Release Day: Sherlock Holmes & the Ripper of Whitechapel by M. K. Wiseman

I am afraid that I, Sherlock Holmes, must act as my own chronicler in this singular case, that of the Whitechapel murders of 1888. For the way in which the affair was dropped upon my doorstep left me with little choice as to the contrary. Not twelve months prior, the siren’s call of quiet domesticity and married life had robbed me of Watson’s assistance as both partner and recorder of my cases. Thus, when detective inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard required a lead—any lead—I found myself forced to pursue Jack the Ripper alone and without the aid of my faithful friend. And all for the most damnedable of reasons:

Early on in my investigations, Dr. John H. Watson, formerly of 221b Baker Street, emerged as my prime suspect.

Purchase Link

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sherlock-Holmes-Ripper-Whitechapel-Wiseman-ebook/dp/B088P92XWC

US - https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Ripper-Whitechapel-Wiseman-ebook/dp/B088P92XWC

Review

In this book, we find the two fascinations of Victorian mystery enthusiasts: Sherlock Homes and Jack the Ripper. However, this take is a little different.The investigation is narrated by Sherlock himself because his chief suspect is Dr Watson.

This twist carries with it a number of points of interest - first, Watson is beloved and familiar, yet the author cleverly creates doubt in both Sherlock's mind and the reader's. Second, the deductions that so impress Watson are matter-of-factly unremarkable to Sherlock, and thus are skimmed over in his narration. Lastly, the shift from whodunit to didhedoit changes this from less of a mystery and more of a thriller. The friendship between Holmes and Watson, usually so foundational, is truly put to the test as the body count rises. All in all, this is not your usual Sherlock Holmes story at all! 

The characters are either Holmes canon characters or real life players in the Whitechapel murders, which is a nice touch. It was good to see how Watson's marriage and move from Baker Street strained his closeness with Holmes, yet Holmes is exceedingly complimentary towards Mary and not jealous. 

I will say that I found the ending confusing and a bit rushed. A lot happened and I had to reread it to understand how everything panned out. There are several items that I thought were left unexplained and so let the book down a bit.

If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes and would like a slightly different twist on a previously undiscussed portion of his life, do pick this up.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources, all opinions are my own

Author Bio

M. K. Wiseman has degrees in Interarts & Technology and Library & Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her office, therefore, is a curious mix of storyboards and reference materials. Both help immensely in the writing of historical novels. She currently resides in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

Social Media Links

http://mkwisemanauthor.com

https://twitter.com/FaublesFables

https://www.facebook.com/FaublesFables/

https://www.instagram.com/faublesfables/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073540.M_K_Wiseman

Release Day: Unbroken Truth by Lukas Lundh

Beneath the arcane Rustpeaks lies the city of Lansfyrd, where visibility is at an all-time low and airships rumble through the skies. Detective Lentsay “Len” Yoriya is a former homicide detective stuck at a burglary assignment as punishment for loving the wrong person. But when a xenophobic radio-shaman is murdered and the killers try to frame the city’s oppressed insectoids, Len sees a chance to prove her worth. Though high-profile murders are rarely uncomplicated.

In the city’s affluent quarters, Len’s partner Vli-Rana Talie works as a lector at the university, studying the history of a species that once ruled the world. As the temperature rises for her partner, Vli will soon realize that delving into history, that some would prefer was forgotten, will carry risks of its own. Especially when the ambitions of empires are affected.

Meanwhile, there is an election coming up, and the tension simmering in the city is reaching a boiling point. Vli and Len must find what allies they can and face the powers that threaten their home.

History never ends, and unless its lessons are heeded what was once the past might become the present.

Purchase Link -  https://books2read.com/UnbrokenTruth

Review

A fascinating read in a richly different world.

In a city beset by rust and xenophobia, a homicide detective must solve a high-profile murder as her partner delves into dangerously ancient history. As tensions rise and election day looms, they find their paths may not be so separate after all.

It took me a little while to get into this book due to the deep worldbuilding with multiple characters, races, places, and terminology. It made the world rich and the characters vivid but also delayed the plot, so that the inciting murder only occurred about a third of the way through. I think a map, character list, and/or a glossary might have eased this. Don't get me wrong, the author did a great job of avoiding an infodump and putting everything together, but it was a lot to take in.

Once I got stuck in, however, I was caught by the story as many of the undercurrents and themes, while clothed in rusted steelpunk fantasy, mirror our own world. Xenophobia is rampant, the city is divided by political factions with deep ideological differences, and there is an election coming up. It looks very different to the here and now, but in some ways it feels very similar. Into this simmering mix, add a dead body and stir for chaos - in the book, of course.

I definitely enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading the sequel however will note that there were a lot of plot threads that sprouted here but seemed to be pointed towards future stories. With the worldbuilding at the start and the lack of resolution at the end, this felt more like a taster than a standalone. I think I would've preferred a more self-contained story that didn't leave so much hanging, especially for a introduction to this world and the characters. On the other hand, I'm keen to read what happens next, so perhaps it was intentional!

For fans of steelpunk, thrillers, or something completely different, dive deep into this book. It's an investment, but a worthwhile one.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own

Author Bio

Lukas Lundh grew up around books and started writing in early childhood. He speaks English, Swedish and Japanese from living in New Zealand as a teen and studying for a year in Japan in early 20s.

He is educated in philosophy, game design, creative writing and is currently working on a history degree.

Between reading course books which inspire history flash-fictions, Lukas writes everything in between space opera, fantasy steelpunk, and post-ap war dystopias.

His debut novel, a steelpunk spy thriller, Unbroken Truth, is available for pre-order. He doesn’t blog, but he is active on twitter.

Social Media – @LundhLukas

Blog Tour: The Flame Within by Liz Harris

From award-winning author of The Dark Horizon, Liz Harris, comes the second in a sweeping saga set between the wars, which tells the story of the Linfords, a family simmering with secrets, lies and betrayal.

London, 1923

Alice Linford stands on the pavement and stares up at the large Victorian house set back from the road—the house that is to be her new home.

But it isn’t her house. It belongs to someone else—to a Mrs Violet Osborne. A woman who was no more than a name at the end of an advertisement for a companion that had caught her eye three weeks earlier.

More precisely, it wasn’t Mrs Osborne’s name that had caught her eye—it was seeing that Mrs Osborne lived in Belsize Park, a short distance only from Kentish Town. Kentish Town, the place where Alice had lived when she’d been Mrs Thomas Linford.

Thomas Linford—the man she still loves, but through her own stupidity, has lost. The man for whom she’s left the small Lancashire town in which she was born to come down to London again. The man she’s determined to fight for.

The Flame Within is perfect for readers of The Thorn Birds and the Cazalet Chronicles, and the novels of Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore.

Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flame-Within-gripping-between-Linford-ebook/dp/B08GQB97NF  
US - https://www.amazon.com/Flame-Within-gripping-between-Linford-ebook/dp/B08GQB97NF

Review:

This was a lovely book though I didn't know what to expect from it. While the blurb describes where the story starts - Alice, determined to reclaim her husband - the majority of the book is made up of flashbacks leading to this point. We see Alice's childhood ambition to escape the life her parents lead, her time as a nurse, her marriage to Thomas, and the troubles that came with it, and how their story eventually resolves.

It's a gorgeous period piece that deals with mental health and the toll it takes on others. It's also a reminder than love needs attention and effort to thrive - if you don't feed it, it will die. While I wouldn't call this a romance, it does have a happy ending, even if it's not the one I would've preferred - let's be real, there's one character who did not get the ending they deserved (no spoilers, though warning for infidelity).

Despite being second in a saga, it stands well on its own, neither needing the first book nor spoiling it, so if the inter-war period or family dramas tweak your interest, pick this one up!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources, all opinions are my own.

Author Bio:

Liz’s first six novels were published by Choc Lit. The Road Back was the US Coffee Time and Romance Book of the Year, A Bargain Struck was RoNA-shortlisted for Best Historical Novel, and they and The Lost Girl, Evie Undercover, The Art of Deception and A Western Heart were shortlisted by the Festival of Romantic Fiction in their respective categories. Liz’s latest historical novel, The Dark Horizon, Book 1 of The Linford Series, which is set between the wars, was released in May 2020. She has also had short stories published in several anthologies and in magazines.
Liz is an active member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and also of the Historical Novel Society. She regularly gives talks and workshops at conferences, and is an approved speaker for organisations such as the WI and U3A. Her hobbies are theatre, reading, travel, cryptic crosswords. You can visit her website at www.lizharrisauthor.com

Social Media Links:
Website:    www.lizharrisauthor.com
Twitter:    @lizharrisauthor
Facebook Author Page:    https://www.facebook.com/lizharrisauthor
Instagram:    liz.harris.52206

Love Song by Kylie Scott

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kylie Scott comes a new story in her Stage Dive series…

There’s always the one that got away. Or kicked you out...

The new darling of rock n’ roll, Adam Dillon, is ready to show his ex-girlfriend, Jill Schwartz, what a mistake she made kicking him to the curb. So maybe he wasn’t the best of boyfriends. Writing great songs and climbing to the top of the charts isn’t easy. Only problem is, he's fast finding out that success isn't everything.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Download your copy today exclusively on Amazon!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/36lJJx4
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/lovesongks
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2A18UZM
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3cR7saZ 

Review

Once again, it's an absolute pleasure to step back into the Stage Dive world and to see how old faces are coming along. Relationships are stronger than ever, families are growing, and there's always a bit more romance on the horizon.

Or in the case of Jill and Adam, in the past. Because Adam was a terrible boyfriend and now he's making bank telling the world how she steamrolled his heart. Jill is 100% over him, for sure, but she has a few things she wants to say to him before she moves on entirely.

It's an incredibly cathartic scene. The entire confrontation is great, peppered with humour, but when Jill totally blows her top, I'm hooked. And of course, once the hurt is in the open and cards are on the table, that's when Jill realises she's still got feelings.

I really enjoyed the reconciliation and the pep talk Jill gets from the rest of the Stage Dive ladies (always great to check in with them!). It did feel very short; I think the one thing that could've made it better would be a bit more on how Adam has grown in the things that led to Jill kicking him out.

If you love Stage Dive, you'll love this extra peek into their world - if you haven't met them yet, it's a great place to start!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Social Butterfly PR; all opinions are my own

Tempting the Scoundrel by Tracy Sumner

Below stairs is where the romance begins..

As the most distinguished watchmaker in England, Christian Bainbridge believes in accurate timepieces, not love. He secretly offered his heart years ago, and he’s never gotten it back. When Raine Mowbray stumbles into his life again, Christian realizes the woman he’s worshiped from afar is still the woman he desires above all others.

Raine Mowbray needs solitude and employment, not love. A housemaid forced to flee a loathsome earl’s grasp, the last thing she’s seeking is a man’s amorous attention. When she finds herself unexpectantly paired with a gorgeous watchmaker in need of an assistant, she’s unnerved by his wit, kindness—and clandestine devotion to her.

If you like spirited heroines who fight falling in love and charmingly arrogant heroes who think they know best, then this is the book for you! Snuggle up with Tempting the Scoundrel, a steamy second chance, love-at-first-sight Regency Romance!

This is a Downton Abbey-ish novella at 98 pages and 25K words.

Review

Most Regency romances focus on the ton. It's refreshing to read a romance below stairs - sort of. Christian considers himself as somewhere in the middle - a self-made man who is cousin to an earl. While staying with said earl, he spies a beautiful maid reading by lamplight and falls in love instantly. Too young and shy to even introduce himself, he leaves the next morning to begin an apprenticeship as a watchmaker.

Ten years later, he's the famous guest of a duke and she is the newest maid. Sparks fly - but can Christian convince Raine that the gap between them is not so impossible to bridge?

I really loved these two together - Christian is smart and determined, but terrible with expressing his long-held feelings. Raine is well-educated for a maid but is understandably wary of men of the nobility. There's an interesting theme of class - it's not exactly front of mind for us today, but back then there was a strong feeling about staying in your class and not looking above one's station. 

I'm not a huge fan of insta-love and think this would have been better if it had been expanded, perhaps over a longer timeframe for initial crushes to grow into a deeper love.

If you're looking for a short and steamy Regency read with a different hero and and heroine, give this a try.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.