Massacre

The Hebraica Trilogy #2

by Christine Jordan

The author of Sacrifice continues the saga of a medieval Jewish family with this tale of love and betrayal set against the backdrop of the Third Crusade.

England, 1189: Abraham accompanies his father and his friends to London to attend the coronation of Richard I. But after the king accepts the valuable gifts they have brought for him, he angrily demands the small group be ejected immediately, forcing them to face a bloodthirsty anti-Semitic crowd.

Having survived the horrors of that day Abraham decides that he must marry the woman he loves, Brunetta. Little does he know, Brunetta has just lost her innocence to his cousin, Baruch—a ne’er-do-well who holds nothing but contempt for her.

But will an act of infidelity, the arrest of Abraham’s ailing father, and Baruch’s discovery of a shocking secret change the family’s future forever?

335 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2023

About the author

Christine Jordan writes in a number of genres.

Christine also writes thrillers under the pen name CJ Claxton.

Reviews

[Louise Pratley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series ( the Hebracia Trilogy) and follows a Jewish moneylending family and their trials and tribulations around the time of Richard the Lionheart. The story is based mainly in Gloucester.
I really enjoyed the book having taken the time to read the first book - Sacrifice- which helped immensely with following the twists and turns. Will also be keeping an eye out for the third book due to be published next year!

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC - gratefully received.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing read from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and appreciated the incorporated history .

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book on the Hebraica Trilogy where we find Baruch now as a young man full of rage and disappointment. I suggest reading the first book before starting this one since it gives all the background information (historical and familiar) to fully understand and completely engrossed on this one.
AS with the first book, Ms. Jordan writes about the trials and tribulations of the Jewish community, mostly in Gloucester, during the kingdom of King Richard, the antisemitism and mistreatment that they suffer in the hands of the King, the authorities and the population.
There is a lot of research involved in this book, and it shows in the pages and the story, especially since it involves actual people and actions both in the Jewish population as in the Christian one.
It is so well written that even if at times the story is hard to read, because of what is going on in it, I couldn't put the book down.
I have only one correction I will have made in the book, there is a scene when Baruch comes back home from fighting in his first crusade and his mom serves him some food, in the book we are told that she serves him a plate of meats and cheeses, this is wrong, since they are a religious jewish family, meat along with cheese is not a kosher meal (previously it is stated that members of the family wouldn't have been able to eat any of the foods at the King's banquet coronation because they were not kosher).
I can't wait to read the third and last book of the trilogy.

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author takes the reader straight into the heart of our historical past, skillfully recreating the dreadful pogroms of 1189 and 1190 in which thousands of Jews were murdered - in England.
The Jews in Gloucester are accused of prosperity and greed by Christians in the grip of religious fervor as King Richard sets off on crusade.
This is a compelling drama of passion and deceit, impossible love and family conflict. It is a story full of the rich details of Jewish faith and culture and the epic journeys of crusaders following an arrogant, fanatical king.
I loved the characters and as always really fell for one of the bad guys, Baruch, who along with Brunetta provides the passion at the heart of a story sizzling with human emotions.
As bold and brilliant as the Kingsbridge novels by Ken Follett.

[Lisa Wosik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stepped well out of my comfort zone for this one but it was a very good read. Not the kind of thing I usually go for.
Set in England, 1189, Abraham accompanies his father and his friends to London to attend the coronation of Richard I. But after the king accepts the valuable gifts they have brought for him, he angrily demands the small group be ejected immediately, forcing them to face a bloodthirsty anti-Semitic crowd. Abraham is determined to marry the woman he loves Brunetta. But she has her eye and her heart set on his cousin Baruch.
This tale of two Jewish families, live and love and loss was a compelling read. I haven’t read the first instalment but would like to now.
Thanks to bloodhound books for the ARC in return for leaving an honest review. This is all my thoughts.
Massacre is released May 2nd 2023.

[Sandra Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel comes out May 2, 2023. The paperback is available in April eighteen of 2023. England, Abraham accompanied his father and others to London to attend the coronation of Richard First, with valuable gifts for Richard I, he was angry 😡 and immediately forced the group of people out of the coronation. The were facing the problem with anti-sematic bloodshed, bloodhungry, and bloodthirsty mob. Abraham always had a crush on Brunetta. Abraham survived the horrible moments, wanted to marry Brunetta. Brunetta look at, and attracted crush is at Baruch's; she lost her innocent to Baruch, his family member. Unknowing to Abraham. There more to the storyline. The emotional side of the book. This is heated one for me. I was rooting for Abraham and his life, too. But it is a great book to read.

[Alli Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Hebraica trilogy. It starts years after the first book, Baruch now a young man. He is a young man full of anger, trying to find his way in the world. It is set against the backdrop of the third crusade. The story begins in 1189 and takes us through the persecution of the Jews, war and extreme violence. This book isn’t for the faint hearted.
Jordan writes about history with such vivid descriptions that the reader can imagine themselves in the thick of it. Many of the themes in this book are relevant in our current times; war, power, grief and secrets. Secrets are uncovered within this story which change the lives of the characters forever. I can’t wait for the next book.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for the ARC.

[Ruth Matheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the trilogy and I would say that it is best to read book 1 for the continuity of both the characters and the history. Like the first book, this is not a story for the faint-hearted, as it vividly depicts the life and times of the Jews and Christians in the late 12th century in England. I love all the historical detail melded with the fictional main characters, and Ms Jordan's highly descriptive writing places the reader on the ground with the people and places so that you can almost smell and taste what is happening along with seeing it. It is gruesome and harsh at times but that is history for you !!
Highly recommended if historical novels are your thing.

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of historical fiction I was really looking forward to reading this book. It didn’t disappoint. It is the second part of a trilogy charting events in the Jewish community in England during the reign of Henry II and the new King Richard. There are a lot of characters to get your head round, but the list of families in the front of the book was useful for keeping track. It is very well written and historically an extremely interesting and, for me, a little known period and events that I hadn’t come across previously. I have become very interested in reading more about the events depicted in the book since reading it.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the ARC and for introducing me to this author and I am looking forward to reading the final part in due course.

[Rosie Bray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading the first book in this trilogy I hadn't read any historical fiction since my teenage years, but when I heard there was another book released after Sacrifice, I had to read the next installment.

This is a period of history that I knew very little about and more especially the plight of the Jewish community during the time. A fabulous cast of characters and some interwoven storylines, this has all the marks of an epic. Well written and engaging, this is a great read, although it deals with some uncomfortable truths about the persecution that the Jewish people faced even back in the 12th Century.

I received an ARC from the publisher, Bloodhound Books and am submitting my honest review

[Kairen Harries · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous, well researched and engaging read. I started it but felt a bit lost so bought the first book in the series (Sacrifice) which was a good decision.

I found the characters engaging and it was interesting to see how the historical context and characters had changed and developed.

There are some disturbing and moving incidents in the book which really illustrated the issues that faced Jews in medieval times. The atmosphere of that time is clearly evoked by the writing.

I hadn't read any historical fiction for many years but this book has rekindled my love for the genre. I would 100% recommend this book and series.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this suspenseful story. This is my second book by this author which I had me turning pages fast. I enjoyed how the author used details to make her story realistic and made the characters pop. This is a well written story that is hard to put down and fast paced. A story where the characters are connectable and made the story for me. I enjoyed watching their growth as well as the growth of the plot throughout the story that made it easy to read. I enjoyed how the twists and turns had me coming back for more. I wanted to know what happened next. This is a story you don't want to miss. I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book.

[Jude Srivalsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve not read the first in the trilogy but didn’t find I really needed to as everything was well explained. The book tells of life in the Jewish community in England during the time of King Richard and the discrimination they faced. I found it really good at the start but then it became embroiled in family detail which I didn’t enjoy as much and I feel could have been shortened. Very well written and interesting to learn more about a different period of history and the prejudices that arose.

[Dee Hough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of the book and this is my own honest review.
WOW. This is the 2nd book of the series and Christine writes with such a deep cast of characters. Each one could be a book themselves. Her narrative is breathtaking. I was quickly drawn into the story, it has so many layers that entwined with the characters it drew me into the pages with them. The level of detail is sublime. This is one of those books, that will stay with me, as it allows you to become emotionally attached.
Most definitely up there with Hilary Mantel.
A highly recommended read.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series and there are parts that alluded to events in the first book, I didn’t know too much about this part of History and wasn’t that familiar with a lot of the characters and I didn’t realise that Aoife and Strongbow had moved out of Ireland, there was a lot of family drama intertwined in the historical parts of the book and honestly I think that could have been reduced as it dragged a bit.

[Tracy Blease · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this historical story about a Jewish family and the trials they suffered. There is wonderful detail of the time and an insight into how the Jewish were treated by the monarchy and their sheriffs. It’s also a story of the characters’ relationships and how their choices affect each other. It took a little while to get into the story because I had not read the first book so I would recommend starting with book one in the series.

[Jill Coates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel in a trilogy, I would recommend you read them in order. The book is very well written although I did find the first chapters quite difficult as there are lots of characters. Although this is not my normal go to genre I am very much enjoying the series and look forward to reading the finale.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be best to read the first part of the trilogy, however I don’t think my not having done so detracted from the reading.
The book follows the lives of the Jewish family of Moses le Riche during the reign of King Richard Lionheart of England. It is mostly set in Gloucester. The story covers the whole span of Richard’s reign and on the whole is an enjoyable read.

[Karey Getz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end! I do want to go back and read the first book in the series to maybe understand all the ins and outs of this book. I didn’t realize it was the 2nd in the series until I had already started it.

Thank you Bloodhound Books for the ARC in exchange for the review!

[Rhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in a trilogy, and picks up the story of Moses le Ruche & his family as the new king comes to the throne. It is a fascinating story about a dark period of history, with well developed characters. I am looking forward to the last book.

[Faye Ridpath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Bloodhound Books.

This was a lush, sweeping historical saga.

It was very well written and kept me absorbed.

[Tracy Fritts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

This was an interesting and suspenseful story. I enjoyed reading about the characters. This story kept me on the edge of my sit. It's well written. I enjoyed the storyline. It's a page tuner.