Category: England

Book Spotlight w/ Excerpt | Avelynn’s sequel is here! The Vikings #HistRom from last October I loved devouring has a new adventure to be read!

Posted Friday, 21 October, 2016 by jorielov Avelynn, Avelynn: The Edge of Faith, Marissa Campbell, Self Published, St. Martin's Griffin 0 Comments

Last October, I made a rather brilliant discovery in Historical Fiction – I met Avelynn for the very first time! This was also my very first historical involving the Vikings – a group of people of whom have held my curiosity for most of my life, yet for some strange reason I never quite took the time I should have to ‘meet them’ properly – either through historicals or non-fiction accountments of their lives! They were such a fascinating group of adventurers, explorers and of course, have such an anchoured past to turbulence and upheaval across power struggles for land & prosperity.

As you can see from this quote from my review last year, I was quite keen on how they were portrayed by Ms Campbell:

On the Vikings themselves:

Alrik isn’t quite the Viking warrior I was expecting to find, though to be honest anyone outside the precept of who Vikings are known for being outright would have been a pleasant surprise, truly! Alrik leads with his heart but with a mind that is truly rapt for battle. He understands loyalty but his trust in both his men and the cardinals of war is where his confidence lies. He isn’t one to tempt a woman past her own senses nor does he find himself able to do anything that is not proper or honourable. He’s an interesting bloke by half, considering he’s at an impasse in regards to his kin who are seeking wrath more than peace.

In some mannerisms he showed Avelynn at their first meeting, I was reminded of stories I’ve read about the Highlander Scots – both are fiercely proud and grit wit a determined air to battle any sort who try to cause them ill-harm or take back a stronghold they’ve already won.

–quoted from my review of Avelynn

Avelynn took me by complete surprise – turnt out to be one of my most beloved reads of 2015, and never quite left my mind! I was quite curious what would happen ‘next’ and how the characters within the world of Avelynn would continue to move forward with their lives. It’s compelling drama, but it’s also a brilliantly written arc of Historical Romance set during a difficult time in history where everything is a bit uncertain and strife with war or changes in power. It’s not the easiest of generations to make your mark on the world but there was so much heart and hope stitched inside this HistRom that I truly felt hugged closet to Avelynn herself and the emotional journey she was undertaking!

This is why I am so wicked excited to be a part of the blog team whose announcing the sequel’s arrival & why this #bookbirthday has me so wicked happy to have a sequel to read this Winter! There is a bit more to the story behind how I’m reading “Avelynn: The Edge of Faith” but right now I want to share the information on the book itself, the beautiful cover art & the lovely Excerpt Ms Campbell provided for me to share with my readers! A bit of a tradition – I shared an Excerpt last October for her debut and now again for her sophomore release!

Enjoy reading this wicked glimpse into Avelynn and Alrik!

Avelynn
Subtitle: The Edge of Faith
by Marissa Campbell

It’s the year 871. Charges of treason, murder, and witchcraft follow Avelynn into exile as she flees England with Alrik. Arriving in Wales, they find refuge among Alrik’s friends in the Welsh nobility. Cast out by his half-brothers, Alrik seeks to regain his honor and earn favor with the gods. When war threatens, Alrik embraces gold and the opportunity for his crew to become mercenaries, aiding the Southern Welsh kings in their fight against Rhodri the Great.

Desperate to return home, Avelynn seeks to find a way to prove her innocence, but she is pitted against Alrik as their desires for the future clash. With battle looming, Avelynn’s faith in their relationship is further tested through a bitter struggle with Marared, a jealous lover from Alrik’s past. Marared’s threats turn deadly, and Avelynn runs afoul of magic and sorcery, causing her to question her beliefs and role as priestess.

When Avelynn and Alrik are betrayed, Avelynn is captured and Alrik is charged with regicide. The two become separated, a chasm of greed, deceit, and ambition driving them apart. In an act of harrowing faith, Avelynn will stop at nothing to find her way back to Alrik and break them both free from Wales’s bloodthirsty grasp.

AVELYNN: THE EDGE OF FAITH is a stand-alone novel and #2 in the Avelynn series.

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-0986627217

Also by this author: Avelynn

Series: Avelynn

Also in this series: Avelynn

on 26th September, 2016

Published By: Self Published Author
Available Formats: Paperback & Ebook

Converse via: #Avelynn

About Marissa Campbell

Marissa Campbell is a published freelance author, and co-author of the award-winning, spiritual self-help book Life: Living in Fulfillment Every Day.

Her debut historical fiction AVELYNN, was published through St. Martin’s Press, September 2015. She self-published her sophmore release Avelynn: The Edge of Faith. She is a proud member of the Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America, Writer’s Community of Durham Region, and local critique group B7.

When she is not writing, she is busy looking after her wonderful children, spending time with her fantastic husband, hanging out with her awesome friends, teaching yoga, dancing, laughing, and having fun!

Author's biography updated October 2016.

Posted Friday, 21 October, 2016 by jorielov in 9th Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Arthurian Legend, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Canadian Literature, Crime Fiction, Earthen Magic, Earthen Spirituality, England, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Gods & Goddesses, Heroic Bloodshed, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Mystery, Saxon | Viking History, Superstitions & Old World Beliefs, Warfare & Power Realignment

Blog Book Tour | “The Duke’s Last Hunt” by Rosanne E. Lortz Jorie happily returns to the Regency, the era she initially beloved for reading Rom!

Posted Saturday, 10 September, 2016 by jorielov Jane Austen, Lauren Willig, Madison Street Publishing, Mary Jo Putney, Rosanne E. Lortz, Scott D. Southard, The Duke's Last Hunt 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary copy of “The Duke’s Last Hunt” direct from the publisher Madison Street Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

I have had a penchant for the Regency for all of my life:

When I was a young girl of nine, I became positively enraptured by the stories of both the Regency and Victorian eras of England! A passion for Rom developed and quite naturally I felt wholly entrenched inside both eras! So much so, I regularly sought them out! Including the special edition Christmas Regency novella collections such as the ones featuring Mary Jo Putney (of The Word Wenches; a blog I love reading!) Throughout my readerly life, the Regency has attracted me not only for the chivalry and the manners involved in courtship, but for the arc of how a Romance can be told in a historical setting with in-bred social norms which are wicked strict for men and women!

Layer in the country vs the city (or ‘the towne’ as off London was referred) settings, the backdrops of the fashion and the coquettish of the chase during the infamous London Season, and you find all the delights of a Rom Comedy or Drama depending on the author’s preferences! I liked how some of the girls were either besotted by the blokes or completely averse to the whole situation; others as said played the ‘coquette’ flirtatious card or chose to feel doomed in their pursuit of a suitable husband! Others oft-times completely struck out on their own – re-defining how a woman could step forward out of girlhood and take-on a different approach to living once she was of age. Either way you slice it, there was always something wickedly entertaining about reading a story set during this timescape! Even Jane Austen found everyday humour in the contemporary norms of her day, yet the Regency is such a full step removed from our own living reality, the indulgences of a Regency novel affords a brilliantly enjoyable read! Especially if you have a questionable dowry, an unknown parentage (ooh my!), or were turnt away from a suitable match during your 1st or 2nd or successive ‘Seasons’!

I was first introduced to this publisher via a conversation I had with one of their authors Scott D. Southard about his novel A Jane Austen Daydream. At the time, print copies were not available and this is why I had leapt at a chance to read this one! I have been so very curious about this publisher for two solid years! I still very much intend to read A Jane Austen Daydream (despite appearances to the contrary!), it is simply I haven’t been able to focus on Classical Lit or their after canons for quite a long while. A trend I am determined to break this September by continuing to read Jane Eyre whilst getting set for some wicked sweet Austen readings lateron before the close of 2016!

When I realised this was a Rom Suspense (#RomSusp) for the Regency, I was most intrigued! I have already realised I fancy the mysteries by Lauren Willig in her Pink Carnation series (which starts off being quite the light read before it turns more serious (her words, I’m still in the beginning novels!) – I used to love visiting the author on her blog where she would reveal so very much to her readers!) I generally had only focused on the traditional Regency Roms, but I must confess, if I can find a wicked told Mystery, I’m a reader whose thoroughly entertained! Thus, this felt like a new direction of focus I could seek out within the Regencies I already knew I fancied! I wonder if others are more confined by the tradition of a Regency Rom and/or are as adventurous as I am whilst finding new authors who delight them with their yesteryear stories!?

The Duke's Last Hunt
Subtitle: A Novel of Romantic Suspense
by Rosanne E. Lortz
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

With her third London season drawing to a close, the shy Eliza Malcolm seems unlikely to find any husband, let alone a titled one. But when the hunting-crazed Duke of Brockenhurst invites the Malcolms to visit Harrowhaven, Eliza’s father jumps at the chance to gain a wealthy son-in-law. Surrounded by quarreling parents, tactless acquaintances, the aloof dowager, and the unsettling duke, Eliza looks for one person kind enough to help her navigate the murky waters of Harrowhaven’s secrets….

Estranged from his brother the duke, Henry Rowland only planned to visit Harrowhaven for the afternoon, but after meeting his brother’s intended, his designs are overthrown. As misfortune strikes Harrowhaven, Jacob Pevensey is called in to investigate. Henry learns that the only way to safeguard Eliza Malcolm’s happiness is to face the past he has been running from for ten long years.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9780996264839

Also in this series: To Wed an Heiress, A Duel for Christmas, A Duel for Christmas

Published by Madison Street Publishing

on 1st September, 2016

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 348

Published By: Madison Street Publishing (@MStPublishing)

The author’s first Regency was To Wed an Heiress | Synopsis

*UPDATE: October, 2018 – this became the series: Pevensey Mysteries

Converse via: #HistoricalRom, #HistoricalSuspense, #Regency, #RomSusp
Available Formats: Paperback and E-Book

About Rosanne E. Lortz

Rosanne E. Lortz (“Rose”) is a history lover, a book addict, a mom to four boys, and a native of Portland, Oregon. When she’s not writing, she teaches Latin and English composition and works as an editor at Madison Street Publishing.

Rosanne’s works include I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince, Road from the West: Book I of the Chronicles of Tancred, The Life and Death of Saint Thomas Becket: Type of Paul, Type of Peter, Type of Christ, Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors (Vol 1 & 2), To Wed an Heiress, and the newly published The Duke’s Last Hunt.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Posted Saturday, 10 September, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, ARC | Galley Copy, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Castles & Estates, Clever Turns of Phrase, Deception Before Matrimony, England, Family Drama, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inheritance & Identity, London, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, the Regency era

Blog Book Tour | “The Dark Lady’s Mask” by Mary Sharratt

Posted Wednesday, 24 August, 2016 by jorielov Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Mary Sharratt, The Dark Lady's Mask 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary copy of “The Dark Lady’s Mask” direct from the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I wanted to read this novel about William Shakespeare:

Ahead of sharing my love of Shakespeare, I am celebrating the return of being able to read a novel of Mary Sharratt for review on Jorie Loves A Story! Whilst I was a 1st Year Book Blogger (observed my 3rd blog birthday earlier this month on the 6th of August), I had the pleasure of joy reading Illuminations: {A novel of Hildegard von Bingen} as my debut review for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in November, 2013! The novel introduced me to an enriched version of reading biographies – an introduction that would carry me forward into the wonderful world of what I refer to as ‘Biographical Historical Fiction’; a mainstay of my reading queues! As routed through this category of interest!

From that foundation, I started to seek out traditional biographies and memoirs, under the new vein of interest called ‘Creative Non-Fiction’ where the stories are threaded through an emotional contextual core of narrative. For you see, if I hadn’t first read Illuminations all the lovelies I’ve been discovering since might not have alighted in my hands to read. Mary Sharratt truly opened my mind and eyes to how a story could be told whilst peering back into the historical past through a living history of a person who once lived. Her style of the craft is quite acutely realistic for the time periods she’s exploring; she has a conviction of setting with a lifeblood of drawing characters out of the wells of history to give us a resounding portrait of ‘who once lived’ can live once again in our own imaginations.

You see, I fell in love with reading Shakespeare when I was fourteen; prior to that year, (as a freshman in high school) I knew of the Bard far more than I had read his works. I was smitten by the idea of what a Shakespearean play would contain but I had not started reading his works until it became required reading. Ironic, no? Of those readings (Romeo & Juliet & Julius Caesar), it was my readings of Caesar that staid with me the most! I liked the tenacity of the piece and the guttingly humanistic emotional tides ebbing in and out of the realisation of how the conspirators befell a leader. There was such a lot of dramatic eclipse in that back-story, I daresay, right then and there, I should have realised how much I would come to appreciate reading Historical Fiction! If only hindsight were available,..

I was gifted a portable collection of Shakespeare’s works for my four and twenty birthday, a fact that isn’t lost on me now that I’m in the latter years of my twentytens; of which selections of plausible readings are listed on my own Classics Club List where they lie in wait for me to soak inside their stories. It isn’t that I have balked at reading more Shakespeare, it’s the mere fact I simply haven’t felt in ‘the mood’ to re-enter his works. There are moments where I distinctively feel literature is based on our moods; this clearly is one of them! Another example would be my distance from the ghost stories of Heather Graham; for me, those require a certain atmosphere to enjoy (i.e. thunderstorms).

As so much has become disputed and/or proved in regards to Shakespeare’s legacy and identity, I felt it was proper time to delve into a portion of the history surrounding him I haven’t yet learnt of first-hand. This is where reading Biographical HistFic is especially fun for me! I get to tuck inside the research and the visionary plausibilities of where known fact and supposition reside to paint an image of ‘what could have been’ and very much could honestly be the living testament of a person who lived so very long ago!

The Dark Lady's Mask

Shakespeare in Love meets Shakespeare’s Sister in this novel of England’s first professional woman poet and her collaboration and love affair with William Shakespeare.

London, 1593. Aemilia Bassano Lanier is beautiful and accomplished, but her societal conformity ends there. She frequently cross-dresses to escape her loveless marriage and to gain freedoms only men enjoy, but a chance encounter with a ragged, little-known poet named Shakespeare changes everything.

Aemilia grabs at the chance to pursue her long-held dream of writing and the two outsiders strike up a literary bargain. They leave plague-ridden London for Italy, where they begin secretly writing comedies together and where Will falls in love with the beautiful country — and with Aemilia, his Dark Lady. Their Italian idyll, though, cannot last and their collaborative affair comes to a devastating end. Will gains fame and fortune for their plays back in London and years later publishes the sonnets mocking his former muse. Not one to stand by in humiliation, Aemilia takes up her own pen in her defense and in defense of all women.

The Dark Lady’s Mask gives voice to a real Renaissance woman in every sense of the word.

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9780544300767

on 19th April, 2016

Pages: 416

Published By: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (@HMHCo)

Converse via: #TheDarkLadysMask, #Shakespeare + #HistFic
Available Formats: Hardcover, Trade Paperback & Ebook

Read about Aemilia Bassano Lanier via Poetry Foundation

Read Ms Sharratt’s blog post about The Dark Lady’s Mask via Feminism & Religion

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Posted Wednesday, 24 August, 2016 by jorielov in 16th Century, Aemilia Bassano Lanier, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, British Literature, Classical Literature, England, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Mystery, Historical Romance, Inspired By Author OR Book, Inspired by Stories, William Shakespeare

Book Review | “Some Veil Did Fall” (Book No.1 of the Rossetti Mysteries) by Kirsty Ferry #ChocLitSaturdays

Posted Saturday, 30 July, 2016 by jorielov ChocLitUK, Kirsty Ferry, Rossetti Mysteries, Some Veil Did Fall 0 Comments

Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features)
and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):

I wanted to create a bit of a niche on Jorie Loves A Story to showcase romance fiction steeped in relationships, courtships, and the breadth of marriage enveloped by characters written honestly whose lives not only endear you to them but they nestle into your heart as their story is being read!

I am always seeking relationship-based romance which strikes a chord within my mind’s eye as well as my heart! I’m a romantic optimist, and I love curling into a romance where I can be swept inside the past, as history becomes lit alive in the fullness of the narrative and I can wander amongst the supporting cast observing the principal characters fall in love and sort out if they are a proper match for each other!

I love how an Indie Publisher like ChocLitUK is such a positive alternative for those of us who do not identify ourselves as girls and women who read ‘chick-lit’. I appreciate the stories which alight in my hands from ChocLit as much as I appreciate the inspirational romances I gravitate towards because there is a certain level of depth to both outlets in romance which encourage my spirits and gives me a beautiful story to absorb! Whilst sorting out how promote my book reviews on behalf of ChocLit, I coined the phrase “ChocLitSaturdays”, which is a nod to the fact my ChocLit reviews & features debut on ‘a Saturday’ but further to the point that on the ‘weekend’ we want to dip into a world wholly ideal and romantic during our hours off from the work week!

Acquired Book By: I am a regular reviewer for ChocLitUK, where I hand select which books in either their backlist and/or current releases I would like to read next for my #ChocLitSaturdays blog feature. As of June 2016, I became a member of the ChocLit Stars Team in tandem with being on the Cover Reveal Team which I joined in May 2016. I reference the Stars as this is a lovely new reader contribution team of sending feedback to the publisher ahead of new book releases. As always, even if I’m involved with a publisher in this sort of fashion, each review is never influenced by that participation and will always be my honest impression as I read the story. Whether the author is one I have previously read or never had the pleasure to read until the book greets my shelf.

I received a complimentary copy of “Some Veil Did Fall” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. It should be noted ‘Some Veil Did Fall’ was requested prior to the two teams I joined on behalf of ChocLitUK. I simply have become more active with the Reveal Team & begun my journey as a ChocLit Star in-between receiving this novel and the day my review posts.

Why Jorie has such a hearty penchant for time slips & ghost stories:

For as long as I can remember, I have entertained a healthy appetite for the paranormal – especially in regards to Southern Gothic Literature, Paranormal Romance and Ghost Stories most definitely being at the top of the list of ‘must reads’ for my literary wanderings! It has taken quite a long while to sort out which authors truly whet a thirst of interest for me to read, as when I found the Ghost Harrison series by Heather Graham, I was truly thankful for the respite I found inside my ‘first!’ Graham novel: Ghost Walk set in New Orleans! Imagine my good fortune!? A ghost story and a romance all in one!

When I came to find out that Edith Wharton wrote ghost stories, I must say, I was rather chuffed to have found a copy of her paranormal stories through my local library’s ILL catalogue! As you can tell by the review I composed, I was quite wicked happy for the readings! More recently, I explored why I find the supernatural so very alluring when I reviewed Southern Haunts, an anthology series of Southern Gothic stories set in the realms of the paranormal! There simply is something to be said for that ‘elsewhere’ vibe to stories that bend time, setting, place and living history behind the backdrop of what cannot be seen but can surely be felt as being as real as the breath you see catch in a Wintry sky.

Now, when it comes to time slips, I’m equally motivated to soak inside a story that is hinged between timescapes and/or generational time intervals where characters or circumstances are equally tied together. One of the best impressions I had of how time can slip and affect characters so substantially as to directly affect the reader was within the story A Fall of Marigolds. If you want to read a story by an author whose conquered this genre with equal dexterity for writing convincing paranormal attributes into their back-stories, look no further than Christina Courtenay! My first reading by her was of The Silent Touch of Shadows wherein I was pleasantly taken for a wicked twist of an ending!

More recently I explored this theory in practice by my reading of The Memory Painter, where I was only slightly disappointed for the direction of the story’s core of heart, as it was the predictable route to go rather than the route less taken where I had hoped I’d venture instead. What gets me invested in both styles is the curious ‘unknowns’ that occupy the spaces between understanding what is physically happening to the character and how the mind can entreat inside an experience far outside the scope of where physical reality or science can explain it. This is one reason why I love watching episodes of The Ghost Whisperer as it’s a whole series in full pursuit of what walks between the veils of what is seen and unseen.

Notation on Cover Art: I shrank this image down for my readers – as the copy of the cover art to use on my review is such a blaring bright pink, it hurts your eyes in the larger format! The interesting bit is that IRL the book is lovely to hold & to look at as it’s not glaring! I even loved how it’s a combination of hot pink with blocked black imagery – I know it’s a particular style of art but for the life of me it’s eluding me right now to remember what it’s called! Laughs. I’m not a pink girl either – so hats off to Ms Stevens for creating a cover that made me smile!

Some Veil Did Fall
by Kirsty Ferry
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Berni Stevens
Source: Direct from Publisher

What if you recalled memories from a life that wasn’t yours, from a life before…?

When Becky steps into Jonathon Nelson’s atmospheric photography studio in Whitby, she is simply a freelance journalist in search of a story. But as soon as she puts on the beautiful Victorian dress and poses for a photograph, she becomes somebody quite different…

From that moment on, Becky is overcome with visions and flashbacks from a life that isn’t her own – some disturbing and filled with fear.

As she and Jon begin to unravel the tragic mystery behind her strange experiences, the natural affinity they have for each other continues to grow and leads them to question … have they met somewhere before? Perhaps not just in this life but in another?

Genres: Gothic Literature, Ghost Story, Romantic Suspense, Thriller

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Book Page on ChocLitUK

ISBN: 9781781891612

Also by this author: The Girl in the Painting

Published by ChocLitUK

on 1st November, 2014

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 288

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLituk)

Available Formats: Paperback, Audiobook, Large Print & E-Book

Order of Sequence of Rossetti Mysteries:

Some Veil Did Fall | Book One | Read more on Author’s blog

The Girl in the Painting | Book Two (Synopsis) | Read more on Author’s blog

Converse via: #RossettiMysteries + #ChocLit

About Kirsty Ferry

Kirsty lives in the North East of England with her husband and son. She won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 and has had articles and short stories published in Peoples Friend, The Weekly News, It’s Fate, Vintage Script, Ghost Voices and First Edition.

Her work also appears in several anthologies, incorporating such diverse themes as vampires, crime, angels and more.
Kirsty loves writing ghostly mysteries and interweaving fact and fiction. The research is almost as much fun as writing the book itself, and if she can add a wonderful setting and a dollop of history, that’s even better.
Her day job involves sharing a building with an eclectic collection of ghosts, which can often prove rather interesting.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Posted Saturday, 30 July, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, 21st Century, Art, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Britian, British Literature, Castles & Estates, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Deaf Culture in Fiction, England, Equality In Literature, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Gothic Literature, Gothic Mystery, Gothic Romance, Green-Minded Publishers, Haunting & Ethereal, Indie Author, Modern British Author, Modern Day, Paranormal Romance, Parapsychological Suspense, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, the Victorian era, Time Slip

Book Review | “The Anatomist’s Wife” (#LadyDarby, No.1) by Anna Lee Huber

Posted Monday, 4 July, 2016 by jorielov Anna Lee Huber, Berkley Prime Crime, Lady Darby Mysteries, Penguin Group (USA), The Anatomist's Wife 3 Comments

Borrowed Book By: My local library has always been quite keenly astute on forthcoming releases by authors whose books wink at me from the card catalogue, whenever I am seeking a new read within a genre I happen to have a penchant attachment. Cosy mysteries have always been knitted into my heart, and although I honestly cannot remember exactly if the library purchased the Lady Darby book series off a request of mine OR if they were requested by another patron, all I can simply say is that I felt immeasurably blessed that the first two novels of the Lady Darby mysteries were at my library! I did make enquiries on behalf of this series to be continued to be added to the library as forthcoming titles release henceforth forward!

As this series is a part of a personal quest to read Serial Fiction Library Finds, I was not compensated for this review nor was I obliged to share my thoughts on behalf of this novel or the Lady Darby Mysteries.

On Cosy Historical Mysteries:

My blog has afforded me the wicked sweet pleasure of being enlightened and entranced by a new branch of literature my heart draws a breath of joy out of discovering: Cosy Historical Mysteries! I was always attracted to Cosy Mysteries, since I was quite young, as I grew up on Agatha Christie (as aforementioned on my review of The Monogram Murders), whose charm and grace in the telling of a story captured me for a lifetime. I readily read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys quite equally and wished I had found another sleuth who could have created a special niche of reading joy.

Cosies for me, have always been where my heart and mind are in sync to find solace in the pursuit of a mystery. There are times I attempt to read a bit of hard-boiled entrants to the Crime Fiction family, only to do an about-face and retreat back to the warmth and comfort of a Cosy.

Where I yield on this one note, is where my televised serials have led me to travel: Hart to Hart, Cagney & Lacey, Remington Steele, Banacek, Quincy, M.E., Crossing Jordan, McMillan & Wife, Mrs. Columbo, Columbo, Ironside, Perry Mason & the Movies; Due South, JAG, NCIS, NCIS:LA, NCIS: NOLA, Jesse Stone (starring Tom Selleck), Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Murdoch Mysteries, Rizzoli & Isles, Ghost Whisperer, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Rosemary & Thyme, Sherlock (Series 1-2), Castle (Minus Series Finale), the Mentalist, Jane Doe, Diagnosis Murder, McBride, Mystery Woman, Dragnet, the Division, Nash Bridges, Walker, Texas Ranger, the Peacemakers, In the Heat of the Night, Murder, She Wrote, Numb3rs, Matlock, 1-800-the-Missing, For the People, the Nick & Nora movies, Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, and many more yet to disclose! As well as wanting to focus on watching: Inspector Morse, Inspector Lewis & Endeavour; LA Law & Hawaii Five-O (original).

As you can well see, I am attracted to a hodgepodge of selections, but at the heart of all the series I mentioned is a solid story, a compelling lead character, and stories which touch your heart evermore. The added benefit by half is that most of these lovelies have quirky families stitched into the lead & supporting characters, of whom could not nearly function half as well without each other!

What draws me into the Cosy Historical section is the ability to take my love of murder mysteries and/or psychological suspense and wrap it inside of a historical setting! Until I blogged, I did not even realise how oft I duck inside a historical novel — across the multi-dimensional spectrum of offerings! Imagine my plumb surprise to realise then, that there is a whole curiously new section of Cosies out there waiting for me to discover them?

*For a listing of my favourite discoveries in Cosy Mysteries, see my review of See Also Murder

As I’ve been hoping to bring the #LadyDarby Mysteries to Jorie Loves A Story for two years, you could say I have found a way to bring them into the conscious of my readers by how I’ve etched in a working conversation about them on various posts or reviews. I had originally planned to begin reviewing these lovely novels in 2014, including during #HorrorOctober (a book blogosphere event that charmed me to join) except to say, most of my love for this series has lived through my Twitter feeds! I decided as a cross-celebration of the fifth Lady Darby novel to finally read through the entire series & share my thoughts with my readers who have been only been treated to a cursory glimpse of what gives me so much joy about this series prior to now!

You will happily find my thoughts about Lady Darby peppered throughout the following posts:

Death Sits Down to Dinner | in reference to my joy in what awaits me (see Review)
Claws of the Cat | in reference to grisly crime scenes (see Review)
The Masque of a Murderer | in reference of why I love Cosy Historical Mysteries (see Review)
Inspector of the Dead | in reference to a particular style of Cosy Historical Mysteries (see Review)
A Dangerous Place (Maisie Dobbs) | in reference to finding Cosy Historical Mysteries (see Review)
Mist of Midnight | in reference to elements a similar style (see Review)
Keeping Kate | in reference of how Kate & Tyler reminded me of Lady Darby & Gage (see Review)
The Spoils of Avalon | on reflection of why I love Cosy Historical Mysteries (see Review)
#WWWeds No.7 | in reference of my excitement to get back into the series (see post)
Interview with Mary F. Burns | when I first started to compile a CHM List (see Interview)
Interview with R.J. Sullivan | in reference to smaller editions (see Interview)

The Anatomist's Wife
Subtitle: A Lady Darby Mystery

Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes.

Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her knowledge of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage-a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down as accusations and rumors swirl.

When Kiera and Gage's search leads them to even more gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges Lady Darby to give up the inquiry. But Kiera is determined to both protect her family and prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next victim...

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780425253281

Series: Lady Darby Mysteries

Also in this series: Mortal Arts, A Grave Matter, A Study in Death

on 6th November, 2012

Pages: 368

The Lady Darby Mysteries:

The Anatomist’s Wife | No.1

Mortal Arts | No.2 | Synopsis

A Grave Matter | No.3 | Synopsis

A Study in Death | No.4 | Synopsis

A Pressing Engagement | No.4.5 (e-novella) | Synopsis

As Death Draws Near | No.5 | Synopsis | Happy #PubDay 5th of July, 2016

Published By: Berkley Prime Crime (@BerkleyMystery)

imprint of Berkley Publishing (@BerkleyPub)

via Penguin Random House (@penguinrandom)

About Anna Lee Huber

Anna Lee Huber is the Award-Winning and National Bestselling Author of the Lady Darby Mystery Series. She was born and raised in a small town in Ohio. From a young age, her imagination was boundless. She spent her summers with her brothers and sister playing Star Wars, wearing snow boots and her mother's old nightgowns while swinging plastic bats as light-sabers, and The A-Team hanging off the riding lawn mower (what else were they supposed to use for the van?). In the fourth grade, she penned her first story, and she’s been writing ever since.

Anna attended college in Music City USA-Nashville, Tennessee, where she met her husband while acting in a school production of Our Town. They married just before she graduated summa cum laude from Lipscomb University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and a minor in Psychology. She now pens the award-winning Lady Darby historical mystery series for Berkley Publishing. Her debut novel, The Anatomist’s Wife, has won and been nominated for numerous awards, including a Daphne du Maurier Award and two 2013 RITA® Awards.

Anna is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, International Thriller Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She currently lives in Indiana with her family, and when not hard at work on her next novel, she enjoys reading, singing, travel, and spending time with her family.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Serial Fiction Library Finds (Personal)

Posted Monday, 4 July, 2016 by jorielov in 19th Century, Amateur Detective, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Book Review (non-blog tour), Castles & Estates, Cosy Historical Mystery, Cosy Horror, Cosy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Debut Author, Debut Novel, England, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical Thriller Suspense, Lady Detective Fiction, Library Catalogues & Databases, Library Find, Library Love, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Psychological Suspense, Scotland, Siblings, Sisters & the Bond Between Them, the Victorian era

Category: England

About Marissa Campbell

About Rosanne E. Lortz

Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features) and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):

I wanted to create a bit of a niche on Jorie Loves A Story to showcase romance fiction steeped in relationships, courtships, and the breadth of marriage enveloped by characters written honestly whose lives not only endear you to them but they nestle into your heart as their story is being read!

About Kirsty Ferry

The Lady Darby Mysteries:

About Anna Lee Huber

Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features)
and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):