The Secret Messenger

The Secret Messenger takes place in Venice during WWII. It is the story of the Resistance in Venice and begins in 1934 with Stella Jilani and her grandfather's presence at a rally where Hitler appeared with Mussolini. The book alternates between the WWII era and the present.

The publisher's summary:

"The world is at war, and Stella Jilani is leading a double life. By day she works in the lion's den as a typist for the Reich; by night, she risks her life as a messenger for the Italian resistance. Against all odds, Stella must impart Nazi secrets, smuggle essential supplies and produce an underground newspaper on her beloved typewriter. But when German commander General Breugal becomes suspicious, it seems he will stop at nothing to find the mole, and Stella knows her future could be in jeopardy. 

Years later, Luisa Belmont finds a mysterious old typewriter in her attic. Determined to find out who it belonged to, Luisa delves into the past and uncovers a story of fierce love, unimaginable sacrifice and, ultimately, the worst kind of betrayal."

I LOVED The Secret Messenger but I am not sure why Luisa Belmont was necessary to the story. Her story did not feature much into the plot.  She was necessary for the denouement but perhaps the ending could have been told in another way and her character eliminated. Stella's double life was the main focus of the book and it was exciting to read about. Her romances added danger to a story that was already rife with danger. This is one fabulous novel that all historical fiction fans will love.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Lady's Ambition

The Lady's Ambition is the third book in the Royal Court Series written by Anne Bailey. It is the first book of hers that I have read. The novel covers the life of Margaret Douglas beginning with her marriage and ending with her death in 1570. Margaret is the daughter of a queen and the niece of Henry VIII and enjoys a privileged life as Henry caters to her needs and desires.  When he dies, Margaret begins to press for her rise to the throne by building a genealogy that proves her case. This genealogy only brings her numerous stays in the Tower as Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth feel threatened by her legitimate claim to the throne. Having married beneath her status for love, she spent most of her time trying to gain land that she believed she was entitled to and the lands that her husband was entitled to. Ambition drove her actions but a life full of personal loss kept her from achieving any of her goals.

This book did not grab my attention.  I was bored while reading and couldn't wait for it to end.  If the author had concentrated on one or two of Margaret's attempts to gain the throne and showed us in detail how she maneuvered, it may have been more interesting reading. The Lady's Ambition falls flat. There certainly is no mystery in the plot and Margaret's life is not fictionalized much.  The reader only gets the bullet points of her life.

2 out of 5 stars.

Last Train to Istanbul

I was late for the train (pun intended) in reading this 2013 historical novel about Turkish and non-Turkish Jews escaping Hitler's grasp. It takes place from 1941 through 1943. The story is based on the real life efforts of Turkish diplomats to save Jews from death.

The publisher's summary of the plots is as follows:

"As the daughter of one of Turkey's last Ottoman pashas, Selva could win the heart of any man in Ankara. Yet the spirited young beauty only has eyes for Rafael Alfandari, the handsome Jewish son of an esteemed court physician. In defiance of their families, they marry, fleeing to Paris to build a new life.  

But when the Nazi's invade France and begin rounding up Jews, the exiled lovers will learn that nothing - not war, not politics, not even religion - can break the bonds of family. For after they learn that Selva is but one of their fellow citizens trapped in France, a handful of brave Turkish diplomats hatch a plan to spirit the Alfarandis and hundreds of innocents, many of whom are Jewish, to safety. Together, they must traverse a war-torn continent, crossing enemy lines and risking everything in a desperate bid for freedom."

The story has a lot of tension.  There is the tension between Selva and her father, who refuses to forgive his Muslim daughter for marrying a Jew. However, the tension concerning the advancing Nazis into France is what drove most of the plot.  While the beginning of the story was interesting, it took me awhile to get into it.  Once Selva and Rafael decided they must flee France and return to Istanbul, the plot action ratcheted up and I could not stop reading until I finished the book. All of the Turks who were on the train fleeing Hitler were tense each moment that they were on the train. Those who were Jewish were additionally tense. They not only had to fear seeing Germn soldiers when pulling into each station on the way home, they also had to fear the German soldiers who were on board conducting random inspections of each passenger's papers. Any raised eyebrow, glance or wrong accent could give them away.

The story was educational. I had never before heard about the Turks saving Jews during WWII. The author made history come alive with her captivating writing. It did not seem like I was reading a history lesson but, in fact, I was. I also liked that the setting was inside Turkey. There are few historical fiction books that take place there and it was enjoyable to read about a new (to me) country. Another interesting feature was to see how the Jews viewed the advancement of the German army throughout Europe each time it happened. Each advancement was viewed a little differently and they could only guess whether or not they were in extreme danger and needed to flee. This is a viewpoint that I had never even thought about before reading this novel.

The Last Train to Istanbul is must reading not only for historical fiction fans but also for young adults. I think it would be beneficial for younger readers to see how Europeans felt when the German army began to take over their continent.  5 out of 5 stars!

Book of the Month: April

With the coronavirus shutdown I have had the time to get alot of reading done. I have read 15 books this month. It was difficult to select just one book that I liked the most so I have decided to select a favorite book in each of the three genres that I read, mystery, historical fiction and graphic novel.

The Three Women is my best mystery for the month of April. It is a psychological thriller with a shocking ending. It could be a Hitchcock film, if Hitchcock were still alive and directing movies.

Book of Colours is my favorite historical fiction book.  As an artist, I reveled in the information given on how to create illuminated manuscripts.  The book follows the lives of several limners, illuminators, as they work together to create a book of hours for a wealthy woman.

The Oracle Code is my best graphic novel.  It is about the rehabilitation, both physical and psychological, of a newly disabled teenager.

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.

In Her Eyes

In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson is a gripping psychological thriller that takes place in California. Ava's life is the kind other people envy: loving husband, great kids, beautiful house, until a violent home invasion turns the dream into a nightmare and leaves her daughter fighting to survive. This wasn't a random attack and Ava is reeling from the knowledge that someone is targeting her family. To save those she loves from even greater danger Ava must find out what really happened that night.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat as the drama unfolds. It grabbed me from the first page until the ending, which surprised me. At one point, I suspected every character.  The twists and turns were spectacular, sometimes eery. All of the characters were great, but I felt that Ava sometimes made stupid decisions. If there is any criticism of the book, it is that Ava's conclusions when new evidence was unveiled were over the top.

5 out of 5 stars.

Book of Colours

I don't know why I have not read this book before because I love illuminated manuscripts.  Book of Colours is about several 14th century limners, or illuminators, who have been commissioned to create a book of hours for a wealthy woman.  The story shows the entire process that is followed when creating an illuminated book, including how colors are mixed and used.

The publisher's summary of the plot:

"In London, 1321, at a time of political upheaval, three people are drawn together in a small shop in Paternoster Row around the creation of a magnificent book, an illuminated manuscript of prayers. The book has been commissioned by Lady Mathidla Fitzjohn, as a status symbol to showcase her family's improving station. John Dancaster begins work on the manuscript along with his wife Gemma, a talented illuminator in her own right, although she must hide her skill as the guild forbids women. Into their lives walks the mysterious Will Asshe, a gifted artist, but a man hiding a shadowy past. As the baronial revolt increases tensions within London and Lady Mathilda has to grapple with her changing fortunes once her husband rides off to war, completing the book becomes a fraught task.  Even though the commission has seemed to answer the aspirations of each of these people, their own desires and ambitions threaten its completion."

As an artist I could not help but love Book of Colours. The epigraphs at the start of each chapter give the artist information on how decisions should be made for each page of a manuscript as well as how colors are mixed and should be used. These paragraphs tell the artist how they can also create an illuminated book.  They are revealed to be excerpts from a book that Gemma is writing called "Art of Illumincation." The rest of the chapter continues with the plot. I read this book slowly. I was searching for more information on creating an illumination within the text and found a few more tips. The plot itself was splendid. The characters were authentic, accurately representing the era they lived in and I enjoyed reading about their lives as the story unfolded.

Highly recommended! 5 out of 5 stars.