eyes.2c Reviews

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The composition of the chapters read like a songline across the Northern Territory  landscape, pulling in the sights, sounds and aspects of country. The bull ant climbing across the gravestone, the endless sky, the black rock frog roc, all forming a rich background that waits—for stories to unfold as time hangs suspended. A curse and family secrets. The young grave digger girl Molly Hook, the dying mother, the despicable men of the family—all is lost and harsh. 1942, the bombing of Darwin  and falling into another scene complete with a Japanese  pilot and the old fire-forged shortsword his father had handed him. Throughout all the night sky is watching.  Absorbingly weird, poetically charged, with snatches of magic realism etched across the pages that carry one on a wild journey at the top end Australia. A read that keeps you on your toes, grasping for the next piece of the puzzle. ...

The Duke Who Loved Me (Dukes Estates #1) by Jane Ashford                  ⭐️⭐️💫 We have the rather irresponsible tear away James Cantrell, inheriting his dukedom and discovering it’s not as orderly as he supposed. Mind you his father and then his trustees did rather push James away. The way forward is to marry his old chum and whizz at organising things, Cecelia Vainsmede. After all she’s helped him all his life. They’ve known each other since they were thirteen and fifteen respectively. Ideal! A marriage of convenience is not what Cecelia wants with a James. If she looks into the dark corners of her heart she wants more and is not prepared to settle for less. Cecelia needs a distraction, and the advances of a rather handsome German prince seems just the ticket to add a bit of energy to the mix. There are some problems with this. Wires do get crossed.  The least not being James realising that maybe Cecelia means more to him t...

The Prizefighter's Hart (Headstrong Harts #4) by Emily Royal            ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Marriage of convenience trope is given a good run for its money is this Hart series contribution. Dorothea Hart has been the backstop for her siblings and families forever. Too old to come out when that might have happened she’s been relegated to spinster aunt / sometime chaperone / carer of small children / problem solving hostess for her brother the Duke and his wife.  All very well but really those brothers needed their heads knocked together. The backstory here is rather sad Griffon Oake, widower and prizefighter is looking for a chaperone / governess for his wild child daughter from his first marriage. Someone who will lend him respectability, preferably mild and unobtrusive. Someone to help his daughter eventually make her way through society’s traps for the unwary. What he doesn’t know is that Thea has a guilty secret—him.  Still Thea wasn’t looking towar...

The Charlatan Murders  (Elliot Bay mystery #1) by Jennifer Berg  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A pleasing murder mystery, reminiscent of the style of Agatha Christie or Margery Allingham, set in Seattle, 1955. Newly appointed Sergeant Inspector Michael Riggs and his somewhat brash sidekick junior Inspector Fisher are called to a large estate (moneyed) by the family doctor due to a somewhat suspicious death of the matriarch and controller of the family corporation. Of course everyone has a reason for wanting Mrs. Abbott out of the way, but just who the culprit might be is a challenge for our newly minted Sergeant Inspector. One his superiors want tidied away post haste. This unmuted order screamed down the phone from Riggs’ Chief pushes that idea, “The Abbotts are good friends with the mayor and most of the city council. And if this old broad’s death is a homicide, you won’t be able to put so much as a toe out of line without reigning hellfire down on my department. Do you understand me?” The pres...

Along Came a Lady (All the Duke’s Sins #1) by Christi Caldwell        ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Orphaned, illegitimate children ignored and left to fend for themselves! Why does their father, the Duke of Bentley feel some eighteen years after their mother’s death, that he should bring them his children by his mistress the fold? As we are told in the first line, “Rafe Audley hated the Duke of Bentley.” It had fallen to him to protect and raise his siblings from the time he was thirteen. Life was harsh and requests for help from the child Rafe to their father had been deafeningly ignored. Now Rafe and his brother successfully lead a team of coal miners brokering wages and working conditions with the owners .  Imagine Rafe’s antipathy that years later the Duke wants to acknowledge them. This from a man they have never seen in all their lives. Rafe has continually refused to be involved and repudiated all the Duke’s efforts. He is scathingly angry and refuses to have anything to ...

The Sign of the Raven (Ash and Juliana #2 ) by L.C. Sharp              ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Saved from the gallows by her now husband Sir Edmund Ashendon, Lady Julianna is finding a place for self at Ash’s side, and he’s glad to have her there. Understanding the abuse Julianna received at the hands of her dead husband, Ash is giving her time to heal. The result is a beautiful intimacy of thought. They come to know and appreciate each other. In  that atmosphere Julianna is free to cast off the shackles of her former life. Ash finds Julianna an astute partner. When they are drawn into a shocking discovery of a dead body at Vauxhall, the search for justice comes close to them. Ash finds himself pitted against a crime lord known as the Raven. I’m loving the secondary characters who saunter across the pages, like the link boy Cutty Jack. Now waiting for the next in the series! A Harlequin - Carina Press ARC via NetGalley 

Wolf at the Door  (Bradcote and Catchpole #9) by Sarah Hawkswood                ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s All Hallows’ Eve 1144. The mauled body of the Keeper of the King’s Forest of Feckenham, near Worcester, is discovered. Unfortunately it turns out a man disliked by all. The villagers are whispering wolves or even a Werewulf! Undersheriff Lord Hugh Bradecote and Serjeant Catchpoll are called into investigate. Puzzling! After all, “What wolf would enter a village?” and into a home? What they found was murder and a deeply lain plot of revenge and retribution that led from one end of the King’s forest to the other. Too many coincidences need to be turned into cold, hard proof. I loved the way Walkelin, Catchpoll’s serjeanting assistant, begins to come into his own. He’s a quick study and begins to even sound a little like his mentor. Beyond that Hawkswood gives us a fascinating look into the various stratus of society and the way all interacted; the s...

The Darkness Knows (Detective Konrad #1) by Arnaldur Indridason              ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Climate change has revealed a body in a glacier. A case that goes back 30 years or so and that has haunted retired detective Konrad. Called back to investigate the case he and we, start slowly but as the trajectory gains momentum Konrad uncovers twists and turns that intrigue and satisfy. A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley 

Forest of Secrets (Ursula Blanchard Mystery #19) by Fiona Buckley                ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1586, Ursula Stannard (Blanchard) once again does Sir Francis Walsingham’s bidding—and by extension her half sister’s, Elizabeth Tudor. This time she’s investigating rumours of pagan rites in a forest (brought to Ursula’s attention by a dame from the remote village of Chenston), and how that might or might not relate to Walsingham’s enquiries and lures around rumours of a plot being hatched by Mary Stuart against her cousin Elizabeth. Ursula is pointed straight towards Mary, albeit via a devious path. Of course she’s also once more overseeing the education of her newest companion, a young gentlewoman of a Puritan background whom we met in the last story. I find I don’t really trust this particular young woman, Mildred Gresham. She is too eager to walk her own path, often unwisely. Like the last adventure, we end up deep in the forests of England, in an out o...

Death at the Crystal Palace (Kat Holloway / Below Stairs Mystery #5)            ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I do think this is one of my fav. Kat Holloway and Daniel McAdam “Below Stairs”mysteries. How far Kat has come from our first interactions with her. She’s not only now a cook of some renown to the Gentry, but she has a bit of a reputation for solving problems. Approached for help by the wealthy  Lady Covington,  a neighbor who’s convinced she’s being poisoned, Kat agrees. Lady Covington is sister to the benefactor of Kat’s friend Mr. Thanos, a brilliant mathematician. Meanwhile Daniel is on a mysterious path in pursuit of persons dangerous to Britain. The two cases do have a certain crossover.  Kat and Daniel’s relationship is growing (snogging on the back stairs!) and Daniel is eager to shelter Kat from the man who’s tune he’s been forced to dance to. Very mysterious ! and dangerous! Lady Cynthia (who delights to dress in men’s suits) is once more bein...

Castle of Refuge (Dericott Tales #2) by Melanie Dickerson            ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Medieval romance based on the Ugly Duckling is idealistic despite the rawness it portrays. Two people who have suffered, both with visible and invisible scars come together. Set in fourteenth century England it is a tale of persecution and forgiveness. Audrey, the daughter of a Viscount was badly scared to the face by the actions of her malicious sister Maris. Maris was sent away. She returns! Edwin, Lord Dericott has lost an arm and carries scars of his own. Audrey flees her father’s home when Maris threatens her. She’s attacked outside Dericott Castle, and taken there to recover when found. Of course Audrey and Edwin eventually are attracted to each other. Danger though lies not to far away. Under all, the story explores the behaviour of victims of abuse, and how for some, their responses to their world are through the prism of their treatment. Despite all this I felt somewhat re...

The Gentleman's Daughter (Gentleman Spy #2) by Bianca M. Schwarz            ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Underneath Regency England there bubbles a cauldron of warped men, historically a cabal of landless knights left over from the time when William conquered England, now important Lords and landowners. A secret society termed the knights of the Snake Pit. Once they were part of a Jacobite movement to restore the Stewart’s to the throne. These days many of the adherents are more dissolute, turning their minds to matters of sexual depraviltiy, Although there are shifting parts and doorways untapped that threaten the stability of the land. Sir Henry March is an agent for the crown investigating the society. He’s also looking for the right sort of wife. One who’ll accept his illegitimate daughter Emily and will sponsor her come out into society. Isabella Chancellor wants to paint, but is thwarted by her mother’s social ambitions. Henry and Isabella collude to present themselves ...

Miss Lattimore's Letter by Suzanne Allain              ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Whilst I enjoyed Sophronia Lattimore and Sir Edmund Winslow, at many times I felt I was watching a Wayang Kulit play (Javanese  Shadow puppets) or a mashup of other novels I read, particularly Austenian. Interfering in the romantic life of two couples, from her chaperone / wallflower position Sophie decides to take action to change their fate. Imagine her surprise when society decides she’s a talented matchmaker. Letter writing is such an art! Since her father died, Sophie has lived in her aunt’s household, at her pleasure. Sophie had once looked for an engagement wth an ardent suitor, only to have the bounder up and marry a wealthier woman. Of course her society concluded that it was Sophie’s fault the gentleman had looked elsewhere. So the rotter gets off scot free. Grr! Sophie is Austen’s Emma-like in her interference in others life, although Heyer-like in her willingness to look ...

Murder Most Fair (Verity Kent Mystery #5) by Anna Lee Huber             ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1919. The world of Verity Kent and her husband Sidney moves in ever widening circles of mystery, treachery, and suspicion as they deal with the many challenges that come their way. The repairing of their marriage, dealing with the PTSD they both experience, for Verity her grief over her dead brother and the stressed relationship with her family, including Mommy Dearest. Then there’s the shadowy figure of the infamous Lord Ardmore and their next steps in proving his treason, if he doesn’t get them first. Verity’s German great aunt, Grosse Tante Ilse, who’d helped Verity during her covert activities behind enemy lines, slips into England along with her maid seeking refuge. Trouble arose for Ilse after Verity had left. England seems the safest place. But is it, given the population’s attitude towards Germans? The people of Verity’s home village are no exception. Verit...

Lady Mary's Dangerous Encounter (Beresford Adventures #1)   by Cheryl Boleyn               ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Great story line. Loved the idea of the intrepid Lady Maryann Beresford, escaping London and travelling across Europe, heading for Vienna, via the alps (before Winter) with nothing but William Beckford’s travel journal (an account of his Grand Tour) to guide her. Enroute she joins forces with a lively, elderly governess, a Miss Agatha Willets, she of the divinely warm furry boots, who mysteriously goes missing. Meanwhile her brother the Earl of Devere has arranged for a fellow, Lord Stephen Stanhope, who was at school with him, albeit a few classes below, (Ah! The English school system, a vast old boys network) to try to find Lady Mary (as she now calls herself). Stephen works for the diplomatic corps and is heading to Austria for the Congress of Vienna, 1815. He’s hoping to catch up to her as she travels via Holland. Of course, Lady Mary ...

If the Shoe Fits (Meant to Be) by Julie Murphy           ⭐️⭐️⭐️ First up I loathe and detest reality shows. Often so dehumanising. I’ve been reading articles lately about contestants who suffer greatly after being on such shows. The suicide rate and severe depression is real. To me such shows are the equivalent of the trials by combat of Ancient Rome, only now the colosseum is our TV screen and the modern Roman citizen watches from the couch tweeting responses of thumbs up or down. So I wasn't really that aware of what I was letting myself in for with this read. However I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by Cindy, a plump talented shoe designer who’s miles away from the stereotypical contestant. (I was pretty excited about the shoes. I absolutely adored what she did when there were no clothes her size!)  The fractured fairytale Cinderella trope works well. Lots of + + + pluses, including her family, some of the contestants and program’s staff, and ...

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson          1818 London docks. A ship under guard, the captain, Harold Tuttle, disappeared and rumours of piracy abound. Lady Madeline Jameson has invested family money in one last throw for solvency when her cousin obtains a Letter of Marque from the Regent. The Padgett returns triumphant to England with a valuable cargo of smuggled tea wrested from a French ship. In direct contravention of the law as it pertains to the East India Company and the tea trade. William Snopes is a barrister, the son of a Lord, who turned away from his heritage due to the despicable behaviour of his father. When Madeline visits to plead her case he little understands that the trail of breadcrumbs he has to follow will lead from the dangerous underbelly of society to the even more treacherous heights of society. Both Madeline and William are fascinating characters. Madeline in her passionate defence of the people and land s...