1547, Elizabeth Tudor, illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII, is a pawn on the political stage as well as trying to deal with teenage hormones and first love. Her place in the succession puts her at risk of being used for political gain but also puts her very life in danger…
The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor is a non fiction book about the teenage years of Elizabeth I and a potential explanation for her later transformation into the Virgin Queen.
This book had a looooong waiting list on my library app so I had very high expectations. In the event, I had very mixed feelings about this book. The research and detail is exemplary and Tudor life is vividly depicted. The personal and political are intrinsically linked as the young princess tries to survive in a patriarchal world.
However, there is a lot of focus on the political machinations of Somerset and Seymour, and sometimes Elizabeth’s name isn’t mentioned for pages. I think the temptations of Seymour would have been a more apt title as it focuses on his desire for power which he aims to achieve through personal relationships with the former queen and her stepdaughter.
The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor is a detailed historical work but the emphasis was not always on its subject.
Book blurb
England, late 1547. Henry VIII is dead. His 14-year-old daughter Elizabeth is living with the old king’s widow Catherine Parr and her new husband Thomas Seymour. Ambitious, charming and dangerous, Seymour begins an overt flirtation with Elizabeth that ends in her being sent away by Catherine.
When Catherine dies in autumn 1548 and Seymour is arrested for treason soon after, the scandal explodes into the open. Alone and in dreadful danger, Elizabeth is closely questioned by the king’s regency council: Was she still a virgin? Was there a child? Had she promised to marry Seymour? In her replies, she shows the shrewdness and spirit she would later be famous for. She survives the scandal. Thomas Seymour is not so lucky.
The Seymour Scandal led to the creation of the Virgin Queen. On hearing of Seymour’s beheading, Elizabeth observed ‘This day died a man of much wit, and very little judgement’. His fate remained with her. She would never allow her heart to rule her head again.
Dakota is reliable and sticks to a routine. So when she doesn’t turn up to work, the police are dispatched to her home for a welfare check and find her dead. The cause of death appears to be electrocution from a stun gun but who could have access and use such a weapon?
Eyes Tight Shut is the 22nd book in the Kane and Alton crime thriller series.
Another killer is on the loose in Black Rock Falls. Single women are being targeted and then attacked in their homes. The method of death has the police stumped and the number of bodies is starting to grow. Clues seem to suggest that someone the team know could be linked to the deaths but this is unthinkable! Meanwhile another main character vanishes quite early on…
We witness the police investigation as well as chilling interactions between the killer and victims. The action and drama are as unrelenting as encountered in the rest of the series. However, I do think the dynamic has changed over the series of books as Kane and Alton have settled down and become parents.
The forensic detail is as bold as ever and the descriptions may be upsetting to some. As usual, they are handled with dignity and respect as well as a determination to find the truth, catch the killer and protect others,
Eyes Tight Shut is an intense addition to this well established and gripping series.
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Book: Eyes Tight Shut
Author: D.K. HOOD
Pub Day: May 21st 2024
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Her heart races as she waits for her date to arrive. When the doorbell rings, her excitement quickly turns to fear when she takes in her date’s menacing stare as he closes the door behind him. He’s not here to find love, and there’s no time to scream before her world goes black…
When Dakota Slade fails to turn up to work at the general store, Sheriff Jenna Alton and her deputy David Kane visit her home in Black Rock Falls. TV still blaring, Dakota’s lifeless body is draped across the battered old sofa, her dark hair hanging over her delicate face, her young life taken too soon. With a shuddering breath, Jenna notices two small scorch marks on the back of the victim’s neck. Dakota has been electrocuted.
Leaping into action, Jenna traces Dakota’s last steps but quickly hits a wall. Dakota went to church every week, helped at local charities, and she was loved by those around her. Why would anyone want to harm her?
Then another young woman is found dead in her living room, the same two burn marks on her neck. Jenna’s heart shatters. Convinced a twisted killer is preying on women who live alone, she fears another innocent soul will be taken soon.
A breakthrough comes when Jenna uncovers rumors of a sleazy customer who visited both victims at work. Watching CCTV footage, her pulse pounds as she looks at the screen. The man in the film is someone close to her, someone she thought she could trust. Can Jenna take down the killer if it’s someone she loves? And will she catch him in time to stop another vulnerable young woman being murdered?
Truly gripping and completely jaw-dropping, fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot will not be able to put down this addictive crime thriller from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author D.K. Hood.
**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**
Author Bio
D.K. Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY and AMAZON bestselling author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series. Her spine chilling, fast-paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex-special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K.’s imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title “Queen of Suspense” by her reviewers, D.K.’s writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.
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TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi brutality and anti-semitic ideology
1942, Emilie arrives at Dachau to help her husband Otto with his medical experiments. She believes the inmates are all criminals so is shocked to find their former childhood friend Danner, a Jew, among the prisoners. His only crime is being Jewish and she is determined to save him…
The Nurse Behind The Gates is an historical novel set in the 1930s and 40s.
Emilie and her husband are forced to help the Nazis to help save German soldiers in the freezing seas. They join the medical team at Dachau where experiments use the inmates as live subjects. Death is a necessary evil for the cause but Emilie is distraught at the thought of her first love being in danger.
The book is written in 1942 to show Emilie’s experiences in the concentration camp but also has chapters from the past to show the friendship with Danner and how they both reached their current situation. The experiment scenes were quite horrific and I had to put the book down to go and get distracted by happy thoughts. I felt desperately sad for Otto. He is in an impossible situtation with his uncle and the Nazis and also knows that he is second best for his wife.
There was one part of the book that didn’t ring true for me. I didn’t really believe that Danner would put himself in danger when he could have written to his old neighbours for information about his missing father instead of travelling back to Germany himself and abandoning his family. Other than this, the book was completely captivating and I felt immersed in the lives of the characters.
The Nurse Behind The Gates is a devastatingly emotional imagining of the Nazi experiments at Dachau.
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Book: The Nurse Behind the Gates
Author: Shari J. Ryan
Pub Day: May 20th 2024
About the Book:
Dachau, 1942. Emilie has been told she’s here to nurse evil men. But the first patient she sees in the cold, dark room is hauntingly familiar. Her first love is not wicked. He couldn’t be. What is he doing here?
Emilie’s heart stops as she takes in her childhood sweetheart hunched in a tattered prisoner’s uniform, the light lost from his face. Her new husband, Otto, said this was a camp for criminals. He should know, he’s the doctor. But Danner would never have broken the law.
As she looks into Danner’s beautiful brown eyes, she’s transported back to their happy childhood in Munich. The friendship they shared. The way her heart once felt like it beat only for him. Before the Jewish laws were enforced and Danner pushed Emilie away to protect her, breaking her heart.
Now, Emilie rushes to find Otto, desperate for answers. But when she discovers him waiting with confidentiality papers for her to sign, she realizes her husband has been lying. This isn’t a place to treat sick criminals, but to murder the innocent. And Otto tells her if she doesn’t help, they’ll both die.
Her hands shake as she receives her instructions. But as she rushes back to the sickbay, searching for a way to escape, her gaze lands on Danner once more. In his eyes, she can see something that almost looks like hope…
The thought of losing her first love again tears Emilie’s heart in two. She’s determined to keep him alive, and perhaps she can alter the fate of more than just one prisoner. But can she save Danner? Or will she die trying to rescue the man she’s never stopped loving?
Author Bio
USA Today and International Bestselling Author, Shari J. Ryan, is known for her captivating World War Two Historical Fiction, Women’s Romance Fiction, and gripping Psychological Thriller novels. Each series and standalone contains a wide range of dark suspense and heartbreaking emotions.
Shari has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Johnson & Wales University and started her career as a graphic artist and freelance writer until 2012 when she discovered her passion for writing books. Since then, she has been captivating readers with her compelling storytelling and has written over thirty-five novels with translated publications in twelve languages.
Shari’s talent and dedication have earned her a place on the USA Today Bestseller List, as well as rankings in Amazon’s Top 100, Barnes & Noble’s Top Ten, and iBooks at number one. She has also received two Rone awards for her outstanding work.
Some of Shari’s bestselling books include: “The Stolen Twins,” The Bookseller of Dachau,” “The Doctor’s Daughter,” “The Girl with the Diary,” “Prison Child,” “The Soldier’s Letters,” and “The Lieutenant’s Girl.” These gripping novels are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Shari, a lifelong Boston girl lives in a small town in the suburbs and has a loving marriage with her adored husband. Together, they have two incredible young sons who make her feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
To learn more about Shari J. Ryan and her captivating books, visit her official website at www.sharijryan.com
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Heather’s former friend has been convicted and imprisoned for attempted muder and is serving a life sentence. The victim was also Heather’s ex and she is persuaded that her friend is innocent so needs to get close to Jack to prove he framed an innocent woman…
The Life Sentence is a psychological and crime thriller about a possible miscarriage of justice.
Heather is contacted by a random stranger who believes that Amber was framed for stabbing her lover. The details of the crime are a little foggy and I found I had to suspend my disbelief. The evidence against Amber’s conviction is minimal and I saw no reason for Heather to act as she does, especially at the behest of strangers.
The book is written mainly from Heather’s first person perspective as we see her try to prove Amber’s innocence. She bravely rekindles her relationship with the despicable Jack in order to search his house and find evidence of his lies. There are other chapters that show Amber in jail and some that show Jack’s perspective. I found Jack’s chapters sinister and increased the tension as he reveals his suspicions about Heather and forces her to prove herself.
The plot was entertaining and I enjoyed the drama and danger that Heather faces. It was perhaps a little repetitive as she searches every room, covering cameras etc. This slowed down the pace a bit. The tension was maintained until the final chapter and the ending had a surprise twist.
The Life Sentence is an entertaining and dramatic book.
The Life Sentence
My name is Amber Ryan.
I’m in prison, but I’m innocent.
And I’ve been jailed not just for a crime I didn’t commit, but for a crime that never even happened.
Now, my friend is going to try to prove it.
But to do that, she has to go back.
Back to the dark.
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Author Bio – Jackie Kabler is a television presenter and award-winning crime writer. Her bestselling psychological thrillers have been translated into eight languages. They include Am I Guilty?, The Perfect Couple, The Happy Family, The Murder List and The Vanishing of Class 3B. A former TV news reporter, when not writing Jackie now works as a presenter for UK TV shopping channel QVC; she is also an ultramarathon runner and keen gardener, and lives in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, with her husband.
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TRIGGER WARNING: sexual misconduct, rape, miscarriage and stillbirth
Nic and Matt appear to have the perfect marriage. But he admits that he has a complaint against him at work and their finances are in tatters. He jokes about faking his death and later disappears. Did Matt run away from his problems or did they catch up with him…?
Her Husband’s Lie is a psychological thriller set in the UK.
Nic is shocked when her husband vanishes on their daughter’s 18th birthday. He was supposed to collect the cake but never appears, instead his crashed car is discovered. The police begin to investigate and are particularly interested in his troubles at work which have left the family in financial straits. Then it is revealed that the woman he is accused of sexual misconduct with (due to doctor/patient relationship) has also vanished.
Poor Nic also has to deal with Matt’s sister Grace who is almost obsessed with her beloved brother who can do no wrong in her eyes. This isn’t helping her already strained relationship with her daughter nor her mental health which has been significantly affected by miscarriages and stillbirths in the past. Nic is under unbearable pressure from her family and the police but is struggling to make sense of her husband’s actions.
The majority of the book is written to show Nic’s attempts to find the truth with occasional chapters showing Grace’s divided loyalty between her adoration for her missing brother and support for those he has left behind. All of the characters hint at hidden information whilst Grace and Nic debate with themselves about being totally honest with each other and the police. It is clear that there are secrets everywhere and the twists kept coming!
Her Husband’s Lie is an engaging and fascinating psychological thriller. There is a fab tension throughout and I was kept guessing.
Her Husband’s Lie
She thought she trusted her husband with her life; but a lot can happen in a week…
Handsome doctor Matthew Delaney and his wife Nicole have a perfect life. So when Matthew suddenly vanishes, Nicole is in shock.
As Nicole searches for answers, she uncovers a trail of deceit leading straight to the mysterious Glasshouse – a staggering palatial home constructed out of cut glass and icy granite, clinging to the hillside in a gravity defying show of power and wealth.
But the more Nicole learns about the Glasshouse and all its secrets, the more she begins to doubt her husband. Matthew’s words before he disappeared were so reassuring, but now they are simply chilling…
‘Trust me, Nic, I’ll fix this.’
Author Bio –
Amanda Reynolds is a best selling author of psychological thrillers. Her debut novel, Close To Me, published in 2017 by Headline, was adapted by NENT Studios UK as a major six-part TV series starring Connie Nielsen and Christopher Eccleston. The series aired in 2021, on Channel 4 in the UK and on Sundance AMC in the US, as well as many other countries worldwide.
She is the author of four further psychological suspense novels, Lying To You and The Hidden Wife with Headline, and The Assistant and The Screenwriter with Boldwood Books. Her sixth book, Her Husband’s Lie is publishing in May 2024.
Amanda Reynolds lives in the Cotswolds with her husband and their dog.
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