Charles Balcombe cannot control his alter ego. BlackJack is killing for fun and DI Munro knows his partnership with Balcombe can’t continue. While Balcombe seeks help, Munro is asked to work for the Hong Kong governor’s aide-de-camp. He seems to be sidelined as Garrett resumes his hunt for the Squeezed-heart murderer. But people have secrets and the more Munro investigates, the murkier they seem. When people start dying and with Balcombe’s help, Munro tries to get to the bottom of a conspiracy of silence.
Will he find the truth?
Will Garrett catch his killer?
Will Balcombe learn the truth about himself?
As the psychoanalyst told him: a third of the mind is darkness. If you dig too deep, be prepared. You won’t like what you find there.
This is book three of the series which should be read in order.
Murray Bailey Is the author of Amazon bestseller Map of the Dead, the first of the series based on his interest in Egyptology. His main series however is the Ash Carter thrillers, inspired by his father’s experience in the Royal Military Police in Singapore in the early 1950s.
Murray is well traveled, having worked in the US, South America and a number of European countries throughout his career as a management consultant. However he also managed to find the time to edit books, contribute to articles and act as a part-time magazine editor.
Murray lives on the south coast of England with his family and a dog called Teddy.
My thoughts: we return to Hong Kong and Balcombe is a man in trouble, he can’t control the murderous BlackJack side of his personality anymore. He’s sleepwalking and having to rely on his friends, and Albert his rickshaw driver, to piece his nights back together. The blackouts, the drinking, it isn’t going to end well. Detective Garrett is gunning for him and Munro is in half a mind to let his colleague take him down.
There’s a missing girl in danger with links to the governor’s house, and Munro asks for Balcombe’s help, as long as he sees pyschologist Dr Georgina Swift and get some help.
Even Balcombe is getting worried about his alter ego, about the gaps in his memory and the number of bodies that keep winding up in the morgue. As the lines begin to blur, can he save himself or is it too late?
Another gripping thrill ride of a read, as Balcombe tries to decipher his own psyche and change his ways, before he hurts someone who doesn’t deserve it. I cannot wait for book four – if the ambiguous ending doesn’t mean it’s all done for Balcombe.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
It’s 1965, and 18 year old Jess escapes her stifling English home for a gap year in Ghana, West Africa. But it’s a time of political turbulence across the region. Fighting to keep her young love who waits back in England, she’s thrown into the physical and emotional dangers of civil war, tragedy and the conflict of a disturbing new relationship. And why do the drumbeats haunt her dreams? This is a rite of passage story which takes the reader hand in hand with Jess on her journey towards the complexities and mysteries of a disconcerting adult world. This is the first novel in the acclaimed Drumbeats trilogy: Drumbeats, Walking in the Rain, Finding Jess. For fans of Dinah Jefferies, Kate Morton, Rachel Hore, Jenny Ashcroft Purchase
Award-winning author Julia Ibbotson herself spent an exciting time in Ghana, West Africa, teaching and nursing (like Jess in her books), and always vowed to write about the country and its past. And so, the Drumbeats Trilogy was born.
She’s also fascinated by history, especially by the medieval world, and concepts of time travel, and has written haunting time-slips of romance and mystery partly set in the Anglo-Saxon period. She studied English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language, literature and history, and has a PhD in linguistics. She wrote her first novel at age 10, but became a school teacher, then university lecturer and researcher. Her love of writing never left her and to date she’s written 9 books, with a 10th on the way. She’s a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, Society of Authors and the Historical Novel Society.
My thoughts: I found Jess’ adventures in 1960s Ghana utterly fascinating, I will admit it’s a period I don’t know a lot about, so it was really interesting to learn some history, as well as join Jess in her personal voyage of discovery. Breaking free of her mother’s restrictive rules and seeing the world for the first time, Jess is a lively, fun and intelligent protagonist.
She’s trying to forget some of the unpleasant things that happened to her when she was younger and discover who she is now she’s an adult with her whole future ahead of her. Teaching in a school outside Accra, she’s delighted by her pupils and wants to help the impoverished villagers she meets. She also meets a somewhat mysterious American, who hints at being involved in the politics of the time, but never outright says he’s a spy.
Full of life and adventure, this is a great book, I can’t wait to read the next installment of Jess’ life.
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*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
In her irresistible new novel, Sunday Times No 1 bestselling author Victoria Hislop shines a light on the questionable acquisition of cultural treasures and the price people – and countries – will pay to cling on to them.
Of all the ancient art that captures the imagination, none is more appealing than the Cycladic figurine. An air of mystery swirls around these statuettes from the Bronze Age and they are highly sought after by collectors – and looters – alike.
When Helena inherits her grandparents’ apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child, when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship. Her remote, cruel grandfather was one of the regime’s generals and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. How did her grandfather amass such a trove? What human price was paid for them?
Helena’s desire to find answers about her heritage dovetails with a growing curiosity for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island. Their finds fuel her determination to protect the precious fragments recovered from the baked earth – and to understand the origins of her grandfather’s collection. Helena’s attempt to make amends for some of her grandfather’s actions sees her wrestle with the meaning of ‘home’, both in relation to looted objects of antiquity … and herself.
Inspired by a visit to Spinalonga, the abandoned Greek leprosy colony, Victoria Hislop wrote The Island in 2005. It became an international bestseller, has sold more than 6 million copies and was turned into a 26-part Greek TV series. She was named Newcomer of the Year at the British Book Awards and is now an ambassador for Lepra. Her affection for the Mediterranean then took her to Spain, and in the number one bestseller The Return she wrote about the painful secrets of its civil war. I
n The Thread, Victoria returned to Greece to tell the turbulent tale of Thessaloniki and its people across the twentieth century. Shortlisted for a British Book Award, it confirmed her reputation as an inspirational storyteller. Her fourth novel, The Sunrise, about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the enduring ghost town of Famagusta, was a Sunday Times number one bestseller.
Cartes Postales from Greece, fiction illustrated with photographs, was a Sunday Times bestseller in hardback and one of the biggest selling books of 2016. The poignant and powerful Those Who Are Loved, was a Sunday Times number one hardback bestseller in 2019 and explores a tempestuous period of modern Greek history through the eyes of a complex and compelling heroine. Victoria’s most recent novel, One August Night, returned to Crete in the long-anticipated sequel to The Island. It spent twelve weeks in the Top 10 hardback fiction charts.
Her books have been translated into forty languages and Victoria was executive producer on the adaptations of three of her novels for Greek television. Victoria divides her time between England and Greece and in 2020, was granted honorary citizenship by the President of Greece. She was recently appointed patron of Knossos 2025, which is raising funds for a new research centre at one of Greece’s most significant archaeological sites. She is also on the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles. Victoria was recently granted an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Sheffield.
My thoughts: Having read several of Victoria Hislop’s previous books, I knew this would be enjoyable, well written, full of history and very interesting but this was also something of a thriller.
Helena is half Greek and spends a few weeks every summer at her grandparents’ home in Athens, a place her mother refuses to return to. Her Yiayia (grandmother) is kind but under the thumb of her husband – a general in the Greek army, and as the military rules the country, an important man, but not a kind one.
As she gets older Helena realises more and more about her family, their place in Greek society and her grandfather’s casual cruelty. She becomes closer to her mother and her Scottish father, a doctor, who is so different from her grandfather.
As an adult Helena meets the charming Nick, who invites her to join him on an archaeological dig in Greece. From there everything changes, initially enthralled by the charismatic young man, she becomes suspicious of him and his charms. Discovering he might well be involved in the theft and sale of priceless antiques is the last straw and Helena begins to plan a way to stop him, and those he works with.
It’s an utterly gripping story of wrongs to be righted, beautiful and ancient artefacts in peril, the illegal antiques market, and a love story too. Helena and Greece. As well as the young art restorer she meets while selling her grandparents’ furniture in Athens.
I was completely hooked and thought Helena a wonderful protagonist, as she learns about Greece’s difficult and complex past, makes new friends and ultimately builds a life, while ensuring some truly wonderful treasures remain where they belong.
As the argument about the Parthenon marbles stolen by Elgin and currently held in the British Museum continues to rumble on (I find that particular gallery dreary and depressing), this is a timely and intelligent reminder that the treasures of the past should be preserved for the future, in their homelands, not sold away to private collectors. A truly delightful story with a powerful message.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
London, October 1922. When Marjorie Swallow attends her first Bloomsbury party, she worries the conversation will be over her head. But when the night ends in murder, she has more pressing concerns.
Was the culprit really the handsome young artist she danced the night away with? And why did so many people want Betty Norris dead? From the garden squares of Bloomsbury to the smart restaurants of Piccadilly and the seedy backstreets of Soho, apprentice detective Marjorie goes on a perilous hunt for the killer.
Blackmail in Bloomsbury brings 1920s London to life in a classic murder mystery.
Anna is a writer and journalist, living by the sea on the Kent coast.
Blackmail In Bloomsbury marks a new direction for Anna’s writing, switching from contemporary thrillers with a historical back-story into cosy historical mysteries. Anna is fascinated by the 1920s, a period of enormous social change that can seem both very modern and more than 100 years ago.
Anna enjoys research in the British Library, coastal walks, summer swimming and yoga on the beach. Blackmail In Bloomsbury is her fifth novel.
My thoughts: I must confess that I am on Anna’s ARC reader list, so I have read this delightful book several times now. But even if I wasn’t, this is a book that’s right up my street.
Historical crime fiction with a quirky and delightful female protagonist and her eccentric private investigator employer. Absolutely aimed at someone like me.
Bringing London in the 1920s brightly to life, with the fashions and cocktails of the age, as naive but determined to succeed Marjorie sets about investigating.
This series is only just beginning, and I am so excited to see where it goes. I love Marjorie, she’s naive about a lot but does understand people and it helps her get to the bottom of things. She’s a natural detective and her skills can only improve.
You can get a free short story about Marjorie and how she got her job if you sign up to Anna’s mailing list, which I also recommend.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Christine ‘Kiki’ Vellay, the daughter of vineyard workers, is forced to marry an older man in exchange for a piece of land. He abuses her. Seduced by a young naval cadet she plots to run away. When her husband is killed during the attempt, she finds herself wrongly accused of his murder.
Kiki is on the run.
On reaching Paris in disguise, Kiki discovers she is pregnant and takes on various jobs to survive. When her child is stolen from her, she begins a desperate attempt to find him. Her story takes her from imprisonment in the infamous Conciergerie, to a chateau in the Loire, back to Paris under siege – as a spy – during the FrancoPrussian war, culminating in a dramatic conclusion in the final bloody week of the Paris Commune.
A story of resilience in the face of immense hardship, The Time of Cherriesis a gripping account of a woman’s instinct and longing for her child.
Michael S Hollington qualified as a chartered surveyor. After spells in the City, Belgium and North America he spent the bulk of his career in Hong Kong, selling buildings on behalf of clients. He lives in London with his wife, Sarah. The Time of Cherries is his first published novel.
My thoughts: this was a really interesting, well written and researched historical novel with a delightful and compelling protagonist in Christine “Kiki” Vellay, who sometimes uses a lot of different names as she works her way through the 19th Century and Paris at the height of the Commune.
A resourceful and brave young woman, after the death of her horrible husband, she flees to the capital and using her wits and the skills she’s accrued as an educated seamstress, she takes on a variety of jobs, from chambermaid to accountant for a mining firm, eventually becoming a Baroness and a vintner.
Her son is kidnapped and she puts much of her efforts into rescuing him and building her finances so she can provide for him. She makes genuine friends along the way, as well as some false ones. Becoming a spy, she is double crossed but rescued once again by a face from her past.
I really enjoyed this book, it brings a period of time that doesn’t get covered much, to life and in the figure of Kiki, the hidden and often forgotten lives of ordinary women (even though she is pretty extraordinary).
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
When mill owner’s daughter, Ellen Rastrick, dares to borrow her brother’s bicycle to join the Clarion Cycling Club in secret, she discovers an exciting new world. It is 1896 in the industrial town of Halifax, West Yorkshire. Ellen’s fellow Clarionettes are young men and women from all walks of life, liberated by the movement to mix socially for the first time.
Naïve or worldly, rich or poor, they all seek freedom, happiness and love. But they soon discover that these can mean very different things to one another. Dynamic relationships and a single drastic act create an unstoppable momentum in the lives of those both inside and outside their group.
They meet as rebels, workers and artists, full of their own hopes and dreams. They become conflicted allies, enjoying new times as friends and lovers while braving danger, risk, heartbreak and loss. Together, they find futures they could never have imagined.
Ruth Enright is from Halifax, West Yorkshire. She enjoys holidays in Whitby, Scarborough and the surrounding area; with Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby being the inspiration for her debut novel ‘Seahaven.’ Her second book, ‘Button Box’ is for children and young adults. A young girl finds herself living in two worlds – the modern day and a dangerous Victorian past in 1850s London.
Ruth studied English Language and Literature at Reading University and has always had the ambition to write herself. She lives in Manchester with her family and works for local government, where she has held a number of posts. She is now an Information Governance Officer. Ruth came to Manchester as a graduate trainee in Librarianship with Manchester Polytechnic before changing career paths and training for a certificate in teaching lipreading to adults with acquired deafness in Adult Education. Ruth then had her daughter and later became a local government officer.
Ruth has always kept on writing and started a blog a few years ago for her poems, stories and other items. Encouraged by readers, she has recently succeeded in having five short stories published by ‘Yours Fiction’ special short story quarterly magazine.
Ruth loves to read and enjoys writing in both historic and modern settings, experimenting with different genres. Ideas for her writing come from many sources, for instance the name of Robin’s uncle Jorfant in ‘Seahaven’ came from researching her partner’s family tree!
Ruth lives with her partner Jack, and a cat called Margot. Ruth is delighted to be a published author and is looking forward very much to writing more novels.
My thoughts: set at a time of great social change, this is an interesting read about class, love and improving the lives of ordinary people. The Clarionettes are a cycling club with a difference – whether from the mill owners side of society or the mill workers, they are united in wanting social change and improved conditions for all. The Clarion is a newspaper promoting these ideas, and the group meet to discuss their plans.
However some take direct action too far and put people’s livelihoods at risk. It’s one thing to push for change, another to force matters with arson.
Amidst the intrigue and exploration of the moors, there is time for romance, as several couples meet and fall in love. Ellen and Peter cross the social divide. Her father owns a factory, he works in one. Can they overcome the mores of the time and stay together?
There are other storyline that intertwine with theirs, that of Jane, the vicar’s daughter, in love with a rake, who doesn’t agree with his free love ideals and loses her heart. Ellen’s brother and sister both find themselves in somewhat unusual marriages, radically different to what they imagined, but somehow make it work.
Each member of the club gets a story, as the new century rolls on and change is coming. Ellen’s sister-in-law is involved in the work of the suffragettes of Manchester, who pushed for the women’s right to vote, and as the book reaches its conclusion, change is not only in the air but taking place within the mills and factories of the Yorkshire moors and in the homes around them too.
An interesting and enjoyable read, full of historical references and lively characters.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
In this epic and unforgettable love story, set in the wilds of Missouri and the glamour of high society Boston at the dawn of the Gilded Age, one woman’s life changes forever the day that a stranger turns up on her doorstep. Missouri, February 1874: The last thing struggling homesteader Ginny needs is a scandal on her hands. But when a badly injured drifter arrives at Snow Farm in desperate need of medical attention, Ginny’s kind nature and good upbringing means she has no choice but to treat his wounds and care for him until he’s back on his feet, no matter the danger he might pose. Ginny’s been running the farm and looking after her fourteen-year-old sister Mary-Lou since their papa died two years ago, each morning pulling on his old leather coat and pushing her feet into stout boots that come up to her knees, before heading out to tend to the cattle. She’s determined to hold onto the one thing that connects them to memories of their parents – whatever the cost. And when their uninvited guest – Lex – is well enough he offers his help, and she surprises herself by accepting it. But not long after Lex moves on, Ginny realises that her heart has gone with him. And when the farm’s fortunes take a turn for the worse, she faces her hardest test yet. Can she save the only home she’s ever known, and everything she holds dear? And what if doing so means risking a chance at love and happiness she never expected to come her way? An utterly spellbinding story perfect for fans of Amy Harmon, Olivia Hawker and Kristin Hannah. Readers will love this breathtaking and vivid historical novel of passion, destiny and divided family loyalties. “Captivating…will leave an indelible mark on your heart.” Rachel Wesson
Imogen writes sweeping, historical fiction. Her first two novels are set in nineteenth century America. As a teenager, she took the Greyhound bus from San Francisco to New York. Over those three days of staring out of the window at the majestic mountains and endless flat plains, stories wound themselves into her head: tales of brooding, charismatic men captivated by independent women. Since then, she has worked in a coffee-shop in Piccadilly, a famous bookstore, and a children’s home. She has run festivals, and turned a derelict housing block on one of the poorest estates in the UK into an award-winning arts centre. During 2020 Imogen was selected by Kate Nash Literary Agency as one of their BookCamp mentees, a mentorship programme designed to accelerate the careers of promising new writers. Married with two children, Imogen divides her time between Wales and Sardinia. She hopes her books will bring you the tingle of a new love affair whilst immersed in a different time and place.
My thoughts: it has never been easy to be a woman in a man’s world, but what else was Ginny supposed to do when her father died? Taking on the burden of running their family’s farm with only her younger sister to help wasn’t easy. And Ginny doesn’t like asking for help.
When a stranger, Lex, winds up on their doorstep with a broken ankle after being thrown from his horse, the sisters nurse him back to health, and he repays them in ways they’d never imagine. He has secrets, but not ones that aim to hurt. The fiercely proud Ginny might just have to accept help for a change.
Falling hard for this handsome stranger comes with complications – but can love conquer all and will Ginny and Lex return to the farm or wind up in high society?
A moving and sweet story about love and learning to let someone in, set against the vistas of Missouri and the bustling streets of Boston. Ginny is a wonderful protagonist, strong, fierce and brave. Her decision to keep the farm going, against sometimes impossible seeming odds, to fulfil her parents’ dreams is inspiring, and the bond she shares with her sister and cousin is lovely. When she meets Lex, new possibilities appear and she has to decide whether to follow her heart.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
1914, Fiji: Sergeant Akal Singh would rather be anywhere than this tropical paradise – or, as he calls it, ‘this godforsaken island’. After a promising start to his police career in Hong Kong, Akal has been sent to the far-flung colony of Fiji as punishment for a humiliating professional mistake. Lonely and embarrassed, he dreams of solving a big case, thereby redeeming himself and gaining permission to leave. Otherwise, he fears he will be stuck in Fiji for ever.
When an indentured Indian woman goes missing from a sugarcane plantation and Fiji’s newspapers scream ‘kidnapping’, the inspector-general reluctantly assigns Akal the case, giving him strict instructions to view this investigation as nothing more than cursory. But as soon as Akal arrives on the plantation, he identifies several troubling inconsistencies in the plantation owners’ stories, and it seems there is more to this disappearance than meets the eye . . .
Nilima Rao is a Fijian Indian Australian who has always referred to herself as ‘culturally confused’. She has since learned that we are all confused in some way and now feels better about the whole thing. When she isn’t writing, Nilima can be found wrangling data (the dreaded day job) or wandering around Melbourne laneways in search of the next new wine bar. A Disappearance in Fiji is her first novel and she is currently working on a second.
My thoughts: I didn’t know much about the British occupation of Fiji, other than that it happened, so this was really interesting to read, and obviously a lot of what went on was appalling. I really like Sergeant Akul Singh, a Sikh Indian police officer, formerly in Hong Kong, dispatched rather unhappily to Fiji, and sent to investigate a missing indentured Indian woman, a “coolie”, working on a plantation.
He encounters racism, sexual violence towards the women, murder and cruelty. The living quarters are horrific and so are the working conditions. Slavery might have been abolished, but this felt like it under a different name.
Akul is an educated man, his father a teacher, and he too is appalled by what he finds. Torn between the orders of his superior and the desire for true justice, he risks being sent back to India in disgrace. But he won’t be deterred and assisted by the British doctor who accompanied him, he sets about getting answers.
I felt sorry for him, the career defining mistake he made in Hong Kong was genuine – he was naive and a bit stupid, but he worked to rectify things. Hopefully as this series develops, people see that is a very good detective, and not a bumbling idiot. I look forward to reading more about him.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
For Iris, each visit to her mother in St Mabon’s Cove, Cornwall has been the same – a serene escape from the city. But today, as she breathes in the salt air on the doorstep of her beloved childhood home, a heavy weight of anticipation settles over her. Iris knows she’s adopted, but any questions about where she came from have always been shut down by her parents, who can’t bear to revisit the past.
Now, Iris can’t stop thinking about what she’s read on the official paperwork: BABY GIRL, FRANCE, 1939 – the year war was declared with Nazi Germany.
When Iris confronts her mother, she hits the same wall of pain and resistance as whenever she mentions the war. That is, until her mother tearfully hands her an old tin of letters, tucked neatly beside a delicate piece of ivory wool.
Retreating to the loft, Iris steels herself to at last learn the truth, however painful it might be. But, as she peels back each layer of history before her, a sensation of dread grows inside her. The past is calling, and its secrets are more intricate and tangled than Iris could ever have imagined.
The year is 1939, and in Paris, France a young woman is about to commit a terrible betrayal…
A beautifully written and addictively compelling historical novel about the terrible choices ordinary people were forced to make in the horrors of World War Two. If you loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale, you will devour this book.
What readers are saying about Juliet Greenwood:
“This was fantastic! Perfect for a Kate Morton or Lucinda Riley hangover, this book will draw you in and won’t let go until you’ve read the last page. This book was unputdownable – fascinating characters, excellent writing, and a plot that keeps you turning the pages. I loved every second of it.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I found myself reading chapter after chapter, unable to put it down. A first-time read by this author but certainly not the last.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“For readers of Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley, this book will be one of your favorites… A historical novel that will keep you reading until the end.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An absolutely brilliant read. I could not put it down…I loved how the war changed everyone and it was a gripping story… I really loved it. Cannot recommend it enough.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Did everything that I was looking for… it left me wanting to read more from Juliet Greenwood.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Juliet Greenwood is a historical novelist, now published by Storm Publishing. Her first novel was a finalist for The People’s Book Prize and two of her books reached the top 5 in the UK Kindle store. Juliet has always been a bookworm and a storyteller, writing her first novel (a sweeping historical epic) at the age of ten. She lives in a traditional cottage in Snowdonia, North Wales, set between the mountains and the sea, with an overgrown garden (good for insects!) and a surprisingly successful grapevine.
Welcome to the tour for Eternally Artemisia by Melissa Muldoon. Read on for more details!
Eternally Artemisia Some loves, like some women, are timeless.
They say some loves travel through time and are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who wrestles with the “peculiar feeling” she has lived previous lives and is being called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie’s previous existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced to the Crociani family—a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts—she finally meets the loves of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have triumphed despite it. As Maddie’s relationship develops with Artemisia Gentileschi—an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that—Maddie discovers a kindred spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united together. In a journey that arcs back to biblical days and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the “thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.
Melissa Muldoon is the author of four novels set in Italy: “Dreaming Sophia”, “Waking Isabella”, “Eternally Artemisia”, and “The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola.” All four books are set in Italy and tell the stories of women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future. For more information visit: MelissaMuldoon.com
Melissa is the author also of the Studentessa Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). “Studentessa Matta” means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include the podcast “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano”, and the “Studentessa Matta” YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn Italian in Italy while immersing in language and culture. Through her website, she also offers Homestay opportunities to live and study in Italy in the private home of a teacher.
Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence. She is an artist, and professional book designer, and designed the interiors of all three of her books as well as illustrated their covers. Melissa is also the managing director of Matta Press.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this time travelling novel inspired by three real women – artist Artemisia Gentileschi, designer Elsa Schiaparelli and writer Anna Bruni, who lived at very different times, but were connected by their love of art, Florence and the desire to live on their own terms.
Artemisia has only really been recognised in recent years for the extraordinary talent that she was. And for the terrible way she was treated. A victim of rape, she was tortured to ensure she was telling the truth, while her rapist never served a moment of his sentence. But she got her revenge.
As art therapist Maddie, in Florence to run a retreat for survivors, soon learns. And then we are falling through time to meet Artemisia and a woman with a familiar name… Maddalena. I felt a kinship with the various Maddie’s in this book as we travelled around the timeline – my name is the French version of hers, both come from another woman who lived on her own terms – Mary Magdalene, a female disciple of Jesus.
These passionate, brilliant women throughout the book and into the future, are talented, intelligent and inspiring, carrying the spirit Artemisia in their hearts as they achieve wonderful things. And yes, I would quite like to wear a shocking pink shoe hat sometimes! A delight.
ramblingmads 