A Stepney Girl's Secret by Jean Fullerton - #bookreview @JeanFullerton_ #blogtour

 

Rolling her shoulders to ease the stiffness caused by a four-hour journey down the Great North Road, Prudence Carmichael glanced at her watch.

'Not long now, Prudence,' her father, Revd Hugh Carmichael, called over his shoulder as their elderly Austin Seven approached a crossroads.

'Mind that parked car, Hugh,' said Prue's mother Marjorie from the seat beside him.

It was just after four o'clock in the afternoon. Twenty-three-year-old Prudence... was squashed into the back of her father's car since the last of their furniture had been carried out of St Stephen's vicarage in the leafy village of Biddenden.

***

East London, 1940. Prue Carmichael never dreamed that she'd end up working at a railway yard. But when her reverend father is called up to Stepney, she and her family are uprooted from their country home for a new life in the turbulent city.

Determined to help with the war effort, Prue signs up for work and soon becomes intrigued by handsome train engineer Jack Quinn. But as the spark between them grows apparent, so does his troubled past - a past that Prue's mother would certainly not approve of.

In between cleaning train carriages and helping to shelter Jewish refugees, Prue manages to stay busy. But she has more than one admirer, and when Jack is recruited into Churchill's secret army, a very different suitor begins to pursue her.

As air raid sirens sound overhead, Prue Carmichael is facing her own battle - the fight between her heart and her head . . .

Amidst the ruins of war, will Prue and Jack's love find a way?

***

As a Stepney girl myself, how could I possibly resist this book. It has been a number of years since I lived there, but it was where I spent my formative years and I still have a fondness for it.

Prue was a wonderful character and easy to engage with. She is determined, headstrong and hardworking. Having moved to the vicarage in Stepney from her father's rural parish in a Bedfordshire village, Prue quickly demonstrates that she is not afraid to roll her sleeves up and get stuck into working with the people of the parish. In addition, she 'does her bit' for the war effort and gains employment in the local railway works, enabling the trains to continue running.

It is in the train yard that she gets to know Jack and it is not long before an attraction turns into something more significant.

The author is a very skilled storyteller and I almost felt as though I was there with them. Her knowledge of the area is apparent, and she has clearly researched her period well, enabling her to do an excellent job of recreating 1940's East London.

This the first book that I have read by this author and I am certain that it won't be my last.

ISBN: 978 1838957599

Publisher:  Corvus

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 544 (paperback)

About the Author:

Born and bred in East London Jean was a District Nurse by trade and ended her thirty-year career in health care as a senior lecture in Health and Nursing Studies in London Southbank University.

She had published twenty sagas all set in East London with both Orion and Atlantic the most recent of which is the highly successful Ration Book series. She has also recently released her autobiography A Child of the East End.

If you would like to find out more about Jean and her books you will find her website at:  http://jeanfullerton.com/

(ARC, photos & author bio info courtesy of the blog tour operator)

James I, The King Who United Scotland and England by Keith Coleman - #BookReview @penswordbooks

 

The king's first child, and his great hope as the rightful ruler of the two island kingdoms, Prince Henry, was born in Stirling Castle in February 1594. The great hopes of the father were set down in the Basilikon Doron, the 'royal gift,' an extended missive to Henry which the king published when his son was five. As he grew, it seemed to some that Prince Henry was everything that his father was not: comely in appearance, attractive in personality, upright in morality. In later years, after the shady favouritism of his father's court and the weakness of his brother, Charles, as king, there was a retrospective urge to idealise the lost prince who died before maturity...

***

The life of King James VI who united England and Scotland under one crown and became James I in 1603 is marked by contradictions. Generally praised as a good king of Scotland and a poor English one, James was a deep theological thinker, but he also inspired a superstitious frenzy which resulted in the North Berwick witch hunt and trials in the 1590s. Scholar and pedant, he was in his own view God’s appointed ruler, yet also a foul mouthed sloven and forever tarnished with the title of the Wisest Fool in Christendom.

The most glaring contrast in his personal life was between his image as a married family man and as a ruler who lavished indiscreet affection on a series of men whom he invested with considerable power. This book approaches James through the lens of his relationships with his major favourites. First was Anglo-French lord Esme D’Aubigny, then Scottish squire Robert Carr (later Earl of Somerset), and finally the consummate nobleman George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. ‘A king will have need to use secrecy in many things,’ the king wrote in one of his books. Although his private life was sometimes astonishingly visible, there are still many mysteries about James I as a man rather than a ruler.

This work tracks the king’s life from a barren childhood through a succession of plots, intrigues and conspiracies in Scotland which largely forged, or deformed, his character. Beyond his complex and disputed connection with these men the book looks at his relationship with his wife, sponsorship of the arts, and contains a reappraisal of the first and most neglected historical mystery of his first reign, the Gowrie Conspiracy.

***

If I wandered into a bookshop, any bookshop, and browsed the history shelves I suspect that I would find the section on British royalty dominated by the Tudors. That is not a criticism as it was an extremely interesting period of history. Comparitively, I wonder how many books on the Stuarts I would find? This is certainly one such book that should feature on those shelves. 

It is rich in scope and whilst it discusses those events pertinent to King James VI/I's reign in England (1603 - 1625), the author offers something a little different in his book. The witch hunts, the Gowrie conspiracy and his unification of Scotland and England into a United Kingdom are all expectedly there. 

However, we learn much about King James the man. Mr. Coleman portrays the contradictory lifestyle led by James VI/I. On one hand, he portrayed himself as a husband and father. On the other, he openly displayed and elevated a series of 'favourites,' all men who were believed to be his bedfellows. As an historically apparent homosexual, (although the author explains that the concept of homosexuality was not the same as we understand it today)  he would still have been expected to fill the royal nursery and provide the country with an heir.

Mr. Coleman's book has been extensively researched and is presented in an accesible manner. I have read many books on this period in history and this is an excellent addition to the canon. It is suitable for those who are already familiar with Stuart history or to those who are new to the period. It explains much about King James himself and would entice a reader to find out more about the historical events of the period. It is an excellent book which I highly recommend.

ISBN: 978 1399093590

Publisher:  Pen & Sword History

Formats:  e-book, hardback

No. of Pages:  240 (hardback)

About the Author:

Keith Coleman has a MA degree in Celto-Roman Studies from the University of Wales, Newport. His book Aedán of the Gaels: King of Scots (Pen & Sword Books, 2022) was his latest long-term study of the legends and history of the Scottish kings. He is also the author of The Afterlife of Kings James IV, Otherworld Legends of A Scottish King (Chronos Books, 2019) and maintain several blogs about the legends and history of Scotland and its kings. He is currently working on a book on latter day Jacobites to be published by Pen & Sword.

(author photo courtesy of Amazon)

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(author bio courtesy of Pen & Sword)

Through Three Rooms by Sven Elvestad - Translated by Lucy Moffatt - Intro by Nils Nordberg - #bookreview @LucyTranslator.

One winter evening some three years ago, Asbjorn Krag was sitting by the fireplace in his apartment, leafing through a huge folder of documents he had received from one of his clients. The lamp cast a sharp light on the papers, which were many and various - yellowed letters, diverse accounts, numerous telegrams. Suddenly the detective gave a start: a ring at the doorbell.

Krag put down the papers. A man's voice was audible in the hall.

Surmising that the new arrival was a client, the detective quickly stood up, dimmed and then doused the lamp...

***

When an old school friend whisks private detective, Asbjørn Krag away by train to an isolated snow-covered manor house, his curiosity is aroused.

John Aakerholm, a wealthy landowner with peculiar tastes, refuses to disclose why he is utterly terrified. Every evening at midnight he retires to bed, locking himself within three different chambers - and access is strictly forbidden. When a shocking murder takes place, Krag must use his sharp wit and skills to uncover the killer before he strikes again.

A brilliantly ingenious story, Through Three Rooms amply displays Elvestad's gift for storytelling and style. Available in English for the very first time, this book will delight fans of vintage crime fiction. This new translation features an introduction by Nils Nordberg, radio drama producer and Norwegian authority on crime fiction.

***

This novella is part of a series in the Asbjorn Krag mysteries. Originally published in Norway in 1915, this is the first time it has been translated into English.

It is a country house murder mystery whose main character, John Aakerholm, fears for his life. It is a clever story and the mystery surrounding Aakerholm's bedroom which can only be accessed via three different locked rooms kept me guessing until the end.

However, I did guess who the murderer was but not the reason behind it. It is very much dialogue led and I could easily envisage this as a play script. 

Being so short, it moved along at a brisk pace. This could easily be read in a single sitting and was both enjoyable and entertaining.

It has been expertly tranlated by Lucy Moffatt and includes an interesting and informative introduction by Nils Nordberg.

This will delight fans of the traditional crime story. The publisher, Kabaty Press, have several other of this series in their catalogue and I would love to read more of them.

ISBN:  978 8396616623

Publisher:  Kabaty Press

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  140 (paperback)

About the Author:

Sven Elvestad (1884-1934) was born Kristoffer Elvestad Svendsen and also wrote under the pseudonym Stein Riverton. During a golden age for Norwegian crime fiction, Elvestad reigned supreme as the King of Crime in northern Europe. He wrote close to 100 books, with several published in as many as 17 languages. His masterpiece The Iron Chariot, published in 1909, anticipated by 16 years a twist later used by Agatha Christie in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

​Elvestad became an international celebrity. With a tall and distinct appearance, as well as a passion for food, drink and tobacco, he was popular with painters and cartoonists. He changed his name after being caught embezzling from his employer as a young man and took up a second career as a journalist. He was the first foreign journalist to interview Adolf Hitler and often played a colourful part in his own stories, once spending a day in a circus lion’s cage.

Although reprints of his books have been few and far between in the years since, his pseudonym inspired the name of the Norwegian Crime Writers’ Association, Rivertonklubben, the Riverton Club, a society for the cultivation and improvement of crime writing. A special honorary Riverton prize is reserved for distinguished service for Norwegian crime fiction. There is also an honorary international Riverton prize which is given out occasionally, among its recipients are PD James, Maj Sjöwall and Henning Mankell.

About the Translator:

Lucy Moffatt is an award-winning translator (Norwegian and Spanish into English). She won a 2014 John Dryden Prize for her translation of an excerpt of a novella by Hans Herbjørnsrud and she was awarded the NORLA Translator’s Award in 2020.

 

(Book, photos and all author/translator bio info courtesy of the publicist)

The New Normal by Michelle Paris - #bookpromo #spotlight @Maparis916 @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours

 

You all know by now that I have a weakness for book covers with a dog on. I never can resist so I was very pleased to be invited to be part of this blog tour.

The Blurb

After the sudden death of her husband, Emilie Russell just wants to feel normal. But being a middle-aged widow doesn’t come with a how-to manual. Her well-meaning friend, Viv, believes the cure to all that ails is simple: a new man. So, she sets Emilie up with her handsome and charming new neighbor, widower Colin. There’s only one problem with the plan—Colin is gay.

Emilie embarks on a rollicking journey of self-discovery with Colin as her mentor and best friend. From learning to swipe right without cringing while midlife dating in constricting shapeware to cougar moments in Key West, Emilie reenters the dating pool with both humorous and soul-crushing results.

Publication Date: May 2nd, 2023

Genre: Women’s Fiction/ Light-Hearted

Publisher: Apprentice House Press

About the Author:

Michelle Paris is a Maryland writer who believes laughter can heal the heart. Her debut novel, New Normal is loosely based on her own experience as a young widow. Her personal story of overcoming grief was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. And heressays about grief and mid-life dating have appeared in multiple editions of the Chicken Soup for the Soul inspirational book series as well as in other media outlets. 

She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Maryland Writers’ Association, and the Women’s FictionWriters’ Association. Currently, Michelle is enjoying chapter two of her life with her new husband, Kevin, who keeps her from being a cat lady but only on technicality.  https://michelleparisauthor.com/

Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan - #bookreview #blogtour @CalumMcSwiggan @WriteReadsTours @penguinplatform

 

'Wishing for world peace is a terrible idea,' I say, dropping the PlayStation controller down on Dean's bed as our Fortnite avatars do their victory dance. 'Because that would last for what? One day before humanity found something else to fight about? What you need to do is wish away the cause of conflict instead. You need to wish away... toxic masculinity?'

Dean laughs. 'Oh, come off it, Max. That would be your one genie wish? Not for infinite cash... or boys? But to rid the world of toxic masculinity?

'You're telling me it wouldn't be a better place for it?' I grin, lying back on Dean's bed and cosying myself into his extravagantly coloured cushions. 'There'd be no prejudice, no conflict,' I continue. 'And boys could paint their nails without worrying that it makes them gay.'

***

'I want what the straight kids have. Even just for a couple of days . . .'

Seventeen-year-old Max might be out and proud but he's usually too busy checking his nail polish to check his privilege.

So when he says he wishes he could have the 'easy' life straight kids enjoy, Max gets more than he bargained for. He wakes up to find his wish has come true - not only have his feelings for boys vanished, so has his lifelong best friend Dean.

With his world turned upside down and relationships in tatters, can Max find his way back to the life he took for granted, and maybe even win the heart of the guy he thought could never be his . . . ?

What If It's Us meets One Last Stop in this deliciously swoony queer romance.

***

I was originally attracted to this book because of the clever play on words of the title, and once I saw the gorgeous cover I knew I had to read it.

It is a delightful story which allows the reader to step into the shoes of the main character, Max, and understand how it feels to be male, young and gay. Max and his friends were enchanting characters, and I was rooting for each and every one of them.

It has been written for a young adult audience but there is plenty in this novel to keep an adult readership entertained.  It is rapidly paced, humourous and highly entertaining. I  think we have all experienced the power of a teenage crush in our lives which made it easy to identify with Max. 

However, this book is largely about friendship and the bonds that form with those closest to us. It also looks at diversity, not just within the context of Max's sexuality but also the 'white male privilege', that he experiences but his friends do not.

The moral of this book is definitely to be careful what you wish for.  Personally, I am wishing and hoping that Mr. McSwiggan will be bringing us many more books of this quality.

ISBN: 978 0241551141

Publisher:  Penguin Platform

Formats:  e-book and paperback 

No. of Pages:  336 (paperback)

Support Independent Bookshops - Buy from Bookshop.org *

About the Author:

CALUM MCSWIGGAN is an author, presenter, and LGBTQ+ advocate. He's worked for Attitude magazine, written for the Metro, Gay Times and PinkNews, and wasrecently placed in the Guardian's list of the 50 most influential LGBTQ+ figures.

Putting LGBTQ+ stories at the heart of everything he does, he's produced award-winning films that have been showcased at film festivals around the world and racked up over 10 million views on his online videos.

Support Independent Bookshops - Buy from Bookshop.org *

(ARC, photos, graphics and author info courtesy of The Write Reads)

*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.

Books I Want to Read in May 2023

Welcome to the merry month of May. 

It is set to be a memorable month here in the UK, as we witness the coronation of King Charles III. I can never resist a royal event. It is not often that we can knowingly observe history in the making.

I have a range of books that I am anticipating reading this month. They cover several genres and I am excited to read each one.

Do you have any reading plans this month?

The Sweating Sickness Epidemic: Henry VIII's Great Fear by Stephen Porter

Sheep Says Shalom by Ann D Koffsky

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Book Store by Matthew Sullivan

Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Death in Paris by Kate Darroch

Sepulchre Street by Martin Edwards

The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull

My Heart Was a Tree by Michael Morpurgo

A Stepney Girl's Secret by Jean Fullerton

Toffee by Sarah Crossan

(header photo courtesy of Unsplash)

Semi-Detached by Deborah Stone - #promo #spotlight @DeborahStone_ @KellyALacey @lovebookstours

 

Not only is it the first day of May today but it is also a bank holiday here in the UK. I hope you all have a lovely day.

Today is also publication day for Semi-Detached by Deborah Stone.

Semi-Detached is a thrilling psychological drama from the bestselling author of What’s Left Unsaid and Me and My Shadow.

The Blurb

Bill and Amanda are living in a semi-detached house, stuck in a depressing rut of boredom and disappointment, when Terry and Fiona – glamorous, successful and very much in love – move in next door. Despite their different outlooks on life, the couples befriend each other and life appears to improve for both pairs. But all is not what it seems, and their increasingly interconnected relationships are fated for tragedy.

(book info courtesy of Love Book Tours)