Let us Talk of Many Things; of Books and Queens and Pirates, of Mystery and Kings...: January 2023

Tuesday 31 January 2023

My Coffee Pot Guest: Jessie Mills - Rosalind: DNA’s Invisible Woman

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through wonderful worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find a few good books
to enjoy along the way!

About the Book

Book Title: ROSALIND: DNA’s Invisible Woman

Author: Jessie Mills

Publication Date: 15 March 2022 (print), 18 February 2022 (digital)

Publisher: Ingram Spark/Alpha Helix Publishing

Page Length: 310 pages

Genre: Historical fiction / narrative non-fiction

'A luminous, pin-sharp portrait of a true trailblazer. Mills's writing simply glows.' Zoë Howe, Author, Artist and RLF Writing Fellow at Newnham College, University of Cambridge

Rosalind: DNA’s Invisible Woman tells the true story of the woman who discovered the structure of DNA, whose work was co-opted by three men who won a Nobel prize for the discovery.

Her story is one of hope, perseverance, love and betrayal.

Driven by her faith in science, Rosalind Franklin persisted with her education in the face of formidable obstacles, including the de-reservation of women from war science.

In Norway at the start of World War II, her place at Cambridge's first women's college was thrown into jeopardy.

A decade later, she fled Paris upon the news that the research director at the State Chemicals Lab was having an affair. They continued to write to each other in secret.

Rosalind knew when embarking on science, a gentleman's profession, that the odds would be stacked against a woman's success. But she did not foresee that her pay would later be cut on account of her age and gender, that she would be burned by the plagiarism rife among her male contemporaries or face her own battle with cancer.

When she took a research post at King’s College London, the head of the physics department switched her subject to DNA at the last minute.

She was tasked with discovering its structure using X-ray crystallography. Could she become the first scientist to map the DNA molecule and would the discovery ultimately be worth it?

When two researchers at Cambridge University, her alma mater, built a three-chain model of DNA weeks after seeing her lecture, she knew that it was wrong.

Scientists at each of the three labs competing in the race to find DNA’s structure had guessed that the molecule had three chains. Her evidence proved them wrong. But would anybody listen?

This is the story of DNA that you won't find in the history books...

The woman behind science's greatest discovery has been variously referred to as 'an obsessive woman', 'difficult', and 'the dark lady of DNA'. Why was she called these names, and were they justified?

Written by journalist and former Wall Street Journal (PRO) editor Jessica Mills Davies, following nearly three years of intensive archival research, the novel aims to give Rosalind Franklin a voice for the first time in history. Her story is the most well-documented account of 'the Matilda effect' and its corollary 'the Matthew Effect', whereby women's contributions to science and other professions are often ignored or misappropriated.

The Exeter Novel Prize-longlisted novel is peppered with copies of original correspondence between her and her contemporaries, illustrating how three men got away with the biggest heist in scientific history.

Read An Excerpt

Extract from ROSALIND: DNA’s INVISIBLE WOMAN, Prologue

The chance of making a major scientific discovery is minuscule. Nearly half are by accident. Serendipity, or mishap by another name, pulls scientists from the clutches of flat Earths and illusory sirens. Controlled experiments frame those fallacies and rescript the world’s truths. At King’s College London, we were specks of dust in the gargantuan cosmos, investigating the very secrets of life. Progress was not a lightning-bolt moment, it was hours of toil, in a basement that smelled of mothballs. If you had asked me then if I knew we would find the structure of DNA, I would have said, simply, that the data speaks for itself. Its voice is audible for those who listen.

The mysteries of the universe reside in the simplest of shapes. The twisted loop of a figure of eight was visible in my X-ray photographs. Two strands of the genetic code entwined together beneath the glass, intersected at the centre, and flecked with atomic dots. I traced their smooth lines, back and forth, back, eight, back. The meandering curve of the infinity sign hides an eternity of secrets.

Rosalind Franklin

Extract from ROSALIND: DNA’s INVISIBLE WOMAN

Part I, chapter 1 (Exodus | Shemot)

Norway, August 1939

As I stand in line with the other passengers, a dour-faced policeman snatches my passport from my hands. He looks up to examine me from beneath a deeply etched brow.

‘English?’ he asks.

His menacing eyes follow me as I walk past him and up the steps to board the ocean liner. The port town of Bergen is dotted with wooden houses in vivid hues of red and yellow. It is a different sight from the sleepy fishing village on our inbound journey when the Sheriff’s office was closed. I wished then that we could have flown from Gressholmen Airport, in one of the new metallic Imperial Airways planes. They were as big and shiny as the Zeppelins on the banners in Paris. But Father insisted that we couldn’t get the family Austin on one.

On our return, queues into the port stretch for several miles. The jetty is crawling with uniformed police in visor caps, which shield their faces from the stark Norwegian sun. The police are checking passengers’ papers before boarding the boat.

The ship has cast a deep and foreboding shadow over the steps.

As my feet navigate each rung, the iron staircase creaks and yawns. The structure is gnawing at the bolts on the side of the ship.

The staircase sways in unison with the waves as they lap with force against the steel stern. My feet move in time with the structure, back and forth like a pendulum. I vault two steps at a time, levering my body from every other step until the sun’s rays warm the cloth on my back.

Standing on the ship’s bow, I long to stay there forever. The last of August’s sun is twinkling softly on the water’s peaks. The waves are undulating gently against the hull as the boat crosses the water.

The journey out of the port is smooth. With each ripple and swell of the water, my mind drifts, first to home and then to college. I am due to return to Cambridge in less than a month. Suddenly, a thought grips me. At first, it is fleeting, but the more I try to suppress it, the harder it resurfaces, with agonising intensity. I may never return.

Seconds later, a pummelling sensation rams my stomach. The ship swings to one side, and the rail jolts against my ribs.

‘Navy ships?’ my mother asks.

A Cimmerian mist quickly settles on the water’s surface. Through the haze, a large vessel is visible.

My father’s response is inaudible.

As we descend the poorly lit stairwell at the side of the ship, a tide of panic sweeps over me. My parents and brothers spend the rest of the journey in silence.

Perhaps it is selfish to want the bourgeois life of a scientist, a gentleman’s profession. I like Maths too, as well as Chemistry. Yet while the rest of the world is upended by ideology, science is the last bastion deserving of my faith. From the tiniest molecule to the whole of the universe, science pervades every inch. It is the only language we have to make sense of it.

When you lose everything you ever knew to be true, all you can do is drive forwards to keep the ghosts at bay. Our family holiday to Norway began much like our trip two years before. There were few signs of what would transpire, or how it would change the course of our lives. Sometimes it only takes one event, one meeting, one person, or one kiss, for a life to change forever. That August was to be one of those events.

Buy Links:

Universal Link:

Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store! (books2read.com)

Amazon UK:

Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman: Amazon.co.uk: Mills: 9781399918978: Books

Amazon US:

Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman: Mills: 9781399918978: Amazon.com: Books

Amazon CA:

Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman: Mills: 9781399918978: Books - Amazon.ca

Amazon AU:

Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman : Mills: Amazon.com.au: Books

Barnes and Noble:

Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman by Mills, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Waterstones:

Rosalind by Mills | Waterstones

Kobo:

Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman eBook by Jessie Mills - EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

Blackwell’s:

Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman : Mills : 9781399918978 : Blackwell's (blackwells.co.uk)

(Also available on APPLE BOOKS)

About Jessie Mills

Jessica is a journalist and author. She has written for publications such as The Independent, The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider, where she investigated the use of flammable cladding in hospital intensive care units in 2020.

Before that she was a member of the steering committee for Women at Dow Jones, where she spent several years as an editor and led the team that uncovered the misuse of funds at Abraaj.

Her debut novel tells the true story of Rosalind Franklin, the invisible woman behind the discovery of DNA’s double helix. It was longlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize 2020.

Social Media Links:

Website: Jessie Mills Davies (jessiemillsauthor.com)

Twitter: Jessica J. Mills Davies 💙 (@Byjessiemills) / Twitter

Facebook: Rosalind Franklin and the pay gap - Home | Facebook

LinkedIn: LinkedIn

Instagram: Jessie Mills (@jessiemillsauthor) • Instagram photos and videos

Pinterest: www.pinterest.co.uk/jessiemillsdavies/

Amazon Author Page: Amazon.co.uk: Jessie Mills: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle

Goodreads: Jessie Mills (Author of Rosalind) (goodreads.com)

Follow the Tour

Twitter Handle: @byjessiemills @cathiedunn

Instagram: @jessiemillsauthor @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #rosalindfranklin #invisiblewomen #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Blog Tour Schedule page:

https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2022/12/blog-tour-rosalind-dnas-invisible-woman.html

Helen's review is on Amazon.

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You might also like

books written by Helen Hollick

Website: https://helenhollick.net/

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteries

set in the 1970s

http://mybook.to/AMysteryOfMurder

https://mybook.to/MISTAKEofMURDER

1066 - the events that led to the
Battle of Hastings
from Amazon
Harold the King (UK edition)
I Am The Chosen King (US/Canada edition)
1066 Turned Upside Down -
an anthology of alternative stories

* * *

www.helenhollick.net

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monday 30 January 2023

ME on MONDAY - today: A Facebook Frazzle

JUST ME on MONDAY
making a few musings...

Might I suggest?

Admins of Facebook (and similar Social media) take note?

I had an unfortunate, upsetting and frustrating experience the other week regarding a Facebook group to which I had joined. I won't name it, those who know me will know what group it was - nothing to do with books or writing, though.

First of all the fault WAS mine, I made the error. A stupid one, BUT it was wholly unintentional and a misunderstanding on my part.

Two factors caused the problem:

1) I had made an (obviously erroneous) assumption

2) my visual impairment.

The group was connected to my past and when I started writing my Jan Christopher Murder Mysteries I thought others in this group would be interested in the subject and location because the books are set in the 1970s, and some scenes etc are relevant to the group. I also thought I would be able to ask for help if I needed any 'historical' research.

So, I posted about the first book (A Mirror Murder) and had some lovely, supportive responses - and as a bonus met up (online) with some 'old' friends. (I can use the term 'old' without treading on toes as many of us are the same age!)

Naturally, because of these positive responses - including a couple from the site administrator/s - I assumed I was OK to mention the books and add buying links etc..

Apparently not.

For Episode#3 (A Mistake of Murder) I needed some detailed information whilst writing it, so again posted - and again received some wonderful, extremely helpful comments. When publication day was approaching I posted the pre-order link and thanked the people who had helped me. Again an enthusiastic response.

Naturally, because previous posts had ben OK, I assumed it would be acceptable to share with the group that the book was finally published... the intention being to share and celebrate with friends who were interested. I was then a bit puzzled when the post disappeared. I automatically assumed this was because Facebook was messing about, (as it often does) so tried again - same result.

Yes, I should have stopped and thought about this ... but I didn't. I guess we're all far too used to the weird quirks of Facebook to question things that happen?

Instead, I altered the previous post - that was still there - from ' available soon' to 'now available'. That post also disappeared. Now I was concerned. What's going on?

THEN I noticed the flagged warning message on the group sidebar.

Somewhat curt, 'you've been warned' etc. I was horrified! Oh crikey I've stepped right into an embarrassing blooper!

Let me state here: I am visually impaired. Stuff on sidebars, especially in a small, light blue or red font are virtually invisible to me.

First thought: contact admin, apologise and explain.

It was fairly late in the evening. I know from past experience that not all admins (for various reasons) pick up messages, so I sent the same message to all three of the ones named at the top of the admin list.

I apologised. I explained that as other posts had been acceptable I assumed these latest ones would be as well. I also explained that I hadn't seen the flagged warnings .. literally hadn't seen them.

And was baffled, frustrated (and yes, annoyed!) to receive back a curt, hostile reply in which my explanation and mention of visual impairment was completely ignored.

I tried again to explain. (Do admins really HAVE to be so belligerently myopic to a genuine mistake?)

Yes I was wrong. I wouldn't make such a blunder again - more apologies. All fell on deaf ears.

I politely asked 'if I was to open my own small group page, would I be permitted to run it past an admin first, then post the new link on the group page?'

Answer: "No."

I informed that I would be leaving the group after I'd 'friended' any contacts I wanted to stay in touch with - and informing my closer friends of what had happened.

A comment was made in public asking why I had been banned. The Admins responded that I hadn't been banned (perfectly true, I hadn't) but also their comment had, well, let's say it contained a somewhat distorted, grumpy version of events which left out that I had apologised and the reason behind my blunder.

I, naturally, wanted to make a 'right to reply' which went something like this:

"Assuming this doesn't get deleted... I would like to make a polite response. First - no I have not been banned. I have told the admins that I want to ensure I have 'friended' people who I've made contact with on here and will then leave the group if that is what they want me to do. 2) no I didn't read the rules but I have similar posts on here which include positive comments left by a couple of admins. So naturally, I assumed I was not offending anyone by mentioning my books. 3) To say that I ignored or wouldn't accept warnings is incorrect. I have apologised for my misunderstanding several times and pointed out that I had not SEEN any warnings because I am visually impaired - so literally didn't see them - hence I erroneously continued to post. Had I been aware of the issue I would have altered the posts towards general chat and not 'advertising'. I have tried to explain this, not to be awkward just to explain. (I actually thought that a post being deleted was Facebook messing about again) 4) Yes I messaged several of the admins as I am well aware that many admins do not pick up messages, so wanted to urgently contact at least someone in order to explain. 5) I have apologised several times for my error and I would far rather have sorted this out amicably.

I am deeply upset about all this - for making an unintentional blunder on my part, but mostly because the group has been so very helpful with research/remembering the 1970s. My sole intention was to keep kind people up to date and let them know when the interaction came to fruition - sadly because I didn't realise my faux pas, things have gone horribly wrong. So again I apologise for any offence caused to anyone - but I do think there's perhaps been unfortunate misunderstandings on both sides. I will be leaving the group as I no longer feel welcome, but would very much like to remain in contact if anyone wishes to 'friend' me.'

The post was rejected.

I copied it to an admin. No reply.

SO, anyone in an admin role, please take note:

Yes, there are people out there who blatantly and intentionally break group rules.
Yes, there are annoying, persistent Trolls out there as well.
Some of us, however, simply make unintentional mistakes.
There is no need to be rude or hostile when someone genuinely tries to explain.
IF THERE'S A GENUINE REASON WHY THE MISTAKE WAS MADE LISTEN TO THAT REASON!
NOT ONCE did the admins acknowledge my explanation of why I didn't see their messages. Why was this? Do they think I'm fibbing about my sight perhaps? I genuinely wanted to apologise and set things right. I met with uncomfortable 'job's-worth' type hostility.
My thanks to those in the group who have kindly supported me though. I appreciate your friendship very much,

just for the record;
my official registration card

This comment left on my Facebook post nicely sums up how I feel:

'...and then the person politely trying to explain is often either treated like a trouble maker or actually told to "stop causing trouble and just let it be" or something along those lines.'

My Reply

I think the point above has squarely hit the nail on the head - because I tried to explain that I'd misunderstood and had made a genuine mistake I was immediately regarded as a troublemaker - and yes, basically told to 'stop causing trouble and go away' rather than a polite response and some sort of courteous effort to mutually sort the matter out.

To sum up.

Rules are rules. Spam/advertising IS a huge nuisance and too many take liberties BUT Admins, please take note - misunderstandings and mistakes also happen. Don't automatically assume that the person messaging you is an outright trouble-maker who won't take no for an answer.

Some of us really are horrified that we've blundered and genuinely want to put things right.

As an Admin you really do not need to be rude, officious and strut around Social Media as if you've every right to be an officious twat.

At the moment I'm not particularly impressed by certain admins on Facebook...

By the way ... I've left the group.

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Cheers until next week.

Sunday 29 January 2023

Book Spotlight: JUDITH ARNOPP

TWO FOR ONE SPOTLIGHT!

The Winchester Goose

by Judith Arnopp

Shining a Spotlight on Good Books & Good Authors

for you to read & enjoy

#BookSpotlight

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through wonderful worlds real and fictional,
meet interesting people, visit exciting places
and find a few good books to enjoy along the way!

Shining a Spotlight on Good Books & Good Authors

for you to read & enjoy

About the Books

Tudor London: 1540

Each night, after dark, men flock to Bankside seeking girls of easy virtue; prostitutes known as The Winchester Geese.

Joanie Toogood has worked the streets of Southwark since childhood but her path is changed forever by an encounter with Francis Wareham, a spy for the King’s secretary, Thomas Cromwell.

Meanwhile, across the River, at the glittering court of Henry VIII, Wareham also sets his cap at Evelyn and Isabella Bourne, members of the Queen’s household and the girls, along with Joanie, are drawn into intrigue and the shadow of the executioner’s blade.

Set against the turmoil of Henry VIII’s middle years, The Winchester Goose provides a brand new perspective of the happenings at the royal court, offering a frank and often uncomfortable observation of life at both ends of the social spectrum.

The Winchester Goose is available on Kindle, Paperback and Audible.

mybook.to/thewinchestergoose

The Beaufort Chronicle (Books 1-3)

Judith Arnopp

The Beaufort Bride

As King Henry VI slips into insanity and the realm of England teeters on the brink of civil war, a child is married to the mad king’s brother.

Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, takes his child bride into Wales where Margaret must put aside childhood, acquire the dignity of a Countess and, despite her tender years, produce Richmond with a son and heir.

As the friction between York and Lancaster intensifies 14-year-old Margaret is widowed and turns for protection to her brother-in-law, Jasper Tudor.

At his stronghold in Pembroke, two months after her husband’s death, Margaret gives birth to a son whom she names Henry, after her cousin the king.

Margaret is small of stature but her tiny frame conceals a fierce and loyal heart and a determination that will not falter until her son’s destiny as the king of England is secured.

The Beaufort Bride traces Margaret’s early years from her nursery days at Bletsoe Castle to the birth of her only son in 1457 at Pembroke Castle. Her story continues

Book Two:

The Beaufort Woman.

As the struggle between York and Lancaster continues, Margaret Beaufort fights for admittance to the court of the victorious Edward IV of York and his unpopular queen, Elizabeth Woodville.

The old king and his heir are dead, York now rules over England and the royal nursery is full.

But Edward and Elizabeth’s magnificent court hides a dark secret, a deception that threatens the security of the English throne … and all who lust after it.

In 1483, with the untimely death of the King, Margaret finds herself at the heart of chain of events that threaten the supremacy of York and will change England forever.

The King’s Mother

October 1485

Richard III is dead. With the English crown finally in his possession, Henry Tudor’s reign is hindered by continuing unrest.

While the king is plagued with uprisings and pretenders to his throne, Margaret in her capacity as The King’s Mother oversees the running of his court.

The warring houses of York and Lancaster are united but as the royal nursery fills with children Margaret’s expectation of perfect harmony begins to disintegrate.

As quickly as Henry dispatches those whose move against him, new conflicts arise and, dogged by deceit and the harrowing shadow of death, Margaret realises that her time for peace has not yet come.

Intrigue, treason and distrust blights the new Tudor dynasty, challenging Margaret’s strength of character and her steadfast faith in God.

available on Kindle, Paperback and Audible.

author.to/juditharnoppbooks

Author Biography

A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds a BA in English/Creative writing and an MA in Medieval Studies. She lives on the coast of West Wales where she writes both fiction and non-fiction. She is best known for her novels set in the Medieval and Tudor period, focussing on the perspective of historical women but recently she has been writing from the perspective of Henry VIII himself.

Judith is also a founder member of a re-enactment group called The Fyne Companye of Cambria which is when she began to experiment with sewing historical garments. She now makes clothes and accessories both for the group and others. She is not a professionally trained sewer but through trial, error and determination has learned how to make authentic looking, if not strictly historically accurate clothing. She is currently working on a non-fiction book about Tudor clothing which will be published by Pen and Sword.

Her novels include:

A Song of Sixpence: the story of Elizabeth of York

The Beaufort Chronicle: the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort (three book series)

A Matter of Conscience: the Aragon Years (Book one of The Henrician Chronicle)

The Kiss of the Concubine: a story of Anne Boleyn

The Winchester Goose: at the court of Henry VIII

Intractable Heart: the story of Katheryn Parr

Sisters of Arden: on the Pilgrimage of Grace

The Heretic Wind: the life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England

Peaceweaver

The Forest Dwellers

The Song of Heledd

Webpage: www.judithmarnopp.com

Books: author.to/juditharnoppbooks

Blog: www.juditharnoppnovelist.blogspot.co.uk/

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You might also like ... books written by Helen Hollick

Join My Monthly Newsletter: http://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

Website: https://helenhollick.net/

~~ ~ ~ ~

http://mybook.to/AMysteryOfMurder

https://mybook.to/MISTAKEofMURDER

* * *

With RICHARD TEARLE

buy on Amazon

* * *

ANTHOLOGIES

Amazon:
https://mybook.to/1066TurnedUpsideDown

Amazon: FREE ebook!
featuring a story by Judith Arnopp

* * *

Plus many more...

fiction, non-fiction

www.helenhollick.net

Saturday 28 January 2023

Book Spotlight: Barbara Gaskell Denvil

Shining a Spotlight on Good Books & Good Authors

for you to read & enjoy

#BookSpotlight

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through wonderful worlds real and fictional,
meet interesting people, visit exciting places
and find a few good books to enjoy along the way!

About the Book

BOOK LINK: https://readerlinks.com/l/2683914

Her father is in Newgate gaol for murder. Landry is there for reasons of his own, but somehow the two end up in conspiracies they couldn’t have imagined. When visiting her father in Newgate, for killing his wife, Wren cannot possibly know that this will be the first of many trips to the gaol. Medieval life has a way of throwing Wren into the strangest situations, not only strange but often deadly.

Landry is unknown to Wren, but when events bring him to her life, he seems to be around at every turn. Is he another murderer, a thief or something more? Wren doesn’t know what to think or who to trust, but she will have to find out quickly, or her stepmother won’t be the only one murdered.

Barbara Gaskell Denvil

I was born in Gloucestershire, England. After a few years I moved to London and fell in love with the history which oozes through the old stones, and the medieval atmosphere leaks from the beautiful old buildings. I walked the old cobbled lanes and researched the 15th century from original sources, and the books in the British Museum.

I have now written fantasy, historical fiction and crime fiction. Very different genres, but all are crime mysteries in one way or another. Writing is and always has been my passion, now that I am able to do this full time, I am in my element and life couldn’t be better (a little more sunshine might help though).

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*** ***

You might also like ... books written by Helen Hollick

Join My Monthly Newsletter: http://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

Website: https://helenhollick.net/

The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteries

set in the 1970s

http://mybook.to/AMysteryOfMurder

https://mybook.to/MISTAKEofMURDER

The SEA WITCH VOYAGES

nautical adventures set during the Golden Age of Piracy

If you liked Pirates Of The Caribbean?
then you'll love the Sea Witch Voyages!
Amazon: https://viewbook.at/SeaWitch

A prequel novella - how Jesamiah Acorne became a pirate

new edition with new additional scenes

and now in paperback and e-book on Amazon

https://viewbook.at/WhenMermaidSings

* * *

ANTHOLOGIES

Amazon:
https://mybook.to/1066TurnedUpsideDown

Amazon: FREE ebook!

* * *

Plus many more...

fiction, non-fiction

www.helenhollick.net

Tuesday 24 January 2023

My Coffee Pot Book Club Guest: N. L. Holmes: Pilot Who Knows the Waters

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through wonderful worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
and find a few good books
to enjoy along the way!

About the Book

Book Title: Pilot Who Knows the Waters

Series: The Lord Hani Mysteries (#6)

Author: N.L. Holmes

Publication Date: June 15, 2022

Publisher: WayBack Press

Page Length: 330

Genre: Historical mystery, political intrigue

Hani must secretly obtain a Hittite bridegroom for Queen Meryet-amen, but Ay and the faction behind Prince Tut-ankh-aten are opposed--to the point of violence. Does the death of an artisan have anything to do with Ay’s determination to see his grandson on the throne? Then, another death brings Egypt to the brink of war… Hani’s diplomatic skills will be pushed to the limit in this final book in The Lord Hani Mysteries.

Read An Excerpt

Excerpt 4 – Pilot Who Knows the Waters

While he stood there, the silvery autumn twilight settled in, and before long, the air held only the memory of light. Fireflies had begun to wink here and there. Maya looked around uneasily. Curfew had him nervous. Those soldiers prowling after dark were more frightening than restless revolutionaries. He shivered and made his way as fast as his short legs would carry him without abandoning dignity southward toward Lord Ptah-mes’s villa.

Maya hadn’t gone far, however, before he decided, despite the danger, to retrace his steps. He headed back to the area of his mother’s workshop at a determined pace, casting his eyes around at every intersection, on the lookout for a night patrol. He had a vague recollection of Pi-ay’s address from the errands of his youth and told himself that a little investigation might make it clear what the man had been up to over the last several days and why he hadn’t shown up for work.

But when he arrived, he rediscovered what he had forgotten—that Pi-ay didn’t live alone. He had a room in a house owned by an old woman, who appeared at the gate, looking fearful at a nighttime knock. Her narrowed eyes ran Maya up and down as she no doubt wondered who the proud, good-looking dwarf with a writing case over his shoulder—who dared to be abroad after curfew—might be. She seemed to be at a loss for words.

Maya flashed her a warm, trustworthy smile such as Lord Hani might have given. “Good evening, mistress. Is this where Pi-ay lives?”

“I thought you was him, finally,” she murmured evasively and made as if to shut the door.

But Maya forced it open and stepped into the courtyard. It was barely light enough to see beyond the circle of the old woman’s moringa oil lamp. “I’m a friend of his. He works for my mother. He asked me to drop by and get something he forgot.”

“Where is he? That boy come the other day and asked about him too,” the woman said, backing up ahead of Maya’s amiably insistent advance.

Maya thought the question had been asked with honest curiosity rather than as a test, but he said with a conspiratorial grin, “Don’t tell him I told you, but he’s with that sweetheart of his.”

The mistress of the house gave a disapproving sniff. “Her. What do you need to get for him?”

“Some things related to his work.” Ammit take it, stop asking questions, you gossipy old goose.

“Forgive me, mistress, but I’m out after curfew. The sooner I can get this errand done and get home, the better. My wife will start worrying about me if I don’t show up for dinner.”

Perhaps it was the mental image of an anxious wife, but the woman seemed at last convinced of Maya’s good intentions. She gestured for him to move through the door of the tiny vestibule and into a salon with a single simply painted wooden column. “Up them stairs, young man. I’d go with you, but it’s got hard to get up them stairs.”

“Yes, them stairs are a problem,” he agreed as he trudged up the steep steps. They groaned disconcertingly, even under Maya’s negligible weight.

“Straight ahead,” the old woman called in her reedy voice. He could see her standing at the bottom, craning her neck, undoubtedly hoping to spot something interesting.

Maya quickly realized that he wasn’t going to be able to see a thing, interesting or otherwise, on the dark second floor. “I don’t suppose there’s a lamp up here?”

She assured him there were both a lamp and a fire-drill in the niche to the left of Pi-ay’s door. Maya groped his way across the creaking floor, found he could barely reach the niche, and at last, getting more and more anxious, began to pull the bow back and forth almost solely by touch. What a bad idea this was, he told himself testily. I’m going to be picked up for violating the curfew. At last, sparks jumped out, and the kindling began to glow. Once a flame had fluttered into being, he held a piece of burning straw over the lamp, hoping there was oil inside, and sure enough, the wick caught, its feeble light casting ominous shadows around the corridor. He pushed his way into Pi-ay’s room and pulled the door closed gently behind him.

The space was small and bare, with nothing but a soot-stained brazier full of greasy ash and a cheaply made bed hung with mosquito curtains. At first, Maya marveled at its austerity, since Pi-ay, like Ipy, must have been a well-paid artisan—with no one but himself to spend his wages on. But then he realized the quarters had been stripped. Nothing had been left of Pi-ay’s property—not a clothes chest, not a stool, not a spare kilt. He cursed under his breath. The goldsmith wasn’t just out for a few days’ idyll with a girlfriend. He had no intention of coming back.

The jackal—abandoning Mother without a word like that. And he’s having an affair with his friend’s widow. I’ll bet anything he killed Ipy out of jealousy and now has run away before he’s caught. Steaming, Maya lifted the lumpy straw mattress sack from the bed frame, almost hoping he’d find the bloody murder weapon there. And he did.

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About the author

N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist who received her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel, and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin (also a writer today) used to write stories for fun. Today, she and her husband live in France with their chickens and cats, where she weaves, plays the violin, gardens, and dances.

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