[Blog Tour Review & Giveaway]* The Secrets of Montrésor (The French Orphan #2) by Michael Stolle

  Summary:

The Secrets of Montrésor is the eagerly awaited sequel to The French Orphan, and continues the story of young Pierre de Beauvoir… 
Coming into a fortune at any age brings huge responsibility, but when you’re an inexperienced teenager, it seems that surprises are waiting for you around every corner. 
Pierre, former orphan and now Marquis de Beauvoir, may have claimed his inheritance, but life is never that simple. For a start, he needs to learn pretty quickly exactly who to trust and who to keep at arm’s length. For example, how do you work out (and survive….) the changing motives of the most powerful man in seventeenth-century France, Cardinal Richelieu? And then what do you do when the people you should be able to trust try to deliver you into the hands of your worst enemy? And then there’s the small matter of a sacred quest to Italy… 
Fortunately for Pierre he has his best friend Armand to support him as he gets to know his chateau at Montrésor, its people and… its secrets. (Armand, of course, has his own agendas to pursue, usually involving a pretty face and a willing smile.) 
Far from being certain, Pierre’s future has yet to be settled and Pierre will have to draw on his own innate talents as well as those of the people around him to ensure he survives, as his enemies are just waiting to seize their opportunity.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 298 pages (Paperback)

Source: Review Copy

Genre: Historical Fiction

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date:  November 12th 2012

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What a splendid follow up to The French Orphan did The Secrets of Montrésor turned out to be. I have to confess after the strong start in book one I was met with that all too familiar fear of the sequel would measure up to my expectations, suffice it to say these worries were thankfully unwarrented.

In The Secrets of Montrésor we are again hot on Pierre's heels as he accompanied by his ever faithful friend Armand as they come to terms with Pierre's new station and all that that position entails, including his dastardly cousin Henri. Henri, as you can imagine is none to pleased at being ousted from the inheritance of the title of Marquis and true to form has some odious plans for his dear new found cousin. Thus locking this one into being just as full of twists, turns and adventure and as full of side stepping on Pierre and Armand's parts as the first book.

I thought it was quite engaging and I felt completely wrapped up in the story. There was much more focus on the politics at play in France than there was in the first book which is saying something. The political machinations were a very big part of the first novel and the further we get into them in this book the more I want to see where Pierre and Armand will end up. I also appreciated the author's rich attention to detail in describing the sights and sounds of the world Pierre and Armand were launched into along with Jean, Pierre's personal servant. It was good to see all the characters growing, finding their footing and I am looking forward to seeing what they all get into in terms of Henri, the Cardinal Richelieu's plans.

Many secrets were unfolded in this volume, but I'm still left wondering as to where certain plot lines are going and some major secrets remain not only unanswered at the end of this book, but I feel have ballooned in importance. 

I'd recommend this to any who want to follow up reading The French Orphan, and if you haven't read The French Orphan (which I reviewed yesterday) than I highly suggest reading my review and if it suits your fancy buy it. This is a series that must be read in order so I do not, repeat do not advise jumping in with this one.

Author Bio:

Born and educated in Europe, Michael has always been intrigued by the historical setting and the fact that what makes us human was as true in the 17th century as it is now.

He has been reading and writing about history for longer than he cares to recall...

Author Links: 

GOODREADS

Giveaway:

To win a paperback copy of The French Orphan (Book One) by Michael Stolle, please enter via the Gleam form below. Three copies are up for grabs!

Rules:

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on February 11th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

– Giveaway is open to residents in the US, UK, and CANADA only.

– Only one entry per household.

– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.

– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

French Orphan Series

*[Blog Tour Review] The Advent of Murder (Faith Morgan Mystery #2) by Martha Ockley

 

Summary:

 

Faith Morgan, former policewoman and vicar of the small English village of Little Worthy, goes to visit one of her parishioners at his farm, only to discover the house surrounded by police cars. A body has been found in the local river and farmer Markham is charged with murder.

Though busy with preparations for Christmas, Faith is called on to investigate when it's found out that the victim is also a member of her congregation--Lucas Kemp, a member of the choir.

Faith's informal inquiries lead her to uncover a hotbed of tensions and romantic rivalries in the choir, questions about drugs, and a run-in with an unsavory uncle--which leads to a dramatic rescue by Ben, Faith's former detective partner and ex-boyfriend.

In the tradition of Father Brown and Miss Marple, The Advent of Murder brings readers an authentic picture of English rural and church life combined with a satisfying mystery that will keep readers guessing until the end.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 224 pages (Paperback)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: August 19th 2013 by Lion Fiction

 

To me the autumn and winter are the times that I read the most mysteries and now as I'm getting older and am experimenting with more new to me authors and I've come to find that I really enjoy cozy British mysteries.

 

The Advent of Murder is the second novel in the Faith Morgan Mystery series and I enjoyed it very much although I would recommend reading the first book in the series first because I never had a chance to before this tour and while following the story was not difficult, I felt as though I was missing some information about Faith that I would have liked to see.

 

I thought that the Advent of Murder was a quick, well written quaint British mystery with a wonderful setting and a very well written sleuth. At first I wasn't sure what to think of Faith because as I said I felt like I was missing things about her since I hadn't read the first book but she did grow on me and by the end of the novel I thought she was wonderful.

 

The writing was also very good. Since this was the first book I've read by the author and I loved the story line because it had a more depth than I thought it would and the mystery aspect was very well fleshed out.

 

Overall, I had some issues with the book, sometimes I thought it got a little slow, and I wish the author made the characters a little more detailed. However, despite that, I thought it was still well written and I look forward to reading another book by this author soon.

 

I highly recommend this series to fans of cozy British mysteries who want a new series to try and a read set in a quiet and quaint town.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Mystery/Crime Reading Challenge

 

Really Enjoyed It!
★★★★

 

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*[Blog Tour Review] Relative Danger (Cealie Gunther Mystery #1) by June Shaw

 

Summary:

 

Spunky widowed Cealie Gunther shows up early for her granddaughter Kat's graduation--only to learn graduation might not take place unless a custodian's death--accidental--or murder--is solved. With a deathbed promise to Kat's mother to watch Kat cross the stage for her diploma, Cealie becomes a substitute teacher there and finds fierce students and teachers. And someone aiming for her grandchild.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 256 pages (Kindle)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio

Publication Date: July 19th 2013 by Untreed Reads (first published 2006)            

 

Isn't Fall (along with winter) the perfect time of year to read cozy mysteries? I certainly think so which is why I signed up for June Shaw's Relative Danger blog tour.

 

Cealie was a really great character. I usually prefer my main characters in cozy mysteries to be closer to my age (23) when I'm reading this genre but Cealie was just so charming and spunky I thought she was a hoot. She reminded me a lot of a friend of mine's grandma when we were growing up in terms of her attitude she was such a smart, warm person you could totally see that she adored her granddaughter.

 

I liked the premise of the novel most of all though because it was very well put together. The whole idea of Cealie becoming a substitute teacher at her granddaughter's school was a new one for me but I do love when sleuths go undercover to solve a mystery. The mystery in this case of course was the death of a custodian ad Kat's school which is ultimately the reason behind why Kat may not make it to the point of getting her diploma after the custodian dies.

 

Relative Danger had a really well thought out story line and there were lots of twists and turns that kept me reading this one. I also really enjoyed the fact that that while I read this book over the period of a few weeks that I was able to pick up exactly where I left off, remembering everything because the story was just so memorable. The characters were really well thought out as well because they actually stayed with me and seemed a little more developed than I would usually find in a cozy mystery and I enjoyed seeing the different dynamics between them as well which added to the overall story.

 

All in all, I thought Relative Danger was a really good read. It was a cozy mystery but it was one that made me use my brain as well because I didn't see how the mystery was going to be solved until it was solved. With great characters, a complex plot and a solid writing style I can't wait to read the next book in the Cealie Gunther series.

 

I would highly recommend this book to fans of the cozy mystery genre who want something a little stronger than the usual fluff without getting too intense. If novels with plot lines that are both equally plot and character driven than this might just be the next series you should start.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Mystery/Crime Reading Challenge

Really Liked It!
★★★★

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I, Claudia (Claudia Seferius #1) by Marilyn Todd

 

Summary:

 

First in the Claudia Seferius mystery series, set in 13 B. C. and available for the first time in ebook format!

Claudia Seferius has successfully flattered her way into marriage with a wealthy Roman wine merchant. But when her secret gambling debts spiral, she hits on another resourceful way to make money - offering her “personal services” to high-ranking Roman Citizens.

Unfortunately her clients are now turning up dead - the victims of a sadistic serial killer.

When Marcus Cornelius Orbilio, the handsome investigating officer, starts digging deep for clues, Claudia realizes she must track down the murderer herself - before her husband discovers what she's been up to.Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 336 pages(Kindle)

Source: Review Copy

Publication Date: May 29th 2013 by Untreed Reads (first published 1995)  

 

I love a good mystery, and I love a good historical novel but I love it even more when the two come together which is why I was so excited to have the opportunity to read and review I, Claudia by Marilyn Todd. Reading books set in the ancient world is one of my favourite things to do especially when they're both witty and require a bit of brain power to read.

 

I, Claudia is the first novel in Marilyn Todd's Claudia Seferius series of historical mysteries, and am I ever glad I got the chance to read it since it was only released in E-book format this past May. Right away I was sucked into the story that Todd wrote.

 

Claudia Seferius is not your cuddly housewife, she is not soft nor kind. She's actually quite bitchy, which would usually irritate the hell out of me but in this case I loved it! It was so refreshing to read about a character who wasn't all nicey-nice. I liked her fire and how riled up she would get but I mostly loved her snarky attitude. She was conniving and plotting and I thought that those were really rare qualities to come across in a main character in a mystery novel where she herself is solving the crimes.

 

I loved the way the novel was laid out. It was fast paced, full of cynicism, wit and intrigue and I found it completely and utterly addictive. Besides our heroine Claudia we were introduced to a wide cast of characters that had both good and bad qualities and many of them along with the murderer took some time to figure out just who was who in terms of the series of murders that Claudia and Marcus Orbilio are trying together (very reluctantly I might add).

 

The dynamic between Claudia and Marcus was intriguing, as Claudia is a married woman and Orbilio an officer of the law and he isn't entirely too sure about Claudia's claims of innocence or about who she says she is. Whilst Claudia isn't so sure that the crimes are the real motivation behind Orbilio's interest in her, but boy oh boy is there chemistry.

 

I loved the way that Todd infused the perfect amount of mystery, and intrigue into her novel while balancing it with a historical atmosphere that I thought was both rich and authentic. Finding out who the murder was in the end really caught me off guard because I didn't see it coming at all, and I loved that Todd kept me guessing right up until the very end.

 

Overall, I found I, Claudia to be a really great read and I'm most definitely looking forward to reading the other books in the Claudia Seferius mystery series in the near future depending on whether or not I can get my hands on them.

 

I would recommend I, Claudia to fans of historical mysteries with a strong female lead who isn't your average heroine, set in a time and place that is unique and well written and for those who enjoy reading mysteries that will keep them guessing the identity of the murderer right up until the very end.

 

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

 

Loved It!
★★★★★

 

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To visit Marilyn's Website CLICK HERE

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*[Blog Tour Review] The Roots of Betrayal (Clarenceux Trilogy #2) by James Forrester

 

Summary:

 

 1564: Catholic herald William Harley, Clarenceaux King of Arms, is the custodian of a highly dangerous document. When it is stolen, Clarenceaux immediately suspects a group of Catholic sympathisers, the self-styled Knights of the Round Table.
Francis Walsingham, the ruthless protégé of the queen's Principal Secretary, Sir William Cecil, intercepts a coded message from the Knights to a Countess known to have Catholic leanings. He is convinced that Clarenceaux is trying to use the document to advance the cause of the Catholic Queen.
And soon Clarenceaux enters a nightmare of suspicion, deception and conspiracy. Conflict and fear, compounded by the religious doubts of the time, conceal a persistent mystery. Where has the document gone? Who has it and who really took it? And why? The roots of betrayal are deep and shocking: and Clarenceaux's journey towards the truth entails not just the discovery of clues and signs, but also the discovery of himself.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 438 pages (Paperback)

Source: Print Copy for review from Sourcebooks

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: May 7th 2013 by Sourcebooks Landmark

 

I loved the first novel in the Clarenceux Trilogy by James Forrester so I when I got the review request for the second novel I just had to say yes. It was my intention to refresh my memory by re-reading the first book in the series again before beginning this one but I never got around to it so my memory of where that book left off is a little fuzzy. Since the book is still so new and I don't want to give any spoilers away I won't go into detail about the plot or characters. Instead I will talk about my general feelings for those aspects of the book.

 

However, just because my memory of book one isn't fresh it didn't enjoy this second installment in the trilogy was just as good as the first. Once again we are swept up into author James Forrester's world of mystery and intrigue against a fabulous historical backdrop.

 

I loved the author's eye for detail. Since the author is in fact a historian his education clearly lends itself to his writing style. You can tell that there was an immense amount of effort to be historically accurate when he needed to be not only with dates, and names of important historical figures but of how life was when The Roots of Betrayal took place. Nothing annoys me more than finding an author that is talking about something like a device or something else that appears in their book but wasn't invented or brought to the time in question until 2 or 3 centuries ahead of the time they're discussing. Luckily, this author isn't one of those.

 

As for the characters, I really liked them all. While I loved how the characters were in the first book of the trilogy, I feel like the author did an even better job with them in The Roots of Betrayal. To me they just seemed as though they were a little more life like and I enjoyed learning about them in this installment.

 

Overall, James Forrester put forth a fantastic sequel and I really enjoyed the fast paced adventure and mystery that was between the covers of Roots of Betrayal. The writing was engaging, the plot was exciting and intricate set against a wonderful historical back drop and the characters were very well developed. I'm so happy that I was able to review this book and I cannot wait to see how this trilogy wraps up.

 

I would recommend this novel to fans that have read the first novel in the series Sacred Treason and I would recommend those who haven't begun this fantastic series yet to do so immediately. If you love historical fiction, historical mysteries and books set in the 1300's this might just be your next read.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

2013 Around the World Challenge

2013 Mystery/Crime Reading Challenge

 

 

Loved It!
★ ★ ★★★

 

To "Follow" James Forrester on Twitter CLICK HERE

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To visit James's Website CLICK HERE

To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE

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*[Blog Tour Review] Chronicle of the Mound Builders by Elle Marie

 

Summary:

 

Archaeologist Dr. Angela Hunter discovers an ancient codex at a Mississippian Indian dig site in the St. Louis area. Knowing the Mississippians, or Mound Builders, had no written language, she is determined to solve the mystery of the 700-year-old, perfectly preserved codex.

In the early 1300’s, an Aztec family is torn apart. A judge rebelling against the Aztec tradition of human sacrifice is cursed and escapes his enemies with his 12-year-old son. They travel from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River to settle in the thriving community of Migaduha, modern-day Cahokia Mounds, Illinois.

Angela recognizes the symbols as Aztec pictograms and begins to translate the story. However, other forces also want the codex and will do anything to get it. Can she learn the secrets of the chronicle before the tragic events of the past are repeated today?

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 408 pages (Paperback)

Source: Review Copy

Available Format: Print/E-book

Publication Date: October 29th 2012 by Createspace

 

I've always been interested in history but I have to admit that while I do know some things about ancient Native American civilizations that I haven't really come across too many historical fiction novels that center on the topic so when the tour invite for Chronicle of the Mound Builders came to me I knew I just had to take part of the tour.

 

Chronicle of the Mound Builders is a unique mixture of historical fiction and modern mystery. I enjoyed the author's way of going from present times to the past and back again in the course of the book. Sometimes when author's do this the story can become a little disjointed but Elle Marie surprised me in melding the past and the present together so well.

 

The characters in Chronicle of the Mound Builders were wonderful. I really liked Angela Hunter there was just something about her that I really liked and maybe it's her tenacity and her spirit that made me enjoy her so much although I am a little envious of her since she does have my dream job. I also liked her father Peter and Tototl the young boy who wrote the codex as all the other characters in the novel both the good guys and the bad which to me as a sign of a good author.

 

The plot was fantastic and I really loved the mystery behind the codex and where it lead Angela and her Father to as well as what they learned. The mixture of bringing the history behind the codex alive though was definitely my favourite part and it kept me on my toes. I liked the fact that I didn't know where the author was going in terms of the story line and every chapter while bringing me closer to the end of the book also brought the story to life more and more

 

Overall, I really enjoyed Elle Marie's debut and I wouldn't change a thing about it. The writing was strong, the character and plot were well developed and I liked the pace of the novel. There was plenty of detail in the story to bring it to life and lots of little plot twists to keep me on my toes while I read and had me guessing as to what would happen next.

 

I would highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction that is intertwined with a modern day mystery. The mixture of the two genres was flawless and the author's skill was surprisingly good and the story line was addictive and I loved how the author was able to bring the past alive.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

2013 Around the World Challenge

 

Loved It!
★★★★★

 

To become a "Fan" of Elle on Goodreads  CLICK HERE

To visit Elle's Website CLICK HERE

To purchase the book via iTunes CLICK HERE

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To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

2013 Mystery/Crime Reading Challenge

 

This challenge is being hosted by Amy from The Crafty Book Nerd!

Here are the details copied from Amy's blog:

 

2013 Mystery/Crime Reading Challenge

✰The challenge starts January 1, 2013 and ends December 31, 2013.

✰ You can read any novel, short story or author just so that the genre is mystery/crime.

✰  1 novel counts as 1 novel( 1 novel is anything over 100 pages) of course but you will have to read 5 short stories to count as 1 novel.

✰There will be a monthly post for you to add a link or links to your post showing the progress that you have made so far.

✰  Each month there will be a drawing for those that linked up their participation in the challenge for that month the prize is a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble.


If you don't have a blog you can also link up through GoodReads or Flickr (for Flickr just keep track by having a picture of the novel and then numbering them in the description so I know where you are at in the challenge).

If you read a certain number of novels you receive a rank at the end I will award a secret prize to the person who reads the most books:

5 books= Detective

10 books = Sergeant

15 books = Lieutenant

20 books = Captain

25 books = Chief

30+ books = Sherlock Holmes

 

For this challenge I think I'm going to go for 10 books but I may increase this as the year goes on.

 

Have you signed up for this challenge? If you did how many books are you planning to read? If not, what are you waiting for?