I had the privilege of meeting D.V. Bishop at Bristol
CrimeFest, and something that inspired me to pick up his book was the interest
he showed in escapism.
It’s so easy in historical fiction for some writers to
dedicate their focus to research that sometimes the story becomes secondary. Not with Bishop’s book. The adventure, tension, and
anticipation are all expertly written.
With a complex hero, Aldo, hiding his
homosexuality at a time when it was illegal, this tension is brought into the
conflict of the narrative as he races to find a killer in Florence in 1536.
This was my favourite read of 2023 because it was an unexpected thrill. I saw
no promotional material beforehand and simply fell on it after seeing the
writer at CrimeFest.
I read this book years ago but had forgotten about it,
until a rekindled friendship brought it back. My friend gushed about the
series, and naturally, I knew there was something I had missed, as my friend
practically has her own library, so her taste is never wrong.
Clearly, I first read this book when I was too young.
Upon re-reading, I was drawn in by the addictive isolation of the snowy
monastery in 1537.
The whole book has a chilling factor enshrouding the mystery
that kept me hooked. For a slow reader, I read it in just one weekend. For
those who love more facts, this is the perfect book, as Samson expertly ties in
the real events of the dissolution of the monasteries to the investigation
Shardlake faces.
Awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger - the highest honor in British crime writing
From the bestselling author of Winter in Madrid and Dominion comes the exciting and elegantly written first novel in the Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery series
Dissolution is an utterly riveting portrayal of Tudor England. The year is 1537, and the country is divided between those faithful to the Catholic Church and those loyal to the king and the newly established Church of England. When a royal commissioner is brutally murdered in a monastery on the south coast of England, Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's feared vicar general, summons…
Nothing has transported me
to another time and place so well as Khan’s book this year. I saw him at
Bristol CrimeFest, a lovely and humorous man who held the attention of an
entire busy room with just a few words. Khan’s charisma led me to his book, and
I am so thrilled I found it.
It is about the first female police
officer in Bombay, Persis, who is called into a mystery at the turning of New Year’s
Eve, 1949.
The power of Khan’s book comes in his ability to use time to create
tension, the feeling it’s running out too quickly, the voice of a great heroine
and most of all, his descriptions that paint this world in vivid colours. Need
an escape? Pick up this book!
*** WINNER OF THE CWA SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER 2021, and an INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ***
'The leading character is the deftly drawn Persis Wadia, the country's first female detective. She's a wonderful creation and this is a hugely enjoyable book' ANN CLEEVES
'This is historical crime fiction at its best - a compelling mix of social insight and complex plotting with a thoroughly engaging heroine. A highly promising new series' MAIL ON SUNDAY
Bombay, New Year's Eve, 1949
As India celebrates the arrival of a momentous new decade, Inspector Persis Wadia stands vigil in the basement of Malabar House, home…
1584, London, Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster to the Tudor Queen Elizabeth, has trained Kit Scarlett since she was a girl. Aware that she is able to infiltrate places that his male agents cannot, he sees her as an invaluable member of his team.
When Walsingham discovers that a rebel alliance is planning to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and put Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne, he summons Kit immediately. Together with loyal Scottish agent Iomhar Blackwood, Kit is tasked with finding out the full details of the treasonous plot.
Can Kit secure her place in a man’s world? Will she save Queen Elizabeth?
