New arrivals
The Promise by Michelle Vernal (ebook, review copy courtesy of Rachel’s Random Resources)
Two women from different generations brought together by another’s wrongdoing.
When British backpacker, Isabel Stark happens across a car accident on a lonely stretch of road in the South Island of New Zealand her life changes forever. The sole passenger, Ginny Havelock asks her to make a promise before she passes away – to find Constance and to say she’s sorry. Isabel’s a lost soul who’s been drifting through life unsure of where she fits, and the promise she made in New Zealand haunts her upon her return to the United Kingdom. Her only clue as to finding Constance lies within a conversation held at Ginny’s funeral. It takes her to the Isle of Wight.
In the 1940’s sixteen-year-old Constance’s life on her island is sheltered until the death of her brother; Ted brings the reality of war crashing down around her. He leaves behind his pregnant young widow Ginny. When Constance meets a handsome Canadian airforce man, she’s eager to escape her grief and be swept up by first love. It’s a love which has ramifications she could never envisage.
When Isabel and Constance’s paths finally cross will Ginny’s last words be enough for Constance to make peace with her past? And in fulfilling her promise will Isabel find a place she can call home?
The Experimentalist by Nick Salaman (paperback, review copy courtesy of The Dome Press)
Marie is a child with a dark past – a secret family history that her guardian protects her from. She’s not sure what the dark secret is: was her father a criminal, a Nazi, both?
Unpleasant lawyer Brickville seems to hold all the cards, until she meets a kindly American, Felix Middleburg. When her life takes a turn for the worse, he steps in to look after her. But he knows more about her her than he should and exercises a control she finds oppressive.
Where does his wealth come from? What has happened to her family? Who, in fact, is Marie? And can she ever escape her protectors?
Island on Fire by Sophie Schiller (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)
In the lush, tropical world of Martinique where slavery is a distant memory and voodoo holds sway, Emilie Dujon discovers that her fiancé, a rich sugar planter, has been unfaithful. Desperate to leave him, she elicits the aid of a voodoo witch doctor and is lured into a shadowy world of black magic and extortion. When the volcano known as Mount Pelée begins to rumble and spew ash, she joins a scientific committee sent to investigate the crater. During the journey she meets Lt. Denis Rémy, an army officer with a mysterious past.
At the summit, the explorers discover that a second crater has formed and the volcano appears to be on the verge of eruption. But when they try to warn the governor, he orders them to bury the evidence for fear of upsetting the upcoming election. As the pressure builds, a deadly mudslide inundates Emilie’s plantation and she disappears. With ash and cinders raining down, chaos ensues. Left with no choice, Lt. Rémy deserts his post and sets off on a desperate quest to rescue Emilie. But with all roads blocked, can they escape the doomed city of St. Pierre before it’s too late?
The Girl From Venice by Martin Cruz Smith (ebook)
A World War II love story set against the romance and danger of occupied Venice.
Cenzo is a world-weary fisherman, determined to sit out the rest of the war. He’s happy to stay out of the way of the SS, quietly going about his business of fishing in the lagoons of northern Italy. Then one night, instead of pulling in his usual haul, Cenzo fishes a young woman out of the canal. Guilia is an Italian Jew who has managed to escape capture and is determined to find her family. This meeting results in them both taking an entirely unexpected journey, and Cenzo suddenly finds himself thrown headlong into the world of international wartime politics, where everyone has their own agenda and nowhere is safe…
The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor (ebook)
A CITY IN FLAMES
London, 1666. As the Great Fire consumes everything in its path, the body of a man is found in the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral – stabbed in the neck, thumbs tied behind his back.
A WOMAN ON THE RUN
The son of a traitor, James Marwood is forced to hunt the killer through the city’s devastated streets. There he encounters a determined young woman, who will stop at nothing to secure her freedom.
A KILLER SEEKING REVENGE
When a second murder victim is discovered in the Fleet Ditch, Marwood is drawn into the political and religious intrigue of Westminster – and across the path of a killer with nothing to lose…
On What Cathy Read Next last week
Blog posts
Monday – I published my reviews of The Road to Newgate by Kate Braithwaite, a historical novel set in 17th century London, and Song by Michelle Jana Chan, the story of a Chinese boy who travels to Guiana to make his fortune.
Tuesday – I joined the blog tour for The Emperor of Shoes by Spencer Wise sharing my review of this thought-provoking novel set in a shoe factory in China. For Top Ten Tuesday I shared a list of ten recommended novellas and short story collections.
Wednesday – WWW Wednesday is the opportunity to share what I’ve just finished reading, what I’m reading now and what I’ll be reading next. I also hosted a stop on the blog tour for Betty Church and the Suffolk Vampire, the first in a new series of historical mysteries by M. R. C. Kasasian.
Thursday – For Throwback Thursday I revisited my review of literary thriller, The Good Father by S. R. Wilsher. I also shared the list of books I hope to read as part of the ARC August Reading Challenge 2018.
Friday – My Fact in Fiction Friday post brought together five of the fascinating facts I’ve learned from the novels I’ve read this week.
Sunday – I published my review of Hold by Michael Donkor, a character-driven story that transports the reader from Ghana to London and back again.
Challenge updates
- Goodreads 2018 Reading Challenge – 107 out of 156 books read, 5 more than last week
- Classics Club Challenge – 16 out of 50 books read, same as last week
- NetGalley/Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2018 (Gold) – 38 ARCs read and reviewed out of 50, 2 more than last week
- From Page to Screen– 11 book/film comparisons out of 15 completed, same as last week
- 2018 TBR Pile Challenge – 5 out of 12 books read, same as last week
- When Are You Reading? Challenge 2018 – 7 out of 12 books read, same as last week
- What’s In A Name Reading Challenge – 1 out of 6 books read, same as last week
- Buchan of the Month – 6 out of 12 books read, same as last week
- 20 Books of Summer Challenge – 8 out of 20 books read, 1 more than last week
Completed challenges
- Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2018 – 50 books out of 50 read
On What Cathy Read Next this week
Currently reading
Planned posts
- Blog Tour/Book Review: The Vanished Child by M. J. Lee
- Book Review: Old Baggage by Lissa Evans
- Blog Tour/Q&A: Blood and Ink by D. K. Marley
- Book Review: The Secrets of Primrose Square by Claudia Carroll
- Book Review: The Story Keeper by Anna Mazzola
- Book Review: The Assassin of Verona by Benet Brandreth
- Blog Tour/Book Review: The Pagoda Tree by Claire Scobie
- Blog Tour/Book Review: Smile of the Wolf by Tim Leach
What Cathy Read Next... 
How are you feeling about how your challenges are progressing? I can’t imagine taking on so many, although I’m very tempted to join the Netgalley one next year. Should be a piece of cake 😄
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Haha, excellent question. I feel happy about the NetGalley one because it encourages me to get through ARCs. However, the other ones…ho hum. Because they’re not ARCs or books for blog tours, the books on those lists are just not getting a look in. I’m taking another blog tour break in September and I’m promising myself I’ll make some progress on the other challenges then. To be fair, some of the books appear on more than one challenge. The Classics Club is the one suffering the most but I have a couple of those in my 20 Books of Summer list. Could authors just stop writing books or can we have more than 24 hours in a day please?
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