Archive | September 2026

Hell Hath No Fury by Annette Dashofy

Blindsided!

Hell Hath No Fury by Annette Dashofy is a marvellous contemporary murder suspense. It is the fifth book in A Detective Honeywell Mystery series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the books in numerical order as each one begins where the previous one left off, and therefore the back stories continue.

We rejoin the main characters, both of whom are recovering from events in the previous book. Miles from home, they once more, stumble into a crime scene.

Past events weigh heavy on a character. “The only problem now is that I can’t forgive myself.” We need to learn from the past and not dwell in it. The grace that we extend to others, needs to include the face in the mirror.

A sister’s bond sees a young woman travelling across states in order to help her drug-addicted sister. “You can’t fix me…Only I can fix me.” Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step towards healing. It is a personal journey. We can receive support but our life is ultimately our responsibility.

A character recognises another’s pain and longs to help her. “I wanted to warn her… She told me all she knew how to do in life was to be Sonny’s wife and Daphne’s mother.” Sometimes, no matter how much we want to, we cannot rescue others from their situations.

Continue reading

The Other Life Of Mary English by G D Harper

A Comprehensive Account

 The Other Life Of Mary English by G D Harper is an absolutely fabulous historical novel about the lives of Mary English and Manuela Saenz as they intersected in 1820’s Columbia. This is a comprehensive account that blends fact and fiction, educating the reader.

Both women were extraordinary, they saw life and opportunities, and they grabbed them. Both women were ahead of their time as they succeeded in a man’s world.

Manuela Saenz was the lover of Simon Bolivar – but she was much more than that. She was his trusted confident, advisor, and followed him into battle.

Mary English was an entrepreneurial business woman. She had a strong morality code – no slaves would be found working her plantation. “King George had abolished the trade in enslaved people in 1807. No slaves were now found on the streets of London, but… the institution endured in the Empire made me feel deeply ashamed.” Mary English actively sought to improve the conditions of those native to Columbia, and of those African slaves.

As did Manuela Saenz. “Simon was working on plans to make the education of the natives and freed slaves equal to that of other Columbian citizens.”

Continue reading