Elizabeth St.John

A Devon Tale | Sharing my love of my home county — and Helen Hollick’s new cozy mystery

When Helen sent me an advance copy of A Meadow Murder, I literally stopped everything and indulged myself with a cuppa and a chocolate biscuit, turned off the phone and computer, and settled down for a great read. I knew Helen had set her latest mystery in Devon, and I couldn’t wait to visit one of my favourite “special places.” And I was not disappointed. Helen’s wonderful descriptions and wry humour capture the very essence of Devon, where around every corner there’s a stunning view, and in every pub there’s an old-timer with a story to tell. So, download A Meadow Murder, and enjoy every moment as Jan Christopher and her dishy fiance take us back to a gentler (but no less thrilling) time of a beautiful slice of English countryside in the 70s. Oh, and this is a bench I love to sit on in my beloved Devon – about 5 miles from where A Meadow Murder is set.

A Meadow Murder
A Jan Christopher Mystery, Episode #4
Helen Hollick

“As delicious as a Devon Cream Tea!” ~ author Elizabeth St John
“Every sentence pulls you back into the early 1970s… The Darling Buds of May, only not Kent, but Devon. The countryside itself is a character and Hollick imbues it with plenty of emotion” ~ author Alison Morton
Make hay while the sun shines? But what happens when a murder is discovered, and country life is disrupted?
Summer 1972. Young library assistant Jan Christopher and her fiancé, DS Lawrence Walker, are on holiday in North Devon. There are country walks and a day at the races to enjoy, along with Sunday lunch at the village pub, and the hay to help bring in for the neighbouring farmer.
But when a body is found the holiday plans are to change into an investigation of murder, hampered by a resting actor, a woman convinced she’s met a leprechaun and a scarecrow on walkabout…
This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited
 Universal Link: https://mybook.to/AMeadowMurder

Helen Hollick is a USA Today bestselling author of the Pendragon’s Banner series, a riveting series set in Saxon England, and the swashbuckling Sea Witch Voyages, pirate-based adventure fantasy. Moving to Devon in 2013, Helen lives in a beautiful 18thC farmhouse with her family, horses, ponies, dogs, cats, hens, geese, pigs, and a few friendly ghosts. This landscape has proven irresistible as a setting for her Jan Christopher Cozy Mystery Series.
Helen’s Website: https://helenhollick.net/
Helen’s Blog: https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy an Excerpt | A New Take on Robin Hood: Rogue by Charlene Newcomb

My dear author friend Char Newcomb’s lastest historical fiction novel revisits the legend of Robin Hood — with a whole new twist. Char’s brilliant research and wonderful prose has enthralled me for years, and her newest book is no different! Enjoy an excerpt and be prepared to enter a vivid medieval world of intrigue and excitement.

Tales of Robin Hood | Rogue | Thrilling Historical Fiction by Charlene Newcomb

From Evidence of a Roman Settlement to a 17thC Bowling Ball | Lydiard Park’s Fascinating Archaeology

On The Lydiard Archives this month we delve deep into Lydiard Park’s archaeology with a Special Collection devoted to excavations and findings over the past fifty years. The earliest archaeological investigations at Lydiard Park took place in 1972, when Swindon Archaeological Society, with the help of RAF divers, discovered a lakeside structure containing a quantity of material relating to the 17th and 18th centuries.
Later, extensive explorations were undertaken in 2004 by Wessex Archaeology. Wessex were commissioned to make a series of targeted excavations to help inform The Lydiard Park Project, a major landscape restoration programme completed in 2007. With the involvement of over 1000 local volunteers, they led excavations in the Walled Garden and many other areas including drives, avenues and paths, the park pale and ha-ha, lakes and church field. Exciting discoveries included a well in the walled garden, a rare plunge pool by the lake, lost areas of the ruinous dam wall and Roman villa material. We’ve shared many of the finds and reports on The Lydiard Archives.