Happy Friday and welcome to my stop on the A Murder by Any Name by Suzanne M. Wolfe blog tour hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours! This is the first in a shiny new historical mystery series from Crooked Lane Books! I have a review and giveaway for you so make sure to read all the way to the bottom to check it out.
My Thoughts:
Queen Elizabeth I’s court often centers on intrigue and gossip, but everyone is thrown for a loop when her youngest lady-in-waiting is found murdered.
Nick Holt, younger brother to an earl, also known as a spy and quite savvy is hired to work for the Queen in order to solve the murder; however, working for her is not easy. She is demanding, intelligent, and both generous and impetuous with those in and out of favor.
Another lady-in-waiting is murdered, and the court is in dire straits. Nick, along with his Irish Wolfhound, Hector, whom I must say steals the show at times (LOVE him), are working tirelessly to solve the murder for the good and safety of all, but especially to stay on the right side of the Queen.
Suzanne Wolfe writes flawlessly with intrigue and candor about this time in history. The details are beautifully laid out, and there’s an exceptional sense of time and place referencing 16th century England. Nick Holt is a wonderfully-drawn main character, full of charm and dedication to solving the crimes. There is plenty of mystery and tension to keep the reader guessing, and there is much to love in this terrific start to a new series. Overall, the writing inside this gem of a mystery is as glorious as the cover.
Thank you to the author for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
A Murder By Any Name
by Suzanne M. Wolfe
Publication Date: October 9, 2018
Crooked Lane Books
Hardcover & eBook; 326 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
When a brutal murder threatens the sanctity of the Elizabethan court, it’s up to a hot-tempered spy to save the day.
The court of Elizabeth I is no stranger to plotting and intrigue, but the royal retinue is thrown into chaos when the Queen’s youngest and sweetest lady-in-waiting is murdered, her body left on the high altar of the Chapel Royal in Whitehall Palace. Solving the murder will require the cunning and savvy possessed by only one man. Enter Nicholas Holt, younger brother of the Earl of Blackwell—spy, rake, and owner of the infamous Black Sheep tavern in the seedy district of Bankside. Nick quickly learns that working for the Queen is a mixed blessing. Elizabeth—salty-tongued, vain, and fiercely intelligent—can, with a glance, either reward Nick with a purse of gold or have his head forcibly removed.
When a second lady-in-waiting is slain at Whitehall, the court once again reels with shock and dismay. On the trail of a diabolical killer, Nick and his faithful sidekick—an enormous Irish Wolfhound named Hector—are treading on treacherous ground, and only the killer’s head on a platter can keep them in the Queen’s good graces.
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Praise for A Murder By Any Name
“Captivating… Fans of Fiona Buckley’s Ursula Blanchard and Kathy Lynn Emerson’s Rosamond Jaffrey will be delighted to add Wolfe to their reading lists.” ―Booklist
“[A] promising series launch… Fans of Elizabethan historicals will be satisfied.” ―Publishers Weekly
“An excellent series kickoff by Wolfe that cleverly highlights both the mystery and the many ills of Elizabethan times.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“In vivid passages, Suzanne Wolfe’s novel brings to the reader the light and dark of Elizabethan England, its squalor and splendor, filth and riches, intrigues and delights.” ―NY Journal of Books
“A deeply atmospheric and richly textured Elizabethan mystery… I was captivated by Nicholas and Hector as they navigated court treachery and the dark recesses of the lower classes in this compelling Elizabethan mystery.” ―Shelley Freydont, New York Times bestselling author
“Wolfe’s descriptions are unparalleled, immersing the reader in the time period as they join her wily protagonist on his quest to catch a cold-hearted killer.” ―Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries
“I stayed up reading much too late to finish this book! Wonderful Elizabethan atmosphere, well-drawn and unusual characters, action and intrigue and excitement―I felt like I was in the 1570s” ―Amanda Carmack, award-winning author of the Elizabethan mysteries
“Bewitching! Suzanne Wolfe opens the door to Elizabethan life through her masterful creation of the sympathetic spy, Nicholas Holt. An exciting start to a promising new historical mystery series.” ―Naomi Hirahara, Edgar Award-winning author of the Mas Arai series
“A classically plotted whodunit set against the background of Elizabethan London and the court of Queen Elizabeth the First, both of them well researched and vividly realized, with a wealth of detail. One can almost smell the reek of the 16th century streets and waterways.” ―Fiona Buckley, author of the Ursula Blanchard Elizabethan mysteries
About the Author
Suzanne M. Wolfe grew up in Manchester, England and read English Literature at Oxford University, where she co-founded the Oxford C.S. Lewis Society. She served as Writer in Residence at Seattle Pacific University and taught literature and creative writing there for nearly two decades. Wolfe is the author of three novels: A Murder by Any Name, The Confessions of X, and Unveiling.
Thirty years ago, she and her husband, Gregory Wolfe, co-founded Image, a journal of the arts and faith. They have also co-authored many books on literature and prayer including Books That Build Character: How to Teach Your Child Moral Values Through Stories, and Bless This House: Prayers For Children and Families. Her essays and blog posts have appeared in Image and other publications. She and her husband are the parents of four grown children. They live in Richmond Beach, Washington.
For more information, please visit Suzanne M. Wolfe’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, December 17
Review at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, December 18
Excerpt at Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, December 19
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Guest Post at Jathan & Heather
Thursday, December 20
Feature at The Lit Bitch
Review at Peppermint Ph.D.
Friday, December 21
Feature at What Is That Book About
Sunday, December 23
Review at Carole’s Ramblings
Thursday, December 27
Review & Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Friday, December 28
Review at Tar Heel Reader
Review at Amy’s Booket List
Monday, December 31
Review at Tudor Enthusiast
Wednesday, January 2
Excerpt at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen
Thursday, January 3
Excerpt at T’s Stuff
Guest Post at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots
Friday, January 4
Review at 100 Pages a Day
Monday, January 7
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Tuesday, January 8
Guest Post at On the Tudor Trail
Wednesday, January 9
Review at Reading the Past
Thursday, January 10
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at Clarissa Reads it All
Friday, January 11
Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Feature at View from the Birdhouse
Monday, January 14
Review at Maiden of the Pages
Tuesday, January 15
Interview at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, January 16
Review at A Book Geek
Thursday, January 17
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 3 hardcover copies of A Murder By Any Name! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on January 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Wow, this looks really good.
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Thanks, Jen! I quite enjoyed it!
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That’s looks great thrillers 😚😙
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It was a great mystery, Priyasha! Kept me on the edge of my seat! ♥️
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Reblogged this on LIVING THE DREAM.
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Thank you, China! ♥️
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This sounds really good, Jennifer! Excellent review. FYI, I have a fascination with all things QEI😍
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Thank you, Jonetta! Me, too! What an enthralling time period and an intriguing woman! ♥️
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Love historical fiction, so this sounds like a perfect book series for me.
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I think you’d enjoy this, Marialyce! I was hooked on it!
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Wonderful review, Jennifer. I added this historical mystery to my tbr list. Happy Weekend. 💕📚🌹
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Thank you, Virginia! This was an intriguing mystery, and I hope you enjoy it too! ♥️ Happy weekend! Xo
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Thank you so much for hosting Suzanne’s blog tour! I am thrilled that you enjoyed A Murder By Any Name. I thought it was a fabulous read & I cannot wait for more!
Amy
HF Virtual Book Tours
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Thank you, Amy! It was truly my pleasure. I enjoyed the book!
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Wow awesome review Jen! Have a wonderful Friday my friend!😊💕📚
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Thank you, Sus! Happy weekend! ♥️
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I don’t read a lot of historicals, but this looks interesting!
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It was an engaging read, Jacquie! The author drew me in from the start.
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Fabulous review! Looks super intriguing!💕💕
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Thanks, Berit! I enjoyed it! ♥️
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Wonderful review Jen! Murder and Mystery you say? Yep, I’m in, plus there’s a doggie to goggle over 😊 Adding to my TBR.
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Thanks, Rose! I know, the dog is such a great addition!
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😊
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Sounds like fun! Especially the Irish wolfhound – I bet he wasn’t scared by Elizabeth! 😀
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😂 I love it! It was definitely a fun read. I was hooked!
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This sounds very much like my kind of book- Tudor England and a dog 🙂
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It was a charming story, Mallika, and I loved the mystery! The dog was the best!
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Ooh an Eliabethan spy mystery- that immediately got my interest! Sounds like a lovely book- and I like the sound of the wolfhound too. 🙂
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It was a great story, Greg! I loved the dog, especially!
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This time period has always fascinated me anyway, so having a spy mystery set during it sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.
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Thanks, Suzanne! I’m a huge fan of this time period, too, so I felt like this series sounded perfect.
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So great that the writing was so brilliant. Awesome review!
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Thanks so much! ♥️
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It’s been a long time since I’ve read a historical mystery! I used to be really into Ariana Franklin’s (Diana Norman) Mistress of the Art of Death series but then Diana passed away and I don’t think I’ve read any more of these types of books since then. I’ll add this one to my list, looks fun! Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks, Lisa! I really appreciate the rec for Diana Norma because I’ll check that series out. It doesn’t feel like there are enough of historical mysteries on the market.
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I really loved that one. It’s a medieval female doctor who had studied in Salerno I think? Anywho, she ends up in England under the reign of Henry II and studies the corpses to help solve a mystery in each book. They can deal with some dark subject matter sometimes, but they are such great books and I love the characters. Hope you get a chance to check them out. 🙂
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Oh, that does sound good, and I love the Salerno reference. I’ve been there very briefly. Thank you again! 😊
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I’ve never read a mystery novel set during this time period. I’m so curious to see what this would be like!!
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The time period adds so much to it, LP! It was a wonderful story!
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Lovely review Jenni! You had me at Elizabeth I 😂😉
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Thank you, Beth! Just you wait – today I reviewed a book involving Elizabeth II! 😂 (The Tudors were the best though!)
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😁😁😁
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