Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Jeffrey Archer GENRE: Historical Saga PUBLICATION DATE: October 6, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: The final epic saga from the master storyteller. Contains all hallmarks of his sagas: a great multi-decade storyline, interesting characters, mixture of real-life people and events with fictional elements, a steady dose of twists and turns, somewhat telling-intensive writing, some stretched coincidences, a memorable finale and ending. Might not be the best starting point for Archer newbies, but to Archer fans, this is a must-read. Plot Preview: 1918. On the day the armistice was signed to bring the Great War to an end, two children were born. One, the daughter of an Earl. The other, the son of a shepherd. In an ordinary world, their paths might not even have intersected, but given the former’s fondness for all things on the farm and the latter’s predilection for books, their worlds soon overlap. Thus starts a saga that begins at the end of one world war, and escalates with th...

AUTHOR: M.K. Hardy GENRE: Historical Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: August 27, 2026 RATING: 2.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical mystery with mild paranormal and Sapphic undertones. Slowburn. A good plotline with several novelties but its potential isn't fully realised. Interesting lead character who saves an otherwise average execution. Plot Preview: Avis Lovelock is a professional sceptic who loves to debunk spirit mediums and psychics while they are fleecing their customers. An American businessman named Carlton Brooksbank invites Avis aboard the Excambion where her task is to prove that the ocean liner, despite what many claim, isn't haunted. As Avis begins her investigations, she discovers that the passengers include famous twin spiritualists Gideon and Rachel Duquesne. Now Avis has to ensure that they don’t capitalise on the paranormal rumours while she, Avis, gets a chance to disprove both the rumours and the twins. The story comes to us in the third-person perspective of ...

AUTHOR: Marian Yee GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 30, 2026 RATING: 1 star. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction offering us “4 Janes” similar to the character Jane Eyre. Not a retelling. Four distinct sections with minimal interconnection in plot. Insipid characters, forced lyricism in the writing, random story development. I struggled to reach the finish line. This gets a no from me. Plot Preview: If you have read Charlotte Brontë’s classic work ‘Jane Eyre’, you know that it ends with her marriage to Edward Rochester. But what if Jane’s destiny lay somewhere else? In this book, we meet 4 Janes: a missionary’s wife battling a new land and life, a Vietnamese bookseller battling a forbidden crush, a historical time traveller battling a recent grief, and a modern-day immigrant ( most probably battling his need for self-identity and love; I lost all interest in the book by then. ) The story comes to us in four distinct sections from the point of view of the four key charac...

AUTHOR: Suzette D. Harrison GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: July 13, 2026 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction novel inspired by a true story. Good use of a dual-timeline narrative. Strong characters, compelling writing, many moral values. Realistic depiction of both eras. Somewhat slow and repetitive in between. Recommended to fans of the genre. Plot Preview: 1848. Mississippi. Enslaved midwife Zinnie has no choice but to follow her owner when he begins a two-thousand-mile journey from Mississippi to Utah. With her newborn daughter strapped to her back and her other two daughters walking by her side, Zinnie knows that her first priority is to make sure that her children are safe. When the party crosses state lines, can Zinnie take a chance and fight for their freedom? Present day. Texas. Elementary school teacher and single mom Lynette is tired of having to balance the various challenges in her life: her school work, her household chores, and parenting h...

AUTHOR: Amman Brar GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: July 2, 2026 RATING: 2.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A bittersweet fiction novel about an Indian-origin postmaster in England. Had great potential, especially as it highlights a scandal not many know about. But the plot is very diluted, the characters are mostly stereotypical, and the writing is heavily reliant on telling rather than showing. The eponymous character is like a typical traditional Indian uncle, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Disappointed, because this book could really have been impressive with better handling. Plot Preview: Sixty-something Mr. Sidhu has been the sub-postmaster of the local post office in Richmond for many years. Earlier, his wife also used to help him at the shop, and after her passing, Mr. Sidhu wants to make sure that he fulfils his last promise to her: that their two grown-up children are settled. But two things bring about a change in the status quo. One, Mr. Sidhu starts developin...

AUTHOR: Christina Baker Kline GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 12, 2026 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction novel about a pair of conjoined twins and their wives. Great historical research, realistic characters, interesting themes. Slow pace. Average writing that goes overboard on ‘telling’. Based on real-life events (related to the original Siamese twins), though the story is fictionalised. An interesting story for lovers of this genre, though it could have been even better. Plot Preview: 1840s. North Carolina. Sisters Sallie and Addie Yates belong to a prominent local family, but because of a controversy in their past, both the girls struggle to find eligible matches. Despite their contrary personalities, the sisters are fairly close. So when they hear that Chang and Eng Bunker – Siamese towns who have now settled in the same town and own a plantation – are looking for wives, Addie sees them as good potential husbands, despite what everyone else aro...

AUTHOR: Jaima Fixsen GENRE: Historical Crime Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: August 18, 2026 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical mystery following a pair of siblings and a crime. Nice use of the small-town setting. Historically-relevant inclusions (including polio.) Good development of the lead characters but not so much of the secondary characters. Convoluted mystery with too many interconnections and a lacklustre ending. A mixed bag for me. Plot Preview: 1955. When Edie moved to Clairbeck, a small mining town in Canada, to work as a nurse after her divorce, she didn’t expect that her ex-husband would be murdered soon, and that she would be the prime suspect. Her brother Peter, just discharged from the hospital after contracting polio, is determined to help clear her name, but with his limited mobility and physical strength, he is mainly reliant on his camera to look for evidence. With the secrets soon piling up, the siblings find themselves struggling to sort out the mess. The sto...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Dollar Princess, #3 GENRE: Historical Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: October 6, 2026 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical romance retelling the Hollywood musical ‘The Sound of Music’ by setting it in the Gilded era. Great characters, wonderful writing, excellent research, satisfying ending. Christian in approach, but never preachy. The third book of the Dollar Princess series, and can be read as a standalone though it continues from the earlier book. Much recommended. Plot Preview: 1886. When nineteen-year-old Addie is forced to leave her wealthy New York home and work as a governess in the house of George Stafford aka the Earl of Torrington, she isn't exactly looking forward to it. But when she finds his household lacking in joy, with his five children determined to drive away every governess in the hopes of getting more time with their father who has turned reclusive after the death of his wife, Addie is determined to bring happiness to them....

AUTHOR & NARRATOR: Ron Marasco GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: January 31, 2017 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction set against the background of Jesus’ final days. Narrated from a dog’s perspective. The dog is adorable; the secondary characters are good. The story is easy in flow and not overly preachy. The writing is anachronous, so the historical feel gets diluted. Jesus doesn’t have an active role in this story, so don’t expect a story focussing on Him. Recommended as long as you can ignore the modernisms. Plot Preview: Seven-year-old Barley is a happy dog, enjoying life with his caring owners – a woodcarver Duv and his wife Ada. However, after life changes in a shocking way, Barley finds himself with a new master – Samid, a homeless man who indulges in petty crimes. From both owners and from the events unfurling around him connected to someone called the teacher, Barley learns the meaning of true love and forgiveness. The story comes to us in Bar...

AUTHOR: Lucy Barker GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 13, 2023 RATING: 3.5 stars In a Nutshell: A historical fiction about the rivalry between two mediums. Interesting characters. Excellent look at the prevalent obsession with spiritualism and seances in 1870s England. Great atmosphere. Slow pacing. Somewhat predictable plot. Goes a bit downhill in the second half. Inspired by real events. A good debut that could have been better but still entertains. Plot Preview: 1873. England. Mrs. Violet Wood, who is in her late thirties, is the most successful medium in London at present. Ambitious and diligent, she does her best to ensure that her patrons get the complete experience from her seances. She is aware of the fickleness of their nature, always wanting something newer and more exciting. Moreover, a newspaperman who specialises in spiritualist content is out to expose all fake mediums in order to retain the sanctity of spiritualism. This, combined with her increasing age ...

AUTHOR: Dennis Lehane GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction novel showing the interplay of race and revenge. Set against true events. Flawed characters, somewhat offbeat writing style, steady pacing. Thought-provoking. A stark, true-to-life portrayal of racism. Definitely recommended. Go in blind. Plot Preview: 1974. Mary Pat Fenessey has always lived in “Southie”, the Irish-American enclave in Boston that sticks to traditions. Things are currently heated up in the locality, not just because of the unusually hot summer but also because of the city’s decision to desegregate its public schools. One night, Mary Pat’s teenaged daughter Jules doesn’t return home. The same night, a young Black man is found dead, struck by the subway train. Two events that are unconnected, and yet change Mary Pat’s life forever. The story comes to us in the third-person perspective of Mary Pat and a couple of other key characters. A...

AUTHOR: Daven McQueen GENRE: YA Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 16, 2020 RATING: 4.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A coming-of-age Historical fiction with the themes of friendship and racism. Excellent depiction of historical attitudes, great setting, fabulous characters, amazing plot. I can't believe this was originally a Wattpad story! What a marvellous debut! One of my top favourite reads of 2026. Much recommended. Plot Preview: 1955. After fourteen-year-old Ethan, a biracial boy raised mostly by his white father, gets into a fight at school, his father decides to send him to Ellison (Alabama) to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle. However, as the only Black person in Ellison, Ethan’s race stands out much strongly in the conservative town, whose residents make it clear that Ethan isn't welcome. The only exception is Juniper Jones, a young white girl with a free spirit. She welcomes Ethan as her friend, and together, begins to plan an “invincible summer”. As Ethan ex...

AUTHOR: Rachel Walkley GENRE: Dual-Timeline Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: August 4, 2026 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A dual-timeline novel set in Barbados and England. The storyline had great potential but the writing style – with the constant headjumping, overreliance on telling, and the unclear narrative angle – wasn't my cup of tea. This is an outlier review.  Plot Preview:  Amy has newly taken over as the chief conservator at the historical Terrington Hall. When an heirloom vanishes, she appoints Harrison as a security advisor. However, Harrison isn't there only for his professional assignment. He has ties with the Hurly family who owned the Hall, and he is determined to learn the truth behind an old-standing family scandal. Unknown to them both, there is yet another presence at Terrington Hall, one carrying more secrets than either of them are aware of.  The story comes to us broadly in the first-person perspective of the mysterious character over two timelines....