The Blood of Princes by Derek Birks

Today Sharon reviews The Blood of Princes by Derek Birks, the latest in the Scars From the Past series. Derek has kindly offered paperback as a giveaway.

To be in with the chance of winning a copy of this fabulous novel, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

The winner will be drawn on 11th April 2018.

Good luck!

A savage tale of love, treason and betrayal.
A bloody struggle for power at the heart of the royal court.

In April 1483, the sudden death of King Edward IV brings his 12 year old son to the throne.
Restless young lord and ex-mercenary John Elder is newly-appointed to the service of Edward, Prince of Wales, and charged with the boy’s safety. His first task, escorting the new king to London for his coronation, seems a simple one but the accession of a boy king raises concerns among the leading noblemen of the land.
As old jealousies and feuds are rekindled, the new king’s uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, seizes control and plunges the kingdom into crisis. But is Gloucester young Edward’s enemy, or saviour?
While John, outlawed and trapped, must wait to see how events unfold, other members of the battle-scarred Elder family are drawn, one by one, into his conspiracy. Soon they are mired so deep in the murky underbelly of London society, that there seems no hope of escape from the tangle of intrigue and murder.
In the end, all lives will hang upon the outcome of a daring incursion into the Tower of London itself.

John Elder has taken on the mantle of head of the Elder family and finds himself at the centre of English politics in 1483, with Richard III taking the throne and his nephews secured in the Tower of London.

I have followed the adventures of the Elder family since Feud, the first book in the Rebels & Brothers series; and each book just gets better and better. These are tales of loyalty, love, honour and betrayal that have you sat on the very edge of your seat from the first page to the last. You never know how it is going to end - Mr Birks is not afraid of killing off a lead or much-loved character when the story demands it. And the difference between success and failure is a very fine line. But that's what makes these books so addictive. The hero doesn't always get the girl and not everyone lives happily ever after - it is always enjoyable waiting to find out who makes it through into the next book!


And I have to say, Derek Birks has done it again! The Blood of Princes is a masterpiece of adventure and intrigue. A wonderfully woven story set in 1483, at the heart is the mystery disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. There is a suitably despicable villain - several, really - and John Elder must find some way to thwart the bad guys and save the princes.

There are no full scales battles in this book, but plenty of skirmishes, and plenty of intrigue. In The Blood of Princes John has to play a more subtle game than he is used to, but rises to the challenge. The plotting and scheming take place within the heart of London, in the palaces, churches and ghettoes, where the rich and famous rub shoulders with the lowest of the low and Derek Birks does a fabulous job of taking the reader into the murky underworld of the city.


Fans of the era will love the authenticity of Derk Birks' novels. The sword fights are vicious, the politics are murky and sometimes lethal and justice - and injustice - is swift and brutal. The action is, as always, frenetic, the energy of previous books as evident as ever.

He made his way back down the stairs and went to stand beside Bear once more.

"It's quiet, lord," murmured the giant.

"Aye, what are they about, do you think?"

"I don't see them, lord."

"God rot their souls!" cried John. "Where in God's name are they?"

As Bear opened the door a little wider, John half expected a missile of some sort to fly through the gap. None did, so Bear went out, closing the door firmly behind him. The others crowded forward and together they waited: their throats dry as they held their breath for what seemed a very long time. Finally John opened the door to peer out but could see nothing. He was just closing it again when Hal and Bear pushed through it together.

"Gone!" announced Hal.

John's head jerked up. "Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"They've gone," repeated Hal. "Bear took Martin and Gregory on way around the wall and Tom and I scouted the other way. There's no-one for a hundred yards either way. No men - mounted or on foot."

 "But how? Why? They had us trapped in here!" John shook his head. "Why in Go
d's name did they follow us so far just to leave us?"

My favourite character is - and always has been - the inimitable Eleanor Elder. And although she is not so prominent in this book, that does not stop her getting into trouble - and out of it the only way she knows how - to come out fighting. She steals every scene she appears in. The best line in the book has to be Lizzie's musings of 'What would Eleanor Elder do?' And the answer, of course, is to come out fighting and keep fighting while there is breath left in her body!

There is an authenticity about these books that draws a reader in and gets them addicted to the story, to the characters and the era. Not every character will come out of the story unscathed. They will each have their scars to bear into the next story - if they survive. But that is one of the great things about these books - not everyone survives, you cannot guarantee a 'happily ever after', but you cheer if there is some kind of closure. All of which gives you a sense of realism for the characters and the Wars of the Roses themselves.

Derek Birks is a master storyteller, his novels get better with each one - and the first one was fabulous! His books are on a par with the best storytellers historical fiction has to offer. When one ends, you desperately want to move on to the next. The waiting is torture!

This is some of the best historical fiction I have ever read.


About the author:

Derek Birks was born in Hampshire in England but spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand where he still has strong family ties.
For many years he taught history in a secondary school in Berkshire but took early retirement several years ago to concentrate on his writing.
Apart from writing, he spends his time gardening, travelling, walking and taking part in archaeological digs at a Roman villa.

Derek is interested in a wide range of historical themes but his particular favourite is the later Medieval period. He aims to write action-packed fiction which is rooted in accurate history. His debut historical novel, Feud, is set in the period of the Wars of the Roses and is the first of a four-book series entitled Rebels & Brothers which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family.
The other books of the series are (in order): A Traitor's Fate, Kingdom of Rebels and The Last Shroud.

The first book of a brand new series, Scars From the Past, is now out in both kindle and paperback.
His books are available on Amazon in the UK and US.
You can find Derek at;
 Amazon
Blog
Facebook
Twitter 

 About the Reviewer:
About Sharon Bennett Connolly

Sharon has been fascinated by history for over 30 years.She has studied history at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has lived in Paris and London before settling down back in a little village in her native Yorkshire, with husband James and their soon-to-be-teenage son.
Sharon has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for a little over 2 years and has just finished her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines of the Medieval World'. The book looks at the lives of the women – some well known and some almost forgotten to history – who broke the mould; those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history.

Sharon can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Heroines of the Medieval World,  is now available in hardback in the UK from both Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK and worldwide from Book Depository. It is also available on Kindle in both the UK and USA and will be available in Hardback from Amazon US from 1 May 2018.

Sharon Reviews Lea Croft by Angela Rigley

Today Sharon Bennett Connolly reviews Lea Croft by Angela Rigley. The author has kindly offered an ebook as a giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous story, simply leave a comment below of on our Facebook Page.

The winner will be drawn on 21st February 2018.

Good luck!

The sleepy village of Lea Croft in Victorian Derbyshire is awoken when the body of the farmer's son, Herbert Grant, is found down a gully. Martha Holloway suspects her husband, Charlie, of killing him in revenge for her being assaulted by him in the past. When Charlie goes missing in a landslide, to make ends meet, Martha has to find a job at the farm, where her younger sisters, Jessica, aged 15, and pregnant by an unknown father, and Charlotte, work as milkmaids. Charlie reappears but tells her not to tell anybody he is still alive. Herbert's brother, Ronald, fancies Charlotte, but will he pluck up the courage to tell her? He is arrested for Herbert's murder. But will he be found guilty, and what happens to Charlie?

If I am honest, I wasn't sure what to expect of Lea Croft, when I picked it from the Review reading list. I certainly wasn't expecting a hard-hitting, down-to-earth murder mystery drama that sucks you in and leaves you guessing to the very last paragraph. Angela Rigley has created a wonderful tale of life in a small, sleepy Derbyshire village, centred around the death of a man, Herbert Grant, who no-one liked. It is not giving away a spoiler to tell you the book opens with Herbert's death - possibly murder - an event which awakens the sleepy village and leads to endless speculation as to what happened and who did it.

Poor Martha Holloway is then drawn into the story, suspecting her husband, a brute of a man it is not easy to like. Martha is a wonderful creation, the lead protagonist and a downtrodden woman trying to balance work, her family and her fears. A 24-year-old mother of two, with two teenage sisters to keep an eye on, too, she tries her hardest to hold everything together.

 Six-year old Tommy Holloway ran into the kitchen where his mother, Martha, stood kneading bread. "Mam, Mama, they've found a body!"
"Really, dear? How nice." She wasn't really listening, as her thoughts were elsewhere.
"But, Mam ... it's a real one."
"A real what, darling?" She looked up, brushing her floury hands over her heart-shaped face.
"A ... real ... body." Hands on hips, defying her to mistake his meaning, he glared, his little uptirned nose twitching.
"A person?"
"Yes, Mam, in the gully. They say it looks like its been there ages."
"A man or a woman?" He finally  had her full attention.
"Um." Screwing up his face, he scratched his nose. "I don't know. It's just a body. I'm going ot see if Jimmy's playing. He always knows everything." He pulled his cap over his long fair hair. MArtha had been intending to cut it for the last week oor so, but had not found the time.
She took off her apron. "I'll come with you. This is something I don't want to miss."
Grabbing her hand, he dragged her out the door. "Come on then. Quick, before they take it away."

Growing up in South Yorkshire, close to the Derbyshire, I know the area in which Lea Croft is set. The book does an excellent job of evoking the atmosphere of country life in Victorian England. The locations are beautifully recreated and the language draws the reader back, not only to the era but to the location. Colloquial words are used sparingly, but are all the more noticeable as a result, such as 'snap' for a packed lunch - said to come from when the tin snaps closed - and 'trump' for flatulence.

The novel itself is a wonderful creation; the story of how a community reacts to a suspicious death within its midst, an event that may not have happened before within living memory The simple, tight-knit community is suddenly suspicious and distrusting. How would you feel, knowing that someone in your midst is a murderer?

Despite the subject matter, this is not a dark, scary book. And Angela Rigley pulls off an incredible balance, between telling the  story of a murder, and the everyday lives of the inhabitants, to give us a unique, unmissable novel.



About the author

I am married to Don, have 5 children and eight grandchildren and live in Derbyshire. My hobbies include singing in my church choir; genealogy, having traced ancestors back to 1520; gardening; flower arranging; playing Scrabble; Sudoku; meals out; family gatherings; and, when I have any spare time I love to read. I am the treasurer of Eastwood Writers’ Group. At church I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, a reader, a flower arranger and a member of the fundraising team for Cafod, my favourite charity. In the past I have written hymns, words and music, although I cannot read music. You can find me on Twitter: @angierigley, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my website is www.nunkynoo.yolasite.com

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Angela-Rigley/e/B00607O51M/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

About Sharon Bennett Connolly

Sharon has been fascinated by history for over 30 years.She has studied history at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has lived in Paris and London before settling down back in a little village in her native Yorkshire, with husband James and their soon-to-be-teenage son.
Sharon has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for a little over 2 years and has just finished her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines of the Medieval World'. The book looks at the lives of the women – some well known and some almost forgotten to history – who broke the mould; those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history.

Sharon can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Heroines of the Medieval World,  is now available in hardback in the UK from both Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK and worldwide from Book Depository. It is also available on Kindle in both the UK and USA and will be available in Hardback from Amazon US from 1 May 2018.

Sharon reviews There is Always a Tomorrow by Anna Belfrage

Today Sharon Bennett Connolly reviews There is Always a Tomorrow, the fabulous latest instalment of The Graham Saga from Anna Belfrage. The author has kindly offered an ebook as a giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous story, simply leave a comment below of on our Facebook Page.

The winner will be drawn on 3rd January 2018.
Good luck!

It is 1692 and the Colony of Maryland is still adapting to the consequences of Coode’s Rebellion some years previously. Religious tolerance in the colony is now a thing of the past, but safe in their home, Alex and Matthew Graham have no reason to suspect they will become embroiled in the ongoing religious conflicts—until one of their sons betrays their friend Carlos Muñoz to the authorities.

Matthew Graham does not leave his friends to rot—not even if they’re papist priests—so soon enough most of the Graham family is involved in a rescue attempt, desperate to save Carlos from a sentence that may well kill him.
Meanwhile, in London little Rachel is going through hell. In a matter of months she loses everything, even her surname, as apparently her father is not Master Cooke but one Jacob Graham. Not that her paternity matters when her entire life implodes.

Will Alex and Matthew be able to help their unknown grandchild? More importantly, will Rachel want their help?

Anna Belfrage has to be one of the best authors around today. She has an incredible talent for storytelling and has a knack of drawing the reader in, and not letting them go! 

I was introduced to Anna Belfrage through her King's Greatest Enemy series, set in the time of Edward II and fell in love with her writing instantly. I am, therefore, a late-comer to the Graham Saga. I have only read the first couple of books in the series when Anna Belfrage asked me if I would like to review  There is Always a Tomorrow, the ninth book in the series. I was a bit dubious, wondering if I would be able to follow the story, but I needn't have worried. Even if this was your introduction to the Graham's you would have no problem following the story, and the author has a very subtle way of introducing the backstory as you go along. It's like meeting an old friend in town - catching up on the bits you've missed as you talk about what's happening now.

The author really invests her passion for writing in her  characters.  You find yourself hoping beyond hope that all will turn out well for them. But, of course, even if things do turn out well, it is not necessarily in a way you would expect.

The  large dark-panelled room was crammed, every seat available on the low benches taken. The majority were men - and, to hear them, convinced every papist deserved to die. But there, to the right, were their friends. Martin paled and half rose at the sight of his brother, but Robert waved him down to sit. Alex Graham was not to be thus stopped. Before Mathew had grabbed hold of her, she was  forging a path towards them.

"Have these men eaten?" she demanded of the magistrate. "Look at them! What have you done? Locked them up in a cellar somewhere and left them to rot?"

The magistrate scowled at her, but the transferred his glare to one of the guards.

"Well?" he barked. "Answer the question, man!"

"They've had some bread," the guard said defensively. Carlos had to smile at how the man retreated before Alex's wrath.

"Some bread?" Alex advanced upon him, "They've been in your cell for over two months and all you've given them is some bread?"

The magistrate held up his hand. "They've been fed," he said coldly.

"Fed?" Alex drew in a breath, but before she could say anything, Matthew had her by the arm.

"Come awa," he said. "You've made your point, lass. These two men have been despicably treated, and I am sure our revered magistrate will ensure those guilty will be adequately punished."

Matthew Graham was an imposing man, and under his fierce gaze, the magistrate wilted somewhat.

There is action, adventure, suspense and tension by the bucket-load. This is the story of a family trying to survive, supporting each other and their friends. Anna Belfrage draws in the politics and religious intolerances of the time, to give the reader a story which is all-consuming; an experience for all the senses and emotions. Whether the setting is a London parlour, a squalid prison or the GRaham family's homestead in the American colonies, Annd Belfrage transports the reader there with her consummate skill, recreating the sights, sounds, smells of the locale and the fears, hopes and anticipation of the characters.

The story comes to life around its characters. Alex and Matthew are now the head of a rather large family of children, grandchildren, and probably should be thinking of retiring. However, they are still the couple that everyone looks to in order to solve problems and keep everything together. You find yourself falling in love with them from the  opening pages, cheering them on and hoping they can overcome their tribulations. Their son, Samuel,  is split in two by his loyalty to his birth parents, and to his adpoted native American family. He is just lovely - such a sweet boy. And granddaughter Rachel is an abused child you want to love, but her anger and pain make her hit out and hurt those who want to care for her. Her story is touchingly and skillfully told, leaving the reader emotionally drained.

There is Always a Tomorrow is a treasure of a story. It is not all sunshine and flowers and the story will take you through the full range of emotions. It had me smiling in some places and in tears in others - always the sign of a good story. Beautifully written, it transports you back to the early days of Colonial America, so much so that you get the dust in your nostrils!

About the Author

I was always going to be a writer - well in between being an Arctic explorer, a crusader or Richard Lionheart's favourite page (no double entendre intended - I was far too innocent at the time) Anyway, not for me the world of nine to five, of mortgages and salary checks. Oh no; I was going to be a free spirit, an impoverished but happy writer, slaving away in a garret room.

Life happened. (It does, doesn't it?) I found myself the bemused holder of a degree in Business Admin, and a couple of years later I was juggling a challenging career, four kids, a husband (or was he juggling me?) a jungle of a garden, a dog, a house ... Not much time for writing there, let me tell you. At most, I stole a moment here or there.

Fortunately, kids grow up. My stolen moments became hours, became days, weeks, months... (I still work. I no longer garden - one must prioritise) It is an obsession, this writing thing. It is a joy and a miracle, a constant itch and an inroad to new people, new places, new times.

You can find Anna at her Website and blog. And you can buy her books here

About Sharon Bennett Connolly

Sharon has been fascinated by history for over 30 years.She has studied history at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has lived in Paris and London before settling down back in a little village in her native Yorkshire, with husband James and their soon-to-be-teenage son.
Sharon has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for a little over 2 years and has just finished her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines of the Medieval World'. The book looks at the lives of the women – some well known and some almost forgotten to history – who broke the mould; those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history.

Sharon can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Heroines of the Medieval World,  is now available in hardback in the UK from both Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK and worldwide from Book Depository. It is also available on Kindle in both the UK and USA and will be available in Hardback from Amazon US from 1 May 2018.

Heroines of the Medieval World - Nicholaa de la Haye

Heroines of the Medieval World
Today our very own Sharon Bennett Connolly stops by The Review on her 2-week long blog tour for Heroines of the Medieval World, with a signed, hardback copy of the book to give away. If you would like to be in with a chance of winning this wonderful book, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page. 

The draw will made on Wednesday 15th November.
Good luck! 

It's a pleasure to drop in at the Review on what has been a hectic - but fun - two-week blog tour. I thought I would share an extract from the book for this post, but couldn't decide which. So  Diana came to my rescue and chose her favourite heroine: Nicholaa de la Haye, who just happens to be my favourite too.

Nicholaa was a wonderful character whose lifetime spanned the reigns of Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, King John and Henry III . As castellan of Lincoln Castle, she withstood not one, but three sieges in her career. In the first, when she held the castle for Prince John against William Longchamps, Richard I's justiciar, she held out for 40 days before the siege was lifted after John's other castles at Nottingham and Tickhill were taken. In 1216 she prevented a second siege by paying off a rebel army, led by Gilbert de Gant, who had occupied the city of Lincoln.

An here's an extract from the end of King John's reign, when Nicholaa was castellan of Lincoln Castle, leading up to the third siege:

 "Nicholaa de la Haye and her husband are among the few barons who stayed faithful to John throughout his reign. Gerard de Canville died in 1215, but Nicholaa was able to retain Lincoln Castle. King John had managed to upset practically every baron in England, with his despotic and heavy-handed ways. In 1215 open rebellion was thwarted when John signed Magna Carta, a long, detailed document dealing with the barons’ particular grievances, but touching the whole system of government and including arbitrary fines and the exploitation of wardship. John ‘had broken the spirit of kingship’. John was soon writing to the pope to have Magna Carta annulled and England was plunged into rebellion. The barons even invited the French dauphin, Louis, to join them and make a play for the throne. Louis was the son of John’s erstwhile friend Philip II Augustus, King of France, and the husband of his niece Blanche, who was the daughter of his sister Eleanor, Queen of Castile. Louis and his men had landed on the Isle of Thanet on 14 May 1216. Louis advanced through Kent and took Canterbury before moving onto Winchester. John seems to have been undecided as to how to act; he sent his oldest son Henry to safety at Devizes Castle in Wiltshire. Dover Castle, under the command of Hubert de Burgh, held out against the French and rebel forces, as did Windsor and Lincoln. The northern barons ‘were defeated in their attempts to take Lincoln. A certain lady called Nicola, who was the custodian’s wife, freed herself from this siege with a money payment.’

Even John’s loyal barons were now beginning to turn on him, including his cousin the Earl of Warenne. John moved north, devastating the Isle of Axeholme ‘with fire and sword’ before arriving at Lincoln in September 1216, just days after the besieging army had departed with their payment. Nicholaa met the king at the eastern postern gate of the castle. She offered the keys of the castle to the king, claiming she was unable to continue with the office of castellan due to her great age. John is said to have replied, ‘My beloved Nichola, I will that you keep the castle as hitherto until I shall order otherwise.’When Nicholaa spoke of her ‘great age’ she wasn’t exaggerating. She was probably around sixty years old at the time, a great age in those days, but John still had great confidence in her and just a few days before his death, John granted Nicholaa the position of Sheriff of Lincoln in her own right, despite the fact her son Richard was now a grown man and able to inherit the position. As King John moved on from Lincoln, he contracted a violent fever and died of dysentery at Newark on 19 October 1216. The new king was now John’s nine-year-old son, Henry III, with the famous and redoubtable William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, acting as reluctant regent.

Support began to fall away from Louis, who returned to France to recoup his strength. In early 1217 he returned to continue the fight. An armed force under the Comte de Perche moved on Lincoln. He took the town, which was unprepared for attack, and laid siege to the castle, still in Nicholaa’s charge. Louis himself travelled to Lincoln to request the surrender of the castle, promising Nicholaa there would be no reprisals, no one would be hurt. Nicholaa refused and settled in for another long siege. Despite the French army outside her walls, she may have been quietly confident; this was, after all, her third siege and no one had ever managed to breach the walls. Lincoln Castle is a rather large fortress, sitting opposite the impressive cathedral and perched on the top of a bluff – the hill going down to the town is not named Steep Hill for nothing. However, this siege was going to last longer than the others. From March through to May, Louis’ forces battered the walls of Lincoln Castle. The French prince had brought impressive siege engines, leaving them at Perche’s disposal when he returned to London, fully expecting to hear of Lincoln’s capitulation within weeks, if not days.

However, he did not count on the tenacity of Nicholaa and her deputy, Sir Geoffrey de Serland, who rallied their troops and resisted the combined Anglo-French forces of the Comte de Perche, and awaited reinforcements."

If you would like to catch up on the rest of the Heroines of the Medieval World Blog Tour, which includes extracts, reviews and articles, just follow the links:
 Tony Riches' The Writing Desk; extract on St Julian of Norwich
 Annie Whitehead; review and extract on Aethelflaed
 The Henry Tudor Society; article, All For Love, comparing the love stories of Katherine Swynford and her granddaughter Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland.
 Sarah Bryson; article, Heroines Without a Sword, discussing the lives of St Margaret of Scotland and Maud de Braose.
 Susan Higginbotham's History Refreshed; an extract on Joan, Lady of Wales.
 Medieval Archives; an extract on Hildegard of Bingen.
 Kristie Dean; a review and extract on Anne of Kiev, queen of France.
 Stephanie Churchill; an interview with Sharon.
 Lil's Vintage World; a You Tube video review of Heroines of the Medieval World.
 Sara Hana-Black;
Amy Licence;
SJA Turney;
Medievalists.net;

Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 30 years.She has studied history at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has lived in Paris and London before settling down back in a little village in her native Yorkshire, with husband James and their soon-to-be-teenage son.
Sharon has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for a little over 2 years and has just finished her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines of the Medieval World'. The book looks at the lives of the women – some well known and some almost forgotten to history – who broke the mould; those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history.

Sharon can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Heroines of the Medieval World,  is now available in hardback in the UK from both Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK and worldwide from Book Depository. It is also available on Kindle in both the UK and USA and will be available in Hardback from Amazon US from 1 May 2018.

Sharon reviews Sheriff and Priest by Nicky Moxey

Today Sharon Bennett Connolly reviews Sheriff and priest, the fabulous new release from Nicky Moxey. The author has kindly offered an ebook as a giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous story, simply leave a comment below of on our Facebook Page.

The winner will be drawn on 14th October 2017.
Good luck!

Wimer could have become a monk. Instead, his decision to become a Chaplain – to make his way in the wider world of men – has put his soul in mortal danger.

In 12th Century East Anglia, poor Saxon boys stay poor. It takes an exceptional one to win Henry II's friendship, and to rise to the job of High Sheriff of all Norfolk and Suffolk. Falling foul of the stormy relationship between Henry and his Archbishop, he is excommunicated three times, twice by Thomas a'Becket, and once by the Pope.

He also falls in love with the King's Ward, Ida. Before he plucks up the courage to do anything about it, the King takes her as his mistress, and Ida needs Wimer's support to survive that dangerous liaison.

Although he is eventually reinstated in the Church, his problems with his religious superiors, and his love for Ida, will guarantee him a place in Hell, unless he can find land and resources to do something spectacular in the way of penance...

Sheriff and Priest by Nicky Moxey is refreshingly original historical fiction novel, based on the story of Wimer, a chaplain who rose to become sheriff during the reign of Henry II. Well written, entertaining and informative, it is almost impossible to put down. Wimer is a lovable character with many foibles, who, as a friend of Henry II, finds himself a casualty of the growing conflict between the king and his stubborn archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket.

The facts behind the story are true, with fabulous literary embellishment making this an extraordinary novel and engaging read. It provides a fascinating portrayal of the final years of the Anarchy - the dispute between Stephen and the Empress Matilda - and the subsequent reign of Henry II from a unique viewpoint. There is a wonderful interweaving of local plots and national politics, with the author demonstrating an extensive knowledge of the period. History and fiction are expertly drawn together to create an engaging story, with events of the time, such as Hugh Bigod's feud with William of Blois over Surrey lands and Henry II's feud with Becket over the church both being drawn into the plot.

The whitewashed cob was warm and comfortable against Wimer's back. He re-read the last sentence again; the finer points of canon law just weren't sinking in today. He was finding the silence from Jean deafening. All these years, he'd had Jean's stream of consciousness as a constant background; now there was no chatter, the silence hurt like a missing tooth. Finally he gave up, carefully re-wrapped the book in its kid leather cover, and put it on top of the low wall. Jean was picking bits of straw apart with a determination bordering on manic.

"Come on, tell me what's wrong. You're so quiet it's hurting my ears."

 Jean threw down his handful of chaff and sighed. "It's my brother. I got a letter from him this morning. He says that it's time I stopped spending his money getting an education, he's got a business trip to Ipswich planned in September, and we're to go home to Rouen together. Oh, Wimer! He wants me to keep his accounts! What am I to do?"

"Well, you'd better write back and tell him that you can't add two numbers together the same way twice! He'll see for himself how dire your Latin is. Maybe he'll beg Bishop William to make you a monk and throw away the key to your hermitage."

Jean brightened. "Hey! Maybe I could become a monk. Then -"

He stopped, affronted, as Wimer fell over sideways laughing. "What's wrong with you? I could easily be a monk?"

"Jean - have you ever read the Rule of St Benedict? Especially the bit where he says that leave to talk should be given as infrequently as possible? You'd burst, the first day!"

From castle building to the inner workings of the office of sheriff, to the fickleness of kings and archbishops, and even the working theories behind trial by ordeal,  Sheriff and Priest is chock full of detail within the fascinating storyline. The wide fields of medieval England seamlessly give way to the corridors of power as Wimer negotiates his way through local and national politics. It's like having a peephole to the past, and being able to peer for a few hours into a world now lost.

In Sheriff and Priest the author has created a sympathetic character in Wimer, displaying his human frailties and fears which are heightened by the time period in which he lives. Wimer is fully conscious of the dreadful penalty of excommunication, both to his own soul and those who consort with excommunicates. Wimer is faced with the task of performing his secular job of sheriff, while reconciling it with his vocation as a priest. Unfortunately for him, his friendship with King Henry means he falls foul of Becket and has to come to terms with his unjust excommunication.

And while Wimer is the lead character, and a master creation by Nicky Moxey, he is ably supported in the story by the enigmatic Henry II himself, the wonderful Ida de Tosny, sometime lover of Henry II and later Countess of Norfolk, and a host of other characters, all exceptional in their depth and individuality.

Nicky Moxey has expertly recreated the medieval world to its smallest detail, drawing the reader in to its depths and taking them on a journey through Norfolk and the wider stage of England during the reign of one of England's most enigmatic kings. I cannot recommend  Sheriff and Priest highly enough, both for its entertainment value, its fascinating insight into the inner workings of the role of sheriff and the deeply personal connection that the reader develops with these vivid, wonderful characters.

About the Author: Nicky lives in the middle of rural Suffolk, UK, and is currently owned by a slinky black cat who's far too clever for her own good.  In her spare time, she's an amateur historian/archaeologist, and in non-work daylight hours is usually out on a field somewhere with a metal detector and/or a trowel. She has added quite a few things to the Heritage England Record and the Portable Antiquities Scheme; but what really fascinates her is the stories behind the artefacts.
She loves writing a series of short stories about Henry Baker, a boy who finds a magic pencil on the way to school - and who has lots of adventures as the pencil makes anything he draws, become real! He draws some historical artefacts, as well as things to get him out of the sort of trouble any 9 year old boy can find.
Her first historical novel is about the story of a local boy made good - Wimer the Chaplain was born in Dodnash in Suffolk of a poor Saxon family, but made it to be a confidant of Henry ll, holding down the job of High Sheriff for all Norfolk and Suffolk. Then he gave it all up and came home to found a Priory... finding the original site of that Priory (not where it's shown on the map) is still one of my proudest discoveries.
Sheriff and Priest is available from Amazon from 15th October 2017.

About the Reviewer: Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 30 years.

She has studied history at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has lived in Paris and London before settling down back in a little village in her native Yorkshire, with husband James and their soon-to-be-teenage son.
Sharon has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for a little over 2 years and has just finished her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines of the Medieval World'. The book looks at the lives of the women – some well known and some almost forgotten to history – who broke the mould; those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history. It was published by Amberley on 15th September 2017. It is now available from Amberley, Book Depository and  Amazon.

Sharon can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Heroines of the Medieval World by Sharon Bennett Connolly: a brief review by Diana Milne

Since its beginning, I have been an avid reader of Sharon Bennett Connolly's blog, 'History - the Interesting Bits', in which the author finds and explores little known people and situations throughout history and blogs knowledgeably about them. 

When I heard that she was writing a book showcasing the lives of women throughout history, women who have rarely been heard of and never had a voice of their own, I was delighted, not just because I genuinely felt that this author would do an exceptional writing job, but also because the role of a woman as a subject in history is so rarely covered and they, as gender, played major roles in so many situations, not just here in Britain but on the wider world stage, often changing the course of history very much from behind the scenes. 

So many people never look behind the men folk of these ages and consider that the lives and actions of medieval women were totally restricted by the men who ruled the homes, countries and world in which they lived. It is so easy to think that all women from this era were downtrodden, retiring and obedient little housewives, whose sole purpose was to give birth to children (preferably little boys) and serve their husbands. In this groundbreaking book, Heroines of the Medieval World, the author looks at the lives of the women who  defied social mores and made not just their own future, but the future of nations, changing lives, society and even the fate of nations.

Some of the women are famous, like the Maid of Orleans, but others I had never heard of and have now become fascinated by, Maud de Braose, for example and Ms Bennett Connolly's own favourite, Nicholaa de la Haye, who defended Lincoln Castle in the name of King.

As the author says, ''Heroines come in many different forms, and it is no less true for medieval heroines. They can be found in all areas of medieval life; from the dutiful wife and daughter, to religious devotes and to warriors and rulers. What makes them even more unique and heroic, compared to those of today, are the limitations placed on them by those who directed their lives; their fathers, husbands, priests and kings. Women have always been an integral part of history, although when reading through the chronicles of the medieval world, you would be forgiven if you did not know it. We find that the vast majority of written references are focussed on men. The chronicles were written by men and, more often than not, written for men. It was men who ruled countries, fought wars, made laws and treaties, dominated religion and guaranteed the continued survival of their world. It was the men, if anyone, who could read, who were trained to rule and who were expected to fight, to defend their people and their country.''

The book is written in a friendly, easily readable style that belies the impact and interest of the words, each of which has been carefully considered to ensure that the meaning is clear to any reader of any level and maintain its academic importance and integrity. Whilst primarily it is a book aimed at adults, a child interested in history would also benefit greatly and find it an enjoyable read that could be dipped in and out of and also kept as a valuable reference book. The book is carefully referenced and indexed and I can see this being a valuable ‘go to’ book for school projects as well as being an enjoyable read with its well defined concept and clear, convincing language. 

The author has not just attempted to strike out from the pack with something different and new, she has succeeded with this trail blazing book.

Such is the popularity of the author and the subject, that the first run of books sold out on the first day, a major achievement for any author. The presses are working overtime now to fill all orders. Buy this book! You will not be disappointed.

😇

Ms Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 30 years and studied history academically and just for fun – she even worked as a tour guide at historical sites - and is a keen contributor to many online history groups. Her passion for the subject shines through in every word she writes, together with her extensive knowledge for the history of the Mediaeval and Renaissance eras.  

She is currently working on her second non-fiction book, Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest, which will be published by Amberley in late 2018.

A fluent linguist, Bennett Connolly was born in Yorkshire, and studied at University in Northampton before working in Customer Service roles at Disneyland in Paris and Eurostar in London.She is now having great fun, passing on her love of the past to her son, hunting dragons through Medieval castles or exploring the hidden alcoves of Tudor Manor Houses.

© Diana Milne September 15th 2017