I had the pleasure of reading Backstories by this author, which was highly entertaining, and I jumped at the chance to read his second book, The SilenI had the pleasure of reading Backstories by this author, which was highly entertaining, and I jumped at the chance to read his second book, The Silent Brother. The stories couldn’t have been more different. The Silent Brother is raw and heart-breaking as the two young boys are abused by the people that should be protecting them.
When social services take one of the boys away, it leaves the older of the two feeling guilty that he couldn’t stand up for his brother. As the years’ pass, Tommy has had to learn how to survive, even if that means being part of the wrong crowd. He meets Annie, and she becomes his mission to be saved.
The past is going to collide with the present day. I couldn’t help getting drawn in with these characters, as you feel so helpless that the choices that they make, just won’t be enough. Definitely a book that I needed tissues for while reading. This is such a talented author....more
This is the second book in the DC Mel Cotton series, and I felt that it had a lot to live up to after loving Fatal Trade so much. Well, the author BriThis is the second book in the DC Mel Cotton series, and I felt that it had a lot to live up to after loving Fatal Trade so much. Well, the author Brian Price did himself proud with this one.
When Duncan Bennett is found dead, not far from where he worked, no one knows why anyone would want him dead. Duncan had portrayed himself as a boring no-body, but there was far more to him than anyone released.
When DC Mel Cotton and the team began to dig deeper into Duncan’s life, they soon found themselves in a dangerous place. There is so much going on in this story, and the bad guys always seem like they are one step ahead. Just writing about this story makes my back shiver and the back of my neck tingle.
I took to a new character in this story, a hacker who was willing to go further than anyone would ask him to go. But would it be a step too far? There are people in high positions that could have him silenced. I just hoped that he made it through.
Mel has some hard decisions to make. Firstly she doesn’t know who she can trust and who will believe what she suspects. Oh wow! In some books, you want to feel the rush again. That punch the air moment. The same feeling I got with this. I love this series. This book gives me a tense and believable story, with characters that at times have to go it alone.
When I came to the end of this story, I knew it would not be easy to fill the hole it left. Roll on number three. I am waiting already!...more
Silenced is an almighty powerful and hard-hitting story, that is all too close, to how some of the cities and towns of Britain are these days. The SkuSilenced is an almighty powerful and hard-hitting story, that is all too close, to how some of the cities and towns of Britain are these days. The Skull Crew rule the streets of North London and cannot be seen to have any weaknesses. Then the daylight murder of a young teenage girl on her way home from school rocks the community, but everyone is staying quiet about the attack. Because if you don’t keep quiet, then the Skull Crew with permanently shut you up.
It isn’t just a story about senseless murder and the fear that a gang can instil into communities. It looks at it from both sides and how recruits are groomed into this lifestyle. There are two young teenagers, that are both struggling at home. Luke, after the death of his mum and, Jez whose mum is an alcoholic. They have slipped under the radar of being vulnerable. Then they find each other.
DCI Callum Waverly is in charge of the case, he has a lot to prove. It is his first appointment, and secondly, he has a hidden past himself. It makes for a page-turning read that never lets up. The fear feels very real, and the situation is like something you will see on page 7 of your local paper because it happens all too often.
What a stunning story this is! Jennie Ensor brings a dash of realism to every chapter, with horrific realistic acts of graphic violence. It is heartbreaking. V, the lead character of the Skull Crew, is terrifying, a man who will follow up on promises. Is anyone brave enough to tell the truth? A stunning story by this author, her best yet, in my opinion, and highly recommended, but do be warned you feel like you are there, and it will stay with you.
I wish to thank the publisher for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly....more
This is the second book that I have read from this author, and it is a little beauty. The opening chapters had me immediately connecting with the mainThis is the second book that I have read from this author, and it is a little beauty. The opening chapters had me immediately connecting with the main character, Ross McKinlay, probably a gentleman that I would not have been aware of in normal circumstances. He wasn’t anything special, in the way that he would get on with things unintrusively, but this particular day he needed to be heard.
I felt his frustrations taking over this usually rational man as people looked at him as if he must have just misplaced his now absent wife. They had gone shopping and one minute she was there then she was gone. But how can you lose a grown woman in the supermarket? When he has exhausted every possibility, he has no choice but to phone the police.
It is a thrilling and exciting read from the start, but the mystery was only just beginning. The writing is fantastic as the author, time and time again, re-shapes Ross into sides of him that he didn’t know even existed. Nurture was overtaking what nature had made him, as huge life-changing events were crashing around him, pushing him into dangerous situations.
What you find out early on is Ross is very well-liked and has a brilliant relationship with his boss, Martin. It is a rollercoaster trip they take, with this is it moments, and the anticipation of success just before your stomach drops back down with another dead end. When you feel like you can nearly taste success, another spanner will fly your way.
A brilliant story that feels fresh, and new, with an unpredictable ending. Highly recommended....more
Emma loved living in York with the cobbled narrow streets of the Shambles, so she was more than shocked and a little hurt to find out that Luke, her hEmma loved living in York with the cobbled narrow streets of the Shambles, so she was more than shocked and a little hurt to find out that Luke, her husband and agreed to a swap of properties with his parents, who lived in a village. Luke’s dad had to have a hip operation and felt that he wouldn’t cope with the stairs too well. Emma had visited Luke’s parents but, didn’t know anyone that lived in the village. The only positive that Emma could feel about it was that she had just found out that she was pregnant, so it should be healthier to bring up their baby there.
Once the village people knew who she was, they turned cooler towards her and to say that Luke had been born and grew up there, people seemed not just to avoid him but to look at him with disdain. The story continues to be told by Emma, in the present day, and by Luke, as a boy in the past. Both have that sizzling, electric feel that increases with intensity as they grow ever closer to the same point in time.
When Emma meets and makes friends with another outsider, they discover that their husbands used to be best friends and make it their mission to rekindle that friendship again.
It was such a heart in my mouth read, as my head swam with possibilities of what could have happened in the past. There had been more than one occasion that I just wanted Emma to let things lay. The whole atmosphere in the village was becoming affected and it spread. The author moulded these characters so that they could change with events, each one a ticking time bomb, stuck in their worlds of madness, on the breech of being popped.
This author bowled me over yet again.
I wish to thank the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly....more
The story carries on seamlessly from where it left off in book one of this series. You do need to read these in order. So if you like Vikings and RomaThe story carries on seamlessly from where it left off in book one of this series. You do need to read these in order. So if you like Vikings and Romans, you will be in your element as the two constantly clash in battle. The setting as there are others all over the world takes place primarily through the streets of Edinburgh. Money doesn’t only talk money makes the authorities turn a blind eye as life and death skirmishers and battles play out.
In their own time, these soldiers lead ordinary lives, go to work each day, have families and go out with friends but, when the call comes, they are picked up and whisked away to secret locations to prepare for battle. For this, they are paid large sums of money and trained brutally to fight with authentic weapons in hand to hand combat. Huge bets are placed on who will be the victors.
The story follows Tyler and Lana, who met on their first day of training after they had both been abducted and offered the chance to become part of the Pantheon, if they had said no, they could have walked away, but they both had reasons to stay. Tyler had been sure that his sister had been recruited a while ago, and had not seen her since, but it was forbidden for family members to join as it would affect their performance in battles. No one knew about his sister. I liked the new character in Tyler’s day to day life, a bit of a whizz kid and hero worshiper.
Tyler has more brains than brawn and had not only survived through the first book but had got himself into a dangerous position for the start of this. He may as well have put an aim here target on his chest. In the first book, there had been a lot of training and survival tactics. But wow, this book has superbly detailed battles, defence strategies and relationships. The key players are like superheroes to the ones that watch online.
Lana plays a leading role in this story as her past is about to catch up with her. This new character made my skin crawl as I curled into a much smaller form on my sofa. This person is terrifying. I don’t want to go too much into the battles, which blew me away as it builds to the finale for the year. I need the final book in this, as it does leave you with a thirst for more.
I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly....more
This is the second book in The Sturmtaucher Trilogy. The first book, The Gathering Storm, hit my number 1 spot for the year, and now with the second bThis is the second book in The Sturmtaucher Trilogy. The first book, The Gathering Storm, hit my number 1 spot for the year, and now with the second book, it takes the best series of the year.
The story continues to follow the lives of two German families. General Erich Kästner, a high ranking German officer and his family. A hero, defending and protecting the Jewish family that has been in service for his family through generations. And the Nussbaums, a Jewish family who are now becoming fully aware that they have left their escape to safety far too late.
As Hitler’s troops march through Europe, their horrific assault on anyone that did conform with what they saw as perfection would be extinguished. Whereas in the first novel, it had been rumours of what the Gestapo did to anyone they took in for questioning, now becomes first-hand experiences. One particular Gestapo Officer takes a personal dislike to both the General and the Nussbaums, to the point that it becomes an obsession with him.
The General is in a position that allows him inside information about the plans of the Führer. He knows that his sons will be in great danger if Hitler marches on Russia, and so devises a plan to keep them and the Nussbaums children safe.
The book gradually eases you into the brutality of the story, but nothing could prepare you for this. I openly wept through whole chapters, not just of the horrific tortures but of the bravery of these people. It seems that war gives the perverse, and psychopaths, a free hand because what they did, a normal person couldn’t live with. Both families are split up, but some won’t make it back together.
This series has taken the author five years to research and write, it is all finished with just the final book to be released, and for as large as it is, I don’t think it will be enough for me. This author has given me a thirst that I can’t quench no matter how much there is. I can’t think how this will all come to an end. The research on so many topics in this book is tremendous, accurate and engrossing. Fantastic.
The first book was the equivalent of three books long, this is bigger still, at about five books. But don’t be put off. This series is superb....more
I was curious to read this book by Mark Tilbury as it contains five short stories. I wondered if he would be able to pull off the uneasy creepy feelinI was curious to read this book by Mark Tilbury as it contains five short stories. I wondered if he would be able to pull off the uneasy creepy feeling that his books usually leave me with. He did just five times more.
I liked how each story was introduced, by using a poem. These themselves were creepy, but only a taster of what was to follow. All the stories feature women as the lead character, although I didn’t feel that all the men deserved the punishments that they were dealt.
The stories bring to mind that saying from playwright William Congreve, ‘Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.’ For some of these characters, their rage had bubbled for years before it was payback time. Others were impulsive, which just went to show that planning was necessary to get it right.
I, of course, have my favourite, Last Orders. I could see where this was going, but love certainly has its blinkers. Love makes you do crazy things as common sense has left the building. There will be a favourite for everyone with these short stories making them perfect bedtime reading, but don’t let them give you any ideas before you snuggle up to go to sleep.
I think the author has struck gold again with these stories. I would like to see more like these in the future.
I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly....more
I am delighted to have read the latest book in this series. Kate Marshall formed her own Detective Agency after quitting the police force. She still hI am delighted to have read the latest book in this series. Kate Marshall formed her own Detective Agency after quitting the police force. She still has a few contacts in the department that help on the quiet when she needs it. Working for Kate is Tristan, a keen young man that she can wholly rely upon. They have had some rather tricky cases so far, and the one they are about to take on is no exception.
Twelve years ago, a bright newspaper reporter Joanna Duncan disappeared after work. Her car was found abandoned in the multi-storey car park she used daily. No sign had been seen of her since that day. In a last-ditch effort, her mum’s wealthy husband asks Kate if she will take on the case to find her, be it dead or alive.
Joanna’s mum isn’t anything like what Kate had expected. She is brassy and loud but has a heart of gold. She wants to know where her daughter is. Money talks, as they say, and Joanna’s stepdad has acquired the files and investigation documents surrounding her disappearance. Kate and Tristan set to work on these, and soon discover something that had been previously missed. It is an unusual case for Kate and Tristan as the story takes on a detour.
Robert Bryndza is on top form with his writing as he captures the essence of the characters in his story. The emptiness of Joanna’s mum, the ambitious detective after all the glory and the terrifying confidence of a killer. But the victims, oh my, that hit home. I had to stop just for a little while because it didn’t seem right just to carry on reading. The writer makes it all seem so real. The story twists in ways I hadn’t thought of. It was so easy to jump to conclusions. It is an awesome story. Wowed!
I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly....more
It was 1994, and Sarah Noble and her family lived at Blackhall Manor with her grandma and granddad. That all sounds nice, but one night everything wenIt was 1994, and Sarah Noble and her family lived at Blackhall Manor with her grandma and granddad. That all sounds nice, but one night everything went wrong. It ended with murder and suicide. Blackhall Manor remains empty even all these years later. But a game has begun if you dare to play. Five girls go into the house on Halloween night, but not all of them come out. Would you summon The Midnight Man?
This is a cracking story from author Caroline Mitchell, who seems to have dangled her toes back into the supernatural elements like she used to. The story is a mix of the Supernatural, suspense and Police procedural, and it’s done with style. The opening scene will rattle your insides because everything is intensified by the dark, the confinement of a wardrobe, and only hearing what is happening. What makes it more horrific is this story revolves around teenagers. It is an instant low blood pressure cure.
Once the past has been woken up, it wants what it didn’t finish all those years ago. The story is unsettling, to say the least, with that feel of Stephen King’s ‘It’ and saying Candy Man three times in a mirror. I admit to checking the wardrobes when I go to bed, not to see if anyone is in them but to make sure I could get in if needed!
One of my favourite characters was Elliot, a young boy that can see far more than most people can, he just doesn’t know how to read it yet. I hope to see much more of him in the future as this is the first book in a new series. So there may be even more bumps in the night stuff to come. I love the town name too. Slayton.
I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly....more
This is the third book in this super series, and what a tremendous story this has been. This was my favourite as it brought all the pieces together, wThis is the third book in this super series, and what a tremendous story this has been. This was my favourite as it brought all the pieces together, with the trip to the past and how it all began. Some of the characters had changed because they could not deal with things they had done in the past. It was sickening as they all had a choice.
Antimone, Jason and their son Paul are back under guard, this time for their protection as the world wants answers. This story is just one that I gorged on from the first page to the last. I could not function or concentrate on anything else. Then I couldn’t move on because I knew what had happened.
The events that had occurred in the past was a minefield of tragedy, heartbreak and ruthless decisions. I was blown away by every page. It had been a perfect series so far but now, wow. The beginning revealed at the end of the story magnified my feelings100 times more. An ace of a card to play. Bravo!
You need to read the series, three books, which are fast-paced, thrilling and scary because this could be our future someday. Huge congratulations to the author.
I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly...more
Oh my goodness, talk about a scene setter! From the very first page, this book gave me tingles, and yes, I have read plenty of gruesome novels in the Oh my goodness, talk about a scene setter! From the very first page, this book gave me tingles, and yes, I have read plenty of gruesome novels in the past, but, this was such a hypnotic read.
The story spans five centuries, and the mystery tales that have been passed down through generations about two young children, like sirens of the sea, that coax unwary travellers to their demise in Wayland woods. The spine chilling feeling that made me jumpy was how the roles had reversed. It was how the children used their innocence on unsuspecting travellers that made me cold. The children, after all, had been around many more years than any of their victims.
There are five stories of people with different reasons why they have come to be in the woods. Each set on a different timeline and even with so many years between the mysterious deaths, the stories had been passed down through the generations so that travellers and locals should be aware of others who have not taken heed of the warnings.
The author is a conjurer of cautionary tales of the children and woods, not just visually but the sounds of whistling winds and rustling leaves. The pitying cries of children and the soothing voices of the ones captured in their spell. My favourite tale is the one of the priest. But do read these stories yourself, you will have one you like ............. and one you fear too.
I wish to thank the publisher and author for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly....more
Ella Blake had been a top Barrister, until three years ago when her world had crumbled after she lost a big court case. Now she tours around in a campElla Blake had been a top Barrister, until three years ago when her world had crumbled after she lost a big court case. Now she tours around in a camper van, keeping herself to herself and had lost touch with her estranged daughter.
Ella is approached by an old acquaintance asking her to try and find out where a missing polymath at Cambridge University has vanished. It is an opportunity to get in touch with her daughter Lizzie, and try and make amends, while at the same time solving this mystery. The first thing they have to find out is what this man had been working on. It isn’t long before their poking into the man’s disappearance puts them in grave danger.
The characters are very engaging from the start, and the plot is fascinating. I did at times find myself checking dates and events in the story, then rushing back to carry on reading. The research for this book is glowing, and how it all gels together fabulously.
The author brings everything to the table with a jaw-dropping story, including car chases, murder, and so much more I am not even going to mention, but believe me, there is something in it for everyone. It is an adrenaline junkie high. Superb!...more
I began to read this book, then stopped and read the blurb again. I had wondered if I was reading a selection of short stories as each one sort of camI began to read this book, then stopped and read the blurb again. I had wondered if I was reading a selection of short stories as each one sort of came to an end and a new story began, but I wasn’t. Just be patient, and all will be revealed.
The opening chapters are very different, with each one having a crime committed and someone being arrested for it. All of the accused protest their innocence, but the cases seem cut and dry. Of course, for every crime, there has to be a victim, and on one occasion it happened to be the mother of a serving officer. There is something rather weird about it all. DS Mel Cooper is soon looking into local crime a little deeper, with surprising results.
The story is on the gentler side of crime, with nothing gruesome or grisly and more on the Cluedo side of investigating as to why and how certain events are linked. The story is thoroughly entertaining. Even on the short breaks, I had to take, while life got in the way, my mind was trying to get in front and work out who was responsible for the tangle of cases.
Although this is a new series, I felt the central characters are already set up well for a second outing. This story was completely wound up, so it could easily be read as a stand-alone....more
What an incredible story this is! Shawn is smart, works hard and is extremely well organised, but most of all, he is desperate for a girlfriend. He woWhat an incredible story this is! Shawn is smart, works hard and is extremely well organised, but most of all, he is desperate for a girlfriend. He works in what should be the perfect setting, a dating agency, where he has access to women’s profiles. But Shawn is autistic and has no filter about his thoughts, which tumble from his mouth uncontrollably. He can come across as abrasive, insulting and rude. Not the best qualities that a woman is looking for in a man. Dates often end within minutes of meeting him, with a second date never happening.
Shawn has a brother who looks out for him, although his brother has his own place. Shawn lived with his grandparents, but after the death of his granddad, he sees it as another reason to find a wife. After all, when his grandmother dies, he needs someone to look after him.
It is a long time since a character moved into my heart, but that is where Shawn is still living. He made me laugh so many times. Although Shawn is unable to judge situations, he heightened my emotions. I saw more than I have ever before, the huge blackness of not being able to ‘read people’, and it felt terrifying.
There are so many fabulous characters in this story, his protective brother, Colin, his grandma and of course, the very vibrant Violet. There are so many tragic lives in this story, but it is so uplifting in so many ways.
I am overjoyed, that the book has been made into a film, which will be released in 2022. I really can’t wait. The characters playing the parts are perfect, and the dialogue is like it is in the story, from the clip I have seen. Do look it up on YouTube. The link is below the author information.
I wish to thank Don Fitzgerald. Publicist of Morning Star Pictures, for an invitation to read and review this book via Net Galley....more
The story begins in 1999 when a young woman sets her life on a new course of revenge. It isn’t a quick fix, she wants the top men that profit from youThe story begins in 1999 when a young woman sets her life on a new course of revenge. It isn’t a quick fix, she wants the top men that profit from young girls like her. By 2019 patience is paying off.
DC Mel Cotton’s first case will take her and her team into the heart of gangland Glasgow and the hardened criminals that control the sex trade in the area. Someone is causing quite a stir, especially when a known criminal’s head is brought into the station in a shopping trolley by his ex-wife. No one seems to know anything. Everyone is edgy. The story never loses momentum, even though I often knew what was round the corner.
As the criminal world jumps to wild conclusions about the reasons behind everything that is happening, the bodies keep piling up. The police seem to be one step behind what is going on. It was the anticipation of what I knew was going to happen when the characters didn’t, that makes it such an adrenaline rush.
Once the seeds of doubt were sown, it was a matter of sitting back and watching the show. The writing is brilliant and reeled me in for the ultimate heart in my mouth conclusion.
I am looking forward to joining DC Mel Cotton and her team again soon.
I wish to thank Hobeck Books for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
If you are looking for something uplifting to read, that will take you far from social distancing and covid rules, this is the book to do it.
Lady CaroIf you are looking for something uplifting to read, that will take you far from social distancing and covid rules, this is the book to do it.
Lady Caroline had done her duty and supplied her husband with an heir to carry on the family name and traditions, but her oldest son was letting the side down. Lord Noblet de Beeble isn’t interested in getting a wife, never mind an heir to follow him. So he does what one does if they require something, he advertises in the local paper. When the tabloids get hold of the story, it goes viral, and the hordes of applicants begin to arrive at this sleepy hamlet of Gently Rising.
There is a slight breather, to get to know a little about the core characters, that live in this quaint picturesque village. Just because they are local doesn’t mean they don’t want a chance to be the lady of the manor too.
The giggles start early on in this book with no holds barred to get noticed. I loved getting to know the vibrant band of colourful characters, from the downright money grabbers to the social wannabees. I don’t want to go into great details about what happens, just that there are lovely goosebump moments too that put smiles on my face.
The characters keep bobbing back in my mind and make me giggle. This author is super talented and produced a brilliant debut, followed by this, a completely different venture....more
Orestis lived in Cyprus and worked for his uncle, who seemed to take Orestis for granted because he was family. He called Orestis to him and told him Orestis lived in Cyprus and worked for his uncle, who seemed to take Orestis for granted because he was family. He called Orestis to him and told him that yet again, he was cutting his wages as the business wasn’t making enough profit. You can only push someone so far, so when he bumps into an old school friend, she suggests that she can get him a job in her father’s hotel.
Orestis decides to take his life into his own hands he wants more than what is offered. As he works in the hotel, he has access to the pool and gym. His efforts are noticed, and before long he has a desirable body that is admired, but he is a while before he works out what is going on under his nose. He could be earning big money, but how much is he willing to sacrifice?
It is a story that slowly pulls you in, like the new life that Otestis is creating. I liked this young man who had begun seeing family values as being more important than anything else. He has an innocence about him that is endearing, probably the thing that made others attracted to him too. But how rich are you if you don’t own yourself?
This is a slow burn story that I found myself right in the middle of it before I realised. Well written it kept me wanting to know where all this could end up. The nearer to the end it got and the edgier I felt.
I wish to thank the publisher for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly....more
I jumped up and down and clapped my hands when I saw that the Quirks were back in business in their second outing in this hopefully long series. This I jumped up and down and clapped my hands when I saw that the Quirks were back in business in their second outing in this hopefully long series. This husband and wife team are the perfect pairing for this intriguing story, which has thrills, tension and laughable moments. Peddry is the frontman, but his wife Connie is just as much the star. Connie is impulsive, especially when she knows that she is onto something. It is like her caution catches up with her and goes into over driver about everything that could go wrong. She makes me as giddy as her.
From the first page of the story, I knew that this would be a one-sitting book and cringed at everything Sarah Holden did after discovering her fiancé’s dead body. I nodded my head at rapid speed, knowing that the reaction she had to what she saw was how I would behave. She laughed uncontrollably, which did not help her situation one bit. I had to laugh!
I could not take to Sarah, with her rose-coloured spectacles, where her dead fiancé Scott and spoilt annoying son Ryan was concerned, though I did feel sorry for the son. For someone who was used to getting his own way, Ryan was slow at realising just what a catch twenty-two situation he was in.
There weren’t many characters in the story that are nice but believe me, the Quirks make up for that. They dig that bit deeper, ask the prying questions that bit more and entertained me again page after page. Connie knows how to get the best from people, and she does it in style.
I enjoyed the background on the motorbikes, they hold a place in my past, which I treasure as one of the best times in my life. When the smell of them was mentioned, I could bring it to life in my mind. It is a top story, brilliant characters, and the Quirks. I could not ask for more!
I wish to thank Hobeck Books for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly....more
I have read several of Tim Walker’s books in the past, but he has taken a new approach with this book, set on dual timelines. I was apprehensive, wondI have read several of Tim Walker’s books in the past, but he has taken a new approach with this book, set on dual timelines. I was apprehensive, wondering if it would destroy the flow of the historical story in the past, but the two stories linked nicely together.
The story opens in the present day as a group of third-year archaeology students are part of a dig, at Hadrian’s Wall. Noah Jessop makes the first discovery of interest, giving the rest of them hope of more to come. The students have to choose the subject that they will do their final piece on for university. His choice links to the past and the life of Gaius Atticianus, a Roman in 180CE that lived not far from Hadrian’s Wall and the border separating Roman Britannia and the Caledonian tribes. The two normally kept to their sides, but things were about to change that ripple through the centuries to the present day.
I took a little while to settle into the time changes and was eager to return to the past, and impending battles. Gaius had so far been one of the rare men that could possible retire if he can survive just a little longer. The story tells of him, his native wife and their son. Gaius is a good and fair man. The Romans are ill-prepared when the wall is breached. Tim Walker, the author, creates exciting and, at times, brutal battles of wits and body. The story looks at both sides of the wall and the tactics used by both sides. This will sound traitorous, but I was backing Gaius all the way.
When the story returned to the present day, the more I read and the more I wanted this band of scholars to find the truth from the past. There was a secret, a myth and a lot of enthusiasm if Noah and his fellow students could piece it all together. There are a couple of storylines running that are connected in the present day, which are light and at times made me chuckle, in the nicest possible way. Another top story for this author.
I wish to thank the author for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly....more
