Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Royal

  • The Royal Librarian

    The Royal Librarian

    Daisy Wood is without a doubt a fresh new voice in the genre of Historic Fiction with her third book, The Royal Librarian set between 1938 and 2021.

    Set in Windsor Castle in 1940 the protagonist Sophie Klein has been placed in the Royal Library in order to search out any documentation from members of the Royal family, namely the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, known Nazi sympathisers, seemingly supporting the Nazi regime and the rise of Fascism in Britain.

    Fast forward to 2021 in the days after COVID when Lacey Jones is facing her own personal crisis. She is summoned to a family gathering and dreads going, but while there inadvertently comes across a letter from Buckingham Palace and wonders what it is doing in her beloved Grandmothers desk.

    As a ghost-writer of biographs her interest in piqued, so much so that she eventually decides to go to London to see if she can discover more about her Grandmother’s past and family, little knowing that she will also be on a journey that will push her to the very limits of her emotion strength.

    Sophie Klein was, until the rise of Hitler and the surrender of Austria to the Germans in 1938, a happy young woman working with her father in the highly esteemed Austrian National Library. He was of Jewish decent, her mother a renowned pastry chef, was of British decent. 

    She had witnessed her father beaten to death at the local park, her mother arrested, her home given to someone else and her security gone forever, forced to rely on anyone brave enough offer shelter to both her and her young sister.

    A series of chance meetings sees her recruited for work in England, her sister sent to America for adoption and a new life beginning as she is admitted to work in the vast Libraries of Windsor Castle. 

    At first she finds the job overwhelming, the cold unbearable and the staff standoffish as she is Austrian, an unknown considered as a possible imposter, but as she makes friends and relaxes she forms a delicate friendship with the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.

    Sent to Frogmore Cottage to catalogue crates of papers sent back to Britain by the Duke of Windsor, she realises that someone has tampered with one of the crates. This incident brings home like nothing else, that she really is engaged in dangerous work, work which will eventually see her arrested and imprisoned.

    The Royal Liberian is a well-constructed, well researched, fascinating return to a world of World War 2 intrigue involving people from all walks of life, but also captures a small microcosm of life inside the Royal household during the austerity of the War years. The historic content of the book presents another aspect of the early years of the ‘Anschluss in Vienna’, when brutally, destruction and hatred saw the beginning of rise of fascism throughout Europe.

    The Royal Librarian is highly recommended for both its fiction and historic content which is s salient reminder in today’s world of the lessons history can and should teach.

  • A Royal Murder

    A Royal Murder

    Lady Eleanor Swift, Ellie to her friends, is facing an afternoon with new her friend Tipsy, Lady Tiffany Fitzroy, one of the bright young things, who is determined to ensure Ellie attends the Henley Regatta well dressed and groomed.  Ellie is never happier than in her loose legged trousers and favourite green jacket, is finding this somewhat tedious. 

    Race day arrives with all the pomp and ceremony of the famous Regatta. When it is known that Royalty will be attending to give out the prizes, all-be-it minor royalty, but as Tipsy says royalty is royalty, regardless, brings with it an air of excitement.

    The stage is set, the marquee is jammed to capacity, the speeches commence, when the minor Royal quaffs a glass of champers part way through his speech, then drops dead at the feet of the Chairman! Not at all what Lady Eleanor was led to believe happened at Henley.

    What next she thinks, as the beloved of her life, Senior Detective Huge Seldon, appointed as Head of Police Security for the Regatta, seems to be giving Ellie the cold shoulder for some reason or another. When Tipsy decides he is just the man for her, Ellie is not to happy.

    Hugh is sent packing from the crime scene by Sir Percival, Head of Royal Security, which is most intriguing and unusual. When Ellie is called in the next morning and asked to use her detecting skills to find out who killed the charismatic Xander Taylor-Howard, intrigue knows no bounds.

    Verity Bright has created another fun filled, cozy murder mystery full of fascinating characters, who could have done it, very easily, but why would they, as it seems they all had some sort of reason but not one that was strong enough motivation to committee murder.

    With Clifford, her indomitable butler at her side, Huge who eventually begins to see that combining their levels of intelligence could help solve a very puzzling case, another murder carried out in the same manner, a gang of hardened, or what appears to be hardened criminals adding to what is rapidly becoming a life and death situation, hers, and you have a terrific afternoon on the couch read, as you try to work out who really did do it!

  • Prince Philip’s Century 1921-2021: The Extraordinary Life of the Duke of Edinburgh

    Prince Philip’s Century 1921-2021: The Extraordinary Life of the Duke of Edinburgh

    Prince Phillip was a man who, despite great odds carved out a stellar career as the Consort to his wife Queen Elizabeth, earning the right to in his ’retirement’ years, to withdraw from the spotlight of Royal life, to step back a little, to enjoy life in a far more simplistic manner, all the while continuing to support his wife as he had done for the almost 70 years of their close and long married life.

    Robert Jobson has in his biographical look at Prince Philip, the man who did so much, gained notoriety for his public gaffs, his quick temper and immense public work, shown a very human face to a change maker and in doing so presented a delightful journey into the life of a much loved husband, father, grandfather and family mediator.

    Entertaining and surprisingly most enjoyable, the life of Duke of Edinburgh as told by Jobson becomes a very real experience as the years turn back to portray with respect, a man who did much with an unassuming manner, to give back to the wider community. His outstanding and almost legendary work establishing and overseeing the Duke of Edinburgh Awards is a legacy to be proud of and one that has changed and will continue to change so many young lives for the better.

    His fast paced schedule in his own right was phenomenal and although not always diplomatic in his approach to issues, was a man people could depend upon. That he was determined was understood, but never more so was the proof of this determination made public, than with his very careful planning of his funeral some years before the event.

    Famous for his military precision in his undertakings, he planned his final farewell in as informal and closely personal manner as is possible for man of his public standing and the modern times of COVID helped his final wishes be carried out according to his plan.

    Prince Phillip’s Century 1921 -2021 is a biography well worth taking the time to read, even if slowly, as it contains so much detail, much of it hidden in the annuals of history, about the long, productive and truly fascinating life and the times, which changed immensely, in the 100 years of the indomitable Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip.