A vivid historical fiction piece with a little bit of magic set in England during the midst of the turbulent War of the Roses.  We follow Nan, who has the gift of the Sight.  From the time she is a little girl she has terrifying dreams and visions of two boys in the Tower who meet a terrifying death.  Nan's sight brings her trouble with her family and friends in her small country village. With her only alley being the village priest who sees the Sight as more of a gift than a curse, she is sent to live in London with family.  Trouble with her visions and nightmares follows Nan as she is sent from her family in London to a placement in a bakery until she finds herself with a lady of high standing and finally Duchess Anne Neville, who appreciates Nan's gift even though it could be considered witchcraft.  Nan's visions of the boy's continue to haunt her, but she also dreams of a man who she is drawn to...if she only knew that their fates were intertwined.

The Assassin's Wife will transport you into the time of the War of the Roses with wonderful descriptions of the landscape, people, clothing and buildings.  The mystery of the princes is seen from a different point of view and Nan's character is wonderful.  I enjoyed the different settings that Nan was taken to and how she was expertly inserted within to the lives of real historical figures.  A wonderful read for any lover of Tudor history!

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

An entertaining historical mystery featuring one of my favorite naturalists, Henry David Thoreau, during his time at Walden Pond. 

This mystery is written in two hands and by two hands; the author B.B. Oak is really writing team Beth and Ben Oak.  The story flows between the journals of first cousins Julia and Adam .  The adventure begins when Henry Thoreau finds the body of a deceased man at the base of Devil's perch and asks Adam, a doctor, for help.  Both Thoreau and Adam believe the deceased to be a victim of murder, but since the deceased is also a black man, the jury of townsfolk decide not to look at the evidence Thoreau, Julia and Adam gather and rule his death an accident.  All three decide to look further into the incident and uncover a series of unusual plots within their small town of Plumford. 

I relished in the mystery of the town of Plumford and delighted in the character Henry David Thoreau was given.  There were some side stories of hypnotism and reincarnated lives that I hope continue into the next books; however, the romantic notions between Adam and Julia were a little too much for me.  Overall, an enjoyable historical mystery; I will look forward to more in the series!


This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In this biographical account,author Anton Holden takes us through the amazing life of his grandmother, Dolly Vardon.  From birth to death, Dolly's life is quite extraordinary.  She was abandoned shortly after birth to a London 'Baby Farm' in 1886 where she is put to work on the streets as soon is she is old enough so she can earn whatever money she can in whatever way she can. 

While on the streets, Dolly's tiny feet catch the eye of Harry Sidney Nichols, a rich bookseller.  Harry employs Dolly and uses her for his sexual fetish. These sections are written very straightforward and graphically, directly from stories passed down from Dolly.  At times these sections were hard to read; however, it is definitely a story that needs to be told. 

The author allows us to read about his grandmother's entire life giving us a wonderful look into a rare life of an inspiring and strong woman.


This book was received  from the author in a Goodreads First-Reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.