee Huber               I found myself absolutely immersed in this unforgiving historical murder mystery set in 1831 London. The public anxiety about resurrectionists, a spate of lordly murders, "the life of Italian Boys, the Reform Bill, and the Anatomy Bill, " all part of the historical record, form the background for this Lady Darby mystery with Kiera and her husband Sebastian Gage. What is not part of the historical record is Kiera's dread and fight to survive censure from the ton with all that is happening. Her fears are so real that they jump off the page with dread. The past once more intrudes upon the present and she rages against it, “and so it begins again...The old accusations. The frightened glances and furious snubs...Will the past never leave me be?” "Burkers" were named after Burke and Hare, two resurrectionists from Edinborough who'd smothered their victims and sold their b...

A Highland Wrath (Mercenary Maidens #3) by Madeline Martin  I do love warrior women stories and this one, part of Martin's Mercenary Maidens series is no exception. Having trained as an assassin now is the time for Sylvi to find those who murdered her family. On the trail things don't go quite as planned. When Sylvi's blade misses its mark, her target Ian Campbell more than amply repays the mistake, even if it does take a long time for that trust to cement. Sylvi's fellow trainees are every bit as lethal, all in different ways. I veered between putting this into the Highland historical fiction category or straight up  fantasy. Either call, I loved this novel. We have lovely assassins, betrayers, rapid villains and an agonized hero. An excellent finish to the series. A NetGalley ARC *****