Book Critic
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Review: The King’s Deception (Cotton Malone #8) by Steve Berry
Everyone knows Elizabeth I was one of the most influential rulers of England. She defeated the Armada, never married and was thus known as the virgin queen. But what if what you thought you knew about her was all wrong? What is she, wasn’t really a she after all? What if Elizabeth I was a man in drag? That’s the controversial stance that Steve Berry explores in his exciting new spy novel, The King’s Deception. Cotton Malone has more or less retired from the world of international intrigue, espionage, and spy games and now runs a second hand bookstore in Denmark. His fifteen year old son, Gary, has just learned…
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Review: The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry
Ghostly hauntings, forbidden love, high society, the occult….what could be more thrilling? The Arrow Chest is a haunting Gothic tale of love set in the Victorian era with a distinct Tudor element. Painter Amos Roselli has been in love with his childhood friend and muse, Daphne for years. Daphne has modeled for a number of Roselli’s paintings for years, but when the rich industrialist Lord Oliver Ramsey of Bowlend commissions Roselli for a portrait he discovers the course of Roselli’s inspiration–the strikingly beautiful Daphne. Ramsey pursues Daphne with vigor and vengeance, ultimately winner her hand. A marriage to Ramsey is ideal for Daphne. He is rich and can offer her a…
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Review: The Lemon Orchard by Luanne Rice
Sometimes people come into your life and show you exactly what you have been missing. These people may only be in your life for a short time or they might stay forever but they are meant to shape you, change you and guide you in directions that you might never have done without them. These special people are meant to help you through difficult times, and often bring joy where there was once only sadness. Julia Hughes has lived through an unimaginable tragedy, the death of her only child and husband. For five years she has been reliving the event over and over again, she has becoming listless and depressed.
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Review: Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani
If you have spent any time in the historical fiction section of your local library or bookstore you will find that most of the genre is dominated by Tudor era and WWII era fiction mostly set in England. Let’s face it, those are the post popular periods and settings for HF. So if you are like me, you probably get really excited when you spot something of a new setting and era! That’s exactly what happened when I discovered Equal of the Sun! Since I don’t know much about near/middle eastern history I was really excited to read this book! What a refreshing read! Princess Pari is an Iranian princess…
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Review: Appointment in Samarra by John O’Hara
Haven’t we all fantasized about acting on pure impulse? Have you ever thought about removing all filters and just saying exactly what you think about someone? How about throwing a drink at someone because you honestly can’t stand to listen to them for a minute longer? Sure, we all have but for the most part we control our impulses and the filters remain in place. Luckily we can live vicariously through some of our favorite literary characters! Meet Julian English. Julian is going to act on those impulses and what follows is a train wreck of self destruction. This is a story about how easily you can fall from grace…
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Review: The Honey Thief by Najaf Mazari
Every culture has folklore and stories that have been told for generations. Most of these folktales focus on society, history, love, family, and culture. Some are presented as parables while others a told with a mixture of fact and fiction. I haven’t read too much folklore, mostly because I am familiar with a lot of the western civilization tales and I really had no interest in any other regions. When the opportunity to review The Honey Thief came along I debated about reviewing it and ultimately decided to give it a read. I have studied Middle Eastern religions and some of the politics but I am far from an expert…
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Review: Cascade by Maryanne O’Hara
Make way for the modern woman. Small town America saw substantial changes during the Great Depression. People were not just out of jobs and desperate for money, another notable shift was the role of women in the workplace and family. The golden age of traditional, Middle American values were on the way out which left many feeling nostalgic for a simpler time. Asa Spaulding felt this shift in society acutely in Maryanne O’Hara’s novel, Cascade. In the small, rural Massachusetts town of Cascade, Asa runs a small pharmacy, owns a nice house in town, is well known among the locals as a stand up man, and he has married a…
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Review: His Majesty’s Hope (Maggie Hope Mystery #3) by Susan Elia MacNeal
Maggie Hope has finally gotten the opportunity she has been waiting for to prove herself. After serving as a secret agent and saving Princess Elizabeth in the previous book, Maggie’s performance has earned her a full-fledged membership into the newly formed black ops organization. She is now a Special Operations Executive—or more commonly known as a spook. Britain plans to drop her behind enemy lines in Germany where she will bug the office of a high ranking Nazi official who just happens to be her estranged mother. The mission is only supposed to last a couple of days—in and out. But when an opportunity presents itself for Maggie to stay…
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Review: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell
Terror has gripped the foggy streets of London in 1854. A family of five has been found brutally murdered–beaten to death with their throats slit–the youngest victim was an infant. Since nothing was taken and the crime scene neatly staged, it can only be considered a crime of the deranged. Constable Becker was first on the scene, only missing the murderer by a matter of minutes. After raising the alarm, Detective Inspector Sean Ryan arrives and he immediately sees potential in Becker as an assistant. They gather what few clues were left at the crime scene and realize they aren’t dealing with a mad man, but rather an educated man…
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Review: Blood Between Queens (Thornleigh #5) by Barbara Kyle
Religious differences have torn England in half, many side with the Protestant Queen Elizabeth while others rally support for the Catholic heir and cousin to Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots. Elizabeth sits an uneasy throne when Mary crossed into England seeking refuge. But asylum isn’t the only thing that Mary is hoping to gain…..she secretly hopes to recapture the English crown. Elizabeth suspects Mary has ulterior motives and a plan is hatched to protect her crown, she will plant a spy in Mary’s service to report on Mary’s activities….and what better companion and spy than Justine Thornleigh. Justine has been taken in by the Thornleigh family as a ward. Lord…