On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club - Glass Ornament Christmas By Cheryl A. Hunter #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @CherylAHunter4 @maryanneyarde

 

Glass Ornament Christmas

By Cheryl A. Hunter

This year, Christmastide will be extra special for glass blower Shayla Toselli who lives in Canterbury Corner, England. The town square will have its first electrically lit tree, and she has been commissioned to create delicate glass ornaments for the new Duke’s Christmas Eve ball. One morning, the Duke’s youngest brother, Adam Preston, finds himself in the Toselli glass factory. He is fascinated with glass blowing and with Shayla. The temperature in the workshop heats up in more ways than one as the unlikely pair work together in the days leading up to the ball. This will certainly be a Christmastide to remember.

A half hour later, Sarah had several packages, and Shayla only had a small bag of candy. “You have not seen anything you like as of yet?” Sarah asked in an exasperated tone.

Shayla shook her head. “Not yet.” They entered the shop that still displayed the lavender gown in the window. She liked the merchandise in that shop, and Shayla tried on a dark navy skirt and a floral silk blouse with long sleeves and a scoop neckline. She stood in front of the cheval glass and looked at her reflection.

“That is a good color for you,” Sarah commented as she turned to look at herself in the glass. She glanced over at Shayla. “The skirt is not very full though.”

“I prefer the newer more streamlined style, but I am not sure I need this outfit.”

Sarah laughed. “Shopping is not about necessity. It is about getting something pretty.”

Shayla could not help but laugh at that. “This is pretty, and Papa said I should get something.”

“I like it, but it is not dance worthy,” Sarah replied.

Shayla moved back and forth as she looked at her reflection. “I have a birthday next week. I could wear it then, and it is fine for the tree lighting festival.”

Sarah shook her head. “It is not sexy enough for a dance. You need something that shows off your figure and bosom.”

“Sarah!” Shayla laughed.

“Well, why not? You are thin and have a good figure. You eat everything, and I wish I could eat as much as you and still be thin.”

They made their purchases and were laughing and talking when they exited the shop, turned the corner, and saw Adam and another man. The two men crossed the street and walked toward Shayla and Sarah. Shayla felt her heart beating faster as she watched Adam walking toward her.

“Miss Toselli, Miss Williams,” Adam said with a low bow. Shayla sighed. Of course, he would be very formal.

She almost retorted and called him Adam, but she decided to play along. “Captain Preston. So nice to see you.” She and Sarah curtsied.

Adam smiled. He recognized Shayla’s sarcasm. “Miss Toselli, and Miss Williams, may I present Captain Shawn Atkinson.”

Captain Atkinson bowed low. “Ladies, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you both.” They responded by curtsying to him. Sarah giggled softly, and Adam chuckled to himself when he heard Shayla’s sigh of annoyance. He knew she preferred informality, but a little formality was fun and besides necessary and expected on a public street.

“Shopping this fine afternoon?” Adam inquired with a nod to the packages they carried.

“Oh yes,” Sarah replied eagerly in a high pitched excited voice. “Christmastide is approaching. Will you be attending the town’s Christmas tree lighting festival this year, Captains?”

“Regrettably, I must return to London before then,” Captain Atkinson replied.

“And you Captain Preston? The whole town is very excited. Duke Wellshore said the tree will be lit with electric lights this year instead of candles,” Sarah sounded excited.

Adam smiled at Shayla. “Will you be attending the festival, Miss Toselli?”

“I have not yet decided,” she replied quickly.

Adam fixed Shayla with a stare. He wanted to ask her to save him a dance, but they had just pretended to be interested in one another at his sister-in-law’s charity party. She might think this was a continuation of the pact they made. He knew he should tell Shayla how he felt about her. He hoped she felt the same way about him. They got along superbly. They talked while they worked and at lunch. They sometimes took walks, and when they danced, he felt that Shayla enjoyed his company and being held in his arms. But he also saw the turmoil in her eyes. Either she did not know how she felt about him, or she was conflicted in her feelings. He laughed to himself. He was sure it was part attraction and part annoyance.

Shayla was the first to break eye contact. “Well, we should continue our shopping, gentlemen.”

Captain Atkinson bowed again. “Lovely to make your acquaintance, Miss Toselli, Miss Williams.”

Adam bowed. “Ladies, enjoy this glorious afternoon.” He looked at Shayla then picked up her hand and kissed it. “Miss Toselli, a great pleasure to see you as always.” Shayla stood staring at him. She was at a loss for words. He smiled at her lack of response and released her hand.

“Good day ladies,” he tipped his hat as he and Shawn walked toward the pub. Shayla stood glued to the spot and watched them walk away. Her hand remained held up in front of her. She still felt the touch of Adam’s lips on her fingers. It sent tingles up her spine. Her eyes were slightly dazed, but then they hardened over. What was his game? she thought to herself.

If this book sounds like your cup of tea then head over to Amazon.This book is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Cheryl A. Hunter

Cheryl A. Hunter is an author and artist. Her books span multiple genres including historical fiction, contemporary fiction, paranormal fantasy, and nonfiction. Cheryl is also an artist who works in glass, ink and watercolor, and photography. When she is not writing, taking pictures, or creating glass art, she loves to travel. Her interest in Ancient Greek and Roman cultures has taken her to many Archeological sites and museums in several countries. 

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On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club - A Mystery of Murder (Jan Christopher Mysteries, Episode 2) by Helen Hollick #BookReview #JanChristopherMysteries #CoffeePotBookClub @HelenHollick @maryanneyarde

I am so excited to share my review of A Mystery of Murder (Jan Christopher Mysteries, Episode 2) by Helen Hollick. Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for your invite to take part in the tour.

A Mystery of Murder

(Jan Christopher Mysteries, Episode 2)

By Helen Hollick

‘Had I known what was to happen soon after we arrived at Mr and Mrs Walker’s lovely old West Country house, my apprehension about spending Christmas in Devon would have dwindled to nothing.’

Library Assistant Jan Christopher is to spend Christmas with her boyfriend, DS Laurie Walker and his family, but when a murder is discovered, followed by a not very accidental accident, the traditional Christmas spirit is somewhat marred... 

What happened to Laurie’s ex-girlfriend? Where is the vicar’s wife? Who took those old photographs? And will the farmer up the lane ever mend those broken fences? 

Set in 1971, this is the second Jan Christopher Cosy Mystery. Join her (and an owl and a teddy bear) in Devon for a Christmas to remember. : 

Will the discovery of a murder spoil Christmas for Jan Christopher and her boyfriend DS Laurie Walker – or will it bring them closer together?

Oh, if ever there was a book written just for me! There are some books that you read, and you smile with glee as you do so. There is something about reading a book wherein it is so obviously clear that the author lives in England that makes it magical. Maybe it is just me, but I absolutely adored the vast amount of tea consumed in this novel, and the fact that the characters spoke in an incredibly British way – you won’t find an American calling people ‘pet’ (would you?).

In the early 1970s, Jan is heading from London to Devon to spend Christmas with Laurie, her boyfriend, and his parents, Alf and Elsie. Meeting the parents, though, is a big thing, and it will be the first Christmas Jan has spent away from her Uncle Toby and Aunt Madge since they adopted her. So, obviously, Jan is a little apprehensive about going, but is determined to try and enjoy herself. 

So, when human bones are found in the garden of Alf and Elsie’s house, after a night of finding the neighbour’s pigs in their garden, and having to try and shoo them out before they completely destroyed the plants, things start to grow dramatic. There is a mystery afoot – who did they find in the garden, how long had they been there, and who put them there? 

I do love a good Christmassy book, mostly because they put me in a festive mood, and Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year. Hopefully, though, I won’t be finding any bones this Christmas. Another reason this book is so good is because it isn’t too long. With some mystery books, you start reading them, and then have to stop and go to bed, or stay up really late to finish reading them. This means you either have to try and fall asleep while trying to solve a mystery that you know you will have to wait until the next evening to actually find out the answer to, or you spend the next day very tired. This book is the perfect length to read the whole thing in an evening, which means you can go to bed satisfied, and feeling Christmassy – bonus! 

Now, I wasn’t in Devon in the 1970s (I was not actually born at that point, so I was nowhere in the 1970s) but I have been to Devon a couple of times and it is so incredibly easy to imagine the house that Alf and Elsie live in, as well as the village. And I know very well about muddy lanes, and how horrible it is to have to walk up so many hills – I lived in a rural area for a while, why is it so hilly! I almost felt like I was in this book, and I absolutely fell in love with the characters… except for Laurie’s Gran, Ethel. I wasn’t entirely sure about her. She is so incredibly up herself, and I definitely know what it’s like to try and maintain your sanity while trying to keep an elderly person, who seems to think they are right all the time, and that they can say whatever they want, happy. And that is a very difficult task. 

Another thing I loved? The amount of tea they drink in this book. If anything happens, no matter how insignificant, someone puts a kettle on, and they all have a nice cup of tea. In my day to day life, I drink a lot of tea, it is one of my favourite things to drink, and I like staying true to the stereotypes of the country I live in. I do not have a teapot, although I have hinted, rather un-inconspicuously, to my husband that I would like one for Christmas. Whether I will get one remains to be seen, because he is not a big fan of the season, and only really plays along for the children in our lives. However, my logic is that, if I bring it up enough, he will eventually catch on. If not, I’ll buy one myself. I just want to be able to drink a lot of tea! 

I have not read book 1 in this series, and, although it is not necessary to have read book 1 to understand book 2, I immediately wanted more from these characters and this author as soon as I had finished reading this book. I think I might have to start hinting to my husband about buying me book 1 for Christmas as well!

I received my copy from The Coffee Pot Book Club but you can grab yours on Amazon And check this out, you can read this novel for free with #KindleUnlimited subscription.

Helen Hollick

Helen Hollick and her family moved from north-east London in January 2013 after finding an eighteenth-century North Devon farm house through being a ‘victim’ on BBC TV’s popular Escape To The Country show. The thirteen-acre property was the first one she was shown – and it was love at first sight. She enjoys her new rural life, and has a variety of animals on the farm, including Exmoor ponies and her daughter’s string of show jumpers.

First accepted for publication by William Heinemann in 1993 – a week after her fortieth birthday – Helen then became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am The Chosen King) being novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she also writes a pirate-based nautical adventure/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages. Despite being impaired by the visual disorder of Glaucoma, she is also branching out into the quick read novella, 'Cosy Mystery' genre with the Jan Christopher Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working for thirteen years as a library assistant.

Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She also runs Discovering Diamonds, a review blog for historical fiction, a news and events blog for her village and the Community Shop, assists as ‘secretary for the day’ at her daughter’s regular showjumping shows – and occasionally gets time to write...

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Book Review - Rebel’s Knot (Quest for Three Kingdoms) By Cryssa Bazos #HistoricalFiction BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @CryssaBazos @maryanneyarde

 

Rebel’s Knot

(Quest for Three Kingdoms)

By Cryssa Bazos

Ireland 1652: In the desperate, final days of the English invasion of Ireland . . .

 

A fey young woman, Áine Callaghan, is the sole survivor of an attack by English marauders. When Irish soldier Niall O'Coneill discovers his own kin slaughtered in the same massacre, he vows to hunt down the men responsible. He takes Áine under his protection and together they reach the safety of an encampment held by the Irish forces in Tipperary. 

 

Hardly a safe haven, the camp is rife with danger and intrigue. Áine is a stranger with the old stories stirring on her tongue and rumours follow her everywhere. The English cut off support to the brigade, and a traitor undermines the Irish cause, turning Niall from hunter to hunted. 

 

When someone from Áine's past arrives, her secrets boil to the surface—and she must slay her demons once and for all.

 

As the web of violence and treachery grows, Áine and Niall find solace in each other's arms—but can their love survive long-buried secrets and the darkness of vengeance?

I am quite a fan of the Irish accent, and even though that has nothing to do with the story whatsoever, it was the idea of reading a book, and imagining I could hear the characters as they spoke that made me initially want to read this book. Plus, the blurb sounded intriguing.

Áine and Niall meet under less than desirable circumstances. Áine is the only person to have escaped an English attack on the estate that she worked at, and it just so happened that the estate was owned by Niall’s aunt and uncle, and that his sister had been staying there. When he stops by the estate to see his sister, all he finds is a roughly made cairn, his cousin’s head on a spike, and Áine in the house, looking for supplies.

Taking Áine away from the estate, Niall’s thirst for vengeance grows when he learns that Captain Garret, an English soldier who had been captured and released by the Irish the previous year, had arrived to pillage the house. On top of that, he forces an English soldier to tell him what happened to the womenfolk, and he is informed that they were sent abroad, to serve as indentured servants. Unfortunately, directing his anger towards Garret means nothing if Niall does not survive to kill him, and when Niall returns to camp, with Áine, it seems his need for revenge is outweighed by the fact that the English are gaining ground, not losing it, and the power the resistance has is starting to dwindle.

My goodness, this book! It is one of those that baits you in with the promise of an Irish accent, and then hooks you, tearing you away from reality and dragging you into a world unknown, but one you are eager to learn about. I really loved Niall, for although he can be quick to temper (it is always justified though) he is fiercely loyal to those he loves, and if someone does anything to harm someone Niall loves, they had better watch their back. My heart felt for Áine, for throughout the course of this book we slowly learn her backstory, and it is not full of faeries and walks in the woods, but it is a tragic past, and one that she would rather remained hidden. And yet, things always seem to come back around, and she cannot keep such secrets from Niall forever.

This is the kind of book that has multiple scenes that make you say ‘this is it. This is where a main character dies, and there is simply no way they are going to survive this’, but by some twist of fate, death does not befall them, and you breathe a sigh of relief, until the next scene comes along and you find yourself holding your breath again. Something in particular that made me hold my breath was Fionn, Niall’s wolfhound. I looked up wolfhounds (they are gorgeous!) and he is not a secondary character in this book, in my opinion. Instead, he is one of the main characters, following Niall wherever he goes, unless he is favouring Áine that day. What worried me, was that Fionn is the kind of dog that seems to wander wherever he likes, and returns when called, but when he continuously runs off by himself, I found myself wondering if there was going to be a scene when he was called and didn’t appear.

Unfortunately, my husband and I have agreed that we do not have room to house an Irish wolfhound, so I will just have to reread this book and love Fionn through the pages!

I loved the relationship that Niall has with his fellow soldiers, and Cormac was another of my favourite characters. He delights in telling stories, like Áine, although Áine’s stories are somewhat more captivating, and Cormac’s tend to be rather violent. There is one scene, in particular, where Cormac is loudly telling a story so an English guard didn’t realise there was any other sound happening. Cormac seemed to greatly enjoy that the guard was not allowed to open the door and shut him up, or leave, but was instead forced to listen to Cormac’s voice. This is just one of the reasons I loved his character!

Being the kind of person that I am, I did not look up how to pronounce any of the names in this book until after I had finished reading it. Niall was easy enough, but Áine? I spent the entire time calling her ‘Anne’ in my head, only to find out it’s pronounced ‘Anya’? And only now that I’m writing this do I realise the author has told us how to pronounce the names at the start of the book. That’s what I get for skipping the opening pages to start reading the book!

When I love a book as much as I did this one, I do tend to ramble quite a bit in my reviews. Thus, this review is stretching rather long! To sum it up – I love this book, Irish accents are great, I want a wolfhound. Oh, and buy this book! You won’t regret it.

Side note for the author: I did not drop this novel in the bath!!!

I received a copy of this novel from The Coffee Pot Book Club, but you can find your copy HERE!!

 

Cryssa Bazos 

Cryssa Bazos is an award-winning historical fiction author and a seventeenth century enthusiast. Her debut novel, Traitor's Knot is the Medalist winner of the 2017 New Apple Award for Historical Fiction, a finalist for the 2018 EPIC eBook Awards for Historical Romance. Her second novel, Severed Knot, is a B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree and a finalist for the 2019 Chaucer Award. A forthcoming third book in the standalone series, Rebel's Knot, was published November 2021.

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On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club - Ride with the Moonlight (Thunder on the Moor, Book 2) By Andrea Matthews #BookReview #HistoricalRomance #BlogTour @AMatthewsAuthor @maryanneyarde

I am so excited to share my review of Ride with the Moonlight (Thunder on the Moor, Book 2) by Andrea Matthews. Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for your invite to take part in the tour. 

 

Ride with the Moonlight

(Thunder on the Moor, Book 2) 

By Andrea Matthews

After rescuing sixteenth-century Border reiver Will Foster from certain death at her family’s hands, time traveler Maggie Armstrong finally admits her love for the handsome Englishman, though she can’t rid herself of the sinking sus-picion that her Scottish kin are not about to let them live in peace. What she doesn’t expect is the danger that lurks on Will’s own side of the Border. When news of their plans to marry reaches the warden, he charges Will with March treason for trysting with a Scot. Will and Maggie attempt to escape by fleeing to the hills, but when Will is declared an outlaw and allowed to be killed on sight, they can no longer evade the authorities. Will is sentenced to hang, while Maggie is to be sent back to her family. Heartbroken, she has no choice but to return to Scotland, where her uncle continues to make plans for her to wed Ian Rutherford, the wicked Scotsman who she now realizes murdered her father in cold blood. With Will facing the gallows in England, and herself practically under house arrest in Scotland, she continues to resist her uncle’s plans, but her efforts are thwarted at every turn. Will’s family, however, is not about to stand by and watch their youngest lad executed simply because he’s lost his heart to a Scottish lass. A daring plan is set into motion, but will it be in time to save Will’s life and reunite the lovers? Or will Ian’s lies prompt Maggie’s family to ensure the bond between them is forever destroyed?

I read the first book in this series earlier this year, and even though I absolutely adored it, I had so many books on my to-read list, some of them with deadlines, that I did not have time to read book 2 sooner. FORTUNATELY, I was offered the chance to review book 2, and since I simply could not turn down the offer, I squeezed it onto my to-read list, and here we are!

This novel starts off where book one left off. Maggie betrayed her family to save the life of Will Foster, and ran away with him. Maggie’s uncle, Geordie, is angry at her actions and with Ian, the man Maggie was supposed to marry, hounding him, has no choice but to come up with a plan to get her back. But, if he was to lead another raid on the Fosters, and take her back by force, the Fosters would simply return the favour. This time, Geordie must come up with a way to get Maggie back, and keep her back for good.

When Will learns that he has been charged with March Treason, he knows that any trial, should he be granted one, would have the outcome decided before it even starts. He is destined to hang, and the law is the law – there is rarely a way around it when you have been unknowingly digging your own grave for the past few weeks. As the Fosters attempt to find a loophole, and to hide both Will and Maggie, the Armstrongs sit back, waiting for retribution. 

Oh, how I adore Will! The Armstrongs say that Will Foster has a charming tongue, and can make you believe his lies – I was indeed charmed! The lies, however, the Armstrongs are wrong on that count. The only person lying to them is Ian Rutherford, Maggie’s supposed betrothed. How I hated that vile man, desperate to get Maggie back, not because he loves her and is concerned for her wellbeing, but because he was promised something and did not get it. And the longer he has to wait, and the more he annoys Geordie, the more Maggie’s dowery seems to grow.

Will, and his family, take Maggie in as one of their own, and I absolutely loved meeting the Fosters. Graham Foster is nothing like Geordie Armstrong, for although they both are in charge of their own families, Graham takes the time to think about what is best for his family, and then works to make it happen. While there are some characters, like Will and Walt, who, as brothers, spend their time bickering as Walt continuously, and to no avail, attempts to keep Will out of trouble, there was one Foster in particular whom I greatly admired. You would think, with the amount of grown men surrounding her, that Bessie Foster would sink into the background, and yet, she does not let her husband, nor her sons, get away with anything. She is both the caring mother they all love, and the whirlwind they dare not cross. And Graham uses this to his advantage – ‘go and tell your mother what you have done’ is a punishment he seems to greatly enjoy using!

This book will certainly play with your emotions. With Will sentenced to hang, and people determined to return Maggie to her uncles, you will find yourself leaning forward as you read, and crossing your fingers. Things grow incredibly dramatic about halfway through this book, and my husband eventually gave up trying to get me to go to bed with all of his dramatic complaining of how tired he was and left me sitting on the sofa, frantically reading. He surfaced again at nearly one in the morning, to get a drink, and to drag me off the sofa and into bed. I must admit though, at that point, the tension had settled, just a little, and I was yawning almost constantly, so I didn’t put up much of a fight!

There will be a book three, as the back of this book states, but I could find no release date, no matter how hard I searched. All I know is that, at some point, I shall be able to return to the Border and join these characters once again. When that will be, I don’t know, but I will be greatly anticipating the day!

I received my copy from The Coffee Pot Book Club but you can grab your from Amazon. And get this, if you have #KindleUnlimited subscription you can read this novel for free, along with Book One!

Andrea Matthews

Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science, and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family histo-ry. She is the author of the Thunder on the Moor series set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Border, and the Cross of Ciaran series, where a fifteen hundred year old Celt finds himself in the twentieth century. Andrea is a member of the Romance Writers of America.

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On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club – Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury by Kinley Bryan #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @kinleybauthor @maryanneyarde

 I have an excerpt for you today from Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury by Kinley Bryan.

 

Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury

By Kinley Bryan

Three sisters. 

Two Great Lakes. 

One furious storm.

Based on actual events...

It's 1913 and Great Lakes galley cook Sunny Colvin has her hands full feeding a freighter crew seven days a week, nine months a year. She also has a dream—to open a restaurant back home—but knows she'd never convince her husband, the steward, to leave the seafaring life he loves.

In Sunny’s Lake Huron hometown, her sister Agnes Inby mourns her husband, a U.S. Life-Saving Serviceman who died in an accident she believes she could have prevented. Burdened with regret and longing for more than her job at the dry goods store, she looks for comfort in a secret infatuation.

Two hundred miles away in Cleveland, youngest sister Cordelia Blythe has pinned her hopes for adventure on her marriage to a lake freighter captain. Finding herself alone and restless in her new town, she joins him on the season’s last trip up the lakes.

On November 8, 1913, a deadly storm descends on the Great Lakes, bringing hurricane-force winds, whiteout blizzard conditions, and mountainous thirty-five-foot waves that last for days. Amidst the chaos, the women are offered a glimpse of the clarity they seek, if only they dare to perceive it. 

Icy spray pelted the life-saving station’s boathouse windows like bird shot and Agnes thought better of standing next to the glass. She moved to the center of the room, between the lifeboat and surfboat. She ran her hand along the lifeboat’s cedar planking. These were some of the finest small craft ever built. That’s what Amos used to say. 

Agnes climbed the stepladder into the lifeboat, careful not to disturb the meticulously packed equipment: an anchor, a funnel-shaped drogue, various lines and sheets, a life buoy, oars for eight men plus a steering oar, boat hooks, a lantern. She loved this boat, which had been put into service when her father was the keeper. He’d named it Stalwart. She sat on a thwart where Amos used to row. Her husband had been Surfman Number One, a position second only to the keeper.

Remorse and admiration swirled in her chest. This was where he had been sitting right before he died that terrible October day three years ago. With the crew a man short, Agnes had wanted to help row. She was an excellent oarswoman and Amos knew it. When he refused to let her volunteer, she’d threatened to ask the keeper directly. But what Amos countered was true: the keeper wouldn’t allow what her own husband prohibited. And so instead they’d used a volunteer oarsman from the village. In Agnes’s estimation they’d have been better off leaving the thwart empty. Even now she found herself wanting to change Amos’s mind. To undo what had happened.

Dear Amos. She had loved her husband and their life by the sea. To now have feelings for someone else, it felt like a betrayal of his memory, of everything they had shared. Agnes swallowed hard, forcing down the lump of conflicting emotions lodged there. Couldn’t one thing be true, and then another, totally different thing, also be true?

There came a tremendous roar and Agnes dropped to the footings. A crash, a shattering. Her hands tingled. Several long seconds later she peered over the gunwales. The north-facing window, the one where she’d stood only minutes before, was gone.

The howling came fiercer now that the boathouse had been breached. Waves pounded on the double doors like a wild bull trying to get in. Water splashed through the broken window. Her heartbeat raced in her chest. She should get back to the main building, further from the water, but didn’t want to leave the security of the lifeboat. She felt like a hunted animal.

“Agnes! What are you doing out here?”

Keeper Duncan’s voice came from somewhere behind her. She turned her head just as the electric lights went out. Now the sole light came from the main building behind Keeper Duncan, putting him in silhouette.

“Come back to the kitchen,” he said, approaching the lifeboat. “It’s a hurricane out there.”

“What about the watchman?” Agnes asked. The watchtower sat atop the boathouse, and if it wasn’t safe in the boathouse, it certainly wasn’t safe above it.

“He’s got a job to do.”

Agnes climbed down from the Stalwart and followed Keeper Duncan through the breezeway to the main building. They’d only just crossed into the kitchen when there was a horrific sound. She’d once heard lightning strike a tree in her backyard. The cracking sound had been so loud she’d half expected the roof to cave in. This sound now was louder, fiercer; instinctively she crouched and covered her head.

When she looked back the breezeway was gone.

Doesn't this novel sound amazing!! 

Click on this LINK to go to your fabulous online bookstore.

Kinley Bryan

Kinley Bryan is an Ohio native who counts numerous Great Lakes captains among her ances-tors. Her great-grandfather Walter Stalker was captain of the four-masted schooner Golden Age, the largest sailing vessel in the world when it launched in 1883. Kinley’s love for the in-land seas swelled during the years she spent in an old cottage on Lake Erie. She now lives with her husband and children on the Atlantic Coast, where she prefers not to lose sight of the shore. Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury is her first novel.

Social Media Links:

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On tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club – Hidden Masterpiece (Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book 3) By Heidi Eljarbo #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour

 

Hidden Masterpiece

(Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book 3)

By Heidi Eljarbo

In this riveting third book in the Soli Hansen Mysteries series, a woman’s courage to follow her conviction during a horrible war leads her to the portrait of a young Jewish heiress painted three centuries earlier.

Norway 1944. 

Art historian Soli Hansen has gone undercover to rescue masterpieces and keep them from falling into the hands of Nazi thieves. Working with a small resistance group led by her best friend Heddy, Soli will stop at nothing to thwart the efforts of the invaders of their scenic country. Trust and loyalty mean everything when working against a merciless enemy.

 

Riddles and clues lead the way to a mysterious work of art. It’s a race against time, but Soli and her network refuse to give up. However, when news arrives that her sweetheart Nikolai is missing in action, she strives to concentrate on the demanding quest.

 

From the streets of Oslo to the snow-covered mountains and medieval churches of Nume Valley, Soli takes risks larger than her courage, trying to preserve and hide precious art. But she must decide if it’s all worth losing the man she loves.

 

Antwerp 1639. Fabiola Ruber’s daughter, Annarosa, wants to honor her mother’s last wish and have her portrait done by a master artist who specializes in the art of chiaroscuro. Her uncle writes to an accomplished painter in Amsterdam and commissions him to paint his beloved niece.

 

Struggling with religious and social persecution, the Jewish Ruber family uproots once again and travels northward. On the way, they will sojourn in Amsterdam for Annarosa’s sitting in the master painter’s studio. But will they make it there? None of them can foresee the danger of such a journey.

When I was asked if I would like to receive an ARC of the third book in the Soli Hansen series by Heidi Eljarbo I responded with three words:

"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"

And no, I wasn't about to break out into an Abba song, that was just me being super excited at the idea of getting my hands on this book! Having had the pleasure of reading Book 2 I could not wait to follow Soli's adventures as she once again goes head to head with the Nazis treasure hunters.

In the last book, Soli was trying to hide a painting by Rubens. This time the artist in question is Rembrandt van Rijn, and no it wasn't one of his many self-portraits, but a fictional painting of a young woman, Annarosa Ruber that is the object of pursuit. Now, the Rubers', a Jewish family, had long since been escorted onto a boat, where they went to and what happened to them nobody knows. But they left behind a ledger, which would lead whoever understand the old Italian words straight to the painting. It was of no wonder why both the Nazis and Soli and the resistance were looking for it. And thus starts our story, a story that will take the readers across the snowy mountains to the Nume Valley. 

I was thoroughly entertained by this novel from beginning to end. I thought the author did a marvellous job of depicting the dangers of living in occupied Norway and the risks that the resistance was prepared to take to not only cause chaos and confusion but to make sure that not everything went the Nazis' way! 

There are two protagonists that we follow in this story, in two very different times (World War II and the 17th Century). The first protagonist we meet is Soli, an art historian with a deep desire to stop these valuable paintings from falling into the wrong hands. The second is Annarosa, a young woman who is determined to forge her own destiny and at the same time sit for her portrait. Both characters are exceedingly likeable, and although Soli is the principal character in this story, it was interesting to read about what life was like for Annarosa. Through Annarosa, the author has depicted the relentlessness and needless cruelty of antisemitism through the centuries, but also the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish community.

Soli was a character who at times had the patience of a saint, especially with Ingrid who is one of the worst judge of characters ever! But Soli is also one that is quick to action, that is determined to get the job done. I liked Soli, she is such a strong woman and yet there is a vulnerability about her as well, which I found endearing.

I could go on about how good this book was all day, but I simply don't have enough time. It is, however, enough to say that I thought this book was amazing, and I am now absolutely dedicated to this series. I cannot wait for the next book.

I received my copy of this book from The Coffee Pot Book Club but you can grab yours over on Amazon, and get this, it is free to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription.

Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.

Heidi 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.

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.

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