Can't Wait Wednesday: On the Wings of the Storm by Maggie Craig (Storm Over Scotland Book Four)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, On the Wings of the Storm, by Maggie Craig. I subscribe to her newsletter and I have read the first book in this series and although it was a bit more in the romance department than I usually like it was still good. 

I had forgotten about the series until I read the newsletter and saw book four was coming out. Of course now I'm behind, lol....always behind in my series reads. I love all things Scottish, Jacobite, Outlander-like, so I may need to start book two soon. If you want a good read about the lost Stuart cause with some romance thrown in, you will like this series. 

Historical Fiction, Scottish Historical Fiction

February 12, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Summer 1745: Prince Charles Edward Stuart has landed in the Highlands, igniting a rebellion that will set Scotland ablaze.

Redcoat Captain Robert Catto has painful personal reasons for hating all Jacobites with a passion. Except for one. Christian Rankeillor is a fiercely intelligent apothecary in Edinburgh. Her loyalty to the Jacobite Cause is unshakeable.

Now, as the Rising gathers force and loyalties harden into life-or-death choices, Catto must confront enemies on and off the battlefield as well as the ghosts of his troubled past.

On opposite sides of a brutal conflict, can Robert and Kirsty dare to hope against all the odds they might have a future together? Or will the coming storm destroy their last chance at love?

Stacking the Shelves #85

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. 

Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Happy reading y'all!

A Watery Grave by Joan Druett (Wiki Coffin Mysteries Book One)

Free with Kindle points

I love mysteries and books set at sea so this looked like a good one. It involves a half Maori sailor linguist, Wiki Coffin, who is set to voyage with the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838. When he is accused of murder he is left behind and only later can he try to join the fleet. Even though he has cleared his name, it is feared the real killer is on one of the ships headed to the Pacific Island Expedition Site. Coffin is now tasked with finding him.

Seeds of Empire by K.M. Ashman (Seeds of Empire Book One)

Free with Kindle Unlimited subscription

I always feel a little guilty that I love history (especially British history) yet don't know much about Ancient Rome, Julius Caesar, all the things.....I guess it just hasn't been a topic I'm super interested in. But I want to learn more and so I am always on the lookout for books like this that might teach and entertain me. This three volume series looks just long enough to cover Julius Caesar's life but not so detailed I'd be lost.

Women of the Anarchy by Sharon Bennett Connolly 

Free: Hoopla Borrow

I can't say enough how much I adore this author! Not only is she co-host of my favorite history podcast, A Slice of Medieval, she is highly knowledgeable of her subject and so accessible to her listeners and readers. Her facebook page is so personal with her book signings, travels, and updates. She is one who will respond to questions and comments as well. 

I can't get some of her books as easily as others especially the newer ones but this one was free to borrow. If you love Medieval history you must listen to her podcast or get her books!

Arsenic at Ascot by Kelly Oliver (A Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery Book 4)

 

Publication Date:

November 28, 2023

Genre: 

Historical Mystery, Cozy Mystery

Length:  

282 pages

Series:

Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

London, 1918 Fiona Figg finds herself back in Old Blighty saddled with shuffling papers for the war office. Then a mysterious card arrives, inviting her to a fancy house party at Mentmore Castle. This year's Ascot themed do will play host to a stable of animal defense advocates, and Fiona is tasked with infiltrating the activists and uncovering possible anti-war activity.

Disguised as the Lady Tabitha Kenworthy, Fiona is more than ready for the "mane" event, but the odds are against her when both her arch nemesis, dark-horse Fredrick Fredricks, and would-be fiancé Lieutenant Archie Somersby arrive unexpectedly and "stirrup" her plans. And when a horse doctor thuds to the floor in the next guest room, Fiona finds herself investigating a mysterious poisoning with some very hairy clues. Can Fiona overcome the hurdles and solve both cases, or will she be put out to pasture by the killer?

My Thoughts:

I have to admit I wasn't excited about this book even though I've really enjoyed the series so far. The location was not an exotic one and the plot about animal activism looked like a bit of a snooze. But I don't like to read series out of order or skip a book because I always miss something important. I listened to this on audiobook so that made it a bit more fun and bearable. Unfortunately, I was right in that this was my least favorite, but seemed to be a bridge to the next few books that are set in fun locations. So I'm glad I read it.

Fiona is excited to have her own case to work on and gets to disguise herself again as a man and infiltrate places she wouldn't normally go. She is not a super duper animal person but feels that there is value to protecting them and is sympathetic to the activists' cause. When the horse doctor at the country house she is visiting dies she has to shift her focus to that instead of just simply infiltrating the activist group. Fredricks is of course always lurking around, Archie shows up unexpectedly and Fiona is once again caught in the middle between the two.

This time she really starts to fall more for Fredricks charms. And that is the part of the book that is fun and necessary to read up on. Their relationship is next level in this book and hers and Archie's is a little back burner now. I had always thought Fredricks might not be the villain he's portrayed as and we will see how that unfolds in the next couple of books.

What I found slow was the mystery plot. There just wasn't enough there. Finding the doctor's murderer involved the usual questions and red herrings, yes, but I didn't find myself all that interested in the characters or their back stories. And the ending whoodunit wasn't super exciting or complicated I thought. 

This was still a good book. Fiona is funny and self deprecating and Kitty comes in about halfway through (with her doggie as usual) and helps to solve the case. Clifford from the war office is there as well with his overbearing personality and "know it allness." And there is the fun of dressing for Ascot and the country house scene. I have grown to really enjoy these characters and so I will be continuing with the series. 

The next book is set in Moscow and involves the Kremlin and the Bolshevik government circa 1918 so it should be exciting!