Let us Talk of Many Things; of Books and Queens and Pirates, of Mystery and Kings...: My Coffee Pot Book Tour Guest: What Remains by Erryn Lee

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About the Book

Book Title: What Remains

Author Name: Erryn Lee

Publication Date: September 13th, 2025

Publisher: Historium Press

Pages: 392

Genre: Historical Fiction / Dual Timeline / Forensic Mystery

Any Triggers: abuse (physical, emotional, sexual), violence, sexual assault, death (including character death), and graphic content (including blood, gore, or medical descriptions) reference to war and the exhumation of remains from mass graves.

What Remains is a haunting dual-timeline mystery that bridges centuries-and secrets-between ancient Rome and the modern world.

Forensic anthropologist Tori Benino has just landed the opportunity of a lifetime: leading a dig at a long-buried Roman village lost to the eruption of Vesuvius. But when she uncovers the remains of a Praetorian guard hidden in an ancient latrine - clearly murdered - Tori realizes she's stumbled onto something far more sinister than a routine excavation. As she digs deeper into the past, her own carefully ordered life begins to fall apart.

Nearly two thousand years earlier, Thalia, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is desperate to escape an arranged marriage to a brutal and politically powerful senator. Her only hope lies with a Praetorian soldier assigned to guard her - but trusting him could cost her everything.

As past and present collide, What Remains asks: When history is buried, what truths refuse to stay hidden?

Perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs and Kate Quinn, this novel is inspired by true events and delivers a compelling blend of suspense, history, and heart.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/38zlxL

Author Bio:

Erryn Lee has spent most of her life between the covers of books, her love for historical fiction drew her to a career as an English and History teacher, where she enjoys sharing her passion for both language and the past with young adults (at least until she needs to give it up to write full time).

When not teaching or writing she is deeply immersed in research and studying her Masters in History. Erryn lives with her husband, a fluctuating number of horses and three bossy cavoodles on a horse farm in the picturesque central west of NSW, Australia.

Author Links:

Website: www.errynlee.com

Twitter / X: https://x.com/erryn_lee

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erryn.lee.author/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erryn.lee/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Erryn-Lee/author/B0FKH5VCTG

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/57935202.Erryn_Lee

read an excerpt

His gaze was so intense that I hesitated, before remembering the beads in my satchel. My hand went to my knapsack and I rustled through it, one-handed, locating the handkerchief I had wrapped them in. I brought it out and held it towards him. Al’Shani eyed the offering warily, reluctant to take it, so I unfolded the first layer of cloth, revealing the gleaming carnelian beads beneath. I saw the breath leave him and his fingers flex then clench. I placed the misbaha on the table between us and dropped my hands back into my lap, watching him intently. His eyes had taken on the liquid darkness I had noted in our earlier meeting. I took a sip of coffee to give him some measure of privacy for his thoughts.

Finally, he reached across and picked them up between finger and thumb, revolving his hand so they fell over his fingers and nestled in and around the palm of his hand, much like we had found them in his wife’s grip. He clenched his hand around them and closed his eyes, breathing deeply for a minute.

‘They were Elirё’s,’ he finally spoke, pronouncing the name differently from the way I had heard it in my head as I read it in the file. ‘They were my wife’s.’

‘I know,’ I spoke. ‘Elirё.’ I tried to capture his intonation. ‘It is a beautiful name.’

His smile was fleeting. ‘She was a beautiful woman.’ His gaze fastened on mine. ‘You knew they were hers.’

I nodded. I could hardly explain how intimately I was acquainted with the bones of his family.

My thoughts

I enjoyed this - but it also made me cry, and was disturbing in places ... made me think, which is a sign of a good novel!

We get a few genres rolled into one - modern mystery, historical novel, thriller, and a touch of supernatural. All combined with the joys and difficulties of relationships past and present, modern career responsibilities, ancient expected and unavoidable duties; fear, love, trust, mistrust, revenge... There is violence too, but the horrors of life are as relevant as the joys. The detail and frustrations of an archaeological dig, the disintegration of an arranged marriage, the consequences and violence of war and fighting - all bound together by the horror of the Vesuvius eruption.

What I especially admire is how the author so skilfully tucked everything in together, merging the timelines so superbly - and seamlessly - with modern-day. And all in a natural and totally believable way. (Too believable in places. I suggest keep a tissue box close to hand.

This is history as it should be written more often - expertly detailed without 'lecturing' or 'info-dumping', page-turning intrigue with a brilliantly portrayed diversity of characters.

My only slight negative, the formatting on my PDF review version for Kindle was out of kilter, but this happens with PDF and there were a few minor typos, so the file was possibly a pre-publish ARC, so not an issue for a finalised version. And actually, even given the wobbly formatting, I started to not notice because I was so engrossed in the story. That's the thing with typos - if the writing is good enough, you don't notice them, and Ms Lee's writing was most certainly good enough.

***** 5 stars