Give the Best Away: The Story of One of Britain's Most Generous Philanthropists
Rosemary Lancaster and Murray Watts
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Rosemary grew up in a poor family in the North West of England, at the end of the Second World War....

GWR Ganger: In Charge of the Permanent Way
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Great Western Railway Ganger is the story of Dan Brew's life spent as a lineman for the Great...

Southwark Pubs
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Southwark is one of London's oldest and most intriguing neighbourhoods; a hotbed of culture and...

Black Freemasonry: From Prince Hall to the Giants of Jazz
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When the first Masonic lodges opened in Paris in the early 18th century their membership included...

Bosworth: The Birth of the Tudors
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Richard III and Henry Tudor's legendary battle: one that changed the course of English history. On...

Crypts of London
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After the devastation of 1666, the Church of England in the City of London was given fifty-one new...

Housesteads Roman Fort - The Grandest Station: Volumes 1 & 2
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Housesteads is one of the most important forts on Hadrian's Wall. Extensive excavations were carried...

Bobby Gillespie recommended Gilded Palace of Sin by The Flying Burrito Brothers in Music (curated)

ClareR (5874 KP) rated The Drowned City in Books
Apr 15, 2021
Jacobean England, where a year to the day after the failed Gunpowder Plot, a huge wave destroys much of Bristol, killing hundreds of people and destroying homes and businesses. This is a superstitious time, where the blame is put on witches and demons. And Catholics.
Daniel Pursglove is freed from Newgate jail where he has been imprisoned, suspected of witchcraft, by one of King James’ closest advisors, Charles FitzAlan. He is given the task of tracking down Spero Pettingar - the man who got away during the arrests of the Gunpowder Plot. He is suspected of going to Bristol to recruit supporters - namely Jesuits.
The descriptions of Newgate Prison are horrific - as are those of a destroyed Bristol. This is a really atmospheric book with some great descriptions. Not that you’d really want to be, but you can imagine yourself there, amidst the mud, filth and decay.
I really liked how the chapters flashed between Daniel and London, where we would see the King or Robert Cecil (a man who fascinates me!).
Daniel doesn’t seem to me to be the most accomplished investigator. Most of what he discovers he does by accident, but he does get results. Just not the ones he was necessarily asked to get.
I’m really looking forward to reading the next in this series, it really has piqued my interest!

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2336 KP) rated Death at the Salon in Books
Mar 31, 2021 (Updated Mar 31, 2021)
I enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was looking forward to revisiting the characters. I’m happy to say I found this one just as engaging. Because the action focuses on the salon this time, we get to know her employees better, and I really enjoyed that. The rest of the cast is back, and the suspects are strong. I also appreciated the fact that it is obvious the characters’ lives were progressing between books, a fun change from most series I read. I’m not sure if it was just me, but I did feel like the pacing was a little slow early on, but once the plot really got going, there were more than enough twists and surprises to make up for that. The climax was wonderful and kept those twists coming. If you enjoy a cozy set in England, you need to check out this series.