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Historical Fiction July 2020
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The Light Within Us : A Heart-wrenching Historical Family Saga Set in Cornwall by Charlotte Betts 1891. Spindrift House, Cornwall. In the golden afternoon of the turn of the century, Edith establishes an artists' community in Cornwall with her husband Benedict and their friends Clarissa, Dora and old flame, Pascal. But despite their dreams of an idyllic way of life creating beauty by the sea, all is not perfect within their tight-knit community, and secrets threaten to tear apart their paradise. While Dora sacrifices her art to take on an unexpected challenge, Clarissa's reckless actions result in an illegitimate baby. And when Benedict cruelly abandons Edith, she finds she cannot divorce him if she is to keep her home and children. Throughout it all, Pascal supports Edith as she fights to ensure their community's future. But what, or who, will she have to sacrifice to fulfil her dream? For fans of: Elizabeth Jane Howard, Santa Montefiore and Lucinda Riley.
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A Widow's Courage by Anna Jacobs Lancashire 1934. Three years after her husband's sudden death, Stella comes into some money unexpectedly and decides to make a new start in the country. She settles on Ellin Valley, where she quickly begins to make friends. She falls in love with a cottage in Birch End, but an unscrupulous man wants it too. Will she be able to buy her dream home? Life has changed drastically for local handyman Wilf Pollard as well. When tragedy strikes, Wilf is left as the only support of his two young children. But his friends rally round to help so that he can pull his life together and take up an exciting new job with a well-respected builder. Some of the local council are eager to deal with the squalid conditions of the Backshaw Moss slum, but others will stop at nothing to keep their profitable rents. And Stella's dream cottage is threatened by their plans to build yet more cheap housing. Can Stella, Wilf and the residents of Birch End pull together to make sure good triumphs over evil?
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Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer The premise: Beth Walsh is dealing with postpartum depression when she stumbles upon a copy of her deceased mother Grace's journals, which detail her own struggle with the disease in the 1950s.
The problem: Instead of the solace and validation she expected to find reading her mother's story, Beth uncovers a disturbing family secret that can only be explained by her father, who would have been uncooperative even before he developed advanced dementia. | |
The Secret Messenger by Mandy Robotham Venice, 1943: The world is at war, and Stella Jilani is leading a double life. By day she works in the lion's den as a typist for the Reich; by night, she risks her life as a messenger for the Italian resistance. Against all odds, Stella must impart Nazi secrets, smuggle essential supplies and produce an underground newspaper on her beloved typewriter. But when German commander General Breugal becomes suspicious, it seems he will stop at nothing to find the mole, and Stella knows her future could be in jeopardy... London, 2017: Years later, Luisa Belmont finds a mysterious old typewriter in her attic. Determined to find out who it belonged to, Luisa delves into the past and uncovers a story of fierce love, unimaginable sacrifice and, ultimately, the worst kind of betrayal... Set between German-occupied 1940s Venice and modern-day London, this is a fascinating tale of the bravery of everyday women in the darkest corners of WWII.
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When all seems lost... As Hitler's bombs rain down on a battered and beleaguered Britain, Ruby Shadwell is dealt the most devastating blow - her entire family lost during the Coventry Blitz. Hope still survives... Alone and with the city in chaos, Ruby is determined to survive this war and rebuild her life. And a chance encounter with street urchin Tommy gives Ruby just the chance she needs... And love will overcome. Because Tommy brings with him Canadian Sergeant Jean-Paul Clayton. Jean-Paul is drawn to Ruby and wants to help her, but Ruby cannot bear another loss. Can love bloom amidst the ruins? Or will the war take Ruby's last chance at happiness too?
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Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen The setup: A tragic accident presents an unexpected opportunity for Bella Waverly to pursue her seemingly impossible dream of becoming a chef, but only if she's willing to lie about who she is.
What goes wrong: Now known as Helen, Bella is able to get a job working in Queen Victoria's kitchens, where she begins to make a name for herself. But when a duke dies by poison, Bella is a suspect and must find a way to save herself without revealing that she entered the Queen's service under false pretenses. | | His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae by Graeme Macrae Burnet What it's about: Everyone agrees that the young crofter Roderick Macrae is obviously guilty of the 1869 brutal triple murder that occurred in his remote Scottish village, but no one -- not the investigators, not his neighbors, not the courts -- can agree on why.
Why you might like it: The story is told from multiple perspectives and is framed as a journey through the documents generated over the course of the investigation, including newspapers, the testimony of Roderick's community, extracts from the book of an "expert" in the emerging field of forensics, and trial transcripts. | |
Mortmain Hall
by
Martin Edwards
"Journalist Jacob Flint finds himself framed for murder after a surprise witness helps a man accused of a "blazing car" killing escape the gallows. To save himself, Jacob needs to discover what links these strange events to a remote estate on a northern coast, Mortmain Hall. But the house party culminates in tragedy when a body is found beneath the crumbling cliffs. Rachel Savernake, who's been invited to the party, proposes an intricate-and dangerous-solution to the assembled guests. Will her relentlessquest for the truth bring down the British establishment?"
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