Book Review: Bonfire of the Perfect by Susan Appleyard

Bonfire of the Perfect

By Susan Appleyard

Prompted by the murder of his legate, in 1209 Pope Innocent III launches a crusade – not against the infidels of the East, but against fellow Christians living peaceably in the south of France. They are the Cathars, regarded as heretics by the Roman Church, and the sect is flourishing. Thousands of knights, landless younger sons, mercenaries and assorted riff-raff pour south with Christian zeal to exterminate men, women and children of the same country. A dilemma soon arises: How to tell a Cathar from an orthodox Catholic?

Lovers Bräida and Jourdan are torn apart when Carcassonne falls to the crusaders. Jourdan joins the resistance while Bräida flees with her family to the relative safety of the Pyrenees, neither knowing if they will see one another again. But Bräida is not safe in her mountain retreat, because the Church has found an answer to its dilemma – the creation of the Inquisition. No one can escape its diabolical clutches.

This is a story of faith, endurance and the love of liberty in a time of unimaginable cruelty.

 

 

"Much will be written by the other side, I'm sure. The winners have a claim on history while the losers are shovelled into the ground and their stories expunged. Mine will be a story of love and war, a war that ended as the conquest of an entire province. It was an episode of manifest injustice and unparalleled cruelty that we must never forget…"

 

When God turns his back on his children, then the blood of the innocent would be spilt upon the street. A Holy War, that is what they were calling it. But this time it was not the infidel that would suffer, it would be the heretic.

 

For years they had lived alongside the Cathars, they were neighbours, friends. Yet, now the Pope was asking the congregation to forsake them, to give them up to the fire. 

However, in the heat of battle how can one tell the difference between a Cathar and a Catholic?

 

From a young girl's dream of the future to the devastating consequences of choosing to stand with the oppressed, Bonfire of the Perfect by Susan Appleyard is a beautiful, yet powerfully emotional story of one woman's experience during the Albigensian Crusade (1209–29).

 

I thought this book was going to be an emotional read, and I was right! I was so glad that I had some tissues close at hand because I certainly needed them. However, this is a novel that once started was impossible to turn away from. This story, these characters, utterly mesmerised me. Bonfire of the Perfect is what Historical Fiction is all about.

 

Although the main protagonist is not a Cathar, this book is very much about their terrible persecution. The plight of the Cathars is not something one often finds depicted in Historical Fiction, so I was really looking forward to seeing how Appleyard would approach their beliefs and their practices. History tells us that the Cathars rejected the authority of the Catholic Church, they instead based their faith from the teachings in the Gospels. The violence in which the Catholic Church responded to the pacifist Cathars was almost without precedence — it was, to put it simply, an act of genocide. Appleyard has taken that history and shed new light on the absolute horror that the Cathars suffered at the hands of fellow Christians. The corruption of the Catholic Church and the greed of the monarchy and the aristocracy during this era is only eclipsed by their collective determination to stamp out anyone who had dared to contradict their teachings or question their authority. Their reaction by the Catholic Church must have confirmed the Cathars' belief that the evil God of the Old Testament “Satan” did indeed rule the world, for the good God of The New Testament would never have called men to their cause with the promise of wealth and land. Nor would He have sanctioned the murder of the innocent. This is the kind of novel that makes a reader stop and think, and it clearly demonstrates how power corrupts absolutely. Appleyard approaches her story with a deep understanding of the history of this period. She has depicted this terrifying world where both Cathars and, in many cases, Catholics were brutally murdered for either opposing a corrupted organisation or for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Appleyard confirms very elegantly that there was nothing Holy about any of the Crusades.

 

Bräida was a protagonist that I really came to care about. Bräida experiences injustice — she had witnessed the cruel whispers of the Inquisition, and she has seen her fellow countrymen murdered on the orders of a Pope who knew nothing of compassion. Yet, still, she retains an inherent goodness that would not be tarnished by the war that had dominated her life. Bräida suffers so much in this book, and yet she does not let the situation break her. Bräida is a heroine because she bears the unbearable, and she never gives up but approaches life with a determination to make the very best of it. Her relationship with Jourdan and Dulcia was particularly heartrending. I thought Appleyard's depiction of Bräida was utterly sublime.

 

Likewise, Jourdan is a protagonist that really tugged at my heartstrings. He comes from nothing and yet he has more honour than those with title and wealth. His story is tragic. However, it is incredibly compelling. I thought Jourdan's portrayal was wonderful.

 

The antagonists in this story are found in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the French monarchy and the aristocracy. Their dogged determination to hold onto their power and wealth is evident throughout this novel. They did not care who they hurt and who they had to kill to acquire more wealth and more land. It was also an opportunity for pious knights to win a Crusade Indulgence without having to travel to The Holy Lands. The fact that a papal legate allegedly stated "Kill them all. God will know his own," demonstrates the ruthlessness of the Church during this era. Against such an enemy, the best that our brave protagonists can do is survive. I thought the depiction of the Catholic Church and the determination of the French king to establish authority over the south during this era was very authentic in the telling.

 

The hours that Appleyard has dedicated to researching this period of history shines through in the enthralling narrative. Appleyard has an almost visceral understanding of what makes history worth reading, and she is also the perfect tour-guide to take her readers on a trip back in time to a dangerous past.

 

This is a story that is rife with historical controversy, and yet I felt it was also a very honest interpretation of the Albigensian Crusade. But what makes this book stand out from a crowded bookcase is Appleyard's novelist eye for the human detail. Within the pages of this remarkable book, we witness the very best and the very worst of humanity. Bonfire of the Perfect by Susan Appleyard is a poignant story and one that will stay with a reader long after they have turned that final page.

 

I Highly Recommend.

 

Pick up your copy of

Bonfire of the Perfect

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Susan Appleyard

 

Susan was born in England, which is where she learned to love English history, and now lives in Canada in the summer. In winter she and her husband flee the cold for their second home in Mexico. Susan divides her time between writing and her hobby, oil painting. Writing will always be her first love

 

Connect with Susan: Blog • Goodreads • Amazon Author Page.

Book Review: Echoes of the Storm by Charlene Newcomb

Echoes of the Storm

By Charlene Newcomb

 

The battle for Torredo is over, but the war has just begun…

 

Jack Gamble’s lover is a double agent. Norse betrayed the resistance and now commands Galilei’s military operations.

Rallying what remains of the resistance and their galactic allies wasn’t part of Jack’s plans. His contacts are scattered, maybe dead. Streams are broadcasting his face from one end of the galaxy to the other, and mercenaries under the command of Captain Ben Stone intercept his ship.

Space pirates, friendly interrogators, security grunts, and Norse stand in Jack’s way. Can he trust Stone? The intriguing captain has his own problems with the empire – and an interest in Jack.

Jack isn’t looking for a one-night stand, and any emotional entanglements need to be off the radar. He has a rebellion to win and a world to take back. Failure means his people will never break the empire’s chains, and his homeworld is screwed.

Norse already did that to him.

He won’t let it happen again.

“We could spend hours reciting the names of friends we’ve lost. It won’t bring them back. We’ll honour them by ending Galilei’s rule…”

 

But that was easier said than done.

 

Jack Gamble had been every kind of fool. He had thought that what they had was love, but it wasn’t love, he knew that now. Ari Norse had used him to get what he wanted. He had used them all. With the resistance scattered and his heart broken, Jack flees his homeland.

 

However, Norse is not a man who gives up easily, and he certainly isn’t going to give up on one of the resistances greatest fighters. He knows Jack. He knows how he thinks. And he has the perfect weapon in which to manipulate his former lover and bring him back home. Jack will meet his fate. He has to. For it is the only way Norse can get what he truly wants.

 

From a desperate flight to a battle that will decide who is the better man, Echoes of the Storm by Charlene Newcomb is the unforgettable story of Jack Gamble and his resistance friends.

 

With a realistic science fiction backdrop and a narrative that entices, enchants and enthrals, Echoes of the Storm has an awful lot to recommend it. There is an authenticity to the atmospheric backdrop, and a realism in the characters that one meets on this journey that Jack Gamble finds himself on. But this is not the story of just one man, but a group of resistant fighters, who fight for their planet, the galaxy, but more importantly each other. This book has it all. There are desperate betrayals, extraordinary acts of heroism and a beautifully tender love story as well. The writing is absolutely phenomenal. It is in a class of its own. This novel is next to impossible to put down —  it is addictive to the extreme. This is the kind of book that one would happily forgo sleep to finish.

 

Newcomb has an understanding of not only what makes a great story, but also how to write realistic science-fiction. You will find no loud explosions in space in this book! Nor, will you find any impossible situations, or worlds that are so implausible that there is no way they could ever exist. What Newcomb gives her readers is realism. The planets, the space crafts, everything is backed up by a confident scientific understanding. It is very clear that Newcomb knows what she is talking about, and this is what makes this book stand out on a very crowded bookcase. Kudos, Ms Newcomb. Kudos, indeed.

 

Jack Gamble is the kind of hero that a reader can really get behind. Norse’s betrayal blindsides him, and yet he finds the courage to continue to fight for his beliefs, even in the face of terrible adversity. Jack is a very astute and very driven man who cares very deeply, which I think is why I was drawn to him. He is this wonderfully honourable man who could easily have lost his confidence, who could have spent the rest of his life in hiding, but he cannot walk away. He has to finish what he started. To pen a hero that touches the heart of the reader is a lot harder that one would think, but Newcomb has nailed it in her depiction of Jack. I adored everything about him, and he certainly drove this story forward.

 

Ben Stone is a character that did run and hide many years previous from the same people who are now hunting Jack. Ben, despite now being a pirate, is one of the most compassionate characters in this book. His keen wit, and his willingness to help Jack, made him a character that I came to care about. I thought Ben’s depiction was sublime. I enjoyed reading about him and his scenes, particularly with Jack, were delightfully portrayed.

 

Likewise, Atticus “Tic” Ford is a man of deep integrity, who like many has been living a double life. Tic was a character that I enjoyed getting to know. He is, like many of the resistance fighters, incredibly empathetic, but he is also very intelligent, and he isn’t scared to put himself forward for the most dangerous missions again and again. I thought his portrayal was fabulous.

 

The antagonist of this story is cloaked in shadows of his own making. Norse has an exaggerated sense of self-importance. Fantasies of success and power blind him, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. However, he is also very clever and was willing to wait a very long time to make sure the circumstances were right for him to play his master hand. He is a very manipulative man who wears two faces. At times there are hints of the loving man he pretended to be, which makes the reader wonder if he really was pretending. However, there is a ruthless, very brutal side to him which leaves a reader with a sense of fear as to what he would do next. This is a villain that is obsessively motivated, and he has the resources and the audacity to take what he wants while at the same time demanding absolute loyalty. I thought Norse’s depiction was brilliant.

 

Echoes of the Storm by Charlene Newcomb is an absolute must for fans of quality science-fiction. This is quite possibly the best science-fiction book that I have ever read.

 

I Highly Recommend.

 

Pre-order your copy of

Echoes of the Storm

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Charlene Newcomb

Charlene Newcomb lives, works, and writes in Kansas. She is an academic librarian by trade, a former U.S. Navy veteran, and has three grown children. When not working at the library, she is still surrounded by books and trying to fill her head with all things medieval. All three books in the Battle Scars series are B.R.A.G. Medallion honorees; Book II was a finalist and Book III was short-listed in the Chaucer Awards for pre-1750 Historical Fiction & both are recipients of numerous accolades.

Char is a huge Star Wars fan and has contributed short stories to the Expanded Universe featuring an underground freedom fighter, http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Alexan.... She has also published a mainstream contemporary family saga: Keeping the Family Peace centers on the lives of a Navy family.

Char loves to travel, and enjoys quiet places in the mountains or on rocky coasts. But even in Kansas she can let her imagination soar.

 

Connect with Charlene:

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Book Review: Of Darkness and Light : A Soli Hansen Mystery Book 1 by Heidi Eljarbo

Of Darkness and Light

 A Soli Hansen Mystery Book 1

 By Heidi Eljarbo

Oslo, 1944.

 

Soli Hansen’s passion for art history is and always has been a way of life for her. While she spends her days working in an art shop, WWII is taking its toll on everyone. Apprehensive of the consequences, Soli avoids becoming entangled in the war resistance efforts. She closes her eyes in hopes the enemy will retreat and leave her beautiful country for good.

But when a woman is found dead in the alley alongside the art shop and a painting from the last auction goes missing, Soli is thrown into the thickest of the fray involving both Nazi art theft and the Norwegian resistance.

Once Soli finds her courage, there’s no turning back. Her personal life is turned upside-down with danger, lies, spying, and an incredible discovery.

 

 

“Chiaroscuro?” Arvid scratched his chin. “I am not familiar with that term.”

Soli smiled. “That means he painted strong contrast of light and dark.”

Rolf mumbled, “Kind of like this war. Light and dark—good and bad— interconnecting but widely divergent.”

 

If you turned your face away from suffering, then you could pretend it was not happening. To live in denial was easy, simple. Soli Hansen did not question where the paintings that her employer bought at auction came from, or what had become of their original owners. Sometimes, it was better not to know. Soli was sure that one day, someone, or something, would defeat the Nazis and free her people of their rule. It was not as if an art scholar could do anything about her country's occupation.

 

But when Mrs Gundersen dies under suspicious circumstances, and a painting goes missing from Mr Holm’s Fine Arts Shop, Soli is forced to open her eyes and confront the truth. The only way her beloved country would see the red flag with the black swastika lowered from the parliament building would be if people like her stopped being passive. After all, there was no guarantee that anyone would be coming to their aid. Soli must do her part and resist the invaders, and maybe by doing so, she could save one painting from falling into the hands of the enemy.

From the sinister sight of military planes heading towards Oslo to the discovery of a shocking truth, Of Darkness and Light: A Soli Hansen Mystery Book 1 by Heidi Eljarbo is the enthralling story of one young woman’s journey from art scholar to a Norwegian resistance spy.

There are some books that grab a reader from the opening sentence and take them upon a journey of historical discovery, Of Darkness and Light: A Soli Hansen Mystery Book 1 is such a book. Written with a sympathetic appreciation of the era that this novel is set in, and an empathic understanding of the human condition, Eljarbo has presented her readers with a book that is as riveting as it is page-turning. This is a novel that demands to be read in one sitting, for it is so tantalisingly brilliant that each page becomes a voyage of discovery. This is the kind of novel that one would happily forgo sleep to finish.

The story is told for the most part from Soli Hansen's, a young woman who has dedicated her life to art, perspective. Growing up, her brother was interested in politics, Soli, on the other hand, was looking for symbols and saints in the paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque era. They could not be more different. Soli is initially a very reluctant heroine and is, unlike her brother, incredibly naïve about what is happening around her — she is too absorbed in her work. Art is seemingly the only reason why she would break the occupier’s rules. One could perhaps surmise it is the one thing that she would willingly die trying to protect. Eva and Mary Andersen, the authors of the very secret and illegal house bulletin’s, seemingly have more knowledge about what is happening around them than their older cousin does, which is very telling. However, Soli reacts to the situation of living in an occupied country as I am sure many people would — she escapes into her own world, which so happens to be the art world. It is only when Mrs Gundersen dies so unexpectedly, and a painting goes missing from the shop that Soli allows herself to be drawn into the dangerous world of the resistance. But even then, there is a sense that she would not have joined this brave band of warriors if it were not for the plundering of the paintings of the Old Masters by the Nazis.

Soli is a very compassionate woman, but she is also very trusting, and at times I felt she was someone who could be very easily led. However, when she sets her mind to something, she is very loyal and determined to see it through to the bitter end. Eljarbo has presented her readers with a protagonist whose realism is tangible. Soli is a character whom a reader can get behind and root for. I thought her depiction was absolutely fabulous, and her story drove the narrative of this book forward. Eljarbo also reminders the reader, through her portrayal of Soli, how war can consume and change the lives of ordinary citizens sometimes for the better, more often for the worse.

Eljarbo has taken the risk of using duel timelines to tell this story. Although the majority of this book is set in 1940s Norway, Eljarbo also transports her readers back to 17th Century Malta. Eljarbo's portrayal of Caravaggio is utterly sublime. Caravaggio was an artist who captured the very essence of both the physical and the emotional in his paintings. Eljarbo has done precisely the same but with pen and ink.

 

There are several antagonists in this novel, but they are not always obvious, so therefore I am not going to say too much about them. What I will say is that they were masterfully drawn and wonderfully portrayed.

 

Many World War II novels are very graphic, very emotionally exhausting to read, but Of Darkness and Light is slightly different. There are moments of trepidation, fear, and violence, but they are not grotesquely graphic. Likewise, Eljarbo demonstrates how the Nazis deceived not only their own people but the world as to the fate of the Jews. Soli knows that some of the paintings come from Jewish households, but as to what has happened to the painting’s original owners, she remains blissfully oblivious. The Nazis in this book are feared, but Eljarbo also touches upon the subject of the women who fell in love with the young German soldiers. Through the desperate plight of Ingrid Moe, Eljarbo explores the stigmatization and the appalling treatment that these poor women faced because they dared to fall in love with the enemy. Ingrid is only in this story very briefly, but her plight was heartbreakingly tragic.

 

Of Darkness and Light: A Soli Hansen Mystery Book 1 by Heidi Eljarbo is a reward for any reader who adores quality World War II Historical Fiction. This is a book that is definitely deserving of your time. I cannot wait to get my hands on Book 2.

I Highly Recommend.

 

Pick up your copy of

Of Darkness and Light

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Heidi Eljarbo

 

Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of Catching a Witch and its sequel Trailing the Hunter. 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, thirteen 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.

Connect with Heidi: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Instagram.

 

 

Book Review: No Stone Unturned (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries Series) by Pam Lecky

No Stone Unturned

(The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries Series)

By Pam Lecky

A suspicious death, stolen gems and an unclaimed reward: who will be the victor in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

London October 1886

Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart.

When her late husband’s secrets spill from the grave, and her life is threatened by the leader of London’s most notorious gang, Lucy must find the strength to rise to the challenge. But who can she trust and how is she to stay out of the murderous clutches of London’s most dangerous criminal?

“Well, this is wonderful news. I almost feel honoured. I have a master criminal and a disgruntled Kashmiri maharajah to fend off. How exciting my life has become!”

 

Had it only been this morning since Lucy Lawrence had bemoaned her lonely existence and had longed for adventure? But when a constable from Vine Street Station had knocked on her door, life as Lucy knew it would be irrevocable changed forever.

 

Lucy had so desperately hoped she could rekindle the spark between herself and her husband, Charles. But now it was too late. Too late for Charles and too late for her. As she tries to come to terms with her tragic loss, Lucy receives an unexpected visit. It is a visit that makes Lucy question if she ever really knew her husband at all…

 

From a knock on the door to a desperate flight through London to see justice served, No Stone Unturned (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries Series) by Pam Lecky is, in all ways, a historical mystery triumph.

 

So often historical mysteries follow a male protagonist, therefore I was very excited to discover that Lecky had bucked the trend and given her readers a female lead character. I was immediately drawn to Lucy. She is this wonderfully brave young woman who would not be swayed nor coerced into doing something she did not want to do. However, in her moment of weakness, Lucy turns to her family for support and yet what she receives is nothing short of horrifying. Lucy soon realises that if she has any hope of finding peace, both emotionally and physically, then she must take her life into her own hands. I thought Lucy’s depiction was sublime. Here is a heroine who is used so badly by both her husband and her family, and yet she does not let herself become bitter. She is a very determined young woman who is desperate to solve the mystery of her husband’s death and the puzzle of the stolen jewels. Lecky has done a wonderful job in giving her readers a heroine who they can really get behind and root for.

 

Phineas Stone is a character that intrigued me. He is astute, intelligent, and more importantly, morally accountable. Lecky does give us a tantalising glimpse into his backstory, and for a self-assured man, it was interesting to witness a different side to him — a vulnerable side. I thought Stone’s depiction was absolutely fabulous.

 

Lucy, despite being the daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, and living in the 19th century, is remarkably intuitive. I thought it was an inspired idea by Lecky to tell this story from Lucy’s perspective. Lecky allows the reader to solve the mystery along with Lucy, which helps to make this book an addictive and compelling read. Also, Stone, being a specialist investigator, is working on several cases at once, and it would have made for a somewhat disjointed story if Lecky had decided to write from his perspective as well. There is a hint of romance between the two protagonists, but this not a romance book. It is very much a historical mystery with authentic, historically depicted characters.

 

One of the themes that runs through Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes adventures is that of the utter incompetence of the police force. Lecky has come away from that stereotypical portrayal to an extent, although not completely. The officers at Vine Street Station are relatively competent, and they work alongside Stone to help bring criminals to justice. However, the police in Yorkshire seem rather colloquial and are almost beholding to the aristocracy who live in their area. They lack proper investigational skills and come across as utterly inept while they try to appease the anxieties of the elite. Stone, coming from a wealthy background, is, therefore, quite a contradiction. He seeks only justice and is not cowed by members of his class. However, there is an incident where one of the perpetrators does not have to account for her crimes simply because she is old and from the aristocracy. I could not help but wonder if the same consideration would have occurred for someone with a lower social standing.

 

This book vividly demonstrates the cultural milieu of the era. There may well have been a woman on the throne of England, but it was still very much a man’s world where the aristocracy was swimming, and in some cases drowning, in their own self-important and privileged existence. Lecky clearly demonstrates the social divide by depicting the haves and the have-nots throughout this novel. Although there are antagonists on both ends of the social spectrum, it is the cruel manipulation from members of her own family that disturbs Lucy, and the reader, the most. This sense of power stops some members of the Somerville family from seeing a situation objectively. Instead of acting with rational thought, they choose to place the burden of their own failures upon someone else’s shoulders. Their lack of shame, and even reproach at their intended victim when their plans are thwarted, only goes to show the narcissistic nature of their characters as well as the time in which this book is set in. I thought the aristocratic antagonists in this novel were particularly well-drawn. Lecky has captured the very essence of the privileged class, and although Lecky does not tar them all with the same brush, there is a sense that her characters all feel personally entitled to some extent, including our brave protagonist because although Lucy is facing financial hardship, she is not entirely without means.

 

The aristocracy is not the only social class that Lecky explores. The dangerous London criminal underworld is also portrayed with a striking realism which made for a very chilling plot. With characters such as Nathaniel Marsh, Lecky allows her readers to glimpse into a world that is as dark as it is treacherous. Marsh’s threatening demeanour and his arrogance at thinking he is above the law is played out with a sinister authenticity. Marsh was a character who really made my skin crawl — he is as calculated as he is cruel, and he did not need to be present for his presence to be felt. Marsh has the resources and connections to make life for Lucy very unpleasant indeed. Yet, he is also canny enough to seemingly always be one step ahead of the police.

 

The historical detailing in this book is as luxurious as it is vibrant. Lecky gives her readers a vivid sense of time and place. The hours of research that has gone into the novel has to be commended. Lecky has used that research and produced a story that is ringing with historical legitimacy.

 

With an enthralling narrative, No Stone Unturned (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries Series) by Pam Lecky is a novel that commanded my attention from the very first sentence to that final full-stop. This is a novel that is deserving to be read over and over again. I am certainly looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

 

I Highly Recommend.

 

 

Pick up your copy of

No Stone Unturned

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Pam Lecky

Pam Lecky is an Irish historical fiction author, writing crime, mystery, romance and the supernatural. Pam is represented by the Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency in London. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Society of Authors and has a particular love of the late Victorian era/early 20^th Century.

 

Her debut novel, The Bowes Inheritance, was awarded the B.R.A.G Medallion; shortlisted for the Carousel Aware Prize 2016; and long-listed for the Historical Novel Society 2016 Indie Award.

 

Her short stories are available in an anthology, entitled Past Imperfect, which was published in April 2018.

 

June 2019, will see the release of the first book in the Lucy Lawrence Mystery series, No Stone Unturned, a fast-paced Victorian mystery/crime, set in London and Yorkshire. The sequel, Footprints in the Sand will be released later this year.

Connect with Pam: Website • Amazon • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram