New-to-me books this week are Naming the Bones by Louise Welsh, and The Sisters who would be Queen by Leanda de Lisle.
Louise Welsh is the author of The Cutting Room, a dark mystery, which I read several years ago and thought was good, if rather scary. Naming the Bones looks promising:
Knee-deep in the mud of an ancient burial ground, a winter storm raging around him, and at least one person intent on his death: how did Murray Watson end up here? (Blurb on the back cover)
Dipping into the book I see that the story moves from Edinborough and Glaslow to the Isle of Lismore a small island off the west coast of Scotland. I’m tempted to start reading at once and as I’m nearing the end of Barbara Vine’s A Dark Adapted Eye I think this will be my next book.
I seem to be drawn these last few months to the Tudor period. Having read fiction – Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Thomas Cromwell) and currently reading Portrait of an Unknown Woman (Thomas More’s family) I also bought a book of non-fiction, namely The Sisters who would be Queen: the tragedy of Mary, Katherine and Lady Jane Grey by Leanda de Lisle. This is the story of the tumultuous lives of Lady Jane Grey, known as the “Nine-Day Queen”,  and her sisters. I nearly didn’t buy this book as I don’t like pictures of headless women on book covers! But the blurb by Julian Fellowes attracted my attention:
An enthralling story of tyranny and betrayal … meticulous history that reads like a bestselling novel.
I bought these books in a real bookshop – Main Street Books in St Boswell’s. I first found out about this shop from Cornflower’s blog (where she has lovely photos of the shop) and it is a real find – not only books, but a cafe and gift shop and they also sell antiques. We’d been to Melrose and stopped in Main Street Books on the way home (just a short detour), where we browsed and had lunch.
Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading.
Naming the Bones does sound good. Adding it to my tbr pile!
Friday Find: The White Gallows by Rob Kitchin
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They both sound good and I’m adding them to my reading list.
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Margaret – Those do sound like very good finds. I hope you’ll really enjoy them.
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Oooh, I like the look of NAMING THE BONES. I have not heard of this author. I’ll be interested in hearing about how it goes with that one.
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I just came across Naming the Bones on another blog recently and love the cover. I’m a bit worried it would be too creepy for me though. I hope you’ll review it!
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I love nothing better than discovering a good bookstore. The chains have taken over so much of the US market that a good independent store is hard to find but there are treasures here and there. The one you write about sounds like a place I would love to go.
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I’ve not yer reading Louise Welsh but I have The Cutting Room on hand. I will have to watch for this one as well, but who knows when it will be published here in the US. It looks good!
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