New arrivals
Josephine’s Daughter by A. B. Michaels (eARC, courtesy of the author)
In the Golden City, the only thing worse than having a mother
like Josephine Firestone… is being just like her.
In the late nineteenth century, wealthy and headstrong Kit Firestone chafes under the strictures of the Golden City’s high society, especially the interference of her charming but overbearing mother, Josephine. Kit’s secret rebellion leads to potentially catastrophic results and keeps her from finding true happiness.
When her brother nearly dies from a dangerous infection, Kit defies convention and becomes a working nurse. Through her troubled romance with a young doctor and a series of dramatic events, including a natural disaster and her mother’s own critical illness, Kit begins to understand who her mother truly is and what their relationship is all about. She may not get the chance to appreciate their bond, however, because, through no fault of her own, a madman has Kit in his crosshairs.
Set amidst the backdrop of the Gilded Age and beyond, Josephine’s Daughter explores many of the social and medical issues facing women of that era -issues that resonate today. Independence, reproductive rights, birth control, childbirth, and parenting are all put to the test in Josephine’s Daughter.
The Serpent’s Mark by S. W. Perry (eARC courtesy of Corvus and NetGalley)
Treason sleeps for no man…
London, 1591. Nicholas Shelby, physician and reluctant spy, returns to his old haunts on London’s lawless Bankside. But, when the queen’s spymaster Robert Cecil asks him to investigate the dubious practices of a mysterious doctor from Switzerland, Nicholas is soon embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens not just the life of an innocent young patient, but the overthrow of Queen Elizabeth herself.
With fellow healer and mistress of the Jackdaw tavern, Bianca Merton, again at his side, Nicholas is drawn into a dangerous world of zealots, charlatans and fanatics. As their own lives become increasingly at risk, they find themselves confronting the greatest treason of all: the spectre of a bloody war between the faiths…
The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey (ebook courtesy of Vintage and NetGalley)
15th century Oakham, in Somerset; a tiny village cut off by a big river with no bridge. When a man is swept away by the river in the early hours of Shrove Saturday, an explanation has to be found: accident, suicide or murder? The village priest, John Reve, is privy to many secrets in his role as confessor. But will he be able to unravel what happened to the victim, Thomas Newman, the wealthiest, most capable and industrious man in the village? And what will happen if he can’t?
Moving back in time towards the moment of Thomas Newman’s death, the story is related by Reve – an extraordinary creation, a patient shepherd to his wayward flock, and a man with secrets of his own to keep. Through his eyes, and his indelible voice, Harvey creates a medieval world entirely tangible in its immediacy.
On What Cathy Read Next last week
Blog posts
Monday – I joined the blog tour for Summer on the Italian Lakes by Lucy Coleman and shared my Q&A with Lucy.
Tuesday – I published my review of The Phoenix of Florence by Philip Kazan, a wonderful historical novel set in 15th century Tuscany.
Wednesday – WWW Wednesday is the opportunity to share what I’ve just read, what I’m currently reading and what I plan to read next…and have a good nose around to see what other bloggers are reading.
Thursday – For my Throwback Thursday post I revisited my review of The Last Day by Claire Dyer.
Friday – I published an introduction to February’s Buchan of the Month, Salute to Adventurers by John Buchan.
As always, thanks to everyone who has liked, commented on or shared my blog posts on social media this week.
On What Cathy Read Next this week
Currently reading
Planned posts
- Top Ten Tuesday
- Waiting on Wednesday
- Throwback Thursday: Sugar in the Blood by Andrea Stuart
- Book Review: The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea
- Book Review: 99 Nights in Logar by Jamil Jan Kochai
- Book Review: Louis & Louise by Julie Cohen
- Blog Tour/Book Review: The Horseman’s Song by Ben Pastor
What Cathy Read Next... 