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Just Causes: the spellbinding first mystery for a 17th century investigator
Dorset, 1625: Alice knows she shouldn’t be here. She has been careful, watchful, deceitful even, to get to this point. But now the time has come, her heart is pounding with the enormity of her plan ...Alice Edwards is on her own and fighting for all that she holds dear. In a time of deadly plague, hope lies in herbs and remedies. But sickness is not the only danger.
Who is the mysterious child who has fallen under her care? And how can Alice tell friend from foe when the shadow of a murder is haunting her steps – and heartache awaits at every turn?
A gripping and authentic debut from a new voice in historical fiction. Perfect for fans of Kate Mosse, Phillipa Gregory and Minette Walters
"Brilliant ... not only a great story full of intrigue, but also full with such a lot of historical detail" - 5 stars
Who is the mysterious child who has fallen under her care? And how can Alice tell friend from foe when the shadow of a murder is haunting her steps – and heartache awaits at every turn?
A gripping and authentic debut from a new voice in historical fiction. Perfect for fans of Kate Mosse, Phillipa Gregory and Minette Walters
"Brilliant ... not only a great story full of intrigue, but also full with such a lot of historical detail" - 5 stars
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2023
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13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 16, 2024
This was a random pick while browsing through the Kindle Unlimited shelves, picked mostly because the blurb caught my eye, and the ratings, though few, were positive. And it was (to my surprise and delight) a very good read.
It is a historical fiction novel with a strong mystery sub-plot set in England during the time of the Black Plague. After the plague visits Alice's village, she has a few mysteries to investigate, including finding the identity of the young orphaned boy she rescues and investigating a death that occurred under unusual circumstances. The story also focuses on her difficulties living in a society where men held all of the power.
The writing was good and very vivid, with well-rounded, realistic, and likeable characters, all of which I greatly enjoyed. I don't prefer the use of the present tense, although I have to admit, the writing was good enough that it wasn't until about 1/4 through the book that I figured out what about the writing was bothering me. The clue that finally gave it away was my frustration that I never knew when the chapter was happening. The events of the story take place over about half a year, and sometimes I would be quite far into a chapter (or even near the end) before the clue was finally dropped about whether this was happening hours, days, or weeks later.
I was ambivalent about the historical accuracy of the novel. It happened during a time when plague had been around for a few hundred years, so it does make sense that people would have learned some about quarantines and potential treatments. However, some things I was uncertain about, such as the way buildings and clothing were described. They may or may not be accurate, I don't know (certainly nothing was obviously inaccurate). I do always appreciate an author's note at the end, describing the historical period and their research, so I can learn more about the timeperiod, and this novel did not have one.
Overall: Very good historical mystery with excellent characterization
It is a historical fiction novel with a strong mystery sub-plot set in England during the time of the Black Plague. After the plague visits Alice's village, she has a few mysteries to investigate, including finding the identity of the young orphaned boy she rescues and investigating a death that occurred under unusual circumstances. The story also focuses on her difficulties living in a society where men held all of the power.
The writing was good and very vivid, with well-rounded, realistic, and likeable characters, all of which I greatly enjoyed. I don't prefer the use of the present tense, although I have to admit, the writing was good enough that it wasn't until about 1/4 through the book that I figured out what about the writing was bothering me. The clue that finally gave it away was my frustration that I never knew when the chapter was happening. The events of the story take place over about half a year, and sometimes I would be quite far into a chapter (or even near the end) before the clue was finally dropped about whether this was happening hours, days, or weeks later.
I was ambivalent about the historical accuracy of the novel. It happened during a time when plague had been around for a few hundred years, so it does make sense that people would have learned some about quarantines and potential treatments. However, some things I was uncertain about, such as the way buildings and clothing were described. They may or may not be accurate, I don't know (certainly nothing was obviously inaccurate). I do always appreciate an author's note at the end, describing the historical period and their research, so I can learn more about the timeperiod, and this novel did not have one.
Overall: Very good historical mystery with excellent characterization
Displaying 1 of 1 review