Rib Bone Jack: Smuggler's Pride by John Williamson

A little late, but a happy new year to all my readers. I hope your year will be a happy and healthy one full of adventure and discovery. If adventure is lacking in real life then you could do worse than picking up this book. However I would start with the first book in the series unfortunately the author does not number his books, but its called the poachers path. I reviewed Legacy of the Rhino by this author last year which was also a very good read.
I gave this 5 stars:

Set during the Napoleonic wars this book will take you back to a time when smugglers and invading forces made the British shores a very dangerous place. Our hero Jack is sent to Wales to look into some illegal activities taking place around Tenby.

Even though this book stands alone as a good adventure with a clear start and finish, I felt I had missed out on the relationships between some of the main characters. This is book 4 and it is clear that a lot of water has passed under the bridge. I wished I had been there at the start of Jack and Camilla’s romance and I might go back to the first book and start the series properly.

The historical details are well researched and used well as a backdrop to an exciting adventure. The book is full of some larger than life characters like the priest Mr Baker with a rather unusual approach to rescue sinners and the almost republican lord Cravith.

Recommended for lovers of historical adventures.

The Legacy of the Rhino: First Resistance by John Williamson

I see with horror that my last review was about 3 months ago. I kind of got stuck on a book that was so dreadful that I could not force myself to read on. I did not finish so I wont review it. I don't believe in leaving one or two star reviews as the writer must have put their soul into writing it.
Anyway, I had a few weeks holiday and it was beach weather, so the reviews will be coming thick and fast for a while. Here is the first, which I enjoyed and was happy to give 5 stars. Click on the picture to take you to Amazon.

This book taps nicely into the current mood and our concern for the environment. It also echo’s the radicalisation and fanaticism of certain groups in our society. Here a group called the returners have taken their concern about the environment to an extreme level and have plunged Britain back into the dark ages. In this first book of the series we learn how the village of Dockling is coping with this new world where machines are prohibited and any descent is harshly dealt with by the returners. We meet Charlie, a former bus mechanic and a gruff no-nonsense character who is not willing to give up on common sense and the greater good. His decision to build a grain mill secures their survival for the winter but also plunges the village in a heap of trouble. The villagers make a stand against the cruel Returners and the first seeds of rebellion are sown.

I liked the character of Eliza. She plays rather cruel games with the local village boys. She knows men and uses her charms as a weapon. But she is also very courageous and seems to have the greater good at heart. Greg is the young lad falling under her spell. But as he finds his own courage, she begins to see him as more than an innocent boy to be toyed with. I look forwards to finding out more about this young romance and how the village of Dockling will fare. Well written and exciting start to a series.