You Betrayed Me (The Cahills #3) by Lisa Jackson

 An entertaining and complicated mystery thriller that involves murder, greed, revenge, big money, and fatal attraction.

James Cahill is the son of a San Francisco family with vast wealth but he has moved away to Riggs Crossing, Washington, to start his own enterprises -- building tiny houses, a Christmas tree farm, and a quaint little inn. Unfortunately, he's the target of a lot of gold diggers due to his good looks and eventual inheritance. He wakes up in the local hospital with a head injury and amnesia. His current girlfriend, Megan Travers, is missing. Detective Brett Rivers and his partner, Wynonna Mendoza, soon come calling with many questions. It quickly becomes clear that Megan was not James's only girlfriend and this complicates the investigation into Megan's disappearance. NO SPOILERS.

What a convoluted tale full of a huge cast of characters told in multiple viewpoints. I struggled to find even one character that I liked as they were all complex and some were very nasty. Although it was fast-paced, there was a lot of repetition and my least favorite parts were those written italics. I had not read the previous 2 books in this series, but this felt OK as a standalone and seemed complete.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

 

This is the third book in a series but I did not read the previous 2.

Genre - Mystery/thriller

Murder on the Dance Floor (Kitty Underhay #4) by Helena Dixon

 Another delightful installment in this cozy mystery series set in Devon, England. This 4th features Miss Kitty Underhay, whose grandmother owns the Dolphin Hotel, in her latest adventure.

It's autumn, 1933, and Kitty is attending the annual Hotelier's Association Dinner and Dance with her love interest, Captain Matthew Bryant, when one of the guests at their table collapses and dies. Poisoned. Councillor Harold Everton was known as an honest businessman, but soon there are hints of fraud and bribery in the local council. Who wanted him dead and why? As Kitty and Bryant dig around trying to find clues to solve the case, other trouble is brewing. In addition, Kitty continues her quest to find out what happened to her mother who went missing 17 years ago.

Fast and fun, I really enjoy this period in history and love all the details the author interjects to make the era come alive on the page. I've followed this series from the beginning and it's one of my favorites in this genre. I look forward to seeing what's next for Kitty and Matthew.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. 

This is the 4th in a series that should be read in order.

Genre: cozy historical mystery, romance

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

"Some of us like the dark. It's what we know."

A haunted motel. Ghosts. Murder. Are you in the mood for a chilling thriller?

Carly Kirk heads to Upstate New York in 2017. She wants to find out what happened to her aunt, Vivian Delaney, who disappeared from Fell, New York, thirty-five years ago. Viv was working at the Sun Down Motel when she went missing, leaving all her personal belongings behind and lots of questions though the police investigation was minimal. As Carly insinuates herself into life there, even taking the same job Viv held as night clerk at the Sun Down, Carly finds that something strange is really going on there. The motel seems frozen in 1982 and Carly soon falls prey to the mysteries that consumed Viv. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this. It was so well-written that I could not put it down and I read it much more slowly than I typically do most other novels. The characters were engaging and, even though I'm not typically enamored with the supernatural in books, I found myself totally captivated by the atmosphere and the narrative. The story is told in shifts back and forth in time between present day and 1982 with the points of view of both Carly and Viv. I couldn't help but see that this book would make a fantastic film with all of the scary elements and amateur sleuthing. Simply a great story and I definitely plan to look for more titles by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - supernatural elements, mystery, thriller

The Deep by Alma Katsu

"She is not mad. But there is something in her that is hospitable to madness."

As I close the file and prepare to write this review, all I can think is, WHAT DID I JUST READ? Certainly the entire story was not what I was expecting even given the hints of the supernatural and Gothic elements within. Yes, it is historical fiction in that the thriller is centered on the very real Titanic and its sister ship, the Britannic. The author says that she was particularly inspired by a memoir written by Violet Jessop, a woman who did survive both disasters. I'm not merely speculating when I say that I'm certain that the events in this novel do not have even a remote connection to that memoir.  Many of us are morbidly fascinated by the sinking of the Titanic and the huge loss of life on that terrible night especially given that we've probably read other books or seen the blockbuster film.

The narrative shifts in time between 1912 and 1916 and is told from the point of view of Annie Hebbley, who was first a stewardess on the Titanic and then, 4 years later, a nurse on the Britannic. The story draws you in and the prose sets a mood that makes the reader uncertain about what is really going on in either time period. I enjoyed the descriptions of the famous ships and the goings on of the real famous people who were on the voyage of the Titanic. The activities and thoughts of those historical persons, however, definitely require you to take it all with a huge shaker of salt in this novel. It took quite awhile before all the pieces came together for me and although I enjoyed it well enough, it just all seemed pretty over-the-top crazy to me in the end. Hopefully that won't be your experience!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP G.P. Putnam's Sons for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - supernatural suspense, historical fiction
 

Her Final Prayer (Detective Clara Jefferies Book 2) by Kathryn Casey

"Life held such contradictions. People died, and the next morning others woke and started a new day...We still ached for revenge."

This is the second in a series featuring Detective Clara Jefferies, police chief in Alber, Utah, returned recently to her hometown from Dallas, Texas after 10 years. Clara grew up in Alber as a child belonging to a fundamentalist Mormon town that adhered to the principle of plural marriage. She was married off to an old man age at 17 and fled her home and is now shunned by Elijah's People because she disavowed all of their teachings. Including her own mothers and family. Now she's back there and still not accepted even as she tries to do her job for all of them.

In this case, a family massacre. Two mothers and two children murdered on their property and their husband, Jacob Johansson, lying on the kitchen floor near death with his throat slit. Upstairs a newborn baby remains the only one in the family unmolested. Who has committed this heinous crime and why. Clara and her former teenage boyfriend, Chief Deputy Max Anderson, examine the evidence, interrogate witnesses, and track down suspects to find the killer. NO SPOILERS.

I enjoyed this especially because of the setting and the interesting glimpse into an unusual religious society in modern day. I like the main character even though she's as messed up emotionally from her past as any female in this genre. I was hoping that the ending wouldn't be what it was because I had guessed it right away, so that was a bit of a disappointment. Hopefully the next book will put Clara in a better place with her personal relationships and I look forward to reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

 

This is the second in a series that should be read in order.

Genre - Crime thriller, female detective, religious sect, USA

 

Dead Perfect (DC Maggie Jamieson #3) by Noelle Holten

In this third book of the series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson from the Major and Organized Crime Department (MOCD) in Staffordshire, she and her associates are on the hunt for a killer who is targeting victims that look like her close friend, Dr. Kate Moloney. When two women are killed who are made up to look like Kate, the team goes to great lengths to protect her from this stalker who seems suspiciously close and knows way too much about Kate. The investigation is long and complicated and Kate is not happy about the safety measures put in place. Can Maggie and her colleagues find the man the papers have dubbed the "Living Doll Killer" before Kate becomes his next doll?

This was a quick read, but so easy to guess and predict the outcome. Maggie's personality sometimes gets on my nerves and her obsession with Kate certainly distracts her from her job. Other characters from the two previous books are also still hanging around and interacting inter-departmentally with the Staffordshire unit. I feel like the books in the series should be read in order from the beginning, but that's just my preference and the way I've done it so not sure if this would work as a standalone or not. Typical British crime thriller all around with lots of acronyms thrown about, definite police procedural techniques, and lots of suspects to run down. I'm looking forward to the next installment as this one ends with a tease.

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the third in series, read in order.

Genre - British crime fiction, police procedural, bisexual main character, female detective

The Girls in the Snow (Nikki Hunt #1) by Stacy Green

 A solid start to a new series featuring FBI Special Agent Nicole (Nikki) Hunt. The story is fast, a bit repetitive with the slow reveal of the backstory, but an entertaining read. I look forward to continuing installments as I anticipate some changes in Nikki's professional and personal life subsequent to the conclusion of this one.

It's bitterly cold in Stillwell, Minnesota, when Nikki Hunt returns to her hometown to investigate the discovery of two murdered teenage girls found frozen in the snow. The 15-year-olds had disappeared without a trace two months earlier and local police were unable to find them, hence the call to the FBI. Liaising with Sergeant Kent Miller out of the sheriff's office, Nikki and her team quickly discount the bodies as the work of a serial killer they are hunting known as the Frost Killer. The two dead girls are Kaylee Thomas and Madison Malone, high school freshmen, and the team quickly gets busy with interviews and investigation. Nikki is somewhat distracted, however, because of her past association with the town -- her parents were murdered in the family home over 20 years prior -- and Nikki, a 16-year-old schoolgirl, had discovered the bodies and testified against the only suspect, Mark Todd. Now it seems that new evidence has come to light indicating that Mark may not have been the killer after all. With those protests in the background, Nikki has to face the fact that there may have been a miscarriage of justice all while trying to catch the villain responsible for the current deaths. In addition, Nikki has to deal with her old high school boyfriend, John Banks, another person she had left behind when she escaped Stillwell those many years ago. NO SPOILERS.

Although I found this quite predictable and easily guessed how everything would turn out quite quickly, I did enjoy the writing and the story line. I was quite glad that the arc related to Nikki's parents was completed so that she can deal with a completely fresh situation in the next book as I do not like when that sort of thing drags on. Nikki is divorced with a young daughter and her personal life will likely be examined a bit more as well as what I guess will be a focus on her hunt for The Frost Killer. I'm looking forward to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

 

This is the first in a new series featuring this protagonist and I will read in order.

Genre - police procedural, crime thriller, female FBI agent

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

 "But people, you know, they like having someone to blame, don't they? The like knowing who the bad person is."

This is a very slow, dark psychological thriller told from three different points of view. There's Owen Pick, 33 years old, disgraced and suspended from his teaching job after allegations of sexual harassment, whose pitiful living situation puts him directly across the street from the Fours family. Cate and Roan Fours live in a rented flat with their teenage children, Georgia and Josh. Roan is a child psychologist with Cate pretty much a stay-at-home mom. Their marriage is a bit rocky as Cate doesn't trust Roan due to his past behavior and inability to remain faithful. And lastly, there's Saffyre Maddox. She's now 17 years old but is a former patient of Roan's with a history of self-harming. Saffyre felt abandoned when she was pronounced "cured" and has taken to stalking Roan and his family. Things are happening on the street both inside the homes and outside in the dark. Saffyre is watching until the night she disappears. NO SPOILERS.

I feel like this drug on forever and I had no problem putting it down for long periods of time as it was hard for me to get into the narrative. I was unable to identify with any of the characters but Owen's part of the story made me very anxious for him. I didn't find any twists and turns as it all seemed predictable but the content themes of sexual assault, involuntary celibacy (incel), rape fantasy, adultery, were addressed by the characters and the story line. This was not my favorite Lisa Jewell novel, but it was OK.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - psychological thriller, family drama

The Girl in White Gloves - A Novel of Grace Kelly by Kerri Maher

"Mother, wife, princess...they were all roles, even if she hadn't fully digested the script when she accepted the part."

This fictionalized account of Grace Kelly, Hollywood icon and Monaco's Princess, is entertaining and informative while also acknowledging the liberties the author admits taking with Grace's life and times. Since we all live two-faced lives -- the one inside and the one the world sees -- it's always hard to know exactly what someone was thinking and feeling at a particular time. I always take any type of account or story of a person with a grain of salt. That said, this novel gives readers a glimpse into scenes that encompassed 33 years of Grace's life both as an actress and then as the wife of Prince Rainier. This was a different time and certainly a different world to now, but many of the themes of the ambitious woman who wants a successful career along with motherhood are addressed.

Frankly, what I felt for Grace Kelly -- other than admiration for her talent and drive -- was sympathy. At the brink of superstardom, she marries her prince but basically loses herself. It takes years before she starts carving a new niche for herself in the 1950s when women were still very much under the thumb of society thinking men were in charge. Grace gave up so much to be married to Prince Rainier and her life was not the fairy tale it must have seemed to all who watched her on the world stage.

I enjoyed reading this well-researched novelization that provides insight into this American film actress and now I have the strong urge to go look up and see the films as I think I'll view them in a different light now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this E-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series

Genre - historical fiction, Grace Kelly, novel not biography

The Innocent Girls (Detective Casey White Book 2) by B.R. Spangler

 This is the second book to feature Detective Casey White who works in the Outer Banks town of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. I'm still trying to figure out how the title relates to the book's plot and characters, so maybe someone can help me with that!

A series of gruesome murders rocks the Outer Banks and all of the victims seem to have childhood ties to the area. Some of those killed even have peculiar marks carved into their bodies and Casey tries to get her team to figure out what those mean -- is it some sort of ritualistic inscription related to the solstice? After a dogged investigation, Casey feels that these deaths have something to do with a nearby traveling church that has exploded in popularity though she can't quite figure out the connection. And do the children of the murdered have anything to do with these crimes? As always, Casey is constantly searching for her own missing daughter, Hannah, who was kidnapped before her eyes many years ago but would be 17 years old soon. Casey and her team are going to be very busy until those responsible are behind bars. NO SPOILERS.

This was fast-paced although it seemed overly long to me. The case was complicated and not particularly riveting although the grisly factor was quite high. Casey's character is rounded out and she makes some important discoveries as she moves into a more permanent relationship with her boyfriend, Jericho Flynn. I enjoyed it and will likely want to continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

 

This is the second in the series and I like to read them in order.

Genre - Police procedural, crime thriller, female detective, Outer Banks

The Faces of Doctor Richards by Steve Jaffe

 What a crazy and wild medical sci-fi rollercoaster I just rode! Although the "science" is way out there, "this entire case is one step away from the Twilight Zone and bordering on X-Files..."

Dr. Todd Richards has discovered and perfected a secret serum that allows him the ability to transform himself into anyone else. The only problem is that his research protocols require him to use fetal stem cells and that means he needs a steady supply of pregnant women willing to undergo abortion. In Richards' world, the USA has overturned Roe v Wade and abortion is now illegal. He needs to find subjects, however, and has managed to do so by securing 5 women who desire keeping their youthful faces and bodies. The price is their fetus. Meanwhile, the FBI, CIA,  Homeland Security, and every other agency wants a piece of Dr. Richards. In fact, the President has decided that experiments using this serum should go forward to protect the security of the United States. Wouldn't it be amazing if the military operatives could infiltrate any terrorist cell or other enemy camp by using this incredible ability? Dr. Richards, unfortunately, doesn't want to play this game and he has his own special plans. NO SPOILERS.

This book was fast and fun even though it really required a huge leap to suspend disbelief. There was a huge cast of characters and it was hard at times to keep everyone slotted into their places but the usual variety of good guys and bad guys. I would have enjoyed this thriller so much more had the ARC I was reading been edited. The errors were quite distracting, but I pushed past and couldn't help but imagine this as a blockbuster movie. I read it over several hours as I found it totally kept my attention wondering what would happen next.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend to fans of this genre.

 This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - medical science fiction, abortion, fetal tissue experimentation, stem cells

Where Light Comes and Goes (#2 Dr. Abby Wilmore) by Sandra Cavallo Miller

 I happened to take a very nice trip down memory lane today. Growing up as the eldest daughter of a family practice physician (called a GP in the old days), I spent many hours in my father's office and so much about this book took me way back to those days. How I loved working there, meeting the patients, learning some skills, and performing all sorts of other duties. You just can't beat the variety of illnesses and ailments seen in such a place. As an RN now, I really enjoy novels with a medical bent and this one hit that sweet spot. Enough clinical detail to satisfy with a continuation of the story that started when I "met" Dr. Abigail (Abby) Wilmore in THE COLOR OF ROCK. Abby is a family practice physician who goes to Yellowstone National Park for a 3-month summer stint at a new clinic there that caters to tourists and the people who live or work in the area.

It was particularly fun to be able to read this second in the series immediately after finishing the first. I must say that I enjoyed this one more, probably because I just skimmed the parts that had to do with Abby's sex life and focused on the parts that interested me. I love how the author describes the beauty of the National Parks and it certainly gave me some travel lust to visit both the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. The patients and their cases were varied and the activities in the clinic demonstrated that family practice is always surprising as one never knows who, with what, will come through the doors. It was a great mix of scenery and medicine augmented by the geology, astronomy, and seismology that the author inserts to further educate and entertain.

Abby is a fun character but she certainly manages to get herself into some predicaments and she is growing on me. I really liked all the other secondary characters in the story as well as the author provides them with personality and depth. This one also had a bit of a mystery: who is killing the bison and why. In all, a very enjoyable book and I am really hoping for another in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Nevada Press for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is the second of two books in the series and I read them in order.

Genre - mystery, romance, medicine, female physicians, National Parks, Yellowstone

The Color of Rock (#1 Dr. Abby Wilmore) by Sandra Cavallo Miller

 I love to read books about medicine, female doctors, and disease so I was eager for this one written by an author who is a retired academic family physician. I loved the Grand Canyon setting and the details about the activities at the clinic, but I was really disappointed with all the romance and sex as I feel it detracted from the interesting aspects of the story.

Dr. Abigail Wilmore comes to the canyon from Phoenix and is trying to manage her own anxiety disorder and start over in the more rural setting working at a clinic that handles the medical needs of many tourists and a few people who actually live in the area. She handles the challenging workload, develops a few professional relationships, and finds love. NO SPOILERS.

I have the second book featuring this character from NetGalley and University of Nevada Press on my review shelf, so I wanted to read the first in the series before tackling it. I liked Abby enough to find out more about her, but am really more curious about the unique setting and hope there is more of the medical practice in this next one and less sex/romance. 

This is the first in at least two books with this protagonist and I will read in order.

Genre - Romance/sex, female doctor, Grand Canyon

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger

 "How complicated we all are; even the worst among us might still be worthy of love."

Things fall apart for Selena Murphy after she meets a stranger on the 7:45 train in this interesting psychological thriller. The woman calls herself Martha and Selena finds herself telling her about the problems in her life -- including mentioning that Selena thinks her husband, Graham, might be having an affair with their nanny. Of course Selena wishes her problems would all go away and that she might continue to keep up the facade of her perfect family and marriage. well, that's not going to happen. NO SPOILERS.

I'm sure it hasn't escaped most adult women that so much of what happens to women is because of their association with particular types of men. Good or bad, men have a huge influence on their happiness. A large number of incarcerated women are in prison because of men, how they were *mistreated by men, cheated on, lied to, manipulated, hurt -- it goes on. Even so, women are largely have themselves to blame for where they end up. A famous saying, "You are not responsible for what happened to you as a child, but you are 100% responsible, as an adult, for fixing it."

In this book, the women are quite damaged. All of them. Because of the men in their lives and the decisions they made around them. I never really developed any fondness for Selena nor did the pity party come out for Pearl. The writing was good, but the narrative seemed quite drawn out and a bit choppy with the alternating viewpoints and time leaps. I anticipated the twists so wasn't surprised or shocked by the reveals or climax. Always reminded of the fact that the biggest and worst lies are those we tell ourselves.

Thank you to Harlequin Park Row for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Genre - psychological thriller, domestic drama, revenge, infidelity, violence

First Girl Gone (Charlie Winters #1) by L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain

 Private Investigator Charlie Winters searches for a missing girl in this mystery thriller. She's come back to Salem Island after many years and this abduction hits too close to home. When she was a teenager, Charlie's twin sister Allie vanished and this case is a huge reminder. Who has taken Kara and why? Charlie's a little out of her typical caseload on this one, but is making progress until another family reports another missing daughter.

I think I would have liked this more if the "voice" of Allie wasn't speaking constantly to Charlie. I didn't care for the use of that narrative device and it annoyed me so much that I just couldn't really appreciate this story. I didn't care for Charlie as a character and I guessed the "bad guy" much too easily. I did finish the book, but I don't believe I'll be reading another in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

 

This is the first in a series.

Genre - mystery/thriller

Kill Chain by Dominic Martell (a Pascual Rose thriller)

 Fast-paced and suspenseful spy thriller with lots of action and a whirlwind tour of so many different countries that it may make your head spin!

Pascual Rose has been out of the terrorist business for 20 years and is now residing quietly in Barcelona with a new identity and a boring translator job. Thinking he's living a peaceful middle-aged life, Pascual is yanked back into action when his cellphone and laptop are hacked by a man and woman who want him to do a little job for them. This piece of criminal activity may cost him dearly as they've threatened the safety of his wife and son, but if he pulls it off, they promise him one million euros. The task involves a money laundering diversion of massive proportions and there's danger at every turn. As he travels from one locale to another, setting up accounts here and there, he finds that he can't trust anyone because he doesn't know who is behind the scheme. NO SPOILERS.

This was a fun read if you like complicated cross and double-cross narratives with lots of shady characters and mysterious, threatening situations. He's no James Bond, but Pascual didn't forget everything from his past days as an operative. I enjoyed the descriptions of the different countries and felt the tension build as he finally started getting some answers when the plot came to its climax. With every move and each decision comes danger. I found the character of the protagonist to be quite complex and interesting even when situations seemed impossible. I haven't read any of the book in the original series featuring Pascual Rose but may have to search them out.

Thank you to Tracy at Meryl Moss Media for sending along this ARC for me to read, review, and recommend. 

This is part of the Pascual Rose series but can be read as a standalone.

Genre - spy thriller, cryptocurrency, money laundering

The Evening and the Morning (prequel Kingsbridge series) by Ken Follett

I read PILLARS OF THE EARTH over 30 years ago but never forgot the impact that the book had on my reading life. For many years, it was the my most recommended book of all time even though it, at over 1000 pages, it would be one of the longest most of us had read. Diving into a Kingsbridge novel, then, is definitely a commitment but assures transport to another time, another world.

This historical fiction is the 4th Follett has written in the series, but is, in fact a prequel. Within the first several pages, however, any inclination to romanticize England just after the Dark Ages should/will be immediately put aside. The fall of the Roman Empire resulted in a deterioration of Western Europe that was characterized by economic hardship, intellectual darkness, and upheaval throughout the land with many warring factions and some very poor leadership. This novel spans the time period of 997 CE to 1007 CE and describes the many social, cultural, and cognitive improvements made through great sacrifice.

The characters come alive on the pages and reflect the different classes of people that appear in a section of land that comes to be known as Kingsbridge. Some there by choice and others by coercion. At the heart of it is Edgar, the protagonist, who loses his home in Combe when Vikings raid and results in the family having to move to a very backward place called Dreng's Ferry. As always, Follett frames his novel around a builder, and Edgar's transformation of both himself and the town. A second thread in the story revolves around Lady Ragna of Cherbourg, who comes to England after marrying an ealdorman. And the third piece concerns an evil and ambitious bishop who wants power and wealth. The interaction between the three central characters forms the action and narrative. NO SPOILERS.

I thought it would take me a bit longer to read this 982-page saga, but I found it really difficult to put down and devoured it quickly. Keeping all the different characters straight is easier that way, of course, plus the events and conflicts were absorbing. Follett's research provides incredible detail and description and I found it all compelling and fascinating. After finishing it, all I could think about was revisiting POTE again even though I almost never reread a book. If you've not read any of this series, this is definitely where you should start.

I can't come to grips with how awful life must have been during that time period. Life meant nothing and the extreme deprivation and hardship is hard to read about without wincing in distaste and shuddering with disgust. Women had basically zero rights or privileges even if wealthy or noble and law and order were largely absent. It never ceases to amaze me to realize what marvelous achievements were accomplished despite all of that and just how far we all have come.

So, definitely, I highly recommend this to all fans of historical fiction and especially those who have followed this series faithfully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the 4th book published but is actually a prequel to Pillars of the Earth and subsequent books in the series. It could be read as a standalone but best if you read all 4.

Genre - historical fiction, setting England, after the Dark Ages