Suzanne M. WolfeBesprekingen

Set in 1585 at the court of Elizabeth 1 Nicholas Holt, spy and the younger brother of the Earl of Blackwell, is given the task of discovering the murderer of one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. But this is just the start.
A very enjoyable well-written mystery and the story is certainly helped by its likeable characters. A good solid start to what I presume will be a series. Setting the scene of Elizabethan England well.
A Netalley Book

1586. Nicholas Holt, younger brother of Robert, Earl of Blackwell, and spy for Sir Francis Walsingham, is on the trail of a Spanish agent. He follows del Toro to Oxford. But in the process while travelling with an old neighbour they are ambushed. Meanwhile back in London, another of Walsingham's spys is killed. But events start to accelerate, and who's pawn is Holt.
I enjoyed this well-written historical mystery which can easily be read as a standalone story. The plots takes many turns to keep me guessing who is on the side of right, if there is one. The secondary characters are well-developed and so add to the story.
A NetGalley Book

A beautiful, satisfying novel.

Look the cover and title might make you believe this is some sort of Romance Novel. It isn't but it is a love story. Well researched and written, it is also a fairly compelling read. The thing that would have improved my experience with the book, was a better understanding of Augustine's life. This isn't a book about Augustine, but who he was is a part of the core of this love story. So if I had brought more background to the story I feel like I would have gained more from the story. Still well worth the read.

The copy of The Course of All Treasons that I received via NetGalley does not match the title described on this book's page. The case described on the book's page is an earlier case that's referenced in The Course of All Treasons.

That said, I enjoyed the book a great deal—and am, frankly, glad that I'll be able to track down at least one more title in the series. The book balances historical detail with the kind of character development modern readers expect. As one reads, the overall nature of some characters—good, evil, etc.—seems to move back and forth. The resolution to the mystery ties things up well.

The big theme here is the competition between the spies of Walsingham and Essex, which is fascinating. There's also a bit of a look forward to the plight of Mart Queen of Scots.

I love reading anything that takes place in the Tudor era. Most novels now are featuring anything WWI and WWII and those eras are fine but it has been a while since I have been able to read one in the Tudor era."God's bollocks, girl! I'm freezing my tits off!" and the book starts!

The youngest lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth is found murdered and left on the high altar of the Chapel Royal in Whitehall Palace. There are always threats to Queen Elizabeth and she is wondering why this young woman has been murdered. She enlists the skills of Nicholas Holt to investigate the murder. Nicholas is a spy for the Queen and is able to use his skills in his investigation. He is also the owner of the The Black Sheep Tavern. Nick enlists the help of Eli, a Jewish doctor and his twin sister, Rivkah, and Kate, the owner of a brothel. Oh yes, I forgot to mention his hound, an Irish Wolfhound named Hector.

Then another lady in waiting is murdered and Nick finds himself in dangerous territory as the hunt for a killer deepens. Can Nick and his cohorts find the killer before there is another murder?

I enjoyed the style of Suzanne M. Wolfe's writing, the characters she portrays are so believable, I almost found myself in the streets of Bankside. The sights, sounds, and smells seemed to come off the pages of the book. An exciting murder mystery that I hope there are more of.

I must admit that I enjoy books that take place in Elizabethan times. I haven’t read one in a bit so I was quite happy to find myself again walking the halls with this great queen. In A Murder by Any Name we find Elizabeth sitting comfortably on her throne but as she always did, dealing with threats to her rule from various factions. The plot that drives the story is all fiction as are most of the main players so anyone reading the tale can just read the book for the story. This is not a tale that involves historical events but rather a story that has a couple of historical personages within.

The newest of Elizabeth’s ladies in waiting is found murdered and the Queen calls in one her favorites to solve the crime. Nicholas Holt is one of her spies but he also has skills she respects. She instructs him to find out who has committed the murder before riots start blaming the wrong people for it.

As Nicholas starts digging another one of Elizabeth’s ladies is murdered and things get even more tense in London as people blame either the Jews or or the Catholics for the murders. Elizabeth tells him he’d better figure out whodunit or there will be hell to pay. Will he and his trusty hound be able to find the killer?

I don’t know if writing that I enjoyed this book is the correct thing to say for it is a murder mystery. It’s kind of rude to enjoy murder. But I did find the book to be a good read. The plot was intriguing, the characters quirky and engaging and the story moved right along. Elizabeth was more of an ancillary player to the fictional characters and that was actually a good thing in a way. She is such a known quantity that it was nice to be in her world but not have her be the center of it.

The book also delved into some of the social issues of the time which mirror some of the social issues of today. Interesting that – as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I found Ms. Wolfe’s writing style to be easy to read and one that brought Elizabeth’s court alive. From life in the castle to the denizens of the seedier parts of town, all were brought vividly alive as I read. I will look forward to further adventures from Nicholas and his large, furry sidekick.

One of Queen Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting has been murdered and set on display. With the murderer throwing the palace into chaos, Queen Elizabeth brings in one of her famous spies, Nicholas Holt to quickly find the killer. However, the public feels that the Jews are to blame and when another murder follows, suspicions and fear quickly arise.

As a lover of all things Tudor, I couldn't resist a murder mystery set in Queen Elizabeth's court. I immediately enjoyed the way that Queen Elizabeth is portrayed by Suzanne M. Wolfe. This Elizabeth is authentic, using salty speech and acute intelligence, glamorous in style, but still very wary of threats surrounding her. Nicholas Holt and his companion, Hector the wolfhound are an amazing spy duo. Nick's skill set allows the reader into the many different sections of England. Nick is friends with Eli and Rivkah, Jewish doctors, setting the tone for the religious turmoil at the time and interviews many servants in Whitehall, exposing the many people and tasks they do to keep the castle running. Overall, this mystery kept me on my toes and included in-depth historical detail of the later parts of Queen Elizabeth's reign.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

I confess, I’m not usually interested in fiction set in the Roman era. I prefer my Medieval Fiction and Regencies- and I wasn’t massively interested in Augustine of Hippo- though I have seen a movie about him, which went into a lot of details about his early life.
One thing that attracted me to this book was the background of the author. British born (always a plus when it’s by a compatriot) and a Cambridge Graduate- and besides- Augustine lived in a period that just about counts as the beginning of the Medieval era. So……

Overall, I liked The Confessions of X a lot. The writing style was wonderfully descriptive and evocative of the world and environment of the characters, giving a sense of sights, sounds and smells. As someone who’s actually travelled to North Africa, the details of that region were fascinating.
The intent of telling the story of an unnamed women, lost to history was well achieved, with believable portrayals of many of the key characters and their relationships. The love between Augustine and X was one that one could feel was genuine. I would say the treatment of the relationship between the protagonists is less like the mushiness one finds in a lot of romances. However- there were, as others have pointed out, a number of sexual references, which, although not graphic- were descriptive- and at times a little too much. I guess I really didn’t want or need to know about.

In terms of the historical content- the characters seemed to be mostly ‘of their time’, although many of Augustine’s beliefs about Christianity before his conversion seemed to mirror those of modern sceptics and atheists, rather than a Platonist, and adherent to a Late Roman pseudo-Christian sect. Clearly, most of the details of the story were meticulously researched (despite the odd modern Americanism- like the characters talking about the season of ‘fall’).

Other reviewers have questioned the inclusion of this story in the Christian fiction genre, as the protagonist’s religious affiliations are decidedly ambiguous (I would say she leans more on the side of pagan than Christian)- and because of the nature of her status in relation to Augustine- his concubine instead of his wife. In this regard, though I don’t mean to condone illicit sexual relations, it’s hard to ignore that various biblical figures had concubines and this was not something they were condemned for.

I would personally leave it to the reader’s discretion whether they wish to count this as Christian fiction or not. It’s certainly a touching, moving and fascinating story of love and loss.

An amazing beautifully written novel-- the character-driven fictional reminiscences of the longtime unnamed concubine of Augustine. He is known to posterity as Blessed or St. Augustine, the famous bishop of Hippo in North Africa, before he answered his call to the spiritual life. X is a woman "lost to history"; the author has conceived a perfectly plausible persona for her. She is the daughter of a poor mosaic-maker, travelling with her father and helping him in his trade. She meets the young student, Augustine, and in a church for which her father has made mosaics, they pledge life together and eternal faithfulness to each other. The novel follows her throughout her life with him in North Africa, Rome, and Milan and afterwards she gives him up by returning by herself to North Africa, not standing in his way of his professional advancement. The novel explores the nature of love in its many guises-- love of sweetheart, father, of son, of dear friends and of loss and heartbreak.

A stunning novel, one I am glad to have read and will never forget. I knew the very basic story, since I've read Augustine's [Confessions] but often my eyes would mist over with tears and I'd have to stop temporarily, get my breath, use tissue after tissue and continue. The characters were so REAL and the writing so gorgeous. I entered fully into the story and could anguish with them. The pear/pear tree seemed to me to symbolize: first, satisfying physical hunger; then Monica's dream expressed Augustine's hunger for complete peace in his life. The final pear tree in the bishop's courtyard where she sits narrating her life's story tells us that he has found what he's looking for.

To read a book filled with rich history is such a treat. The story is breathtaking and very in depth. It revolves around a concubine of Augustine of Hippo. It's funny that we don't know much about her but with the wonderful writing of the author, her story is being told for all to read. It's nice when an author does research on a subject and it is transformed into a story that sweeps across the pages. The details are superb and the depth this woman had on Augustine was very touching.

Many know that St. Augustine was a Catholic philosopher but what did this young woman do to his life? Did she help make decisions or influence him in any way? The symbolism is a interesting as St. Augustine must decide what they mean. Is a baby significant enough to experience unconditional love? The transformation that X portrays in the story is both pure beauty and a journey that captures a love so touching that you can't help but feel the emotions. I found myself glued to the pages as I read of a little known person who had so much impact on a well known figure in history. What is the plan that God had for St. Augustine? Will he accept it or struggle through great loss and pain? This is truly an exceptional story of love, loss, pain and the call of God on a person's life. I enjoyed every intricate detail of a love story that captures you in an era that was hard for some. The decisions that X makes are heartbreaking but shows how love can be both rewarding and painful at times.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild for an honest review.

"They think endurance is wisdom and perhaps that is so, but it is not the wisdom of men but of women, for though we live longer, history does not remember us and so we are a mystery to each generation."

In The Confessions of X, author Suzanne M. Wolfe lyrically brings to life the mystery of a woman "lost to history," the one time concubine of a bishop of the Church, Augustine of Hippo.

I think it's fair to point out early that I'm not crazy about one book blurb's description of this novel's central relationship as an "affair," as that can connote something scandalous or unlawful, and this book isn't about some seamy liaison. I suppose I should also mention that I'm puzzled by different blurbs saying Augustine is "heir to a fortune," as he, being the youngest of his family, doesn't stand to inherit anything and must make his own living.

Anyhow, as far as what this beautiful novel is, it's a look at some of the complexities and ironies of life and love as seen through the eyes of a woman of low societal standing, attached to a man of a higher class. As a lover of language, I was drawn in immediately by the author's fluid style, pleased to find an example of how poetry in prose still lives. Sure, there could be more no-nonsense or pedestrian ways of just getting to the point and telling us what happens, but much of this story's singularity and effectiveness would then be lost.

I do hesitate in calling this novel Christian Fiction, only because the label may give many fellow readers the expectation that the key characters must be or become Christians if the story is to have a sacred or redemptive quality, especially considering Saint Augustine. But I find this novel utterly redemptive in that it gives a voice to one lost and nameless, and even an "insignificant" life given by God is therefore made precious.
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BookLook Bloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

I finished this book at least a month ago. Already, I've forgotten most of it, and sadly, that is probably the most revealing review I can provide. The book jacket crows that Unveiling is a novel readers of Byatt's Possession will love, which is simply not true. Readers of Possession will wonder where the hell character, plot, and narrative are.

Unveiling is this: A Year in Tuscany meets Danielle Steel or Tracy Chevalier, set in Rome. The story is painfully predictable and the characters little more than Hollywood stock types. If one more heroine flees her trendy New York relationship for [insert European city here], I will scream.