The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
This was a historical novel I could not put down. The first chapter presents the reader with a totally unexpected situation. Lucrezia de’ Medici, daughter…
Historical Novels
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A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
The twenty-year voyage of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, is an archetypal tale of bravery, cleverness and cunning, the saga of a wily hero among a…
The Buried Circle by Jenni Mills
Jenni Mills has written a real page turner! The Buried Circle of the title refers to the 5000-year-old stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire.
Made in Sweden by Elisabeth Asbrink
Made in Sweden by Elisabeth Asbrink is a lovers expose into a Nordic history that lurks beneath the surface.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Woohoo – what a ride! City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert is Vivian’s life, told in flashback, and what a life it is! Chapter one…
Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor
This reviewer has just binge-read all ten books of The Chronicles of St Mary’s series, culminating with the latest installment Hope for The Best.
Preservation by Jock Serong
Serong’s empathy within Preservation, for the mixed feelings that the indigenous Australians must have felt is beautifully conveyed. As a white Australian, it made me…
Ladies in Black by Madeleine St John
This 2018 re-release of Ladies in Black by Madeleine St John commences with a gently humorous introduction by Bruce Beresford,
Author Review: Robert Van Gulik
True to its mantra, the SMSA Library holds a number of out-of-print works by mystery and crime authors including Robert Van Gulik
The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer
Two brothers, dying from the plague, make a deal with the devil for a longer life – the twist? That life must be 99 years…
The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
The Bedlam Stacks is the stunning second novel by Natasha Pulley, told from the perspective of ex-East India Company smuggler Merrick Tremayne.
Woe to Live On by Daniel Woodrell
Woe to Live On by Daniel Woodrell follows young soldier Jake Roedell, through the horror and shock of the American Civil War.