Rebecca Hill

These stories will make those things that go bump in the night seem like crickets! Catch a good scare with these stories!

Did someone say murder?? This book will not disappoint! Get ready for something that feels like it could not have possibly happened - sensational murder, a prominent member of society - and a college embroiled in intrigue.

I could not put this one down! It was amazing, and I would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys true crime! Perfect for weekend reads!

Burial practices have changed over time, but sometimes those changes are subtle and can go unnoticed by those who are not looking closely.
With the changes in the layout of graveyards and cemeteries, it is not something that is widely noticeable. This is because most of the changes are buried, meaning that unless you dig up the bones, you are not going to see the many changes that have occurred. Thankfully, we have archaeologists, and they are excavating the many changes that have been undertaken over the last several centuries.

Lorraine Evans does a great job of going through the many different burial practices and laying out why each might have been used. From grave goods to suspected vampires, you get a little of everything in this book. I absolutely LOVED this one! It was very engaging and highly enjoyable.

The old west has long captured the imagination and fascination of so many, and bandits are no different! Black Bart was a legend among legends, and the facts, tales, and stories that are woven together in this book are fun and informative.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and I look forward to sharing it with others!

Think that dukes are all stuffy and boring? Think again! From suicides to run away lovers, and more - the Dukes of Bolton has had an interesting and colorful history.

Through this book, you are going to watch as the family expands their holdings, survives the English Civil War, and navigates the murky waters that inevitably surrounds the monarchy - you can watch the family evolve and conform to the rules of society at the time. They were unafraid to push their agenda's, and even lie about being ill in order to hedge their bets against the ruling monarch at the time. Intrigue runs deep with this family!

I enjoyed this book, although there were a few times I felt as though I got lost, and had to untangle my way back to the family and figure out the dynamics. I did learn quite a bit, and it was highly informative with lots of great facts thrown in! I highly recommend this!

The family that everyone loved to hate...

The Despenser family was one that wielded quite a bit of power during medieval times, but the fortunes wheel does forever turn. What goes up, must come down. The Despenser family learned that with their rise, they could also fall. Hugh the Elder and Hugh the Younger were both in high positions of power, and through their greed came their fall. It was only after their fall that it was realized how much they actually held - and some of that took many years to discover.

The Despenser family did not end with Hugh the Younger - in fact, many did survive - albeit with some initial punishments, and then the family just continued to blend into the fabric of England.

I really enjoyed reading through this book and finding many things that I was not aware of. I knew of the overreach of Hugh the Elder, but I was not aware of the extent, nor was I aware of the different members of the family who managed to rise from the ashes, to bring honor back to the Despenser name. A great read - with lots of information!

This is not your normal run of the mill crime story. Knowing the story of the Yorkshire Ripper, Mo Lea fell victim to the killer herself, managing to survive the brutal attack that followed.

I really enjoyed reading this one. It was a different accounting than what you are used to reading, but it was gripping, and you could not turn the pages fast enough to see what happened next!

Great for weekend reads.

This is one of the best books that I have read this year! I absolutely loved the breakdown, and the many different facets and facts this author brought out. While women are generally in the background, not all women were relegated to historical footnotes, and this book brings out some of the women who stood out and made a name for themselves.

If you enjoy history, you are going to want to get a copy of this book. It is the perfect addition to any bookcase!

This tale it told from the perspective of the author at a young age. As he navigates through the changes in his childhood, there are many different things going on, and our young narrator lays out the challenges of growing up in Southwest Virginia.

This book was interesting, and yet, in some places hard to read. While I was reading through, there are places where you want to reach out with a hug, and then there are persons mentioned in the book that you wish you could take a fly swatter to.
Southwest Virginia has a flair all of its own, but our narrator lays out the challenges of growing up in a small town, and the relationships with his brothers during their formative years. Through the many changes and twists of childhood, we see a story of redemption, growth, and eventual freedom. Freedom comes at a cost (when does it not), but nothing is without heartbreak.

While this is a really fabulous view into small town America, this book comes with several heartbreaking stories, and a eyes open view of the world that one so young should not have had. I highly recommend this one!

I have loved anything to do with Pompeii for years, and this book was not a disappointment! Get ready to get lost in a story that is amazing, full of adventure, and so much more!

True Rescue: The Finest Hours is an adventure all on its own. One of the finest and most daring rescues in New England history. When two ships are stricken in winter seas after their ships split into two, there are two teams who head out to rescue them. Only one was called in, the other, the radio was dead, and no distress call could go out.

The crew that headed out to rescue the men trapped were all volunteers, and none of them were sure that they were going to return safely, if at all. But they were not going to leave the men trapped on the ship to the sea.

I absolutely loved this story! It was not one that I had heard before, but it is one that I look forward to sharing with my boys! This book was engaging and one that will resonate with younger readers.

This was a different read, one that takes you back as though it is happening as you read. Cleopatra was an interesting figure, but I am not sure I loved the take on this book.
Having been an ancient Egyptian enthusiast for years, I was a tad disappointed with this take.

Decent, just not the dynamite I was hoping for!

The Last Woman in the Forest was a great read! It was enjoyable and kept your attention throughout the entire book. With her friend and mentor dead, Marian begins to uncover more about him and the possibility that her friend was a killer. She works to uncover the truth, and find answers for herself.

Good weekend read!

If you love murderers and serial killers, you are going to LOVE this book! It is FULL of information, tid-bits, and great facts!

This was a great read, and I look forward to reading more from this publisher! Grab it now for the true crime lover in your life!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

We know about one aspect of the slave trade, as we have discussed and dissected it in our classrooms for decades. But there is another hidden aspect of the slave trade, one that has been altogether forgotten and dismissed by many.
Simon Webb goes into detail on this forgotten aspect of the slave trade, giving us the history and details that have been overlooked for so long.
I highly recommend this read. It was eye-opening, and very compelling as well. This is one that should be on everyone's list to read this year!

If you are looking for a book that is full of “how in the world...” then this is the one for you! Full of adventure, survival, and the fight for life - this book is one that will not leave you disappointed at all!

As a historian, I was blown away by the detail, the descriptions, and the astounding fight to stay alive in the jungle. Absolutely amazing and a perfect read! For fans of WWII, this exciting military adventure, staying alive in a jungle full of Japanese soldiers, their only job - stay alive and make it home.

Absolutely amazing, as are all his books! I loved this one!

The murder of Sir William Cantilupe was a fun one to read about. While the circumstances were suspicious, and the body lay undisturbed for a length of time, going through the case - and so much more. This book really dives into the social nuances of the day, giving more information on the relationships between servants and masters, and then dissecting the case of Sir William, down to a degree that will appease any true crime lover. From history to crime - there is so much to love about this book, and it's one that you are going to truly enjoy reading!

OH my goodness, I loved these stories! I will forever love Ron Ripley!

Oh my goodness, this book had me giggling in a few parts - but it was so well done, and put together. You can follow the criminal career of Annie with ease!

From cloaks to asking for fair for transportation, to swindling people out of money for “good works,” Annie ran the gambit, doing everything she could to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, while skipping out just in time to keep from being arrested. The police seemed to be one step behind her at every turn.

I enjoyed this read, and the exploits of the dominating Annie.

The Titanic was a disaster of epic proportions, one that would have lasting effects for many years to come. With the “Unsinkable” ship ready to sail, many flocked to its decks, hoping for better lives, celebrating honeymoons, looking for better employment, or just taking pleasure trips.
When the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on 14 April 1912 - no one could believe it. The iceberg should not have caused the amount of damage, but there were several design flaws, ones that would come back to haunt the massive ocean liner.

Through this book, we get a glimpse inside the ship itself, the people aboard the vessel, and many of their thoughts and impressions on the great liner. What can never be erased is the massive loss of life, due to the fact that there were not enough lifeboats on board for everyone and the lives that were torn apart by the sinking of this ship. This heartbreaking book will keep you captured from page one, giving you a glimpse into the hopes and dreams that were dashed for many that night.
At the end of the book, there is an accounting for several of the passengers and crew, whether they lived or died, and even providing some background on them. These stories bring home the humanness of it all, the real live people who had their lives cut short, dreams lost, and for some, the inability to get over the guilt of having survived the sinking.

I highly recommend this book! It was amazing, and I truly enjoyed it!

I was provided with a copy of this book for a fair and honest review, via NetGalley and Pen and Sword Publishers

This was an interesting take on Anne Boleyn. Her life has been written about, romanticized, and torn to shreds by those who wished to bring her down. Mary Louise Bruce brings Anne to the front again, and in some ways, rehashing all of the information that has already been presented about her.

I was looking forward to gaining deeper insight into Anne Boleyn through this book, but nothing truly jumped out as new and exciting. Nevertheless, it was a decent biographical work of this young woman who became the queen of England, losing her life at a young age.

This was such a good book! I really enjoyed reading through this one, and the changes in the picture were just eerily fascinating!

Oh heavens - this one gave me a few good chills! I haven't really ever felt disappointment with any of the stories, and while Ron Ripley will forever be my favorite, the other writers hold their own.

Great stories, good thrills, and perfect for chilly afternoons! You can blame the shivers on the cold!

These were different from the later ones. I felt some of these were stilted, but still a good story to give you a shiver!