Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold Holt

In the far North War is coming. The Christians are coming to convert the Norse - whatever it takes. Lives will be forged in the flames of battle... and, in Thilde Kold Holdt, a new name joins the ranks of great Storytellers.

I'll be the first to admit I have a passion for Norse stories and Viking tradition so as soon as I heard of this book I was after a copy. And it turned out much better than I hoped (and I had high hopes to start with). I love a story that takes you from wherever you are and transports you to the author's setting and this worked well here. Imagine, if you will, the far Northern lands, snow on the ground, cold winds blowing, a frost that bites. Now, when you are sat in the garden reading on a blazing hot day but you sense the cold rather than the heat - that is the mark of a good author.

And a good author is an understatement when it comes to Holdt. She writes from experience, having been a crew member on a Viking ship her knowledge comes through in her writing.

The world Thilde Kold Holdt has created is one I believed in and enjoyed spending time in, her characters feel real and I am very much looking forward to the next volume in The Hanged God trilogy - I can only see this saga getting better.

What surprised me (even though I knew already) is that this is a first time author - nobody should expect to be this good first time out. There are a lot of quality authors in the genre right now and with this debut it's time to make an extra space at the top table.

Northern Wrath - so good I read it twice 5/5*

It's only August but I can't see anything beating this so I'm naming Northern Wrath as The BlogCave's Debut Of The Year 2020 

The Last To Know by Jo Furniss

 

A family’s past pursues them like a shadow in this riveting and emotional novel of psychological suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of All the Little Children.

American journalist Rose Kynaston has just relocated to the childhood home of her husband, Dylan, in the English village of his youth. There’s a lot for Rose to get used to in Hurtwood. Like the family’s crumbling mansion, inhabited by Dylan’s reclusive mother, and the treacherous hill it sits upon, a place of both sinister folklore and present dangers.

Then there are the unwelcoming villagers, who only whisper the name Kynaston—like some dreadful secret, a curse. Everyone knows what happened at Hurtwood House twenty years ago. Everyone except Rose. And now that Dylan is back, so are rumors about his past.

When an archaeological dig unearths human remains on the hill, local police sergeant Ellie Trevelyan vows to solve a cold case that has cast a chill over Hurtwood for decades.

As Ellie works to separate rumor from fact, Rose must fight to clear the name of the man she loves. But how can Rose keep her family safe if she is the last to know the truth?

So, English village ✔️ Family returning to set up home in husband's ancestral home ✔️ Mystery and rumours about husband's family past✔️ Secrets unearthed ✔️

Yes, this book was just the kind of read I like. I don't know why stories set in this kind of location pull me in but there often seems a more 'community' feel to the supporting cast - and that was very much the case here. Does hubby have a secret in his past? Does gossip and rumour grow until falsehoods are believed as truth?

For me the story flowed well, with the two different view points, Rose - the wife struggling to settle in, and Ellie - the local police officer investigating human remains found at a nearby dig. How it all comes together makes for a good, enjoyable read.

Recommended 4/5*

Thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me to review this book

Family Business by Mark Eklid

 Welcome to the final day of the Blogtour for Mark Eklid's second novel, Family Business.

Family Business is the story of Graham, a librarian and history buff and his wife Janet. When Graham loses his job things look bad for them but then they meet Andreas - the previously unknown result of a drunken night in Graham's student days.

Or is he???

Turning up at just the right time Andreas offers Graham a job with his haulage company and somewhere to live and things just get more dodgy for them from there on in.

I thoroughly enjoyed this crime novel from Sheffield born Author Mark. It hits the perfect spot between cozy and dark with an ending that caught me out. I had read Mark's previous Novel, Sunbeam, after finding out he was a local lad and doing an event at my nearby library*. That was a very good and well written tale - this is even better.

Highly recommended 4/5 stars

*thanks to Covid this event hasn't happened yet so I have only met Mark online and the fact I know him online does not affect this review at all.

 
Thanks, as always, to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the tour and to Netgalley for providing a copy to review.

This may be the final day of the Blogtour but that means there are plenty of other reviews before mine for you to look at, so please do if you get a moment, thank you.