I recently visited North Stradbroke Island during their annual Arts Trail which I followed to the hall which was once the Dunwich Asylum. There I met author Karen Thurecht who has written a book series about Dr Hamish Hart. Murder at the Dunwich Asylum is the first in the series of mysteries and I couldn’t resist picking it up.

The setting is 1884 when Hamish Hart visits the island to undertake an assessment of the asylum but becomes embroiled in the deaths of two people, one of which is an inmate. The superintendant, keen to downplay the death insists it is suicide. Dissatisfied, Hart begins an investigation and finds evidence that the inmate, Emily Baker was murdered. His friend Rita comes from the mainland and together they begin digging into areas where they shouldn’t and put their own lives at risk.

I loved the island’s description particularly as I could visualise it exactly. I was keenly interested in the historical context woven by the author into the narrative snippets from the newspapers of the time for each chapter heading. I also appreciated the themes around the social problems such as alcoholism, abuse of women and mental health issues and how this was dealt with in the day. Being sent to an institution for being a disobedient wife is just one way.

Hart’s character develops he begins investigating and I particularly liked Wesley Wallace who is introduced in the first chapter. We never really know if he good or bad but his story takes a surprising turn.

If you’re after a bit of a mystery and some fantastic island history then read this one.

This is a moving and brooding story set in 1276 England when persecution of the Jews was rife and a woman’s place was at home.

Eleanor moves to Lincoln to work as a housemaid and meets Asher a Jewish spice merchant. They fall in love in a town where religious divide is rife but they are joined by their shared passion for words and books. Eleanor learnt to read and write which was rare for a woman. When she falls pregnant with Asher’s child she is forced to leave her employment as a housemaid and attempt to use her skills as a scribe.

This is a slow story burying the reader into the small mindedness and unjustness of the time.  She is forbidden to marry Asher and their relationship is as passionate as it is fraught. I was surprised she was allowed to live independently with her child with little consequence but in this story she did with the financial help of Asher and another Jewish woman.

Cadwallader paints a picture of tension, violence and love in a time when prejudice and fairness was dictated by the King and fed into the way people lived.

The characters are well drawn, the writing beautiful and the story compelling despite being a slow burn.

A good one to read for those who like medieval historical fiction.