Letters to Kezia

Publication Date: January 14, 2015

iUniverse

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Pages: 208

Series: Book Two, The Puritan Chronicles

Genre: Historical Fiction

It is 1693 in Hereford, Connecticut, when Mary Case, the spinster daughter of a Puritan minister, finds herself hopelessly smitten by the roguish thief, Daniel Eames. Betrothed to a man she does not like or love, she is soon compelled to help Daniel escape from jail. Suddenly, she finds herself on the run, not only accused of being Daniel's accomplice, but also of murder.

The fugitive pair soon finds solace-and a mutual attraction-among the escapee's Algonquin friends until two men from Daniel's dark past hunt them down. After Mary is captured and returned home to await trial, a tragedy takes the life of her younger sister, revealing a dark secret Mary's father has kept for months. But just as Mary learns she is pregnant, she makes a horrifying discovery about Daniel that changes everything and prompts her to develop an unlikely bond with his mother, Rebecca, who soon saves Mary from a shocking fate. It is not until years later that her daughter, Kezia, finally learns the truth about her biological father and family.

Letters to Kezia shares a courageous woman's journey through a Puritan life and beyond as she struggles with adversity and betrayal, and discovers that loyalty can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

*****REVIEW*****

The strength of this book is in its characters and the relationships between them.  I did not read the first book, but I was very moved by historical personage Rebecca Eames when she eventually appeared in this novel.  She was portrayed as an admirable woman.  I also really liked the protagonist, Mary Case, who was very genuine in her struggle to survive while still trying to be a decent human being. 

Letters to Kezia was a compelling page turner that caused me to stay up well past my bedtime.   I was glad that readers only see brief excerpts from the letters because epistolary novels tend to lack immediacy.  The novel is mostly told as a long flashback.  It's very understandable that Mary was unable to speak about her past.  That's what makes the letters narrative framework necessary.  She couldn't just tell her daughter, Kezia, the story.  It would have been too upsetting emotionally for Mary, and it would also have been harder for Kezia to deal with.  So the narrative format did work for me.

Readers who love dogs may find a couple of scenes in this novel too troubling to read.  There was one scene in particular that I found very cruel from an emotional standpoint to male protagonist Daniel Eakins' loyal dog.  So consider yourselves warned.

I also have to admit that I found all the major plot developments predictable.  There were no surprises for me.   As a reader, it's not always necessary for me to be surprised.  I was invested in the characters, and that carried me through the book.  For the most part, I enjoyed reading Letters to Kezia very much.

I would like to thank Peni Jo Renner for the free copy of this book which I received through this blog tour.


                                               
                                             

Buy the Book

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About the Author
PENI JO RENNER is the author of the IPPY award-winning novel, Puritan Witch: the Redemption of Rebecca Eames. Originally from North Dakota, Peni now lives with her husband in Maryland where she is currently researching for the third book in the Puritan Chronicles series.

For more information please visit the Puritan Witch Website and Facebook Page. You can also follow Peni Jo Renner on Twitter.

Letters to Kezia Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, March 9

Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Guest Post at What Is That Book About

Tuesday, March 10

Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Wednesday, March 11

Guest Post at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Thursday, March 12

Guest Post at Mythical Books

Spotlight & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Friday, March 13

Review at Just One More Chapter

Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, March 16

Interview at Becky on Books

Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Tuesday, March 17

Review at Deal Sharing Aunt

Wednesday, March 18

Review at Quirky Book Reviews

Thursday, March 19

Review at Book Nerd

Interview at Dianne Ascroft Blog

Friday, March 20

Review at 100 Pages a Day

Review at Bibliophilia, Please

Review & Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Monday, March 23

Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Friday, March 27

Review at Book Babe

The Witch Hunter's Tale

Publication date: January 6, 2015

St. Martin's Press

Formats: eBook, Hardcover

Pages: 320

Series: Book Three, The Midwife Mysteries Series

Genre: Historical Mystery

Sam Thomas takes readers back to Puritan England with midwife Bridget Hodgson, hailed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as "one of the most fascinating detectives in contemporary mystery fiction."

Winter has come to the city of York, and with it the threat of witchcraft. As women and children sicken and die, midwife Bridget Hodgson is pulled against her will into a full-scale witch-hunt that threatens to devour all in its path, guilty and innocent alike.

Bridget—accompanied once again by her deputy Martha Hawkins and her nephew Will Hodgson—finds herself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse against the most dangerous men in York, as well as her sworn enemy Rebecca Hooke. As the trials begin, and the noose begins to tighten around her neck, Bridget must answer the question: How far will she go to protect the people she loves?

*****REVIEW*****

I recently read and reviewed The Harlot's Tale, which is the previous book in Sam Thomas' mystery series dealing with the 17th century English midwife Bridget Hodgson.  You can find that review on this blog here. Now that I was caught up on the lives of Bridget and other significant characters, I could go on to read the latest book in the series which I received from the publisher via Net Galley in return for this honest review.

In The Harlot's Tale, Bridget had begun to develop into a kinder and more compassionate individual, but her principles are still very important to her.  In  The Witch Hunter's Tale, Bridget is tested to the breaking point during a witchcraft hysteria that is orchestrated by her ambitious Puritan nephew, Joseph Hodgson.  Bridget has to ask herself whether she values her integrity more than the lives of the people she cares about most. 

In the context of the witchhunt which impacts the entire city, the murder of a prominent alderman at the beginning of the book, seems to recede into the background.  There is very little investigation of the murder.  Events overtake Bridget, and she can only take defensive action against them.  The truth about the murder does eventually surface and it is an important plot development, but neither Bridget nor her resourceful servant Martha can be said to be responsible for uncovering the truth.  

There are few surprises in this novel.  I have read numerous books about Puritan witchcraft hysterias.  They are very similar in their progression and the motives of those who instigate them.  As usual, politics and class antagonism played prominent roles in this witchcraft hysteria. 

The strengths of The Witch Hunter's Tale are its dramatic intensity and Bridget's continuing character growth.  If there is a next novel in this series, it will be absolutely astonishing because there is no single predictable path for Bridget Hodgson in the aftermath of this book.  That's really rather marvelous because she has the freedom to shape her own life for the first time.   I was glad to see a proper resolution that is still open ended.

                                           

Buy the Book

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iTunes

IndieBound

Powell's

About the Author

Sam Thomas is an assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He has received research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Newberry Library, and the British Academy. He has published articles on topics ranging from early modern Britain to colonial Africa. Thomas lives in Alabama with his wife and two children.

For more information please visit Sam Thomas's website. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Witch Hunter's Tale Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 9

Review at With Her Nose Stuck In A Book

Spotlight at What Is that Book About

Tuesday, February 10

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Spotlight at The Lit Bitch

Wednesday, February 11

Review at Build a Bookshelf

Friday, February 13

Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Monday, February 16

Review at Book Babe

Spotlight at Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, February 17

Review at The Emerald City Book Review

Wednesday, February 18

Review & Interview at Back Porchervations

Friday, February 20

Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Monday, February 23

Interview at Mina's Bookshelf

Spotlight at Historical Fiction Obsession

Tuesday, February 24

Review at A Book Geek

Wednesday, February 25

Review at A Chick Who Reads

Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Thursday, February 26

Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog

Spotlight at Brooke Blogs

Friday, February 27

Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

                                                         
                                               
                                             

Charitable Hatred: Puritan Preaching Leads To Murder in The Harlot's Tale

The Harlot’s Tale is the second book in a historical mystery series that takes place in 17^th century England whose protagonist is the midwife Bridget Hodgson.  She is a widow from a noble family who is accustomed to wielding authority, but she is also highly principled.  When I started reading the first book in this series, The Midwife’s Tale, I thought she was arrogant, self-righteous and intolerant.   I almost gave up on the book because I found her too unsympathetic.   

Fortunately, I became interested in Martha Hawkins, her new maid.  The very fact that Bridget gave Martha a chance despite her background showed that Bridget had more compassion than I had imagined.  I continued reading because of Martha.  She is clever, courageous and resourceful. She also has some very interesting skills that make her useful for crime investigation in both books.

                                             

                                                 

In this second book, I think that Martha has influenced Bridget for the better.  She seems more open to new ideas and approaches.  She has become more supportive toward women in unfortunate circumstances which also puts her on the wrong side of the law. As a midwife, Bridget is supposed to report all women giving birth to children out of wedlock so that they can be publicly whipped.  In Puritan dominated York, the city where this series takes place, Bridget’s newfound sympathy can be dangerous to her.

The case in The Harlot’s Tale involves a series of murders of prostitutes.  The killer leaves Biblical verses in the hands of the victims.  This leads Bridget to suspect that some fanatical Puritan is the perpetrator, but this gives her a great many suspects.  The religious zeitgeist had become increasingly fanatical.  There is a popular Puritan preacher in York who calls for “charitable hatred” toward individuals that Puritans consider immoral.  This phrase is never explained.  How can hatred ever be charitable?  It sounds like war for peace or freedom within slavery.   When I analyze it from a Puritan perspective, I imagine that a Puritan might consider it merciful to kill someone who is sinful so that they will sin no more, and won’t enrage God any further.  From a modern secular viewpoint that kind of thinking seems bizarre.  

 This is the sort of environment that leads to witchcraft hysterias.  So it’s fairly predictable that this is the subject of the third book, The Witch Hunter’s Tale in which I imagine that Bridget is in some serious jeopardy.  Midwives have often been suspected of witchcraft during witchcraft hysterias.   I will be reviewing The Witch Hunter’s Tale for a blog tour in February.

Although the situation in The Harlot's Tale is scarcely unexpected during this period of England’s history, there are some plot twists that made for a good mystery.  The plot complications and character growth caused me to consider this novel an enjoyable read.