Author: Sam Thomas
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publish Date: January 7, 2014 (Today!)
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours
Why You're Reading This Book:
- You're a historical fiction fan.
- You like a little bit of mystery with your history.
From Goodreads.com: "It is August, 1645, one year since York fell into Puritan hands. As the city suffers through a brutal summer heat, Bridget Hodgson and Martha Hawkins are drawn into a murder investigation more frightening than their last. In order to appease God’s wrath—and end the heat-wave—the city’s overlords have launched a brutal campaign to whip the city’s sinners into godliness. But for someone in York, this is not enough. First a prostitute and her client are found stabbed to death, then a pair of adulterers are beaten and strangled. York’s sinners have been targeted for execution.
Bridget and Martha—assisted once again by Will, Bridget’s good-hearted nephew—race to find the killer even as he adds more bodies to his tally. The list of suspects is long: Hezekiah Ward, a fire and brimstone preacher new to York; Ward’s son, Praise-God, whose intensity mirrors his father’s; John Stubb, one of Ward’s fanatic followers, whose taste for blood may not have been sated by his time in Parliament’s armies. Or could the killer be closer to home? Will’s brother Joseph is no stranger to death, and he shares the Wards’ dreams of driving sin from the city.
To find the killer, Bridget, Martha, and Will must uncover the city’s most secret sins, and hope against hope that the killer does not turn his attention in their direction."
My Two Cents:
"The Harlot's Tale" marks the return of Lady Bridget, a midwife who also has a penchant for solving mysteries. I read "The Midwife's Tale" last year and really enjoyed it. I was looking forward to getting back to reading about Bridget (who is a fantastic character by the way). Needless to say, I was not disappointed.
You can most definitely read this book without having read "The Midwife's Tale" before (but you should go back and read the book because it is good). Historical mysteries are not my usual fare but what I liked about this book and the previous book in the series is that the characters are really great. Bridget is a really an amazing character. She is strong and she is smart. I loved following her as she tried to solve the mysterious and brutal murders happening in her small town.
This book is definitely fast paced. I really thought the author did a great job of giving readers a small clue about what happened with the murders without giving too much away. When I read a mystery, I don't want to be able to solve the mystery before the book ends. I love a good surprise and that is exactly what I got with this book.
I am hoping that there are more adventures planned for Bridget in future books!
Follow the Rest of the Tour:
Monday, January 6
Review at Unabridged Chick
Review at Words and Peace
Tuesday, January 7
Review at A Bookish Affair
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, January 8
Review at Broken Teepee
Interview at A Bookish Affair
Thursday, January 9
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Friday, January 10
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Monday, January 13
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Tuesday, January 14
Review at Impressions in Ink
Interview & Giveaway at A Chick Who Reads
Wednesday, January 15
Review at Book of Secrets
Thursday, January 16
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Friday, January 17
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Monday, January 20
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Tuesday, January 21
Review at The Most Happy Reader
Wednesday, January 22
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Interview at The Most Happy Reader
Thursday, January 23
Review at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Friday, January 24
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader
I have to say, I have sort of steered away from this book because of the mystery aspect - I'm not the biggest historical mystery fan because I find many are not that great (in my opinion). Glad to hear that this one is not like that and is fast paced.
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