If I see a review of any of them I will put a link to it.
Murder in the Afternoon (3rd book in the Kate Shackleton series) by Frances Brody
Published: 1 Sept 2011 - UK & USA
When two children take some food to their stone mason father who is working in a quarry, they find him dead, but when they return with their mother, they find the place deserted with no sign of a body . . .Another unusual disappearing act requiring the expertise of Kate Shackleton, who must unravel the mysteries of this strange case and discover the truth.
I loved the 1st book in this new cozy mystery series -- Dying in the Wool -- and this one will be added to my wish list.
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Published: 1 Sept 2011 - UK & USA
Genre: Romance
A riveting, heart-rending tale of betrayal and revenge.
Erica and Simon Dunmore have been happily married for fifteen years. The only thing that casts a shadow over Rica's happiness is her failure to have a baby and Simon realises he would do anything to provide her with the child she so desperately craves. Then unexpectedly he brings home a beautiful baby boy whose mother has given him up for adoption and Rica cannot believe her luck - they can be a proper family at last. Little does she realise the horror that lies ahead when her husband and son go missing...
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Published: 5 Sept 2011 - UK & USA
Genre: Historical
Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles.
Achilles, 'best of all the Greeks', is everything Patroclus is not - strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess - and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative companionship gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel and deathly pale sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.
Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.
Check out these reviews of this Historical novel on Goodreads.
Jackie at Farm Lane Books has also read it - see her review here
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The Lady of the Rivers (3rd in the Cousins’ War series) by Philippa Gregory
Published: 15 Sept 2011 - UK …........ 18 Oct 2011 - USAJacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou's close friend and a Lancaster supporter - until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV.
Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines.
Having read and enjoyed the 1st two in this series -- The White Queen and The Red Queen -- this is definitely on my wish list!
Update! I'm very excited to have recently received this book from Simon & Schuster ................... look out for my review!
In the meantime please check out Jera's Jamboree and find out what Sharon thought of this story!
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Published: 15 Sept 2011 - UK & USA
Genre: Fantasy
It is 1852. The Indian empire of Rajthana has ruled Europe for more than a hundred years. With their vast armies, steam-and-sorcery technology and mastery of the mysterious power of sattva, the Rajthanans appear invincible. But a bloody rebellion has broken out in a remote corner of the empire, in a poor and backward region known as England.
At first Jack Casey, retired soldier, wants nothing to do with the uprising, but then he learns his daughter, Elizabeth, is due to be hanged for helping the rebels. The Rajthanans offer to spare her, but only if Jack hunts down and captures his best friend and former army comrade, who is now a rebel leader. Jack is torn between saving his daughter and protecting his friend. And he struggles just to stay alive as the rebellion pushes England into all-out war.
Geoffrey Wilson was born in South Africa. He grew up in New Zealand and then backpacked around the world before eventually settling in the United Kingdom.
Geoffrey worked as a bookseller, technical author and project manager until finally finding the time to get down to what he had always meant to do – write stories. He lives in London with his wife and stepson.
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Published: 15 Sept 2011 - UK & USA
Captivating and evocative, Letter from a Stranger will take you on an unforgettable journey from idyllic Connecticut to exotic Istanbul to war-torn Berlin then back to the present day.
When award-winning film maker Justine Nolan returns to her beautiful childhood home, she is intrigued by an envelope she finds in her absent mother’s post. But the letter inside contains a shocking revelation. If genuine it will change everything she believes about her family’s recent history, her mother and her adored grandmother, Gabriele.
With the support of her beloved twin brother, Richard, Justine resolves to uncover the truth. To do so she must travel to Istanbul – the teeming, beguiling city on the cusp of East and West. It is a place which holds its own secrets, leading her to a fascinating man who appears to know more than he is prepared to disclose.
Yet even when her quest succeeds, Justine is faced with a further mystery: Gabriele’s background is not what it seems. Justine is given a book of memories in which the real story unfolds, taking her back to the darkest days of European history, with its suffering and astonishing acts of bravery. At the heart of it lie the final facts of Gabriele’s identity – and her own.
The letter from a stranger has brought her not only to the truth about her family but also a chance to heal the wounds of past betrayals, to embrace a new love and new life.
Barbara Taylor Bradford’s UK website is here - The US website is here
Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, published in 1979 has sold over 32 million copies worldwide and, according to Reuters, it ranks as one of the top ten bestselling novels of all time.
Letter from a Stranger is her 27th novel.
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Published: 15 Sept 2011 - UK …..... 1 Dec 2011 - USA
The newest opus from the Master of Far Fetched Fiction features magic, mayhem, mechanical marvels, messianic madness, and the music hall.
This sounds a little …....... mad.
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Published: 29 Sept 2011 - UK
Everything starts somewhere. . . .
For elite military cop Jack Reacher, that somewhere was Carter Crossing, Mississippi, way back in 1997. A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A coverup.
A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington.
Reacher is ordered undercover - to find out everything he can, to control the local police, and then to vanish. Reacher is a good soldier. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, he finds layers no one saw coming, and the investigation spins out of control.
The phenomenally successful Lee Child is back with another Jack Reacher novel ….......... apparently I read somewhere that Tom Cruise is to play Reacher in a new film.
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The Memory of Blood (9th book in the Bryant and May Series) by Christopher Fowler
Published: 29 Sept 2011 - UK …........... 27 Mar 2012 - USA
Christopher Fowler’s acclaimed Peculiar Crimes Unit novels crackle with sly wit, lively suspense, and twists as chilling as London’s fog. Now the indomitable duo of Arthur Bryant and John May, along with the rest of their quirky team, return to solve a confounding case with dark ties to the British theater and a killer who may mean curtains for all involved.
For the crew of the New Strand Theatre, the play The Two Murderers seems less performance than prophecy when a cast party ends in the shocking death of the theater owner’s son. The crime scene is most unusual, even for Bryant and May. In a locked bedroom without any trace of fingerprints or blood, the only sign of disturbance is a gruesome life-size puppet of Mr. Punch laying on the floor. Everyone at the party is a suspect, including the corrupt producer, the rakish male lead, the dour set designer, and the assistant stage manager, who is the wild daughter of a prominent government official.
It’s this last fact that threatens the Peculiar Crimes Unit’s investigation, as the government’s Home Office, wary of the team’s eccentric methods, seeks to throw them off the case. But the nimble minds of Bryant and May are not so easily deterred. Delving into the history of the London theater and the disturbing origins of Punch and Judy, the detectives race to find the maniacal killer before he reaches his even deadlier final act.
The 1st book in this series was a treat - here are my thoughts on Full Dark House
I’m also taking part in The Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge and the 2nd book, The Water Room, is on my reading list.
Christopher Fowler’s blog can be found here.
Published: 29 Sept 2011 - UK …........... 27 Mar 2012 - USA
Christopher Fowler’s acclaimed Peculiar Crimes Unit novels crackle with sly wit, lively suspense, and twists as chilling as London’s fog. Now the indomitable duo of Arthur Bryant and John May, along with the rest of their quirky team, return to solve a confounding case with dark ties to the British theater and a killer who may mean curtains for all involved.
For the crew of the New Strand Theatre, the play The Two Murderers seems less performance than prophecy when a cast party ends in the shocking death of the theater owner’s son. The crime scene is most unusual, even for Bryant and May. In a locked bedroom without any trace of fingerprints or blood, the only sign of disturbance is a gruesome life-size puppet of Mr. Punch laying on the floor. Everyone at the party is a suspect, including the corrupt producer, the rakish male lead, the dour set designer, and the assistant stage manager, who is the wild daughter of a prominent government official.
It’s this last fact that threatens the Peculiar Crimes Unit’s investigation, as the government’s Home Office, wary of the team’s eccentric methods, seeks to throw them off the case. But the nimble minds of Bryant and May are not so easily deterred. Delving into the history of the London theater and the disturbing origins of Punch and Judy, the detectives race to find the maniacal killer before he reaches his even deadlier final act.
The 1st book in this series was a treat - here are my thoughts on Full Dark House
I’m also taking part in The Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge and the 2nd book, The Water Room, is on my reading list.
Christopher Fowler’s blog can be found here.
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Mum is a Barbara Taylor Bradford fan so I'll have to let her know about this book. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI've got Lee Child's The Affair here to read & review. I didn't really enjoy the book before this one, but loved the book before that... So thought I'd give him another chance.
I can't wait to get my hands on The Blood of Memory as I love the Bryant & May series! :)
Hi Nikki-ann, I hope your mum enjoys it!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your review of the new Bryant & May. I've got a lot of catching up to do on this series, I've only read the first one.