A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey, Book 1 in the Lady Hardcastle Murder Mysteries Series

I've always enjoyed a lot of the BBC and our PBS show we get here in the states and really enjoy shows like Father Brown (on my TBR list), Doctor Blake, Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries and even more modern shows on murder mysteries.  I was searching through Kindle Unlimited and found the Lady Hardcastle Mystery book series and I thought I would give the first one a try.  While it is a simple read, it is also available as a listen and read, so the Audible download is free, too.  One weird thing about this series is this is the first book but it seems we've missed so much of Lady Hardcastle's life as a spy as she made her way from China, where her husband was killed to India.  At this time Kinsey has stated he's satisfied leaving that a mystery but references left in the book show the Lady to have had an exciting life before moving to Gloucestershire for the quiet life.

Lady Emily Hardcastle and her Lady Maid and best friend Florence (Flo) Lawrence move into semi-exile after their trek across southern Asia and relocating from bustling early 1900 London to Gloucestershire in the country.  Naturally, on their first-morning walk, they find a man that had committed suicide in the woods, or it appears that way until the Lady and Flo point out inconsistencies at the scene and all clues turn to murder.

As Lady Hardcastle gets introduced to the local upper society she is invited to a party and while she wants to investigate the murder, she volunteers Flo as a server at the party so she can scout around, and also hunt her down some real booze. The next morning another murder has happened, this time at the party and theft of a rare hen sized egg emerald has been stolen also.  This being a Lady Hardcastle book she naturally solves the crime along with her Lady Maid Lawrence, who just happens to be trained in martial arts.

T. E. Kinsey writes a simple turn of the century book that is easy to read but what makes is better is the narration of Elizabeth Knowelden, transforming you the reader back to 1908 and coves the charactors really good.  This first book is very relaxing and does not get boring anyplace in the book.  Well, not for me anyway.

So at this time if this sounds like your type of book and you are Kindle Unlimited member, and enjoy audiobooks then this might just be right up your alley.

I give this 8 of 10.  Very refreshing.

A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey

Book 1 in the Lad Hardcastle Murder Mysteries Series

 

Spearhead:by Adam Makos

The real name of this book is "Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II". I don't know why I chose this book other than maybe thinking about my Uncle, who fought in Italy.  

This is a book seen through an American tanker's eyes, along with researched observations of some of the dead, and interviews with the few that lived.  Spearhead also includes interviews with a German tanker that was a gunner in one of the three German tanks left to keep Cologne from being taken by the American forces.  The common theme in this book is that both sides were not out with the main mission of killing the enemy, but to keep their "tank family" alive.

Spearhead is a book about Clarence Smoyer, a tanker that came to France three weeks after D-Day and the book picks up about two months after that Normandy invasion with the Germans exiting France.  Makos takes through this time, intertwining the lives of the people surrounding Smoyer, including the "dough's" to covering the life of a German tanker, Gustav Schaefer, and his and his tank family's interaction of their Panzer tank and their confrontation with the American Pershing tank.

Spearhead is a simple, easy to read book that is a re-written telling of stories put into history colored by Makos verbiage and some small dramatization.  The book ends with Smoyer fighting PTSD brought on by seeing a video of a car traveling down the street and being shot up by the American tanks, only to find out minutes later it was carrying civilians.  To try to find out what really happened he goes to Cologne to meet with Gustav and talk about what went happened on the streets of where they battled.

I teared up reading the last chapter, having to stop and relive the last time I talked with my Uncle.  My wife was doing all our family history and the only person that would talk about my father's service in the Pacific and my Uncle's service in Italy was another Uncle.  I guess both my father and Uncle had PTSD and neither would talk about it.  One thing my Uncle told me was that when he and the men under him were in a house in Italy it started taking artillery hits so my Uncle ordered his men into an empty swimming pool in the back yard for protection. When half his men were in the pool it took a direct hit, killing everyone inside the pool.  He cried.  We didn't ask him any more questions.

I really like this book.  It's been a long time since I've read a non-fiction book and I think I will read a couple of more this year.

I rate this an 8 of 10.

Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War IL by Adam Makos