Stacking the Shelves #60

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Death in SoHo by Emily Organ (Augusta Peel Book 1)

Amazon Kindle purchase

This author has two other series but this book was the first in this one and inexpensive and I thought it was unique in setting. I don't know anything about SoHo so it looks like a fun read! The heroine repairs old, neglected books which is fun for us book lovers and gets mixed up in a murder investigation. It is a good, light cozy for summer I'm sure.

 

Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England by Sharon Bennett Connolly 

Sample downloaded (planning to purchase on Amazon Kindle with points)

Sharon Bennett Connelly is one of the hosts of my new favorite podcast, A Slice of Medieval, and the author of several great books. She is an expert on medieval history and has written several wonderful books. This one is unique, focusing on the women in an era that almost exclusively focuses on the men. Some of the people covered in this book include Ela of Salisbury, Eleanor of Brittany, and Nicholaa de la Haye. I know nothing about these women so I'm looking forward to this one. 

She has several other books focusing on women of the Norman Conquest and those in the twelfth century like Eleanor of Aquitaine.  I found seven books total on medieval women in different eras. Sometimes it is hard to get these types of books here in the U.S. especially for a deal.

The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon (The Secret Detective Agency Book One)

Amazon Kindle purchase with points

I featured this book on one of my Can't Wait Wednesday posts awhile back and now I have it to read. Helena Dixon has written the Kitty Underhay mystery series and I enjoyed the first book. This is her new series about Miss Jane Treen in 1941 working as a government spy agent. The fact that her cat goes everywhere with her is a plus for me! It looks like a fun cozy read for summer. And there are more to follow if I like it. 

Stacking the Shelves #59

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton 

(Borrow from Libby app)

This will be a re-read for me. I read it years ago and another blogger reviewed it and reminded me I loved it! Thanks Olivia at Unsolicited Advice. Set in 1600's Jamaica during the crazy Pirate era, critics say it is too cliche and has way too many movie Pirate tropes but I don't care! I love all things pirate themed and this book I remember has a lot of history. It looks like a fun summer read and I've forgotten the story so I'm looking forward to reading it again. 

Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Aloysious Pendergast Book 10, or, Helen Trilogy Book One)

(Borrow from Libby app)

Technically this isn't historical fiction but it is a mystery. Not a cozy one though! One of the main characters also comes from the past. I have read books 1-9 (years ago) and came upon these again this week. I got hooked into looking into what Agent Pendergast has been up to and saw this is a middle of series trilogy (Helen books 10-12) about the death of his wife, Helen. It was where I left off before. So I thought I'd pick up with this next one. I hope I enjoy them as much as I used to. They are scary and suspenseful for sure. 

Conclave by Robert Harris

(Borrow from Libby app)

I haven't watched the movie yet but am going to. This isn't normally a book I'd choose first but the first chapter hooked me. I think it will be a bit of a history lesson too as I know absolutely nothing about this process. I like stories set around Italian politics concerning the church. It will be a power struggle for sure and should be interesting. It's not really historical fiction but it has that vibe and the mystery feel about it. So I'm counting it for my blog!

Stacking the Shelves #58

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Blood On the Tracks: Railway Mysteries by Martin Edwards (Editor)

(Kindle purchase)

This book is part of the British Library Crime Classics series that are being reissued. It contains a collection of mysteries, all set on trains, by some of the leading authors of the twentieth century. I know there are so many of these books, more than I could ever read, (over a hundred), but this one appealed to me because of the train setting. That's always a favorite of mine. Some of the authors I know like,  Arthur Conan Doyle, but most are new to me. I like being able to read one as I feel like it as most are short. 

Crown and Sceptre by Tracy Borman (A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II. 

(Kindle purchase)

This was on sale for 99 cents and I was interested based on the title. I'm not sure what it means by "new" history but wondered enough to get it. And I love timeline books with short summaries or bios that I can refer to for quick information. This runs to Elizabeth II so it covers every monarch. I'll probably flip through and read about the ones I am most interested in first.

Murder Under the Mistletoe by Erica Ruth Neubauer (A Jane Wunderly Mystery Book 4.5)

(Libby audiobook borrow)

Having just finished through book 4 in this series, I thought I'd read the middle stand alone Christmas one before starting book 5. I'm sure there are things I'll learn about the characters that will be helpful to know. And Christmas in summer is always fun! It's called book 4.5 because it's shorter and a "gap" book. Should be fun. 

Stacking the Shelves #57

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Richard Duke of York, King By Right by Matthew Lewis

(Kindle purchase)

One of the only books I've come across to tackle only Richard Duke of York's life. Matthew Lewis is a great storyteller too. I have several of his books and love his podcast. If you love learning about the Wars of the Roses like I do this is a good author to read. He's factual but not overly wordy and definitely not boring! So many books discuss the family but this one focuses on the role of Richard and I am interested to learn more about him. 

The Forbidden Queen by Anne O'Brien

(Kindle purchase)

I haven't read anything by this author and that's tragic because I own several of her books and have promoted them in the past. I know she's a great author. It's hard to get her books for an inexpensive price. That says a lot about her work though. I have read Jean Plaidy's book about Katherine of Valois, wife of Henry V and it was great. This one looks good and I love her story. It's so tragic and romantic! I hope to read and review this one in 2025. 

Murder in an Italian Castle by Benedict Brown

(Kindle purchase)

I am so excited for this one!  Lord Edgington and his grandson Christopher are traveling abroad. This is book one of Lord Edgington Investigates Abroad and they go to Italy for a European holiday. Of course a murder occurs and they must put on their sleuthing hats once again. 

I have read the Christmas book in the previous series. It was well written and witty and I really like the author's newsletter and updates he sends in my email. His name is Benedict Brown and he has two other cozy mystery series as well. I prefer cozies that take place in fun, exotic locations and he says he visited the castle he features and has a lot of details and history about it to share in the book. I love that!

Stacking the Shelves #56

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Kindle purchase from Amazon

I love this author for non-fiction and she's been featured on podcasts I love. She has a style of writing that is narrative and gets to the point but is also rich in details. This book is one of a kind, narrowing in on the Beaumonts and their influence throughout the Crusader period. I am looking forward to all the new information and research in it!

Kindle purchase from Amazon

This author has a wonderful podcast he runs with another author, Sharon Bennett Connelly. It's called A Slice of Medieval and this is his latest book. It is a non-fiction, straightforward guide to all things Wars of the Roses and even though I'm well schooled in that period now, I enjoy his style of conversation on the show episodes and hopefully that transfers to print. He said he wanted to take a series of episodes for the layperson who doesn't know anything and put it in book form. I know a ton about it all but I love the period and am always happy to re-read about it!

Kindle purchase from Amazon

This author was interviewed about her books on A Slice of Medieval's podcasts recently and it was fascinating hearing her explain about how she writes historical fiction and about her character creation for this series. It is set during the Wars of the Roses and the heroine is determined to save her family home from civil war. It came out in January and is part of The Tarnished Crown series. I probably won't get around to starting it anytime soon but I'd like to read it this year before book two comes out. 

Stacking the Shelves #55

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Kindle Offer: Free 

This is book one in the series, Veronica Vale Investigates. It was free so I got it because I like free books and book one in any cozy series. I hadn't heard of this one yet but what a cute, pretty cover!

Book description from Goodreads:

Veronica Vale spent a turbulent few years serving her country during the Great War - doing more than her role in the exchange network suggested. Now back on British soil and adjusting to life as an obituary writer for her uncle's newspaper, while caring for her ailing mother, Veronica has gotten used to a slower (and safer) pace of life. Excitement comes from fun parties, walks with Benji, her beloved rescue dog, and volunteering at the dogs' home.

When an old family friend, and former superstar of the theatre, Florence Sterling, is discovered dead in her dressing room at the Winter Garden Theatre in London, Veronica is curious to discover what happened to the sweet, funny, ruthlessly ambitious beauty.

Much to the dismay of her sometimes nemesis Inspector Templeton, Veronica is tasked with writing Florence's obituary. And what she learns will blow the roof off the theatre! That's if she survives to tell the tale.

Kindle Offer: Free 

Another cozy freebie I had to get. I just seem to collect them! This series is called, Cressida Fawcett Mysteries. Another beautiful cover and it looks cute. Who knows when I'll get to it and it's book five in this series but free books are hard to ignore. I have another by this author so it's one I'll read eventually or go back and start with book one first. 

Book description from Goodreads:

The Honorable Cressida Fawcett is expecting the cathedral crypt to be full of dry old bones. But when she finds a body murdered just moments before, she’ll need divine inspiration to solve her most mysterious case yet…

Winchester, 1925. When heiress and amateur sleuth Cressida Fawcett is invited to her aunt’s mansion on Cloister Close, she is looking forward to a quiet stay in the historic town. The views of the cathedral are heavenly – and her aunt’s maid, Nancy, makes devilishly good ginger biscuits! But it seems Cressy and her pug Ruby won’t be allowed to rest in peace… On a tour of the crypt, they are shocked to stumble across the body of Anthony, the gentle, devoted verger. And a wild-eyed Nancy is standing over him, bloodied candlestick in hand…

Since Nancy was caught red-handed and the only other suspect is the Silent Friar, the legendary local ghost, Detective Andrews of Scotland Yard thinks the case is closed. But Nancy swears she would never have killed Anthony; they were in love. And while Cressy may not believe in ghosts, she does believe Nancy. So, whose soul is full of murder most foul? And will they strike again?

As she digs through parishioner gossip, Cressy discovers that for a man of the cloth, the verger had a surprising number of enemies. Was a local antiques dealer driven to murder over an illegal trade in holy relics? Would the head bellringer kill to achieve his musical ambitions? Or is the saintly Dean, whose black-cloaked figure resembles the Silent Friar and whose wife recently drowned, hiding a deadly sin?

The cathedral conceals many secrets, and it seems Cressy will need a miracle to uncover the truth. But then Cressy finds a hidden passageway to the crypt. Is this how the murderer escaped? The skeptical police lack faith in her theories, but can she catch the killer and save Nancy from the hangman’s noose? Or will she be too late to prevent another funeral march?

Amazon Purchase: $8

I rarely buy brand new books. This one was cheaper to buy in hardcover than on Kindle which I found very odd. It's by an author who writes about the Crusades in both history and historical fiction. She's got a great blog too. Her name is Helena P. Schrader and this book is so unique. 

As a Crusades history buff I've had my eye on its release for awhile now. She says she also tried to write it simply and as if one doesn't know all about it yet. I like that as some history books on this era can get bogged down in details over my head. Her historical fiction is good for the same reason.

Book description from Goodreads:

In the mild climate of the Mediterranean, a rare blossom, once a prosperous, urbanized society inhabited by various ethnic and religious groups living harmoniously together for nearly two-hundred years. At the apex of this society, ruled a feudal elite notorious for its wealth and love of luxury. It was composed of politically savvy, diplomatically adept, well-educated and multilingual men – and women.

These women played an astonishing and indispensable role in shaping the character of their unique society. They were ruling queens, independent barons, nuns and pilgrims. They were merchants and artisans, diplomats and spies. They were warriors defending besieged cities and the most pitiful victims of conflict as slaves after a defeat.

While many primary sources readily recorded specific and noteworthy actions taken by individual women, there is no comprehensive or systematic description of women’s contribution to the life and society of Outremer. All we have are fragments of a mosaic badly damaged by time. Yet even these remnants have largely been neglected due to the prevailing emphasis on the era’s military history.

The Powerful Women of Outremer redresses that imbalance. In a chronological narrative, women’s contributions to the crusader states are highlighted. The book then explores women’s societal role in thematic chapters. Finally, a series of short biographies shine a light on the lives of individual women. By piecing together the scattered remnants of the historical mosaic, The Powerful Women of Outremer offers readers a clearer understanding of the importance of women to the history of the Near East and a richer picture of the women themselves.

Stacking the Shelves #54

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Kindle purchase: $2.99:

This book was written by a descendant of Robert the Bruce. I saw it in Half Price Books and was fascinated. It is written in a narrative style and from just flipping through the pages looks to be balanced between his life as King and battles, and his personal life. Just the kind of historical fiction I love. It was a good find. Also, the author it seems would have more incentive to remain true to the history considering it is about his own relatives. 

Borrowed from Hoopla: Free

I have wanted to read a book by this author for awhile. She has a series before this one with the same character but this is a new series begun in 2024 and I love that it is called Lady Traveler in Egypt, meaning the series will focus on that part of the world. I'm sure the second book will be out this year so I'm going to get started on this one. Then maybe go back and read how it all began. Another cozy series is NOT what I need to be reading, lol....but I just can't help myself. And such a beautiful cover too.

Net Galley ARC: Free

My Net Galley ratio is not good. As in 40%. I have been bad about requesting ARC's and not finishing them or not liking them and feeling pressed to review anyway. So I'm choosing ones that I will actually read and this author is one I enjoyed before and the stories are really cute. I am very grateful that they are giving me a chance too. This is the start of a new series. That also appeals to me as I'm looking to get in on the ground floor of some series books so I'm not always behind on them!

Stacking the Shelves #53

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Amazon Kindle purchase with points

I have two books already about Scottish queens but they focus on all of them or those from the Stuart period on. This book is about medieval Scottish queens specifically and that really interested me! I love this time period as anyone who reads my blog knows and am always looking for anything I can about Scotland too. Sharon Bennett Connolly has written some really great books and has been featured on podcasts I listen to. Hoping I like this one!

Amazon Kindle purchase with points:

This author is knew to me although her name sounds familiar. This book is from 1991 and the setting is Egypt. She has written a lot of books and I don't like drama/romance so much so I'm hoping this one isn't heavy on that. In this story a woman cruises down the Nile to the Valley of the Kings, hoping to solve a mystery about her great grandmother from the 1800's. She retraces her steps using a diary and finds out some "terrifying" things along the way. 

Amazon Kindle purchase with points

I always seem to be finding new works by Kathryn Warner that look so fascinating! This is a rare book that focuses on the causes of the Wars of the Roses before the 1400's. It starts with the 1200's and Henry III going through to Richard II. Warner looks at how the Barons War with de Montfort, Edward II and his crazy rule, his subsequent removal by Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, and various world events lead up to the wars. I can't recall another book quite like that. It will also fill in the gaps I have about the Hundred Years War as well. Really looking forward to it!

Stacking the Shelves #52

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Purchased on Amazon: 99 cents:

I had never heard of this author or this series. When I bought the book I didn't look at the publication date but on Goodreads it says 1991. And the book is said to be a lot like the Cadfael series. It is part of the Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan and is the first book. Set during the 1300's during the time of Richard II. I was intrigued because it is a time I'm trying to learn more about. In this story, Brother Athelstan investigates the murder of a prince just shortly after the death of the Black Prince Edward. I'm excited to have stumbled upon this series! He has published over 100 books set in different time periods. 

Purchased on Amazon: 49 Cents with credits:

Ironically, I needed this book for the Read Christie challenge awhile back and couldn't get it anywhere without waiting forever or a steep price. So I bought it on sale this week and can finally read it, though not during the correct challenge month. I know it's the first Miss Marple book which sets the stage for the rest so I'm excited to see what it's like. Short stories aren't my favorite type of book but can be good for when you are in a time crunch and just want to pick up something easy.

Purchased on Amazon: $1.99:

The setting of this book was what drew me in. In 1880 a Scottish detective has been asked to investigate an Admiral's suspicious death in Malta. I love exotic locations and that is one place I know nothing about. From what I can find it looks like this is the author's debut novel published last April. I love supporting new authors and hope this one is good. 

Stacking the Shelves #51

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Purchased with digital Kindle points: 49 cents:

I recently watched the Poirot TV show episode of this book but didn't realize it was a short story. A really short one! It's only 35 pages. But I wanted to read it and so that is the plan today! As always, all things Egypt and pyramids appeal to me and so did the cover. And I just love the stories with Poirot! They are my favorites :) In this story Poirot investigates mysterious deaths associated with the dig site of a new tomb. There is more to the story of course and he suspects a much simpler solution than the supernatural. 

Purchased with digital Kindle points: 99 cents

I hadn't heard of this author before but the premise of the story looked interesting to me. It involves an old 16th century New Orleans mansion, treasure and ghosts. There is a mystery involving murder and two childhood friends caught up in the events. I probably won't get to it for awhile but it looked like one I'd read eventually. 

Purchased with digital Kindle points: Free

I don't know much about Irish history but I'd like to. This book looked like a good place to start and covers the later eras of 1500-2000. There is so much connected with England, France, and Wales (which I know much more about) that I'd like to learn. I also like books that will give me a short timeline first and this is a short history so it won't be overwhelming with details. I'll add it to my TBR pile and we will see when I get to it!