Sacrifice by Kathleen Heady.
In this fourth book in Kathleen Heady’s series featuring Nara Blake, the story takes us to a small Spanish town in the Pyrenees, where Nara and her now-husband Alex Collier travel to retrieve several notebooks that belonged to a British artist who died there during the Spanish Civil War. Nara and Alex have plans to meet the parish priest, who has possession of the notebooks, in the church during siesta. When they arrive at the church, they find that he has been killed by a vicious blow to the head. They soon learn there is a history of crime in the town going back many decades. But as they are caught up in the criminal investigation, they also learn of the strong ties of family and friendship that exist, even extending to Nara’s own family.
5 Stars: Mysteries Brought to Light In Tardienta!
You will learn some Spanish Civil War History while enjoying ‘Sacrifice’ (book four) in Kathleen Heady’s series. Featuring woman sleuth Nara Blake, each book in the series stands alone, so I invite you to travel with Nara and her husband Alex to Tardienta (a municipality located in Huesca Province, Aragon, Spain) on behalf of the Tate Museum in London, where they both worked as art historians.
The mystery begins when the parish priest discovers notebooks written in English, containing sketches by Felicia Brown. Although a British artist, it is Felicia’s fight against fascism in the 1930s that makes her notebooks a rare find.
Nara and Alex’s visit to Tardienta takes an unexpected turn. It is here, I bring you into the story and the beginning of more than one mystery.
…“From the café, Alex and Nara watched the activity on the plaza. Several police vehicles were parked next to the church when a long black sedan entered the center of the village and parked just past the police cars. A smartly dressed driver emerged to open the back door for a clergyman dressed in a black cassock with red trim.
…“Someone from the diocese,” Alex commented. “I was wondering if the church would have to be re-consecrated since a murder was committed.”
…“They won’t let us look around now,” Nara answered, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. She badly wanted to get into the church and maybe the rectory too. The notebooks were there somewhere.
Tardienta is rich with history; there have always been goods and human beings smuggled through the surrounding mountains. For Nara and Alex, the mysteries are numerous, the danger is real and suspicions abound. Turns out it takes more than a village to catch a criminal.
The suspense and drama will keep you turning the page. When you are done, you will be ready to try Maria Laura’s Orange Cake recipe. Can’t wait to bake this one.
Editorial Review (Book Marketing Global Network).
Product Details:
Paperback: 219 Pages
Publisher: Sage Words Publishing (September 2, 2021)
Jake George (Editor)
Language: English
Adult Readers: Women Sleuths
Adult Readers: Mysteries (Suspense)
Jewels In Time by Kathleen Heady.
Young Brianna’s life changed the day her mother left to save herself from being burned as a witch. Brianna was left alone in the middle ages knowing just enough magic to have her called a witch, but not enough to try to save herself.
Brianna knew she had to flee but to where? She had to follow her instincts and run and run hard. Ending up in a large city she took a job as a kitchen girl and was befriended by Sir Michael a knight in King James’s court.
Brianna could not hide her magic and was accused of witchcraft and ordered to be burned at the stake. Sir Michael, helped her to escape. They just knew somehow, they had to head toward Wales where the Kings men could not follow. Not knowing magic was guiding their way.
Brianna was the granddaughter of a most powerful wizard and his witch wife. They helped to guide Brianna and Sir Michael from afar. The magicians had the power to visit forward and past in time. Brianna’s mother was banished to 700 years in the future to Dover castle during WW II so she could not cause havoc in her abandoned daughter’s life.
Brianna learns magic along the way and the truth about her past. Always staying one step ahead of the Kings men who wish to burn her to death.
Product Details:
Paperback: 224 Pages
Publisher: Sage Words Publishing (April 15, 2018)
Language: English
Adult Readers: Fantasy: Historical)
Adult Readers: Horror (Occult)
Amazon Print:
https://www.amazon.com/Jewels-Time-Kathleen-Heady/dp/0997096276/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1542750848&sr=1-4
The Gate House by Kathleen Heady.
The old gate house where Nara Blake and her father lived in the English Midlands was cold and filled with secrets. And Nara wasn’t the only one who felt its mystery. Although Nara’s aunt insisted the building held nothing more than useless trinkets and cheap copies of nineteenth century art work, someone had attempted to break in, until Nara caught them in the act.
The police force of the small English town where nothing ever happened was suddenly besieged with burglaries and a murder. As the net of British law began to close in on the art thieves, Nara found herself and her family caught in the net. And the new man to whom she has opened her heart, is helping the police to close in on them.
Review by David B Coles (Author of The Back of Beyond-Abbot and the Acolyte): 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Crime and Romance among the Antiques.
This is a delightful book with a surprising number of characters all of which Kathleen Heady manages to keep quite distinct and memorable. The characters – both good and bad – are nicely drawn, nicely observed. I warmed particularly to Elaine and how she rose above the terrible environment of her young life.
I was really pleased to be able read “The Gate House” because I spent the first 21 years of my life in Lincolnshire, first on the edge of the fens and then in Lincoln itself. It brought back the ambience of the area and of hurrying to school, straight up Lincoln’s Steep Hill, vividly. Kathleen has painted a great portrait of Lincolnshire which I can recognize both from my early days and today, on my occasional reunion visits.
The story centers around a railway Gate House used in the trafficking of antiques and works of art stolen from tiny country churches through to Lincoln Cathedral itself. We are given some fascinating glimpses of the Cathedral’s behind-the scenes interior as Nara and her father – visitors to the UK from the Caribbean – become enmeshed in the robberies. The finale, again set within the Cathedral, is more than thrilling enough to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
I shall certainly be on the watch for Kathleen’s sequel to “The Gate House.”
Product Details:
Paperback: 300 Pages
Publisher: Sage Words Publishing (May 14, 2021)
Language: English
Marsha Briscoe (Editor)
Gemini Judson (Illustrator)
Language: English
Adult Readers; Mysteries (Private Investigator)
Adult Readers: Romance (Suspense Thriller)
Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/Gate-House-Kathleen-Heady-ebook/dp/B094XDK9BM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1621434423&sr=8-2
Hotel Saint Clare by Kathleen Heady.
A Caribbean island paradise, a place filled with happy carefree people whose only concern is the pleasure of the tourists. NOT. Appearances are superficial. Lust, greed, envy, jealousy, murder… all can be found within the Hotel Saint Clare and Nara Blake: young, beautiful and inexperienced, meets them all when she takes on the job of hostess at the hotel. Fortunately, not everyone falls into those categories, and help and support and the promise of romance help Nara into her new life.
Review by Augustus M. Cileone: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Intriguing mystery amid tropical island life.The narrative of this book flows so that you want to keep reading about these interesting and unique characters. The novel provides a fascinating insight into the mysteries of the people living on the island where this mystery takes place. I feel like I want to know more about how their lives will turn out in subsequent stories.
Product Details:
Paperback: 162 Pages
Publisher: Sage Words Publishing (June 24, 2014)
Language: English
Adult Readers: Mysteries (Contemporary)
Amazon Print:
https://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Saint-Clare-Kathleen-Heady/dp/0991501446/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Lydia’s Story: The London Blitz Files by Kathleen Heady.
A simple box of mementos, hidden in a farmhouse in Wales for nearly seventy years, is enough to set Nara Blake on a search for the truth about her great-grandparents, and to put her own life in danger. Even as she begins to read her great-grandmother’s diaries, a French brother and sister whose family lost everything in World War II, blame Nara’s family for their lost wealth, which includes a priceless Cézanne painting. As both families learn the truth of their ancestors’ activities during the war, they are put on a collision course that can only end in the destruction of long-held beliefs, and ultimately one must pay the price for the losses of the past.
Review by Sandra Cody: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A Complex Story, Elegantly Told. This book is a fascinating look at one family’s involvement in World War II – the wartime activities and sacrifices of the family and the impact their actions have on future generations. Kathleen Heady tells her story with a combination of diary entries, scenes taking place in 1941 and present-day scenes. These disparate elements are woven together with such skill that I was never lost. The characters are well drawn. Settings (London, Wales, France) are sharp and very real; I felt I was present in each locale. But what stands out is Heady’s attention to detail. We know about the shortages of food and clothing, but the inability to buy a toy for a child, unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but so important on a personal level, gives the story heart. I highly recommend this book.
Product Details:
Paperback: 298 Pages
Publisher: Sage Words Publishing (September 17, 2012)
Language: English
Adult Readers: Fiction (Historical)
Amazon Print:
https://www.amazon.com/Lydias-Story-London-Blitz-Files/dp/0985918543/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
About The Author: Kathleen Heady grew up telling stories – to pass the time or just to exercise her imagination. She spent her childhood on a farm in southern Illinois, where she was fortunate to have parents who encouraged her to study, read, and learn about the world. Besides rural Illinois, she has lived in several other states as well as spending seven years in Costa Rica teaching in international schools.
Kathleen has spent most of her professional life as a high school teacher, teaching English, Spanish and social studies. She now resides in North Carolina, where she shares her “almost a tree house” home with her husband and two cats, Macavity and Violeta. She has a daughter, two sons, two daughters-in-law, a grandson and a granddaughter who are all really cool people.
Amazon Author’s Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Heady/e/B002NNJI9Q/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1542752760&sr=1-1
Professional Website:
http://www.kathleenheady.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/kathleenheadyauthor/
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Katwrite9
Author’s Page At Book Marketing Global Network:
https://bookmarketingglobalnetwork.com/kathleen-headys-books/kathleen-headys-books/
