Plague Land by S.D. Sykes (MYS Syk)

England in 1350 is a country devastated by the Plague.  Oswald de Lacy has been a novice in a monastery since he was seven but when his father and two older brothers die of the plague, he returns home to become Lord of Somershill Manor - at the age of eighteen.

Suddenly in charge, Oswald finds everything about him changed.  There are fewer people to work his lands and fewer people in general to do anything.  Terrified by what has happened to them, people search everywhere for an explanation.  Sin, superstition and astrology are prime causes.

When a young girl is found dead in the woods, her body slightly decayed, some blame the cynocephaly (or dog heads) for the attack.  But Oswald is not superstitious by nature and might even be an atheist.  Urged on by Brother Peter, who left the monastery with him, he begins the job of investigating.  Part of his inquiry focuses on why the dead girl visited him just hours before her disappearance.

When her sister disappears just days later Oswald battles not only local superstition but also the parish priest and another landowner in his efforts to solve the murders - and discover their connection to him.

This book captures eloquently the unrest and distrust that existed in that devastating time. Oswald must battle not just his inexperience and the lack of trust that people place in him but also the unrest of the times.  All around him seems dark, dreary and hopeless.  But in spite of that he perseveres, unable to rest until he discovers the truth.

A fascinating look at an interesting time.

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War of the Wives by Tamar Cohen FIC Coh

Here is the theme of this novel.  Two women have been married to the same man for years (one for 28 and the other for 17).  They think he is gone all of the time because he works in the Middle East.  When he dies they find out the truth.  This is certainly not a new theme and I have read my share of them.  However, I really like this one!  I thought the author did a great job of conveying all of the emotions that each family went through as they continue to uncover the mess that Simon left them.  Selma (28 years) lives in a big house with just her youngest child at home.  She hasn't worked in decades.  Lottie (17 years) lives with her teen-aged daughter.  She has always worked because Simon is always reminding her how expensive everything is.  It was okay when they lived in Dubai but when she wanted to move back to the UK he had bought a flat and the financial pressures just mounted on Simon.   An interesting novel about how people react when the world they know falls apart.

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Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner FIC Mei

     
I really enjoyed Meissner's last novel (A Fall of Marigolds) and I enjoyed this one just as much. It is another historical fiction novel.   In this book the background is the Blitzing of London and the evacuation of many London children.  It begins in modern times with Kendra an American student studying in Oxford.  To finish up her work she needs an interview with a survivor of the Blitz.  Unfortunately the person she was to interview died and now she is scrambling.  She gets a chance to meet with Isabel McFarland who never talks about the war years.  But now she is making an exception.  In fact she is going to let go of a lifetime of secrets.
     
She begins telling Kendra the story of two sisters - Emma (15 yrs. old) and her much younger sister, Julia.  They are evacuated from London for their own safety.  Emma, however, has a burning desire to become a wedding dress designer.  When she gets a chance to meet a possible mentor in London she makes plans to sneak away.  Julia catches on and insists that she go with her.  They arrive in London on the first day of the Blitz.
      An engaging story.

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The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth FIC McB

A fast-reading novel of suspense.  Six years ago Melody was viciously attacked.  She would have died if a dog-walker hadn't found her when he did.  As if the attack wasn't bad enough, the person who was arrested and sent to prison was David - a neighbor and a close friend.  Melody lost her trust in people and becomes very reclusive.  Now David has been released after serving his time and soon after there is another attack.  This time the victim isn't as lucky and the woman, named Eve, was dead.  The investigation into that murder forces Melody to relive what happened to her.  And now she is not sure if David could really have been responsible.  The story is narrated by Melody and by Eve's ghost!

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One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis FIC Ses

An interesting read that kept me guessing all of the way through the book - and of course I was wrong but I loved the journey.  The story skips back and forth between the characters of Emily Coleman (a happily married woman and mother) and Cat Brown (a woman trying to reinvent herself in London).  They are the same woman.  The mystery is why Emily would leave her life.  Why would she leave Ben alone to take care of Charlie?  Why would she put aside a career as a lawyer to be a temp at a switchboard?   Of course the answer to many of these questions is found in Emily/Cat's dysfunctional family history.  This is a debut novel and I look forward to the next one!

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