Category: Historical Fiction

Feature Post and Book Review: Veil of Doubt by Sharon Virts

Book Description

When a mother is charged with murder in a town already convinced of her guilt, can defense attorney Powell Harrison find truth and justice in a legal system where innocence is not presumed? 

Emily Lloyd, a young widow in Reconstruction-era Virginia, is accused of poisoning her three-year-old daughter, Maud. It isn’t the first death in her home: her husband and three other children all died of mysterious illnesses, so when Maud succumbs to an unexplained malady, the town suspects foul play. Soon Mrs. Lloyd is charged not only with poisoning the child but also with murdering her children, her husband, and her aunt. 

Enter Powell Harrison, a soft-spoken, brilliant attorney who recently returned to his Virginia hometown to help his brother manage their late father’s practice. Approached to assist in Mrs. Lloyd’s defense, Harrison initially declines, worried that an infanticide case might tarnish their family’s reputation. But as details about the widow’s erratic behavior and her reclusive neighbors emerge, Harrison begins to suspect that an even more sinister truth might lurk beneath the family’s horrible fate and finds himself irresistibly drawn to the case.  

Based on a shocking true story, Veil of Doubt is part true-crime thriller, part medical and legal procedural. Perfect for fans of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace and filled with rich period detail gleaned from exhaustive research, Veil of Doubt delves into the darkness of the South during Reconstruction, exposing intrigue, deception, and death. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123852788-veil-of-doubt?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=wbMAQpiGlP&rank=1

Veil of Doubt

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BW65YMXH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Girl Friday Books (October 10, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 10, 2023
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4265 KB
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 410 pages

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

VEIL OF DOUBT by Sharon Virts is an absolutely riveting historical fiction/crime mystery book based on true events surrounding the trial of a mother charged with the murder of her young daughter in 1872 Leesburg, Virginia. I could not put this book down from start to finish.

Emily Lloyd is accused and charged with poisoning her young daughter, Maud. The widow has tragically already had to bury three children previously and is considered odd even by her friends, who are few. The entire town suspects her of the crime.

Powell Harrison is a brilliant attorney who has returned to his hometown to partner with his brother in their late father’s practice. He is approached to take on Emily’s case. While he gets resistance from friends and even his own family, he feels he is the most experienced lawyer to help Emily. As the facts of the case emerge, Powell begins to suspect Emily’s erratic behavior might be hiding an even deeper secret.

This is one of my favorite historical fiction stories this year. I was completely engrossed from beginning to the end. The book is based around the investigation and trial for several murders supposedly perpetrated by Emily Lloyd. While some suspense/mystery books featuring court proceedings can be boring or dry at times, I never felt that way with this story. The way evidence was collected, tested, and evaluated was interesting and period appropriate. I knew where the character twist was headed before the ending, but still found it fascinating as well as discussions of other mental traumas related to the Civil War. The author’s research into the true crime case and the Reconstruction era is evident.

I highly recommend this compelling historical fiction/crime mystery based on a true story. Make sure you have time set aside because you will not be able to stop turning the pages.

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About the Author

Sharon Virts is a successful entrepreneur and visionary who, after more than 25 years in business, followed her passion for storytelling into the world of historical fiction. She has received numerous awards for her work in historic preservation and has been recognized nationally for her business achievements and philanthropic contributions. She was recently included in Washington Life Magazine’s Philanthropic 50 of 2020 for her work with education, health, and cultural preservation.

Sharon’s passion truly lies in the creative. She is an accomplished visual artist and uses her gift for artistic expression along with her extraordinary storytelling to build complex characters and craft vivid images and sets that capture the heart and imagination. Sharon and her husband Scott live at Selma, a prominent historic residence that they saved from destruction and restored to its original stature. It is out of the love and preservation of Selma that the story of the life, times, and controversies of its original owner, Armistead Mason, has given root to her first novel Masque of Honor.

Social Media Links

Website: https://sharonvirts.com/veil-of-doubt/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SharonVirtsBooks

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/veil-of-doubt-by-sharon-virts

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for LUMINOUS: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson on this Coffee and Thorn Book Tour.

Below you will find an about the book section, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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About the Book

Catherine’s life is set on an unexpected course when she accepts a job at Radium Dial. She soon finds out that the excellent pay is no recompense for the evil secret that lurks in the magical glow-in-the-dark paint. Catherine Donohoe takes on the might of a big corporation and becomes an early pioneer of social justice in the era between world wars.

Emotive and inspiring – this book will touch you like no other as you witness the devastating impact of radium poisoning on young women’s lives.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52288751-luminous?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JgZAkE25ik&rank=1

LUMINOUS: The Story of a Radium Girl

  • Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Luminous-Story-Radium-Samantha-Wilcoxson-ebook/dp/B085ZWBFCQ
  • Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52288751
  • Genre:  Fictional account of real events, 1920s and 30s.
  • Print length: 321 pages (83K words)
  • Age range: This is an adult book, but may be suitable for mature older teenagers
  • Trigger warnings: Distressing medical content

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

LUMINOUS: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson is an emotionally heartrending historical biographical fiction story that had me grabbing the tissues as the main character’s disease progresses and yet cheering her on as she fights for justice in a time when workers are considered insignificant and easily replaceable to companies in the 1920’s and 30’s. While this is a story where you know what happens to the main character in the end, it is her fighting spirit in the face of her pain that starts to bring awareness to exploitation of all workers in dangerous jobs.

Catherine is excited to get a job at Radium Dial in Ottawa, Illinois. It is the largest and the highest paying company in the city and with this job she will be able to help her aunt and uncle with their bills. It is exacting work painting the glow paint on the dark numerals on watch dials. While the young girls have fun with the glow-in-the dark paint, they do not realize the radium is poisoning them. As her friends begin to get sick and die, Catherine realizes her greatest fear…that the radium paint they use pointing their brushes with their mouths is deadly.

Catherine and her husband face her diagnosis with their faith and love, but they also want justice. Catherine becomes a determined fighter for workers, but she is also fighting against time.

The minute I read about the “pointing of the brushes”, I wanted to scream, “NO!” Catherine’s story is difficult to read and yet I feel it is necessary to honor her by reading it and continuing her fight. Our society today is once again going through worker vs. corporation upheavals and that makes this a timely inspirational read. I love history, but this story is new to me and now I will never forget it or any of the radium girls.

I highly recommend this historical biographical fiction!

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About the Author

Samantha Wilcoxson is an author of emotive biographical fiction and strives to help readers connect with history’s unsung heroes. She also writes nonfiction for Pen & Sword History. Samantha loves sharing trips to historic places with her family and spending time by the lake with a glass of wine. Her most recent work is Women of the American Revolution, which explores the lives of 18th century women, and she is currently working on a biography of James Alexander Hamilton.

Social Media Links

Book Tour/ Feature Post and Book Review: An Unsuitable Heiress by Jane Dunn

Hashtags: #anunsuitableheiress, #janedunn, #historicalromance, #regencyromance, #newbooks, #bookrecommendation, #bookstagram, #bookreview, #regencyficiton, #booktwitter, #boldwoodbooks  

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for AN UNSUITABLE HEIRESS by Jane Dunn on this Austen Prose Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Following the death of her mother, Corinna Ormesby has lived a quiet life in the countryside with her cantankerous Cousin Agnes. Her father’s identity has been a tantalizing mystery, but now at nineteen Corinna knows that finding him may be her only way to avoid marriage to the odious Mr. Beech.

Deciding to head to London, Corinna dons a male disguise. Travelling alone as a young woman risks scandal and danger, but when, masquerading as a youth, she is befriended by three dashing blades, handsome and capable Alick Wolfe, dandy Ferdinand Shilton and the incorrigible Lord Purfoy, Corinna now has access to the male-only world of Regency England. And when she meets Alick’s turbulent brother Darius, a betrayal of trust leads to deadly combat which only one of the brothers may survive.

From gambling in gentleman’s clubs to meeting the courtesans of Covent Garden, Corinna’s country naivety soon falls away. But when she finds her father at last, learns the truth about her parentage and discovers her fortunes transformed, she must quickly decide how to reveal her true identity, while hoping that one young man in particular can see her for the beauty and Lady she really is.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86028724-an-unsuitable-heiress?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=gJfTUNS0gn&rank=1

AN UNSUITABLE HEIRESS

  • Author: Jane Dunn
  • Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance
  • Publisher: ‎ Boldwood Books (May 22, 2023)
  • Length: 350 pages
  • Format: Trade Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook 
  • ISBN: ‎978-1804835364

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

AN UNSUITABLE HEIRESS by Jane Dunn is an entertaining Regency historical romance/historical fiction with an adventuress young woman who dresses in men’s clothing and travels to London to find the father she never knew and pursue her dream of being a professional painter. This is an easy and fun to read standalone Regency story with enchanting characters.

Corrina “Cory” Ormesby has always known she is an illegitimate child. Since her mother’s death she has spent the last seven years with a cousin in the country. Her cousin is no longer willing to support her and rather than being forced into an unwanted marriage, she dresses in men’s clothes and travels with her pet poodle to London in search of the father she knows nothing about but does have the yearly gifts he sent on her birthdays until her mother’s death.

When she tries to stop the abuse of a horse at a carriage stop, she is knocked down and a trio of young blades come to her aid and befriend her. They assist her in solving the unknown identity of her father, learn her true gender, and then they all must learn to navigate the difference in circumstances for the sexes in Regency London.

I really liked Corrina and her bravery as she sets out on her journey and her determination to live the life she wants without losing her innate kindness to people and animals and her sense of adventure. The author’s research is evident in the description of norms, clothing, and language. All her gentlemen friends are realistic representatives of this period. This story has a mix of romance, a search for personal independence, friendship, adventure, and cute pets. It also demonstrates a balance between light and fun predictability vs. societal norms and strictures.

I recommend curling up in your favorite reading chair with a cuppa and letting this story take you on an enjoyable journey to Regency London.

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Author Bio

Jane Dunn is an historian and biographer and the author of seven acclaimed biographies, including Daphne du Maurier and her Sisters, and the Sunday Times and NYT bestseller, Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens. She comes to Boldwood with her first fiction outing – a trilogy of novels set in the Regency period, the first of which, The Marriage Season, is to be published in January 2023. She lives in Berkshire with her husband, the linguist Nicholas Ostler.

Social Media Links

INSTAGRAM 

FACEBOOK 

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BOOKBUB 

GOODREADS

Purchase Links

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |    GOODREADS

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Vengeance of Samuel Val by Elyse Hoffman

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE VENGEANCE OF SMAUEL VAL (Project 613 Series Book #2) by Elyse Hoffman on this Black Coffee Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Samuel Val is blessed with a loving family and a tight-knit community in his Jewish village of Khruvina. He dreams of becoming Khruvina’s Rabbi, but his dreams are crushed when his family is slaughtered by Nazi Officer Viktor Naden, the Beast of Belorussia.

With Samuel left as Khruvina’s only survivor, he joins the anti-Nazi resistance group known as the Black Foxes. Determined to avenge his family, he swears to hunt down and destroy Viktor Naden. Samuel’s mission of vengeance, however, is put on hold when he is forced to escort a Jewish refugee to a safehouse operated by Black Fox Ten, a high-ranked member of the resistance.

While on his mission to save a life, Samuel discovers that the Beast of Belorussia might be closer than he thought. All at once, Samuel is given the chance to destroy Viktor Naden…but the cost will be high.

Will Samuel sell his soul for vengeance?

Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman offers a heart-breaking and thought-provoking WW2 story.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122571847-the-vengeance-of-samuel-val?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=rKYgzNXRKp&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE VENGEANCE OF SAMUEL VAL (Project 613 Series Book #2) by Elyse Hoffman is a powerful WWII historical fiction novella that may be short but packs an emotional punch. This novella features a young man who lives to avenge his family against the SS Beast of Belorussia. This story is a novella that is a bridge between the first book, Fracture, and the yet to be published third book, Black Fox One. It is easily read as a standalone, but it does carryover a main character from the first book.

Samuel Val loves his family and community and dreams of becoming a rabbi in the Jewish village of Khruvina in Russia. Then the Nazis, led by the SS Officer Viktor Naden roll into the village on the sabbath, nail the temple doors shut and burn the community, including all of Samuel’s family. When he attempts to save his family members, he is shot, left for dead, but ultimately the only person in his village to survive.

Determined to avenge his family, he becomes a member of the resistance group known as the Black Foxes. As he is escorting a Jewish man to safety, he discovers the home of the Beast and must decide if vengeance for his family is worth his soul.

I loved the brilliant concept of this novella that takes you on a young man’s emotional and spiritual journey in just 110 pages. Amos, the escaping Jew is carried over from book one and is used as the opposing voice to the blind vengeance Samuel is determined to carry out. The back-and-forth moral debate is beautifully executed between Amos and Samuel, not only for the discussion of redemption vs. repentance, but also because you can understand both sides represented in the arguments. Ms. Hoffman’s writing paints a picture of this time and place in history while also being lyrical and informative at the same time. I cannot reveal Samuel’s ultimate decision, you will have to read the novella to find out for yourself. I am anxiously looking forward to the next book in this series.

I highly recommend this WWII historical fiction novella!

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About the Author

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.elysehoffman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elysehoffman.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Project613Books

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elyse-hoffman

Feature Post and Book Review: The Auschwitz Detective by Jonathan Dunsky

Book Description

The boy was murdered in Auschwitz. The killer isn’t a Nazi.

Poland, 1944: Adam Lapid used to be a police detective. Now he’s a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz.

Reduced to a slave after losing his family in the gas chambers, Adam struggles to find a reason to carry on living.

But when a boy is found murdered inside the camp, Adam is given the chance to be a detective again.

Ordered to discover the identity of the killer, Adam must employ all his wits to solve the mystery while surviving the perils of Auschwitz.

And he’d better catch the killer soon because the punishment for failure is death.

Readers of murder mysteries and historical fiction will be thrilled by The Auschwitz Detective.

The Auschwitz Detective is a prequel and can be read before the other books in the Adam Lapid series.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55290283-the-auschwitz-detective?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GJZuI1MA9u&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE AUSCHWITZ DETECTIVE (Adam Lapid Mysteries Book #6) by Johnathan Dunsky is a historical fiction/crime mystery set in 1944 in Auschwitz. The mystery features former Hungarian police detective Adam Lapid while he is in the death camp and coerced into solving the murder of a young inmate. There are five previous books in this series, but this one is a prequel to his life as a P.I. in Israel after the war and is very raw and candid in its depiction of life in Auschwitz. This book is easily read as a standalone story.

Transported to Auschwitz in 1944, Hungarian police detective Adam Lapid loses his entire family to the gas chambers and is struggling to find a reason to go on. When a young man is found murdered, not by the guards in the camp, Adam is ordered to find the killer in three days or lose his own life.

This book is such a difficult book to read with the descriptive depravity laid bare that is usually somewhat glossed over in other WWII stories when they discuss life in the death camps. That said, there are small depictions of humanity and friendship intertwined throughout the story as well as an engrossing murder mystery. The research involved and carried over to the writing of this story is evident.  

After reading this story, I am going to move on to book one in the series from here. I believe this book will give me a greater understanding of Adam Lapid’s character in 1950’s Israel.

I highly recommend this historical fiction/crime mystery for a more in-depth though fictional look at life in Auschwitz.

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About the Author

Jonathan Dunsky is the author of the Adam Lapid historical mysteries series. The first five books take place in the early days of the State of Israel and feature private investigator Adam Lapid, a Holocaust survivor and former Nazi hunter. The sixth novel, The Auschwitz Detective, is a prequel that takes place in Auschwitz-Birkenau in the summer of 1944.

Dunsky has also written a standalone crime thriller called The Payback Girl, in addition to publishing a number of short stories, in various genres.

He resides in Israel with his wife and two sons.

You can download one of his short stories for free at http://jonathandunsky.com/free/

Social Media Links

Website: https://jonathandunsky.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonathanDunskyBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonathanDunsky

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jonathan-dunsky

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE KEEPER OF HIDDEN BOOKS by Madeline Martin on this HTP Books Blog Tour. This is a story for all who love books and believe in the ultimate power of their words and ideas.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.

With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.

But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left – literature.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62054146-the-keeper-of-hidden-books?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UcPnnlBz7N&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE KEEPER OF HIDDEN BOOKS by Madeline Martin is a tour de force historical fiction novel featuring a group of friends in Warsaw, Poland during WWII inspired by the true story of the public and underground libraries that continued throughout the war. This is a must read for all lovers of books who believe books have the power to uplift, nurture, embolden, and provide escape during the worst of times.

Zofia Nowak and Janina are inseparable best friends bound by the love of books. This novel follows their lives, their families’ lives, and friends during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw during WWII. It is a poignant look at the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi’s in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto and against the general Polish population in general. Hitler looked down on all Poles and wanted them eliminated or used as slave labor.

Zofia not only worked with Polish Resistance, but also worked in the library warehouse to save as many books and historical documents as possible from the Nazi book banning and burning. Janina and her family are Jewish and end up in the ghetto, but both continue to find ways to share books, remain friends and resist.

This story is beautiful and inspirational as well as so hard at times. There is a reason autocrats ban and burn books because the words and ideas are powerful. Books give hope, teach empathy, and spread ideas that can change hearts and minds. This book has an inspiring friendship at its center, mentions wonderful literary novels throughout, and reminds us to be ever vigilant of those who seek to ban and destroy books and history.

I highly recommend this marvelous historical fiction novel!

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About the Author

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.

She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or ‘moming’, you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves research and travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.

Social Media Links

Website: https://madelinemartin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadelineMartinAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadelineMMartin

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/madeline-martin