World Tree Girl by Kerry Schafer

The second book in one of my favorite new series hit shelves earlier this month, yahoo!

Maureen Keslyn is no stranger to the weird and supernatural. She spent her career working for the FBI's top secret Unit, investigating just those things. But she's retired now, thanks to a disagreement that left the Unit ready to kill her to keep her secrets. The death of her old partner Phil left her in charge of Shadow Valley Manor, a retirement home with more than it's fair share of secrets, keeping her plenty busy. 

When a local man is found dead, with pictures of an unidentified girl Maureen and the local sheriff have taken to calling the World Tree Girl, they begin to fear that one of Shadow Valley Manor's worst may have gotten loose. The girl's body has gone missing, but not before a blogger revealed that all the blood in her body had turned into clear goo. The dead man, who coincidentally was just fired from the coroner's office that lost said body, appears to have been that blogger. And his own death appears to be somewhat suspicious as well. Could the Unit have gotten to him?

I love Maureen. I mentioned that in my review of the first entry in the series, Dead Before Dying. And this second picks up pretty much where that last one left off. So you do have to read them in order.

In addition to the dead body that Maureen and Jake are trying to track down, you know, to assure themselves that the whole blood turning to goo thing doesn't mean what they think it means (read Dead Before Dying), Shadow Valley Manor is having some issues as well. It seems the local spirits aren't crossing over the way they need to and they're ALL flocking to Shadow Valley Manor.

And then Phil's daughter arrives, claiming she's going to contest the will that left Maureen in charge of Shadow Valley Manor!

There are a lot of threads in World Tree Girl and I didn't feel that all of them came together quite as cleanly as they could have. A middle schooler catches wind of the happenings at Shadow Valley Manor, for example, and it kind of looked like she'd play more of a role in the story than she actually did and there are hints at something odd with Matt, the cook and undercover Unit agent (now double agent working with Maureen), just to name a couple.

But I enjoyed returning to Shadow Valley Manor and spending more time with Maureen. She really is my new favorite genre heroine! Plus, I've been in a massive reading slump and I'm really hoping that Maureen and her team might have pulled me out of it. I just hope some of those dangling threads are going to extend into the next entry where we'll get more explanation/resolution.

A Little Knowledge by Emma Newman

Things are getting tense in Londinium. Will is under pressure to secure his lineage, per orders from Lord Iris himself, while also trying to keep the truth about Margritte under wraps. Cathy's drive to change things for the women of the Nether isn't helping. Even though he agrees on most counts, the other men of Londinium are none too pleased about the prospect of their wives being more than arm candy. 

Up in Mundanus, Max has started a new investigation into a rash of missing people, including his own father. As his case progresses, his path crosses once again with Sam, the new Lord Iron, who faces challenges similar to that of Cathy. Turns out the Elemental Court is about as eager for change as the folks of the Nether!

I love this series! With an undying passion! I seriously want everyone to discover the fabulousness of the Split Worlds and am so very, very glad that Newman has had the opportunity to bring us more installments!

As I'd mentioned in my release/what I'm reading post a few weeks ago, there are currently plans for a fifth installment to be released next year. I am dying to see how things will turn out for Cathy, Will, Max, Sam, and the others.

A Little Knowledge has started to address some of the questions of the Elemental Court and their purpose. We've also returned to the Sorcerer issue (no spoilers) and maybe a bit more insight into the plot there. But the true goals of the fae are still in question. What does Lord Iris envision for Will and Cathy's son? Why is Lord Tulip so interested in Cathy's "full potential?" And when will the people of Albion catch on to the progress that seems to be passing them by!?

Emma Newman's series is filled with fabulous characters, intricate detail, and tons of political intrigue. And of course magic and fae. The combination alone is appealing but paired with Newman's fabulous prose, the series is a serious stand out!

Rating: 5/5

What I'm Reading: A Little Knowledge by Emma Newman + a Giveaway

Happy book birthday - and real birthday - to Emma Newman!

Readers, I'd promised you a review of Emma Newman's A Little Knowledge today, but alas I haven't yet finished it. Instead, this'll be a highlight post with the promised giveaway, because I want you all to be intrigued by and looking to purchase the series today! Plus, this way I'm able to avoid spoilers for those of you who haven't yet started the series.

Here's a bit about the book from the publisher:

Cathy and Will are now the Duchess and Duke, rulers of Londinium, the biggest city in the Fae-touched Nether, but they have different ideas of what their authority offers. While Will is bullied by his family and his patron, Lord Iris, to maintain total control and have a child with his wife, Cathy wants to muscle the Court through 200 years of social change and free them from their old-fashioned, Victorian moral strictures. Despite their differences and the machinations of their enemies, the power couple maintain their marital harmony— until one of them takes a step that is simply too far.

I absolutely adore this series! In fact, I'm sorry I missed discovering it when the first three originally released. But it has meant literally being able to binge the series, diving into one installment after another, for the ultimate reader satisfaction. 

I do hope that I've succeeded in making you curious by the series. As I said, I've been loving each and every book and want everyone to read them! And I'm stoked to have discovered today that there's to be a fifth book in the series, releasing next year. Squee!

And now for the giveaway! Thanks to the publisher, I'm able to offer up one copy of Between Two Thorns, the first book in the Split Worlds series. To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, August 15. Open US only and no PO boxes please. 

Good luck!

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All Is Fair by Emma Newman

All is not running smoothly in Londinium. Many are not pleased with Will Iris's taking of the throne, including Cathy. But, having resolved herself to staying in the Nether, she's decided to make the best of it.

Meanwhile, Max feels he's getting closer to the truth about the elimination of his order but has lost the support of the Sorcerer. Going it alone means once again reaching out for Cathy's help, but they'll have to tread carefully now that Will has begun paying more careful attention to her actions.

Ooh, things are heating up again in the Split worlds! One of the things I really love about this series is the way each installment is peppered with plot threads and information that play into and eventually pays off in later books. It makes it easy to move from story to story without losing momentum or interest.

Of course the fact that we're following the same core group of characters through a timeline that's fairly compact also keeps the moment and interest high. Sam is back again with a story that is definitely starting to make more sense as we progress. Additionally, we're finally given insight into another of the Sorcerers and his world as well as Margritte, who we met briefly in book two. Oh, and Ms. Rainer's story is beginning to finally come into play more too.

So see, lots of gloriously fabulous threads, which lead to answers to some questions, and more new questions to consider!

Rating: 4/5

Any Other Name by Emma Newman

Warning: while I will do my very best to avoid as many spoilers as I can, if you have not yet read Between Two Thorns you may want to skip the rest of the series reviews!

In spite of all of her efforts, Cathy's marriage to Will has proceeded according to plan - and early to boot. But with the wedding now over, Will comes through with his promise of a honeymoon in Mundanus, giving Cathy a glimmer of hope that she can somehow right what she sees as a very big wrong.

Meanwhile, Sam has managed to return to Exilium, freeing the women he and Cathy stumbled upon on their last trip. Unfortunately the women have been tainted and even Max won't get involved considering he's lost his entire Chapter, a matter he definitely needs to keep under wraps. As he and the Sorcerer continue their investigative efforts, it soon becomes clear that the recent conspiracy they've unearthed is much bigger than they originally believed.

If you couldn't tell, I'm currently binging on this series as I gear up for the release of book four on Tuesday. (Pssst, be sure to check out the blog that day for a chance to win a copy of the first Split Worlds book!)

This second in the Split Worlds series picks up immediately where Between Two Thorns left off, with Cathy waking from her drug induced slumber and made up for the wedding. It's fortunate, then, that I was able to jump right into it! And my synopsis above really only touches on the beginning of the book as a whole - a lot more stuff happens beyond those mentioned events as the book progresses!

Poor Cathy. When we last saw her she was fighting against the marriage with all of her might and had seemingly secured help in getting away. Alas her plans are thwarted at every turn by both her family and the Fae. And we still don't know why Lord Poppy and Lord Iris were so intent on the match between her and Will to begin with.

We do know that the Iris family is apparently even more controlling and manipulative than Cathy's own has been, though! So Cathy's fight isn't over by a long shot.

Any Other Name proves, too, that the discoveries of Between Two Thorns are only the beginning. Something wicked bad is brewing in the Split Worlds - and if every character would communicate with one another they might figure out what it is! Ugh!

Of course that's a big part of the plot: no one trusts each other. The Arbiter and the Sorcerer don't trust Cathy or Sam, Cathy doesn't trust Will, Sam loses faith in the Sorcerer when he discovers he's being watched. And all of them have things to deal with beyond even the most immediate mysteries - Max still can't reveal his entire Chapter has been murdered, Cathy has Will's family and Society to deal with, and Sam's marriage is falling apart. All of them are being fairly put through the wringer in this second outing!

As with Between Two Thorns, Any Other Name has a definitely cliffhanger ending. I'll just say it's fortunate that I have all of the books on hand!

I should note that for anyone who struggled with the many threads of Between Two Thorns, this second outing is a much smoother read. Now that we're comfortable with the worlds and the characters it's easier to simply enjoy the tale.

Rating: 4/5

Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman

Someone is kidnapping women in London and, because a connection to the Split Worlds is suspected, it's Max's job as an Arbiter to find out who. 

Meanwhile, Cathy, a resident of Aquae Sulis who has been hiding out in Mundanus, has been caught and forced to return in time to take part in the new season. It's here that her signed and sealed engagement will be announced, as long as her family can keep her recent rebellion under wraps. 

Max would normally never deign to work with someone from Aquae Sulis but when it's discovered that the Master of Ceremonies, Cathy's own uncle, has gone missing, he may not have a choice. Corruption and conspiracy in Exilium seems to be spreading into the Nether and is beginning to leach out into Mundanus, something Max and Cathy both have an interest in stopping as soon as possible. 

Between Two Thorns introduced readers to Emman Newman's Split Worlds series with its release back in 2013, along with books two and three in the series. Now, the good folks over at Diversion Books have not only rereleased Between Two Thorns, Any Other Name, and All Is Fair, but they're also about to release a brand spanking new installment in the series, A Little Knowledge.

If, like me, you missed your chance with the series when it initially released, now's the perfect time to give it a try.

The Split Worlds is an intricately built setting encompassing three different worlds - Exilium, the prison world where the fae have been relegated; the Nether, where the fae's favorites reside; and Mundanus, our world.

Cathy's family lives in the Nether under the patronage of Lord Poppy, one of many fae nobles currently residing in Exilium. Cathy strains under the rigid life the Nether offers - one of rules and conformity akin to the Victorian era. And though her own life is split initially between Mundanus and the Nether (people don't age in the Nether) her exposure to Mundanus culture and technology in particular are strictly controlled. But Cathy manages to break free, temporarily, by earning permission to attend college in Mundanus. It's the perfect opportunity to escape and live life the way she wants to. Until she's caught by no less than Lord Poppy himself.

The politics and rules of the worlds of this series are quite detailed and, unfortunately, require quite a bit of set up and explanation. The result is that, while highly readable and entertaining, Between Two Thorns does begin somewhat confusingly for the reader. The story bounces around a lot between a variety of narrators, leaving the reader to glean various bits and pieces of the world building through these characters' eyes. So, for example, it's unclear when we meet Max, exactly what an Arbiter is and does. It's also unclear how the Nether and Exilium work, at least until Cathy herself is returned to the Nether, which may be understandably frustrating for some readers.

Fortunately, as the story progresses things do begin to become clearer. You kind of just have to muddle through the beginning and trust that things are going to begin making sense sooner rather than later.

It's helpful that the characters introduced are likable. Max is, for all intents and purposes, something of a PI. Cathy is a willful and clever girl who longs to be who she wants to be rather than who society says she should be, Sam is trapped in a friction-filled marriage, and Will - like Cathy - struggles with his parents' and patron's expectations versus his own hopes and dreams. The latter character presents an interesting and somewhat opposing force to Cathy, though, because we the readers aren't quite sure if we should trust him. Through him we get more of the Nether conditions Cathy herself finds so stifling and frustrating.

Between Two Thorns does end with lots of questions left unanswered, making this a great series to binge on if you're craving some fun urban fantasy!

Rating: 4/5

The ebook editions of the first three titles are all currently available from Diversion Books. Book four, A Little Knowledge, hits shelves on August 2. I'll be posting a review of book four that very day and I'll also be offering up a copy of Between Two Thorns!

The Untimely Deaths of Alex Wayfare by M.G. Buehrlen + a Giveaway

Happy Book Birthday to M.G. Buehrlen whose Untimely Deaths of Alex Wayfare hits shelves today courtesy of Diversion Books.

Note: if you haven't yet read The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare you can check out my review of that here. I have tried my darndest not to include any possible spoilers here for those of you who haven't read that one, but I can't promise I've been totally successful in that. You have been warned. (The Rafflecopter for the giveaway is included in both Alex Wayfare posts.)

Alex only recently learned that she's a Descender, one of very few people able to travel via soulmarks through time. But traveling via soulmark has certain restrictions, restrictions that don't apply to Alex because she's been reincarnated fifty-seven times. While other Descenders can only use any given soulmark once, Alex can travel her own past lives an infinite number of times. 

That's a whammy of a discovery!

But there's more, in her previous life Alex escaped the very people who used her ability towards their own causes for years and has vowed now to use her ability to sabotage their plans. These people will do anything to get Alex back even if it means threatening those closest to her. If Alex is to remain safe and protect her family, she has to keep her Base Life hidden from them. It should be easy considering very few know who she is in her Base Life. Unfortunately, it's beginning to look as though someone on her side may be feeding information to the enemy: each time Alex travels they're there. And now Alex isn't sure who she can trust.

When I finished M.G. Buehrlen's The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare I had SO MANY questions! First and foremost - who is Blue in Base Life?! It's something Alex herself is determined to discover, but as the prologue to the book states:

Some stories are about a boy... Not this story... This story is about death. 

What an ominous beginning, right?

Well it turns out Alex hasn't found out everything about her ability just yet and the newest revelation is one that changes pretty much everything. At least for Alex Wayfare. See Alex's sister is dying and their mother has been working tirelessly to find a cure or treatment that will save her. Not only does Alex want to help, but with her new knowledge she aims to make it her sole goal.

I quite enjoyed these books and the main reason for that (aside from the fact that the story is cool) is Alex. I love Alex as a character! She's grown so much since the beginning of 57 Lives but she's always been unquestionably devoted to her family. Which is great because it makes her that much more lovable. But it's also something that creates tension in the series thanks to the fact that - like most superhero sagas - she's painfully aware that her family are at risk because of her. But what I find really fabulous about these books is the fact that Alex is kind of atypical compared to other well known characters in her situation. In a lot of superhero stories, we find the characters pushing loved ones away in order to keep them safe. Not so in Alex's case!

Friends, on the other hand... Here is where we see Alex struggling the most. She has finally opened up and allowed Jensen to become something of a friend but still doesn't trust his motives. And now she finds she has to wonder if she can trust the few other people she's allowed in as well: Porter, Levi, Micki, and yes, Blue. These are the people who know her secret, the people she can be herself around.

But as I said, there's another whopper of a revelation for Alex to discover here and it's one that forces her to make some tough decisions.

There are still questions left after The Untimely Deaths of Alex Wayfare and I honestly don't know if we'll see them answered. On the one hand I'm ok with that. The story is the story and the pair of books together stand well on their own. But on the other hand I would definitely love to return to Alex's tale if that's in the author's plans! There's certainly more I'd love to see explored :)

Rating: 4/5

Now, as I mentioned in last week's post for The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare, I do get to offer up one copy of the first Alex Wayfare title courtesy of the publisher. To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, May 9.

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The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare by M.G. Buehrlen + a Giveaway

All her life Alex has had visions. They terrify her and embarrass her and she does everything she can to avoid them. But when a vision launches her into 1920s Chicago where she meets a boy named Blue, everything changes. 

Alex is a Descender, a person whose soul has the ability to travel through time. But Alex is special. Alex is what's called a Transcender. Her soul has been reincarnated over and over and over, giving her the ability to travel through her own past lives. As she learns more about her ability and its usefulness, she also learns others are after her for her gifts and for her actions in her past lives. 

Time travel, reincarnation, and a corporation whose motives are questionable and whose founder will to everything he can to get Alex back into his fold or make her pay for leaving... M.G. Buehrlen's debut is an absolute mind bender of a read, that's for sure!

So when we meet Alex she's created a hard shell to protect her from what she basically views as a weird curse. She avoids anything and everything she thinks might trigger a vision - cats, ferris wheels, boats - and she doesn't read fiction or watch movies and TV she deems unsafe. Anything she can think of to keep the visions at bay. But it's made her very closed off. She has no friends.

But she is brilliant when it comes to science, tinkering and creating things that make life easier for those around her. It's her one real escape.

Until she learns the truth about her so-called visions. Given she's experienced them for so long, wishing and begging for them to stop, it's understandable that she'd very quickly adapt to the truth behind them and the revelation about her new ability. And once that happens, the action really begins!

But of course, since this is just the beginning of Alex's story we are left with a LOT Of questions. Questions I am dying to see answered very soon. Fortunately, my wait will be very short indeed because the sequel is hitting shelves next Tuesday. I for one am very much looking forward to the next installment, especially considering where we left off on this debut!

Rating: 4/5

But I can't imagine how torturous the wait has to have been for those of you who may have come to the series when it first launched back in 2014! Agh, you've been waiting so long!

See, M.G. Buehrlen was one of the many authors orphaned after the shuttering of Angry Robot's Strange Chemistry imprint. Which is a shame because there were a lot of really great titles under that imprint. Fortunately, Beuhrlen (and many others) have been snatched from the ruins and given new life with other houses!

The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare and it's very soon to be released sequel, The Untimely Deaths of Alex Wayfare, have found a home at Diversion Books, who graciously provided me with the opportunity to not only cover both titles BUT to also offer you guys a chance to win a copy of The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare of your very own! And since my review of The Untimely Deaths of Alex Wayfare may contain some spoilers for those of you who are new to the series, I'm going to include the giveaway on both reviews!

To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, May 9. Open US only and no PO boxes please.

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Dead Before Dying by Kerry Schafer

Maureen Keslyn doesn't want the job her FBI friend, Abel, is offering. Not even when she finds out it's a special request from a revered colleague. But when she finds her husband has kicked her out and moved his mistress in, all while Maureen was hospitalized thanks to a gunshot wound, she realizes she has no choice. The job does come with living arrangements after all. 

Shadow Valley Manor isn't supposed to be a nursing home, per se. But even under the guise of an active seniors complex, Maureen isn't fooled. What Maureen isn't sure about is exactly what she's supposed to be investigating. And when the man who lured her into the job in the first place dies the very night they're supposed to meet, she's at a further loss. One thing she does know: Shadow Valley Manor is weird. And Maureen specializes in weird. 

So we do know from the start that paranormal beings exist in the world of Dead Before Dying. We also know that Maureen Keslyn hunts these paras in some capacity for the FBI. And that she was injured on the job. Her history and her particular employment don't come out until later on in the book but we also know that Phil, the man who's put her on the job at Shadow Valley Manor, is a heavy in the para business. Someone who's request means a lot to Maureen.

Maureen takes the job blind. Again, she has no choice. She's to live undercover in Shadow Valley Manor as part of an operation Phil is heading. The Manor, once a home for unwed mothers, is led by an awful director who immediately dislikes Maureen. The folks who live there are wealthy and secretive, some of them (the ninety-something-year-old man who claims to be a vampire) are downright weird, too. And even though Maureen has files briefing her on the facility, its history, and the people associated with it, she's relying on Phil to explain everything.

Unfortunately, Phil's dead. And though the coroner declares it natural causes, Maureen isn't so certain. It's the makings of a GREAT paranormal mystery, one that plays out oh, so satisfactorily!

I am not kidding you when I say this book was completely awesome! I'd never read (or heard of) Kerry Schafer before this, but you may recall I jumped on board with the Candace Robb tour last fall and adored the series. So Diversion Books, the publisher of the Robb titles and Dead Before Dying, was known to me. Considering how much I enjoyed the Robb books, I decided to seek out more of their titles and stumbled upon this one from Schafer. And boy am I glad I did!

Maureen is a bit of a refreshing lead - especially in the paranormal mystery world. She's in her 50s, not old enough to even be a resident at Shadow Valley Manor, and extremely seasoned in the para field. She's incredibly clever, too. And the more we learn about her, her world, and her job, the more intriguing the book becomes.

It does sound as though there may be plans to continue Maureen's story as a series. Considering how blown away I was and how much I love this character,  I sincerely hope that's the case.

Dead Before Dying is out now. You can check out an excerpt from chapter one over on Kerry's site (linked above). There's also a great interview with Kerry over on My Bookish Ways.

Rating: 5/5

The Riddle of St. Leonards by Candace Robb

Hello, everyone! Today I'm a stop the TLC Book Tour celebrating the latest releases in Candace Robb's Owen Archer series with The Riddle of St. Leonards (book 5 of the series).

As before, there is a tour wide giveaway going on so be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter below if you haven't already.

The plague is once again making its rounds and everyone in England is tense. Even Owen and Lucie have sent their children to the country to stay with their grandfather, in hopes it will keep them safe from the spreading infection. 

At the same time, in York, tongues have started wagging about St. Leonard's hospital and their money problems. It seems someone has been making off with small items as well, something that has recently come to the Archbishop's attention. And then the corrodians start dying off and it's all anyone can do not to immediately blame the ailing hospital. 

The first of the deaths was blamed on the plague, but the second was a clear murder. The third, a suspicious fire within the boundaries of St. Leonard's walls. In all cases the dead had left their property to St. Leonards, which immediately cast suspicion on the hospital itself. Is someone killing off locals in a skewed attempt to save St. Leonards?

The intricacies of the politics surrounding hospitals and their services in the fourteenth century are a big part of this particular installment. I'd not realized that, as the author points out, that in some cases (like St. Leonards, a very real historic hospital in York) they not only provided care for the sick and ailing but also served as:

“ 'A house or hostel for the reception and entertainment of pilgrims, travellers, and strangers; a hospice. A charitable institution for the housing and maintenance of the needy; an asylum for the destitute, infirm, or aged. A charitable institution for the education and maintenance of the young. An institution or establishment for the care of the sick or wounded, or of those who require medical treatment.' “St Leonard’s was, additionally, a monastic house, and it daily provided alms to the poor of York and fed the inmates of the York Castle prison. ”

That's quiet a lot for one institution to be responsible for, all mostly on the basis of charity. So it's no wonder that money problems would be an issue. A "corrody," as defined in the author's glossary of terms, is: “a pension or allowance provided by a religious house permitting the holder to retire into the house as a boarder; purchased for cash or by a donation of land or property.” So the corrodians I mentioned above all paid the hospital for their services by willing them their property. Hm... an interesting wrinkle, right? Suspicious deaths and the hospital profiting in a  time of need...

Readers, this may be my last official post as part of the the Owen Archer tour but trust me when I say I am legit hooked on this series and WILL be reading more! I've really enjoyed the setting - and the use of real history as inspiration for that setting and for the individual stories. I've also really enjoyed getting to know Owen and Lucie! 

If you love intriguing mysteries, historical setting, and fabulous characters, I highly recommend giving this series a try!  

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. 

For more on Candace Robb you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Goodreads.

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google | iTunes

 

The Nun's Tale by Candace Robb

Good morning, readers! As promised, today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Candace Robb's Owen Archer tour with The Nun's Tale, book three of the series. As a reminder, there is a tour wide giveaway for this one. If you haven't entered yet, you can do so via the Rafflecopter link at the bottom of this post.

June, 1935: Dame Joanna Calverley has fled St. Clements taking with her one of their holiest relics.  She arrives at the door of Will Longford, intent on selling the relic to fund a search for her brother. Unfortunately, Joanna falls ill and dies just days later. 

May, 1366: Will Longford has disappeared. Given his past associations and his activities, his house is under close watch by a local clerk in the service of King Edward. So it is not unnoticed when the formerly dead and buried Dame Joanna arrives back at Longford's home, worse for wear and babbling about having returned from the grave. 

Archbishop John Thoresby had been curious about Joanna's tale at the time of her death and her return has made him even more so. A trail of bodies seems to follow her wherever she goes, most recently the maid at Longford's home who was murdered just hours after Joanna's so called return from the dead, and the man whose body was found buried in her grave. He sets Owen Archer with the task of finding out more while Joanne is sent to rest at St. Mary's Abbey. Those who have questioned the woman all come away with nonsense and gibberish until Owen's wife, local apothecary Lucie Wilton, speaks to the woman. Owen doesn't want Lucie involved, but he may not have much of a say in the matter. 

The Nun's Tale is quite a captivating tale. Joanna Calverley, we learn, has been abandoned by her family. They paid St. Clements generously to wash their hands of her. She's referred to as being difficult, obsessively religious, and upsetting to those around her. And her story, when she returns from wherever she's been, changes as often as her personality seems to.

Owen, Lucie, and many of the characters we met in The Apothecary Rose return in this third of the series. Chaucer makes an appearance here as well, as a spy!

Robb notes in the Author's Note that both the politics of the time and a very real Joanna of leeds both inspired this entry. That Joanna faked her death in 1318 so, as she notes, by moving the story to the Owen Archer timeline none of the actual historical figures had any hand in the real story, but of course it makes for a more fascinating plot to entangle them in the imaginary one!

I have to say, I am so glad to have discovered this series and to be able to participate in the tour. While Robb may not be, as mentioned in my previous post, completely new to me this particular series is. With nine titles (so far) that gives me quite a backlist to get through (and three as part of the tour are a good head start).

Here is the entire series list in order if you're interested in staring yourself:

The Apothecary Rose
The Lady Chapel
The Nun's Tale
The King's Bishop
The Riddle of St. Leonard's 
A Gift of Sanctuary
A Spy for the Redeemer
The Guilt of Innocents
A Vigil of Spies

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. 

For more on Candace Robb you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Goodreads.

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google | iTunes

 

The Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Candace Robb's Owen Archer series. This tour is in honor of the latest releases in the series, Guilt of Innocents and A Vigil of Spies. As such, I'll be featuring a few titles on this tour but today is the series debut, Apothecary Rose.

There is also a tour wide giveaway that will run for the duration of the tour. You can enter via the Rafflecopter at the end of this post.

Two soldiers are dead in York and Owen Archer has been tasked with finding out why. 

The first soldier was on pilgrimage to York. Identifying himself only as a pilgrim, he befriends the local Infirmarian who recognizes that the man is suffering from camp fever. But just a few hours after being dosed with a pysick that should help, the pilgrim has died. A few days later, another soldier also suffering from camp fever dies of the same symptoms. The Abbott believes the deaths to be of natural causes and the Archdeacon agrees, claiming his Summoner would know if there were anything untoward about the deaths. 

And all might have been forgotten except for the fact that the the second man was the ward of the Achbishop. 

So here we meet Owen Archer, a skilled archer who loses an eye in battle and must find another way to be useful. The Duke of Lancaster made Owen his spy but two years later has died, leaving Owen a bit of a free agent. Thankfully, in steps the Lord Chancellor of England and Archbishop of York, a much preferable employer to Lancaster's heir.  

Now we, the readers, know before Owen sets out that there is something fishy going on. The Infirmarian himself knows the deaths are unnatural and that the local apothecary is responsible. But, as we are told in the prologue, Wulfstan believes the deaths to be accidental and would protect the apothecary rather than alert anyone to the fact that the pysick was poison.

We also know that there was something sour between the pilgrim and the apothecary, though we don't quite know what. And we know the Archdeacon may have ulterior motives in claiming the deaths were accidental as well.

It might seem like we know quite a bit going into this mystery, but really we don't. We don't know the motive, we don't know the characters' varying back stories that led to where they are today. We don't even know if this was an intentional murder and, if it was, we may think we know who the killer is but we could very well be wrong.

You've seen Candace's work here on the blog before but likely didn't know it because she also writes as Emma Campion. And while her Campion titles are also historically focused, the difference is that as Robb she's writing mysteries. In her bio on her website she says Emma explores the actual historical characters who are secondary in the Robb titles.

Robb's focus on detail is quite admirable. Her setting and the characters are authentic (as they should be for someone with her impressive educational background) and the history is well incorporated. Robb includes a detailed Author's Note that outlines a lot of information about the time and setting. It's definitely worth the read (don't skip the Author's Notes!!!).

If you're intrigued by The Apothecary Rose, it is out now as an ebook from Diversion Books. As I mentioned above, I'll be featuring a few more titles in the series here on the blog, so be sure to check those out, too. (Book 3, The Nun's Tale, 10/14 and book 5, The Riddle of Saint Leonard's, on 10/19.)

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. 

For more on Candace Robb you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Goodreads.

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