JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Elektra by Jennifer Saint

The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.

Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?

Another absorbing and vivid retelling of ancient Greek myth, Jennifer Saint’s Elektra narrows in on the Trojan War and tells the ill-fated story of Clytemnestra and her tumultuous marriage to Agamemnon, as well as the tale of their daughter Elektra. Across the sea in Troy, we meet a young Cassandra, who is blessed with foresight but is cursed in that no one believes her premonitions.

When Elektra is a young girl, her father Agamemnon leads an army across the ocean to wage war against Troy. Her mother, Clytemnestra, seethes with rage for ten years because of what Agamemnon was willing to sacrifice to ensure safe passage across the seas. And over in Troy, Cassandra can foresee Troy’s demise but is powerless to stop it. Written in first person, Jennifer Saint’s Elektra follows these three women as they navigate this extended but turbulent era of history.

After reading the fantastic Ariadne last year, I was excited to devour this one. Jennifer crafts these mythical stories with great imagination — bringing to life long-known legends and tales of iconic Greek figures.

“At first, Agamemnon was a generous, joyful ruler of Mycenae, his project of uniting all the Greeks a long-held ambition that he was grateful to be realising. But, slowly, peevishness began to settle over him and I saw him fretting from time to time.”

Jennifer Saint’s writing is always rich and well-developed, bringing fierce women to life with emotion and vitality. Clytemnestra, in particular, felt the most visceral and animated, as we can easily relate to her feelings of anger and betrayal. She certainly felt the most candid as she played the long game — she waited ten years for Agamemnon to return so she can carry out her long-planned murder.

Pacing maintains throughout the novel, and Cassandra’s voice ads depth to the story because she is situated on the opposite side of the story. Jennifer Saint is bold in her depiction of these women — their narration is concise and observant, and they each provide an interesting element to the tale. Whilst I didn’t connect with Elektra as much as the other women – not until the end of the novel anyway — I still appreciated her perspective of the saga. She’s certainly the most loyal of the three women.

From memory, Jennifer’s previous release Ariadne featured a fair bit of info dumping in the book, but Elektra did not. Jennifer wove in information with more consideration, which will not go unappreciated by readers.

“I bathed her body alone. The cloths were soft, the water warm. I pulled away the ruined dress, her wedding dress. I kissed her clean skin. When she was small, she would shriek with laughter when I buried my face in the plump folds of her arms, the dimpled knees.”

Admittedly, it initially feels like quite the task trying to grasp the characters and settings. I was somewhat familiar with these Greek figures, particularly Clytemnestra, and yet I was struggling in the beginning to confirm her connection with Cassandra, and the backstory of her sister Helen and her marriage to Agamemnon.

“She was lying to herself; I could see it. She had made a convincing case, but she was wrong. I opened my mouth to tell her so, but I looked at Paris’ face again before I spoke.”

Documenting a period of history worth remembering, Elektra is emotion-laden and recommended for readers of historical sagas, and fans of Greek mythology. Readership skews female, 25+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Elektra
Jennifer Saint
May 2022
Hachette Book Publishers Australia

The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay by Julie Brooks

England, 1919: Rose and Ivy board a ship bound for Australia. One is travelling there to marry a man she has never met. One is destined never to arrive.

Australia, 2016: Amongst her late-grandmother’s possessions, Molly uncovers a photograph of two girls dressed in First World War nurses’ uniforms, labelled ‘Rose and Ivy 1917’, and a letter from her grandmother, asking her to find out what happened to her own mother, Rose, who disappeared in the 1960s.

Compelled to carry out her grandmother’s last wish, Molly embarks on a journey to England to unravel the mystery of the two girls whose photograph promised they’d be ‘together forever’…

Julie Brooks’ The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay is a dual-timeline historical fiction debut, transporting readers from WWI England to present day Australia. Centred around two young women — friends for a decade but bound together by a shocking secret — who set sail for a new life in Australia.

In present day, Australian woman Molly is searching for the truth behind her great-grandmother’s disappearance over fifty years earlier. Not a lot is known about the reclusive and camera-shy Rose, and Molly travels to England to find out more about Rose’s upbringing, in the hope it may come to understand what really happened to her.

“For months she had imagined that Ivy, like Rose, had migrated to Australia and begun a new life. She had envisaged her as the matriarch of a clan with a long, fruitful life. For whatever reason, Rose’s life had turned sour; she hoped that her friend’s had worked out happier.”

Julie Brooks captures the friendship between Ivy and Rose incredibly well — their initial close bond and the idea that they’ll be best friends forever. But, over time, Rose starts to inhabit the role expected of her — the privileged, wealthy young woman on the cusp of taking her place in society. Perhaps without realising, she starts to treat Ivy like a servant not like a friend, and bitter tension builds between them. As secrets come to light, the friendship soon deteriorates.

As someone who reads a lot of historical fiction, I found this novel incredibly refreshing. A mystery about a great-grandmother (not a grandmother) offers something a little different to the genre. That extra generation accounts for limited knowledge about that character, forcing a deeper dig into their life to find out the truth. It also means the connection between Molly and Rose is limited, given the age difference, so the story doesn’t rely on memories or emotional connection between the characters and more on facts and evidence, which provides a more thrilling, fast-paced story.

“But Rose knew that Ivy did indeed care. She always cared what her da would do, because he had a history of doing unpleasant things. Rose couldn’t remember her own father, but she couldn’t imagine him taking to her with a willow stick or shutting her in the coal box for an afternoon.”

Class plays an important role in this novel — whilst Rose is from a wealthy, privileged family, her best friend Ivy comes from a poor, abusive household. No one expects her to secure a comfortable life, so Ivy has to believe in herself if she’s going to rise above her surroundings. She refuses to be a servant or maid for the rest of her life, and is looking for a way to carve a respectable path for herself.

The only fault I can give this novel is the prevalence of perhaps a few too many signs that point towards the twist. Molly’s memories of Rose — her personality and her hatred of being in photographs, in particular — made it a little too easy to guess the ending of the novel. But apart from that, this is one of my favourite historical fiction reads from the past 12 months.

“Molly woke breathless, struggling to escape the undertow of her dream. Plunging her face into the pillow, she tried to vanquish the lingering images. Yet in the blackness her father was there, along with the ghostly form of the long-dead Rose, drifting before her eyes.”

A rich, sweeping tale of betrayal, and how long-held family secrets can tear apart even the strongest of friendships. Recommended for historical fiction readers, The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay is skewed towards female readers, 25+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay
Julie Brooks
January 2022
Hachette Book Publishers

Six Tudor Queens: Katharine Parr by Alison Weir

A woman torn between love and duty.

Two husbands dead, a boy and a sick man. And now Katharine is free to make her own choice. The ageing King’s eye falls upon her. She cannot refuse him… or betray that she wanted another. She becomes the sixth wife – a queen and a friend. Henry loves and trusts her. But Katharine is hiding another secret in her heart, a deeply held faith that could see her burn…

Katharine Parr. Henry’s final Queen.

And so my favourite historical fiction series comes to a conclusion. Anyone who has been reading my reviews for the past few years will know how much I love Alison Weir’s Tudor Queens series. With meticulous research and appropriate embellishment to make for an interesting read, I’m quite sad that this is the final book in the series.

You can read my reviews of the preceding books in the series HERE.

In each novel, Alison presents a fictional account of each of Henry VIII’s wives, from their childhood all the way through to their death. Whilst each book is considered fiction, it’s clear how much research and factual information has been used to paint these portraits — Alison always explains her basis in the Author’s Note at the end of each novel.

Henry’s sixth and final wife, Katharine Parr, might just be one of his more mature and intelligent wives. She outlives him, of course, but she seems to be the only wife that manages to keep secrets from him and not get caught. Katharine knows when to fight her battles — she’s courageous and confident, but she’s also aware of her weaknesses. Given she was married four times in her relatively short life, she makes for an interesting story.

“It was June when Mother arrived, looking every inch the great lady in damask and jewels. Her manner when she greeted Lord Borough at the outer door was imperious, as befitted one who served the Queen. But Mother did not know that he despised Queen Katherine and knew that she was out of favour at court.”

Sharp and engrossing, fans of the Tudor age will find themselves enthralled in Katharine’s story. Whilst Katherine wasn’t thrilled to marry the King, she does so in the hopes she can sway him towards religious reforms. She practices her faith in secret, working to step away from Catholicism. Faith is an element that wasn’t explored as deeply through the other Queen’s perspectives, so it added something unique to this final book.

Like the other Queens, Katharine Parr works to position herself in roles of power, even though the time period didn’t benefit women. But unlike the others, Katherine knew when to fight and when to accept defeat, and that’s probably the reason she outlived the King.

“It was hard practicing her new faith in secret. She had to make an outward show of following religious custom, for she was too fearful of reprisals if she betrayed her true beliefs.”

Admittedly, it does take a bit of time for Katharine’s path to cross with King Henry, but Katherine does live a rather eventful life up until then. With two marriages and two dead husbands, it feels like she’s lived a lifetime by the time she’s crowned Queen. And her story is definitely not over then. I think some readers might find themselves surprised to love this book – Katharine Parr certainly isn’t the most well known of Henry’s six wives, but Alison crafts her into quite the interesting woman.

“Over the following days, she agonised over whether she should be encouraging Thomas’ friendship. The angel on her shoulder told her she should not, but the devil on the other assured her that it could do no harm.”

I feel there’s no more praise left to give for this series. Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, but I’d recommend you go back to the very beginning with Henry’s first Queen, Katherine of Aragon, to experience the full chronological journey. Readership skews female, 30+

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Six Tudor Queens: Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife
Alison Weir
May 2021
Hachette Book Publishers

City of Vengeance by D.V Bishop

Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth.

Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court, is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany – or suffer the consequences.

During his investigations Aldo uncovers a plot to overthrow the volatile ruler of Florence, Alessandro de’ Medici. If the Duke falls, it will endanger the whole city. But a rival officer of the court is determined to expose details about Aldo’s private life that could lead to his ruin. Can Aldo stop the conspiracy before anyone else dies, or will his own secrets destroy him first?

Debut historical thriller City of Vengeance by D.V Bishop takes us to Renaissance Florence, 1536. Cesare Aldo is tasked with solving two murders — moneylender Levi, who was stabbed to death in his home, and cross-dresser Corsini, who was bashed to death after dark. The novel also explores the unrest in Florence, and the traitorous plan to overthrow Alessandro de’ Medici by his own cousin. Whilst fiction, this book is inspired by true events, which are detailed in the Author’s Note at the end.

Readers needn’t love historical fiction to enjoy City of Vengeance — you must merely enjoy crime and thriller stories. At its core, this is a book about two murders, and a lead detective trying to uncover the truth. Whilst the setting may feel vastly different, this novel follows a similar format to most police procedural tales.

“It took Strocchi hours to find a true address for Corsini. The Otto’s records revealed several arrests of him in recent months: petty theft, pickpocketing and indecent acts. But the accused gave a different address each time, forcing Strocchi to eliminate them all.”

D.V Bishop does well to paint the setting. I’m somewhat familiar with the Medici reign and felt like the author captured the atmosphere of the time — societal behaviour and attitudes— rather well. It’s clear that years of research went into writing this book, a lot of source material and perhaps reference books as well.

City of Vengeance explores political intrigue, betrayal, familial obligation and keeping secrets. Each major character has been crafted uniquely, their personalities differing significantly. We have more than one villain, and plenty of red herrings along the way to throw us off the scent of the murderer/s. Aldo in particular is a well-developed character. He is in charge of uncovering secrets, but at the same time, he’s hiding some secrets of his own.

“Aldo went to the door. It stood ajar but there was no splintering to the wood, and no damage to the bolt. That suggested Levi had let his attacker in — a debtor, maybe, or a rival? Or had it been someone closer to home? Killings in Florence were not infrequent and were usually personal, fuelled by family, love, hate or greed.”

Despite the book only taking place over a few days, the pacing slows in the middle and suddenly the novel feels very long. Four hundred pages wasn’t necessary for the scope of this story, and I’ll admit I groaned a little when I found out this was the first book in a planned series. Please, make the sequel more succinct!

Admittedly, the other gripe I had with the story were the similarity in names. Perhaps unavoidable when writing a story based on true events, but we had Cesare, Corsini, Cosimo and Cerchi. It took me about one hundred pages to tell them apart whenever they appeared in a scene together — some names starting with another letter would’ve been welcome.

“Levi had been anxious on the road back from Bologna, but not defeated. If what Dante said was true, something must have happened after Levi’s return to Florence.”

Energetic and intense, with enough intrigue to keep you reading. Recommended for readers of fantasy and medieval history.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

City of Vengeance
D.V Bishop
February 2021
Pan Macmillan Book Publishers

Elizabeth and Elizabeth by Sue Williams

‘I’ve waited for this moment so long, dreamed of it, prepared for it, I can barely believe it’s finally here. But it is. And it is nothing like I expected.’

There was a short time in Australia’s European history when two women wielded extraordinary power and influence behind the scenes of the fledgling colony.

One was Elizabeth Macquarie, the wife of the new governor Lachlan Macquarie, nudging him towards social reform and magnificent buildings and town planning. The other was Elizabeth Macarthur, credited with creating Australia’s wool industry and married to John Macarthur, a dangerous enemy of the establishment.

These women came from strikingly different backgrounds with husbands who held sharply conflicting views. They should have been bitter foes.

Sue Williams’ Elizabeth and Elizabeth is a rich, heartfelt historical fiction debut, exploring early colonial Australian history and the story of two women who forge a strong bond amidst unlikely circumstances. Together, they wield incredible power and are pivotal in the development of Australia.

It’s quite refreshing to read historical fiction that doesn’t centre around a budding romance — a rare find! Instead, Elizabeth and Elizabeth is about a budding friendship, and the support that each characters provides the other within this male-dominated environment.

This novel puts women front and centre during a time when females generally didn’t have much say. Sue establishes a strong, multi-layered characterisation in each of these women — Betsey is hopeful, eager, and perhaps a little naive. Elizabeth is older and wiser, has lived in Australia for longer, and possesses a slightly judgemental and skeptic attitude, which does adapt and change over the course of the novel.

“It would be one last adventure for us both, I told him, an experience we could share and an exciting chance to help shape a part of the world we were hearing so much about. It would be a fine legacy for him, a fitting finale to his long career of service to his country and a great opportunity for me to see something of the world.”

Another strength in the novel is setting and location. Capturing Australia in the early 1800s requires vivid description, and an understanding of the political landscape of the time. Sue brings authenticity to the novel, making it clear how much research has gone into this work — how much time and dedication. I’ll admit some of the political dealings and international relations went over my head, but I appreciate the necessity of these elements in the novel, and how Sue seamlessly wove them in with intrigue.

“Ironically, given the number of times Lachlan urged me to be patient when we arrived, it’s now my turn to worry that Lachlan might be moving too far in relation to the emancipation of convicts, and it’s me who’s warning him to slow down so we don’t make too many enemies.”

Admittedly, I did feel like there wasn’t enough tension in the novel, and challenges felt thin and skimmed over. Because Sue was covering such a large amount of time within the confines of one novel, she did move through the plot quite quickly. As a result, any struggles the women faced, such as miscarriages or home invasions, happened too quickly to really dwell on.

Truthfully, I never really felt worried for either of the women. They both come from incredible privilege and so for the majority of the novel, tensions just didn’t really seem that heightened. Elizabeth’s husband is a bit of a sore point but he’s gone for majority of the novel. For Betsey, her most impressive act of courage doesn’t really happen until the end of the novel, when she’s working so hard to have her husband’s report published. I felt there was scope to expand on that, but instead the months are skimmed over and so I never really felt concerned for her plight.

“She’s a similar age to me, maybe just a few years younger, and she’s plucky, too. Apparently, when the mutineers appeared at Government House to depose her father, she tried to fight them off with her parasol! I would have loved to have seen that.”

Recommended for readers of historical fiction.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth & Elizabeth
Sue Williams
January 2021
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers