Historical Thriller Review: The Hangman's Daughter (Die Henkerstochter #1)

The Hangman's Daughter (Die Henkerstochter #1)
by Oliver Pötzsch


Description:
Magdalena, the clever and headstrong daughter of Bavarian hangman Jakob Kuisl, lives with her father outside the village walls and is destined to be married off to another hangman’s son—except that the town physician’s son is hopelessly in love with her. And her father’s wisdom and empathy are as unusual as his despised profession. It is 1659, the Thirty Years’ War has finally ended, and there hasn’t been a witchcraft mania in decades. But now, a drowning and gruesomely injured boy, tattooed with the mark of a witch, is pulled from a river and the villagers suspect the local midwife, Martha Stechlin.

Jakob Kuisl is charged with extracting a confession from her and torturing her until he gets one. Convinced she is innocent, he, Magdalena, and her would-be suitor race against the clock to find the true killer. Approaching Walpurgisnacht, when witches are believed to dance in the forest and mate with the devil, another tattooed orphan is found dead and the town becomes frenzied. More than one person has spotted what looks like the devil—a man with a hand made only of bones. The hangman, his daughter, and the doctor’s son face a terrifying and very real enemy.


My Review:
I quite enjoyed this story, but I think the title of it is a bit misleading. The hangman’s daughter, Magdalena, is hardly the main character. She’s one of the three folks trying to clear Martha, the accused witch, and solve the mysterious deaths of the orphans.

There some rather exciting sequences and the images really pop. It makes for a great thriller.
I also find it interesting that the author is basing the story on his own family history, though I’m pretty sure the exact scenario in this book is fiction.

Overall, I loved the story and recommend it to folks who enjoy historical fiction and thrillers.

I purchased my copy of this book.


About the Author:

 

Oliver Pötzsch is a German writer and filmmaker. After high school he attended the German School of Journalism in Munich from 1992 to 1997. He then worked for Radio Bavaria. In addition to his professional activities in radio and television, Pötzsch researched his family history. He is a descendant of the Kuisle, from the 16th to the 19th Century a famous dynasty of executioners in Schongau.


Author Links:
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Review: Finding Mr. Wrong by George Caplan

Finding Mr. Wrong
by George Caplan


Description:
Mothering her brothers wasn’t enough, Tookie wants a child of her own. After “auditioning” numerous men—one date at a time—all of them fail the test. Frantic, with her biological clock ticking down, she accepts a blind date with momma’s-boy engineer, Ollie, who works with her secretary’s husband. Ollie’s old-country mother, Rose, yearns for grandchildren, but will she squash Tookie when her PI uncovers Tookie’s past indiscretions?


My Review:
Finding Mr. Wrong is exactly as described. Tookie is back, and in her direct way, she has begun her search for a man who will provide her with a daughter and stick around to help her raise her.

This story, while channeling Tookie’s quest in a straightforward manner, still tugs at the heart. All the close, but not quite right fits. Tookie has her standards. And then she’s running out of time. Truly, I found myself fretting at her single-mindedness. Her lowering of standards in favor of getting the one thing she refuses to give up, a daughter of her own. But though it frustrated me, it came across as true to character. And in the end, she really doesn’t mind landing with Mr. Wrong, so long as she gets what she signed up for in the bargain.

The struggle to control her urges and desires in her quest to land a stable father for her future daughter added an interesting edge to this installment in Tookie’s story. There’s a lot of growth for her, and she tackles much of her previously destructive behavior in the process.

On the downside, I found it hard at times to suspend reality and accept her as a realistic portrayal of a woman. She can be jarring in her words and tendencies. I’m not entirely certain whether it was intentional or otherwise. I want to believe it was intentional.

Overall, I really liked the story, though I was frustrated for Tookie. Folks who enjoyed Only Tim Sent Flowers will likely enjoy this one, too.

I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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Intrigued?
Add Finding Mr. Wrong to your shelf on Goodreads or pick up a copy on Amazon.


About the Author:

After a career of chasing, and being chased by, spies and assorted thugs across national monuments while being mistaken for Cary Grant, George Kaplan hung up his shoulder holster and used the money to buy a computer to serve as his word processor. Although well versed in writing after-action summaries, Kaplan had no experience with writing fiction, other than his expense reports. Government repercussions about modeling characters after his cohorts and enemies would have been far too risky, so he fabricated a heroine who has qualities he'd seen a few of on each of a number of women he'd rubbed shoulders (and sometimes more) with, during his long career undercover. Kaplan's first novel, Only Tim Sent Flowers, launches his Tookie series about an undiagnosed Aspie girl who perseveres through numerous unexpected adventures.


Author Links:
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Amazon
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Review and Excerpt: Death Island by Kelsey Ketch

Death Island
by Kelsey Ketch

Genre: Historical Fantasy
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: December 31, 2017

Description:
Her family name tainted by her great-grandfather’s crimes of piracy, Meriden Cummings is far from the typical 18th century woman. A social outcast, she works in a carpentry shop in a small village, where the people barely tolerate unconventional behavior.

However, her life takes a turn after a gang of pirates attack her village and her blood reveals an ancient map adorned with Mayan glyphs leading to Death Island. An island legends say is ruled by the Mayan god of the underworld, Ah Puch. Her great-grandfather had sought after the island before he vanished without a trace. Now, Meriden is about to journey across the sea to understand her family history.

There are only a few problems: her growing feelings toward a mysterious stranger linked to her great-grandfather’s past; a greedy band of pirates after her great-grandfather’s legendary treasure; and a contract she has unwittingly signed in blood with Ah Puch himself.

My Review:
Death Island is an adventure tale set in the early 1700s, featuring pirates, a strong female character, and a quest for treasure overshadowed by an insidious curse.

I found the story itself to be rather interesting with plenty of action and well-developed characters. It was full of seagoing action, and the pace picked up when Meriden and her shipmates reached Death Island. There are some aspects of a ghost story, and I really dig how the mystery of the “gardener” as she calls him is played out. The curse was also cool, adding quite a bit of tension to the story. Marked as unavoidable, the author still manages to build the hope that Greg or Meriden might find a solution.

As for the romantic interests, I wasn’t all that into the fact that every man Meriden grew up with is essentially in love with her. It seemed unrealistic to me. But besides that, I did enjoy the progression of Meriden and Greg’s relationship. It was refreshingly slow to build, and the personal histories and hang ups of each of them were excellently woven into a realistic struggle, both internal to themselves and with each other.

I also dug how Meriden stands up for herself throughout the book, though it also seems to closely pair up with a lack of judgement and self-preservation that sometimes gets herself or her shipmates into more trouble than they should have faced.

As for the historical context of the book, it’s kind of a mix. On the one hand, it’s obviously well researched for the main subject: the ships, the NC history, and the Mayan mythology, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. On the other, there are some period inconsistencies, such as the 18th century characters’ first person narration referring to adrenaline, which wasn’t discovered until the year 1900, and more than a few references to cleansing wounds with alcohol, which, if referring to isopropyl alcohol, wasn’t discovered until 1920, and which may also be considered a bit out of historical context when the idea of disinfection or even washing one’s hands as a doctor didn’t come into play until the mid-1800s.

The voice of the 1st person narration, as well as the dialog, also comes across as much more coarse and modern than I would expect from a story set in the early 1700s, likely around 1712-1715 or so, based on the clues I found related to the war Greg mentions having fought against the Tuscarora. I also found it particularly jarring how often and cavalierly the f-bomb was used by the characters. Still, I was surprised, when I expanded the google usage chart to start in 1700, to see the word nearly matching present day usage until dropping off in 1800 and resting nearly at zero until 1950 when it began its ascent to present day prolificacy, so maybe it’s historically accurate. It just seemed a bit off from what I expected.

As for the editing, it is also a mixed bag. For the most part the grammatical structure and punctuation are spot on, but I noticed way more than a few instances of homophones used in place of their obviously intended sound-alikes, such as causally instead of casually and literary instead of literally. I also found a few cases of noun-verb mismatch and the occasional incorrect form of a word used as an adjective or adverb. Add in a few sentence fragments, which I wrote off as intentional, but still noticed, and I found these as a whole to distract from the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, but I feel the book needs a bit more polishing. I think folks who enjoy YA or NA with nautical themes, pirates, and Mayan mythology might dig this book, especially those who are looking for something a little different. Historical fiction purists might find some issues with this story, but folks just looking for an adventure might be ok with it.

I received a free copy of this book from the author via Lola’s Blog Tours.

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You can find Death Island on Goodreads

You can buy Death Island here:
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Read on for an excerpt and more information about the author!

New Release and Review: Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves #1)
by Mary E. Pearson

Releases Today: 07AUG2018

Description:
A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.


My Review:
Dance of Thieves is a set in a world where civilization was long ago reset by a catastrophic event. Few survived, and that remnant has evolved into a land of politics, war, and a touch of magic. This book picks up a few years after the events in the original trilogy.

Only a few months ago, I came across the trilogy that precedes this book in my local library, eagerly devouring all of them until I ran out. Delightful. This one follows the same winning formula. A touch of lore, a little mystery, a lot of history (future?), and some heart gripping romance and political intrigue.

Kazi is a likeable heroine, and Jase is not so bad himself. I really dig how the author gives each of them an equal measure of importance and attention, building up both sides, and drawing you into their lives and motivations.

Side characters may not get as much play, but they’re built up enough to feel real and to empathize with. I particularly enjoyed the cameos and mentions of others from the original trilogy, which allowed me to reconnect with beloved characters without distracting from the new story.

And, in these stories, I find that happy endings don’t necessarily mean perfect endings. Not knowing or being able to guess the outcomes ups the tension and the excitement, making for a fun read. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

All in all, I found this a satisfying and engaging read. I would strongly recommend this to folks who dig fantasy, strong world-building and lore, and romance. I think this may fall under YA, as well, but it feels more mature than some of those I've read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

Intrigued? Find this book on:

AMAZON  |  GOODREADS

About the Author:

Mary E. Pearson is the author of several award winning books for teens, including the best-selling Jenna Fox Chronicles. She is a native Southern Californian and writes full time from her home in Carlsbad, California where she lives with her family.

Her awards and honors include the Golden Kite Award, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, the Andre Norton Honor, and The South Carolina Young Adult Book Award.

Her newest series, The Remnant Chronicles, kicks off with THE KISS OF DECEPTION, the first in a trilogy about a defiant princess living in the ruins of a bygone world.

Her website, www.marypearson.com has more information about Mary and her books.


The Remnant Chronicles:

In case you're wondering, I would totally recommend starting with the Remnant Chronicles, which I borrowed and listened to before I read Dance of Thieves. The narration was fantastic and consistent, and I can't wait to hear this one in audio as well.

Review and Excerpt: Deck the Malls with Purple Peacocks by Amy Gettinger

Deck The Malls with Purple Peacocks (Alice Chronicles #2)
By Amy Gettinger

Genre: Chick-lit/ Women’s Fiction/ Sweet Romance
Age category: Adult
Release Date: November 18, 2017

Description:
It’s Christmas in Orange County, California, and the mall is full of purple peacock decorations, large and small. Department store employee Aracely Martinez has a goofy Cuban friend, Quito (who’s awfully cute in his mall Santa suit), distracting her from her night-shift restocking job. But Aracely has a long-held secret, which her supervisor at the store, Jacob Thinnes, is holding over her head to make her do his bidding.

Which is too much bidding.

Enter Aracely’s oldest friends: Alice Chalmers, Georgette Jones and Julie Bowers. The group’s “Venus Warrior” bond from the 2003 production of The Venus Monologues at Garden Beach Community College is still very strong, and these women are ready, willing, and able to kick some butt to help Aracely out of her difficult bind. Join Aracely’s “Three Wise Women” plus her ever-present trickster hunk, Quito, in one adventure after another as they work against the odds to give Aracely a fabulous, nearly impossible Christmas gift: the life of her dreams.

My Review:
Deck the Malls with Purple Peacocks caught my eye due to the festive and quirky title and matching cover.

The story is all about Aracely, whose illegal status has been noted and exploited by her unscrupulous boss. While there was plenty of the lightheartedness I’d hoped for by the packaging, there was a healthy dose of serious issues and an insightful look into what being an illegal immigrant might be like, particularly in today’s world.

It didn’t take me too long to know for sure that this was a sequel, but I felt this one stands alone pretty well. I enjoyed the missions and the banter between the friends in the Venus Warrior group, as well as the result of their benevolent meddling. Quito was adorable and his jokes as groan-worthy as I’m sure they were intended to be. The romance wasn’t as central to the story as I’d thought it would be, but that’s ok. This turned out to be more of a cozy mystery sort of thing with the team of Venus Warriors sleuthing and saving the day together, despite being total amateurs.

Jacob and the other cast of ne’er-do-wells were sinister and manipulative, and I had no trouble rooting against them. I thought it interesting how they could be so awful to Aracely, a good and hardworking person, while thinking of themselves as superior. Their self-righteousness paired with their awful behavior towards Aracely seemed designed to highlight a certain hypocrisy that seems all too realistic in today’s culture.

Overall, a good read. I wish I’d read the earlier book first because I think I’d have gotten more of the references and inside jokes between the characters. Anyhow, I’d recommend this to folks who like a little humor wrapped around a serious topic, middle-aged sleuths running missions to save their young friend, and a happy ending that doesn’t come easily.

I received the review copy of this book from the author via Lola’s Blog Tours. This review was written for my blog, I read too much!

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You can find Deck The Malls with Purple Peacocks on Goodreads

You can buy Deck The Malls with Purple Peacocks here on Amazon


Read on for an excerpt and more information about the author.