The Woman in the Shadows* is a fictional account of the adult life of Elizabeth Wykes, the wife of Thomas Cromwell, a man from relatively humble origins who rose from merchant and lawyer to become chief minister to Henry VIII. For most people, all that is known of Elizabeth is as Cromwell’s wife, a background … Continue reading Book Review – The Woman in the Shadows by Carol McGrath
Historical fiction
Book Review – The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements
From the very first page The Coffin Path gives off a sense of foreboding and building menace. It begins in the Spring 1674, fourteen years into the reign of Charles II, although people and places still bear the scars of the English Civil War. Mercy Booth lives with her father, Bartram Booth, and an aging … Continue reading Book Review – The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements
Book Review – The Good People by Hannah Kent
The Good People is set in an isolated village in Kerry, about ten miles from Killarney, in the years 1825 and 1826. It begins with the sudden but seemingly gentle death of Martin Leahy at the village crossroads, the place where traditionally suicides were buried. From the start, it is clear that this is a … Continue reading Book Review – The Good People by Hannah Kent
Reviews of Forsaking All Other
Recent reviews of Forsaking All Other. Mary Anne Yarde 'I think Meyrick has set a new standard of excellence. Forsaking All Other is certainly the best historical romance book I have read in this era. It is, without a doubt, a plot-driven page-turner of a book. ' The Borgia Bull 'It’s been a good while … Continue reading Reviews of Forsaking All Other
Book Review – A Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys
A Dangerous Crossing, set in mid-1939, begins with a well-dressed woman removed by police from a passenger ship after it has docked in Sydney. The novel then steps back to the beginning of the voyage where we are introduced to Lily Shepherd who is bidding farewell to her family on board the Orentes, a migrant … Continue reading Book Review – A Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys
Book Review – Fortune’s Wheel by Carolyn Hughes
When discussing the aftermath of the Black Death, many general history books mention that it was an historical turning point which ultimately brought about the demise of the feudal system. With possibly up to 60% of the population of Europe dead from plague, labourers were in short supply and despite laws intended to freeze wages … Continue reading Book Review – Fortune’s Wheel by Carolyn Hughes
Yay!
Well, I have finally done it. Last week I published my novel Forsaking All Other both as a paperback and an ebook. An historical novel with romantic elements, it is set in England in the mid-1580s and tells the story of a young woman's struggle to avoid an arranged marriage at a time when duty … Continue reading Yay!
My Reading – February 2018
A Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys Pleasing Mr Pepys by Deborah Swift Fortune's Wheel by Carolyn Hughes
Book Review – Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
On 25 February 1862, following his death from typhoid, Willie Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, was buried in the family vault of Judge William Carroll in the Oak Hill cemetery in Georgetown. Lincoln in the Bardo takes place over several nights following his funeral. It begins with two … Continue reading Book Review – Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Book Review – Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell
London 1595 and Richard, younger brother of William Shakespeare is a player in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men where William is both playwright and a sharer (a senior member of the company who shared both its expenses and its profits). Richard’s arrival in London a few years earlier was not welcomed by William. He packed Richard … Continue reading Book Review – Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell
Catherine Meyrick 