Bokelskere.no

Sterk roman som bygger på historie fra middelalderen. Anbefales

Ex Crimean Nurse Hester Monk covers a shift for a friend when she finds a secret hospital ward where scared and very sick children are kept. While Hester tries to keep them alive, she finds out they are part of a cynical medical experiment. The three children and Hester herself soon find themselves in grave danger having been abducted to help with the experiment.

This is installment #21 in The William Monk Series. I enjoy them as stand-alone works and love the universe of characters she creates who show up like old friends. This story contains new male characters with discriminating behavior. By today’s standards Hester has to deal with appalling views on women. Discrimination against women in the work place seems to be an additional theme in the plot, which I find interesting from a historic point of view.

The descriptions annoy me even though I realize the characters have been crafted for this exact purpose. The patient Bryson Radnor, is the main example even though the chemist Hamilton Rand is also quite skilled in patronizing and condescending behavior towards Hester. Radnor has the full range of bad traits being condescending, ungrateful, manipulative and patronizing trying to undermine Hester for not being a man. In his defense I have to say he is sick and angry, not able to deal with receiving nursing help, but the way he makes the most of every moment to bully his own daughter as well as Hester makes me incredibly angry.

In this story Hester is the main character, even if there is a separate story line where Monk and his River Police are trying to keep London safe. They conduct an operation against a cargo ship smuggling weapons, which is not exactly a roaring success. This shorter part of the story seems like addition to the real story, whereas Hester stars in the main part. Monk, however, has to use his detective skills to rescue her towards the end of the plot.

Hester is faced with plenty of dilemmas connected to blood transfusion. I would imagine there were not much in the way of ethical regulations at the time even though blood transfusion had been tried on and off for hundreds of years. I find it interesting reading as we get to follow Hester’s though process when dealing with patients. She focuses mainly on keeping the children alive through this cynical experiment, when she is their only advocate.

The patient Radnor has consented and is paying for experimental treatment as this is his only hope to survive “the white blood disease”, today known as leukemia. Against Hester’s will she helps with the secret experimental treatment. As a nurse of the time she doesn’t seem to have much power or say in what she takes part in. Seems she pretty much does as she’s told even though she is the one with experience with severe blood loss, being an ex WW1 battlefield nurse.

I enjoy the cast of recurring characters, among them is Squeaky Robinson who somewhat lightens up the otherwise dark plot with his volatile temper and failed attempts to cover up his feelings. He has a good heart which he thinks nobody knows about. Having a history as a brothel owner involved in a number of shady and underhanded dealings, he has now somewhat cleaned up his act to only include the occasional forgery. I find it funny that Monk knows Squeaky sometimes colors outside the lines a bit, but closes his eyes as long as it’s nothing major. He works as a semi-reliable accountant for Hester’s health Clinique for prostitutes. In return he gets to live there for free.

The written East London Cockney dialect I sometimes find a bit hard to read, but I enjoy it a lot and feel it adds authenticity to the plot. The way Perry makes sure readers know upper class characters from lower class, I think works quite well in her stories.

Fans of Anne Perry’s numerous works will enjoy Corridors of The Night. It is also recommended for readers of historical fiction.

All opinions in this review are completely my own.

My rating 4 stars / 5

Jeg gir meg etter å ha lest 100 sider. Skuffende etter å ha lest så mye god omtale og priser som denne boka har fått. Denne boka gir meg egentlig ingenting.
Denne får bare en toer fra meg.

As Ashleigh Mcallister is struggling to get over her 12 year marriage, her friend introduces her to ex-soldier Kellan Dwyer who has travelled from Colorado to apartment-sit. They have a lovely time enjoying New York sights and each other until Kellan’s secret lands like a bomb between them.

This is my first time reading romance from a gay/lesbian perspective. I will not pretend to be knowledgeable about it but found it an interesting read. Universal elements in this story I think might be relevant for any gender, as the plot is about development and change of relationships. About what fears and insecurities might come into play when we try to be in a relationship.

Ashley is weary of dating following her divorce, but she still manages to open up to Kellan. She knows she will leave after the summer so she starts off guarding her heart, pretending this is just a pleasant summer fling. Kellan helps Ashley move through the hurt feelings from her divorce and gradually starts to trust her more and share her innermost feelings. Kellan, on the other hand, seems to be under sharing which comes back to haunt them both later in the plot.

Of all the characters in this story, I think Ashley’s 80 year old grandma was my favorite. She is important in the story’s first part as Ashley’s sounding board and confidant. The energetic and young-at-heart grandma is a great support for Ashley with her sharp comments and good advice while they walk to the Day Centre together. I found it endearing and funny that she is computer literate and gets information from a day centre friend’s Instagram account.

This story felt sweet and easy with a summer vibe to it, which would make a great holiday read. For anyone tempted to go to New York, there is a nice collection of sights described. I’m sure fans of Maggie Cummings’ other work would appreciate this new installment, as well as readers of gay/lesbian romance.

Thank you to publisher Bold Strokes via NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
My rating: 4 stars / 5

When five strangers, Jett, Lexa, Coral, Chuck and Ed, out of the blue get invited to the Fifth Avenue Literary Society Library, they don’t understand what’s going on. Gradually they get past their insecurities and start sharing some of the stories of their lives. These strangers with no previous connection come to trust each other, pour their hearts out and wrestle with each other’s stories to get to the truths.

This story starts with background stories of each of the invited. Each has past issues they have been too afraid to deal with and prefers to keep secret. But as they keep meting every Monday night, they share more and more details and are bringing fresh, new perspectives into each member’s life. New input and new inspiration helps to reignite the lives of these somewhat stuck and lonely people. Their relationships seem to develop and the support of the society helps the members reflect on their past and move through some hard issues. They learn to love and be loved, be cared for and respected as they get more and more involved and willing to be there for each other.

I enjoyed the personal development we get to witness by following these individuals as members of the story society. From being rather closed off when joining, they learn to open up about their feelings and trusting the other members with the real truths about their lives. The stories they share become more and more heartbreaking, raw and honest.

The plot presents each society member similar to diary entries where we get to follow their unique process. The writing draws me into how their lives feel to them from the inside with all the fear, grief, and hurt feelings they experience. Going to the story society every Monday somehow adds to their lives and contributes to the healing they didn’t expect or seek.

The members of the story society is a good cast of well developed characters I feel are easy to identify with as they have their individual issues they try to lie, cover up or in other ways refuse to deal with leading to resentment and bitterness in their lives. This makes them all believable, real and special. I appreciated the faith element mixed into the plot which intensified towards the end.

My favorite of the characters is Lexa Wilder who is personal assistant in a burger chain. I am delighted to see her finally stand up for herself work wise. Her eyes get abruptly opened when she understands she really has caught the wrong end of the stick. Realizing this, she has to figure out what she wants and make a tough adjustment.

I felt the writing was vivid. In my mind’s eye I could see how the Fifth Avenue Story Society Library might actually look like. Fascinating how the meetings were held in surroundings of antique furniture, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and dusty carpets. I envisioned maybe it might look something like a mini version of the library at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movie.

This is the first book I read from Rachel Hauck, but she will be on my radar from now on and I will be on the lookout for more of her previous works as well as future releases. I would recommend The Fifth Avenue Story Society to fans of Rachel Hauck and readers of romance genre.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My rating: 5 stars / 5

When lawyer Benjamin Booker and his senior partner Robert Harvey stumbles upon a crime scene, they are horrified the victim is longtime friend and company founder Percival Norris. The case seems connected to Isabella Wilder of Belle Island. Benjamin agrees to pay her a visit to investigate the murder under the cover of giving her legal advice.

The victim, Mr. Norris, has served as trustee of the Wilder estate in a way which increasingly worries and angers his charge Isabella. He is trying to use his power to pressure Isabella into allowing a shipbuilding company onto the beautiful and secluded Belle Island. For the last ten years she has not left the island even once because she believes in a curse on her family. She is adamant on keeping everything as it is, stay on the island and run her willow basketry business as usual. Only trouble is, she has this strange and vivid dream of being present in the Wilder’s town house at the time of the murder.

When Benjamin arrives at Belle Island, he is eager to both please his employer, Mr. Hardy, and regain confidence in himself after a very public and humiliating loss in court. He is trying to quietly dig up additional evidence in the murder case and figure out what Isabella has to do with it all. Could it be she or another family member is the actual murderer?

Isabella’s niece Rose Wilder is betrothed to Christopher Adair. He lies about his whereabouts at the time of the murder. He acted entitled and arrogant, and I disliked the way he tried to cover up and obstruct the investigation.

Evan Curtis is Isabella’s childhood friend and youth love interest. He was sent away to the most dangerous of war zones because it was in Mr. Norris’ best interest as trustee that Isabella didn’t marry. He is very angry with Mr. Noris and suspects him of picking the most dangerous posting of all hoping he would be killed in the Peninsular war. I found him odd and secretive, maybe even dangerous with his experience of weapons and war. Why is he back a Belle Island after so many years?

Dr Theodore Grant also Isabella’s childhood friend. Even though he is a very talented doctor meant for big things in some city, he stays on as country doctor. Isabella expects him to propose to her at some point. She waits, but nothing happens. Instead he seems to act over-protective, possessive and patronizing towards her. She considers him a friend, but has no real feelings for him. A strange display of reactions show everything is not as it seems with him.

The vivid writing of this story draws me into the plot. It feels like I’m actually there in the beautiful English hamlet Riverton with the old village church, thatch roofed cottages and the Thames River lazily floating by. I love the descriptions of life on the river at the time. A lot of activity seemed to be going on with fishing boats and net makers trying to make a living.
Weeping willow trees and lush greenery add to the lovely nature scene. I can almost hear birds chirping in the trees and feel the sun on my face, while I visualize the story. Who could imagine bad things happen in a beautiful place like this.

I found the menu descriptions of the dinner party at Belle Island as thorough as they were impressive. People really did know how to eat and party at the time. The dancing part an issue in it’s own right.

This plot had great build up of tension. I was kept busy suspecting a number of characters of some kind of foul play throughout the story. The relationship between Isabella and Ben I felt grew slowly but surely amidst all the drama in a way that complimented the story without overpowering it.

The Bridge to Belle Island is recommended for fans of Julie Klassen’s other works and for readers of historical fiction.

My rating 5 stars / 5
(All opinions in this review are my own)

Following an accident as a child, Neville Cross is speech impaired and that holds him back from fulfilling his dreams of a good life. When he meets Clara Hartwright, lady’s companion with a shockingly unladylike secret, he feels forced to challenge his low self-esteem to forge an independent life.
In the Parish Orphans of Devon Series we follow the orphan boys Justin Thornhill, Tom Finchley, Alex Archer and Neville Cross. Installment #4 is featuring Neville Cross, who is apprentice steward at Greyfriar’s Abby owned by his friend Justin. He finds it hard to do the paper work part of the position and prefers to work outside, particularly tending to the horses. Having had a troubled background, Neville is grateful to Justin for the opportunity to work and live on the estate. He doesn’t think he is able to do anything else and is afraid to venture out among people. He expects to be ridiculed for his trouble expressing himself. The parts of the story where we get a glimpse into his thoughts about himself and his life are heartbreaking. Neville’s confidence and outlook on life has really taken a toll. He is convinced he has to isolate himself at the Abbey for the rest of his life. There is not really anybody in his surroundings who challenges him to make a change until he meets Clara.

Clara Hartwright, comes for a Christmas visit together with her employer Mrs Bainbright. She needs her position to save enough money, so she tries to be as good a lady’s companion as she can be. She doesn’t feel she has the knack for staying silent and acting like a living ghost, but she has this shockingly unladylike project that needs funding and be kept an absolute secret. Clara seems an assertive and outspoken young woman, so slowly but surely she manages to challenge Neville’s preconceptions. With her help his mind is opened to dreams and opportunities he previously believed was out of his reach.

I really appreciated Clara’s desire to rid herself of some of the feminine constraints of the time, and there certainly were a lot of them to deal with and find creative ways around. I found it refreshing that the plot includes a mix of what might have been forward thinking or even revolutionary ideas at the time. Darwinistic ideas are balanced out with, to us, very old fashioned views.

Neville loves horses and the knowledge and interest in horses and dogs shines through in this work, which I find very enjoyable. Clara rescues old pug Bertie from being put down and secretly takes him with her to her new position. He seems to find a new and happier life in the country playing with his two new mastiff friends. I found him an enjoyable and funny supporting character in his own right.

There seems to have been thorough research ahead of writing this story into how Christmas decorations were made and what games and activities were played at the time. Some of the activities I even recognize as being done today as part of pre Christmas crafting or Christmas Workshops. As the plot is set at a Christmas gathering of friends and family in Devon, I found this part of the story entertaining and enjoyable adding to the Christmas vibe.

I read A Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon #4) as a standalone. It worked well, but I think I would recommend reading the series starting with #1, gradually getting up to speed with characters and events. I found this to be a sweet, entertaining read and I would recommend it to fans of Mimi Matthews other works and readers of historical romance fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Emily Prescott, expert baker, is in a dwindling relationship with firefighter boyfriend when she finds out he cheated on her. She doesn’t know how to handle the complicated mess of her life, so she flees to her childhood home in Scotland to serve as bridesmaid and make the wedding cake for her friend Beth’s wedding. The drama intensifies as even more issues come to light.

This is an enjoyable and relaxing read that gives me all the feelings I wish for in a book of this genre. I loved that this story has such a light, happy and sometimes funny vibe to it. There are patches of life wisdom scattered about, which I find an added bonus. I feel drawn in by plenty of descriptions of life in Glendale, which reminds me of rural life of my childhood in northern Norway. I always seem to enjoy stories set in Scotland. There’s just something about descriptions of relationships and the rural community feel that that appeals to me so much.

Beth Williams, bride and small town power house, is working to breathe new life into the community using her grandmother’s inheritance. She has chosen to make her wedding a major community rally to both make the wedding perfect and to add business and activity to the Glendale area.

I am pleased to see Emily has support of her close Scottish friends and family at a time when she feels life is tough and she doesn’t know what the next step is. There is a whole cast of background characters in this story who are all Emily’s friends and family. Most important is commitment phobic boyfriend Greg, who fortunately goes through a major development throughout and is essential to the plot. Also vital to this story is handsome minister Brodie Stewart. His presence intensifies the drama and complications even more.

I really appreciate how the writing relates a cozy vibe despite the complexities and drama of the plot. Relaxing summery weather descriptions add to a relaxed holiday feel. Wedding preparations get a distinct place in the story. We get to follow planning of the color scheme, bridesmaid’s dresses and wedding cake as well as the outdoor arrangement of flowers and lights on the gazebo in the grounds of Glendale Hall.

This was an enjoyable and relaxing read, just as I was expecting. I would recommend it to fans of Victoria Walters and readers of romance woman’s fiction. This is book 2 in the Glendale Hall series. I read it as a standalone, which worked out just fine, and will be on the lookout for future installments.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Hera, for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dette er kun en roman for ferie eller annen rekreasjon. Gir likevel 5 i terningskast da den er spennende skrevet.
Forlagets omtale: (noe omskrevet)
Det søkes jordmor/spesialsykepleier til Virgin River mm. Melinda Monroe er nettopp blitt enke og bestemmer seg for at det lille stedet i den lille byen oppe i fjellene må være perfekt for å komme vekk fra sorgen og finne tilbake til yrket hun elsker. Ankomsten til stedet svarer ikke til forventningene og hun ønsker å forlate stedet neste dag. Men en nyfødt baby på trappa og møtet med en tidligere marinesoldat utsetter avreisen.

When Pearl MacFarland is forced by Confederacy to take in seriously wounded Federal prisoners to give makeshift nursing care, she resists with everything she’s got. Meeting Federal Sergeant Joshua Wheeler who fights to end secession and slavery, they are both in for an eye-opening experience becoming aware of the not so black and white elements of war. While suffering under the weight of enormous responsibility, hardships and occasional experiences of danger, Pearl learns to still show compassion towards the enemy soldiers.

This makes for a very interesting story for readers who are interested in how nursing might have been carried out in a makeshift hospital during the war. We get to follow Pearl as she tries to nurse the heavily wounded, sometimes dying enemy soldiers, with little or no supplies relying on the simplest activities of care. Having no medicines, main task would be to keep wounds clean and pray patients would survive. Food supplies were scarce and irregular at best, so Pearl had to dip into the family’s emergency rations to feed soldiers.

In spite of all her everyday hardships nursing the ever increasing number of patients, Pearl’ is thankful. It impresses and humbles me that she is able to feel like that in her situation. While reading this story, I felt my appreciation for running water increase. How labor intensive it would have been to take a bath, which we all take for granted nowadays, is quite eye-opening. As is descriptions of the labor that went into changing bed sheets and do laundry by hand to keep all her patients clean to get better.

Pearl and Joshua’s relationship gets off to a really rocky start as they find themselves on opposite sides of the Civil War. Pearl blames Joshua for her loss of 3 brothers to the war and thinks the Federals are invaders who do not care about the slaves at all. That it’s all about politics. Joshua is equally adamant that the war is all about ending secession and slavery. However reluctant they both are to admit it, it cannot be denied that a closer relationship between them is developing.

I found this story to be a bit of a learning experience about American geography in addition to the Civil War history. As the story is inspired by real events, I feel there are plenty of facts to be picked up along the way. I think that is why I like historical fiction genre so much. The mix of fact and fiction spikes my interest in learning more about the issues being dealt with in the story. As a nurse there was the added bonus of learning more about makeshift nursing during the war, which I found sad, scary and entertaining in a curious mix. I wish Pearl had an easier time of it.

The faith element was an added bonus running like a read thread through the story. Pearl’s father quotes scripture, insisting Pearl should feed the enemy. Patients are also comforted by Bible reading sessions. There are quite a bit of space used for scriptures quotes which I found probably realistic, as the MacFarlands lived a quite hard life where they leaned on the Bible for strength and hope. Feeding the enemy was quite essential to the plot.

The Rebel Bride is book #10 in the Daughters of The Mayflower series. I read this as a standalone, which worked well. I would recommend this work to fans of Shannon McNear, to readers of historical fiction in general or those interested in Civil War History.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

When Abigail Bracey’s father tries to get out of his involvement with a counterfeiter ring, he gets killed, and the world as Abby and her mother knows it falls apart.. She reluctantly has to work with ex boyfriend and Secret Service Agent Dashiell Lassiter.

Four years after the scandal Secret Service makes contact. She is asked to help them in their search for the criminal counterfeiter known as “The Artist” – Fletcher Pitch who killed her father. He keeps moving from place to place disguising himself and making sure nobody knows what he looks like, making it difficult to apprehend him.

Abby agrees to go to Wells Nebraska to work undercover to bring her father’s killer to justice. Pitch is searching for his son, who is in hiding from his criminal father, so Abby needs to uncover both father and son’s identities. Agent Dashiell Lassiter of Secret Service is assigned to keep her safe. He is Abby’s ex boyfriend and she finds it very hard to be around him again. She is angry and feels he abandoned her six years ago when he left town without a word.

I find it touching how Abby finds her way back to her faith and manages to forgive and let go of the hurt she has been carrying around for years. She stopped praying as she feels God doesn’t hear her after her father’s death. When leaving for Nebraska, she purposely leaves her Bible behind. After a time she realizes she misses her relationship with God. Throughout the story she is in a process of reigniting and strengthening her faith, which I felt ended up being a great value to the plot.

I felt this story gave me Little house on the Prairie feel with descriptions of small town environment where everybody knows everybody else and Abby soon becomes a respected part of the community. The need for constant considerations of propriety within school hours I found entertaining and funny. In small town rural Nebraska there would have been countless events that could get tongues wagging, which Abby needed to take seriously to keep her job.

The plot of this story moved gradually in the first half, tension increasing in the second half and ending with a dramatic conclusion. The real historic event of the blizzard of 1888 in Nebraska added an intense and drama to the story, really putting Abbey’s faith and perseverance to the test.

This is book #11 in the Daughters of Mayflower Series, and the first one I have read in this series. I would recommend it for fans of Susanne Dietze and for readers of historical fiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 stars / 5

Ingrid Chastain is on an excruciating quest to get vaccines to remote areas of the vast Montana Territories where people are suffering a major outbreak of smallpox. Being the only survivor from a wagon crash she still tries to get the vaccines delivered. Only trouble is she has broken the femur bone in addition to a couple of ribs, so she can’t really move.

For five years Dr Micah Bradley has lived in the outback trying to deal with grief after the loss of his wife and daughter to smallpox. He blames himself that he was unable to use his skills to save them. Following their deaths he stopped doctoring and moved to the Montana outback where he kept to himself trying to deal with his loss as a husband, father and doctor.

A wounded donkey-cry alerts Micah to the wagon crash site where he finds three dead men and one wounded woman. He learns this is the life saving smallpox vaccines’ transport Ingrid’s father has promised to deliver to outback town Settler’s Fort. Now Ingrid is the sole survivor of the accident and she is determined to deliver the vaccines come hell or high water, but her leg and ribs have to heal first. In spite of the lack of confidence in himself and his doctoring skills, Micah takes care of Ingrid the best way possible without any medical supplies available. He is adamant to save her even though he was not able to save his family.

The relationship between Ingrid and Micah develops in spite of all the hardships they go through trying to move ahead in the snowy and bad weather, while at the same time caring for Ingrid’s injuries. Reading this story I sometimes got frustrated and thought “is anything ever going to work out for them”. Difficult and dangerous events just seemed to be piling up one after the other. But, as in real life, going through difficult situations may lead to stronger relationships. Ingrid is a strong woman with a strong faith and that seems to rub off on Micah. She trusts that God will help them survive the journey and get the vaccines delivered safely to help people of Settler’s Fort. Micah worries a lot about Ingrid’s health but sees how steadfast she is in her faith. She becomes a role model of sorts for him as his faith grows stronger. Together they stay strong and maintain their courage. The romantic relationship between them seems to grow slowly but surely in moments when the danger and drama quiets down a bit. It takes on a backdrop position which I found added to the story instead of being a disturbing element of the plot. I think it would have felt unrealistic for romance to have taken center stage in with all the danger and drama going on.
I really enjoyed the thorough research into how medical treatment might have worked out in rural areas in the 1860s. The story includes quite detailed descriptions of Dr Bradley’s considerations and careful ministrations as he treats Ingrid’s injuries. How he goes about moving her, treating her pain and avoiding infection without any kind of supplies, crutches or a wheel chair. I find this really interesting from a 2020 perspective.
An element which lightens the mood of the story is descriptions of the Chinook warm winds. As I live on another Continent I didn’t know about this weather phenomenon. It seemed to thaw some of the snow and generally make conditions easier when they tried to move as quickly as they could through the wintery mountain wilderness.
The outdoors descriptions I found very enjoyable and relatable as I have grown up close to nature in harsh winters of Northern Norway. Even though most outdoor activities from my childhood were during summer, I feel the descriptions of the cold, winter conditions stir up memories of playing in the snow.
This is my first book by Misty M. Beller, but probably not the last. I think she managed to balance the faith element and romance with the danger and drama in a way that overall worked out quite well. Fans of Ms Beller will enjoy this work. It is also recommended for readers who like historical romance fiction.
My rating: 4 stars / 5
(All opinions are my own).

When two women are found brutally murdered in an artist’s apartment, private detective William Monk and his wife Hester team up with well connected and wealthy Lady Callandra Daviot to find out what happened to them. It seems very hard to know who the intended victim was and who just was at the wrong place at the wrong time. One is an artist’s model and the other doctor’s wife Elissa Beck. Elissa Beck’s husband is very soon charged with the murder of the two women. He is Hester Monk’s colleague and friend. She believes him innocent, so she desperately wants to help clear his name. As Hester and William investigate, secrets start to unravel relating to the victims’ pasts. As the Becks used to passionately battle for reform in the Austrian Revolution of 1848, it becomes vital for William to travel to Vienna to gather additional information about the Beck’s role in the Vienna Uprising.

Main Characters
Hester Monk is an ex Crimean War nurse who now volunteers at a hospital. She is married to William Monk who investigates cases privately as he has resigned from the police force under a bit of a cloud. They enjoy a close and happy marriage and are able to read each other very precisely, which is both a blessing and a curse while investigating this case. Hester is friends with both hospital surgeon dr Beck and member of the hospital board Lady Callandra Daviot. William feels he has to tread very carefully to protect his wife’s feelings when he discovers potentially hurtful facts. I enjoy the considerations of both William and Hester when they try to keep each other safe from emotional hurt throughout the investigation.

Lady Callandra Daviot is a wealthy widow and a member of the hospital board. She tries to keep a secret that she loves surgeon Kristian Beck. She officially takes an interest in the doctor’s case and gets Head of the Board to approve her as the doctor’s employer. In reality, she tries to do everything she can to help him without being judged by society.

Elements I Enjoyed:
I so much enjoy the emotional care the Monk’s take when they investigate; both towards each other as well as towards other persons involved. They seem to experience a lot of fear as the investigation progresses and are constantly considering who to tell what and when. This makes me exited to know what happens next. I get to know the relationship between the characters while the plot develops and I feel invested in them. Descriptions of the characters being wet and cold while moving around London in the rain and fog add to the gloomy feel of the story. As does descriptions of dark and unheated rooms. It is expertly balanced out with tea breaks in cozy withdrawing rooms in front of fires, or the eating of hot stews in a warm kitchen. I like that Anne Perry creates a universe with a vast number of characters who make appearances in different stories. It’s like brief visits from old friends.

Overall Thoughts
The historical events description sets the plot at approximately1860. The story develops gradually through the first half. In the second half the plot seems to bounce around a little bit. New information comes to light and a major twist adds up to a quite surprising conclusion. I find there is a lot to enjoy in this work. Fans of Anne Perry would love this novel, and I think readers of crime fiction would too.

My rating: 4 stars / 5
(All opinions are my own)

I år skal jeg lese de bøkene jeg har lyst til å lese, og se enten mens jeg leser dem eller etterpå om de passer til et punkt. Kun bøker i 'leser' hylla.

En leseutfordring med 25 bøker på Facebook

LESEUTFORDRING 2020

Bok utgitt i 2020

Bok anbefalt av ditt lokale bibliotek/ bokhandel

Bok på under 100 sider

Afrikansk forfatter

Vinner av Bokhandlerprisen

Bok du hadde tenkt å lese i 2019

Russisk klassiker

Favorittbok fra da du var barn/ ungdom

Bok du ikke klarte legge fra deg

Bok av forfatter som har skrevet mer enn 20 bøker

Bok med gult cover

En bruktbok

Bok der noen blir drept

Bok med kart i

Bok fra tiåret 2010-2019

Bok med kosedyr på coveret

Bok som ikke har en lykkelig slutt

En fantasyroman

Bok med fottøy i tittelen

Bok med terningkast seks på coveret

Bok om psykisk helse

Bok som inneholder et oppdiktet språk

Bok om sport

En vinterbok

Bok om skeiv kjærlighet

I år skal jeg lese de bøkene jeg har lyst til å lese, og se enten mens jeg leser dem eller etterpå om de passer til et punkt. Kun bøker i 'leser' hylla.

THE 2020 LIST

A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
A book by an author whose last name is one syllable
A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019
A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live
The first book in a series that you have not started

A book with a mode of transportation on the cover

A book set in the southern hemisphere
A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The"
A book that can be read in a day

A book that is between 400-600 pages

A book originally published in a year that is a prime number - 1979
A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people
A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge
A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers

A book set in a global city

A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area
A book with a neurodiverse character
A book by an author you've only read once before

A fantasy book

The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.
A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1720
A book with the major theme of survival

A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author

A book with an emotion in the title
A book related to the arts
A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards
A history or historical fiction

A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author

An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book
A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year
A book inspired by a leading news story

A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan

A book about a non-traditional family
A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name
A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover

A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim

Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1
Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2
A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce

A book with a place name in the title

A mystery
A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ (link)
A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse #1
A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse #2
A book related to witches

A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018

A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire"
A classic book you've always meant to read
A book published in 2020

A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win - 'A book set on an Island'

A book with a silhouette on the cover
A book with an "-ing" word in the title
A book related to time

I år skal jeg lese de bøkene jeg har lyst til å lese, og se enten mens jeg leser dem eller etterpå om de passer til et punkt. Kun bøker i 'leser' hylla.

I år skal jeg lese de bøkene jeg har lyst til å lese, og se enten mens jeg leser dem eller etterpå om de passer til et punkt. Kun bøker i 'leser' hylla.