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