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 a devastating secret from his mother and wants some time away from her to process it.

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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 life of luxury and for a women like Daphne, this life has its own appeal.

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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 living the lifestyle of wealth and privileged in the court of 1576.

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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 when you give into rash behavior and you take for granted your “innocents” and become arrogant instead. Julian manages to destroy his life in a matter of three days.

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