Historical Fiction Archives — Mostly Mystery Reviews

02/20/202302/08/2023

Murder at Half Moon Gate

A strong historical mystery, Andrea Penrose‘s Murder at Half Moon Gate leads us through the fog-filled streets of London on a merry chase. Penrose dispenses a great mix of mystery, death and romance in a Regency setting with unerring intent. This second offering in the Wrexford/Sloane series does not fall short.

Lord Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane make a formidable pair, reminiscent of Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne in the series by Julia Spender-Fleming. Speaking of other fictional detective duos, Wrexford and Sloane are more evenly matched than Holmes and Watson in analyzing clues and info. However, friends of Raven and Hawk (Charlotte’s wards) are a troupe of streetwise urchins similar to Holmes’ Baker Street Irregulars.

Wrexford and Sloane stumble across a number of deaths including the death of Elihou Ashton. On the verge of revolutionizing the steam engine, Ashton’s design would transform manufacturing. Both nobility and commoners were at the mercy of the unknown killer. Greed and blood lust mix and coalesce in a fiery brew among the swirling London fog before Wrexford, Sloane and their associates bring things to a full stop.

Secondary characters are given full measure in Murder at Half Moon Gate. From Jeremy Sterling, Charlotte’s long-time friend, to Tyler, Wrexford’s valet, to Christopher Sheffield, Wrexford’s friend, to McClellan, one of Wrexford’s maids. All did much to assist the investigation efforts.

I read, but didn’t review, Murder at Black Swan Lane, the first book in this series. For sure, I’ll be reading more of Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane series in the future. Also, I’ll be checking out her other mystery series about Lady Arianna. Stay tuned for my reviews.

01/16/202301/16/2023

Drums of War

The tension that was building between the Parliament (led by the Puritans) and King Charles 1st in Michael Ward’s Thomas Tallant series boils over in his newest addition, The Drums of War. (See my reviews on his first two Tallant novels, The Rags of Time and The Wrecking Storm). Chaos in London’s streets and elsewhere is a main weapon of Parliament’s supporters, at least so far. Often brutal chaos erupts – breaking and entering, jewel theft, riots in the street. Then the hell of war breaks loose.

While Sir Ralph Tallant refuses to take sides, Tom and Elizabeth both help, each in their own way. Tom joins the Trained Bands. Elizabeth does research and detective work to help friends and acquaintances track thieves and burglars; then helps tend the wounded as skirmishes begin.

Ward’s characterization is perfect. Thomas Tallant is smart and patriotic. His dislike of war doesn’t prevent him from taking sides, albeit reluctantly. Meanwhile, his father insists on riding the fence. His excuse is that he’s on the side with whomever seems to allow his business to continue.

Smart and courageous describe Elizabeth Seymour. Her interests include astronomy, science, medicine and detection. Elizabeth is a good foil for Tom. She’s mentally strong, helping William Harvey tend the wounded at a primitive MASH site close to skirmishes between the king’s supporters and Parliament’s supporters. When the supplies she brought ran out, she just “soldiered on.” As she thought about the wounded she’d already tended to, “she laughed bitterly at the memory of those who said the war would be over after one encounter. She always thought it a forlorn hope…she knew it for what it really was – a bloody fool’s dream.”

Even secondary characters, such as Jake Dibden, a sailor who works on the river, are well executed. Visualization of Dibden, with his strong arms and shoulders, rowing Tom downriver to search for caches of gunpowder stored for the king’s army, comes easily with Ward’s erudite description.

Ward’s descriptions of the chaos amid fog off the Thames during skirmishes of the civil war are exceptional. The Drums of War is excellent reading. Lovers of historical fiction and mysteries will be speedily drawn in.

05/16/202205/16/2022

Solomon’s Concubine

Solomon's Concubine “This is not wonderful fantasy come true.” So says Sachi to Nalussa in Solomon’s Concubine by S. A. Jewell. Solomon’s Concubine is a thoughtful, fictionalized look into what it might have been like as a beautiful, but poor, young virgin Israelite woman chosen to join Solomon’s vast harem. Nalussa, as well as her new friends, Sachi and Abra, had been found, paid for, and delivered to Solomon’s harem without much ability to decline.

True, most of the women chosen would see wealth unimaginable in their normal family life. But are the dazzling accoutrements of Solomon’s palace worth being taken from your family at a young age? Or worth the price of never seeing your loved ones again? Especially since these young women will be virtual prisoners for the rest of their lives. What happens to them when they grow older? What happens to them when Solomon dies? His harem is so vast, will he even see them or interact with them at all? So Sachi’s remark to Nalussa is apt and also captures Nalussa’s own feelings.

Slow But Steady

S. A. Jewell leads the reader on a somewhat slow journey through the preparation of Nalussa and her friends for their initial meeting with Solomon. Fright and sorrow are evident in Solomon’s short and disastrous interaction with Sachi, which ends in her suicide. Nalussa becomes a favorite of the king because of her extraordinary beauty and intelligence. All Abra wants is to soak in the luxury and bear a child of Solomon’s.

Meet Makeda, the Queen of Sheba (an ancient city-state that was on the Arabian peninsula), who comes to see Solomon for herself. And see if all the rumors she’s heard are true. During a banquet given by Solomon, Makeda and many others stare at Nalussa because of the physical similarities between the two women.

After the king’s death, what will happen to the two friends? Especially since Abra got her wish and is pregnant with Solomon’s child. Enter Adriel, the officer charged with procuring the women for Solomon’s harem. Adriel and Jasper (Nalussa’s brother, enlisted to help by Adriel) guide the women out of the country. What becomes of the foursome takes up the last third of the book.

Believable Characters

I enjoyed Jewell’s characterization of Nalussa, Abra, Adriel and Jasper. Some secondary characters, such as Shallum, are also well written. On the other hand, the pacing, although steady, is too steady in places. Jewell missed a few opportunities to quicken the pace. As the group escapes through the chaos following Solomon’s death, Jewell just indicates that “the women were terrified.” A more apt description would have shown how the women reacted to the situation. Once Nalussa, Adriel, Abra and her newborn son are in Sheba, to which they fled after the king’s death, the scenes and dialogue that deal with court intrigue are excellent. The plot gains some quickness of pace as it moves towards the end, but then slows again as the story approaches its conclusion.

Overall, Solomon’s Concubine kept my interest. I may read other books written by Jewell.