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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