1888, just about a year after the death of German Emperor Frederick III, his widow is still in mourning. Princess Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria of England, has let grief overcome her, until her niece, Princess Maude, visits with terrible news from the queen.  A murderer is terrorizing London streets and Princess Victoria's nephew, Prince Eddy is a suspect.  Victoria has been asked to come back to London to help deal with the press and hopefully clear her nephew's name.  While she is in London, she enlists the help of Detective Inspector Thomas Edmondson to keep her up to date on the case.

Although this historical mystery was written purely as fiction, I liked that a lot of history was included. While Princess Victoria, or Vicky, was never involved with the investigation herself, her character and state of mind were perfect for her path in this story.  Prince Eddy was factually a suspect in the Jack the Ripper case and I'm glad that this was included as an impetus for Vicky's involvement.  I enjoyed the story from the Ripper's point of view.  The author had a clear understanding for the Ripper's purpose, attitude and mental attributes.  I actually wish that we could have more insight into this character's mind than a few short chapters!  The ending was done brilliantly, the way that the Ripper was handled in the end was very creative while also coinciding with history as well as tying up the end of the story.

The Shadow Princess was received for free in return for an honest review.

Tour Stops:

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Author Biography
Mary Hart Perry lives in Washington DC with her husband and two feline writing partners, Tempest and Miranda. Author of over 40 novels, she's written under her own and a variety of pen names that include Kathryn Johnson, Kathryn Jensen, KM Kimball and Nicole Davidson. She teaches fiction-writing workshops for the renowned Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2008, she founded Write by You, to coach other writers interested in reaching publication. She has been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Christy Award, and won the Heart of Excellence and Bookseller's Best Awards (sponsored by the Romance Writers of America) in 2011.

Mary Hart Perry's Website

Goodread's Page

Review:
From Thine Own Well is a pertinent piece of eco-fiction that deals with the aftermath of unrestricted mining and hydraulic fracturing. In 2012, Canada's government signs "The Agreement," a 31 year lease on Canada's land that gives Chinese businesses the right to sue the Canadian government if anyone tampered with their ability to make profits on their natural resource extraction. No thought or regulations were put in place concerning the environment. Instances of disease, unsafe drinking water and even deaths pile up with no way to stop "The Coalition" that now 'protects' them.

We follow the story of several people in Whitehorse, Yukon who want to change things. Though "The Agreement" and "The Coalition" have damaged the environment and affected each character in a different way, they find each other and band together to fight in any way they can.

While I hope that nothing as extreme as "The Agreement" will happen in any country. The same effects of fraking, mining and otherwise irresponsible collection of natural resources are happening throughout the world today. This novel shows how even a seemingly small group of people can create change. The build of the characters finding one another, realizing that they have the same goal in mind and finding a way to do something about it was all very logical and realistic. I could also empathize with many of the characters that were fighting against the agreement and their personal struggles.

A wonderfully relevant book, great for anyone who enjoys eco-fiction, dystopia or post-apocalyptic type reads.

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

Blurb:

Noxious substances in the watershed brings a society to its knees; fracking by oil companies has taken its toll.

Canadian society has been altered, seemingly irrevocably; water resources have become scarce and individual freedoms cast off. 

It is now 2036, only 24 years since the most devastating of a series of international accords, one simply known as The Agreement, set the precedent for many that followed – effectively causing the federal government to collapse into ruin and dependency on corporatist rule. 

Unrestricted fracking and irresponsible mining practices have caused major watersheds and underground streams to become contaminated, the precious fluid - noxious. 

The sole purpose of The Coalition, a regulatory body created by the world-wide conglomerates that took over the governing of the country is to ensure the profitability of its corporate members. 

In Yukon, Canada’s far north, a baker’s dozen of unknown, everyday people and one dog are loosely thrown together in an effort to combat The Coalition and its impact on Canadian lives and the environment. 

Join Landon, Nora, Galen and the others who, through no design of their own, have become the unknown hope for Canada’s future. Will they prevail in the small jurisdiction they reside in and set the bar for the rest of Canada? 

Only time will tell.

Author Biography:
Norm Hamilton (1951- ) lived in Whitehorse, Yukon for 40 years. In December 2012 he retired and is currently on Vancouver Island with his wife, Anna, where he is meeting people and experiencing new adventures to write about. He trusts that retirement will afford him the time to delve further into his writing. This photographer, freelance writer, copy-editor, proofreader and novelist is currently enjoying Lake Cowichan, B.C.

Norm’s latest project is a novel titled, "From Thine Own Well," a story about a dystopian Canadian society brought about by unrestricted gas fracking and irresponsible mining techniques. It all began with a FIPA agreement in 2012 that left the federal government open to lawsuits - that they lost. This book is available as a paperback on Amazon, and as an eBook on Amazon Smashwords, Kobo and other online retailers.

Norm has written one non-fiction book, "The Digital Eye." It is a compilation of articles for people wanting to improve their photography skills or for those who want to learn digital photography. This book is available as a paperback on Amazon, and as an eBook on Amazon Smashwords, Kobo and other online retailers.

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Book Page  http://fromthineownwell.normhamilton.ca

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NormHamiltonWriter

Website http://normhamilton.ca/writer/

From Thine Own Well at Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18387288-from-thine-own-well?ac=1

From Thine Own Well at Amazon - http://amzn.to/19bUP20

From Thine Own Well atSmashwords - http://tinyurl.com/ny68b6t

From Thine Own Well at Kobo  -http://tinyurl.com/lul7a9z