#BookReview Searcher of the Dead by Nancy Herriman @Nancy_Herriman @crookedlanebks @Joni2345zb #HistoricalFiction

Book Details
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, 336 pages
Publish Date: March 13, 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction; Mystery



About the Book:

Herbalist Bess Ellyott flees London after her husband is murdered, but the peace she has found in the quiet Wiltshire countryside is short-lived. Her brother-in-law, a prosperous merchant, is himself found dead—dangling from a tree, an apparent suicide.

Clues suggest otherwise to Bess. Word around town holds that the dead man is a victim of rival merchants scheming to corner the wool market. Bess, though, is convinced the killer is out to destroy her family for reasons unknown.

Can she trust the town constable to help her find the truth? Christopher Harwoode will cross members of his own family to find the killer…whose next target may very well be Queen Elizabeth I herself.

My Rating: 
5 out of 5 🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍

My Review:

What a great historical mystery by author Nancy Herriman. Searcher of the Dead is the first installment in The Bess Ellyott Mystery Series. The story starts out in London but quickly moves to Wiltshire, England and takes place around the year 1593 during the Tudor Period. This book was loaded with things that I love (some of those will also reveal how big of a nerd I am but that’s ok).

Searcher of the Dead was full of things in history that I didn’t know before. When I come across a word or topic I’m not familiar with I like to look up more information. Some things I learned about in this book: searchers of the dead, plagues during this time period, town waites, hautbois, shawms, Abraham-men, Felo-de-se and non compos mentis (which I may suffer from periodically…I will let you look that one up).

I have always loved reading books set during this time period. Nancy Herriman’s descriptive writing brings the story to life, especially the town of Wiltshire and its surroundings. The main character was Bess Ellyott, an herbalist/healer. She is new to the town of Wiltshire and finds people are automatically suspicious of her because of that. Bess was definitely my favorite character. Her backstory was heartbreaking but even though she had a hard past she still persevered. I admire that in any human being but I especially admire that trait in a woman. What a strong character! I enjoyed the interaction between Bess and the constable, Kit Harwoode. Kit doesn’t quite know how to handle a woman like Bess.

I felt the mystery itself was original and creative. The author had me guessing whodunit until the end. The Searcher of the Dead is definitely a 5 out of 5 🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍 for me. I hope there are many more Bess Ellyott Mysteries to come and I would recommend this book to everyone who loves historical mysteries and stories from England’s Tudor Period.

Thank you Nancy Herriman, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read.

#BlogTour for Beneath The Surface by Lynn H. Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn @RevellBooks @Joni2345zb #BookReview

I'm delighted to be sharing my review on the Revell Reads Fiction Blog Tour for Beneath The Surface. Thank you to Lynn H. Blackburn and Revell Books for a copy of this book and the opportunity to take part.

 About The Book

Leigh Weston thought she'd left a troubled past behind when she moved back home to Carrington, North Carolina. But when dive team investigator Ryan Parker finds a body in the lake near her home, she fears the past hasn't stayed where it belongs.
 
My Rating:  
3 out of 5 🔍🔍🔍
 
My Review:

Beneath The Surface by author Lynn H. Blackburn is the first installment in the Dive Team Investigations series and my first read of this author. I noticed AFTER receiving my copy in the mail that it was a romantic suspense which truthfully I never read. I didn’t pick up on the romance while reading the blurb so this one was a surprise. But I decided to take the plunge…into Beneath The Surface! Lol!

One of the main characters is Leigh Weston a nurse practitioner living in Carrington, North Carolina. Leigh is sort of alone right now in life as both her parents have died and her only sibling lives far away. Leigh has recently moved to Carrington because of some problems in her past. Ryan Parker is a homicide investigator and volunteer underwater investigator for the Carrington Sheriff Department. Leigh and Ryan have known each other since high school and you can probably guess the romance part of the romantic suspense involves these two. It wouldn’t be fair for me to critique the romantic part of the story for a couple of reasons. One, as I stated earlier I never intentionally read a romance unless I agree to review one thinking it was a genre that does interest me. For that reason I don’t have many to compare to. The other reason is most romances to me feel cheesy, unrealistic, and just over-the-top. So I will instead focus on the suspense side which is what I usually review.

Lynn H. Blackburn does a good job grabbing the reader’s attention right from the start with the discovery of a dead body while dive team investigators were doing a practice dive. Pieces of the puzzle are spread nicely throughout the book and I never did figure out who was responsible until the end. The ending could have been wrapped up a little better. I was left with a big “why”? that was never really answered. There were hints but the why was never explained or I somehow missed it. For a reader that cares more about the suspense and mystery, leaving that part out was sort of a big deal.

Overall I liked the book, the mystery was interesting and I did find myself wanting to keep reading to find out “whodunit”, it was just sort of a let-down for me at the end with some unanswered questions. Fans of the Christian Romantic Suspense genre will enjoy this the most. At the end of the book there is a sneak peek at In Too Deep Book two in the series, expected publication November 6, 2018.  I give this one 3 out of 5 🔎🔎🔎!

Thank you Lynn H. Blackburn and Revell Books for providing me with a review copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

#BlogTour Tess and Tattoos by H.A. Leuschel @HALeuschel #BookReview #Giveaway @rararesources @Joni2345zb

I'm delighted to be sharing my review on the Tess and Tattoos Blog Tour. Thank you to H.A. Leuschel and Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of this novella and the opportunity to take part.

 About The Book

A suspenseful and emotional novella exploring whether we can ever be free from our past mistakes.

In this story, the reader is taken on a compelling journey into the human mind where genuine friendship offers the key to inner peace.

Meet Tess, an elderly lady living in a care home apartment in the outskirts of Edinburgh, whose past is haunted by a wrong decision. She meets Nurse Sandra, a warm and bubbly single mother of three, who is instantly intrigued by Tess’s personality and the mystery that surrounds her.

‘Tess and Tattoos’ is one of five gripping stories in HA Leuschel’s story collection Manipulated Lives centred around psychological manipulation.
 
My Rating:  
4 out of 5 🔍🔍🔍🔍
 
My Review:
I just loved this short story, Tess and Tattoos by author H.A. Leuschel. The story revolves around two characters, Tess and Sandra. Tess is an elderly lady living in a care center while Sandra is a newly hired nurse taking care of her. They form a close relationship in very short amount of time. As a nurse I have spent my whole career working with the elderly and the thoughts that Tess had regarding her stay in the care center were very realistic. I liked both of the main characters but my favorite was Tess. Her backstory was just heartbreaking making me feel such empathy towards her.

H.A. Leuschel’s descriptive writing brings the story to life. I loved the suspense throughout this novella. The author drew me in right at the beginning and the momentum of the plot flowed nicely. The author gives tiny hints throughout of Tess’s past which kept me glued to the story. I really enjoy books that make me wonder what is going on and this one sure did that. The ending was wrapped up nicely and the twist at the end I never saw coming. 
I really enjoyed this quick and suspenseful read. I would recommend this to those who enjoy short stories with a little twist. I would definitely read more by author H.A. Leuschel.

Universal Download Link 

 About the Author:



Helene grew up in Belgium where she gained a Licentiate in Journalism & Communication, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels, London and Edinburgh. She now lives with her husband and two children in Portugal and recently acquired a Master of Philosophy with the OU, deepening her passion for the study of the mind. When she is not writing, Helene works as a freelance journalist and teaches Yoga.

Author's Links

Website 

 Facebook 
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Goodreads 

If you would like to see what others are saying about Tess and Tattoos then check out the other bloggers on the tour

Giveaway – Win a signed copy of Manipulated Lives by H.A. Leuschel (Open Internationally) a Rafflecopter giveaway  

#BookReview An Unquiet Ghost by Linda Stratmann #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #Series @LindaStratmann @SapereBooks

 




About the Book
 
Brighton, 1871

Mina Scarletti is becoming well known for unmasking fraudulent psychics. So it is no surprise to her when a young couple write to her seeking her advice.

George Fernwood and Mary Clifton, betrothed distant cousins, have a family secret that is preventing them from getting married. Twenty years ago, their alcoholic grandfather died in his bed and since then rumours have been circulating that someone in the family murdered him.

Desperate to find out the truth, they have decided to seek out a medium to communicate with their grandfather, and they want Mina to help them find one who is genuine.

Though she is not a believer in ghosts, Mina is intrigued by the family mystery and decides to help them in any way she can.

Could one of the new mediums advertising in Brighton really be genuine? Will they help George and Mary find the answers they are looking for?

Or will this Unquiet Ghost ruin the chance of happiness for future generations …?

AN UNQUIET GHOST is the third cosy mystery in Linda Stratmann’s intriguing historical series, the Mina Scarletti Mysteries, a traditional British detective series with a feisty woman sleuth set in Victorian Brighton.
My Review
4 out of 5 🔍🔍🔍🔍

An Unquiet Ghost is the third installment in the Mina Scarletti Mystery Series and my first read of author Linda Stratmann. Although I do want to go back and read the first two books in the series, I was able to pick up and read this one as a standalone. An Unquiet Ghost was a great read with a perplexing mystery that had me gripped right from the start.
 
This well-written story is set in Brighton, England in the year 1871. The author Linda Stratmann has come up with a clever, fresh, and interesting storyline. Early on readers are introduced to a simple crime of murder by poison with a short list of suspects. But things don’t end up being that simple and the mystery begins…
 
Mina Scarletti is the main character and my favorite. Mina has some physical health issues but she doesn’t let any of that stop her. What she may lack in physical ability she more than makes up for it with her mental attributes. She makes no excuses and proves to be a strong female protagonist. Mina is persistent and inquisitive in her investigation of the mystery. The interactions Mina has with the supporting characters are compelling and realistic. Being a nurse, I love reading about past medical ideas and practices. The interaction between Mina and Mr. Marriott, the oculist, was one example of this. They were discussing the idea regarding people that see apparitions may have a medical condition of the eye or brain.
 
The truth about the killer’s identity is cleverly concealed until the novel’s surprising conclusion. I suspected the actual killer about halfway through but then convinced myself that it wasn’t, then it was, then it wasn’t. I just couldn’t figure it out but the author does a good job of wrapping it all up in the end. I enjoyed every minute of this “new to me” mystery series. I will definitely read more from this entertaining author. Fans of the historical mystery genre will surely enjoy An Unquiet Ghost the third installment of the Mina Scarletti Mystery Series. I give this one 4 out of 5 🔍🔍🔍🔍!
 
Thank you Linda Stratmann and Caoimhe O’Brien of Sapere Books for providing me with a review copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.