Author Archives: bseat

The Black Count: Glory Revolution Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss

Posted on May 29, 2015 by bseat

Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction and no where is that more thoroughly proven than in this book about the life of General Alex Dumas. Dumas was born in the Caribbean to a mulatto slave woman and a aristocratic Frenchman, … Continue reading →

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Heretics and Heroes: How Renaissance Artists and Reformation Priests Created Our World by Thomas Cahill

Posted on May 22, 2015 by bseat

Thomas Cahill plunges into the Renaissance and Reformation with the same curiosity and gift for making history come alive as in the previous books in his Hinges of History series.  This one is sixth in the series, coming after the … Continue reading →

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The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell

Posted on May 15, 2015 by bseat

Father Alex Andreou is an Eastern Catholic priest living inside Vatican City with his 5 year old son, Peter. He is a part of  small  but confounding tradition which follows the Greek Orthodox traditions which allows priests to marry but … Continue reading →

Posted in Detective novel, Fiction, Legal Procedural, Mystery, Spiritual, Thriller | Leave a comment

Lionheart by Sharon Kay Pennman

Posted on May 8, 2015 by bseat

It is always hard to tease out truth from fiction especially when your subject is someone whose exploits and life became the basis of legend. Richard the Lionheart, King of England  from 1189-99, was an amazing warrior, a sound tactician, … Continue reading →

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Her: A Novel by Harriet Lane

Posted on May 1, 2015 by bseat

Emma is consumed by her life as a mother and wife. With one small child and another on the way she decided to stay at home, but her husband’s job is insecure and they can’t afford to do things they … Continue reading →

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The Swimmer by Joakim Zander

Posted on April 24, 2015 by bseat

Damascus, 1980. Holding his feverish baby, a man watches from the upper story window as his wife gets into his car, on her way to get something for the baby’s fever. He knows that he will have to leave soon, … Continue reading →

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The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber

Posted on April 17, 2015 by bseat

As a daughter of missionaries I am always intrigued by how missionaries are portrayed in fiction. In general they don’t fair very well. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is probably the most recent example of the missionary stereotype in … Continue reading →

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What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris

Posted on April 10, 2015 by bseat

Sebastian Alistair St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a title he received when his elder brothers died much to the chagrin and disappointment of his father, the Fifth Earl of Hendon, was having a very troublesome day. In the very early hours … Continue reading →

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Malice by Keigo Higashino, Translated by Alexander O. Smith

Posted on April 3, 2015 by bseat

Higashino, who wrote the Devotion of Suspect X  is back again with a new mystery, Malice. Although written in 1996, it was not translated until 2014 when it became an Edgar Award Finalist. It is wonderful that Higashino is getting … Continue reading →

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The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Posted on March 27, 2015 by bseat

David Mitchell is a fascinating writer. Everytime he publishes a book it creates a big splash, and that is not just hype or good marketing. His books live up to all their acclaim by defying genres, containing well developed, compelling … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller | 1 Comment