Once Upon a Murder
8.0
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Miss Tiffany Woodall must sleuth the slaying of a footman to clear her beloved's name in the second...
Firefax
Book
"I would advise you, young man, to take care around anyone with the surname Firefax. I know not if...
The Dartington Bride (Daughters of Devon #2)
Book
1571, and the beautiful, headstrong daughter of a French Count marries the son of the Vice Admiral...
Historical Fiction Devon Elizabethan French Wars of Religion Daughters of Devon Series
The Herb Knot
Book
The Hundred Years' War comes to life in this spellbinding tale of love, betrayal and conspiracy … ...
Medieval Historical Fiction
David McK (3918 KP) rated The Fallen Sword (The Hundred Years War, #3) in Books
Aug 3, 2024 (Updated Aug 3, 2024)
By which I mean I was expecting something Cornwell-like; an action-adventure set during the period of The Hundred Years War between France and England over the throne of France.
What I got instead was a (I felt) slow-burner of a mystery over three novels, with the war really only providing the backdrop as the herald Simon Merrivale investigates a shadowy conspiracy amongst the nobles of both sides
The fault in expectation, of course, was wholly mine.
This follows on from the largely-Scotland set A Clash of Lions, itself following on from A Flight of Arrows, with Merrivale now back in France as the English besiege the key city of Calais. I have to say, I did find parts of this novel to drag on a bit: for me, it never really gripped me as much as parts of the previous entry did. One of those novels (and series) that I'm happy enough to have read, but not to the point where I would - yet - search out more by the author.
Our Evenings
10.0
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Alan Hollinghurst, the Booker Prize-winning author of The Line of Beauty, brings us a dark, luminous...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2662 KP) rated Murder at Cottonwood Creek in Books
Nov 26, 2025 (Updated Nov 26, 2025)
It was natural that Stella and Lyndy would wind up in the US at some point instead of England, where the earlier books were set. This different setting allowed us to see a different side of Lyndy. Between that and the continuation of character arcs from earlier in the series, I liked the character growth we got. Sadly, many of the regulars didn’t make the trip, and I did miss them. The new characters, while good suspects, weren’t the same. The mystery is a bit uneven, partially because it tries to do a bit too much. I did have one issue that I didn’t feel was resolved, but overall, I was satisfied with the ending. While this may not be the best book to jump into the series with, it is one that fans will still enjoy.
Therein Lies the Pearl
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Normandy, 1064 Celia Campion, a girl of humble background, finds herself caught in a web of...
Historical Fiction Anglo Saxon History Early Medieval St Margaret
The Green Baize Door (A Marie Chevalier Mystery, #1)
Book
An atmospheric historical mystery where every character has their own agenda, and their own truth. ...
Historical Mystery
Merissa (14190 KP) rated Beyond the Dark Oceans in Books
May 21, 2026
He was born in England and spent part of his childhood there before, for various reasons, his family moved to Canada. Life was still hard, but the family drew together, as they always had. You really get a feeling of what it was like, the hardships faced and endured. You also get a front row seat into the dynamics of the Huntingford family, with the relationships between siblings, as well as with their parents. You also get a wider dynamic with other family members, too.
I found this to be an interesting read that kept my attention from beginning to end. I would have loved to have known for sure what happened to William, but art imitated life in this regard, and I'm left not knowing, as were so many other families.
A thoroughly enjoyable, well-researched historical story that I definitely recommend.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 21, 2026