The Kings' Witches by Kate Foster

                                                      

Hardback:  326 pages

Genre:  Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Scotland, Denmark

Publisher: Mantle, Pan Macmillan, 2024

Source:  Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: The witch Doritte Olsen is being burned at the stake today and they're making us watch.

Review Quote: Memorable and moving, The King’s Witches is a dramatically rich and absorbing tale  LoveReading.co.uk

My Opinion:  

After my enjoyment of Kate Foster's debut novel ' The Maiden'  I was keen to read this one. Once again the author has created story based on historical events with real people in addition to fictional characters.

'The King's Witches revolves around the betrothal of King James VI of Scotland to Princess Anna of Denmark in 1589. When the ship carrying his future bride to Scotland was hit by a severe storm, it was blamed on witches. witchcraft is the catalyst for the story linking the protagonists. The most important o whom are Princess Anna, Kirsten Sorensen her loyal lady in waiting and Jura a young housemaid. The story is told in alternating chapters by them as King James becomes personally involved in the infamous North Berwick witch trials, even writing about them as he supports hunting witches and punishing them severely.

I knew very little of this period in history and as gruesome as it may be found it fascinating. Overall a compelling and extraordinary period tale that I recommend if you enjoy historical fiction based on fact.

Previous Review:  TheMaiden

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

The King’s Witches by Kate Foster is a gripping and beautiful historical novel, giving an unforgettable voice to the women at the heart of the real-life witch trials in sixteenth-century Scotland.

Women whisper secrets to each other; it is how we survive.

1589. Princess Anne of Denmark is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland – a royal union designed to forever unite the two countries. But first, she must pass the trial period: one year of marriage in which she must prove herself worthy of being Scotland's new Queen. If the King and the Scottish royal court in Edinburgh find her wanting, she faces permanent exile to a convent. Determined to fulfil her duties to King and country, Anne resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Until she meets Lord Henry.

By her side is Kirsten Sorenson, her loyal and pious lady's maid. But whilst tending to Anne's every need, she has her own secret motives for the royal marriage to be a success . . .

Meanwhile, in North Berwick, a young housemaid by the name of Jura is dreaming of a new life. She practises the healing charms taught to her by her mother, and when she realises she is no longer safe under her master’s roof, she escapes to Edinburgh. But it isn't long before she finds herself caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped not just the capital but the new queen . . .

Will Anne, Kirsten and Jura be able to save each other and, in doing so, save themselves?

Author Profile:         

Courtesy of Goodreads

Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. The Maiden won the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect 2020 prize for new writers. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children. 

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Kate Foster - Amazon Profile.   Goodreads Profile       Kate Foster on Twitter

The Marriage Contract by Sasha Butler

                                                

Ebook:  362 pages

Genre: Historical Romantic Fiction 

Publisher: Salt, 6 Oct 2025

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentences:  He comes running across the fields in the early light. Eliza would know him anywhere, a smudge against the green through the diamond panes.

Review Quote:  ‘The Marriage Contract is a beautifully atmospheric, searingly romantic novel that is ultimately a celebration of female empowerment and self-discovery. This book broke my heart over and over again, and I loved every word. Eliza, Francis and Edmund will haunt me for some time.’ —Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women

My Opinion:  

‘The Marriage Contract’ is Sasha Butler’s debut novel and I am surprised that despite being sort listed for a couple of awards in 2022, it has only just been published.

This is an emotive story that unfolds against the background of the first Elizabethan era in England. The protagonist is Eliza a young girl forced into a marriage she does not want because she loves another man. Her ambitious and unpleasant Yeoman father is determined that she will marry well. An intense and emotional read grounded in the reality of life in the 16C.

With well formed characters and flowing prose one wonders if the author is going to become a popular new voice in Historical Fiction. We shall have to wait and see, meanwhile recommended to fans of this genre.

With thanks to NetGalley, Salt Publishers and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Amazon: 

'Once she had thought of them, their love, as a fortress that nothing, not giants nor dragons nor men with fists and minds of gore could tear down. She realises now, that their love is malleable, mouldable, breakable. As soft as dreams.'

Summer in Worcestershire, 1577. Eliza Litton, a talented artist, is in love with childhood friend, Francis. But her tyrannical father, who rules the household with insults and fists, has other ideas. As summer comes to an end, Francis vanishes after a drunken night at the inn and Eliza's father forces her to marry a gentleman, Edmund. 

Thrown into a new, unfamiliar life with her husband who appears distant and cold, Eliza cannot tear herself from the memory of Francis. Yet her feelings for Edmund soften with time; he presents a life to her better than she ever dreamed. He provides her a safety she never had beneath her father's roof and encourages her to paint, to pursue the things she loves.

As she begins to fall for Edmund, Francis is adrift on his own voyage, doing all he can to survive, fixated on returning to Eliza. 

But as Eliza grows closer to Edmund, she uncovers a deceit she never imagined, causing her to question her own loyalties and commit her own betrayals. After everything, who will Eliza be? And what choices will she make? 

The Marriage Contract vividly portrays life in the precarious and unforgiving Elizabethan era, exploring love's many forms; how we can betray the ones we love, and how we can find forgiveness; and explores a woman's fight to follow her desires and find her autonomy.

Author Profile

                                                                           

                                                                                                                         

                                                            Courtesy of Amazon

Sasha Butler is a writer based in the West Midlands. Her first novel, The Marriage Contract will be published in 2025 and was shortlisted for the Cheshire Novel Prize 2022 and the Bath Novel Award 2022, under the former title, As Soft as Dreams.

She is interested in writing historical novels focusing on ordinary people who, despite living in eras so different from our own, are ultimately recognisable in their humanity - with desires, hopes, loves and fears.

In addition to novels, she occasionally writes short stories. Her short story Map of an Affair featured in Floodgate Press’ anthology, Night Time Economy (September 2024).

In her spare time, Sasha enjoys exploring National Trusts and planning trips to far-flung places. She lives with her partner in a little apartment with an ever-growing collection of books and plants.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page.    Instagram Profile

The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club 4)by Richard Osman

                                                         

Audiobook:  10 hours 55 minutes

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Humour, Crime

Publisher: Penguin Audio 14 Sept 2023

Source:  Audible Membership

First Sentences: Kuldesh Sharma hopes he's in the right place. He parks up at the end of the dirt track, hemmed in on all sides by trees, ghoulish in the darkness.

Review Quote: 'Deeply moving... some of his best writing yet' Telegraph

My Opinion:

I was wary of reading Richard Osman’s first novel in 2021, as it was not really a genre of choice. His wit had me laughing out loud though and I have throughly enjoyed it in the now four novels I have read in ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ series.  All the characters are first rate as the author writes in a very character driven style and the reader really feels they are getting to know their personalities. 

In the ‘The Last Devil to Die’ Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, Ibrahim and the rest of the quirky cast of characters are investigating the death of an antique dealer friend and the subsequent disappearance of a box that was in his possession. Sub plots around a romance scam and end of life decisions are sensitively woven into the story line which is overall definitely entertaining with plenty of chaos ensuing from these elderly characters growing old disgracefully.

This was for me a moving Audio Book listen and the experience was lifted to another level by Fiona Shaw who did a brilliant job of the narration. Personally I would recommend that you read or listen to the earlier books in the series before this one, to fully appreciate the characters. 

My Reviews The Thursday Murder Club   The Man Who Died Twice. The Bullet That Missed

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club.

An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.

As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.

With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?

Author Profile:         

Courtesy of  Goodreads

.

Richard Osman was born in Billericay, Essex, England on  November 28, 1970. He is now well known as an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club was his first novel. He is well known for TV shows including Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games. As the creative director of Endemol UK, Richard has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows including Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out of 10 Cats. He is also a regular on panel and game shows such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You and Taskmaster.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page   Goodreads Author Profile  Twitter - Richard Osman

Vianne by Joanne Harris

                                                         

Hardback:  416 pages

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, France,

Publisher: Orion 2025

Source: Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: 22 July 1993, I scattered my mother's ashes in New York on the night of 4 July.

Review Quote:  'A symphony of tastes and smells so glorious you almost find yourself drooling' THE INDEPENDENT

My Opinion:

Vianne is the prequel to 'Chocolat' and other books in the series.  Her many fans including myself have long been hoping for this story.

As a young pregnant woman, whose mother has recently died, Vianne finds herself in Marseille, France. It's while living here that she discovers her love of cooking and the magic of chocolate.

What a wonderful story. A joy to learn more about Vianne who first appeared over twenty five years ago in the novel 'Chocolat' which is now a modern day classic. 

Highly recommended as once again Joanne Harris will stimulate your senses with her descriptive writing.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Vianne is the long-awaited story of Vianne Rocher and begins six years before she opens her scandalous chocolaterie in the small French village of Lansquenet.

Just twenty-one years old, Sylviane arrives in Marseille to start a new life, and charms her way into a job as a waitress in a run-down bistrot. Here, under the guidance of eccentric Guy Lacarrière she discovers the joy of cooking, a secret love affair and, for the very first time, the true magic of chocolate.

Yet as she starts to dream of making a future for herself in the town, she finds herself at the centre of a growing conspiracy that will threaten everything she's fought so hard for...

 

My Review of  Chocolat

Author Profile:

Goodreads  Author photo.

About Joanne Harris (courtesy of her official website)

Joanne Harris (OBE, FRSL) was born in Barnsley in 1964, of a French mother and an English father. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher for fifteen years, during which time she published three novels, including Chocolat (1999), which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche .

Since then, she has written 19 more novels, plus novellas, short stories, game scripts, the libretti for two short operas, several screenplays, a stage musical (with Howard Goodall) and three cookbooks. Her books are now published in over 50 countries and have won a number of British and international awards. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, has honorary doctorates in literature from the universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield, and has been a judge for the Whitbread Prize, the Orange Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, the Betty Trask Award, the Prima Donna Prize  and the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science, as well as for the Fragrance Foundation awards for perfume and perfume journalism (for which she also received an award in 2017). She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2022.

She is a passionate advocate for authors’ rights, and was the Chair of the Society of Authors (SOA) for four years. She is currently a member of the Board of the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS).

Her hobbies are listed in Who’s Who as: “mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion of the system”, although she also enjoys obfuscation, sleaze, rebellion, witchcraft, armed robbery, tea and biscuits. She is not above bribery and would not necessarily refuse an offer involving perfume, diamonds,  foreign travel or pink champagne. She works from a shed in her garden, plays in the band she first joined when she was 16, and lives with her husband in a little wood in Yorkshire.

The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing. 

Amazon Author Profile - Joanne Harris    Official Website - Joanne Harris  

 Goodreads Author Profile

The Legacy by Ann Evans

                                                          

Ebook:  346 pages

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural, 

Publisher: Independently published

Source:  Purchased from Amazon

First Sentences:  "Can I have this one?" Picking up the drawing Adam had just finished, Maggie scrutinised it closely. "Who is she? She looks so sad."

My Opinion:  

As this author lives locally I decided that I would read 'The Legacy'  The story of the main characters are all interweaved and linked to a house "Awelon" that is the hub of this intriguing story.

I found the many local references of particular interest. Would recommend this to readers who like an easy gratifying read, particularly those that know the locality, or are holidaying in the Aberdyfi and Tywyn area. 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

When artist Adam and his wife Maggie move into the big white house overlooking the bay they can scarcely believe their luck. A drawing of a mystery girl, however, is about to change their lives forever, and those of many other people. Who is she, and what does she want from them? The answers have far-reaching consequences. The Legacy is an intriguing tale of mystery, romance and the supernatural.

Author Profile

                                                     

                                                                                                                                                 

                                                            Courtesy of Amazon

 No Biographical Information Available

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page

The Secrets of Flowers by Sally Page

                                                

Paperback:  412 pages      

Genre:  Contemporary Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction,                                         

Publisher: Harper Collins 2024

Source: Tywyn Public Library

First Sentences: The scent of the rain summons the memory. Uninvited. Unwanted.

Review Quote: 'A gorgeous, gorgeous book.This is such an engaging read, packed with light, colour and kindness.' Hazel Prior, author of Away with the Penguins

My Opinion: 

A friend recommended Sally Page to me last year and I have now read and throughly enjoyed all three of the titles she has so far published.  

In 'The Secrets of Flowers' the protagonist Emma is finding it hard, one year on to come to terms with the death of her husband.  In an effort to move on she gives up a scientific research career to work in a garden centre and train as a florist. Emma's love of flowers and an unexpected interest in the Titanic make for an emotional read as she unravels the mysteries she discovers. The parallel storyline about the real life person, Violet Jessop who worked on the Titanic ties this heartwarming tale together perfectly.

What a captivating read this is with such believable characters involved in an interesting Titanic storyline. Highly recommend to readers that enjoy a heartwarming read and love flowers. As you read you can almost smell them. 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

From the author of the phenomenal bestsellers The Keeper of Stories and The Book of Beginningscomes an utterly beautiful and uplifting novel.

One year on from the death of her husband, Emma feels no closer to moving forward with her life. Seeking distraction, she quits her job and begins working at the local garden centre.

Here, Emma begins to open up and finds herself attending boss Les’ talk on the Titanic. Intrigued, Emma sets out to research who would have arranged the flowers on-board.

Alongside her story unfolds the tale of a stewardess on the Titanic, who Emma can’t help but feel connected to…

With an array of inspiring and heart-warming characters, this is a novel of friendship, unexpected connections, and of hope.

Previous Review:  The Keeper of Stories.  The Book of Beginnings

Author Profile: 

Courtesy of Author Website

After studying history at university, Sally moved to London to work in advertising. In her spare time she studied floristry at night school and eventually opened her own flower shop. Sally came to appreciate that flower shops offer a unique window into people’s stories and she began to photograph and write about this floral life in a series of non-fiction books. Later, she continued her interest in writing when she founded her fountain pen company, Plooms.co.uk.

In her debut novel, The Keeper of Stories, Sally combines her love of history and writing with her abiding interest in the stories people have to tell. Sally now lives in Dorset. Her eldest daughter, Alex, is a doctor and her younger daughter is the author, Libby Page. Both are keen wild swimmers.

Photograph, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page.    Author's Official Website.   Instagram Profile  Twitter Profile

Facebook - SallyPageAuthor.   Goodreads Profile

Bad Influence by C.J. Wray

                                         

Hardback:  330 pages

Genre: Humorous Contemporary Fiction

Publisher:  Orion May2025

Source:  Tywyn Library

First Sentence: The postman always rang twice on a Friday, to check that his ladies weren't dead.

 Review Quote:  'A sublime mix of comedy, drama and adventure' Jill Mansell

My Opinion:  

C.J.Wray also writes as Chris Manby and has written over 40 books. This is the first I have read by her and the tag lines on the front cover 'Old Enough To Know Better' and 'Young Enough Not To Care' were enough to capture my interest when I picked it up tp browse at the library recently.

The protagonist Jennifer Sullivan, known as Jinx is an 89 nine year old who has led a very eventful life. There are things she wants and needs to do while she is still fit enough to do so. These plans take her on quite the adventure!

Take this story as it is intended, fiction and you will find it is a very readable comedy. Recommended to almost everyone if they are looking for a laugh.

Précis Courtesy of Amazon: 

There are three things Jennifer 'Jinx' Sullivan promised herself she would never do:

1. Eat fast food.
2. Go on a coach trip.
3. Die without exacting revenge on the people who ruined her life.

She's about to let herself down on the first two, but she can still keep her word on the third. On a coach trip to Florence.

89-year-old Jinx is going to face her painful wartime history, unearth long-buried skeletons (quite literally) and plan long overdue vengeance on the worst best friend a woman ever had. That's the best friend who trained her in etiquette, cocktail-mixing and silent killing.

It's going to be a tough journey - not least because she's sharing it with twenty senior citizens and a recalcitrant teen. But Jinx knows that some promises are worth keeping, no matter how hard it may be...

Author Profile

                                               

                                                            Courtesy of Amazon

                                                                                          

CJ Wray is the pseudonym of Christine Manby, a Sunday Times bestselling author with more than forty books to her name. Raised in the west of England, she studied psychology before embarking on an entertaining and wide-ranging career that has seen her selling kitchens, editing erotica, interviewing an armed robber, and impersonating a princess.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Profile

Pastures New by Clare Balding

                                               

Ebook:  385 pages

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins, 11 Sep 2025

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentence:  Alex quickened the pace because a tube train was due in two minutes, according to her app.

Review Quote:  ‘A moving story of a young woman finding herself with the help of a Welsh farm’ Katie Fforde

My Opinion:  

Clare Balding is better known to me as a TV presenter, it was this fact that drew me to read 'Pastures New' which is her first adult fiction novel.

The storyline is about the consequences of a young woman, Alex, receiving an inheritance quite unexpectedly from someone she has never even heard of before now. She has inherited a sheep farm in Wales, that is running at a loss and is in a bad state of repair. To make it worse there is a clause in the will that states she cannot sell the farm within the first five years. How does she cope?

Disappointingly I did not find the story particularly inspiring, however it is a warm hearted one. A perfect novel to curl up with on a wet and miserable Autumn day.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Alex has perfected the art of dodging responsibility during her almost 40 years – until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down.

She’s inherited a crumbling sheep farm in wildest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all.

Now, her closest companion is a stubborn Welsh terrier, she’s speed-reading The Idiot’s Guide to Farming, and her arrival has set the village gossip mill spinning. With the farm near collapse, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance.

But as secrets surface, Alex finds her heart pulling her in a direction she never saw coming.

Will she pack her bags – or has she landed exactly where she’s meant to be?

Author Profile

                                                     

                                                                                         

                                                            Courtesy of Amazon

Biography in her own words from Amazon Profile:

Hello! Clare Balding here. Thank you so much for visiting my Amazon author page. You may know me from my broadcasting, including the Olympics and Wimbledon, but I’m also a writer – I grew up reading everything I could lay my hands on, in between riding horses and playing with dogs, and went into journalism after university. My autobiography, My Animals and Other Family, won Autobiography of the Year, and since then I’ve written non-fiction and a series for children. Encouraged by Jilly Cooper, whom I interviewed, I eventually plucked up the courage to turn my hand to fiction, with my debut novel, Pastures New. Do let me know what you think.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Instagram Profile     Twitter Profile.  Facebook Profile.   Amazon Author Page

Daughter of Hong Kong by Siobhan Daiko

                                            

Hardback:  320 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romantic Fiction, WWII, Hong Kong,

Publisher:  December 2024 Boldwood Books

Source:  Tywyn Library

First Sentence:  A chill wind whipped around Will as he stood on the promenade deck of the P and O liner RMS Carthage.

Review Quote:  'A convincing and very moving romance, a fascinating slice of history. Coupled with the most wonderful story-telling, this book delivered everything I could have possibly wanted.'  Reader Review

My Opinion:  

This novel was recommended to me by a friend, due to my connections with Hong Kong.

'Daughter of Hong Kong' starts with the protagonists, William Burton and Constance Han meeting on an ocean liner bound for Hong Kong in the spring of 1939.  Their shipboard friendship makes them determined to continue to see each other in Hong Kong, despite knowing that any relationship between them would be fraught with difficulties.  As the inevitable outbreak of war draws closer, Will and constance both become involved in the defence of Hong Kong. Their lives become ever more intense as danger increases and their survival looks unlikely.

Although fictional it is based on historical events that happened during WWII when the Japanese invaded Hong Kong. I found the descriptions to be very evocative of Hong Kong, despite being set in an era well before any time I have spent there.  A moving story of determination that love will overcome, recommended to readers who enjoy romantic novels set in WWII.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Based on a true story, a tale of love and survival against all the odds set in Hong Kong at the start of the Pacific War. Can love conquer all?

Spring 1939 - dashing young William Burton and the beautiful Constance Han set sail from London on the same ocean liner to Hong Kong.

Connie is intrigued by Will’s talent for writing poetry, and as romance blossoms she offers to give him Cantonese lessons to help him with his new job — a cadet in the colonial service.

But once in Hong Kong, Connie is constrained by filial duty towards her Eurasian parents, and their wish for her to marry someone from her own background.

When war breaks out, Connie and Will find themselves drawn into a wider conflict than their battle against prejudice. Can they survive and achieve a future together? Or will forces beyond their control keep them forever apart?

A sweeping tale of love and perseverance, perfect for readers of Dinah Jefferies, Fiona Valpy and Ann Bennett

Previously published as The Flame Tree

Author Profile

                                                       

                                                            Courtesy of Amazon

Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page.  Author Official Website.   Goodreads Author Page

Twitter Profile