Silence in Hanover Close by Anne Perry

 

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

Length: 368 pages

Reading an Anne Perry mystery is like visiting an old friend. I have read many of her Pitt, Monk, and Christmas novels and one from the WW1 series. The comforting thing is that there are so many left to read and she is still writing new books yearly. When I need a break from epic super long books I like to grab one of hers and read it in a few days. She never fails to follow a tried and true formula and that is what appeals to her readers.

In this story we find Victorian Era couple Thomas and Charlotte Pitt hot on the trail of a murderer and mysterious woman. Of course Thomas is the policeman and his wife Charlotte is never supposed to be involved in the case but she somehow manages to insert herself every time, much to his dismay. Three years ago Robert York, a British Foreign Officer, was murdered in his home in Hanover Close. The killer has never been caught but the suspicion is that he was killed for secrets he possessed about overseas dealings. Inspector Pitt is asked to reopen the case by his superiors because his widow is remarrying a high level diplomat and the government does not want any surprises or embarrassment resulting from an unfinished investigation. 

As Pitt questions suspects and members of the family's household he becomes involved personally when he is accused of murder. His superiors seem unwilling to come to his defense and this seems incredibly suspicious to both Charlotte and her sister Emily. In order to find out more about what happened, Emily decides to apply as a lady's maid in the York household. Through various twists and turns she convinces the staff she is just a simple servant while listening to private conversations and intense family drama. Charlotte poses as a visiting society girl and along with a friend, Jack Radley, worms her way in to the drawing rooms of the York house to listen to gossip as well.

The drama slowly unfolds to its climactic ending with the Pitts, Emily, Jack, and the spirited Great Aunt Vespasia hot on the trail of the real murderer. As usual, I was unable to figure out whoodunit until the very end. One of the most satisfying things about reading Anne Perry is that she definitely anticipates one being able to pick the most likely scenarios and then she shakes them up to the point that you just don't see the real truth coming. Out of all her books that I've read only one time did I know for sure how it was going to end. This is a real testament to her creativity. 

I am not pretending to equate her writing with Jane Austen but I find her books remind me of the feel of an Austen novel in mystery form. I have often found myself forgetting that her characters were written by a woman living in current times. This is rare in novelists today. There is often a give away in the way characters talk and behave. Try as they might most modern writers always have a bit of a "tell" that they are trying to replicate dialogue and customs from long ago. Not so with Perry. She is superb. I even notice she does not hesitate to include authenticity in the interactions between Thomas and Charlotte. There were ways men and women behaved in the nineteenth century that were just a fact of life. Charlotte is strong willed and independent but she is no modern feminist. Perry sticks to the mores of the day which makes reading her books more pleasurable. I do not like to feel the author is trying to change the era in which they are writing into a politically correct view of how they think things should have been.

If you are looking for a solid historical mystery pick up one of her Pitt or Monk novels. You will not be disappointed. 

Queens of Jerusalem by Katherine Pangonis

Publication Date: February 18, 2021

Length: 313 pages

Queens of Jerusalem is the first non fiction book I have read concerning the Crusader period. I have read many historical fiction books and have been following an excellent podcast (History of the Crusades) for quite awhile now. Thanks to the background knowledge I've amassed lately in fiction and audio shows I really found this book fascinating. This is Pangonis's first book and I think she did a great job! 

The following ladies are highlighted in this book: Morphia of Melitene, Alice of Antioch, Melisende of Jerusalem, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Constance of Antioch, Agnes de Courtenay, and her daughter Sybilla of Jerusalem. I was a little surprised that Sybilla's half sister, Isabella didn't get her own chapter but I suspect that had to do with the fact that she wasn't seen to be a strong ruler with great influence in her own right. I also thought including Eleanor of Aquitaine to be a little odd in that she wasn't Queen of Jerusalem. However, I see her significance in this period and understand why she would appear in the book.

Each chapter delves into the background and marriages of the ladies and she stresses the fact that much of their influence came from the ability to command the respect of the men around them. The research was often slanted in the direction of sinner or saint. William of Tyre's "History of Deeds Beyond the Sea" is used for much of the book but Pangonis reminds us frequently that he was a man of his time. And that as an Archbishop his standards for the women of his day were high. Let's just say he gives Queen Melisende a gold star for proper behavior and is not impressed with Eleanor.

I felt like the overall feel of this book was one of modern day feminism. The author is realistic in portraying the struggles of medieval women trying to assert themselves but she often devolves into a discussion about how the men didn't give them a chance to show what they were "really made of." While I agree this is likely the case I also think that it is a stretch to expect women would be considered likely rulers in such a brutal time period. She does acknowledge, as in the case of Queen Melisende, that some were given more respect if they were original inhabitants of the Crusader states as opposed to Europeans, ie, Eleanor of Aquitaine who were seen as outsiders from Europe. 

The matter of succession is touched upon time and again and even though some of the women were allowed to rule if no males were sired in the line, they often gave up any semblance of influence as soon as they were married. Their husbands assumed the role of King. Queen Melisende is the exception to this rule as she ruled alongside her husband, Fulk of Anjou. 

I also enjoyed how she included some of the Muslim women who made an impact on the region and while they didn't get their own chapter in the book their stories are worthwhile and won't be found to appear much in literature or history books. 

The personal touches she included are very interesting. There were a fair amount of stories highlighting the plight and personality of each woman. It made me sympathetic to them and see them as people instead of distant historical figures. I came away wanting to know more about each one. Their clothes, homes, and daily lives are beautifully described along with the landscape and harsh climate which really makes one feel like they are there. It was fascinating to read about all they endured and I found myself feeling sad for the ones who were treated badly and put aside when they could not produce an heir or their husbands tired of them. 

I thought this book was well researched and included information I'd not heard elsewhere. She stresses the importance of remembering that the ability to see the women is always filtered through the lens of the men writing about them and therefore some of the time we have to draw conclusions based on what we know of the period and realizing not everything is an honest, unbiased account. She did a great job of sifting fact from fiction and I came away with a better understanding and respect for these ladies who were often put into dangerous and impossible situations. One can only imagine the courage and strength it took to be a female ruler of any kind in the middle ages much less in places like the Crusader states.

The Summer Country by Lauren Willig

 

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

Length: 480 pages

I had such high hopes for this book. And there are many positives about it. The lush descriptions of Barbados and its plantations, the people, and the bustling city of Bridgetown in the 1800's.  I was excited because I am always looking for books that accurately portray life in the West Indies long ago and that include depictions of slave owners and slaves without being politically correct. The first few chapters I felt I'd finally found what I was looking for but as I continued it just seemed that many of the situations between the characters were a bit fantastical for the time and place.

It is entirely understandable. After all, it is a balancing act to write about plantation life in our modern times. People often don't want realism here but rather, rewritten history. I prefer truth. And this book just felt historical fiction that was way too heavy on the fiction. 

The style of the book was unique and different. Willig skips back and forth between two time periods, allowing short glimpses to unfold with a dash of mystery. Just about the time you think you are immersed in a character's life she switches back to the past or present. Some might be bothered by this but I found it kept suspense high and made me want to keep reading. 

The story revolves around Emily Dawson and her relationship to the Davenants who are owners of a neighboring plantation. Emily has inherited Peverills upon the death of her uncle and to the shock and surprise of her brother and family she has decided to try to stay and make something of it. Her life takes place during the mid-1800's and as the story switches back and forth in time we are privy to the life of Charles Davenant, living in the early part of the century and his struggle to run Peverills. There is a family mystery brewing throughout that involves deception, romance, and racial strife and Willig does a superb job of giving the reader just enough information to stay curious without giving away too much too quickly. She is a good writer and the dialogue and interactions between the characters is authentic.

Where it went off the rails for me was toward the middle to end of the book. It wasn't so much the mystery (that was quite interesting) but rather that if felt like she was trying too hard to make it a political commentary. While I understand that interracial relationships may have been different in the West Indies than say the Deep South in the United States it still felt like the characters were deliberately put into situations where they were either atoning for their sins or unrealistically modern in their reactions. It just felt a bit forced and took away from the excellent story and atmosphere she'd created at the beginning. 

I am always open to trying other books by an author to see if I feel differently with a different storyline. I have seen some solid reviews for her earlier work and plan to read one to see if I enjoy it. 

Lionheart by Ben Kane

Publication Date: September 15, 2020

Length: 400 pages

 I have to admit that reading historical fiction written by men has always been hit or miss for me. No disrespect to men....I love men! But sometimes their writing can lack all romance or personal touches beyond dates and battles. So the cover for this book is what really hooked me into trying it, shallow I know but I'm a sucker for all things Crusades and Richard the First.

This was a well written piece of historical fiction. The author plans to make this a three part series and I will definitely be reading the next two books. We open Lionheart with a fictional character named Rufus. This is not his real name but one given to him by his captors. Right away I liked the style of the book, written in first person and giving us a running glimpse into the character's thoughts. Rufus is an Irish boy who has been given as a hostage to the English after his father and kin rebelled against them. He is lonely and depressed and treated horribly by one of the knights at the castle where he is being held. Gradually, through a wild turn of events, Rufus becomes a trusted squire, and then eventually, knight of Richard the Lionheart.

This book spends a lot of time setting up the relationship between Rufus and the common squires around him and focusing on the struggles between Henry Plantagenet and his sons. Our main character is always there in the middle of battles and action, often through coincidental twists of fate that stretch the imagination a bit. I know some of the reviews I read took issue with this but with fiction I always give a lot of wiggle room to authors trying to let their readers in on as much of the history of the day as possible. After all, it is called historical fiction for a reason. 

After many years of service Rufus is eventually knighted and becomes a loyal follower of Richard. He is grateful and humbled to be given the opportunity to serve a man he greatly admires and respects. There is still a tension involving the original knight who beat him when he was newly arrived from Ireland (whom he calls Boots and Fists) and Rufus that has yet to be resolved. In the sequel I expect there to be more fireworks between these two. 

Lionheart does not follow Richard and Rufus to Outremer and the Crusades as that is the basis of Book 2. Rather it sets up the characters, real and imagined, and their personalities and qualities that make them unique to their place in history and the story. Major battles and skirmishes are told with plenty of detail but not so much that you lose interest or find it hard to follow. I greatly enjoyed the way the author gave us an inside view into how Henry is betrayed by his sons and how Richard manages to gain the trust and loyalty of his men. Kane does a good job of showing how Richard defends his rightful territories while adding personal touches that make us want to know what happens to these characters later.

If I had one negative about this book it would be that it could get a bit simplistic in its dialogue. I have reviewed books by Sharon Penman about this same time period and she is superb at the vocabulary and dialect that would be realistic for the time and place. I think Kane does well but does not have as good a grasp on this area of his writing and so I occasionally found myself thinking the characters sounded a bit twenty-first century. But this is minor and not so glaring that it detracts from the overall feel of the story.

If I want to read Book 2 in a series then it is a good sign that the first book was a job well done. I have already ordered Crusader and am excited to begin it soon. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about how Richard the Lionheart went from a seemingly minor third son of Henry the Second to master of Aquitaine and eventually King of England and Crusader. 

Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman

Publication Date: February 4, 2003

Length: 544 pages

This is my fourth novel to read by Sharon Kay Penman. It is a sequel and begins after The Anarchy period in 1100's England. I admit going in I was already partial to anything about Eleanor of Aquitaine so this was going to have to be really awful for me not to enjoy it. I love Penman's style and her stellar research. She is known for being rock solid with historical facts and I am comforted by that when I read her books. It is not enjoyable for me to read a long epic historical fiction novel only to find out most of it was embellished or distorted for the purpose of the writer's narrative license. 

The story begins with the newly married Eleanor and Henry and how they are navigating his reign as King of England. Penman does a good job of setting up the story through the eyes of several main characters, one of which is fictional. His name is Ranulf and my impression is that throughout the story and the previous book he is there to give us a glimpse into the lives of the Welsh people. He is descended from a Welsh mother and is a bastard of King Henry the first. He is also married to Rhiannon (also fictional) who is Welsh. I do confess that I wish she'd stuck to real characters as I think Ranulf and Rhiannon have way too much of a part in the two books I've read so far in this series. Eleanor and Henry have enough drama between the two of them that I think we'd have been better served by reading more of their lives than adding a character that doesn't even exist. But over time I grew to enjoy Ranulf more and even found myself wondering what will become of him in the next book, Devil's Brood.

Much of this book is centered on Henry's rift with his Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. I found this to be the most compelling part of the book. I know some might find the material a bit confusing and dry but it is a complex subject and requires concentration. I felt well rewarded by the end of the book in that I finally understood what caused such a power struggle between the two former friends. Penman does a good job of setting it up in chunks interspersed with lighter moments between Eleanor and her ladies, Henry and his relatives, and Ranulf and Rhiannon's lives so that it isn't too much to process at once. I found myself really beginning to see both sides of the conflict and to know why there is no real hero in the end here.  Henry and Thomas both come across as incredibly stubborn and entitled and you just know it isn't going to end well.

Eleanor gives birth many times throughout the book and at the end we see the birth of her last son, John. Without giving too much away we also see the cracks beginning to form in her and Henry's romantic relationship as Eleanor ages and Henry grows restless with being her husband. Clearly, the time they spend apart is a huge factor as to why their marriage continues to flounder.

In addition to Henry, Thomas, and Eleanor's lives we get a glimpse of some of the Welsh leaders of the day which I found really interesting. I know next to nothing about this part of history so I was happy to learn something new. 

I really enjoyed this book but feel it was sort of a bridge to the next one. The following book will delve more into the children of Eleanor and Henry and their final marital break. It is the middle book of what was originally a three part series so this makes sense and from what I've seen it is the shortest book in the series. I'm looking forward to continuing and will write a review of the next book when I complete that read.