Guest Review: Sharpe’s Command by Bernard Cornwell

If any man can do the impossible it's Richard Sharpe . . .

And the impossible is exactly what the formidable Major Sharpe is asked to do when he's dispatched on an undercover mission behind enemy lines, deep in the Spanish countryside.

For a remote village is about to become the centre of a battle for the future of Europe. Sitting high above the Almaraz bridge, it is the last link between two French armies, one in the north and one in the south; if they meet, the British are doomed.

Only Sharpe's small group of men – with their cunning and courage to rely on – stand in their way. But they're rapidly outnumbered, enemies are hiding in plain sight, and time is running out...

Review: This is the 23rd book in Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series, but chronologically it fits in as number 14, taking the reader back to 1812, long before the battle of Waterloo. For anyone new to these books, the series follows the career of Richard Sharpe in the British army, from his time in India to the Napoleonic wars. A heroic deed led to his being promoted from the ranks to an officer, which has placed him in an awkward position, often disliked in equal measure by soldiers above and below him.

In this book, Sharpe and his band of riflemen are in Spain, having been sent to liaise with a group of partisans and establish the state of a bridge over the river Tagus at Almaraz and its defending forts. This bridge has become key to the success of the French war effort, as the crossing will allow two branches of its army to join together, making a formidable force. Sharpe and his men have to contend with more than the French in dealing with the bridge, principally is the leader of the partisans fighting with them or against?

I have seen a few comments from readers complaining about continuity errors in this book due to its having been slotted into the series. However, setting aside such considerations, I enjoyed this story for what it was - Sharpe and his chosen men doing their bit to defeat the French. It did feel slightly strange reading about characters who I know will die subsequent books, but it was good to see Sharpe again in his younger days and be reacquainted with the trusty Harper, the rest of the band and of course Sharpe’s wife Teresa. There is plenty of action as Sharpe and his small force cope with an inexperienced officer accompanying them as well as the French forces and a strangely unhelpful group of partisans. I hope that Bernard Cornwell still has more adventures to come for Richard Sharpe.

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Guest Review: Spitfire: A Very British Love Story By John Nichol

Achtung, Spitfire!

The iconic Spitfire found fame during the darkest early days of World War II. But what happened to the redoubtable fighter and its crews beyond the Battle of Britain, and why is it still so loved today?

In late spring 1940, Nazi Germany’s domination of Europe had looked unstoppable. With the British Isles in easy reach since the fall of France, Adolf Hitler was convinced that Great Britain would be defeated in the skies over her southern coast, confident his Messerschmitts and Heinkels would outclass anything the Royal Air Force threw at them. What Hitler hadn’t planned for was the agility and resilience of a marvel of British engineering that would quickly pass into legend – the Spitfire.

Bestselling author John Nichol’s passionate portrait of this magnificent fighter aircraft, its many innovations and updates, and the people who flew and loved them, carries the reader beyond the dogfights over Kent and Sussex. Spanning the full global reach of the Spitfire’s deployment during WWII, from Malta to North Africa and the Far East, then over the D-Day beaches, it is always accessible, effortlessly entertaining and full of extraordinary spirit.         

                      

Here are edge-of-the-seat stories and heart-stopping first-hand accounts of battling pilots forced to bail out over occupied territory; of sacrifice and wartime love; of aristocratic female flyers, and of the mechanics who braved the Nazi onslaught to keep the aircraft in battle-ready condition. Nichol takes the reader on a hair-raising, nail-biting and moving wartime history of the iconic Spitfire populated by a cast of redoubtable, heroic characters that make you want to stand up and cheer.

Review: This is a book about the Supermarine Spitfire, the iconic fighter aircraft that first flew just before the Second World War and served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other air forces, during and for a few years after the war. The author, John Nichol is a former RAF navigator who was captured along with his pilot by Iraqi forces when their Tornado aircraft was shot down during the Gulf War in 1991.

The book covers the aeroplane’s development and its subsequent deployment in various stages of the conflict. Although the book describes the evolution of the Spitfire and the various enemy aircraft it opposed during those six years, the focus is more on the people who flew and maintained the aircraft. Hence, there are accounts of the fighter pilots and also the ground crew, the men and women of the Air Transport Auxiliary who ferried the ‘planes to various airfields, and pilots who carried out photo reconnaissance missions. Many of these accounts are based on interviews with the ever-diminishing survivors of the war. There are a number of excellent colour photographs, along with a larger number of black and white illustrations. At the end of the book are references and a bibliography, together with technical specifications of the different versions of the Spitfire.

I thought the book was an interesting account of this famous aeroplane and the people who flew and maintained it. However, I found the writing style difficult and episodic, with too many apparently unconnected short paragraphs so that the reading did not flow. I also found the way the references were quoted was not very helpful. There are five and a half pages of references and notes at the end of the book, many of which are repeated because each chapter has its own list of references. I feel it would have been better to assign one unique number to each reference, meaning there would be a single list only instead of sixteen separate lists.

A couple of points I would make about the book are that the main German fighter during the Battle of Britain is referred to as the Me 109, although the author does note that the prototype was referred to as the Bf 109. Strictly speaking, all aircraft of this type should be designated Bf 109 since the manufacturing company was known as the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke at the time that the German air ministry assigned the number, and only became the Messerschmitt company afterwards. However, I understand that both terms were in common use. Additionally, the account of the Spitfire’s combat role appears to end with Germany’s surrender in May 1945. Hostilities in the Far East did not end until August 1945. I feel that the lack of information about these months, and in particular the role of the aircraft-carrier borne version, known as the Seafire, with the British Pacific Fleet is a major omission.

Overall, although I found the book with its fascinating personal stories an interesting read, I feel it could have been better.

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Review: When I Come Home Again by Caroline Scott

 They need him to remember. He wants to forget.

1918. In the last week of the First World War, a uniformed soldier is arrested in Durham Cathedral. When questioned, it becomes clear he has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there.

 

The soldier is given the name Adam and transferred to a rehabilitation home. His doctor James is determined to recover who this man once was. But Adam doesn’t want to remember. Unwilling to relive the trauma of war, Adam has locked his memory away, seemingly for good.

 

When a newspaper publishes a feature about Adam, three women come forward, each claiming that he is someone she lost in the war. But does he believe any of these women? Or is there another family out there waiting for him to come home?

Based on true events, When I Come Home Again is a deeply moving and powerful story of a nation’s outpouring of grief, and the search for hope in the aftermath of war.

Review: This book was really compelling from the word go. It takes a well-written historical fiction novel to get m interested because I don't normally enjoy travelling back in time but I was so intrigued by Adam and his mysterious background I wanted to read on. 

This book is very much a book driven by Adam and his mysterious surroundings. The three women that claim him are all so interesting and all just a sad reminder of how many people were never found after either of the world wars. Each of the women is so different in her own way and you find yourself wishing that one of them did belong in Adam's life, for their sake as much as for Adam's. 

This book also has a lot of heart to it. The doctors looking after Adam, James in particular, each have their own lives and yet they put their heart and soul into finding out what happened in Adam's past that they risk their own personal lives. There is just a lot of love being poured into Adam from every direction. 

I really liked the setting of this book. For a book set during a post-war era there aren't many scenes involving war or battle even when remembering moments in the past and yet there is a lot of reminder that this book is set in and around the lake district and I loved that. There are scenes in Ambleside and in Oxenholme train station and so I found it really easy to picture myself there because these are place I know well. 

In terms of plot, I found the mystery aspect of it very intriguing and it kept me turning the pages but I was a little dissatisfied in the ending. I think I wanted things to end a certain way and I didn't get my wish and so after 482 pages I did feel a little let down. I enjoyed the journey but not quite so much where we ended up. 

If you enjoy a novel set in and around post-war England or if you like a little mystery in your historical fiction then I am sure you will enjoy this one. 

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Guest Review: Letters from the Past by Erica James

It's the autumn of 1962 in the idyllic Suffolk village of Melstead St Mary. Evelyn Devereux's husband Kit is planning their 20th wedding anniversary party. But as they prepare to celebrate, Evelyn receives an anonymous letter that threatens to unravel the secrets she's kept hidden for many years - secrets that reach back to the war and her days at Bletchley Park.

Evelyn's sister-in-law, Hope, has brought joy to countless children with her bestselling books, but despite having a loving husband and caring family, happiness has never come easily to her. Then in an instant her fragile world is turned upside down when she too receives an anonymous letter.

Across the village, up at Melstead Hall, Julia Devereux has married into a life beyond anything she could have dreamt of, not realising until it's too late that it comes with a heavy price.

Meanwhile, in the sun-baked desert of Palm Springs, Romily Devereux-Temple, crime-writer and former ATA pilot, is homesick for her beloved Island House, where she's saved the day more times than she can count. On her return home, and shocked to learn what has been going on in her absence, she finds herself reluctantly confronting a secret she's kept hidden for a very long time. Once again Romily is challenged to save the day and hold the family together. Can she do it, and maybe seize some happiness for herself at the same time?

Review: I always enjoy reading a book written by Erica James; they are generally delightful family sagas. This one, her 23rd book, is a sequel to Coming Home to Island House and is set in the same idyllic Suffolk village. In fact, when I reviewed the earlier book, I finished by wishing that there could be a sequel, and here it is! Although the characters and location will be familiar to readers of Coming Home to Island House, this one can easily be read as a stand-alone if you didn’t read the first title. I chose the audiobook version of this novel, read beautifully by Jemma Redgrave. Although several years have passed since the end of the first book, I was instantly transported back to the lives of the characters associated with Island House.

This story begins in the autumn of 1962 and carries on through to the beginning of 1963, with a few flashbacks to the war years for some of the characters. Central to everything is Island House, a large country house in the Suffolk village of Melstead St Mary. This is the home of crime writer Romily Devereux-Temple, her stepchildren and others connected with the family living nearby or a short train ride away in London. The peace of this normally sleepy village is suddenly shattered for some of the ladies by the arrival of nasty poison pen letters. Nobody can work out who is sending these missives, but Romily is determined to get to the bottom of the situation. These letters are not the only drama experienced by the various characters in this story. There is a lot going on in all their lives, including mental and physical abuse, a life-threatening accident, illness and secret romance. Will the strong sense of family and friendship see everyone safe through to the end?

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, and would recommend it, and the one that went before, to all readers. Since it is a couple of years since I read the first in the series, it took me a few minutes to sort out the characters and their relationships, but it was worth taking the time to do that. As I usually find when reading one of Erica James’s novels, the story had me hooked immediately and kept me coming back as I followed the twists and turns of the extended family with the common connection of Island House and Romily Devereux-Temple. The storyline is full of drama for all of the characters, flitting between London, Suffolk, and even California. I liked the way that each of the many chapters in the book was written from the point of view of an individual character; I felt that I got to know each of them better through that approach. All the characters and the situations they faced were believable, and the reader could warm to most of them, with one notable exception. I’m already looking forward to the next novel from Erica James.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Blog Tour: Review of People Like Us By Louise Fein

Today is my stop on the blog tour for People Like Us by Louise Fein. I have a review to share with you today and if you like the sound of that you can click here to order People Like Us which is out now! Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews. 

Here's what it's all about...

Leipzig, 1930's Germany.

Hetty Heinrich is a perfect German child. Her father is an SS officer, her brother in the Luftwaffe, herself a member of the BDM. She believes resolutely in her country, and the man who runs it.

Until Walter changes everything. Blond-haired, blue-eyed, perfect in every way Walter. The boy who saved her life. A Jew.

Anti-semitism is growing by the day, and neighbours, friends and family members are turning on one another. As Hetty falls deeper in love with a man who is against all she has been taught, she begins to fight against her country, her family and herself. Hetty will risk have to risk everything to save Walter, even if it means sacrificing herself...

Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Book Thief.

Review: What an appropriate time for this book to be released, right on the 7th anniversary of VE day. The Tagline for this book compares it to the Book Theif which I definitely agree with but also, if you have seen the film Jojo Rabbit, some of the more serious parts of the movie the friendship between our lead and his Jewish stowaway, really reminds me of this book. 

I loved Hetty as a main character because I felt like I could really relate to her confusion with the world and her quest to do the right thing at the same time as trying to please herself. I feel sure that a lot of readers will relate to her and so with have an instant sympathy and empathy with her as I did. We have all faced hardships in our lives but none as big as the hardship of watching your friends and loved ones be driven out or worse in the horrors that were Nazi Germany. 

There are a lot of dark moments in this book but the dark moments are not what the book is purely about. This is very much  character driven book and we see the whole mixed up world through Hetty's eyes. I love her passion and her thirst for knowledge as well as her loyalty to her family and friends and that is really the heart of the book. There are definite moments which make you feel uncomfortable as a reader but rather than put me off reading, I was in awe of this writers ability to affect such emotion in me. 

Yes there are dark moments in this book and yes there is a lot of historical detail in this book but this is a coming of age novel with the best kind of Romeo and Juliet style of love story at its centre and I really did enjoy the pace and the heart of this book, I am sure you will too. 

About the Author

Louise Fein holds an MA in Creative Writing from St Mary’s University. Prior to studying for her master’s, she ran a commodity consultancy business following a career in banking and law. She lives in Surrey with her family. People Like Us is inspired by her family history, and by the alarming parallels she sees between the early 30s and today.

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Facebook: @LouiseFeinAuthor

Twitter: @FeinLouise

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Guest Review: These Lost & Broken Things By Helen Fields

How dangerous is a woman with nothing left to lose?

The year is 1905. London is a playground for the rich and a death trap for the poor. When Sofia Logan’s husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her penniless with two young children, she knows she will do anything to keep them from the workhouse. But can she bring herself to murder? Even if she has done it before…

Emmet Vinsant, wealthy industrialist, offers Sofia a job in one of his gaming houses. He knows more about Sofia’s past than he has revealed. Brought up as part of a travelling fair, she’s an expert at counting cards and spotting cheats, and Vinsant puts her talents to good use. His demands on her grow until she finds herself with blood on her hands.

Set against the backdrop of the Suffragette protests, with industry changing the face of the city but disease still rampant, and poverty the greatest threat of all, every decision you make is life or death. Either yours or someone else’s. Read best-selling crime writer Helen Fields’ first explosive historical thriller.

Review: From the writer of the Detective Inspector Luc Callanach crime series, this is an historical thriller set at turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Having read and enjoyed several of the stories in the DI Callanach series, I was keen to read this latest book by the author.

The story concerns Sofia, born into a Romani family that is part of a travelling fair. The narrative switches from the circumstances of her childhood at the end of the 19th century, to her struggles as an adult bringing up her two children in the early part of the 20th century. Over the course of the book, Sofia is forced to make some difficult decisions in order to survive. The story is set mainly in London and, like the author's other works, comes with a warning that there are some scenes of quite graphic violence. 

Unlike the DI Callanach series, there is little or no humour in this book and, as a consequence, I found it quite dark and depressing. It deals with a number of important issues, including addiction and women's rights. On the plus side, it is a story that features strong women and is set against the background of women's struggle for the right to vote. As a thriller that evokes a strong feeling for the period, it will appeal to anyone with an interest in Edwardian society.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

The greatest love story is the one you least expect . . .

Alice is stifled, bored, and misunderstood.

So when she meets wealthy and handsome American, Bennett Van Cleve, she is quickly swept off her feet.

Marrying him and moving to America seems like a great adventure - but life as a newlywed in stuffy Baileyville, Kentucky, is not at all what she hoped for.

Until, that is, she responds to a call for volunteers to start a travelling library, surprising herself by saying yes, before her husband can say no . . .

Led by feisty and rebellious Margery O'Hare, this unlikely group of women travel far and wide on their mission to bring books and reading to those that need it, and Alice finally finds the freedom, friendship and love that she's been looking for.

But not everyone approves of what they are doing, especially her new father-in-law. And when the town turns against them, will their belief in each other and their work be enough?

 

Review: I decided to read this novel on audiobook and I am glad  that I did because this books takes place in Kentucky but with an English main character and the narration really brought this alive, the contrast between the accents and the contrast between Alice's way of life before and after her move to Kentucky. 

This book is very much a plot driven book and so even though Alice is the main character and the person that we get to see the story unfold with, this book is about the whole community and it is also about the magic of libraries and the librarians who share their love of books with the people in that community. I love that this is such a love letter to books. It is just so wonderful to see on the page the power that books can have in so many different ways for so many different people. I loved seeing these librarians overcome the obstacles that they have to face and seeing them sharing their passion through the snow and the blistering heat and that was my takeaway from this novel, books are magic, libraries are the keepers of the spells. 

Alice was an interesting character to spend time with over the course of this novel. She has string beliefs but she has been held down by the men around her her entire life and so when she begins to be able to show her strength it is a truly magical thing. She is appropriately surprised by the people and the way of life she finds out in small town Kentucky, as she would have been in the days before Wifi and YouTube. I loved the way she grows over the course of the book and I love the community that she finds with the people surrounding the library. 

There are some care warnings that come with this book for domestic abuse definitely so just be aware of that when picking this one up. I felt like it was dealt with really well as part of the story and felt that it was fully explored in the context of the society and the time and so to me it just felt like part of the plot and part of showing the importance of having that community behind you. 

I really enjoyed this novel, I really recommend the audiobook but highly recommend the book as a whole. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: The Girl at the Window by Rowan Coleman

A house full of history is bound to have secrets...

Ponden Hall is a centuries-old house on the Yorkshire moors, a magical place full of stories. It's also where Trudy Heaton grew up. And where she ran away from...

Now, after the devastating loss of her husband, she is returning home with her young son, Will, who refuses to believe his father is dead.

While Trudy tries to do her best for her son, she must also attempt to build bridges with her eccentric mother. And then there is the Hall itself: fallen into disrepair but generations of lives and loves still echo in its shadows, sometimes even reaching out to the present...

Review: This book was a balance of contemporary and historical fiction and it switches seamlessly between the two in alternate time lines and points of view. I found the way the two sides of the book intertwined really interesting, as the book progresses you see more and more links between the two narratives and I really liked the way that progressed. 

I loved the relationship between mother and daughter and mother and son and again this grows and changes as the novel progresses. I really enjoyed seeing their relationships blossom and finding out what had happened in their lives that had affected their lives now. Will is a great character, I love when a novel has a full storyline for a child character and he provided some light relief and some interesting philosophy on the events that were happening in other parts of the book. 

Trudy is very into books as well and this, combined with the historical side of the novel, means that this is a must read for an Bronte fan. It is set in and around Haworth and so as you can imagine, it is a love song to Emily Bronte in particular. The historical side of this novel does mean that a level of concentration is involved when switching between the time lines and taking in the historical detail so your full attention will be require for this story. 

I really enjoyed meeting Trudy and Will and being introduced to Ponden Hall and I am sure you will too. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: The Love Child by Rachel Hore

A young mother's sacrifice. A child's desperate search for the truth . . .

London, 1917

When nineteen-year-old Alice Copeman becomes pregnant, she is forced by her father and stepmother to give up the baby.  She simply cannot be allowed to bring shame upon her family. But all Alice can think about is the small, kitten-like child she gave away, and she mourns the father, a young soldier, so beloved, who will never have the chance to know his daughter.

Edith and Philip Burns, a childless couple, yearn for a child of their own. When they secretly adopt a baby girl, Irene, their life together must surely be complete. Irene grows up knowing that she is different from other children, but no one will tell her the full truth.

Putting hopes of marriage and children behind her, Alice embarks upon a pioneering medical career, striving to make her way in a male-dominated world. Meanwhile, Irene struggles to define her own life, eventually leaving her Suffolk home to find work in London.

As two extraordinary stories intertwine across two decades, will secrets long-buried at last come to light?

Review: I absolutely love tales about children searching for their birth parents and families searching for each other and so I knew I had to read this book sooner rather than later. It was an absolute page turner and I read it in one long lovely sitting. 

I love the fact that this book takes place over two different story lines, we have Alice's story and we have Irene's story and we cover an extra ordinary length of time. Both of these women are strong independent women who are striving to make the most of their lives and not be put in the place that society deems they should be. Yes despite the fact that this novel is historical and mainly takes places i the time between the first and second world wars, these characters are still feminist and this is a novel about women taking their own power. 

These characters grow up in different settings but are both living in a similar time. I loved both of these characters equally and found both of their stories incredibly intriguing. Because their narratives are separate when you begin to sense that they might be about to intertwine you get that rush of adrenaline and start to turn the pages faster and faster. 

I have to admit that I did share a tear for these characters and their own personal battles. I loved reading about both of them. This book is a emotional roller coaster that will absorb you into the time and the place and I am sure will have your turning the pages until you read the end just like I did. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US