I'm reviewing Ravens Hill ...

... by friend and author, Garth Pettersen.  This is the fifth book in the Atheling Chronicles.  Read on to find out what I thought ...

I read a great deal, and not just particular types of fiction.  I also read non-fiction, too.  Some of the types of books I can’t resist are historicals.  I find they help fill gaps in my knowledge, and if the story is a good one, I get a lot of enjoyment out of living in a previous era for as long as it takes me to get from the first page to the last one.  I can honestly say that when I discovered there was another book in the Atheling Chronicles available for pre-order, I just had to buy it.

Battle-weary Harald, son of King Cnute, has returned from his warring exploits in Wales, and as a reward from his father, has been gifted land.  He and his wife Selia travel to their new estate.  Expecting to find the estate well managed by the incumbent Steward, Harald discovers he has walked into a feud.  There are tensions between the tenants and the Steward, there is open avarice about the estate from the neighbours, and there is general mistrust throughout the whole community.  It’s quite an undertaking that Harald, as the new Lord, has to handle with only Selia at his side, as he works out who he can trust, who he can’t.  When one murder becomes two, deliberate sabotage becomes obvious, and a significant threat to the whole community has to be dealt with, Harald and Selia really rise to the challenge.

I read a lot of crime novels and look to other types of stories to provide a little relief from that particular diet.  That being said, I also have to point out that this ‘who dunnit’ really kept me enthralled.  Whilst the murders are central to the plot, they are not the only threads running through the book.  The tension in the story gradually builds until it becomes a raging race to get to the end.  I read this book in two chunks because I just could not put it down.

It was really good to be back with Harald and Selia again in this, the fifth story in the Atheling Chronicles.  I enjoyed learning more about these two very well-defined and astute characters.  The ‘baddies’, and there are a few in this book, were equally as enticing to read – afterall, we all love to hate someone don’t we, and books most often gives us that opportunity!

The historical setting of the 11th century is very well handled and clearly fully researched – thanks, Garth, for the bibliography at the end of the book.  There are certainly a few of those that I will be reading in the future.  An excellent story that kept me turning the page right to the very end, and fully deserving of its five-star rating.

If you would like to know more about Garth and his books, check out my interview with him Here  You can read my review of the previous book, The Sea's Edge, Here 

You can get all of Garth's books on Amazon

Rivers of France

Photo courtesy of Rolph Kranz

… I’m picking up from where I left you in my last post about the rivers of France – Nevers.  You can read that post Here if you need to refesh your memory.  Otherwise, read on ... 

Nevers to La Charité-sur-Loire is a short hop, and the temptation is to head out of the city towards the RN7 and take the fast route to La Charité.  Please don’t!  If you leave Nevers on the minor road that leads to Cours-les-Barres and Fourchambault, but turn left onto the D40 and cross the river, you will be rewarded with a fabulous view of Nevers and the river. Once on the left bank of the Loire, take the D12 to Cours and then turn right onto the D45.  This much quieter route takes you through rolling countryside and follows the river, which is on your right.  The D45 eventually intersects with the RN 151, and you can head straight into the heart of La Charité.

However, if you choose to dally you will discover a path that runs along the bank of the Loire and, providing the vegegtation doesn’t get in the way, you can get some lovely views of the river and the town.

Heading into town from the left bank takes you across an island in the centre of the river. There are paths along each bank if you want to wander and have a more detailed look at the power of La Loire.  Again, you can get some fabulous views of the town and the river – see above.  Not one of my pics, but a far better shot than the ones I managed to get on a very dull day!

The route from the island in the river brings you right to the old part of the town.  The narrow streets are now fully pedestrianised, but beware of helmeted locals on mopeds!  The street from the bridge will lead you to the church of Ste-Croix-Notre-Dame.  You will also pass the pâtisserie a short way down on your left.  Naturally, I popped in for an amandine for my lunch!  I will find a lovely spot by the river to eat it later.

The church kind of stands right in the middle of the road, but there is pedestrian access and the interior is really worth a look.  The town was established in the 11^th century by a Cluniac Brotherhood who built a priory which was consecrated in 1107.  The town is named after the brotherhood.  Since then, La Charité has survived the Hundred Years War and was finally liberated by French forces in 1435.  Around 120 years later, in 1559, a substantial fire swept through the town, taking with it houses and businesses within the ramparts and inflicting significant damage on the church, which took over a hundred years to repair.  The restoration was completed in the late 17^th century.

By the time of the Revolution in 1789, the town had suffered further incursions during the Religious Wars, and few of the brotherhood remained in residence.  The priory was subsequently sold but has been preserved.  The church was not so lucky, as it was only deemed a monument worth saving in the mid-nineteenth century.  As an edifice full of light, the nave is majestic with simple lines.  I would have loved to have seen the original windows, as the aspect of the church, the nave and the vast windows behind the altar are perfectly aligned to make the most of the sunlight.  The ‘modern’ replacement window designs are pleasing enough and hint at what was once here all those centuries ago.

I leave the church for a meander along the streets, and I eventually find a sign for the campsite. It is by the river.  I find a bench with a view of La Loire and the town.  It’s a perfect place for lunch.

There will be more from my journey along La Loire on June 3rd.

If you enjoyed this post and want to read my earlier posts, you can find them using the following links: Rivers of France  La Loire  Digoin  Nevers

Please welcome, friend and author, Bill Yarborough ...

... to the blog today. Hi Bill, and thanks for taking the time out to talk to us about your book, Memories of MK-ULTRA. Over to you ...

Memories of MK-ULTRA is about three children forced to take part in a life-altering experience. The CIA places them in a covert operation, experimenting with psychoactive drugs, electroshock, and other techniques to mold the human mind.  The experience dramatically impacts their lives, but they don’t remember any of it—at least not right away.

What kinds of individuals will such an experience produce?  How will it shape their personalities, their relationships, their performance in school, and ultimately, their career choices?  And how will their lives change if, suddenly, as young adults, they begin to remember their traumatic background?

Several major themes that run through the novel, including coming of age, psychological thriller, historical, and metaphysical aspects.

The reader can witness the enormous influence of the unconscious mind through the story’s two interwoven narratives.  One follows Dr. Rudolf Holtzmann, an MK-ULTRA psychiatrist, with a secret agenda to create future political leaders.  The other tracks the quirky developments of Beth, Tommy, and Curtis Matthews as they come of age through the turbulence of the 60s and 70s into their early adulthoods in the 80s.

Invisible strings pull them toward their preordained destinies, but their puppet master’s plans are complicated by Holtzmann’s rash and dangerous CIA assistant and by one of the program’s subjects, a 14-year-old indigenous boy with shamanic gifts.  Besides mind control, MK-ULTRA delved into the metaphysical, which drove its interest in psychedelic drugs, such as the magic mushrooms of Mexican shamans.

It takes Curtis’s psychotic breakdown and Beth’s startling vision to open up the pathways to the sibling’s buried past.  These developments lead to the detective work of Lynn Snyder, a diligent therapist—but will it be enough to unravel the tapestry of deception?

Memories of MK-ULTRA is grounded in historical events.  There have been many nonfiction MK-ULTRA books, including Stephen Kinzer’s Poisoner in Chief, which documented MK-ULTRA’s widespread deployment of mind-control experiments, its recruitment of former Nazi SS officers, and its use of psychedelic drugs on adults, college students, and children.  The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NPR’s Fresh Air all favorably reviewed the book.

As much as the story is about the appalling things powerful people sometimes do—it’s ultimately about healing and transformation.  The first book of a trilogy, Memories of MK-ULTRA, opens a window into the multiple dimensions of the human mind and soul and forces us to question memory, identity, and the fragile concept of truth.

... about the author Bill Yarborough’s debut novel Memories of MK-ULTRA is inspired by experiences from his early childhood, where he along with his brother and sister underwent experiments of the CIA’s MK-ULTRA mind control program.

As a result of his traumatic childhood, Bill engaged in an extensive healing journey during which he employed a wide range of traditional and innovative techniques.  He is currently working on a sequel to his first novel.  Bill lives with his informal editor and wife, Inge, in Northern California.  Besides embracing the joys of becoming a dad for three kids approaching their teenage years when he married, he served in the financial industry and was board president for two non-profits.  

You can get the book on Amazon

You can follow Bill on his Website on Facebook  LinkedIn  and on X

 

I hope you can join me ...

... in Ripon on Sunday.  Read on for more details ...

I will be at the Claro Lounge, 39 Market Square, Ripon (HG4 1BZ)  with lots of other Yorkshire Authors on Sunday, May 11th for the fabulous Promoting Yorkshire Authors' Book Fair.  The fair will be open from  

I will have all six of my Jacques Forêt Mysteries with me.  If you would like to chat about France, the Cévennes, the stories, or even Jacques himself, please drop by and say hello.  I will also be able to give you the latest info on the next book in the series.

The Miss Moonshine anthologies will be making an appearance, as well.  If you are in need of a feel-good, heart-warming read, then these collections of gentle stories will be just the ticket.

Gianetta Murray, (author of A Supernatural Shindig, an anthology and  Moved to Murder, the first in her cosy crime series) will also be at the fair with her books.  I’m sure Gianetta will be only too pleased to chat about how the work on book 2 is shaping up.

Lastly, all four of the Seasonal Paths multi-genre miscellanies of tales from the Seasonal Collective will be available to buy, too.  Gianetta and I both work with our fellow writers from North America to create these editions.  If you want to discover some new authors, these collections are just for you.

Please join me and Gianetta on May 11th from 10.00 am at The Claro Lounge, Ripon, HG4 1BZ.  It'll be great to see you there...