Title:
The Winter Siege: A Daniel Cheswis Mystery
Author: D. W. Bradbridge
Author: D. W. Bradbridge
Publication
Information: Electric Reads, 2013, trade paperback
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Setting: 17th Century England
Setting: 17th Century England
1643. The armies of King Charles I
and Parliament clash in the streets and fields of England, threatening to tear
the country apart, as winter closes in around the parliamentary stronghold of
Nantwich. The royalists have pillaged the town before, and now, they are
returning. But even with weeks to prepare before the Civil War is once more at
its gates, that doesn’t mean the people of Nantwich are safe.
While the garrison of soldiers
commanded by Colonel George Booth stand guard, the town’s residents wait,
eyeing the outside world with unease, unaware that they face a deadly threat
from within. Townspeople are being murdered – the red sashes of the royalists
left on the bodies marking them as traitors to the parliamentary cause. When the first dead man is found,
his skull caved in with a rock, fingers start being pointed, and old hatreds
rise to the surface. It falls to Constable Daniel Cheswis to contain the
bloodshed, deputizing his friend, Alexander Clowes, to help him in his
investigations, carried out with the eyes of both armies on his back. And they
are not the only ones watching him.
He is surrounded by enemies, and
between preparing for the imminent battle, watching over his family, being
reunited with his long-lost sweetheart, and trying, somehow, to stay in
business, he barely has time to solve a murder. With few clues and the constant
distraction of war, can Cheswis protect the people of Nantwich? And which among
them need protecting? Whether they are old friends or troubled family, in these
treacherous times, everyone’s a traitor, in war, law, or love.
When the Winter Siege is through, who will be among the bodies?
Audience:
Fans of historical mysteries by authors like Sharon Kay Penman (like me, an alumna of Rutgers Law School) and Ariana Franklin.
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| Charles I |
What I liked: I enjoyed the author’s recreation of the town of Nantwich,
familiar to anyone who has read as much as I about the English Civil War,
but Bradbridge vividly depicts the everyday aspect of town in a way I had not encountered before. I particularly liked the descriptions of
Cheswis’ cheese business and his friendships with other merchants and
townspeople. I also appreciated the way
the Royalists and the Roundheads interact throughout book – some authors ignore
the fact that there were periods of time without any battle when people from
different sides had to get along. American readers more familiar with our own War Between the States will get a good understanding of the issues in the English Civil War.
What
I disliked: Cheswis is a pleasant
character and the story moved along well, but I wished the mystery had been
compelling. I had a hard time keeping
track of the characters at first and finally made a list. I would have recommended that the author hire
a professional copyeditor so as to avoid a grammatical error like that on page
24 (“it was made clear to Sawyer and I”) and the frequent use of “alright”
which I dislike. However, the author’s
passion for history shines through and keeps the reader interested.
Source:
I received this book from the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and urge
you to stop by the tour to learn more about the author and see what others have
to say about it.
Virtual Book Tour Schedule
Monday, April 7-Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, April 8-Review at Must Read Faster
Friday, April 11-Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Monday, April 14-Review at Princess of Eboli
I know little about this time period but would love to learn more and historical novels are great way to dive into an era. It's a bit troubling to hear about the poor editing, though. Such an easy thing to fix considering all the hard work it takes to write a novel like this.
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