Tag: historical fiction

#BookReview The Dead of Winter by S. J. Parris @fictionpubteam

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20210117_102213-1About the Book

Three exhilarating novellas following the early adventures of young priest Giordano Bruno in the dramatic days of sixteenth century Italy.

The Secret Dead – During the summer of 1566, a girl’s body is found within the walls of a Neapolitan monastery. Novice monk Giordano Bruno has a habit of asking difficult questions, but this time his investigations may lose him his place in the Dominican Order – or deliver him into the hands of the Inquisition.

The Academy of Secrets – An invitation arrives from a secret society of enlightened philosophers, led by the eccentric Don Giambattista della Porta. Bruno is captivated – even more so when he meets della Porta’s beautiful niece. But keeping these new heretical secrets soon becomes a matter of life or death…

A Christmas Requiem – When Giordano Bruno is told the Pope wants to see him, he fears he may be walking into a trap. The Pope is intrigued by Bruno’s talent for complex memory games, but Rome is a den of intrigue, trickery and blood, and Bruno will be lucky to escape the Eternal City alive.

Format: Hardcover (240 pages)                Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: 12th November 2020 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

I’ve read all the books in S. J. Parris’s Giordano Bruno series – Heresy, Prophecy, Sacrilege, Treachery, Conspiracy – with the exception of the latest, Execution. I was therefore delighted to receive The Dead of Winter as a birthday present from my husband. The Dead of Winter comprises three novellas – The Secret Dead, The Academy of Secrets and A Christmas Requiem, along with an excerpt from Execution. Readers should be aware that all three stories have been published individually in ebook format: The Secret Dead in June 2014 and The Academy of Secrets in March 2020. Only A Christmas Requiem is a new story although it is also available separately as an ebook.

The fact the first two novellas are repackaged versions of previously published standalone stories probably accounts for the fact there is some repetition in their opening pages. Also it was only when I consulted Goodreads that I realized I’d already read The Secret Dead back in 2015. Fortunately, given the lapse of time, I didn’t recall much of the story.

Giordano Bruno’s escapades in The Secret Dead and The Academy of Secrets reveal the characteristics that readers of the series will have come to know: his interest in furthering his knowledge of anatomy and science, often only to be found in forbidden texts; his habit of asking questions and challenging the established teaching of the Church; and his impetuous nature.  As he admits, “I already knew what it meant to harbour secret beliefs in your heart, beliefs that could lead you into the flames…”.  The opportunity to gain access to a secret library containing many of those forbidden texts proves irresistible.  As it turns out, it’s not the only thing that proves irresistible.

A Christmas Requiem in which Giordano Bruno is summoned to Rome by Pope Pius V was my favourite of the stories, not only because of the location but also because of its seasonal setting. I enjoyed witnessing Giordano’s wide-eyed reaction to seeing the Eternal City, including the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I especially liked the section in which he attends Cardinal d’Este’s Christmas Eve party which, as well as presenting him with temptations of the flesh, allows him to witness the lavish lifestyle of those who preach the virtues of abstinence and self-denial to others. “There were stews of boar, beef and venison; plates of fish and shellfish; fresh pasta stuffed with cheeses and pine nuts; pies and pastries; roasted game birds and songbirds in thick sauces of cream and herbs; seven different kinds of bread.”  Unsurprisingly, Giordano Bruno soon finds himself caught up in the personal rivalries between powerful men – and women. It’s a pattern that will be repeated in years to come.

Although the three novellas are more accounts of the escapades of the young Giordano Bruno than murder mysteries in the manner of the full length novels, for fans of the series they give an insight into the formation of the character they have come to know from the books.  And for new readers, unsure about whether to embark upon the series, they provide a tasty appetizer.

In three words: Entertaining, lively, assured

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S. J. ParrisAbout the Author

No.1 Sunday Times bestseller S. J. Parris is the pseudonym of the author and journalist Stephanie Merritt. It was as a student at Cambridge researching a paper on the period that Stephanie first became fascinated by the rich history of Tudor England and Renaissance Europe. Since then, her interest has grown and led her to create this series of historical thrillers featuring Giordano Bruno.

Stephanie has worked as a critic and feature writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines, as well as radio and television. She has also written the contemporary psychological thriller While You Sleep under her own name. She currently writes for the Observer and the Guardian, and lives in Surrey with her son. (Photo credit: Goodreads author page)

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Giordano Bruno S. J. Parris

#BookReview To The Dark by Chris Nickson @SevernHouse @RandomTTours

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To The Dark BT Poster

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for To The Dark by Chris Nickson, the third book in his Simon Westow historical mystery series. My thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate in the tour and to Severn House for my digital review copy via NetGalley.

To The DarkAbout the Book

Winter is about to take a chilling twist…

Leeds, 1822. The city is in the grip of winter, but the chill deepens for thief-taker Simon Westow and his young assistant, Jane, when the body of Laurence Poole, a petty local thief, emerges from the melting snow by the river at Flay Cross Mill.

A coded notebook found in Laurence’s room mentions Charlie Harker, the most notorious fence in Leeds who’s now running for his life, and the mysterious words: To the dark. What was Laurence hiding that caused his death? Simon’s hunt for the truth pits him against some dangerous, powerful enemies who’ll happily kill him in a heartbeat – if they can.

Format: ebook (224 pages)                       Publisher: Severn House
Publication date: 31st December 2020 Genre: Historical Fiction, Crime, Mystery

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My Review

To The Dark is the third book in Chris Nickson’s historical crime series featuring thief-taker Simon Westow. Having not read the previous two books in the series, I can testify to the fact To The Dark works perfectly well as a standalone. Indeed for the benefit of new readers like myself the author includes nuggets of information about the back stories of the main characters – Simon himself, his wife Rosie and his assistant Jane.

Jane is a particularly intriguing character. Clearly she has a troubled past but possesses an uncanny ability to pass unnoticed in a crowd, mingling with those on the boundaries of society in order to gather information helpful to Simon’s investigations. And she’s more than capable of looking after herself in risky situations.

Simon is an intuitive reader of others’ actions and intentions – useful in a fight, when seeking information or in a game of cards. It’s just as well because his work as a thief-taker (recovering stolen goods for a fee) brings him into contact with some pretty shady types. Now a family man, he has more to protect than before.

Set in early 19th century Leeds, readers familiar with that city are likely to recognize many of the locations featured in the book. It’s a city that is changing though as it becomes more industrialized with many of its inhabitants taking up employment in the new “manufactories” that fill the air with smog and smoke. I enjoyed the way the author conjured up the sights and sounds of the city such as during this evening stroll down Briggate.

“The night was alive with people. Groups moved from beer shop to dram shop, singing and laughing. The whores stood their pitches at the entrances to courts, joking and teasing for business. Lights glowed behind shutters and reflected in puddles on the pavement. Someone played a fiddle, a rousing jig that carried in the winter air.”

From the beginning, Simon senses there’s more than meets the eye about his engagement to help find the murderer of Laurence Poole, especially as that should be the responsibility of the city’s Constable. “He knew he was caught up in something political, a twisted, grubby little spectacle.” His suspicions are proved correct when the hunter becomes the hunted. Soon there are scores to be settled and justice to be served.

To The Dark is a well-crafted historical mystery with plenty of twists and turns. I liked the fact that Simon’s role is not that of traditional detective or police officer. It’s certainly a series I shall be looking out for more of in the future.

In three words: Suspenseful, assured, atmospheric

Try something similar: None So Blind by Alis Hawkins

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Chris Nickson Author PicAbout the Author

Chris Nickson has published 28 novels, all historical crime, most of them set in Leeds, whose people and history are his passion. The Richard Nottingham series began things, taking place in the 1730s, followed by the Tom Harper novels, which begin in 1890 and have now moved to the 20th century. Between them, Lottie Armstrong, Urban Raven and Dan Markham cover Leeds from the 1920s to the 1950s.

The three books featuring thief-taker Simon Westow explore a changing Leeds, growing rapidly in the 1820s as industry – the factories and mills and belching chimneys – comes to dominate the town. The Hocus Girl, the second in the series, received starred reviews from Kirkus, which called it a “tour de force,” and Publishers Weekly, which declared “historical mysteries don’t get much better than this.’

Chris grew up in Leeds, but lived in the US for many years, making his living as a music journalist. He still reviews occasional releases, but his focus these days is fiction.

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