CLOCKWORK DOLLS by WILLIAM MEIKLE (Kindle Edition)   A novella from DarkFuse. Does all human passion, all memory, all imagination come merely from the chemistry in our brains, like the movements of a clock follow from the arrangement of its cogs and wheels? Are we just clockwork dolls? Or is there an organizing principle at work, something we can ask for answers to the important questions of existence... something that might answer? Dave Burns has asked. Now he, and his friends, might not live long enough to understand the reply. Full of strong and well written characters, an ever building sense of dread, topped off with a satisfying conclusion. This novella hits the mark perfectly. - Ginger Nuts of Horror DarkFuse | AMAZON | AMAZON UK | NOOK | KOBO | iBOOKS
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Jane Austen and Food by Maggie Lane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Basically the significance of food in the works of Jane Austen are explained, plus the changing importance of various foods through the Regency period.


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The White Princess by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It is the time of Henry VII in English history and his marriage to Elizabeth of York. The underlying story is of the Princes in the Tower and in particularly Richard Duke of York and the trouble he brought to Henry's reign.
This is one of my favourite periods of history but I found the book uninteresting and the characters one dimensional.
I gave it 2 stars because to my surprise I actually got to the end.
I think I will go back to reading historical non-fiction.

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Letters from Bath; Or, a Friend in Exile by Meredith Allady
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Though this is a prequel to Friendship and Folly, it is a standalone novella of letters. Letters written by Ann Northcott when staying in Bath to her friend Julia.




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FLOWER OF SCOTLAND by WILLIAM MEIKLE (Kindle Edition) 40 flash fictions, all previously published in magazines or anthologies. Perfect for a quick read. AMAZON | AMAZON UK

A VERY SCOTTISH MURDER by WILLIAM MEIKLE (Kindle Edition) When a body surfaces in a bunker on the Old Course at St. Andrews, murder takes the town by storm. Soon bodies pile high as the trail leads PI John Royle to a gangster, greed, and evil motives. It becomes the case he’s always wanted, and the one he'll wish he never accepted as the future of St. Andrews is in the balance. AMAZON | AMAZON UK

Friendship and Folly by Meredith Allady
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is set in 1805 England. The story of the Parry family in particular Julia and her best friend Ann Northcott. As they arrive from their home, Merriweather, into a fashionable London season. Where they discover the true nature of Friendship and Folly.

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Deadly Blessings by Julie Hyzy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Alex St. James a news researcher in Chicago, comes across a story involving murder, the Catholic Church, female Polish immigrants and prostitution.

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Atomic Summer by Elaine D. Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is June 1953, and the lives of three 16 years old friends living in Port Pompeii NYC is told from the point of view of Faith the gullible and Catholic, and Octavia the socially-awkward with family responsibilities. Then there is Bernadette the last of the trio of friends.

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Game, Set, Murder by Judith Mehl
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Kat Everitt is an amateur sleuth who uses hand writing analysis to solve murders. She believes that just a brief sample of your handwriting will convince her of your guilt or innocence, that interspersed with clothes and shoe descriptions - doesn't give much of a plot and one that was obvious at that. Even as a tennis fan it didn't hold my interest.

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Death of a Lovable Geek by Maria Hudgins
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Gave up, I just couldn't get into the story and didn't like the turn of some of the phrases, for example - 'We Brits and Scots' - no, Scotland is a country within Great Britain just like England. Brighton is not on the 'north coast of the English Channel' it is on the south coast of England.

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The Philanthropist's Danse by Paul Wornham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Johnston Thurwell is one of the world’s richest men. When he dies twelve people in his life are brought to his country mansion to decide the apportion of his wealth among themselves, according to his instructions which he calls The Danse.



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Payback by Mar Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's an Oktoberfest celebration in Sierra Mountain Village, California, where a murder investigation starts when the hands and feet of the victim are found by one of the town children. Then more is found on the seat of a golf cart.
Liked the characters and storyline

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Austen Variations

Visit  http://austenvariations.com/  to read about the launch of a new unique site

Austen Variations – A Place for Writers and Readers to Connect

It brings together a group of writers with a focus on their works-in-progress and group writing projects, such as serial stories.

Their purpose "is to give writers the opportunity to connect and interact with readers about elements of new stories, including plot lines, titles, characters, and writing dilemmas."

Features include excerpts from works-in-progress, open forums and polls, dialogue between writers, and between writers and readers, guest posts from invited readers, bloggers and reviewers.

The primary focus will be Austen-related fiction, but will also include the Regency Period and Romance.

There is also a giveaway which can be entered at

http://austenvariations.com/celebratory-giveaway-week-three/

Still Life With Murder by P.B. Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in Boston in 1868, Nell Sweeney (who has her secrets relating to her past life) works as a governess in the wealthy Hewitt household.
She helps solve the mystery of their eldest son who was thought to have been killed in the Civil War, of why is was still alive and charged with murder.
What I didn't like and skimmed was the description of how a man smoked opium which covered several pages.

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Death By A HoneyBee by Abigail Keam
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Josiah Reynolds is a 50 year old beekeeper in Lexington. She finds a rival beekeeper dead on her property in one of her hives. I couldn't warm to her character at all - I could say that I found her rude and obnoxious and at times felt she deserved what she got.

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The Final Arrangement by Annie Adams
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Nearly gave up several times before finally giving up, I just couldn't get into the story, the characters or the writing

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Fool Me Twice by Paul Levine
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Managed to read just over half way but I am not interested in reading descriptions of fights, or a film quoting kid. It got to the stage where I really didn't care who killed who, or who was lying and why.

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Austen Variations

Visit  http://austenvariations.com/  to read about the launch of a new unique site

Austen Variations – A Place for Writers and Readers to Connect

It brings together a group of writers with a focus on their works-in-progress and group writing projects, such as serial stories.

Their purpose "is to give writers the opportunity to connect and interact with readers about elements of new stories, including plot lines, titles, characters, and writing dilemmas."

Features include excerpts from works-in progress, open forums and polls, dialogue between writers, and between writers and readers, guest posts from invited readers, bloggers and reviewers.

The primary focus will be on Austen-related fiction, but will also include the Regency Period and Romance.

A Provençal Mystery by Ann Elwood
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While Pandora Ryan does research for an academic paper she discovers the diary of a seventeenth century nun at the provincial archives in Avignon. What are the connections with this diary of the the saving of Jewish children during World War 2 and a head-shaped reliquary.

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Poseidon's Gold by Lindsey Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Falco and Helena are back in Rome trying to solve the mystery of the missing artifacts of Festus his dead brother, involving their auctioneer father Germinus, runaway slaves and artists, and of course a murder.

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