Published
by Allison & Busby,
19 January 2017.
ISBN: 978-0-7490-2028-6
19 January 2017.
ISBN: 978-0-7490-2028-6
Mercia Blakewood
is on a commission for the newly-restored King Charles II, in the hope that he
will restore her family’s estates for her son. However, newly landed in
America, she hears first of a drowned minister with a strange coded message in
his pocket. Then her new friend, Clemency, the healer of the pioneer village
Meltdown, is found murdered.
This
historical novel moves the heroine from the relative safety of what will become
New York out into pioneer country, and then into an Indian encampment, and one
of the book’s strengths is its vivid descriptions of these locations. Mercia is
a feisty heroine who is determined to make her own decisions, and when she is
asked to leave Meltwater after Clemency’s murder, we know she’s not going to
leave it at that – nor does she. The people around her are also well drawn,
both pleasant, like her would-be lover Nathan and her manservant Nicholas, and
unpleasant, like the inaptly named constable, Humility Thomas. The plot is
intricate, and the events throughout the book keep the story moving quickly.
The prose and period details give an archaic feel to the story.
This novel follows straight on from the events
of Hingley’s first book, Birthright, and
because the characters are still recovering from the traumatic events of that
story, Puritan contains a number of
spoilers – so, if this sounds your kind of book, I would recommend reading that
first.
------
Reviewer:
Marsali Taylor
David Hingley was born in the English Midlands. After a
Spanish and Russian degree at the University of Manchester, he headed south to
London to work for a decade in government. In 2013 he moved to New York, where
he wrote his debut novel Birthright.
He has also lived in Paris, on the literary Left Bank. In addition to his love
of history, he has a passion for travel, most recently a number of road-trips
through over forty American states. He has now returned to England and is
writing his second book.
@dhingley_author
Marsali Taylor grew
up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is
currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her
husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who
is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive
dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a
keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of
her local drama group. Marsali also does
a regular monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.
A review of her recent book Ghosts of the Vikings can be read here.
www.marsalitaylor.co.uk
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