Book review : Mysterious Lover by Mary Lancaster

Mysterious Lover
Crime and Passion Book 1
by Mary Lancaster
My rating: 4.8 of 5 stars

It has been a very enjoyable mystery-romance read !
I would re-read it in my future and that I would recommend it to a friend with my same book genre's tastes.

I was undecided whether to read a mystery with a gothic flavor or a beautiful love story that would involve me and make me dream, when I saw the series title: "Crime and Passion" I thought it was the right mix I was looking for and the cherries on the cake was a character different from the usual duke or bow street runner: a Hungarian soldier and doctor, political refugee, after the Hungarian revolution of 1848 (and the cover with him wearing his uniform also charmed me)... intriguing !! :-D

It turned out to be the right choice.

__THE PLOT ___ We are in London in 1851. The story opens almost immediately with an inexplicable murder: the maid of a rich family, murdered near the opera house, while she should have been at home doing her job. Next to her is a precious dagger and the 2 main characters of the story meet themselves, for the first time, at the crime scene:
Lady Grizelda, daughter of the maid's employer and the first to discover the body and Dragan Tizsa, a soldier in the Hungarian revolution, now a political refugee in England, employed as an assistant doctor.
The first thought of both is that the other is the culprit, but logic says otherwise. Unfortunately in the past (and perhaps even nowadays) the less well-off classes are those immediately accused by the law, while the rich... you know how it is!
Now each of the 2 characters has a personal reason to find the culprit.

___ THE CHARACTERS and WHY I LOVED THEM TWO __
I liked the characters straight away due to the fact that neither of them is the usual "winner" in society, but neither of them isolates themselves from the world or gives up, both do their best to live with dignity and to give dignity to the less fortunate.

It is true that Lady Grizelda is the rich daughter of a very important duke in the high society circle, but despite her privileged situation, she is a girl who usually remains in the shadow of her more charming sisters and brothers.
Griz, 24 years old, does not stand out for her beauty and wears glasses, which was considered a disadvantage in frivolous aristocratic society, especially during the events of the season, in finding a husband. However, this does not affect her vitality and her spirit, in fact she doesn't feel like an outcast at all, on the contrary she is dynamic, intelligent and really enterprising.
She doesn't cry over the fact of remaining a spinster, she decide to be a spinster for the rest of her life by embracing its advantages: independence (of course thanks also to the allowance of a rich family), dedicating herself to reading and knowledge and above all giving herself the opportunity to look at the world with different eyes from those of her former society: without social class barriers and helping those who were less fortunate than her.

Dragan on the contrary, possesses the beauty that everyone notices at first glance, but he is a political refugee, he has lost everything: homeland, family, friends and the possibility of completing his studies at university and creating a future for himself.
He has never been rich, although belonging to a noble family of lesser rank, but he does not use his beauty to take rich women into his bed, on the contrary he works as a doctor's assistant and has no illusions about a love life and wedding, because he does not earn enough to create and support a family.
However, he fights for his ideals, for freedom of thought, for everyone's right to vote and to help other refugees.

---> The attraction that immediately arises between them is not just an aesthetic fact, it is an affinity that they feel as together they ask questions around, look for clues, get into dangerous situations and get each other out of trouble during the adventure of an escape at breakneck speed.

___ A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN MYSTERY AND ROMANCE__ the mystery is well thought and if at the beginning it took me a few chapters to feel taken by the investigations and the romance, after the first 20% of the book, I was completely immersed in reading and I savored any new discovery about the circumstances that led to the murder and the alleged perpetrators.

The possible hypotheses are numerous and all plausible. Suspicions fall on different people from time to time, which always left me in suspense while reading and wanting to guess myself who the murderer was and why.

The real culprit will truly be a surprise, a twist that I would never have imagined and which gave a touch of originality to the story !

As for the love story, it grows slowly but steadily and although there are no hot scenes, the agitation of the soul, the thought focused on the desire for the other and on the desire to spend more time together, the acceleration of the heartbeat, the excitement that comes from the birth of a feeling that brings new life into the lives of both , the sudden kisses that defy the rules of social classes, managed to excite me and make me feel the butterflies in the hero and heroine's stomachs.

The only one small and not too explicit sex scene is in the final part of the book, so even if the series is called "crime and passion" I would define it as a cozy mystery-clean romance ( well cozy and clean except that very short sex scene ), so nothing bloody or shocking and no hot sex scenes between lovers.
That is my favorite genre and I really liked it, but of course those who are seeking for stronger emotions will have to look elsewhere.

___ IS THERE ALSO A HISTORICAL PART? __ As I have already said, we are in 1851 and the book mentions the Hungarian revolution. Apart from this, there are no historical notions included in the novel, which I usually appreciate a lot.

However, the author manages to make the reader feel the atmosphere of the time.
The mean alleys, the flower sellers in Covent Garden, the prostitutes and their brazen and derisive way of speaking, the well-furnished living rooms and the parade of guests with bows and smiles, the false flattery of the world of the rich, the dedication of the servants and the desire to be able to rise in rank by moving from the class that serves to the one that is served... these are all well-described details that help the reader to enter perfectly into the setting of that time.

The series offers, so far, 3 other books and a Christmas novella.
Each book finds Dragan and Griz as detectives ( ___WARNING : SPOILER__[ who became husband and wife ]___SPOILER END, but focuses the romantic story on another couple (friends or relatives of Dragan and Griz).

I will DEFINITELY read the other books in the series and I really hope that the writer continues this saga by adding new adventures and refocusing the love interest on the couple Griz and Dragan. :-)

__ A FINAL NOTE ABOUT MY REVIEW : I'm from Italy and English is not my mother tongue, I tried my best but please forgive me for any grammar or form errors in my text )

READ ALSO "Crime & Passion" BOOK #2:
#2 Letters to a Lover review

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Book review : Murder on the Occident Express by Alex Wagner

Murder on the Occident Express
by Alex Wagner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nice, but I was expecting it a little bit more engaging, I have to admit it.

The reference to Agatha Christie, the train, the snow in the surrounding landscape... made me imagine a fascinating scenario and if the author was good at inventing a mystery completely different from that by our great Agatha, however she was unable to make it 100% captivating and engaging.

___ THE PLOT __ Penny Küfer, aspiring private detective, has just completed her first week of detective training.
After being disinherited by her mother and abandoned by her boyfriend, she has only one consolation left: the much-dreamed-of trip on the Occident Express, the most luxurious train that has ever traveled the European rails.
On the train we find also the owner of the train itself, Mrs. Madeleine and her family. It's clear right from the start that the rich members of the family hate each other, but when the first to die, does it so right before Penny's eyes... she takes the opportunity to investigate.

___ THE MAIN CHARACTERS___ Well, I liked Penny.
Very young, around 20 years old, she's not afraid to roll up her sleeves and live her life without her mother's money and pursuing her dreams. She is nice and enterprising, but she doesn't pretend to be the bravest or smartest, she simply tries to do her best and puts passion into what she does.

The male counterpart for half the book is the good doctor who together with her ascertains the cause of the deaths and formulates the first hypotheses, in the second part of the book we have the charming inspector, also in his early twenties and new to the profession.
I also liked the inspector, who is not the classic policeman who thinks he knows everything and doesn't want detectives around. He lets Penny help him.

___ WHY ONLY 3 STARS ___
As I was saying the inspector lets Penny help him, BUT HERE I have to blame the author: Penny practically does everything and the author could have left some of the interrogations and intelligent deductions to the detective.

1) It is neither credible that Penny, without any experience, discovers the whole truth on her own and acts with self-confidence, nor that the inspector doesn't even ask a question, leaving Penny to do it.

2) I myself had got from the beginning how (through what) the first two murders had occurred.

3) halfway through the book I had already rightly hypothesized who the culprit could be (only 3 suspects remained and 2 were too obvious to be, they would have immediately been investigated by the police).

4) In the last chapters Penny explains "how and why" the crime was committed, but it was already clear from all the author's explanations and from all Penny's explanations to the inspector, so it is a useless repetition.

5) I expected Penny and the young inspector she feels attracted to, to have at least a small romantic exchange.

___ CONCLUSION ___ The book entertained me for a couple of days, it wasn't a bad introduction to Penny's character, but I would have preferred to have a little more suspense.
Speaking of Penny's next adventures, already available in English up to number 7, I hope for more intricate mysteries and also in a love development with the young and charming inspector.

Available in German or English Edition only

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Book review : A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

A Fatal Waltz
Lady Emily Mysteries #3
by Tasha Alexander
My rating: ★★★★★
Actually 4.5 of 5 stars

Another great mystery in this lovely Victorian setting series !

A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander starts a little slow but after two chapters it will involve you completely.

Indeed after the characters introduction and the arrival in Vienna, the glittering capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it gets straight to the heart of the intrigue.
I found myself totally immersed in the the nineteenth century's Vienna, thanks to the amazing descriptions of places, fabulous buildings, joyful and at the same time problematic events of that era.

This book made me want to listen to the Strauss waltz, making research on the web about period pictures and lithographs and to read even more about the different historical facts about Vienna happened at that time .

_____ THE PLOT _____ This is the 3rd installment in the series "Lady Emily Mysteries" , but well readable as a standalone.
This time Emily reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the sprawling English country estate of Lord Fortescue, a man she finds as odious as he is powerful.

In an already unbearable context, Emily finds among the guests Kristiana von Lange, an Austrian countess who was once linked romantically with Emily's fiancé, the debonair Colin Hargreaves.
What Emily believes will be an awful evening turns worse when Fortescue is found murdered and Robert Brandon, the husband of Emily's best friend Ivy, is arrested for the crime.

Determined to right this terrible wrong and clear Robert's name, Emily begins to dig for answers, a quest that will lead her from London's glittering ballrooms to the salons of the court of Vienna and also to the capital's sordid backstreets. Not until she engages a notorious anarchist in a game of wits does the shocking truth begin to emerge.

____ INTRICATE MYSTERY WELL DESIGNAD BY THE AUTHOR ____
This was an easy, fun read with glimpses of deeper stuff below the surface.
The mystery is compelling as it is not a simple murder but as often happens in this series, politics and espionage are expertly mixed with events that touch Emily's personal life and affections.

In my opinion, this is also the charm of the detective stories in this series: while we are entertained by the mystery, the author manages to introduce in a captivating way historical and political facts that actually happened and which entice us to find out even more.

Following the investigations, it comes naturally to me to formulate my suppositions, but I can never guess the killer's motivations and therefore the killer himself until the very end. So if you are a puzzle lover you will find your entertainment here.

___ A LITTLE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE ___ There is nothing better than an ex-love to make things more complicated even in the most beautiful and supportive relationship.
As a woman, while reading I couldn't help but detest Countess Von Lange, who like all ex-great loves, tortured Emily by reminding her how much power she had over Colin's emotional side and threatening her every time to take her beloved back. I felt close to Emily and I was jealous with her, I suffered with her and I felt a great satisfaction when... oops, no... you have to read the book!

______ THE CHARM OF THE HISTORICAL PART ____ In this book Sissi's lovers will be delighted by the appearance on the scene of the famous historical character, represented at a moment in life when beauty had already faded, partly due to time, partly due to personal pains, but her elegance and charm were always present.

Another historical figure present in the book is the famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, whose painting "The Kiss" is known throughout the world, even to those who know nothing about painting.

As it is written at the back of the book, in the author's notes, Vienna at that time was a city ahead of its time, a sophisticated place, the scene of great cultural, political and intellectual ferment. The city of Strauss' waltzes, with its austere and glittering beauty, was an obligatory stop on the Grand Tour, the journey that most of the young European aristocrats made.

Sisi, young empress and after the mourning for her son
The famous painting by G. Klimt "The Kiss"

At those times the ballrooms held up to two thousand people, who drank almond milk, lemonade and hundreds of bottles of champagne.
The Ringstrasse, with its dreamlike atmosphere, enchanted all who traveled it.

However, in all this splendor and innovation (like the facade of the Court Theater illuminated by four thousand electric lights), Vienna, like any great capital, also had a dark side:

_ anti-Semitism and poverty were rampant and the suicide rate was the highest in the entire continent. and often, in the morning, the city's many night owls started the day with the impressive account of yet another suicide.

In that wonderfully complicated city, Lady Emily for the first time in her life, has the opportunity to meet and make friends with people who do not belong to her social class and are not members of her servants.
In Victorian era rich people and aristocrats lived in their own gilded world and did not see the poverty and disease of the lower classes with their own eyes, they only knew those terrible living conditions of the poorer only through reading.
When Emily arrives in this beautiful snow-covered city, she can't help but fall in love with its beauties: the Ringstrasse, the balls, the museums, the opera, the cafés... However, facing the difficulties of some people who lived in extremely disadvantaged conditions, she cannot remain insensitive and begins to develop a social conscience and this is another theme that I really liked, i.e. opening our eyes to realities different from ours (also valid for today's society).

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** ------------- **
LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

Un valzer fatale by Tasha Alexander

Un altro grande mistero in questa adorabile serie di ambientazione vittoriana!

A Fatal Waltz di Tasha Alexander inizia un po' lentamente ma dopo i primi due capitoli vi coinvolgerà completamente.

Infatti, dopo l'introduzione dei personaggi e l'arrivo a Vienna, la scintillante capitale dell'Impero austro-ungarico, si arriva dritti al cuore dell'intrigo.
Mi sono trovata totalmente immerso nella Vienna dell'Ottocento, grazie alle straordinarie descrizioni di luoghi, favolosi edifici, eventi gioiosi e allo stesso tempo problematici di quell'epoca.

Questo libro mi ha fatto venire voglia di ascoltare il valzer di Strauss, di fare ricerche sul web per leggere ancora di più riguardo ai diversi fatti storici accaduti a Vienna in quel periodo e poter vedere foto, quadri e litografie dei personaggi dell'epoca e di com'era la città allora.

_____ LA TRAMA _____ Questo è il terzo capitolo della serie "Lady Emily Mysteries", ma è ben leggibile come libro autonomo.
Questa volta Emily accetta con riluttanza di partecipare a una festa nella vasta tenuta di campagna inglese di Lord Fortescue, un uomo tanto odioso quanto potente e che non perde mai occasione di punzecchiare Emily ( l'antipatia è infatti reciproca ).

In un contesto già insopportabile, Emily trova tra gli ospiti Kristiana von Lange, una contessa austriaca un tempo legata sentimentalmente al suo fidanzato, l'affascinante spia Colin Hargreaves.
Quella che Emily crede sarà una serata terribilmente noiosa, peggiora quando Fortescue viene trovato assassinato e Robert Brandon, il marito della migliore amica di Emily, Ivy, viene arrestato per il crimine.

Determinata a correggere questo terribile torto e a riabilitare il nome di Robert, Emily inizia a cercare risposte, una ricerca che la porterà dalle scintillanti sale da ballo di Londra ai salotti della corte di Vienna e alle sordide stradine secondarie dei quartieri malfamati. Solo quando ingaggia un noto anarchico in un gioco d'ingegno la scioccante verità comincia a emergere.

______ UN MISTERO INTRICATO BEN PROGETTATO DALL'AUTRICE _____ Questa è stata una lettura facile e divertente con scorci di "qualcosa di più profondo" sotto la superficie.
Il mistero è avvincente in quanto non si tratta di un semplice omicidio ma come spesso accade in questa serie, politica e spionaggio sono sapientemente mescolati con eventi che toccano la vita personale e gli affetti di Emily. Questo a mio avviso è anche il fascino dei gialli di questa serie: mentre veniamo intrattenuti dal mistero, l'autrice riesce ad introdurre in maniera accattivante fatti storici e politici realmente accaduti e che ci invogliano a saperne ancora di più.

Ogni volta che leggo un giallo, seguendo le indagini, mi viene spontaneo formulare delle supposizioni, ma nei libri di Tasha Alexander non riesco mai a intuire fino all'ultimo le motivazioni dell'assassino e quindi l'assassino stesso, perciò ti dico: se sei un amante dei puzzle, questo ti piacerà!

___ UN PO' DI SUSPENSE ROMANTICA ___ Non c'è niente di meglio di un ex amore per rendere le cose più complicate anche nella relazione più bella e solidale.
Come donna, durante la lettura non potevo fare a meno di detestare la contessa Von Lange, che come molti gli ex-grandi amori, si divertiva a torturare Emily ricordandole quanto potere avesse ancora sulla parte emotiva di Colin e minacciandola ogni volta di riprendersi il suo amato.
Mi sentivo vicino ad Emily e soffrivo con lei, provavo quel pizzico di gelosia normale per tutti insieme a lei e ho provato una grande soddisfazione quando... ops, no... devi leggere il libro! :-)

Il rapporto d'amore, tra Emily e Colin si sviluppa in maniera abbastanza moderno per l'epoca vittoriana, ma rimane comunque coerente con quell'epoca sotto molti aspetti, dunque non c'è nulla che stoni con l'intera lettura, anche se non è il rigido cliché di coppia a cui siamo abituati nella lettura di libri calssici.

______ IL FASCINO DELLA PARTE STORICA ____ In questo libro gli amanti di Sissi rimarranno deliziati dall'apparizione sulla scena del celebre personaggio storico, rappresentato in un momento della vita in cui la bellezza era già sbiadita, in parte a causa del tempo, in parte a causa di dolori personali , ma non la sua eleganza, presente in ogni momento.

Un'altra figura storica presente nel libro è il famoso pittore austriaco Gustav Klimt, il cui dipinto "Il bacio" è noto in tutto il mondo, anche a chi non sa nulla di pittura.

Sissi giovane e dopo il lutto _ Il quadro di G. Klimt "Il bacio"

Come scrive l'auttrice nell'epilogo, Vienna a quel tempo era una città in anticipo sui tempi.
La capitale austriaca, la città dei valzer di Strauss, con la sua bellezza austera e scintillante, era un luogo sofisticato, teatro di grande fermento culturale, politico e intellettuale ed era una tappa obbligata del "Grand Tou"r, il viaggio che compiva la maggior parte dei giovani aristocratici europei.

A quei tempi le sale da ballo contenevano fino a duemila persone, che bevevano latte di mandorla, limonata e centinaia di bottiglie di champagne.
La Ringstrasse, con la sua atmosfera da sogno, incantava tutti coloro che la percorrevano.

Tuttavia, nonostante questo splendore e la grande modernità (come la facciata del Teatro di Corte illuminata da quattromila luci elettriche), Vienna, come ogni grande capitale, aveva anche un lato oscuro: l'antisemitismo e la povertà erano dilaganti e il tasso di suicidi era il più alto in tutto il continente, tanto che spesso, al mattino, i tanti nottambuli di turno iniziavano la giornata con il resoconto impressionante di un eennesimo suicidio

In quella città meravigliosamente complicata, Lady Emily, per la prima volta nella sua vita, ha l'opportunità di incontrare e fare amicizia con persone che non appartengono alla sua classe sociale e non fanno parte della sua servitù.

In epoca vittoriana i ricchi e gli aristocratici vivevano in un loro mondo dorato e non vedevano povertà e malattia delle classi meno abbienti con i proprio occhi, essi conoscevano le terribili condizioni di vita delle classi più basse solo attraverso la lettura.
Quando Emily arriva in questa bellissima città innevata, non può fare a meno di innamorarsi delle sue bellezze: la Ringstrasse, i balli, i musei, l'opera, i caffè.

Tuttavia, di fronte alle difficoltà di alcune persone che vivevano in condizioni di estremo svantaggio, non riesce a restare insensibile e comincia a sviluppare una coscienza sociale e questo è un altro tema che mi è piaciuto molto : aprire gli occhi sulle realtà diverse dalla nostra ( vale anche per la società odierna ).

Book review : The Highwayman's Letter by Martha Keyes

The Highwayman's Letter
by Martha Keyes
My rating: 4.9 of 5 stars

Such a nice surprise this reading was! I loved it !

Clean romance with a light plot, but the author manages to capture the reader's attention by describing so well the magic of a sweet love blossoming between two young people from different social classes during the Regency era.
Initially skeptical, I became completely engrossed after reading the first two chapters and found myself unable to put the book down.

The historical part is also very interesting, I've learned something new, I'll explain better after the plot here below.

___THE PLOT__  Regency era , about 1816.
Reginald Sinclair works at the post office during the day, while at night he transforms into a gallant bandit who robs the carriages of aristocrats. He wears a mask and old-fashioned 18th century clothes, but what made him famous in society is the kiss he use to give to women in the robbed carriage.
Joanna is the most sensible daughter of an aristocratic family who has just arrived in Bath to meet the man who should become her future fiancé (or so her father hopes).

All this takes place against the backdrop of great social injustice, such as postal franking and the inability of the poor to pay and the privileges of the nobility who obviously not only use the postal service for free, but also take advantage of it for trivial reasons worsening the situation of poor people.

Inevitably the paths of the 2 young people cross and from that moment on, something is born: a mere game at first, evolving into something far deeper.
Challenges and courtship follow up to the point where things become dangerous, both due to the fact that they belong to different social classes, and due to other serious facts that emerge throughout the story.

___ MY IMPRESSIONS__ As I said after reading the first chapter I thought it was a bit silly and that the plot was copied from some old Hollywood costume film: a bandit with a mask, who robs carriages, poses as a gentleman and kisses women .

Reading the second chapter I thought that the protagonist was a bit too naive and the plot absurd, since he spoke to a little mouse (...like Snow White with the birds and other animals), BUT THEN LUCKILY the author got on the right track and with a little humor and the usual brilliant comedy squabbles a beautiful story began with a nice touch of romance.
Don't give up after the first few chapters.

It's a clean romance, so there are no sex scenes or overly racy thoughts, but I assure you that all the time it took to get to the first kiss was truly a suspense of desire and emotion.
The fun due to the protagonists' joking jokes and the pathos due to the tension created thanks to the attraction the two young feel for each other, the desire to spend time together, the shiver on the skin due to a touch of the hand , with lips so close that they tremble with desire but waiting for the right moment, the stomach in turmoil and the dizziness that one feels in the emotion of a first kiss... it is described so well that despite my 52 years and my experiences , I went back in time and relived every emotion I felt when I was young, when a new love was born and I couldn't think of anything else.

Once again I can see that it is not the type of scene reported in a book that makes it interesting, but the emotions that the author manages to unleash within you.

__ THE HISTORICAL PART I didn't expected __
A historical romance doesn't always offer historical notions and when it happens, I think it's an added value: entertainment + new knowledge.

---> One of the central themes of the novel is the gap between social classes and how the privileges of the nobles reflected negatively on the already difficult lives of the poor and workers.

---> In particular it talks about the postal system of that time.
During the Regency period, post was expensive. MPs were the only ones who had a "free" ride for mail delivery and until 1840, they could "frank" (free postage) their letters, but while this privilege should have been limited to Crown business, they took advantage of it also using it for private and superficial communications and giving letterheads to friends.

This weighed on the poor who instead had to pay to receive their letters. Yes ! At that time it was the recipient who paid, if one didn't have the money that person couldn't receive the letters, often important matters or messages from distant family members. In the book you will read why this is so serious and in the epilogue at the end the author explains many more things than I am anticipating and also the systems of closing the letters (the envelope was not used and also Reggie and Joanna, in the novel, are using particular systems to block their letters without using sealing wax).

The author tells also about the the subsequent birth of the private Penny post and the codes used by people to write their letters but saving on paper. It's really very interesting!

I hope I was able to convey my enthusiasm to you even in my incorrect English, I am Italian, so please be indulgent with my text.

Not available in Italian language.

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Book review : The Demon's Parchment by Jeri Westerson

The Demon's Parchment
Crispin Guest Book 3
Medieval noir by Jeri Westerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another amazing mystery in the Crispin Guest medieval noir series !

5 stars well deserved because the plot is really intricate, but never tangled, which means that the author has been able to create a clever interweaving of topics with different characters, keeping the suspense high throughout the book, but without ever making the reader feel lost in the confusion.. on the contrary, the reader is able to perfectly follow the events and investigations carried out by Crispin, remaining amazed at each truth revealed.

___THE PLOT __ Crispin Guest is a former knight, about thirty years old, who 8 years earlier due to a mistake, was deprived of his knighthood, his noble title, his lands and his manor, spared death, but removed from court , he had to start living his life in the poorest part of the city.
In a constant regret of what his life was before, Crispin still manages to react, earning a living with his intelligence and his experiences as a knight, that is, finding lost things (often emotionally and religiously valuable) and investigating about the murders in which he often find himself involved.
This time, looking for stolen parchments, Crispin finds himself having to investigate a series of brutal murders in which the victims are children, he is in fact a serial killer.

__THEMES ADDRESSED IN THE BOOK AND IMPRESSIVE SCENES___ Although the mystery series is defined as "noir" (and a few words and some sex scenes definitely exclude the book from the cozies), I usually don't find shocking scenes or too strong to digest and that's why I love these thrillers: engaging from start to ending, great suspense and thrills, but nothing that makes one feel bad.

However, the themes addressed in this 3rd installment are strong themes: prostitution, child abuse, psychopathic killers, prejudice, marginalization, homosexuality.
Themes to reflect on since they have been part of society in all eras and also in ours.
Don't be scared, the reading is smooth and the author is very good at inserting these themes in the context of a mystery which still remains entertainment for us readers.
The only point where I had to read quickly, because it nauseated me, was when the murderer, now discovered by Crispin, described in detail the murders, the procedure and his disgusting and perverted sensations... but this was necessary to convey the gravity of the matter and how twisted and wrong the human mind can sometimes be.


___ USUAL CHARACTERS ___ In addition to Crispin, as always we find his faithful friends: twelve-year-old Jack, who, being alone in the world and with a past as a cutpurse, found in Crispin a very important emotional help and point of reference.
The good Abbot Nicholas in Westminster, always ready to welcome the former knight and help him in case of need. The couple who run the tavern, who despite being slightly older than Crispin, care about him like a son.
In all of this, with each episode, the bonds between these people become increasingly stronger and more important, thus creating a new family for our hero, a family that asks for nothing in return except affection and which makes Crispin's new life more tolerable and perhaps of greater value than when he was rich.

I love these characters, they are well described not so much physically, but in their way of being: gestures and emotions... they are truly real in their strengths and weaknesses.
Nobody is perfect, including Crispin, each of them is a good person, but with their own flaws and that makes them really believable, interesting and we would love to have them as friends.

Above all, Crispin is fascinating in his determination and physical prowess, in his cunning and desire to defend the just and the oppressed, but also in his stubbornness, his doubts, his pride, his naivety or his absurd prejudices, on which however he reasons and works ...until he admits (even if reluctantly) his own mistakes and changes his vision of things.

___THE HISTORICAL PART and REAL EXISTED CHARACTERS ___ Usually the historical part concerns missing objects, religious relics that actually existed/exist.
This time the story focuses more on facts and characters.

A historical fact introduced in the book is the exile of the Jews from England in 1290 by Edward I and all the ugly popular legends told about the Jewish community to justify their removal. Added to this is also the popular belief in the creation of monsters (the Golem) and magic.
One of the characters in this mystery is inspired by a Bishop who really existed in Spain during the Inquisition.

Even the serial killer is inspired by someone who, unfortunately, really existed and who claimed hundreds of victims (you will find explanations in the epilogue of the book).

But the historical character that I liked most in this book is a friend of Crispin's disguised as a woman.
Crispin hates his dressing like a woman and his selling her body for money and yet he can't help but be fond of him, because John / Eleonor Rykener (this is his name in the book and in reality) is always cheerful, funny and above all kind-hearted.
The always merry John/Eleonor, together with other friends with the same vocation as him, will even carry out a nice rescue of Crispin (who in this episode is beaten up and injured more times than usual).

IN CONCLUSION: this time too, suspense, intrigue, irony, lively jokes, action, a protagonist I adore and his fantastic friends gave me a wonderful read.

Readable as a standalone, but if you read the books in order from the first to last one (15 in total) you will enjoy each story even more! :-)

( Sorry for any text errors, English is not my mother tongue )

If you are curious to know something more about BOOK#1, BOOK#2 and #BOOK4, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies" :

BOOK #2 "Serpent in the Thorns" :

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones" :



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Giveaway : Free Printable October 2023 Calendar

New freebie to my readers : October 2023 calendar to download and print

Hello my readers and friends ! :-D

As it has become a habit in recent months, I'm here to give you my monthly freebie : the printable calender of October 2023, that you can download, by clicking on the preview here below.

You can print it in its format or in a smaller format such as a postcard and use it as a bookmark in your paper books (if some of you still love paper).

Personally, most of the time I read e-books, because of the lack of space at home and because it is more confortable to carry my readings in my bag with a Kindle or on my phone or tablet, but when I read a book that I think it's amazing and really enjoyable, then I also like to buy the paper edition and have it with me forever ! :-)

More it will be able to be read even in 20 years, when the file types have changed, but the paper edition will always be readable.

What is your favorite format? Paper or e-book? Let me know in the comments :-)

Here you are the printable calendar preview, just click on it and then download it for free.

@TizianaFragnerGraphic
October 2023 Calendar
Size 1634 x 1264

There are still a few days left until the beginning of October, so I wish you a good end of September and a good new start of next month.

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Book review : Lady Tinbough’s Dilemma by Clare Jayne

Lady Tinbough's Dilemma
Campbell and MacPherson Historical Mysteries #1
by Clare Jayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A nice cozy mystery, suitable for young adults.
I only rate it 3 stars because I expected it to be more engaging and it would have been very interesting if the author had made it just a little longer by going deeper into the themes she had included.

__THE PLOT __ Edinburgh at the end of the 18th century.
Two young people, a boy and a girl who have just met, find themselves investigating the mystery of an emerald necklace stolen from a friend of her aunt's.
Obviously neither of them has experience in this type of thing and what starts out almost like a game turns into something much more serious when they learn of a murder as a result of another reprehensible act.

__ CHARACTERS __ I liked the two characters and it would have been easy to become fond of them if the author had developed in a deeper way their emotions and their inexperienced approach to life and society of the time with all the ensuing difficulties (mentioned here, but not sufficiently developed to make the book impressive).

She is a wealthy orphan who rejects the idea of marriage due to her parents' bad example. Added to this is the fact that at the time, as until the beginning of the 20th century, a man by marrying a woman became her master and could dispose of the woman and her goods as he wanted, also having every right to beat her if deemed it appropriate (interesting thought to reflect on, since today women still suffer a lot of abuse even in the most developed countries).
Ishbel therefore prefers to take refuge in books and at university (where at the time women could only attend lectures) despite this excluding her from being willingly accepted by the rich and aristocratic society.

Ewan lives a type of life opposite to hers, he frequents the social life with his friends and yet his good character can be glimpsed.
He is an affable boy with everyone, who does not feel uncomfortable with the less well-off, whom he treats in a friendly manner, including his valet and the rest of the staff of his house.
Another virtue of Ewan's is that he does not misjudge Ishbel for her interests which are so different from the demands of society at the time, but rather wins her affection by being sincerely interested in what she likes and by attending the lectures together with her, despite the contrary opinion of his best friends (another important point on which young adults can reflect and learn: there is not only physical attraction, but a sincere sharing of interests and the importance of following one's own ideas and desires without being influenced by the judgments of those around us, both society and relatives or friends).

___ THE HISTORICAL PART ___ as I have already said, everything could have been developed in more depth and a nice interesting novel could have come out of it, in any case, as a light read, I also found an interesting idea in the historical part.
---> The story begins with Ishbel and Ewan who for personal reasons participate in the trial of a robber called William Brodie, a character who actually existed and also known as Deacon Brodie, because he was named Deacon in 1781, i.e. leader of the trade, in Edinburgh.
The interesting part is that this character went down in history because of his double personality and double life: a wealthy business leader in Edinburgh by day and a thief by night with 2 lovers and 5 children that no one knew anything about.
---> It was precisely this character, tried and hanged in Edinburgh in 1788, who inspired the well-known writer Robert Louis Stevenson to write the novel "The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde".
--> The writer tells this in a short epilogue, but if like me you love doing some research on the web, in Wikipedia you will find the story of his life and how he was discovered and captured and where his house and the pubs dedicated to him are located.

__ MYSTERY PART __ the mystery could have been compelling, because from a simple theft we move not only to murder but to the theme of abuse of women (unfortunately a problem that is still current). However, the writer is still inexperienced and has not been able to put enough twists and clues to create enough suspense for the reader. I have read cozy mysteries that were certainly more engaging despite being light reads.

__ IN CONCLUSION all in all it was pleasant and if there weren't such a large number of books to read and so little time, I would read some other books in the series, but it won't happen anytime soon because I give priority to books that I think will give me stronger emotions.

( NOTE : being this book available in English language only, I'm writing my review in English, but it's not my mother tongue, so please be lenient with my text :-) thanks )

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Book review : Imperial Scandal by Teresa Grant

Imperial Scandal
Malcom and Suzanne Rannoch Mysteries
by Tracy grant
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

It's really difficult to review this book and also the author's style, some things are 4 stars, others 3.5 which I would round to 3.

I partly liked it and partly hated it. It was definitely an intense reading but difficult to read.
I honestly don't know if I will read more books in this series, probably not, but as happened last time too, after I finished the book for a while, I already feel like I miss the company of those characters... it's an odd thing!

Without a doubt this author's way of writing swallows the reader in a whirlwind of confusion, both understanding and emotional.

__ TOO MANY CHARACTERS ___ Well, such as in the first book of the series, here too we find an endless number of characters, that's the reason why the author put a characters list before starting the story.
Yes, I admit it helps a little, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20 RECURRING CHARACTERS, some invented, some really existed, PLUS ANOTHER 20 or so, historical and non-historical names ONLY MENTIONED throughout the book... I say : too much is too much !

---> But this is not enough to complicate things to the reader, indeed author's novels are so detailed that they seem like scripts for a TV series. Scenes and costumes are described in every shape, light, color and every fold.
The dialogues include both interesting exchanges for the reader and also banal lounge chatter, as happens in real life scenes.
If actors were to interpret the characters, they wouldn't need any guidance, the author describes every type of grimace, thought, emotion, action... the writer is good, but as they say: too much is too much and the book is unnecessarily too long in my opinion.

___ THE ROMANTIC TOUCH __ In the previous book I had grown fond of the 2 protagonists, Malcom and Suzanne and I liked their discovery of falling in love after an arranged marriage, above all I loved the complicity that was born between the two of them.
I wanted to read the second book precisely to find the two of them again, but in this book their couple, despite being in love, is left aside by the writer and in fact there was an element that disturbed me greatly in the behavior of one of the two. 
A petty behavior that I didn't expect from a main character and that I struggled to accept (and while I was reading I promised myself: I'm done with this series! ... But near the end ___WARNING : SPOILER [ this character finally changes for the better. I didn't think it would happen and it was a real sigh of relief, even if in subsequent books all this will have a consequence. ] __SPOILER END
LUCKILY I HAD MY ROMANTIC STORY with another couple (I won't say their names so as not to ruin the reading).

___THE PLOT ____ This time we are in Brussels, after Napoleon's return to France and the imminent danger of war.The story begins with a meeting between spies, an action scene with shootouts and 2 murders, one of which is strange and inexplicable, because it concerns not a spy, but a lady who was at a ball shortly before.
Compared to book #1, the mystery here is more interesting, but except for the opening scene, all the espionage part is resolved in lounge chatter at balls and the opera in Brussels, secret messages and interrogations of people connected to the victim, until about halfway through the book.
Furthermore, as in the first book, we find the theme of betrayals and a thousand lovers, all married people are lovers of someone or more than one: repetitive theme!

...AT THAT POINT, I THOUGHT:
Enough! How boring !!
I was wrong to read the second installment... the first one ended so well and I should have been happy with that...
AS SOON AS I FINISHED THINKING SO, THE TURNING POINT ARRIVED:

---> Having reached the point where the news of the war is communicated, the detailed description of the scenes becomes exciting, the emotions of panic and frenzy, the farewells of mothers, girlfriends, sisters to their men, the coming and going of soldiers ready to leave... it's very nice to read and I felt like I was inside a scene from the film "Gone with the Wind" (from Mitchell's book) or better yet inside a scene from the film and TV series about "Vanity Fair" by Thackeray, that was about the same historical moment. (I talk about films because there is no comparison with those fantastic novels and also because while I read, my mind "use to see" each thing I read like it was a movie).

---> With the beginning of the war, the historic battle of Waterloo, we have other very engaging scenes: suspense, bullets, battles, chases and ambushes, dead and wounded friends and acquaintances... everything described very well (but always with a billion fictional and historical  names, which I no longer took into account, except for the main ones, involved in the story of the murder ).

_ SO, TO SUMMARIZE MY OPINION: overall I liked the book and there was an happy ending , but there are too many characters, the plot is too long and detailed even with insignificant parts and all this creates great confusion for the reader, not allowing one to fully enjoy the story.
--> I think the author is well prepared from a historical point of view, but a myriad of names of characters who actually existed do not help the reader and in the end this is intended to be a light read.
--> The first half of the book was slower and had a repetitive theme (lovers and illicit relationships), while the second half involved me a lot.

ANOTHER PROBLEM (for me) REFERRING TO THE WHOLE SERIES:
the sequence in which books are read is not the same sequence in which they were published.
In fact, the first books of the series were written long after the others and the 2 protagonists have different names (yes, you understood correctly! ).
The writer wrote some books where the 2 main characters were called Charles and Melanie, then she changed publisher and wrote prequels with the names of Malcom and Suzanne (at the request of the new publisher), then in the last books I see that his name is Malcom and her Melanie (so mix the two pairs of names).
More, by reading some other reader's reviews, I saw that even the characters, despite being the same wife and husband, are more likeable in the recent books (which are actually those from the beginning of the series), while before they had slightly different and less pleasant personalities...WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ? THAT'S EXACTLY...IT'S ALL A GREAT CONFUSION!!

Not available in Italian language.

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Book review : Serpent in the Thorns by Jeri Westerson

Serpent in the Thorns
Crispin Guest Book 2
Medieval mystery by Jeri Westerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 full stars well deserved, it has been an amazing read!
__ I LOVED IT ! __

__ A GRIPPING MYSTERY AND A LOT OF ACTION __ An engaging adventure from start to finish, which begins immediately with a murder.
A simple-minded tavern girl comes to Crispin Guest ( the main character and our hero ) saying there's a dead body in her room and she was the killer. The dead man was precisely shot by an arrow.
It is clear that it could not have been her, but things are serious, since the dead man is a French courier, who had to deliver an important religious relic to the English king from the king of France.
To protect the girl, Crispin ( a former knight fallen into disgrace and estranged from court) decides to keep some secrets to himself and not reveal them to the sheriff, which will further complicate things and lead to trouble after trouble.

Crispin's investigations begin immediately and continue at a good pace for the first 25% of the book, then while it seems that some knots are starting to untie, actually the pace becomes more and more pressing.
The suspense grows to then lead to a series of daring adventures, interspersed with sudden twists and turns, just 5 minutes to catch a breath (both Crispin and the reader) and then here comes the unexpected again, the action, the suspense, the desperation, the solutions, new shocking revelations ( so really shocking for Crispin and the reader too, especially if one has read book 1 too) and then again a fleeting relief and action again !!! It goes on this way until almost the end of the book, you won't have time to get bored!

In this second episode of Crispin Guest, there was no falling in love or romance, but I didn't miss it... I didn't have the time, because everything was so compelling that I couldn't tear myself away from the book, indeed it was so strong my desire to know the truth about everything, that I wanted know it as much as our protagonist.

_ OUR HERO EMOTIONAL GROWTH __
Despite being only 1 year away from the first book our has still followed a significant growth path, which develops throughout the book.
Crispin is already 30 years old, a man, but now his soul and his way of perceiving the world are also maturing and while before his noble birth made him feel superior to those who were not (and in a certain way he could seem arrogant), now he pauses to consider less fortunate people's feelings.
Now he begins to see the world of the noble and rich people with different eyes, now he manages to see the arrogance and meanness, that power and greed inspire in human beings.
---> More importantly, Crispin begins to consider how important it is for him to have people who love him around, he values their affection and realizes he reciprocates it, especially towards Jack, so much so that in the end, both us and our hero we can even draw a moral from the difficulties that happened to him.

_ YOU CAN READ EACH BOOK AS A STANDALONE, BUT EVERYTHING IS MORE ENJOYABLE STARTING FROM NUMBER #1 __ I have already said in the previous review that all books are readable as standalone, because the author always bends the Crispin Guest's background and things evolution.
Nonetheless I think it is much more satisfying to read this series starting from book 1, after all there are only 15 books and since in addition to the various adventures there is a common thread (the personal life of Crispin and of those related to him), which is equally interesting to follow and is probably what binds the reader to our hero, what really makes us passionate about this so well written series (in my humble opinion of course).

___ THE HISTORICAL PART __ in this book, in addition to the medieval background, the story of another holy historical relic is introduced: the famous crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the day of his crucifixion and the legends of his power to give invincibility to the pure of heart.
Even for those who are not religious, these are interesting notions to learn, notions that are not taught in schools.

In addition to this, in this 2nd installment we find the aforementioned (in book #1) the Duke of Lancaster, who plays an important role in a plot, which is obviously fiction created by the author.
--> However, the character really existed, he was a figure of great importance: uncle of King Richard II, he was the richest man in England after the king and the most influential at court and progenitor of the dynasty of kings of England in starting from Henry IV (his son, who deposed Richard II, the Duke's nephew).
John of Gaunt was also the progenitor of the English royal House of Lancaster, that starting from 1455 was at war with House of York until 1485, a war that we know as THE WAR OF THE 2 ROSES (red for the Lancasters and white for the Yorks).
You can find all that at the end of the book in the epilogue.

__IT'S NOT A COZY MYSTERY__ some harmless swear words, fight scenes, killings in self-defense, nothing exaggerated or that we don't usually see on TV, but obviously this doesn't make it belong to the cozy genre.

( NOTE : English is not my native language, so please be indulgent with my text :-) )

If you want to know more about BOOK#1 - BOOK#3 and BOOK#4, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies" :

BOOK #3 "The Demon's Parchment" :

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones" :



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** ------------- **

LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !
Lo trovi sia in versione Kindle sia versione cartacea, clicca sull'immagine sotto.

Crispin Guest LIBRO 2 - Giallo Medievale di Jeri Westerson - IL MERCANTE DI RELIQUIE PERDUTE

Anche questo secondo libro della serie è stato bellissimo !

__ MISTERO COINVOLGENTE __ Un avventura coinvolgente dall'inizio alla fine, che parte immediatamente con un'omicidio,  ( TRAMA ) Una ragazza della taverna, con un chiaro ritardo mentale, va da Crispin Guest (il personaggio principale e il nostro eroe) dicendo che c'è un cadavere nella sua stanza e che lei è l'assassino.
Il morto è stato ucciso in maniera molto precisa da una freccia, è chiaro dunque che non possa essere stata lei, ma la cosa è grave, dal momento che il morto è un corriere francese, il quale doveva consegnare al re inglese un'importante reliquia religiosa da parte del sovrano di Francia.

Per proteggere la ragazza, Crispin, ex cavaliere caduto in disgrazia e allontanato da corte, decide di tenere per sé alcuni segreti e non rivelarli allo sheriffo,fatto che complicherà ulteriormente le cose portando guai su guai.

Le indagini di Crispin cominciano immediatamente e proseguono a buon ritmo per il primo 25% del libro, poi mentre sembra che qualche nodo cominci a sciogliersi, il realtà il ritmo diventa sempre più incalzante. La suspense cresce per sfociare poi in una serie di rocambolesche peripezie, intervallate da colpi di scena improvvisi, appena 5 minuti per riprendere fiato ( il protagonista e noi lettori) e poi ecco di nuovo: l'imprevisto, l'azione, la suspense, la disperazione, le soluzioni, nuove shockanti rivelazioni  ( per il protagonista e di nuovo anche per noi lettori, soprattutto per chi ha letto anche il primo libro ) e poi ancora un fuggente sollievo e di nuovo l'azione!
Va avanti con un bel ritmo fino quasi alla fine del libro e non avrai davvero tempo di annoiarti !

In questo secondo puntata di Crispin Guest, non c'è stato alcun innamoramento o romanticismo, ma non ne ho sentito la mancanza... non ho avuto il tempo, perchè tutto è stato così coinvolgente che non riuscivo a staccarmi dal libro, tanta era la voglia di sapere la verità su tutto. Lo desideravo tanto quanto il nostro protagonista, che pur essendo solo ad 1 anno di distanza dal primo libro ha comunque seguito un significativo percorso di crescita, il quale si sviluppa durante tutto il libro. 

__IL NOSTRO EROE CRESCE EMOTIVAMENTE __ Crispin ha già 30 anni ma sta maturando il suo modo di percepire il mondo. Mentre prima la sua nascita nobile lo faceva sentire superiore a chi non lo era ( e in un certo qual modo lo poteva far sembrare arrogante ), ora egli si ferma a considerare i sentimenti dei meno fortunati, ora egli comincia a vedere con occhi diversi le persone del mondo dei nobili e ricchi, ora riesce a vedere l'arroganza e la meschinità che il potere e l'ingordigia ispirano nell'essere umano.
Ancora più importante, Crispin comincia a prendere in considerazione quanto sia effettivamente importante per lui avere intorno persone che gli vogliono bene, ora egli da valore al loro affetto e si accorge di contraccambiarlo, soprattutto nei confronti di Jack, tanto che alla fine, sia noi che il nostro eroe, riusciamo persino a trovare della positività in quello che sembrava solo sfortuna.

_ PUOI LEGGERE OGNI LIBRO COME STANDALONE, MA è TUTTO PIù GODIBILE PARTENDO DAL NUMERO #1 __ Ho già detto nella precedente recensione che i libri sono leggibili come standalone, perchè l'autrice spiega sempre il background del protagonista e l'evolversi delle situazioni, ma penso che sia molto più appagante leggere questa serie partendo dal libro 1, in fondo sono solo 15 libri.
Poiché prima di approcciarmi alla serie ho letto diverse recensioni dei vari libri, ho potuto vedere che tutto si svolge nell'arco di 20 anni circa e che oltre alle varie avventure relative a omicidi e misteri, c'è un filo conduttore ( la vita personale di Crispin e dei suoi amici ) altrettanto interessante da seguire ed è probabilmente ciò che lega il lettore al nostro eroe, ciò che fa realmente appassionare a questa serie, davvero ben scritta ( in mia opinione ).

___ LA PARTE STORICA __ in questo libro oltre al background medievale, viene introdotto la storia di un'altra santa reliquia storica , la celebre corona di spine che Gesù portava nel giorno della sua crocifissione e delle leggende del suo potere di donare invincibilità ai puri di cuore. Anche per chi non è religioso sono nozioni interessanti da apprendere, nozioni che non vengono raccontate a scuole.
Oltre a questo, troviamo in questa puntata il già citato  (nel libro 1 ) Duca di Lancaster,  che ricopre un importante ruolo in un complotto, che ovviamente è finzione creata dall'autrice.
Il personaggio però è realmente esistito, è stata una figura di grande rilievo : zio del re Riccardo II, egli fu l'uomo più ricco d'Inghilterra dopo il re e il più influente a corte e capostipite della dinastia di re d'Inghilterra  a partire da Enrico IV ( suo figlio, il quale fece deporre Riccardo II nipote del Duca ).
John of Gaunt fu inoltre il capostipite del casato reale inglese di Lancaster a partire dal 1455 sarà in guerra con i York fino al 1485, guerra che noi conosciamo come LA GUERRA DELLE 2 ROSE ( rossa per i Lancaster e bianca per i York ).

NON è UN COZY MYSTERY : qualche parolaccia inoffensiva, scene di lotta, uccisioni in autodifesa , niente di esagerato o che non vediamo normalmente in tv, ma ovviamente questo non lo fa appartenere al genere cozy. 

Book review : Veil of Lies by Jeri Westerson

Veil of Lies
Crispin Guest Book 1
A Medieval Noir by Jeri Westerson
My rating: 4.8 but IT COULD BE 5 of 5 stars

I give it 4.5 and indeed I don't round up as usual, but down, because there is one thing that really disappointed me and I can't forgive the author for that (I'll explain further below, next to the word SPOILER...you choose whether to read it or not).

I will start by saying that the protagonist has already become one of my favorite characters and that I will continue with this series until the 15th and final book (alternating with other readings, so that this pleasure will last longer) where I hope our tormented hero can finally find the happiness he deserves.

__THE PLOT __ Crispin Guest is in fact a former knight, deprived of his noble title and all his possessions and banished from King Richard II's court.
He was estranged from his girlfriend and friends because of a stupid, but for that time, serious mistake of youth, considered treason, dictated by passion and affection towards the lord who had made him his pupil, none other than the uncle of the king himself.
In 14th century London, Crispin has now lived for 8 years in the slums of the city, surrounded by people who he used to look at from the top of his horse and to whom he would throw a coin for charity.
Crispin makes his living finding missing things, which is why he is called the "Tracker" and now being casually involved in a murder, he will find himself investigating the case, partly by personal choice and partly under duress from the sheriff.

I appreciated this book from the first lines and I think it is really well written. We have:

1) an intricate mystery to solve.
2) a fascinating and credible protagonist + equally credible supporting characters.
3) the historical background, the meticulously described setting and the theme of actually existing historical relics + stories and legends developed around them.
4) an unexpected hint of a romantic plot that develops in parallel.

__THE MYSTERY TO SOLVE ___The mystery begins with a murder, and it may seem like "the usual crime in the locked room", a theme that has now been read and reread, but the truth behind the heinous act is much more complicated and it touches more aspects of the victim's life, of the people related to the victim and of the political life of the English kingdom.
The more the main character, Crispin Guest, investigates, the more the mystery expands in an intricate and engaging way.

The plot is tight and believable, never boring, never!
The dialogues are good and there is emotional intensity.
The feelings of each character are well described or can be well guessed when described only by the reactions of the characters themselves.
There are surprising twists and turns and the background of a dark and damp London, with its cobblestone streets and alleyways with strong smells comes to life as if we were actually on the scene.

___ MEDIEVAL NOIR___ The author defines her book (the entire series) as medieval noir, a "hard boiled set in the Middle Ages" and she clearly says (at the end of the book) that Crispin Guest is a bit like James Spade.
Personally I don't like hard boiled books or movies and after having read the Maltese Falcon (which I consider to be complete bullshit) I haven't read any others, but luckily I haven't found a hard boiled here and Crispin Guest is MUCH BETTER THAN James Spade .
The only thing that comes close to a "noir" is just the slightly dark setting (but it's also there in gothic) and ____ WARNING : SPOILER[ one of those endings that leaves a bit of a bad taste in your mouth like in ending of Casablanca, the famous movie with Bogart and Bergman ( and here's why I don't give 5 stars, I can't stand a bitter ending).] SPOILER END _____

___ OUR HERO __ Crispin Guest as you can guess is a tormented man, he is unable to accept his new life condition, so different and difficult, from what fate had initially offered him by birth.
It's easy to go from the worst to the best, but accepting the opposite it's not easy at all.

It is also difficult for him to change his way of seeing things and despite having become poor, he cannot conceive the concept of equality between men, he was born noble and still feels noble despite having been deprived of the title.
He lives among the people who work hard for a loaf of bread, he owns less than them, however he still feels "different...superior" because that is the education with which he was raised and it is hard to eradicate an ideology in which he believed himself all his life...

But Crispin is a good man, he has ideals of justice and without realizing it he takes the side of the weak and those who believe to be innocent, he falls in love with a former chambermaid and keeps with him a young boy, who he saved from prison and who is left alone in the world and to whom he tries (with many difficulties) to teach honesty.
Crispin is loyal, he even gets beaten up in order not to reveal secrets that would get into trouble a woman he doesn't even trust yet and makes decisions that don't suit him, just to do what he thinks is the right thing.
I almost fell in love with him and I can't wait to spend more time with him and his nice assistant Jack (the little boy he saved, alone in the world, smart and intelligent, who by his own choice acts as his servant in order to live with him).
I can't wait to experience their next adventures, between the cobblestones of London and its fog, the murmur of the Thames, the crowds of the taverns, Crispin Guest's clashes with the sheriff (who really existed) and his melancholy by thinking about the past.

__ A HINT of ROMANCE ___ In this first book, in addition to the investigation into the crime (more than one actually) a little love story develops in the background, which I didn't expect... it's just a hint, actually, but I liked it and it also made me a little emotional.
____WARNING : SPOILER[ ... Maybe that's where the noir lies: our hero can't be happy...or doesn't want to be happy... there is no happy ending in this romantic side of the novel.
Browsing through the back covers of all 15 books in the series and among the reviews, it is clear that in the distant future the paths of the protagonist and the woman he loves will cross again, but many years have passed and she will still be married.
...and I don't like that either.
The fact remains that Crispin conquered me and I want to be in his company with all the books until the end of the story! ] SPOILER END _____

___ HISTORICAL NOTIONS ___ As regards the historical part, the charm of this book is not only the suggestive description of the scene, but also the introduction of ancient relics and legends that surround them.
This first adventure talks about the Veil of Veronica, a cloth imprinted with a face believed to be that of Jesus.
In the book the author tells some versions of the story and explains even better all the historical and legendary details in the epilogue.
I find these historical introductions very interesting, in my opinion they give an added value.

__ IT'S NOT A COZY MYSTERY __
The writing is smooth and engaging and if you are a lover of historical thrillers I recommend it.
It's more or less suitable for all ages starting from 17/18, it doesn't have gruesome scenes, but I warn that there are some bad words here and there and a curse that the author wrote in Italian (because there they are Italians involved in the case ) and who probably, writing it in a single word, didn't realize that it's a curse against God... that is, a blasphemy and I didn't like it and it could have been avoided/replaced with another bad word .
There are a couple of kisses and a sex scene, but it's not described in detail, so nothing shocking or dirty.

A LITTLE NOTE ON MY REVIEW : English is not my mother tongue, so please forgive me for any errors you find there

If you want to know more about BOOK#2 - BOOK#3 and BOOK#4, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #2 "Serpent in the Thorns" :

BOOK #3 "The Demon's Parchment" :

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones" :



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LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

La misteriosa morte del ladro di pergamene
Crispin Guest LIBRO #1 - Giallo Medievale di Jeri Westerson

(ATTENZIONE Premessa : probabilmente chi sceglie i titoli italiani, non legge i libri, perchè non c'è nessuna pergamena nel libro, bensì si parla di una reliquia sacra con il volto di Cristo )

Ho votato questo libro 4 stelle, in realtà sono 4.5 ma mentre solitamente arrotondo per eccesso questa volta devo arrotondare per difetto, non perchè non meriti le 5 stelle, QUESTO LIBRO AVREBBE POTUTO ESSERE UN 5 STELLE PIENO PER ME, PERCHè è STUPENDO, se non fosse per un piccolo, ma importante particolare che mi ha lasciato un po' d'amaro in bocca ( spiego più sotto, vicino alla parola SPOILER ...scegliete voi se leggerlo o no ) e quindi non ho potuto dare un 5 tondo.

Comincerò col dire che il protagonista è già diventato uno dei miei personaggi preferiti e che proseguirò con questa serie fino al 15 e ultimo libro ( ovviamente alternando con altre letture)  dove spero che il nostro eroe tormentato trovi finalmente la felicità che si merita.

Crispin Guest è infatti un ex cavaliere, privato del suo titolo nobiliare e di tutti i suoi averi e bandito dalla corte di Re Riccardo II , allontanato dalla fidanzata e dagli amici a causa di uno stupido, ma per i tempi di allora grave errore di gioventù, dettato dalla passione e dall'affetto verso il signore che ne aveva fatto il suo pupillo, nienetemeno che lo zio del re stesso.
Nella Londra del XIV secolo, ora Crispin vive da 8 anni nei bassifondi della città, circondato da persone che lui prima guardava dall'alto del suo cavallo e alle quali gettava una moneta per carità. Crispin si guadagna da vivere trovando cose scomparse, per questo è chiamato il "Tracker " e trovandosi ora coinvolto casualmente in un omicidio, si troverà ad indagare sul caso, in parte per scelta personale e in parte sotto costrizione dello sceriffo.

Ho apprezzato il libro sin dalle prime righe e penso che sia davvero scritto bene:
1) un Mistero intricato da risolvere
2) Un Protagonista affascinante e credibile + Personaggi di contorno altrettanto credibili
3) il Background storico, l'ambientazione minuziosamente descritta e il tema di reliquie storiche realmente esistenti + storie e leggende sviluppate attorno ad esse
4) Un accenno di trama romantica che si sviluppa in parallelo 

___ IL MISTERO DA RISOLVERE ___ Il mistero comincia con un omicidio, e può sembrare "il solito delitto nellastanza chiusa", tema ormai letto e riletto, ma la verità che sta dietro l'efferato atto è molto più complicata e tocca più aspetti della vita della vittima, delle persone ad essa correlate e dello stesso regno inglese, Più il protagonista indaga, più il mistero si espande in maniera intricata e coivolgente.

La è trama serrata e credibile ; i sono dialoghi nitidi e c'è intensità emotiva.
I sentimenti di ciascun personaggio ben descritti o ben intuibili quando descritti solo dalle reazioni dei personaggi stessi.
Ci sono colpi di scena sorprendenti e lo sfondo di una Londra scura e umida, con le sue strade e i suoi vicoli dagli odori forti prende vita come se fossimo realmente sulla scena.

___ "NOIR" MEDIEVALE ( ? ) __ L'autrice definisce il suo libro ( tutta la serie ) noir medievali, un "hard boiled ambientato nel medioevo" e dice chiaramente ( a fine libro ) che Crispin Guest è un po' cme James Spade.  Personalmente non mi piacciono gli hardboiled e dopo aver letto il Falcon Maltese ( che giudico un'emerita stronzata ) non ne ho letti altri, ma per fortuna io non ho trovato un hardboiled qui e Crispin Guest è MOLTO MEGLIO DI James Spade, di noir vedo solo l'ambientazione un po' cupa e  __ATTENZIONE : SPOILER__ uno di quei finali che ti lascia un po' di amaro in bocca come nel finale di Casablanca ( ecco il motivo per cui non do 5 stelle ) __FINE SPOILER __

____IL NOSTRO EROE ___ Crispin Guest come potrete intuire è un uomo tormentato, non riesce ad accettare la sua condizione di vita, così diversa e difficile, da ciò che per nascita il destino gli aveva inizialmente offerto. E' facile passare dal peggio al meglio, ma accettare il contrario non lo è per niente.
Per lui è difficile anche cambiare modo di vedere le cose e nonostante sia diventato povero, non riesce a concepire il concetto di uguaglianza tra gli uomini, è nato nobile e si sente ancora nobile nonostante sia stato privato del titolo.
Egli ora vive tra i la gente che lavora sodo per un tozzo di pane, possiede meno di loro, tuttavia si sente ancora "diverso...superiore" perchè quella è l'educazione con cui è stato cresciuto ed è dura sradicare un'ideologia nella quale si è creduto tutta la vita...
Ma Crispin è un brav' uomo, ha degli ideali di giustizia e senza rendersene conto prende le difese dei deboli e di chi crede innocente, s'innamora di una cameriera e tiene con sé un bambinetto che ha salvato dalla prigione e che è rimasto solo al mondo e al quale tenta ( con non poche difficoltà ) di insegnare l'onestà. Crispin è leale, si fa persino pestare pur di non rivelare segreti che metterebbero nei guai una donna della quale ancora non si fida neanche e prende decisioni che non gli convengono, pur di fare quella che lui ritiene la cosa giusta.
Mi sono quasi innamorata di lui e non vedo l'ora di passare altro tempo insieme a lui al suo simpatico assistente Jack ( il ragazzino che ha salvato, solo al mondo, sveglio ed intelligente, che per propria scelta gli fa da servitore per poter vivere insieme a lui).
Non vedo l'ora di vivere le loro prossime avventure, tra i ciottoli di Londra e la sua nebbia, il mormorio del Tamigi, la folla delle taverne, i suoi scontri con lo sceriffo ( realmente esistito) e la sua malinconia con i ricordi del passato.

__ UN PIZZICO DI ROMANTICISMO ___ In questo primo libro, oltre all'investigazione sul delitto ( più di uno in realtà) si sviluppa, in secondo piano, anche una piccola storia d'amore che non mi aspettavo... è solo un accenno in realtà, ma mi è piaciuta e mi ha fatto anche un poco emozionare.
___ATTENZIONE : SPOILER __ ...Forse è qui che sta il noir: il nostro eroe non può essere felice ...o non vuole essere felice...non c'è il lieto fine in questa parte romantica e dal momento che non mi piacciono i finali non felici , ho tolto al libro mezza stella, per forza di cose poi ho dovuto arrotondare a meno 1 stella.
E' una cosa che detesto sia nelle serie tv che nei libri, quando lo scrittore delude i lettori mettendo un finale amaro. La scrittrice scrive in modo da imputar la colpa a Crispin, in realtà i fatti che l'autrice ha messo, rendono "sciocchi"entrambi i protagonisti, che rovinano una storia che poteva renderli felici: lui non fa la proposta come lei avrebbe voluto..ma lei poteva aspettare almeno un poco di tempo, prima sposare immediatamente un altro perchè ricco e l'autrice avrebbe potuto far proseguire la storia, magari con alti e bassi per mantenere la suspense nei prossimi libri , darci un matrimonio a metà serie e continuare con avventure, fino ad un figlio nell'ultimo libro. 
Curiosando tra le quarte di copertina di tutti i 15 libri della serie e tra le recensioni, si evince  che in un lontano futuro le strade del protagonista e della donna che ama si incroceranno nuovamente, ma saranno passati molti anni e lei sarà comunque ancora sposata.
So anche che nel quindicesimo libro forse potrò perdonare l'autrice, ma saranno passati 20 anni ...troooopppo tempo ! ...e anche questo non mi piace.
Resta il fatto che Crispin mi ha conquistata e voglio stare in sua compagnia per tutti i libri fino alla fine della storia ! ___FINE SPOILER __

 ___ LA PARTE STORICA ___ Per quanto riguarda la parte storica il fascino di questo libro non è solo la suggestiva descrizione delle scena, ma anche l'introduzione nel mistero di antiche reliquie e leggende che le circondano.
In questa prima avventura si parla del Velo della Veronica, un panno nel quale è impresso un volto che si ritiene sia quello di Gesù.
Nel libro l'autrice racconta alcune versioni della storia e spiega ancora meglio tutti i particolari storici e leggendari nell'epilogo.Trovo queste introduzioni storiche molto interessante, secondo me danno un valore aggiunto.

E' un libro che si legge in maniera scorrevole e se siete amanti dei gialli storici ve lo consiglio.
Più o meno è adatto a tutte le età a partire dai 17/18 anni, non ha scene raccapriccianti, però avverto che c'è in qua e in là qualche parolaccia e un'imprecazione che l'autrice ha scritto in italiano ( perchè ci sono degli italiani coinvolti nel caso ) e che probabilmente, scrivendola in un unica parola non si è resa conto che è un'imprecazione contro Dio... non mi è piaciuta e poteva essere evitata/sostituita con un'altra parolaccia... Io ho letto il libro nelal versione originale inglese, onestamente non saprei dire se l'edizione italiana abbia eliminato quest'imprecazione oppure no, a mio avviso non avtrebbe dovuto esserci per niente, neanche nell'edizione inglese.
Ci sono un paio di baci e una scena di sesso, ma non è descritta nei particolari, quindi niente di scioccante o di poco pulito.

Giveaway : Free Printable September 2023 Calendar

Monthly freebie for you: printable September 2023 calendar

Hello my friends ! :-D

Summer is almost over and September has arrived bringing with it some fresh air and many beautiful autumn colours.

As for last months I created a coloful monthly planning that you can download, by simply clicking on the image preview and save as computer desktop or print it and then use it as a bookmark

@TizianaFragnerGraphic
September 2023 Calendar
Size 1634 x 1264

Just click on the image to get the bigger one and then download it.

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