Today, in Caithness, the sun is shining and the air is clear. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to anyone reading this blog that, certain weathers and certain times of the year ignite certain music in me. And, on late winter days which are filled with sunshine, I am usually to be found singing the songs of The Spinners . Inevitably, I start humming different ones of their songs (and of course adapting them to be about Orlando and Jess) as I go around doing different things. But I remember almost all the words to them. I haven't heard a lot of them in years, but they are all there, rooted in my memory. It is truly fascinating to think about how these songs have passed through history. They are part of my own nostalgia, which is why crisp sunny mornings make me incapable of ignoring the temptation to sing them, but they are part of something much bigger. There are songs amongst them which are a newer step in the folk music movement. Songs like Silver in the Stubble are amongs...
Today for #HistFicThursdays, I am delighted to be hosting Erryn Lee with her new book, What Remains, as part of The Coffee Pot Book Club's book tour. Read on to enjoy an excerpt from this fabulous book!
First of all, let's meet the book...
What Remains is a haunting dual-timeline mystery that bridges centuries-and secrets-between ancient Rome and the modern world.
Forensic anthropologist Tori Benino has just landed the opportunity of a lifetime: leading a dig at a long-buried Roman village lost to the eruption of Vesuvius. But when she uncovers the remains of a Praetorian guard hidden in an ancient latrine-clearly murdered-Tori realizes she's stumbled onto something far more sinister than a routine excavation. As she digs deeper into the past, her own carefully ordered life begins to fall apart.
Nearly two thousand years earlier, Thalia, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is desperate to escape an arranged marriage to a brutal and politically powerful senator. Her only hope lies with a Praetorian soldier assigned to guard her-but trusting him could cost her everything.
As past and present collide, What Remains asks: When history is buried, what truths refuse to stay hidden?
Perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs and Kate Quinn, this novel is inspired by true events and delivers a compelling blend of suspense, history, and heart.
While she hovered, still in the doorway, bright white light illuminated mountain, cloud and town. Jagged sheets of lightning cast their glow through the doorway, through the high window, through even the gaps beneath eaves and between bricks, invading the furthest reaches of the space before her. Bringing each figure into startling clarity. The light drew both men’s gazes towards the doorway.
Her husband saw her first; his eyes widened. His lips formed words.
She wanted to go to him.
The second man shifted his body, his head turned to face her. His nose was twisted and splayed as though it had been badly broken but the face was horrifyingly familiar. A jolt of fear stole her breath and arched through her body as the man’s lips began to turn up at the ends. In doing so, they pressed the corpulent flesh of his cheeks, creasing his leonine eyes into narrow slits that gleamed with what could only be described as joyful recognition.
As the light in the sky faded, leaving its impression burned into her eyelids, her heart seemed to falter and then race. Every muscle tightened. Fear became horror.
The words formed by her husband’s lips became clear.
Run.
Now, let's meet the author:
When not teaching or writing she is deeply immersed in research and studying her Masters in History. Erryn lives with her husband, a fluctuating number of horses and three bossy cavoodles on a horse farm in the picturesque central west of NSW, Australia.
You can find the Erryn on these links:
To follow the rest of the tour for What Remains, click on the banner below:
Thank you so much for hosting Erryn Lee today, with an enticing excerpt from her compelling novel, What Remains.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club