L. Salt's Blog

In August, I hosted Jon Byrne and his historical adventure “Sword Brethren” . I picked this book because of its references to Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod, a prominent figure in Russian history and a saint of Russian Orthodox church. Alexander Nevsky rose to power and got a legendary status after his victories over Swedish knights in the battle on the river Neva. Hence, the title “Nevsky”.

In his guest post, Jon Byrne discusses the most common mistakes in writing historical fiction and how to avoid them, and reflects on research he’s done, writing the novel. I hope you’ll find his article as fascinating as I do.

Guest Post

Historical fiction can be one of the most rewarding genres – for writers and readers alike. When done well, it can transport us to another era, letting us walk the streets of a medieval town, sit at the table of a Roman senator, or march alongside soldiers of the Great War. But for writers, it can be tricky ground, and there are a few common mistakes that can pull a reader right back out of the past.

One of the biggest traps is overloading the book with research. Of course, writers need to know the history to write convincingly, but there’s a fine line between enriching a scene and drowning it in unnecessary detail. Readers don’t want a textbook – they want a story, and historical details should serve that story, without turning every paragraph into a history lecture.

Another problem is giving characters attitudes that don’t fit their time. It’s tempting to let a medieval knight sound like a modern social activist or to have a Victorian heroine roll her eyes at social conventions in ways that just wouldn’t have happened. It might make a character more relatable at first glance, but it often ends up breaking immersion. The challenge is to create characters we can connect with while still letting them belong to their world.

Worldbuilding is another area where writers can stumble. Throwing in a few old-fashioned words or costumes doesn’t create a convincing past. But historical fiction thrives on atmosphere: smells, textures, sounds, and the unspoken social rules of the time. When those details are missing, the setting feels like a stage backdrop instead of a living world.

And of course, there’s the temptation to focus so much on big events – wars, kings, political intrigue – that the smaller realities of life get overlooked. Readers want to see those, too, because they make history feel real and personal. Neglecting these details risks making the world feel hollow.

Accuracy matters, too. I relied heavily on the principal first-hand source, The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia, which was written by a priest, Henricus des Lettis, probably around 1229. The chronicle deals with events in the eastern Baltic between 1180 to 1226. His chronicle is a highly detailed account, rich in human history, and he provides eye-witness testimony of the events at this time, depicting not only the military campaigns but interesting facts about the local people themselves. It is not always necessary to get every obscure fact perfect, but if a story set in the 13th century has people eating potatoes or using minutes and seconds for telling the time of day, readers will notice. A few mistakes like that can undo a lot of the atmosphere.

Above all, it’s worth remembering that history is the backdrop, not the star of the show. At the heart of every great historical novel are strong characters and a gripping story. The past might set the stage, but it’s the people who make readers care enough to keep turning the pages.

About the Book

Genre: Historical Adventure

Date Published: 28th November 2024

Publisher: The Book Guild

1242. Wounded and captured after the Battle on the Ice, English knight Richard Fitz Simon becomes the unlikely guest of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod. Curious about his prisoner, Alexander commands his scholar to record Richard’s tale.

Richard’s story begins in 1203, when betrayal shatters his path to knighthood and drives him from England to the merchant city of Lübeck. There, entangled in an illicit affair and the cutthroat salt trade, he finds only temporary refuge. Fleeing once again, he joins the Livonian Brothers of the Sword—a militant order sworn to spread Christendom across the pagan Baltic.

Amid the cold austerity of Riga’s commandery and the looming threat of enemy tribes, Richard must battle not just for survival, but for meaning in a life shaped by violence, doubt, and fractured loyalties. When a pagan army threatens to overrun their outpost, he faces a final reckoning—one that will test his faith, his honor, and the limits of his courage.

About the Author

Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack.

He has always been fascinated by history and has studied the Medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive library of books. Sword Brethren (formerly Brothers of the Sword) made it to the shortlist of the Yeovil Literary Prize 2022 and the longlist of the prestigious Grindstone International Novel Prize 2022. It is the first book in The Northern Crusader Chronicles.

Contact Links

Website: https://www.jonbyrnewriter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonByrneAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220324455-sword-brethren

Purchase Links:

Amazon: 

Barnes and Noble: 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sword-brethren-jon-byrne/1146519606?ean=2940184429601

Kobo: 

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/sword-brethren

iBooks: 

https://books.apple.com/gb/book/sword-brethren/id6737836354?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=books_box_link&mttnsubad=6737836354

Google Play: 

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jon_Byrne_Sword_Brethren?id=-2ovEQAAQBAJ&pli=1

About the Book

Purchase Links:

Northodox Press

https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/dive-beyond-eternity-paperback

https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/dive-beyond-eternity-ebook

Amazon

About the Book

Genre: Crime, Thriller

Publisher: Northodox Press

Release Date: 23rd November 2023

It Takes a Special Kind of Team to Hunt a Special Kind of Killer

Time is about to run out for Joseph Miller. The ex-marine is being stalked in his retirement by a twisted serial killer with a flair for the theatrical: The Holy Ghost. When the spectre strikes again, Miller becomes the sixth in a chain of grisly murders going back decades.

Detective Tom McHale is brought in to lead the investigation, having already put away a multiple murderer. His reputation is on the rise, and an autoimmune disease and self-medication don’t dull his edge.

To hunt The Holy Ghost, McHale enlists the help of a Native American FBI agent, a Jesuit priest, and a powerful supercomputer named Mother. Together, they form a formidable alliance that will stop at nothing to track down the killer and bring him to justice. But time waits for no-one, and as the hour approaches, the seventh victim could be closer than they think.

About the Author

Bryce Main is a multi-genre author. His genres (so far), are crime fiction, via Northodox Press, plus urban essays, urban romance, and humorous science fantasy, self-published on Amazon.

His debut crime novel is now available from Northodox , with Book 2, A House for Monsters, following hot on its heels.

He is happily married with two adult sons who are taller, better looking, healthier, and more intelligent than he can lay any claim to be.

Media Links:

Website: https://brycemain.co.uk/

Twitter/X: @brycemain99

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15155861.Bryce_Main

My review

4* stars

A Time for Dying, a witty-gritty, high-octane, heart-pounding crime thriller, is the debut novel by Bryce Main, set in Stockport and London. Detective Inspector Tom McHale summons an elite team to catch a very special serial killer who calls himself The Holy Ghost.

With six gruesome murders behind his belt, The Holy Ghost is ready to kill again. All the traditional methods used by the conventional police force don’t work, so McHale and his team start the race against time to stop the Ghost, applying the most unorthodox means.

Most of the scenes are set in a locked-room-style underground facility underneath Winfield House, home of the American Ambassador in London. Despite the repetitiveness of the scenes, the investigation is never boring as a reader learns more and more about each member of the team, their way of thinking, and the power of logic which moves the whole plot forward.

The author’s language is a bit choppy and abrupt for my liking. The sentences are short and punchy like bullets. There’s a lot of swearing, too. The style reminds me of Lee Child’s prose. However, this keeps the book’s fast pace and defines the narrator.

Sensitive readers should be prepared for some gory violence and graphic depictions of murders.

Main gives readers a glimpse into the very high-level and high-tech police and law enforcement work. His characters are all unique and relatable, each in their own way. Even Mother, the supercomputer, plays a vital role in the investigation and drives the narrator. McHale is so much more than just a smart cop and a good chess player who adapts his players’ skills to the investigation. He fights his own ghosts and “bastard thugs”, which makes him even more believable and humane. I wish more police officers in the UK
were like that.

I give the book four stars because of the ending which seems too rushed after so much built-up suspense.

I highly recommend A Time for Dying for everybody who enjoys fast-paced, hard-boiled thrillers and clever police procedurals. 

Purchase Links:

Northodox Press:

https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/a-time-for-dying-paperback-pre-order

Amazon:

Book 1 of the Northern Crusader Chronicles

Genre: Historical Adventure

Date Published: 28th November 2024

Publisher: The Book Guild

1242. Wounded and captured after the Battle on the Ice, English knight Richard Fitz Simon becomes the unlikely guest of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod. Curious about his prisoner, Alexander commands his scholar to record Richard’s tale.

Richard’s story begins in 1203, when betrayal shatters his path to knighthood and drives him from England to the merchant city of Lübeck. There, entangled in an illicit affair and the cutthroat salt trade, he finds only temporary refuge. Fleeing once again, he joins the Livonian Brothers of the Sword—a militant order sworn to spread Christendom across the pagan Baltic.

Amid the cold austerity of Riga’s commandery and the looming threat of enemy tribes, Richard must battle not just for survival, but for meaning in a life shaped by violence, doubt, and fractured loyalties. When a pagan army threatens to overrun their outpost, he faces a final reckoning—one that will test his faith, his honor, and the limits of his courage.

About the Author

Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack.

He has always been fascinated by history and has studied the Medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive library of books. Sword Brethren (formerly Brothers of the Sword) made it to the shortlist of the Yeovil Literary Prize 2022 and the longlist of the prestigious Grindstone International Novel Prize 2022. It is the first book in The Northern Crusader Chronicles.

Contact Links

Website: https://www.jonbyrnewriter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonByrneAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220324455-sword-brethren

Purchase Links:

Barnes and Noble: 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sword-brethren-jon-byrne/1146519606?ean=2940184429601

Kobo: 

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/sword-brethren

iBooks: 

https://books.apple.com/gb/book/sword-brethren/id6737836354?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=books_box_link&mttnsubad=6737836354

Google Play: 

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jon_Byrne_Sword_Brethren?id=-2ovEQAAQBAJ&pli=1

Giveaway

Signed copy and 2 bookmarks

About the Book

Genre: Collection of sci-fi short stories

Publication Date: 6th March 2025

Publisher: Northodox Press

42 Sci-Fi Stories by an Award-Winning Writer

Time travel to multiverses, via aliens, pocket spaceships, teleportation mishaps, homicidal AIs, eco-disasters, and space pirates.

Includes the award-winners Ana, Tribbulations, and Re-Boot, along with stories published in Best of British Science Fiction, Nature Futures, and Analog.

What if..?The universe splits when you look under the bed?You miss a delivery, light years from anywhere?Whenever you lose an election, you sleep until the next one?You lift kisses from love letters, to mend a broken heart?something alien and impossible orbits black holes?you don’t bother reading the manual for your 3D bio-printer?

About the Author

With a first class degree in Physics from Oxford, Liam is an award-winning speculative short story writer, appearing in over 200 anthologies including Best of British Science Fiction and Best of British Fantasy (Newcon Press).

His retro sci-fi collection, “A Short History of the Future”, is published by Northodox Press (2025).

His twisted fantasy collection, “Happy Ending NOT Guaranteed”, is published by Arachne Press (2017).

Media Links:

Site: www.happyendingnotguaranteed.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter/X: https://x.com/LiamJHogan

My review

5* stars

I’ve chosen this collection of sci-fi short stories as I wanted to read something short and “light” without dedicating myself to a long novel, let alone a series. 

All the stories are pretty short – five to seven pages on average – which makes them an ideal read on public transport, during a lunch break, etc. There’re also one-page “drabbles” and excerpts from standalone, longer works. 

Sad and funny, set on Earth and in deep space, in the far future and alternative past, told from the first, third, and even second point of view – these stories vary in their styles, plots, and topics. Although so different, they all share one thing – the genre. The author has demonstrated how diverse and versatile the sci-fi genre can be. 

He draws inspiration from sci-fi classics, film directors, and pop culture in general, discussing such global and controversial topics like climate change, the evolution of AI, space exploration, etc. 

A reader can easily find a nod to Stanislaw Lem, Michael Crichton, and Isaak Asimov’s works in Hogan’s stories. Some of them were inspired by Aliens, Solaris, and other sci-fi blockbusters. 

Amongst all the stories, I want to highlight the following: 

Lighter than Air – written from a teenager’s point of view, it deals with such serious topics as climate change, air pollution, and interaction between species.

The Betsy – a freight cargo spaceship with her crew of robots turns into pirates, thanks to bureaucracy, which still prevails on Earth even in the far future. 

The “What-The” Tree is a story set in deep space, but it’s about the difficulty of making the right, very human choice. The “What-The” Tree is a story set in deep space, but it’s about the difficulty of making the right, very human choice. 

The Backup – a sad and funny story about the delivery services in the far future. 

Bob, Justbob is a bittersweet story about how aliens can be more human than some humans. 

Fixed Point – a time-travel machine went wrong. A nod to Michael Crichton’s Timeline. 

The Icy Breath of Enceladus – when an exploration mission gets stranded on one of Saturn’s ice-covered moons, and an icy volcano erupts, the crew realises that the intelligent form of life they’ve been searching for has found them first. It’s an eerie retelling of Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris. 

I highly recommend the collection to everybody who enjoys sci-fi in a short form, from time travel to dystopia, from techno-thrillers to poetic drabbles – every sci-fi fan will find something for themselves in this superb anthology. 

Purchase Links:

Northodox Press:

https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/a-short-history-of-the-future-ebook

https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/a-short-history-of-the-future-paperback

Amazon:

My dark nautical sci-fi thriller Dive Beyond Eternity turns two-year old today. I want to celebrate it with a live reading from Chapter 1. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

About the book

Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller, Mystery

Release Date: 20th July 2023

Publisher: Northodox Press

What if history were written by the defeated?

Historian Zara Rose is hired to investigate the discovery of an undamaged German U-boat in the North Sea. There, she discovers Die Fledermaus, a Nazi superweapon powered by an unstable black matter, capable of transporting its passengers through time. After accidentally triggering the device, Zara travels to the past, where she meets the mysterious Der Meister, a physicist who created the weapon.

When a colleague vanishes with the device, Zara and her fellow historian Stefan Krause help a shadowy agency apprehend the thief. In the wrong hands, the device could rewrite history or kill countless millions.

Can Zara find Die Fledermaus before Der Meister’s visions of a renewed Third Reich can be brought to its terrible fruition?

Get your copy:

Northodox Press:

https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/dive-beyond-eternity-paperback

https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/dive-beyond-eternity-ebook

Waterstones:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/dive-beyond-eternity/valeriya-salt/9781915179210

Amazon:

Add on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/159452278-dive-beyond-eternity

About the Book

Genre: Sci-Fi, Time Travel

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: First published 7th December 1992

Timelike Infinity: the strange region at the end of time where the Xeelee, owners of the universe, are waiting… The second novel in Stephen Baxter’s Xeelee sequence.

First there were good times: humankind reached glorious heights, even immortality. Then there were bad times: Earth was occupied by the faceless, brutal Qax. Immortality drugs were confiscated, the human spirit crushed. Earth became a vast factory for alien foodstuffs.

Into this new dark age appears the end of a tunnel through time. Made from exotic matter, it is humanity’s greatest engineering project in the pre-Qax era, where the other end of the tunnel remains anchored near Jupiter. When a small group of humans in a makeshift craft outwit the Qax to escape to the past through the tunnel, it is not to warn the people of Earth against the Qax, who are sure to follow them. For these men and women from the future are themselves dangerous fanatics in pursuit of their own bizarre quantum grail.

Michael Poole, architect of the tunnel, must boldly confront the consequences of his genius.

About the Author

Stephen Baxter is a trained engineer with degrees from Cambridge (mathematics) and Southampton Universities (doctorate in aeroengineering research). Baxter is the winner of the British Science Fiction Award and the Locus Award, as well as being a nominee for an Arthur C. Clarke Award, most recently for Manifold: Time.

His novel Voyage won the Sidewise Award for Best Alternate History Novel of the Year; he also won the John W. Campbell Award and the Philip K. Dick Award for his novel The Time Ships. He is currently working on his next novel, a collaboration with Sir Arthur C. Clarke. Mr. Baxter lives in Prestwood, England.

Website

http://www.stephen-baxter.com/

My review

Timelike Infinity is the first book by Stephen Baxter I’ve read, and, to be perfectly honest, I struggle to rate it. Why?

First of all, the novel is a very, very hard sci-fi to the point that sometimes it reads like a textbook of theoretical physics and quantum mechanics. Secondly, this is the second book in The Xeelee Sequence, the series which spans billions of years. Although the book can be read as a standalone and has many references to Raft (Book 1 which I haven’t read yet), I found it quite confusing in places.

The ideas of the novel are grand and deal with such fundamental topics like the expansion of Mankind, the origin of the Universe, the philosophy of time travel and history, the war between humans and alien species such as the Qax, and later on, the almost godlike Xeelee, the ones who believed to be the creators of all new technologies in the known Universe.

I like the complex plot and controversial characters like Jasoft Parz, the Earth Ambassador to the Qax, the occupiers of Earth, the collaborator but also the one who’s ready to sacrifice himself to “save the day” for humanity. There’s a space for the slow-burning romance, too, between Michael Poole and Miriam Berg, although the plot twists don’t leave them much time for their relationship to fully develop. However, in my opinion, it’s a huge plus. The author’s take on the aliens is different and well thought-through. I also like the idea of a Spline, a biological sentient spaceship, adapted for war and time travel.

In the beginning, the pace is fast and engaging, however, it bogs down in the middle due to the long and extensive data damps. I wish the author spent less time describing the quantum mechanics of a wormhole or hyper-drive and more time, developing the characters and speeding up the pace.

The ideas of consciousness’s impact on the Universe and the Ultimate Observer, similar to God, seem strange in hard sci-fi. The ending is poetical and full of metaphors. I can see the references to 2001: A Space Odyssey in it.

Overall, there’re lots of exciting theories in this book, and I highly recommend it to everybody who understands physics and enjoys hard sci-fi. As for me, I struggled with the sci- element of the novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed the plot. I just might read another book by Baxter. 

Purchase Link:

A B-24 Pilot’s Letters Home

Genre: Memoir/World War II History

Date Published: 27th May 2025

 Publisher: Acorn Publishing

In this posthumously published collection of letters and postal cards, William “Bill” Hanchett shares his candid experiences as a flight-school cadet, and later as an Army Air Forces pilot in command of a B-24 Liberator bomber during World War II.

Through Bill’s first-hand accounts, we learn that mastering the art of flying during wartime is about more than understanding engine throttle and airspeed. It’s about wondering when you’ll be called to fight and if you’ll be asked to betray your ideals. It’s about working hard and documenting the days, dreaming about the future, and longing for home.

An extraordinary primary document, Disgracefully Easy offers us a rare glimpse inside the military in the 1940s, a time when Americans worried about the fate of their great country and looked to the brave and courageous to deliver them from fear. This unique collection will be long remembered as an important addition to the annals of aviation history.

About the Authors

Thomas F Hanchett

Now retired from federal civil service, Thomas Forster Hanchett holds a bachelor’s degree in government and two master’s degrees, one in history and one in public administration. In 2016, after his father Bill’s death, he found over three-hundred letters Bill had written during World War II. Given Tom’s interest in military history, it seemed only natural that he be the one to edit and present his father’s letters in manuscript form. Tom has also written historical and educational articles for various publications. A native Californian, he resides in North San Diego County.

William Hanchett

William “Bill” Hanchett (1922-2016) grew up in a wealthy family in Evanston, Illinois. His father lost his municipal bond company business during the Great Depression, changing their family’s lifestyle drastically. Bill attended Black Mountain College, but his time there was cut short because of World War II.

He enlisted in the Army Air Forces, rising from private to second lieutenant, and then to airplane commander of a B-24 Liberator bomber.  After the war, he continued his education, worked as a civilian historian for the U.S. Air Force, and taught history for over thirty years at San Diego State University. Bill authored numerous articles and historical books, including The Lincoln Murder Conspiracies (1983). He loved living in San Diego, California, where he spent time sailing on the bay.

Social Media Links

Website: thomasfhanchett.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tom.hanchett.3 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/119304413-thomas-hanchett

Instagram: @historiantom

Purchase Links

Giveaway

$25 Amazon gift card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/408264011995

Genre: Science Fiction

Date Published: 3rd December 2024

2025 Book Excellence Awards Finalist in Science Fiction

“A musing science fiction novel about the future of AI, Anticipation Day follows a group of friends as they try to improve their lives through government-sanctioned fantasies.” —Foreword Clarion Reviews

“A boundary-pushing plunge into a vividly imagined future, Anticipation Day poses powerful questions about identity, the human experience, and our digital destiny as a species, resulting in a provocative mixture of Black Mirror and The Surge.” —The Independent Review of Books

In the summer of 2026, amidst the sights and sounds of one of the oldest pubs in London, Dr. Joshua Lee receives a call that will alter his life for the foreseeable future—he’s asked to work on a clandestine project that will transform every American’s way of life.

Six years later, amidst the steel and glass canyons of the Denver suburbs, a group of friends assemble for dinner the night before their first escape into Anticipation Day, an immersive simulated experience that is promised to be an annual respite from the daily grind.

Amongst this group of friends are Alexandra, Eric, Patrick, Mike and MaryAnne, each at inflection points in their lives and each with their own life scars and unrealized dreams. As they prepare to plug into the simulation, they are forced to confront their own fears and desires, all while interfacing with their chosen simulated experience, blurring the lines between reality and the artificial dreamscape.

These experiences force the group to confront their deepest fears, chase exclusive happiness, and unlock truths buried within their souls. As they delve deeper into the algorithmic labyrinth, more truths about their existence are fully revealed.

However, the question begs: will their journey lead to salvation, or will it unravel the very fabric of their existence?

Join this eclectic band of suburbanites as they look for meaning amidst the chaos of the digital age. Anticipation Day beckons, but not everything is as is seems in this electrifying tale of urban futurism.

About the Author

Jeff Michelson is a Certified Public Accountant by trade, a deli owner on the weekends and a first time author. Jeff lives in the New Jersey’s suburbs with his family, including their dog Maggie and lots of koi fish!

As a first time author, Jeff really enjoyed the creative process of writing this book and hopes others enjoy reading the story as much as he enjoyed writing it!

Contact Links

Website: http://www.anticipationday.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnticipationDayBook

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AnticipationDayBook

Purchase Links

About the Book

Genre: Historical mystery

Publisher:  Northodox Press

Release Date: 15th August 2024

They survived the war – but are they prepared for the fight at home?

In the aftermath of the First World War, the Cumbrian village of Waterbeck celebrates the return of its young men. But not all those who fought returned intact… Mercy Appleby, her husband confined to a psychiatric asylum, avoids the celebrations, though enterprising Frank Holland, who has always burned a candle for her, convinces her to attend the celebrations at Waterbeck Hall.

When a young woman is found murdered amidst the revelry, suspicion falls on several of the men. As the investigation unfolds, secrets are revealed, and Mercy finds herself caught up in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Will she be able to clear the innocent and bring the true killer to justice, or will she become the next young woman to die?

About the Author

ENNY DENT is a Cumbrian-based writer of character-driven stories. She lives in a village not unrelated to the fictional Waterbeck and her work is heavily influenced by her love of nature and of the Cumbrian landscape and those who live and work there. 
 
A Death on the Home Front is Jenny’s first historical novel. She loves a good mystery, regardless of when or where it is set. She has been writing all her life, across a range of genres and forms. As Jo Allen, she is the author of a successful series of contemporary detective novels set in the Lake district and the Eden Valley.  When not writing, Jenny can be spotted cycling about north Cumbria or grumbling deep among the weeds in her allotment. In bad weather you’ll find her watching some kind of sport, or tending to her over-needy cat. 

Media Links:

https://x.com/JYoungWriter

My review

4* stars

Set in the tiny village of Waterbeck in rural Cumbria in the aftermath of World War I, the novel blends an atmosphere of mystery and suspense with the historical charm of the era.

The war is over, the local men are back from the front, and the village celebrates their arrival. The Waterbecks, the local aristocrats, throw a party in honour of the heroes. Not everybody, however, is ready for celebration. Mercy Appleby’s husband, Teddy, a lucky survivor of the Somme and Flanders, is locked in a mental asylum in Edinburgh where Mercy visits him every week. Torn between covering duties for her ever-drunken father on the Waterbecks’ estate and raising Sally, her two-year-old daughter, Mercy still believes in Teddy’s full recovery. Even the arrival of Frank Holland, her and Teddy’s best friend, doesn’t help. In fact, it makes the matter even worse as Frank is deeply in love with Mercy.

When one of the Waterbecks’ maids is killed during the party, Mercy and Frank find themselves in a difficult situation, trying to discover the murderer and protect their loved ones.

The book’s pace is a bit slow, but it reflects perfectly the quiet and leisurely life in Waterbeck. The author poured lots of time and effort into researching the period which reflects not only in the atmosphere but in the characters too. The novel is rich with historical details, making it an enjoyable read and adding authenticity to the characters and setting.

Although the war is long over, it left its scars – both physical and physiological – on every citizen of the village. The war has changed not only men, but women too who, like Mercy, took on their men’s jobs.

The novel reflects not only on such topics as the world after the war, but also on social norms and behaviours at the beginning of the 20th century, and a huge gap between the high society and the working class.

Despite the slow pace, the author masterfully creates an atmosphere of tension that doesn’t align with the idealistic image of Waterbeck.

The characters, the strong women who learn how to be independent and the broken men whose personalities were reshaped by the war, are all masterfully written. The clever plot twist at the end adds to the suspenseful side of the story.

I give this book 4* stars, because I find the ending, although intriguing, a bit rushed compared to the overall pace of the story. There’re also a couple of secrets which the author prefers to keep. Does it mean we’ll read a sequel soon?

Purchase Links

Northodox Press:

https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/a-death-on-the-home-front-ebook