The mysterious universe of books

  Letters From a Patchwork Quilt  by Clare Flynn Pressured by his family to join the priesthood, a young man escapes to pursue a new life, in this powerful and moving love story. England 1875, Jack Brennan, runs away from home to take up a teaching job and follow his dreams of becoming a poet. Arriving in the thriving port city of Bristol, Jack loves his new teaching job. When he falls passionately in love with a fellow teacher, Eliza Hewlett, their future together looks bright. But everything changes when the daughter of Jack's landlord falsely accuses him of fathering the child she is expecting. Unable to convince the parish priest and his powerful landlord, Jack is in an intolerable position. Desperate, Jack and Eliza decide to risk everything by emigrating to America. As they stand hand-in-hand on the deck of their ship on the Liverpool quayside, the couple are excited about the adventure ahead. But just as the ship is about to weigh anchor, police come on board to arrest ...

In this months audio bookclub we listened to Murder at Millar's Hotel: Lady Ellen Investigates, Book by Kelly Mason It’s 1924. Lady Ellen of Ashcombe Hall is on a relaxing hotel break to recuperate. Her nemesis is found dead in the restaurant, face down in his pea and ham soup. Can she confront her past to solve the mystery? Lady Ellen seeks respite in the charming seaside town of Branden Bay, whilst her home, which was used as a convalescent home for war veterans, is being refurbished to its former glory. Her peaceful break takes a dark turn when she unexpectedly crosses paths with her arch-nemesis, the enigmatic Major Albert Coltrane. Major Coltrane is found lifeless, his face submerged in his own soup after a heated and public confrontation with Ellen who finds herself accused of murder. Determined to clear her name, she forms an unlikely alliance with Lottie Penny a hotel chamber maid and Captain Ernest Hamilton, a former patient at her convalescent home. With her faithful Iris...

Ravenscourt By Samantha Ward-Smith Publication Date: October 31st, 2025 Publisher:  Mabel and Stanley Publishing Pages: 343 Genre: Historical Fiction / Gothic Historical Romance He wanted to be gone from the dark enclosing room, with its mocking misery, to be gone from this house of nightmares, of shattered dreams, and discovered secrets which could not be put back in the box. Venice, 1880. Alexander, Viscount Dundarran, seeks refuge from scandal amidst the fading grandeur of crumbling palazzos during the infamous Carnival in the city. There he encounters the enigmatic Lady Arabella Pembrook—a young, beautiful widow. Both are scarred by their pasts but find solace in each other and a chance at redemption. But when duty calls Alexander back to England upon his father's death, a darker journey begins. Travelling to Ravenscourt, the decaying estate once belonging to Arabella’s late husband, Alexander must confront the house’s disturbing legacy which has echoed through the generations....

A Virtuoso in America: Adrian A Holocaust Story, Book #2 by Fred Raymond Goldman Publication Date: July 30th, 2025 Publisher: Historium Press Pages: 272 Genre: Historical Fiction / World War II Fiction How do you reconcile a decision you made in the past when the world erupts in war, threatening the life of someone you love and believe you were protecting? Adrian Mazurek immigrated to the United States from Krakow, Poland, 14 years ago and is now a successful violin soloist and concertmaster of The Eleventh State Symphony Orchestra in New York. But despite his outward success, Adrian is inwardly harboring a shameful secret, one he has not revealed to anyone. However, that is about to change. Adrian plans to propose marriage to Suzanne, but he knows he must tell her the truth about his past before doing so. Riddled with guilt and shame, Adrian can barely look at himself in the mirror. How can he look Suzanne in the eyes and tell her that he left his infant son, Simon, in the care of his...