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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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Special Feature and Giveaway: What Maisie Knew by Henry James
The classics are making a vivacious come back to the silver screen this year! This year we have seen modern takes on old favorites with such blockbusters as Anna Karenina, Les Misérables and The Great Gatsby. The Henry James classic, What Maisie Knew, has also been made into a feature film! Though there hasn’t been as much buzz about this film as some of the others, it has been highly praised by the critics after its debut at the Toronto Film Festival in Sept 2012. The movie has now been released to the masses in May and continues to garner much critical praise for the performances of Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård,…
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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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Guest Post: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell
As part of the Murder as a Fine Art Virtual Book Tour, author David Morrell wrote a feature/guest post for your enjoyment! Be sure to check out other stops on the tour for giveaway opportunities, interviews, and more guest posts! You will fin the tour schedule at the end of this post! Without further ado, please join me in welcoming David Morrell to The Lit Bitch!
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Review: Seduction (The Reincarnationist #5) by M.J. Rose
Complex, exotic scents bring this novel alive! This isn’t just a tale of historic fiction– it’s a novel with a unique blend of the paranormal, romance, mystery, and psychology. In 1843 the renowned author Victor Hugo discovers that his beloved daughter, Didine, has drowned. In his grief he turns to the occult in hopes of communicating with his daughter. His wife, family, and friends all being having séances and they soon discover they can communicate with the dead. Soon the séances turn into something more….Victor fears he has open an unwanted door to the spirit world when he starts being visited by the Shadow of the Sepulcher (the devil) who…
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Review: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare
The Infernal Devices are without pity. The Infernal Devices are without regret. The Infernal Devices are without number The Infernal Devices will never stop coming. Tessa Grey is preparing for what should be the most joyous day of her life…..her wedding to Jem. Tessa loves Jem without question but there is still part of her that loves Will. Though she tries to shut out her feelings for Will, it is hard to section off a part of your soul that only one other person can touch but somehow Tessa does it. All the Shadowhunters at the London Institute are preparing for the wedding to take place when Gabriel Lightwood shows…
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Review: And Only to Deceive (Lady Emily #1) by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily Ashford is not in love with her new husband, the Viscount Philip Ashford. In fact she hardly knows him. So when she receives word that her husband died on safari in Africa, she can hardly morn a man she barely knows. Emily married Philip to escape the constraints of her family and hoped that marriage would provide that. Now that she is a widow, she finds she has even more freedom than she did as a wife. All of London society can’t stop singing the praises of Lord Ashford to Emily which makes her uncomfortable, but in an effort to at least try and morn the stranger she…
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Review: A Wreath of Snow: A Victorian Christmas Novella by Liz Curtis Higgs
It’s Christmas Eve and snow has started falling on the small Scotland town of Stirling. Margaret Campbell has just had a row with her family and wants nothing more than to catch the first train out of Stirling back to Edinburgh. Gordon Shaw has just completed his interview for the newspaper he works for and he too is eager to leave Stirling but for an entirely different reason. Stirling was his home long ago until the shame of a tragic accident forced him to move away. The snow is coming down harder when the train finally departs from Stirling with Margaret and Gordon on board when it collides with a large snow…
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Review: Cashelmara by Susan Howatch
In the wild, untamed Irish wilderness lies a stark and cold Georgian era estate known as Cashelmara. Lord Edward de Salis is the master of Cashelmara, but as an Englishman he resides primarily in London but deep down he always considers Cashelmara home. When his wife dies, Lord de Salis travels to America hoping to ease his grief. What he doesn’t expect to find is love. Marguerite is young enough to be Edward’s daughter but there is something about her that makes Edward feel at ease and happy once again. After they marry he takes Marguerite back to Ireland and Cashelmara where tragic events begin unfolding. Cashelmara chronicles three generations of…
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Review: A Monstrous Regiment of Women (Mary Russell #2) by Laurie R. King
A game’s a foot and Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are on the case! In Sussex, Mary Russell is about to turn 21 and come into her sizable inheritance. On a whim one night, Mary sneaks away to London in search of her long time friend and mentor, Sherlock Holmes. When she meets up with Holmes on that dark London night, she nearly puts her foot in her mouth, but before she can cause herself too much embarrassment, Holmes cuts her off. But in doing so, he mistakenly insults her and she storms off into the night, anxious to be out of an uncomfortable situation. Come morning, Mary finds her way…