Hammer of the Scots by Jean Plaidy (Plantagenet Saga Book Seven)

 

Publication Date:

January 1, 1978

Genre: 

Historical Fiction, Medieval Historical Fiction

Length:  

326 pages

Series:

Plantagenet Saga

Book description courtesy of Goodreads:

The news of Henry III's death reached his son Edward on the long road home from the Holy Land. Now he was England's King and a man fit for his destiny.

Through all the years of his reign, through stark personal tragedy and chill forebodings as his son grew into a weak, corrupted prince, Edward I strove to weld a nation united from England and Scotland and Wales.

When the mighty Wallace raised the Scots in arms and the Welsh Llewellyn strove for power, Edward stood firm to his resolve, still knowing in his heart how much would be lost when his crown passed down to his dissolute son.

My Thoughts:

As anyone who reads my blog knows I'm a huge Jean Plaidy fan. And there aren't that many books about Edward I so I have wanted to read this one for a while. It is really hard to find and I had to buy a used copy online. You can't even get it on Kindle.The cover is funny to me because it was written in 1978 and has that romance novel vibe which this book is anything but. It makes me curious if this actually made some women buy it and be disappointed that it is really historical fiction. It is such a different time now and I guess this is what she had to do to sell her novels back then. 

I seem to be in an Edward phase right now as I have a non-fiction book about him going and plan to read another book that just came out. This book starts with the death of his father, Henry III and finishes with Edward's death so we see the entire scope of his reign. She doesn't spend much time on his early years, just some flashbacks by his mother remembering how things used to be. I have read quite a bit lately about Henry III's reign and so it picked up in a good spot for me to understand what was happening at the time.

The most interesting and unique parts of the book were surprisingly not his clashes with Wales and Scotland (although those parts were great too!) but rather his relationships with his children, especially his daughters Eleanor and Joan. I had read that both he and his father were very devoted to their children and almost indulgent which I don't picture much for medieval Kings. And Joan's story was almost a book in itself with scandals and secret romance, I had no idea! 

Murder On the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara Rosett (Lady Traveler in Egypt Book Two)

 

Publication Date:

October 21, 2025

Genre: 

Cozy Mysteries, Mysteries

Length:  

304 pages

Series:

Lady Traveler in Egypt 

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Luxury, lies, and murder on a Nile cruise....

Join Blix Windway, an adventurous lady traveler, on a journey down the Nile in 1924. An eclectic mix of passengers boards the steamer, including a captain of industry, a former stunt-girl reporter turned lady of the manor, an archaeologist, an American teacher, a British doctor and his invalid wife, and a German photographer.

When a passenger is found dead, the elegant cruise turns into a floating crime scene. With everyone confined on board, tensions rise and secrets surface. Even her traveling companion, Hildy Honeyworth, is behaving as if she has something to hide. Blix must navigate the treacherous waters of the investigation and uncover the truth.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Nile River and the ancient wonders of Egypt, this classic whodunit is the second book in the 1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series from USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett.

My Thoughts

While I know cozy mysteries are not written for historical purposes per se I still get excited about them when they are set in fun times and locations. The pyramids are always fun so this series is one I've wanted to read and keep up with. And while it was still cozy and cute, this book lacked in details that made the setting feel real. The same characters are there and I enjoy them, the mystery was fun but the "Egypt", "Nile" feel not so much. It started out promising and the passengers on the cruise do take a sight seeing tour in the beginning to some pyramids but that only lasts one chapter and is very cursory. After that the book could pretty much take place in a hotel or on a regular cruise ship. The author added some tidbits from fictional gossip articles at the beginning of each chapter, mentioning the location but it just wasn't much.

I thought the story was nice and had some red herrings that kept me guessing. When we got to the end and found out who the killer was it was clever and surprising. The way the murders were committed was not easily discovered so that meant reading it carefully was necessary. I think the story was crafted more around the crime and interview style solution than the location. In order to call it "Lady Traveler in Egypt" it's going to have to include more places, activities, and descriptions to draw me in. 

20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge

 

I'm going to join the 20 books of summer challenge again even though I wasn't good about keeping up with it in the past. I'm currently trying hard to go through my TBR pile (never ending) and choose books from there first. But there are also some new books I'd like to try to read. I like this challenge in that the host is very chill about it and you can change up your list if needed as things go along. It gives me incentive to keep plugging along even if I don't stick faithfully to my original list. If you want to join in just click here AnnaBookBel.net.   

Here is my list...happy reading y'all!

1. Highgate Rise by Anne Perry

2. The Royal Hammer by David Field

3. The Enemy and Miss Innes by Martha Keyes

4. Hammer of the Scots by Jean Plaidy

5. A Sunless Sea by Anne Perry

6. The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman

7. A Great and Terrible King by Marc Morris

8. By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie

9. Offstage in Nuala by Harriet Steel

10. Murder in Manhattan by Verity Bright

11. Murder in Moscow by Kelly Oliver

12. The Sanctuary Sparrow by Ellis Peters

13. Murder Under the Mistletoe by Erica Ruth Neubauer

14. Murder On the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara Rosett

15. Death From High Places by Benedict Brown

16. Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen

17. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

18. Murder at Rough Point by Alyssa Maxwell

19. 'Til Morning Light by Ann Moore

20. The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog by Elizabeth Peters

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot Book #37)

Publication Date:

October 24, 1960

Genre: 

Cozy Mystery/Historical Mystery

Length:  

65 pages

Series:

Hercule Poirot

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

In Agatha Christie’s short story, “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding,” Poirot is asked to attend a Christmas celebration in order to apprehend a jewel-thief who has taken advantage of an unwary eastern prince. Full of English holiday tradition and plenty of intrigue, this holiday tale first appeared in the December 12, 1923 issue of The Sketch magazine.

My Thoughts

Halfway through this short story I realized I knew it sounded familiar! I'd seen the TV episode on Prime on Poirot. It was a nice quick read for Christmas week and I hadn't intended to do so but it was free with my Kindle points. 

Poirot is his usual confident self as he tries to figure out what has happened to a large ruby lost by a Prince eager to show off to a pretty girl. Staying at the country house where the thief is suspected to be proves to be a fun holiday time for him via the hospitality of the hosts, oblivious as to why he's really there. 

I enjoyed reading it rather than watching it this time but also was impressed at how the show really stuck to the book's details. It's not creepy or scary in any way, light hearted but with a "murder" occurring halfway through that he has to solve. The ruby mystery is all linked as Christie always does well. The characters involve a lot of younger people who are vying to be cool and hip and jokesters. They can't get anything over on Poirot though. 

Descriptions of the Christmas festivities and food, especially the plum pudding really sets the tone for an authentic English Christmas and being American I was loving reading about the little presents in the pudding. A wonderful addition to read right before the big day. 

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

 

Publication Date:

November 24, 2009

Genre:  Historical Fiction/Adventure

Length:   312 pages 

Series: Standalone book

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Jamaica in 1665 is a rough outpost of the English crown, a minor colony holding out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. Port Royal, Jamaica′s capital, a cut-throat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses, is devoid of London′s luxuries; life here can end swiftly with dysentery or a dagger in your back. But for Captain Charles Hunter it is a life that can also lead to riches, if he abides by the island′s code. In the name of His Majesty King Charles II of England, gold in Spanish hands is gold for the taking. And law in the New World is made by those who take it into their hands.

Word in port is that the Spanish treasure galleon El Trinidad, fresh from New Spain, is stalled in nearby Matanceros harbor awaiting repairs. Heavily fortified, the impregnable Spanish outpost is guarded by the blood-swiller Cazalla, a favorite commander of King Philip IV himself. With the governor′s backing, Hunter assembles a roughneck crew to infiltrate the enemy island and commandeer the galleon, along with its fortune in Spanish gold. The raid is as perilous as the bloody legends of Matanceros suggest, and Hunter will lose more than one man before he finds himself on the island′s shores, where dense jungle and the firepower of Spanish infantry are all that stand between him and the treasure.

With the help of his cunning crew, Hunter hijacks El Trinidad and escapes the deadly clutches of Cazalla, leaving plenty of carnage in his wake. But his troubles have just begun. 

My Thoughts

When I end the school year in May my mind automatically turns to all things beach! I want to go on a cruise, sit in the sand and sun and I also love reading about all things beach and pirates. Another blogger reviewed this book and I remembered how I'd started it years ago and never finished it. So when my mind shifted to "summer mode" I knew I wanted to go back and read it and review it. I had NO idea it was based on a real story and real person. When I found out I was shocked and pleased because I love books even more when they are about real historical people. 

I loved the way the author switched between Jamaica and the things going on with the Governor and the aristocracy and the pirates. The crew assembled to retrieve the Spanish treasure was an assortment of interesting characters, some real and some fictional. I thought the pacing of the story was done well in that it moved along quickly but also had enough time to elaborate on suspense and the voyage itself. Yes, I agree there was every imaginable "trope" you'd find as in a movie or show like Black Sails but I really thought it all fit together well. You had the female pirate whom everyone fears, the female captive who needs rescuing, the threat of hurricanes and Krakens, etc. But somehow it made the story fun! No I don't believe this all happened and it is fiction after all, but it was well written and I learned a lot about just how they would have attacked a ship twice their size with a much larger crew, not to mention how they pulled off the actual seizing of the treasure from Matanceros. 

Having read some of Crichton's other works a long time ago, I get how those who love him thought this was an extreme departure of his writing style. Maybe so, but this was a great adventure and I loved it. If you like pirates, treasure hunting, suspenseful battle scenes, and a main character who is flawed but you also find yourself rooting for, you will enjoy this book. I honestly wish he'd written another one in this setting with another pirate adventure. The author's note at the end telling what happened to the real characters is fascinating and made me want to delve into the real life of Captain Charles Hunter. Great summer read here!

Murder at the Spring Ball by Benedict Brown (Lord Edgington Investigates Book One)

 

Publication Date:

March 1, 2021

Genre:

Cozy Mystery

Length:  231 pages

Series: Lord Edgington Investigates

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

A little music, a little dancing, a little murder at the spring ball.
England, 1925. After years shut away from the world, former detective Lord Edgington of Cranley Hall plans a grand ball to celebrate his seventy-fifth birthday.

But when someone starts bumping off members of his scheming family, the old man enlists his teenage grandson to help find the killer, before one of them is next.

The mismatched duo must pick the culprit from a gaggle of preening playboys, scatter-brained spinsters and irate inspectors in this Agatha-Christie-style whodunnit that will have you racing to spot the killer.

My Thoughts

I had already read the first Christmas book in the series and wanted to go back and start the first book. It sets the stage for Lord Edgington and his grandson Christopher's relationship and how it begins. Lord Edgington has been a recluse and missing his deceased wife and when he finally decides to live again he wants to celebrate with a ball, putting his grandson in charge of things. Flattered but unsure of himself, Christopher tackles it to the best of his ability and learns to become more independent. He also discovers his talent for sleuthing when two family members are murdered and he and his grandfather work to find out who wants them dead before it happens to all of the family.

I enjoyed the story between the two men as I did in the Christmas book. I also like the author and his back story. So I will continue with the series and plan to read his spinoff, Lord Edgington Investigates Abroad....where they go to exotic locations and murders occur! I also want to start his other series, Marius Quinn Mysteries. Having said that though....this story was a little far fetched for me. I enjoyed it and I like the characters but the plot was kind of over the top to be believable and the murderer's story a little out there too. I can't say a lot because of spoilers but let's just say I wasn't completely sold. So I'm glad I'd read the other one first or I might not have been attached enough to continue. 

I'll just chalk this up to a debut novel and that maybe it just won't be my favorite of the series. I always like to continue and see if I'm still hooked. The covers are gorgeous, the historical cozy vibe is done well, and Lord Edgington clearly has a back story all his own that is slowly being revealed. His children and their offspring are a hot mess and will be great for more stories going forward. Descriptions of the mansion and Christopher's awkwardness are charming and you can't help but love the way Brown depicts him....sweet, innocent, but smart, and hard working. 

This is a great series if you love strong male leads, family loyalty, and the 1920's cozy mystery feel along with the formality of nobility and manners. 

20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge

 

I'm very excited to be joining this challenge!  I didn't do the best my first time in another challenge about reading during the summer but that's okay. No pressure right?? I really like the "rules" because it makes me relax and focus on reading more books I already own. 

I decided to go through my Kindle and meticulously weed out all samples I know I will never read and to create my list from those books I have started and not finished but didn't DNF because I still want to finish them. Shockingly, I didn't have as many of those as I thought so I added a few books that I haven't started and put aside and want to try. Several are sequels, some are big books, and of course cozy mysteries. But all are a TBR pile that I need to finish or already own. I have also listed them in my preferred reading order but that might change. Currently I am reading Stormbird and listening to Murder at the Spring Ball. 

Here are the challenge rules. Head over to annabookbel.net  or click on the picture above if you want to join. Emma, from the blog, wordsandpeace.com is hosting too but the sign up Linky is on annabookbel.net

• The #20BooksofSummer2025 challenge runs from Sunday June 1st to Sunday August 31st
• The first rule of 20 Books is that there are no real rules, other than signing up for 10, 15 or 20 books and trying to read from your TBR.
• Pick your list in advance, or nominate a bookcase to read from, or pick at whim from your TBR.
• If you do pick a list, you can change it at any time – swap books in/out.
• Don’t get panicked at not reaching your target.
• Just enjoy a summer of great reading and make a bit of space on your shelves!

This is my list....no links as I'm short on time!

1. Stormbird  by Conn Iggulden

2. Murder at the Spring Ball  by Benedict Brown

3. The No. 1 Detective Agency  by Alexander McCall Smith

4. The Land Beyond the Sea  by Sharon Kay Penman (re-reading)

5. Bethlehem Road  by Anne Perry

6. Crouchback  by Sarah Woodbury

7. In a Dark Wood Wandering  by Hella S. Hasse

8. The Falcon of Palermo  by Maria R. Bordihin

9. Lord John and the Private Matter  by Diana Gabaldon (re-reading)

10.The Iron King  by Maurice Druon

11. Winter of the World  by Ken Follett

12. Here Be Dragons  by Sharon Kay Penman

13. The Sister Queens  by Mary McGrigor

14. The Enemy and Miss Innes  by Martha Keyes

15. The Summer Queen  by Elizabeth Chadwick

16. Blood Roses  by Kathryn Warner

17. Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman  by Tessa Arlen

18. The Man in the Brown Suit  by Agatha Christie

19. Murder at Everham Hall  by Benedict Brown

20. Murder at Rough Point  by Alyssa Maxwell

21. (if I am feeling ambitious...lol...Emma  by Jane Austen!)

Have you read any of these? What did you like? Dislike? I fully realize this list is ENORMOUS for me and has lots of big books too but I like variety. 

I am going to leave them in a TBR collection on my Kindle and bookshelves to inspire me to keep working through it. Everything else I own is brand new so this list is great for me to see I don't have nearly as many unfinished books as I thought. 

Happy Reading ya'll!