The Companion

The Companion takes place in New Hampshire in 1855 where Lucy Blunt revits the events that landed her on death row. Lucy is a young woman who has been thrown out of her home by her alcoholic father after the death of her mother and the death of her baby son. Her downfall began when she entered into service with the wealthy Burton family where she advanced from being a cook's assistant to being the mistress's maid. The balance of power in the home began to shift which set in motion Lucy's downfall.

I enjoyed this novel and could not stop reading it until I finished it.  The story alternates between Lucy's time working in the Burton home and being in prison waiting to hang. There was a Downton Abbey feel to the Burton home, especially with Cook's character. Known only as Cook, the home's cook yelled at Lucy often as Lucy learned how to be her assistant. Over time they became friends and worked well together. There is some nastiness between Lucy and Mrs. Burton's first maid Rebecca, just as you would see among the Downton Abbey characters.  While this is a historical fiction novel, it reads more like a psychological thriller, which is probably my favorite mystery sub-genre.

5 out of 5 stars. 

Betrayed

Betrayed is both a historical mystery and a historical romance. It takes the reader to England in the 1770s. Kate Lancaster, devastated by the murder of her parents, vows to find the killer with the help of Christopher Bradshaw.  Her heart races whenever the handsome nobleman is near her but his overbearing wife is constantly playing the matchmaker with their son, Lucas. Kate and Christopher try to resist the temptation of their mutual attraction while striving to solve the mystery of who wanted the Lancasters dead.

C. De Melo always writes a good historical novel. Betrayed, however, is one of her best. In this rare historical mystery she shows how well she can craft a mystery plot. The twists and turns and unexpected ending made the book an exhilarating read for me. I can't recall when I last read an exhilarating historical novel, if ever.  Betrayed is that special.

As usual for me, my favorite character is the villain. Claudia Bradshaw cheats on her husband frequently with different partners and is the dominant person in her marriage. We are lead to believe that in the eighteenth century only the men got away with this type of behavior. However, I think there were plenty of Claudias. People just didn't openly acknowledge strong women. Her husband, meek and mild Christopher, only married her because she was pregnant and he believed that the child was his. Claudia never told him anything about the identity of the father of her child. She played him well.  Our protagonist Kate Lancaster was also able to force him into doing whatever she asked.

While the romance is tasteful and strong in Betrayed, it is the mystery that makes this book great. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Dreamland

Dreamland is Nancy Bilyeau's latest book.  It takes place in New York City in 1911 with 20-year-old Peggy Batternberg agreeing to spend a summer with her wealthy family at the luxurious Oriental Hotel.  The Hotel is about one mile from Coney Island but because her family disapproves of that type of entertainment she is forbidden to go there.  Peggy preferred to spend her summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore in New York City instead of socializing with her controlling and snobbish family.  In order to help her sister Lydia set a wedding date with Lydia's fiancé Henry Taul, she leaves her job at the bookstore and travels with them for the summer.  A marriage between Lydia and Taul will save the Batternbergs from financial ruin.  A chance visit to Coney Island captivates her even before she meets a poor artist named Stefan in the Dreamland section of the amusement park.  It is love at first sight for both of them and Peggy agrees to meet Stefan often.  However, she has to keep this love affair a secret from her family as they would disapprove of her seeing a poor immigrant. Before long, there are murders occurring with Peggy and Stefan at the center of them.

I loved this book!  It was an engrossing read.  While the beginning was a little slow as the author set up the characters, once the family was settled at the Oriental Hotel the action increased the speed of the novel.  What sets this historical mystery apart from others is that the author addresses discrimination issues such as immigrant rights, women's rights, socioeconomic status, and privilege within the plot.  It works seamlessly with her superb writing.  If there is anything to criticize about the novel it is that the murders do not begin to occur until well into the book.  I expected a historical fiction story based upon the beginning but it turned into a mystery as well.

5 out of 5 stars!

The King's Justice

This is the first installment  of the Stanton and Barling Mystery series by E. M. Powell. It takes place in 1176 England with Aelred Barling, court clerk to Henry II's justices, and Hugo Stanton, Barling's messenger. They are sent from the traveling royal courts to investigate a murder in Claresham after Sir Reginald Edgar arrives at the court in York to request permission to hang a suspected murderer. Edgar is a little drunk and a lot obnoxious and since he has no witnesses his request is denied. Barling and Stanton are ordered to investigate the matter and administer the king's justice, if necessary.  The case initially appears to be an open and shut case with a suspect already locked up in jail. Additional bodies begin to be found but with the suspect escaping from jail, the villagers in Claresham are demanding that he be caught and hung immediately.

The king's justice is the name of a test that determines if a person is innocent or guilty. The test is performed by tying the suspect's hands to their ankles and submerging them in water.  If the suspect drowns, he is innocent.  If the suspect floats, he is guilty and is hung later in the day.  I wondered while I was reading this whether the person controlling the rope that submerges the suspects was able to decide who was guilty. It seemed to me that this person held onto the rope at all times and could submerge you in a way that you floated as a guilty person.

I enjoyed the book but with 6 or 7 murders to investigate it was a bit exhausting. There were several intriguing suspects and many twists and turns, perhaps too many twists and turns if that is even possible. The back and forth between new victims, new suspects and new twists should have been suspenseful but it just seemed to be too much for one book.  With each new victim there was a new suspect. Also, it was surprising that Stanton was a more cerebral sleuth than Barling. I expected the opposite. It will be interesting to see how their work relationship grows in subsequent novels.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Satapur Moonstone

This is the second book in the Purveen Mistry Mystery Series by Sujata Massey.  Here Purveen is invited by Sir David Hobson-Jones, councillor to the Governor of India, to travel to the princely kingdom of Satapur to speak with 2 maharanis about the education of their 10 year old heir to the throne. The maharanis are in a state of purdah due to the recent death of their maharaja and cannot see a male attorney. Purveen, being a female attorney, can discuss the issue with them.  The heir's mother wants him to be educated in England while his grandmother wants him to be educated at home.

I enjoyed the book but must admit that it moved a little slower than the first book in the series.  There wasn't a crime to solve as there was in the first book and that plot error affected the pace. This is a historical mystery series, not a historical fiction series. However, there was no mystery here. It still was a lovely book to read. I love reading about other cultures and the author gave the reader her knowledge about travel in 1922 India, especially for women. The differences between the religions that coexist in India were described in detail. The feelings of the Indian people toward their English rulers was also apparent as the Indian characters whispered their thoughts about them to one another.

The moonstone pendant in the title of the book was not mentioned until page 100. It was not mentioned again until page 246 but was only mentioned superficially. Up until that time in the plot there were basically only meals that  Purveen had with the maharanis about the heir's education. Then the 10 year old maharaja disappeared and the remainder of the book was about the disappearance.

When I got this book I  expected to devour it in one sitting. It took me three weeks to read because there wasn't much of a plot to follow.  It was quite disjointed.

The Satapur Moonstone was a good historical fiction novel.  3 out of 5 stars.

Murder by Misrule

Murder by Misrule is Anna Castle's first book in her Francis Bacon Mystery Series. Francis Bacon is a 25 year old new barrister at Gray's Inn who is tasked by his uncle, Lord Burghley, to find out who killed fellow barrister Tobias Smythson in Westminster. Smythson had been working with Bacon's uncle to get information on the Catholics in the country, particularly the Jesuits who may have been bringing unlawful pamphlets into the country. With Mary Stuart condemned to die, England's Catholic citizens were in turmoil and Queen Elizabeth wanted to stamp out their rebellion. Smythson's death meant that the three law students he tutored needed to find someone new. The student's leader,Thomas Clarady, picked Bacon and Clarady primarily assisted Bacon in the investigation.

The mystery formula was followed here with the murder occurring early in the novel and the suspects and red herrings being in their proper order. The fact that the story took place in 1586 was secondary to the solving of the crime. Murder by Misrule, while a historical mystery, followed the formula of a straight mystery not the formula of a historical mystery.

I found the novel to be enormously entertaining. I was engaged in the plot from the first chapter. It had a light feel to it similar to a cozy mystery which made it a fast read.  The Francis Bacon character was interesting. As a 25 year old he had a brilliant mind but was a bumbling young man who had made some major political mistakes in his career. This is not how I remember him from history but everyone has to start somewhere.

Murder by Misrule was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect since I had never heard of the author before. Now I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Memento Mori

Memento Mori is Ruth Downie's 8th Gaius Ruso Medicus historical mystery. The series features protagonist Gaius Ruso, a Roman physician, and his British wife Tilla, an expert on herbs. Together they make up an amateur sleuthing team.

The story opens with the death of Serena, the wife of Ruso's former associate Doctor Valens, in the steamy waters at Aquae Sulis (now known as the City of Bath). Serena had been having an affair but the prime suspect is Valens himself according to her powerful father Pertinus. Valens goes into hiding but sends his friend Albinus to fetch Ruso to help him nail Terentius, the man Serena was having the affair with. Terentius is an engineer at the baths and is in charge of the bath plug. Ruso arrives at Aquae Sulis with his wife Tilla, baby Mara and the 2 slaves they purchased in Rome in the prior novel Vita Brevis and begins his investigation.

I am glad that the series is back in Brittania.  The sleuthing works best here. However, I am still unclear why the author is trying to get one of the main characters, Tilla, to change from being an independent woman to a submissive Roman wife. We readers came to love the Tilla character as she was in the first novel, brash and bossy. It's a bad idea to change the personality of a main character. Ruso has changed too but for him it has been more of a growing experience. Tilla just seems stunted from the earlier novels in the series.

The whodunnit aspect of the story was OK.  These two did not make sleuthing mistakes in the earlier novels but they have made them in the past two installments of the series. It doesn't sit well with me. I can't remember reading any other mystery novel where the amateur sleuth made a wrong decision on where to take their investigation. It isn't how mysteries are written.

I had a difficult time staying interested in the book. With a stunted Tilla and the team not really working together as they used to, it was somewhat boring. Memento Mori is the second book in a row from this series to disappoint me so I doubt if I will keep reading it.

Deadly Cure

Deadly Cure is the first book by Lawrence Goldstone that I have read. It is both a historical mystery and a medical mystery novel.  It takes place in 1893 in New York City.

Physician Noah Whitestone is called to a rich neighbor's home to urgently care for their 5 year old son, Willard Anschutz, as his regular physician, Dr. Frias, was not available.  Noah finds the boy exhibiting the symptoms of morphia toxicity, with leg tremors, a rancid odor, extreme perspiration and dilated pupils.  Noah asked the boy's mother, Mildred Anzchutz, if he had taken any patent medications which were not regulated and were known to have morphine as an ingredient.  She said that he hadn't taken any but that he had been taking a blue pill prescribed by Dr. Frias for a cough. Noah doesn't believe that Willard was not on any patent medications but has to take her word so he gives the boy 2 drops of laudanum and leaves to see 2 more patients. When he returned to the house later that night, the boy had died. However, he was able to get 2 of the blue pills that Willard was taking.

The next day Noah stops by the Anschutz home to pay his respects to the family. Here he finds himself accused of wrongdoing in the boy's death.  After leaving the house he goes to the local hospital lab to do tests on the blue pill to determine what it is made of. Dr. Frias finds out he is testing the pill and threatens to yank his license.  Noah later meets a radical working for a newspaper who tells him the paper is trying to break the Patent Medicine Trust. This radical/reporter knew about Willard's death and the death of other children from patent medications. Noah wants to get involved with research for the publication in order to clear his name but knows there is a risk with being associated with communists.  He does it anyway.

Deadly Cure was spellbinding!  I was hooked from the first page and could not put this book down.  The book had a fast pace, fascinating characters and an intricate plot. However, what I found most interesting was how aspirin and heroin were initially introduced in the U. S. as patent medications. In their beginning forms these drugs killed people. Various German companies worked on what eventually became known as aspirin and heroin and while their products were not healthy they were marketed to the public by physicians who became wealthy by prescribing them.  This history was expertly woven into the story by the author.

5 out of 5 stars!

Vita Brevis

Vita Brevis is Ruth Downie's 7th Medicus historical mystery featuring Roman physician Gaius Petraeus Ruso and his British wife Tilla.  In this installment of the series Ruso has been sent back to Rome from Britannia with the promise of a waiting job.

After a few weeks without work, Ruso is given a job temporarily replacing a doctor named Kleitos who suddenly left Rome to care for an ailing relative.  Upon moving into Kleitos' home and workshop Tilla finds a barrel on the doorstep.  Inside is a dead body. Ruso and Tilla quickly realize Kleitos disappeared to escape debt collectors and isn't going to return.

Vita Brevis is different from the previous books in the series which were historical mysteries. This book is historical fiction because Ruso and Tilla are not working together to solve a murder. It is still great reading as the plot moves along quickly.  There is something lacking, however, in the 2 main characters as neither of them are using their sleuthing skills and Tilla is not using her herbalist skills at all. In addition, Tilla does not act like her usual strong woman self while she tries to be a submissive Roman wife. Ruso spends more time on Roman politics than being a physician. The feel of the book is different but it still is interesting reading as the reader gets to watch them learn how to maneuver the Roman way of life.  However, I am unclear why the author chose to change her winning formula for this series.

Some of the secondary characters we are used to seeing in the series are absent as they are still based in Brittania. Their absence is strongly felt as the new secondary characters introduced are not as compelling as the old ones.

All in all this was a great read even with the changes in the formula.  I look forward to the next book in the series.  

City of Ink

City of Ink is the third book in the Li Du mystery series set in eighteenth century China.  In this installment of the series former imperial librarian Li Du is back in Beijing from exile.  He is working as the assistant to the chief inspector of the North Borough Office of Beijing's Outer City.

There are many new men in the city preparing to take exams for potential government positions when the wife of the owner of The Black Tile Factory and a man, who appears to be her lover, are found dead in the administrative office of the factory one morning. Li Du and his boss, Chief Inspector Sun, begin an investigation into their murders.

The murdered bodies were found on page 12 which meant that most of the book could be devoted to finding the killer.  I think that is important in a mystery.  I hate it when the crime doesn't occur until a third of the way into a book.

The author used setting descriptions to maintain the historical features of the novel but kept the dialogue mostly contemporary for a quicker read.  Some of the dialogue referred to a historical past but it was still contemporary. The reader certainly was able to get the feel of being in imperial China which showed the author's knowledge of the location and era.

City of Ink was much better than the second book in the series, The White Mirror. I think the reason is that City of Ink took place in Beijing and White Mirror took place while Li Du was on the road. In the first book in the series, Jade Dragon Mountain, Li Du was on his way out of Beijing into exile but there was alot of back story taking place there.  I think Beijing is the best setting for this series since the hero is, after all, a librarian. Li Du seems to be more in his element here.

City of Ink is a great whodunnit. I highly recommend it and give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Death on Delos

Death on Delos is the 7th Athenian Mystery by Gary Corby.  I was on a waiting list for 3 months to get it at my public library and finally picked it up this week.

The story opens with a heavily pregnant Diotima, priestess of Artemis, and her husband Nicolaos arriving on the Island of Delos so that Diotima can dedicate the annual offerings from Athens to Delos. There are 2 laws on Delos.  It is illegal to die there and it is illegal to be born there.  Violating these laws results in the entire island and everything on it needing to be resanctified for it is a holy place.

When the couple arrive they are accompanied by many warships.  The Persians are not far away and Athens believes the Delian Treasury is at risk.  Athens wants to temporarily remove the Treasury to Athens for safety.  However, the Delians feel betrayed by this plan and prefer to rely on their faith in their gods Artemis and Apollo to protect them. A Delian crowd gathers near the coast preventing the Athenians from moving forward without a fight. One Delian, Geros, gives a convincing speech to the crowd and gets them aroused against the Athenians and Pericles, their leader.  A day later, Geros is found dead of multiple stab wounds. It will now take weeks, maybe months, to sanctify the island for Diotima to be able to make her sacred offering.

Diotima and Nicolaos are known for their sleuthing skills and are asked by the Delians to determine who killed Geros.  I am always pleased when a murder mystery begins with the murder early in the plot.  Here, the murder took place on page 47 so we have the rest of the book to enjoy  figuring out whodunit.

Another plus is the common English language that the author has the characters speaking.  This is an ancient Greek mystery but aside from the character names, they are speaking English which makes the book a quick read. While the language is English, there is a ton of historical fact woven into the story which makes the book an authentic historical mystery.

Some of the historical facts are that the land on Delos has never been able to grow food.  That is why for centuries Delians relied on gifts to their deities from other Greek islands in order to survive.  Men used to urinate on vegetables in order to make them grow! This strategy did not work though. When a resident was about to die they were put in a boat and sent to another island. Pregnant woman were sent to Mykonos.

I have read all of Corby's Athenian Mysteries and loved them all.  I believe they are getting easier to read.  I remember stumbling over names and words in the first 2 books and don't know if I just got used to the series or if the author made some changes.  Of course, he could be a better writer with 7 books under his belt now.

I highly recommend this series to both mystery and historical fiction fans.

City of Masks

City of Masks is S. D. Sykes' 3rd Somershill Manor Mystery novel.  This novel does not take place in England as the first two books in the series did but rather takes place in Venice in 1358.

The story opens with a Prologue where the main character, Oswald de Lacy, finds the dead body of the grandson of his Venetian host, John Bearpark, an English ex-pat in Venice.  In the next 40 pages not much happens as de Lacy and his mother socialize with their host John Bearpark and his other guests.  Here de Lacy is coerced into nights of drinking and gambling with grandson Enrico and his friends, spending time with boring religious pilgrims Bernard and Margery Jagger, secretly staring at Bearpark's non-speaking young wife Filomena and dealing with the staff at Casa Bearpark. It is after these 40 pages that the body of grandson, Enrico, is found and the story continues with de Lacy being asked to investigate Enrico's death.

The excitement in the book begins with de Lacy's investigation but the author interspersed a few chapters about de Lacy's past from the earlier books in the series. These chapters have no bearing on the plot and I don't know why they were added.  De Lacy gets his first clue from his host who tells him that Enrico sexually preferred men over women. This confused de Lacy as Enrico had tried to get him to go to brothels with him. However, he trusts his gut and begins the investigation with the home's security guard who was not on duty the night of the murder and has since disappeared.

The author displayed her knowledge of medieval Venice in this novel. She portrayed the history of Venice at a time when it was at war with Hungary and how it affected commerce as well as everyday life for Venetians. The political powerhouses of the day were also depicted in realistic terms with their ability to put to death homosexuals upon only hearing an accusation, deciding which families could use the best ships for transport of goods as well as people, and deciding what crimes were worthy of investigation.

I feel that the setting should have stayed in England. This installment of the series was not as exciting as the earlier two, Plague Land and The Butcher Bird.  De Lacy's sleuthing skills were hampered by being in a foreign country.  He not only was unfamiliar with the physical layout of Venice but he did not understand the culture of the city and its people.  Part of what made his sleuthing skills superior in his homeland was his understanding of how his own people's minds worked.  Also, it is difficult to view this as a Somershill Manor mystery when the events taking place are not at Somershill Manor.

I would rate this book 3 stars of of 5.

The Butcher Bird

The Butcher Bird is a sequel to Sarah Sykes' Plague Land.  In this installment of the series Oswald de Lacy must solve the murders of infants Catherine Tulley and Margaret Beard. The villagers of Somershill believe that they were killed by a butcher bird but Oswald knows that no such bird exists.  Oswald also has to contend with the villagers who work his farm fields.  With half of them dead from the Plague, the survivors have twice as much work to do and want to be paid more money.  The Ordinance of Labourers prohibits raising wages above what they were before the Plague and the local earl enforces the Ordinance with the area lords. Oswald does not want to break the law and he certainly fears getting caught if decides to increase wages.  As usual he has to contend with his contrary mother and sister who manipulate him well.

Oswald is a loveable character. However, I think I like his spiteful mother and sister Clemence better. Clemence knows how to push Oswald to his limits in order to get what she wants, a trait that I share. His family reminds me of my own so their interactions are humorous to me. Ah . . . sibling rivalry.  You gotta love it!

It goes without saying that the author knows her medieval history well.  She shows the era as it was and uses many terms of the day.  I have had to pull out an old English language medieval dictionary that I bought years ago at a travel bookstore to keep track of everything. However, if you do not have such a dictionary you should be fine using the glossary at the end of the book.

I am looking forward to reading the next Somershill Manor Mystery.  Since The Butcher Bird was published last year I assume the third book in the series will be published in 2017.  Can't wait.

Plague Land

This is S. D. Sykes' first novel and it was published in 2015.  The sequel, The Butcher Bird, was published last year and I hope that this series has an annual installment.  They are both medieval mysteries featuring Oswald de Lacy as the Lord of Somershill Manor and the amateur sleuth.

Upon hearing of the deaths of his older brothers, Oswald de Lacy has to leave the monastery where he is studying to be a priest in order to take over the management of his family's estate. His mentor, Brother Peter, comes with him. Oswald has not been trained to manage the property as he entered the monastery at age 7 and is now just 17.  The Pestilence has changed the estate with half of its residents succumbing to the Pestilence and those that survived are now quite fearful and superstitious.

After his arrival home, Oswald hears of the death of a local girl, Alison Starvecrow, and is told by Brother Peter that it is his job to investigate the death as he is now Lord of the manor.  The parish priest John Cornwall believes she has been killed by a demonic dog headed monster and convinces the village people that they are in danger of these creatures.  Oswald knows these creatures do not exist but has to deal with the villagers' beliefs in order to solve the crime.

Oswald gets grief from his mother and sister Clemence as well as from John Cornwall as he learns how to investigate the crime and manage an estate as well. He gets alot of advice from Brother Peter who seems to always know what the best approach to a problem is.

I am so happy that someone is writing a medieval mystery series.  I haven't seen too many of them lately and miss them. The medieval period is my favorite period in history.

Anyone who loves the medieval era will like this book.  The author has well-researched the era and it shows.  She has created plausible characters and there are many twists and turns in the solving of the crime.  A great read.

Jade Dragon Mountain

I picked this book as a selection for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.  It is the author's debut novel for a series featuring former Forbidden City librarian Li Du and takes place in China in the early 1700s.

Li Du has been recently exiled from China by the Emporer for being associated with traitors.  As he walks across China to leave the country he stops in Dayan near the Tibetan border where his cousin Tulishen is the magistrate.  Since the Emporer is expected to arrive in 6 days Tulishen has been planning to hold a festival for him where the Emporer is expected to show his subjects that he has control over the skies by predicting and producing an eclipse of the sun while he is there. While Li Du is there a Jesuit priest, astronomer Pieter van Dalen, suddenly dies.  The magistrate declares the death to be natural but there are signs that he has ignored indicating there was foul play. Tulishen does not want a murder investigation occurring near the time of the Emporer's arrival as it would upset the Emporer.  Li Du goes on his way but returns the next day asking his cousin if he can look into the priest's death. Tulishen gives him 5 days to come up with an answer before he has to leave again.

I loved this story.  There were interesting characters from Li Du and Tulishen to East India Company representative Nicholas Gray, Tulishen's consort Lady Chen, another Jesuit priest Brother Martin and assorted employees of the magistrate.  The historical aspect was well researched.  The author certainly knows her stuff.  Astronomy is prominent to the story and it added another interesting aspect to the plot.

This was an amazing read.  Highly recommended!

The Shogun's Daughter

I read The Shogun's Daughter for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.  It is the 17th installment of a series with samurai Sano Ichiro as sleuth.  This is the first book of the series that I have read and it works great as a stand alone novel.

Tsuruhime is the shogun's daughter and she has succumbed to smallpox.  The mystery is whether she died of natural causes or was murdered.  She was the only person who could have produced an heir for the shogun.  After her death the shogun is told that he has a son named Yoshisato that he never knew about from one of his concubines.  Sano is tasked with finding out who killed Tsuruhime and gets caught up in the politics of feudal Japan in the 1700s.  

I enjoyed this novel immensely.  I have never read any historical mysteries set in Japan and learned a lot about life in this place and era.  In the beginning I had some trouble getting used to the Japanese names and expected it to be a long read.  Since the dialogue was modern the read went pretty fast.  It seemed , however, that most of the plot was about political intrigue instead of being about the solving of a crime.   The political intrigue, while fascinating, made the book seem longer than it needed to be.  

All in all this was a great book and I look forward to reading the entire series.