
The Many Lives & Loves of Hazel Lavery
Book
In the heart of tumultuous times, amidst the grandeur of Victorian opulence, there existed an...
Historical Fiction Biographical Fiction Women in History
I'd heard, and even knew a bit, about the former. The latter? Sad to say, not so much.
So, for my part, a little new knowledge is a good thing!
As the novel begins, Jack Lark is back in England after his exploits in America (during the Civil War) and Mexico of the previous entries; back where - I feel - he belongs (ummm, speaking internationally, that is, rather than his precise circumstances!) and running Victorian slumming 'tours' (for want of a better word) for the rich who have more money than sense!
I don't *think* I'm giving anything away when I say that one such tour inevitably goes wrong, leading Jack - and a few companions - to flee the country, travelling to Ethiopia to join the expedition against the Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, more concerned with what they can purloin along the way than the rights and wrongs of the situation that led to the campaign in the first place!
All in all, another solid entry in the series: I'm looking forward to where Jack ends up next!

The Random History of Cricket
Tony Husband, Aubrey Ganguly and Justyn Barnes
Book
A lot of leather has "plunk-plicked" against willow since cricket was first played on the village...

Parsonages
Book
From the middle ages to the present day the houses of local clergy - parsonages, vicarages and...

The Wicked Wit of Charles Dickens
Book
Admired by his contemporaries, and a hugely celebrated writer of his day, Charles Dickens is now...

Angel Court Affair
Book
When Commander Thomas Pitt is ordered to protect a young woman visiting London from Spain, he cannot...

The Young Visiters
Book
The Young Visiters or Mr Salteena's Plan is a comic masterpiece that has delighted generations of...

A Gay History of Britain: Love and Sex Between Men Since the Middle Ages
Matt Cook, Robert Mills, Randolph Trumbach and H.G. Cocks
Book
The book explores the changing ways in which male-male sex and love have been perceived and...

Dinner with Dickens: Recipes Inspired by the Life and Work of Charles Dickens
Book
Recipes and menus from the novels and the household of Charles Dickens, one of the world's favourite...

They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper
Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION A book like no other - the tale of a...