The Maiden of Florence by Katherine Mezzacappa ( review + #giveaway )

 

"It is unwise to write all this, for I am not so artless that I don't know that it amounts to a confession... Perhaps I should burn these pages".

The Maiden of Florence is a historical novel, set in 16C Florence and Venice. This is a gripping, heart-rending story of a remarkable woman.

Blurb:

"My defloration was talked about in all the courts of Europe. The Prince boasted of his prowess, even as preparations were being made for his wedding, as boldly as if he had ridden across that causeway with bloodstained sheet tied to his lance".

1584, Italy: Twenty-year-old Giulia expects she will live and die incarcerated as a silk weaver within the walls of her Florentine orphanage, where she has never so much as glimpsed her own face. This all changes with the visit of the Medici family's most trusted advisor, promising her a generous dowry and a husband if she agrees to a small sacrifice that will bring honour and glory to her native city.

Vincenzo Gonzaga, libertine heir to the dukedom of Mantua, wants to marry the Grand-Duke of Tuscany's eldest daughter, but the rumours around his unconsummated first marriage must be silenced first. Eager for a dynastic alliance that will be a bulwark against the threat of Protestant heresy beyond the Alps, the Pope and his cardinals turn a blind eye to a mortal sin.

A powerful #MeToo story of the Renaissance, based on true events.

We meet Giulia as she looks back at her life and writes her story. The memoirs are Giulia's way of communicating to her late mother, who she never knew as a child. 

"Those events are almost thirty years old, but I remember them as though they happened thirty days ago, though I have tried to bury the memories. Nearly every player in this story is dead. It is only now that what happened can be told by me, not by the men - and woman - who decided my fate".

Growing up in an orphanage in Florence, Giulia learnt the art of silk weaving. Abandoned as a newborn at the portico of the Innocenti orphanage, she knows nothing of her origins and dreams of being taken away one day by her father. But nobody claims her as their own, and her life is sad and cold. Children are brought up without love or compassion, and are reminded daily they are the fruit of sin.

One day Giulia is brought into the Lady Prioress's parlour to be displayed in front of the important visitors. Giulia is chosen to represent her city and carry out a sordid task "with grace and diligence, in gratitude for the care that has been taken of her".

Defenceless and vulnerable, Giulia cannot refuse her superiors. She is also promised money and a husband by the end of her ordeal.

The young prince of Mantua, Vincenzo Gonzaga, has failed to consummate his first marriage. His family is eager for him to get married again and be allied with the Dukedom of Tuscany. To squash the rumours that he is incapable of consummating the marriage, the Prince has to prove his virility, and the witnesses will have to ascertain the proof. If he succeeds the test, he will marry Lady Leonora. And Giulia is chosen for her beauty, purity and lack of family who would protect her honour.

And thus Giulia's story unfolds, as written by her thirty years later. 

Will she be able to find happiness after the fateful events? Is there ever an escape from the past?

The novel is based on true events. The author mentions the correspondence in the Medici archives, with the explicit details, which has been used as a source of inspiration. There is not much known about Giulia herself. Mezzacappa gives voice to a woman who has become a footnote in history books.

I found it hard to read the first part of the book, where there is too much emphasis on the physical side of Giulia's plight. While I understand the significance of the detailed description of her torment, it felt unnecessarily prolonged and graphic, and uncomfortably voyeuristic.

Deprived of human touch and love in the orphanage, Giulia is looking for any crumbs of affectiom where there are none. Her story is harrowing, yet also redemptive. 

The Maiden of Florence is a poignant evocation of the aspirations, hopes and healing, human suffering and spiritual integrity. Masterfully researched and elegantly written, the book shines a light on the struggles of the Renaissance women.

Potential triggers: rape/sexual abuse, murder.

Many thanks to Katherine Mezzacappa, Fairlight Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509/

https://www.amazon.com/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509/

Author Bio –

Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish writer of mainly historical fiction, currently living in Italy. She has published several novels under pen names with publishers Bonnier Zaffre and eXtasy. She works as a manuscript assessor for The Literary Consultancy. Katherine reviews for Historical Novel Society’s quarterly journal and is one of the organisers of the Society’s 2022 UK conference. In her spare time she volunteers with a used book charity of which she is a founder member.

Social Media Links – Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmezzacappa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katherinemezzacappafiction/

https://katherinemezzacappa.ie/

 

Giveaway to Win a vintage postcard, early 1900s, of the babies from the façade of the Innocenti orphanage. (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –

Worldwide entries welcome.  

Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. 

If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. 

Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. 

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. 

This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  

Chez Maximka is hosting a Rafflecopter gadget for free for the purposes of the book promotion. 

I have no access to the data collected, and have no say in the selection of the winner.

I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

March Box Degustabox

 Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in March Box Degustabox?

We start with the Product of the Month - Kellogg's Coco Pops Mega Pops (£3.35). It is a chocolate flavoured wheat and maize cereal fortified with iron and vitamin D.

It will appeal to those who enjoy their cereal sweet and chocolatey.

High in fibre, natural grains, no artificial colours or flavours.

Nutritional information: 115kcal and 6.3g of sugar per 30g serving.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

Doisy & Dam Good Eggs (£2.25) is a vegan Easter treat.

The brand's motto is: Better ingredients, better ethics, better chocolate.

These dark chocolate eggs with a crunchy coating are made with ethical cocoa, natural ingredients and no palm oil.

Nutritional values: 472kcal and 66g of sugar per 100g.

Available at Amazon, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Ocado, Holland and Barratt.

More sweet treats in the pre-Easter box: Jelly Belly Bubble Tea jelly beans (£2.40). These new jelly beans come in five popular milk tea flavours: Mango Milk Tea, Taro Milk Tea, Matcha Milk Tea, Strawberry Milk Tea and Thai Milk Tea. They look so pretty, in pastel colours.

My boys are big fans of Jelly Belly beans, and the new flavour was a big hit.

Nutritional information: 366kcal and 67g of sugar per 100g. Dairy and tapioca free.

Available at John Lewis Stores.

Nakd Fruit & Fibre bars Apple & Cinnamon/ or Strawberry & Raspberry (£3) are dried fruit and peanut bars with oats, seeds and natural flavouring. Sweet and chewy, enjoy them as a snack, when you're feeling peckish.

These vegan bars consist of 100% natural ingredients: dates, peanuts, raisins, chicory fibre, gluten free oats, peanut butter, dried apples, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and natural flavouring.

Nutritional values: 172kcal and 15g of sugar per 44g bar; 1 of your 5 a day; no added sugar, pressed together without heat into tasty raw bars.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

You should receive 1 item in your box.

Proper Chips Katsu Curry/or Jerk Sauce flavour chickpea chips (£2) are new spicy CHIPS on the block. These flavourful plant-based crisps are powered by chickpeas, are vegan and gluten free.

Nutritional values: 97kcal per serve (appr. 4 servings in a pack); natural flavouring, powered by pulses, gluten free, vegan, source of protein, iron and fibre.

You should receive 1 item in your box. We've received Katsu Curry flavoured chips, which proved to be really lovely.

Available at ASDA, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Ocado.

PizzaExpress Sweet & Smoky BBQ Dipping Sauce (£2) is a delicious sauce for pizza. 

This vegetarian sauce is available in two tasty flavours: Sweet & Smoky and Garlic & Herb.

BBQ sauce is my favourite sauce to go with pizza (it doesn't have to be a PizzaExpress pizza, you can use any brand that you like), or chips. It is sweet, aromatic, and very moreish.

Nutritional information: 130kcal and 27g of sugar per 100g.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

Jacob's Cheddars Cheese & Pickle (£1.50) is a new addition to the Cheddars range. 

Flavourful and crunchy, these savory biscuits are tasty on their own, or as part of the cheese board, with a selection of cheeses, chutneys and pickles.

We're big fans of Cheddars, and especially mini-Cheddars, and enjoyed trying this new flavour.

Available at Sainsbury's, ASDA and on Ocado.

Knorr Lamb Stock Pot (£1.90) is a carefully balanced mix of gluten-free ingredients to enhance a lamb-based meal. Made with slow cooked lamb simmered with rosemary and thyme, these stock pots add an irresistible meaty flavour to a variety of stews and tagines.

Nutritional values: 7kcal and 1.1g of salt per portion.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

Mocktails Karma Sucra Mockapolitan (£2.49) is an award-winning alcohol free non-carbonated drink. 

You get a strong cranberry flavour with notes of lime, grapefruit peel and bitter orange. Very refreshing.

Nutritional values: 80kcal per bottle GMO free, gluten free, allergen free, no artificial colours or flavours, no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, vegan.

Available at www.drinkmocktails.co.uk and Amazon UK.

Only available for £29.99 per 12 pack.

Double Dutch Skinny Tonic Water (£1.20, see above) is a carbonated low calorie tonic water. Drink it straight up or use in a cocktail.

Double Dutch is a range of premium mixers and tonics. In the last couple of years we've had a few different flavours of Double Ducth Drinks in Degustabox deliveries, and they are all high quality drinks.

With pink grapefruit and juniper berry, well balanced with the crispy quinine, it is very drinkable.

Low in calories,natural flavours.

Available online and in all major supermarkets.

Illy Iced Coffee Cold Brew Classico/ or Latte Macchiato/or Cappuccino (£2.50) is a delicious iced coffee drink.

Illy blend is 100% Arabica. Cold brewed for 12 hours. No preservatives, no added sugar.

Illy Instant coffee is my coffee of choice, I always buy it, and we often use Illy ground coffee too, but it's the first time I tried an iced one. It was really lovely.

Nutritional values: 5kcal and 0g sugar per 250ml.

Available at Ocado and Amazon.

So many lovely products, it's not easy to choose the best one. What product would you choose as your product of the month?

Maid of Steel by Kate Baker (Guest post + #giveaway )

 

Maid of Steel by Kate Baker is celebrating its first anniversary. I reviewed this evocative, gripping historical novel last year (see my post for Maid of Steel).

Today I welcome Kate Baker to my blog to share an update on what's been happening in her life since the book's publication.

Please read Kate's guest post and scroll down to enter a book giveaway as well.

"A year on...

As I wandered around the 2024 London Book Fair in Kensington Olympia, I thought about what I’ve learned since becoming a published author:

• Having a book out there has brought me into contact with many other authors; people I simply would never have met had I not put pen to paper. I love meeting new people and hearing about the lives of other writers - and most don’t spend their time smelling of dirty horse rugs, I assure you. (That will sound terrible unless I clarify that I wash, re proof and repair horse rugs in my day job!)

• The same goes for readers, many from whom I’ve received lovely direct messages (not all readers leave reviews and ratings on Amazon; it just doesn’t enter their mind to do so, and that’s something I’ve learnt to accept). So, when a reader reaches out and enthuses how enamoured they are that I finished a book, I’m reminded to give myself a pat on the back. How many of us actually begin a story and then let it fall away because we couldn’t think how to take the idea forward?

• I know I can do it again, because I’ve done it once, right? I’m 60k into my second novel, The Projectionist, a story about a man called Frank who is named in memory of my grandfather. 

There’s a short story you can read for free of the same name which was published by Fairlight Books in 2022 - https://www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short_stories/the-projectionist/

I know that my next book will have taken many years to go from idea to published book – Maid of Steel took four years from a 2019 weekend break in Cobh, Cork to its February 2023 publication date. The idea for The Projectionist took root when I watched a 2018 Michael Portillo episode of ‘Hidden Histories’ where he walked around Bradford Cinema wearing a hard hat, learning about its history and how it was being redeveloped... so that story will have actually taken longer to come to fruition!

• I love research. To the point where I went back to Cobh twice to ensure the details of St Colman’s cathedral on the coast and Sunday Wells Gaol just outside Cork city in Maid of Steel were as accurate as I could make them. I’ve also been to Bradford for the next book’s research as my fictitious cinema is in a made-up East Anglian town called Bradwich; an amalgamation of Bradford and Harwich. Harwich, on the east coast suffered terrible floods in 1953 and it’s that real historical event around which my backstory will play (spoiler – I’m going to put my characters through some heartache!).

• Being at the Book Fair was another reminder to do things our own way. Of course, we must listen to the expert advice we will receive along the way, from editors for example, whose aim will be to help make the book the best it can be. But the other ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ can all be listened to and filed away, and not taken as gospel. Self and indie-published authors are being not only catered for, but celebrated at the Book Fair these days. That’s a big step forward from ten years ago, when the publishing industry as a whole skirted around the generally-held belief that anyone who self-published had done so as a last resort.

Thank you for having me, Galina, and I hope your readers enjoy Maid of Steel if they venture into 1911 Irish territory with a forbidden romance at its core. Wish me luck as I have to go away and dig deep to finish the first draft of Frank’s story. Xx"

Good luck, Kate, I am looking forward to reading your next book!

Maid Of Steel

It’s 1911 and, against her mother’s wishes, quiet New Yorker Emma dreams of winning the right to vote. She is sent away by her parents in the hope distance will curb her desire to be involved with the growing suffrage movement and told to spend time learning about where her grandparents came from.

Across the Atlantic – Queenstown, southern Ireland – hotelier Thomas dreams of being loved, even noticed, by his actress wife, Alice. On their wedding day, Alice’s father had assured him that adoration comes with time. It’s been eight years. But Alice has plans of her own and they certainly don’t include the fight for equality or her dull husband.

Emma’s arrival in Ireland leads her to discover family secrets and become involved in the Irish Women’s Suffrage Society in Cork. However, Emma’s path to suffrage was never meant to lead to a forbidden love affair…

Purchase Links

Publisher’s link: https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/book/486/maid-of-steel-SMwd/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/191535269X/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/191535269X/

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/maid-of-steel/kate-baker/9781915352699

Author Bio – Maid of Steel is Kate’s first full length novel to be published. She also writes short stories and is presently drafting a second novel.

She writes at a desk covered in to-do lists and lights candles in the hope the lists disappear in the shadows.

She lives in East Anglia in the UK with her husband where they attempt to look after farmland for generations to come.

A small, very small, dog can be frequently found on Kate's lap. Otis is her first miniature dachshund.

https://twitter.com/katefbaker

https://www.instagram.com/KateFrancesWrites/

https://www.facebook.com/KateBakerAuthor

https://katefrancesbaker.com/

 

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Maid of Steel, candle and lipsil (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –

UK  entries welcome.  

Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. 

If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. 

Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. 

This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  

Please note that Chez Maximka is hosting the Rafflecopter gadget for free for the purposes of the book promotion. 

I do not have access to the data collected, and neither am I responsible for selection of the winner, despatch or delivery of the prize.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the Shadow of War by Adrienne Chinn

 

"How could she be a girl of nineteen in love one day and an exhausted woman of almost thirty-nine the next?"

"Jessie is a saint and Etta is a sinner. Where does that leave her? The pathetic dutiful wretch who gets nowhere because she believes that hard work will be rewarded?"

In the Shadow of War by Adrienne Chinn is an excellent family saga/historical novel, set in the 1930s. The third book in the series gives us a textured, authentic rendering of the social and policial events in  London, Egypt, Canada, Italy and Spain. It has a solid plot, with a complex setting.

This book could be read as a standalone, but do start with the first book in the series. The storylines of the three sisters Fry and their mother, their secrets and tragedies, will be much clearer, if you know what has happened before, and it's a fascinating story.

Blurb:

One war may be over, but their fight for survival continues...

For sisters Etta, Jessie and Celie Fry, the Great War and the hardship of the years that followed have taken a heavy toll.

Determined to leave her painful past behind her, Etta heads to the bright lights of Hollywood whilst Jessie, determined to train as a doctor and use her skills to help others, is hampered by the men who dominate her profession. On the vast, empty plains of the Canadian prairies, Celie and her small family stand on the brink of losing eveything.

As whispers of a new war make their way to each other, each must face the possibility of the unthinkable happening again.

March 1932.

Etta Fry Marinetti is back at her mother's house, after being released from the psychiatric hospital. Despite their assurances that Etta is ready to come home, she appears confused about where she is. Etta also believes her late husband is still alive.

Etta's mother Christina opens her home to both her daughter and granddaughter Adriana. Adriana is a wayward adolescent, who can easily compete with Etta in their tendency to prioritise their own desires and needs above anyone else's.

Etta feels suffocated in her mother's house. "She has to rescue herself from this life of tedious normality. She is bored and irritated with the unrelenting monotony of it all". Believing she could give any Hollywood film star a run for their money, she decides to leave the boring life and head for stardom in California. It doesn't matter that she has no acting talent, or that her daughter loathes her and calls her weak, conceited and sefish, Etta is determined to have fun in Hollywood.

Her twin sister Jessie s running the Altumanina health clinic in Cairo. Her husband, Dr Aziz Khalid, is a caring, understanding and loving man. Jessie is training as a medical doctor, despite many difficulties. Their daughter Shani spends more time with the Khalids' cook and housekeeper than with her own parents.

The Egyptian society is changing, with the political unrest too close to home. When the tragedy strikes, Jessie has to reconsider her position and re-establish herself.

Their older sister, Celie, is building a life of a farmer's wife in Canada. Having suppressed her intellectual abilities and talents to accommodate the moods of her husband Frank who comes damaged from the war, she feels like "a rudderless boat in a sea of sun-beaten Alberta wheat. She is so far away from her mother and her sisters, out here on the Canadian prairie. So far away from everything and everyone who had once been so important to her, who are still important to her".

Celie and Frank's daughter Lulu is the apple of her parents' eye. Their dream of a new life of prosperity in Canada is constantly under threat.

Etta is the least likeable of the sisters. "Singularly self-absorbed", manipulative and totally deluded about her own skills as an actor, she is a walking disaster. 

Despite all the tragedies that befall her, it's difficult to sympathise with her. 

At first Jessie might appear as the total opposite of her twin sister, working in the medical profession and helping the others, but there is a certain selfishness about her as well. Jessie completely neglects her only daughter, depending on the others to bring her up, while she herself concentrates all her efforts on being a doctor. She fails her child as a mother.

For me the most fascinating storyline is that of Celie, struggling to eke a living in the harsh conditions of the Canadian prairie. 

The book ends on a cliffhanger which was a bit of a surprise, as I expected this book to be the final instalment of the trilogy. 

In the Shadow of War is an accomplished, compelling historical saga, a moving story of love and tragedy, family secrets and lies, betrayal and loyalty.

Well researched and written.

If you missed my previous reviews of the books I and II in the series, here are the links

Love in the Time of War

and

The Paris Sister

This post is part of the blog tour for In the Shadow of War.

Many thanks to Adrienne Chinn, One More Chapter and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!

 

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-War-sweeping-emotional-historical-ebook/dp/B0CNVLQ831/

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-War-sweeping-emotional-historical-ebook/dp/B0CNVLQ831/

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/in-the-shadow-of-war-the-three-fry-sisters-book-3

https://books.apple.com/ca/book/in-the-shadow-of-war/id6476353957

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-shadow-of-war-adrienne-chinn/1144610234

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/untitled-sisters-book-3-the-three-fry-sisters-book-3/adrienne-chinn/paperback/9780008501662.html

https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Untitled_Sisters_Book_3_The_Three_Fry_Si.html?id=ogXlEAAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

 

Author Bio –

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. When not up a ladder or at the computer writing, she often can be found rummaging through flea markets or haggling in the Marrakech souk. Her second novel, The English Wife -- a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland -- was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Love in a Time of War, the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in February 2022. The second in the series, The Paris Sister, was published in February 2023, and the third book in the series, In the Shadow of War, was published in March 2024.

Social Media Links –

https://www.adrienne-chinn.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/adriennechinnauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/adriennechinn/

https://twitter.com/adriennechinn

2

The Missing Maid by Holly Hepburn

 

"Whatever she'd been expecting, it wasn't a bag full of letters to - well, to someone who didn't exist".

"It seemed detective work was considerably more difficult than the pen of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle suggested and, for the first time, Harry felt the magnitude of what she had undertaken".

The Missing Maid by Holly Hepburn is an intriguing and entertaining cosy mystery, set in London in the early 1930s. This Sherlock Holmes-inspired story is the first book in The Baker Street Mysteries series.

Blurb:

London, 1932.

When Harriet White rebuffs the advances of her boss at the Baker Street building society where she works, she finds herself demoted to a new position... a very unusual position. Deep in the postal department beneath the bank, she is tasked with working her way through a mountain of correspondence addressed to Baker Street's most famous resident: Mr Sherlock Holmes.

Seemingly undeterred by the fact that Sherlock Holmes doesn't exist, letter after letter arrives, beseeching him to help solve mysteries, and Harry diligently replies to each writer with the same response: Mr Holmes has retired from detective work and now lives in Sussex, keeping bees.

Until one entreaty catches her eye. It's from a village around five miles from Harry's family estate, about a young woman who went to London to work as a domestic, then disappeared soon afterwards in strange circumstances. Intrigued, Harry decides, just this once, to take matters into her own hands.

And so, the case of the missing maid is opened...

Harriet White aka Harry is introduced to us as a "woman of education and refined manners". She works at the Baker Street building society.

"She liked earning her own money... the granddaughter of a baron had no title to inherit and needed to make her own way in the world". Unlike many young ladies of her circles, she is not looking for marriage as means of supporting herself. Her mother insists on introducing Harry to suitable bachelors in hopes to see her married. 

"So her job, though frowned upon by her family, was more than just employment - it was a declaration of independence". 

When insufferable Mr Pemberton attacks her in his office, Harry doesn't hesitate to knee him in the groin. As he crumples to the floor, howling, Harry leaves the office and continues with her work as if nothing had happened. The next morning she finds herself reassigned to the post room.

And not just any post room. 

Harry's new job is to reply to the letters addressed to Mr Sherlock Holmes. 

"Every correspondent ardently believed not only that the great detective was a real, flesh-and-blood person, but also that he could and would solve their mysteries. The had each set pen to paper, some in frustration, others in desperation, all in hope and anticipation that Sherlcok Holmes would heed their cry for help".

Harry is signing the letters on behalf of the great detective as his secretary. 

She understands that her boss sent her here, "hoping she would refuse to lower herself to such ridicuousness, and she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of being proved right".

Her replies are kind and soothing, telling the recipients that Mr Holmes has retired and doesn't reside at Baker St any longer.

As the weeks roll by, Harry is questioning her determination to stick things out. "And then, one Tuesday morning, she opened the envelope that changed everything".

Miss E. Longstaff has lost all hope that the police would help her family to find her missing sister, Mildred, who used to work as a domestic in London. She vanished without any trace, and her family is desperate for any news about her whereabouts.

Harry wants to help, seeking information about the missing girl, under the guise of Holmes.

And thus Harry's adventures begin, taking her from the high society drawing rooms to the slums of London. Hoping to unravel the mystery, Harry has to think what would Sherlock Holmes do to solve it.

There is a fascinating insight in the female gangs of shoplifters, known as The Forty Elephants. Their heyday was in the interwar period. By 1932 Alice Diamond, the female crime boss, was in prison, but the new members replaced old hands. 

The character of Harry is well-drawn and likeable. Conan Doyle would have approved of Sherlock Holmes' "secretary".

The Missing Maid is a cracking mystery, with a strong female protagonist, and deft plotting. It is a finely-balanced mix of historical detail and cosy crime fiction.

This review is part of the blog tour for The Missing Maid.

Many thanks to Holly Hepburn, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/missingmaidsocial

Author Bio –

Holly Hepburn has wanted to write books for as long she can remember but she was too scared to try. One day she decided to be brave and dipped a toe into the bubble bath of romantic fiction with her first novella, Cupidity, and she's never looked back. She often tries to be funny to be funny, except for when faced with traffic wardens and border control staff. Her favourite things are making people smile and Aidan Turner.

She's tried many jobs over the years, from barmaid to market researcher and she even had a brief flirtation with modelling. These days she is mostly found writing.

She lives near London with her grey tabby cat, Portia. They both have an unhealthy obsession with Marmite.

Social Media Links –  

https://twitter.com/HollyH_Author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyh_author/

 

The Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn (review + #giveaway )

 

"...she could see the shop in front of her, Knjižara Svih Nacija written in a curve of gold paint across the top of the arched window. The name itself was wonderful, meaning "the bookshop where all are welcome". Even damaged souls like her. It would be her ethos as manager too: to welcome everybody".

"She had been an island for so long, but now she felt her very self would dissolve in a sea of emotion if she let it".

The Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn is a moving women's fiction, warm and engaging, positive and inspiring.

Blurb:

In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik's historic Old Town, a book club begins...

Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson's life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.

But when their first book club pick - an engrossing cosy crime - inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group's heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine...

Claire finds herself in Dubrovnik, recuperating after a long Covid. Having found a perfect job in a local bookshop, Claire is hesitant. She feels vulnerable and anxious to return to work and be among people. She sees a threat of the dreaded virus everywhere, and the sight of just a few visitors to the store brings her panic attacks. 

"Claire didn't just want this to work out, she wanted her life back, full stop. And however terrified she was, she knew there was only one person who could make that happen".

The book club run by Claire and her younger colleague Luna is a little haven of tolerance and open-mindedness. It becomes a tribute to female solidarity, compassion and endurance.

Each chapter focuses on a character, and each book selected for the book club's discussion, mirrors some of the character's struggles and problems.

While I sympathise with Claire's anxiety after her prolonged illness, she is a bit self-absorbed to start with. Aided by her family, she has being protected to the point of cocooned. Coming across other people's stories and difficulties during the book club meetings and beyond, helps her face her own demons and realise that we cannot hide from life.

Claire's Gran Fran and her husband Jadran are very supportive, but they have their own serious problems. 

Her cousin Vedran has withdrawn from the society for his own reasons. His ex-girlfriend Didi has disappeared in suspicious circumstances, and many a finger point at him accusingly. Vedran's story adds a thriller/mystery element to the book club-centred narrative.

Luna is a young girl, exploring her sexuality, and struggling with her religious upbringing. In many ways she is very naive and childish. She is as bouncy as Tigger. Luna grew up in a small community, where religious narrow-mindedness reigns. Even her own parents are rigid and inflexible, dismissive of their daughter's identity.

And then there is Karmela, who appears quite stand-offish (more of being aloof rather than arrogant). Karmela is a visiting professor from Zagreb, who is doing research on the medieval Ragusan Republic and the place of women in the 16C society. 

She tries to push aside her childhood trauma of escaping from Sarajevo during the war, but memories are always there.

"The past - the war - was everywhere she looked, in everyone she spoke to. Crushing her like the oppressive heat before a storm. And she did not want it. Not at all. And yet she was powerless to stop it".

All the individual stories become interconnected, creating a fascinating tapestry.

Dubrovnik provides a beautiful and inspired setting for the plotline. The visual/descriptive aspect is one of the strengths of the book. I loved learning more about the history of this captivating place and found myself googling into the night some of the names mentioned in Karmela's research (something I wasn't familiar with).

Books about books and book clubs are very popular, and for a good reason. They shine a light on the intellectual and healing power of books. For me reading is like breathing, I wouldn't be able to survive without it. The last year has been pretty horrendous, and books keep me afloat, saving my sanity. And though my personal problems are completely different from the problems which the members of The Dubrovnik Book Club's have to face up to, I do share with them the joy the books bring, comfort and escapism, and the way they make you reflect on your past and present.

The Dubrovnik Book Club celebrates reading and brings sensitive subjects into the light. This captivating tale of friendship, with well-developed characters, and a strong sense of place, is truly affirming and redemptive. 

Potential triggers: long Covid, religious bigotry, domestic violence, people's lives damaged by wars.

This post is part of the blog tour for The Dubrovnik Book Club.

Many thanks to Eva Glyn and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!

Purchase Links  - https://mybook.to/TheDubrovnikBookClub

Other retailers:
UK https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-dubrovnik-book-club-eva-glyn
US https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-dubrovnik-book-club-eva-glyn

Author Bio –

Eva Glyn fell in love with Croatia during her first holiday there in 2019; the incredible scenery, the delicious food, the country’s dramatic twentieth century history all played their part, but most of all it was the friendliness of the people.

 

One of these was tour director Darko Barisic, who told an incredible story about growing up in underground shelters during the war in the 1990s, and she knew she had to write a book around his experiences. This became her first Croatian novel, The Olive Grove, and she and Darko have become good friends and he continues to advise her on all aspects of Croatia.

 

Eva delves into Croatian history and everyday life for her inspiration, and visits the country as often as she can, having uncovered so many stories by talking to local people. Travel in general is her passion, followed closely by food and wine, which also find their way between her pages.

 

Although Welsh by birth she now lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with almost thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.

 

Social Media Links –

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/evaglynauthor/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EvaGlynAuthor/

Twitter https://twitter.com/JaneCable

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dubrovnikbookclub

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/eva-glyn

 

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