Week beginning 27 May 2026

Nicholas Fogg The Tudor Theatre 1576-1642 Pen & Sword, January 2026. Thank you, Net Galley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review. Nicholas Fogg has brought so much to the history of the Tudor theatre in its golden age. Visiting The Globe on the South Bank, or Stratford-Upon-Avon and attending the Royal ShakespeareContinue reading “Week beginning 27 May 2026”

Week beginning 22 May 2026

Dr Christopher Herbert Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry Pen & Sword | Pen & Sword History, May 2025. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review. Christoher Herbert’s history employs one of the most useful strategies when dealing with a subject for whom the material is sparse. In this case, there is anContinue reading “Week beginning 22 May 2026”

Week beginning May 13, 2026

Jane Davis The Bookseller’s Wife The Chiswell Street Chronicles Volume 1, Rossdale Print Productions, March 2024.* Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review. Dorcas Turton is an engaging character whose story takes place in the 1770s. She is the daughter of Samuel Turton, whom her mother married so as toContinue reading “Week beginning May 13, 2026”

Week beginning 6 May 2026

Victoria Purman The Marriage Trap Harlequin Australia, HQ (Fiction, Non Fiction, YA) & MIRA | HQ, April 2026 Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review. I regret having come late to Victoria Purman’s historical fiction, and of the many books she has published I have read only two: The Radio Hour andContinue reading “Week beginning 6 May 2026”

Week beginning April 29 2016

Michael Ridpath Operation Berlin Boldwood Books, April 2026. Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for this uncorrected proof for review. Having recently reread Michael Ridpath’s financial thrillers I found it difficult to change pace with this more elegant approach to murder. Operation Berlin has a certain charm, which grows as the narrative moves toward revealingContinue reading “Week beginning April 29 2016”

Week beginning 22 April 2026

Anjali Enjeti Ballot Bloomsbury Academic, February 2026. Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review. Ballot makes an enlightened and enlightening contribution to the Object Lessons series. It is passionate, without being didactic, politically astute in its descriptions of voting practices and advice on how these have impactedContinue reading “Week beginning 22 April 2026”

Week beginning 15 April, 2026

Kate Stephenson The Book Lover’s Guide to Edinburgh Pen & Sword | White Owl, January 2026. Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review. Kate Stephenson’s Guide is not only a notable practical resource, but a pleasure to read. Well designed and clearly explained walks become literary explorations asContinue reading “Week beginning 15 April, 2026”

Week beginning 8 April 2026

Eurie Dahn, Snack, Bloomsbury Academic, February 2026. Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic, for this uncorrected proof for review. Snack is another title in the Object Lessons publications that can be so much fun, as well as making a serious contribution to information about the wide range of topics they address. Snack is less entertainingContinue reading “Week beginning 8 April 2026”

Week beginning April 1 2026

Clare Mackintosh, The Butler, Podium Entertainment, June 2026. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review. The Butler sets a pace that is quite different from Clare Mackintosh’s previous novels, and I had to adapt to the pace and tone. Once having done so, I was impressed with this writer’s abilityContinue reading “Week beginning April 1 2026”

Week beginning 25 March 2026

Thomas S. Hischak Bringing Song and Dance to the ScreenDirectors of Golden Age Hollywood Musicals Bloomsbury Academic, October 2025. Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review. The tone, the language, the content: all lead the reader on a remarkable journey through musicals in the Golden Age ofContinue reading “Week beginning 25 March 2026”