Review: Finding Davey by Jonathon Gash

I have always enjoyed Jonathon Gash's Loveday series and learning about antiques, fakes, and rogues in the antique world. The author had a way of creating characters that were 3D, likeable and amusing. 'Finding Davey' however is a standalone novel and it's a stunner. I really couldn't put it down, it's a page turner and a heart tugger.

Again Jonathon Gash uses his knowledge of antiques and furniture, but this time it's different. Bray is a grandfather who works as a skilled and knowledgeable craftsman who makes beautiful furniture and repairs antiques and makes reproductions from the original plans. his work revolves round his grandson. When his son takes his wife and Davey to a wonderful theme park holiday in America Bray is left behind with Davey's dog. And in America, where where anything can be done for money, Davey is kidnapped. It appears there is quite an industry in kidnapping attractive children for rich childless couples.

Now this is where I award five stars for the plot and my writer's brain gasps in admiration. We don't see grandfather Bray dashing off to America to find his grandson. He tries to help his son and wife who are falling apart torn by guilt and grief and he plans. And his plan is brilliant, based on the information he gets from medical specialists on memory and what will have been done to Davey to turn him into the couple's little boy.

There's a lot of medical information about what is done to these kidnapped children who are deliberately watched, approved for some rich couple, then snatched. Bray seeks to find out how young Davey's mind will be wiped of memories and works out a method to restore Davey's memory if he can find him. And finding him is brilliant.

Read the book. It's a great read

Review: 'Frontier Wolf' by Rosemary Sutcliff

Whoever put the book up on Goodreads certainly hadn't read it, or understand the magic of Rosemary Sutcliff's writing and her way of writing characters that reach from the past to the reader's present. She does this by giving them problems we might have. Here it is having to make again a decision which once cost Alexios a great deal of pain and disgrace.

'Frontier Wolf' deals with Roman Britain under the young Emperor Constans. Alexios has an influential uncle who is Dux of Britain and this uncle uses his influence to smooth Alexios's path through the Legions. Stationed in what we know of as Germany where the tribes are restless there is an attack on Alexios's fort and the commander is killed. Second in command Alexios, and he really is too young and inexperienced to hold the post, decides to abandon the fort, against advice. He has been tricked into believing that his gallopers - the messengers - did not reach help at the other forts. He loses half his men and is only saved from ultimate disgrace by his uncle. But his punishment is to be made commander of the Frontier Wolves who guard the wild British frontier between Hadrian's Wall and what was the Antonine Wall. The men of the Wolves are called the scum and scrapings of the Empire, sent into the Wolves because they are troublesome in their Legions or are hard core prisoners sent there to be out of the way.

Alexios's command takes place just before and during the year known for the 'Great Conspiracy' when the 'Barbarian' raiders launched a coordinated attack on Roman Britain. He has no easy task but he is no fool, and with some help from his fellow officers, who are the first to accept him, he does command the men. When the attack comes, Alexios has to decide again whether to stay or leave.

One of the joys of Rosemary Sutcliff's Roman novels is that she writes about people, not a bunch of soldiers fighting. They are not 'war' stories. That is just one aspect of her many layered plots and her complex characters delight in their learning and growing, friendships and problems, living as unwelcomed strangers in a land not their own. She presents both sides as the tribes are well represented and in this novel, Alexios becomes friends with the new Tribal leader, a young man in a position similar to his own. Her research is excellent and her writing skills such that the reader is pulled straight into Roman Britain and can almost smell, touch and taste this world not their own.

For those who love lyrical writing, excellent research and a great historical story then Rosemary Sutcliff is a must. 'Frontier Wolf' is one of the Roman Legion stories which start with 'Eagle of the Ninth' and are all unforgettable, but her many other novels are as good. Don't miss them.