KATHERINE TUDOR DUCHESS 
BY TONY RICHES
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Preseli Press
eBook & Paperback; 328 pages
Series: The Brandon Trilogy, Book 3
Genre: Historical Fiction


Attractive, wealthy and influential, Katherine Willoughby is one of the most unusual ladies of the Tudor court. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Katherine knows all his six wives, his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and his son Edward, as well as being related by marriage to Lady Jane Grey.

She marries Tudor knight, Sir Charles Brandon, and becomes Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen. Her Spanish mother, Maria de Salinas, is Queen Catherine of Aragon’s lady in waiting, so it is a challenging time for them all when King Henry marries the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.

Following Anne’s dramatic downfall, the short reign of young Catherine Howard, and the tragic death of Jane Seymour, Katherine’s young sons are tutored with the future king, Prince Edward, and become his friends.

Katherine and Charles Brandon are chosen to welcome Anna of Cleves as she arrives in England. When the royal marriage is annulled, Katherine’s good friend, Catherine Parr becomes the king’s sixth wife, and they work to promote religious reform.
When King Edward dies, his Catholic sister Mary is crowned queen and Katherine’s Protestant faith puts her family in great danger – from which there seems no escape.

Katherine’s remarkable true story continues the epic tale of the rise of the Tudors, which began with the best-selling Tudor trilogy and concludes with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Review: 
Katherine Willoughby  is the daughter of Maria de Salinas, one of Queen Catherine of Aragon's ladies-in-waiting.  Katherine's father dies when she is young and Katherine is taken in as a ward of Sir Charles Brandon, brother-in-law to King Henry VIII.   Katherine grows up alongside his children and believes that she will one day marry Charles' son, Henry.  However, after the death of Charles' wife, Charles decides to marry Katherine herself and Katherine is made the Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen.  Through Katherine's position, she manages to get to know all of King Henry VIII wives, some more than others.  Although Katherine's life was not easy, she was lucky enough to survive and live a full life. 


I am an avid reader of anything concerning Tudor history and have read and enjoyed Tony Riches' books before, so I was more than happy to read Katherine Tudor Duchess and dig into the life of Katherine Willoughby.  The writing is quick paced and immersive.  Through Katherine's eyes, most of King Henry VIII reign is experienced through her point of view.  I was amazed by Katherine's life and the series of events that shaped it.  Katherine seemed to take everything in stride and managed to grow and develop in a world that was not very friendly towards woman.  I was intrigued by her different relationships with each of Henry VIII wives as well as Henry himself and was even more amazed that Katherine survived Henry's reign, but was threatened by his daughter, Mary.  It was interesting to see Katherine find her place in religion and how she may have even helped to shape England's religion at times.  Overall, an amazing story about of one of the surprising Tudor women, Katherine, Duchess of Suffolk. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.​

About the Author

Tony Riches is a full-time writer and lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. After several successful non-fiction books, Tony turned to novel writing and wrote ‘Queen Sacrifice’, set in 10th century Wales, followed by ‘The Shell’, a thriller set in present day Kenya. A specialist in the history of the early Tudors, he is best known for his Tudor Trilogy. Tony’s other international best sellers include ‘Warwick ~ The Man Behind the Wars of the Roses’ and ‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’.

For more information please visit Tony’s website and his blog The Writing Desk. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

About the Book: 
DISTANT SIGNS 
BY ANNE RICHTER
Publication Date: November 7, 2019
Neem Tree Press
Hardcover; 240 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Saga


Distant Signs is an intimate portrait of two families spanning three generations amidst turbulent political change, behind and beyond the Berlin Wall. In 1960s East Germany, Margret, a professor’s daughter from the city, meets and marries Hans, from a small village in Thuringia. The couple struggle to contend with their different backgrounds, and the emotional scars they bear from childhood in the aftermath of war. As East German history gradually unravels, with collision of the personal and political, their two families’ hidden truths are quietly revealed. An exquisitely written novel with strongly etched characters that stay with you long after the book is finished and an authentic portrayal of family life behind the iron curtain based on personal experience of the author who is East German and was 16 years old at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Why do families repeat destructive patterns of behaviour across generations? Should the personal take precedence over the political? Can we rise above our histories and political identities to forge a new understanding of the past and to welcome change?
​
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Review: 
Three generations have lived behind the Berlin Wall in East Germany.  Hans and Margaret are a young couple who met in the 1960's in East Germany.  Due to each of their parents experiences during the War, they have very different backgrounds and beliefs.  These experiences plus the regulations of living in East Germany place a lot of stress on their relationship.  As time goes on, each generation deals with the complications of East Germany in different ways, often clashing and challenging the previous generation; however, everyone seems to know that time marches on and things must change.

Distant Signs is a solemn family saga that delves into the impact that the German Democratic Republic had on the people.  Without getting into the politics of East Germany or the people responsible, everything is focused on the characters-  their actions, thoughts and relationships to one another.  This is an intimate portrait into the life of one family.  The story feels more like a series of anecdotes told at a family gathering.  The story mostly focuses on Margaret and Hans relationship, but moves through time beginning with their parents since their lives impacted Hans and Margaret separately.  Both sets of parents had very different experiences during and after War that led them to raise Hans and Margaret differently.  While there is a definite feeling of constantly being watched and having to be careful of what is said and who you talk to and several mentions of meetings, this book could really be set anywhere during anytime.  The writing had a heavy sense to it, while being a relatively short book, this took me longer to read while allowing all of the nuances to set in.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author
Anne Richter was born in 1973 in Jena, in the former German Democratic Republic. Her degree in Romance languages and English included study periods in England, Italy and France. In 2011, Anne was nominated for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, a highly regarded German-language literary award. Her debut novel, Distant Signs, was published in Germany in 2013. Anne is currently writing her second novel.
Douglas Irving is Scottish. He studied German and Spanish at Aberdeen University. In 2014 he completed a Masters in Translation at Glasgow University. His first translation, Crossing: A Love Story by Anna Seghers was published in 2016 in the US to positive reviews. His translation of Anna Seghers’ last work published in her lifetime, Three Women from Haiti, is set to follow.

About the Book:
TRAILING THE HUNTER 
BY HEIDI ELJARBO
Publication Date: October 30, 2019
eBooks & Paperback; 298 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction


A ruthless witch-finder.
One determined woman.
1661 in southeastern Norway.

Clara Dahl has made a decision. She has seen the dread and sorrow witch-finder Angus Hill has caused in her hometown and sets out to find him. Her goal is to fight the wrongful and wicked misconceptions about witch hunting. But the witch-finder’s influence is strong. How can she warn the villagers of something they don’t understand?

Clara’s heartfelt desire is to protect and rescue the women who are in danger without causing more harm. As Clara develops secret plots to thwart the plans of the notorious witch-finder and works to help the villagers, she finds friendship and the possibility of true love.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON


Praise
“A spellbinder from the very beginning. Eljarbo’s sound historical research is evident and impressive.” — Gus A. Mellander, Ph. D., D.H.L.

“Ms. Eljarbo’s words come alive on the page.” — Jana Pawlowski

“Excellent research and stunning writing.” — Pauline Isaksen, author of Dying for Justice
​
”This novel has fascinating history, endearing as well as diabolical characters and exciting twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down.” – Linnea Shaw

Review:
A witch hunter is on his way to the small town of Berg, Norway in 1661.  Clara Dahl is already a few steps ahead of him.  Clara has seen the destruction and murder that Angus Hill imposes on a town after he decided that several of Clara friends are witches and burned them at the stake.  On her way into Berg, Clara notices a young and heavily pregnant woman escape from imprisonment.  Clara follows her into the woods offering help.  She can't find the woman, but does find Christian of Ivershall, the Lord of Berg.  Christian helps Clara and Clara finds a friend in Christian and his mother Dorthea.  Once Clara is set up in town as a teacher, she sets on her mission to educated the women of the town of Angus Hill's true nature.  With help from Dorthea, Clara is able to reach a few women in town.  However, some women have their own motives and will use the witch hunter for their own gain.

Trailing the Hunter is a historical fiction novel that shows the impact and destruction that one person with their own agenda and air of authority can inflict on a town.  I had no idea that this book was a continuation of Clara's story from Catching a Witch, which I haven't read.  I had no problem getting a sense of Clara's past experiences with the witch hunter and the Clara's motivation for following him.  I loved Clara's character from the very beginning, she was determined, motivated in her cause and had a well thought out plan for how to help.  Her compassion allowed Clara to connect with and care for the young women that Angus typically accused and give them the skills to stay out of his grasp.  Angus Hill's character showed just how easy it is for one person to infiltrate and poison the minds of people against one another just by using confidence and authority, something that still happens today.  Through the writing I was also able to get a sense of life in 17th century Norway, the towns, dress, politics and religions were all part of the intriguing plot.  The suspense of the witch hunt along with a bit of romance made Trailing the Hunter an intriguing historical fiction read.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author
​
Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of Catching a Witch. She grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, twelve grandchildren–so far–in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier and a bird.

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter. Heidi’s favorites are family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

If you would like to know more, please visit Heidi’s website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

About the Book: 
THE EMPEROR’S ASSASSIN 
BY AUTUMN BARDOT
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Flores Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 437 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

History paints her as the first female serial killer…

Locusta is the daughter of a winemaker in the Roman province of Gaul. She enjoys the indulged childhood of the elite, her concerns only about the day’s amusements. She rides gentle ponies, attends parties, reads Ovid, and learns the herbal arts from her servant. But the day after meeting her betrothed, Locusta discovers the consequences of possessing such dangerous knowledge.

Ordered to leave her pastoral life, Locusta is thrust into a world of intrigue, scandal, and murder—where treason lurks behind every corner and defying an emperor means death. Locusta’s life changes forever when a young Emperor Nero requires her herbal expertise. And commands her to be his personal poisoner. Caught in an imperial web, Locusta must embrace her profession or die.

Or is there another way out?

History paints her as the first female serial killer. Or is she yet another maligned woman in history?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Review: 

​Locusta of Gaul grew up in a sprawling vineyard outside of Ancient Rome.  When she was of age, her father sent up an advantageous match for her to an elderly and harsh man.  Locusta learns of her betrothed's true nature and is horrified.  Pricilla, Locusta's servant uses her knowledge of herbs to make sure Locusta will not be bothered by him again.  Locusta is intrigued by Pricilla knowledge of herbs and becomes a student of plants, both helpful and deadly.  Locusta's knowledge soon surpasses Pricilla's and her herbs help many around her, including a servant of a handsome Centurion, Marcus.  Locusta is soon sent to Rome to petition for a tax extension as well as find her match.  The longer Locusta stays in Rome, her reputation for her knowledge of healing and pleasure grows.  Soon, her skills travel to Emperor Nero's ears and Locusta is asked to use her knowledge for murder.  Locusta's fate is now Nero's to toy with.  

Locusta of Gaul has been painted by history as the world's first female serial killer.  However, Autumn Bardot knows that there must be more to Locusta's story.  Locusta's story is one of survival, heartache and love.  From her time growing up in Gaul, Locusta learned compassion, however, the poor match for her betrothal left her changed.  I loved Locusta and Pricilla's relationship and how it grew over time.  I was amazed by all of the herbal concoctions that Pricilla and Locusta came up with.  The descriptions of Rome under Claudius and Nero were very detailed and historically accurate.  The treachery, deception, excess and political intrigue was all deliciously shown, especially once Locusta became involved.  Nero's taste for the extravagant was showcased with his Domus Aurea that I had no problem imagining from the descriptions. The religious upheaval of the time was also captured in the writing without getting in the way of the plot.  One of my favorite parts of the story was between Locusta and Marcus, a steamy and passionate romance that began quickly and never lost fervor.  As always, the erotic parts of the story are woven together to fit in seamlessly with the plot.  Overall, The Emperor's Assassin is an intriguing historical fiction that brings to life one of history's overlooked women, Locusta of Gaul.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 


​

About the Author

Autumn Bardot writes historical fiction and historical erotica. Her debut historical fiction is THE IMPALER’S WIFE. Her debut historical erotica is LEGENDS OF LUST.

Autumn, a pen name, has worked as an educator for more than sixteen years. She teaches literature, writing, and the magic of words. She has a passion for history and a special affinity for the unsung courageous females that history has neglected. Or misunderstood. Autumn lives in Southern California with her husband and every-growing family. She wishes she was one-tenth as brave as the women she writes about.

Historical Fiction
~ The Impaler’s Wife
~ Dragon Lady
~ The Emperor’s Assassin ( coming Oct 1, 2019 )
Historical Erotica ( Cleis Press)
~ Legends of Lust, Erotic Myths from around the World
~ Confessions of a Sheba Queen ( coming March 10, 2020)
​
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST

About the Book:
​
ROYAL BEAUTY BRIGHT 
BY RYAN BYRNES
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Blank Slate Press
Paperback; 304 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/WWI


After an autistic man ends up in the trenches of World War I, a nun-turned-journalist dances with treason to care for him, and a candy store clerk posing as Santa Claus risks everything to bring him home.

While in France, Luther meets Ethyl, an aspiring journalist who tries to expose his plight. As Christmas approaches, Luther sinks into despair and Ethyl is threatened with punishment.

Back home, Luther’s brother Jim enlists with the British Army Postal Service. His job, delivering sacks of Christmas gifts to the frontline soldiers, is a cover for his plan to rescue Luther. The plan is made even more difficult by three refugee girls convinced that Jim, with his bag of gifts, is Santa Claus.
​
Jim and Ethyl finally cross paths with Luther on Christmas Day, 1914, when they witness one of the most uplifting spectacles of nonviolence in history, when thousands of soldiers broke orders and refused to fire on each other during the Christmas Truce of 1914.
​

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND


Review:
The Baker family was not the typical family of Leamington Spa, England in the late 1800's.  Mrs. Baker is a widow who  runs her own sweets shop, her oldest son, Luther is different from other children.  People say he is possessed or a lunatic, what we would now diagnose as autism.  Luther's younger brother, Jim protects Luther furiously, but still takes the brunt of his mother's pain and frustration.  One day as Jim and Luther are playing with Jim's best friend, Rodney, Luther pushes Rodney and hurts him badly.  Rodney recovers but the incident leaves its mark.  Years later, a war breaks out.  Rodney is fighting on the Western Front and finds a new recruit in his regiment acting strangely. He is surprised to find that it is Luther Baker.  Rodney is pressed to protect Luther by childhood friend Ethyl, who is serving as a nurse and trying to find a way to send Luther home.  Meanwhile, Jim has taken a job with the British Army Postal Service with his own plan to smuggle Luther out.  As Christmas approaches on the Front, Luther cooks up his own plan for survival.

Royal Beauty Bright is a heartwarming tale of compassion that revolves around the Christmas Truce of 1914.  Alternating between 1897 and 1914, the timeline immersed me in the lives of Constance Baker, Luther, Jim, Rodney, and Ethyl.  Though Luther was met with much adversity in his life, including being tricked into service, the love that Luther shares with his family and friends and they love they return shines brightly through.  I loved that Luther excelled at chocolate making and that it paved the way for him to form relationships with other people as well.  The depictions of life in the trenches on the Western Front were brutally realistic and showed the impact on the soldier's mental well being.  Luther's insights during this time were often the most honest and truthful sentiments during the war, unhindered by what others might think of him.  I loved when he told Rodney to write his mother: "Tell her people don't want to kill each other, but they don't know how to stop." As Christmas approaches on the front, I could tell that something had to give.  I enjoyed reading the reactions of the men on both sides as they realized that they could take a break from the War and have fun, if only for a day.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author
​
Ryan Byrnes is a St. Louis native. His first foray into writing was founding the publishing imprint, Avency Press, where he wrote one illustrated chapter book, The Adventures of Wheatail, and four young adult fantasy novels in the Son of Time series. Since then, he has worked with a publishing company, a literary agency, and various aspiring writers seeking to self-publish. Ryan now lives in Iowa as a student in mechanical engineering and English. Between work hours, he builds Mars Rovers with his roommates, plays with cats, and watches Wes Anderson movies.

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About the Book: 
​AUSCHWITZ SYNDROME 
BY ELLIE MIDWOOD
​Publication Date: October 11, 2019
eBook & Paperback; 364 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction


Germany, 1947.
A strange case scheduled for the Denazification Court lands on the desk of an American psychiatrist currently serving in Germany, Dr. Hoffman.

A former Auschwitz guard, Franz Dahler, is set to appear in court, and he has requested to bring the most unexpected witness to testify in his defense – one of his former inmates and current wife, Helena.

As soon as one of the newly emerging Nazi hunters and former Auschwitz inmate, Andrej Novák, recognizes the officer’s name, he demands a full investigation of Dahler’s crimes, claiming that the former SS man was not only abusing Helena in the camp but is also using her as a ploy to escape prosecution.

Silent, subdued, and seemingly dependent on her husband’s every word, Helena appears to be a classic victim of abuse, and possibly more of an aid to the prosecution instead of the defense.

As she begins giving her testimony, Dr. Hoffman finds himself more and more confused at the picture that gradually emerges before his eyes; a perpetrator is claimed to be the savior and the accuser, the criminal.

The better Dr. Hoffman gets to know each participant, the more he begins to question himself; whether he’s facing a most unimaginable love story, or a new and still-nameless psychological disorder affecting the very manner in which Helena sees the events of the past.

Partially based on a true story, this deeply psychological, haunting novel will take you back in time to the heart of Auschwitz and post-war Germany, and will keep you guessing the true motive of each side.
​
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Review: 
Franz Dahler and Helena Kleinova did not have a typical romance.  Franz is a wounded SS Officer assigned to head up Kanada-the sorting detail for all of the objects taken from the inmates upon arrival to Auschwitz.  Helena is a Czechloslovakian Jew being prepared for the gas chamber.  Before she is taken to the chamber, Helena is pulled from line in order to sing Happy Birthday to an SS Officer.  The Officer, Dahler is enraptured with Helena and arranges for her to be placed in Kanada, saving her life.  As Helena and Franz spend time together, a relationship forms.  Franz also rescues Helena's sister from the gas chambers and Helena eventually cannot imagine her survival without Franz.  Now, in 1947 Franz and Helena are married.  Franz is set to appear in Denazification Court for his crimes at Auschwitz.  Another Auschwitz inmate, Andrej Novák wants Dahler to be fully investigated for his crimes against Helena.  Two America psychiatrists observe the strange couple to figure out if Helena is a victim of abuse or simply a woman in love. 

Stories from the Holocaust are more important now than ever since the world seems to be forgetting the result of hatred towards a group of people.  Helena and Franz' story seems fictional, but is based on the very real story of Helena  Citrónová  and Franz Wunsch.  The timeline of the story goes back and forth between 1947 as Helena testifies to the court in Franz' defense and Helena and Franz' memories of Auschwitz from 1942-1945.  The writing manages to portray an uncertainty of the nature of Franz and Helena's relationship as Andrej, Helena and Franz recall the same events with different emotions and insight.  I was amazed to learn about Kanada, the sorting detail. While I knew of the vast piles of items, I was unaware that the inmates of Auschwitz were made to sort through them.  The description of Kanada and the rest of Auschwitz is detailed with historical accuracy.  While workers in Kanada were typically better fed and kept in better conditions than the rest of the inmates, they were still subject to the torture of Auschwitz and the guilt that the deaths of others kept them alive.  Also highlighted were the many SS Officers who knew what they were doing was wrong and tried to help inmates in their own small ways.  The most valuable lesson of Helena and Franz' story comes from Andrej's character- we must never stop talking about what happened, we must not let people forget the damage that hatred brings.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, “The Girl from Berlin.” Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.
In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

For more information on Ellie and her novels, please visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads.

About the Book:
THE WINTER SISTERS: A NOVEL
BY TIM WESTOVER
Publication Date: August 7, 2019
QW Publishers
eBook & Paperback; 322 Pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy


Folklore, medicine, witches, and superstition in the Georgia mountains.

Dr. Waycross knows bleeding and blistering, the best scientific medicine of 1822. He arrives in the Georgia mountains to bring his modern methods to the superstitious masses.
The local healers, the Winter sisters, claim to treat yellow fever, consumption, and the hell-roarin’ trots just as well as he can. Some folks call the sisters herb women; some call them witches. Waycross calls them quacks.
But when the threat of rabies—incurable and fatal—comes to town, Dr. Waycross and the Winter sisters must combine their science and superstition in a desperate search for a remedy.
Can they find a miracle cure, or has the age of miracles passed?

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Review: 
Dr. Aubrey Waycross has been called to the small frontier town of Lawrenceville, Georgia in 1822. He readily goes into the unknown, since the mayor has hinted at hydrophobia, or rabies being present in the town.  However, when Aubrey arrives he finds almost no one in need of medical attention.  All of the Lawrenceville residents would much rather take their problems to the Winter Sisters, Rebecca, Sarah and Effie.   Aubrey attempts to out the sisters as quacks, but he finds that Rebecca's herbal cures solve issues far better than his bloodletting, Sarah's tests and games that she gives patients make them forget about their problems and Effie seems to cure people by simply being in their presence.  Not even her sisters seem to know how Effie works her medicine.  Aubrey decides to band with the Sisters and the town will need all four healers when a residents does contract rabies.

The Winter Sister's is a fascinating historical fiction novel with elements of mystery and magical realism.  Life in a frontier town was brought to life through Aubrey's eyes as he experienced the remoteness, danger and community of Lawrenceville.  The Winter Sister's themselves were the most intriguing part of the story.  I really do wish the story was told through their point of view, especially since the writing begins with the Sisters being bound together in a ceremony by their mother.  Aubrey's character took a lot of time to warm up to as he continuously placed himself above the others in town and tried to prove his methods were the best.  I also just couldn't find any personality in him.  Although he eventually ended up saying and doing the right things, they always seemed robotic.  All three sisters, however were written very well with distinct personalities and habits.  The mystery of Effie still remains did she truly have a power to heal, or did everyone just want to believe in a little magic?

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author: 
​
Tim Westover, a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Georgia, lives in suburban Atlanta. Born in the north, educated in England, and frequent visitor to Russia, he found his home in the North Georgia mountains.
In addition to writing, Westover enjoys programming, playing the clawhammer banjo, and raising his three-year-old daughter to be a modern American eccentric.


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Kate Tremont's life changes radically after her father's death.  Her fathers business associate tells Kate she must decide between her Jamaican plantation in the or the unknown. Kate decides that she would rather stay with her only family, an Aunt and Uncle in Durham, New Hampshire.  After a long voyage, Kate shows up unannounced at her Puritan relatives doorstep.  They take Kate in, but the adjustment is hard on Kate, her Aunt and Uncle and cousins, Edith and Mary.  The Puritan lifestyle is very different than anything Kate knows.  As Kate adjusts to life in New Hampshire, she gets to know her cousins better as well as a the Rockford family and is employed as Viola Rockford's tutor.  When Viola and Kate find a young escaped slave in the woods, trouble begins as Kate's kindness becomes twisted into rumors and sickness falls on the town.

The Death Doll is a historical fiction novel set in 1692 in the colony of Durham in New Hampshire.  This is the beginning of the Salem Witch Trials, and life in a Puritan village is difficult.  Kate's character is very interesting to follow as she was quite independent in Jamaica, but clueless as to how the world works.  When Kate arrived in New Hampshire, the pacing of the book picked up.  The Puritan world seemed to be depicted quite accurately in terms of dress, home life and religious customs as well as how one accusation could place multiple lives in danger.  I was surprised at how different Kate's experience was from the women accused during the Salem Witch Trails and the reasons why the hysteria didn't reach someplace so close.  After everything that Kate and her family went through, there was a very surprising ending and I wonder if this outcome actually happened to anyone in the past.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.