∎ [PDF] Gratis The Midwife Tale A Mystery Sam Thomas 9781250010766 Books

The Midwife Tale A Mystery Sam Thomas 9781250010766 Books

Download As PDF : The Midwife Tale A Mystery Sam Thomas 9781250010766 Books

The Midwife Tale A Mystery Sam Thomas 9781250010766 Books

Sometimes great reads come uniquely veiled by time period or geography. A murder mystery, set in 1644 York, England, The Midwife's Tale is exactly this type of book for me. Main character, Lady Bridget Hodgson, is a wealthy, educated widow, is one of York's several resident midwives. While the murder of a friends husband and the subsequent investigation to exonerate her is the plot focus, I found myself engrossed in the uniqueness of the time and location more so than the mystery itself. My experience with historic novels is not vast, but I recalled how William Martin intricately recreated Boston's Back Bay neighborhood in his 1992 novel, Back Bay. Thomas does something similar as he details Lady Hodgson and her maidservant Martha's criss-crossing of the besieged York (The city was under siege from Parliament rebels during the English civil war.) The descriptions of the sights, smells, and intricate layout of the city had me closing my eyes and imagining the scenes in 3D. I also found the map in the front of the book extremely useful.

The character list is also quite unique. There is the previously stated Lady Hodgson, but it is her maidservant's dubious background that has you turning pages. Then there's the villainous Lady Hooke and her neutered husband and son. I sincerely hope they come back and get their just due in the book 2 or 3. Lorenzo Bacca, the Papist Italian, is another intriguing character that I picture in my head looking like a cross between Jafar from Aladin and Anton Ego from Ratatouille (I realize animated Disney films make for odd character visions, but hey, what are you gonna do?) Then there's the jailer Samuel Short and the orphan Tree. Both are intriguing characters that I hope show up again in later installments. There are a host of other characters, including brothers, uncles, and nephews, as well as the very interesting gossips that appear at every birth and seem to only serve to annoy or aggravate the mother-to-be in the midst of her "travail."

In all the book is extremely readable; it's written in a first person, linear, narrative style, almost like a diary or journal. The period language is accessible and logically used so that the reader can discern the meaning without the author compromising the integrity of the conversations. It's not too long, at just over 300 pages, and each chapter is paced to keep you wanting to read but still creating points where you can put it down and go to bed (something I am thankful for).

I am anxiously awaiting the Harlot's Tale in early 2014.


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The Midwife Tale A Mystery Sam Thomas 9781250010766 Books Reviews

So often writers will create a historical novel about ordinary people being caught up in a mystery and solving the case, but have it be so unrealistic that the whole book is campy and fake. Samuel Thomas' mystery, The Midwife's Tale, is none of this as he presents a thrilling mystery with historical tones that leaves you on the edge of your seat, begging for more. Set in 17th Century England, Lady Bridget Hodgson, is a midwife who's friend is unjustly sentenced to death causing her to search out the real murderer. Using her station and occupation, Lady Hodgson is able to cross the class lines in going after her information. Along the way we find out that many influential people could be the killer, including her friend who asked her to prove her innocence. With Lady Hodgson being threatened and the siege upon her town of York growing worse everyday, will she be able to discover the murderer before she becomes a victim?

It also has a wonderful assembly of characters; her nephew Will who gets roped into helping solve the case, an ex-criminal who's skills assist Lady Hodgson, a dwarf who supplies her with information, and an adorable boy named Tree.

If you are a mystery lover, this is a book that you must add to your shelves. I loved this and am eagerly awaiting a sequel.
This is an excellent historical fiction piece rich in detail. There are a lot of plot twists, some of which are meant as false leads, so I won't go into specifics on the actual story beyond saying a midwife in medieval York is caught up in the middle of a series of murders as her friendships, family ties, and unique authority granted by her work and class test her ability to help those around her. Thomas did an amazing job in using some vocabulary and sentence structures from the period without it being overdone; however, I would hope he would include a glossary in future editions of this book (and others, if applicable). I appreciate that he took care to show the realities of the time period and having strong female characters who are not out of place in that era. I look forward to reading his other books in the Midwife Mysteries series.
A twice widowed gentlewoman in York during a siege in the English Civil War is also a midwife. This combines to give her a great deal of freedom of movement and a touch more power and authority relative to the average woman.

She receives a new servant on the recommendation of a dead cousin as the novel begins. As she and Martha are out for a delivery one night, they are accosted and Martha deftly dispatches the attacker. There is more to this woman than suspected. The two women become more friendly than the average servant relationship.

The main mystery involves the poisoning of an important man. His wife is blamed, condemned and sentenced in the shortest show trial ever given the city is under siege. As she is a friend of our midwife, Bridget begins to investigate. Dark secrets are revealed. Treason, business dealings, and personal shortcomings are considered.

Meanwhile, a dead baby is found in a privy. As a midwife, Bridget must also deal with this. Are they tied?

Lots of detail on the historical role of midwifery and the Civil War. Really entertaining story line. Engaging characters with real back stories and developed personalities
Sometimes great reads come uniquely veiled by time period or geography. A murder mystery, set in 1644 York, England, The Midwife's Tale is exactly this type of book for me. Main character, Lady Bridget Hodgson, is a wealthy, educated widow, is one of York's several resident midwives. While the murder of a friends husband and the subsequent investigation to exonerate her is the plot focus, I found myself engrossed in the uniqueness of the time and location more so than the mystery itself. My experience with historic novels is not vast, but I recalled how William Martin intricately recreated Boston's Back Bay neighborhood in his 1992 novel, Back Bay. Thomas does something similar as he details Lady Hodgson and her maidservant Martha's criss-crossing of the besieged York (The city was under siege from Parliament rebels during the English civil war.) The descriptions of the sights, smells, and intricate layout of the city had me closing my eyes and imagining the scenes in 3D. I also found the map in the front of the book extremely useful.

The character list is also quite unique. There is the previously stated Lady Hodgson, but it is her maidservant's dubious background that has you turning pages. Then there's the villainous Lady Hooke and her neutered husband and son. I sincerely hope they come back and get their just due in the book 2 or 3. Lorenzo Bacca, the Papist Italian, is another intriguing character that I picture in my head looking like a cross between Jafar from Aladin and Anton Ego from Ratatouille (I realize animated Disney films make for odd character visions, but hey, what are you gonna do?) Then there's the jailer Samuel Short and the orphan Tree. Both are intriguing characters that I hope show up again in later installments. There are a host of other characters, including brothers, uncles, and nephews, as well as the very interesting gossips that appear at every birth and seem to only serve to annoy or aggravate the mother-to-be in the midst of her "travail."

In all the book is extremely readable; it's written in a first person, linear, narrative style, almost like a diary or journal. The period language is accessible and logically used so that the reader can discern the meaning without the author compromising the integrity of the conversations. It's not too long, at just over 300 pages, and each chapter is paced to keep you wanting to read but still creating points where you can put it down and go to bed (something I am thankful for).

I am anxiously awaiting the Harlot's Tale in early 2014.