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SUMMARY: 1868 Ottawa
D’Arcy McGee is assassinated. As John A. Macdonald cradles his friend’s bloody head, he blames transplanted Irish terrorists: the Fenian Brotherhood. Within a day, Patrick James Whelan is arrested. After a show trial, Whelan is publicly hanged. That much is history. But did Whelan do the deed?
The BookViral Review: Genre – Historical British and Irish Literature
Captivatingly authentic historical drama unfolds with Clara Swift determined to unravel the full truth behind ‘Canada’s first nationalist’ Thomas D’Arcy McGee’s death. It’s not a delicate story for hardship prevails throughout with the bitter undertones of political unrest and the shadow of violence ever-pervasive, but this is life as it was in 1868 and Shortell captures it with unbridled passion. Striking a faultless balance between lavish detail and an intriguing narrative that readily captivates the imagination readers should be in no doubt there’s an acerbic mind behind the pen with Shortell ably translating historical fact into a fiction that manifests a palpable sense of time and place.
This alone makes for compelling reading, but Shortell’s novel is further elevated to a class of its own through her proclivity for dialogue that is both haunting and revealing. Encouraging reflection and begging the question, how much have the years really changed us? For whilst Clara Swift’s story is constrained to a tightly defined period, it is a tale that repeats itself time after time as deeply ingrained social and religious prejudices prevail.
A superb read from Ann Shortell and a must read for discerning fans of Historical and Mystery Fiction. Celtic Knot is recommended without reservation.
Authentically capturing a bygone era in which women were viewed as the prizes in a male game Strange Eden is a showdown between its style and story. Combining Giordano’s slick, high-tension writing with the values and sexual stereotyping of a bygone era whilst reminding us of love’s sometimes harrowing consequences in times past.
An intensely fascinating read where we quickly come to understand who the characters are and what their lives are like Rude Awakening proves a fine start to James’ Barwell Trilogy series.
Definitions differ as to what constitutes a ‘genuine’ historical novel and when the term ’historical novel’ might properly be used. More importantly it begs the question as to What Makes Bestselling Historical Fiction Novels.
You know the ones! The edge of your seat, knuckle gnawing, nail biting books. So, what makes for a good plot. Is there a magic recipe? Or is it just potluck?
As the years advance, I have lost count of how many books I’ve read but on reflection, it hardly seems relevant. What is truly noteworthy is how many leave a lasting impression on us.
History and present day testifies to the struggles women face and have faced to earn what should be the natural right of all humankind – fairness.
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