When murder stalks St. Merryn, no secrets are safe… man they hate.
A village with hidden secrets…
A battle-scarred redcoat is lurking In Greenoak Woods. Struggling to keep his grip on sanity, he’s come home to settle the score with those responsible for the heavy burden he’s been carrying all these years.
An innocent man accused…
When a villager is murdered, the suspicion falls on Jethro. Now Charity must risk everything, including being disowned by her family, to prove his innocence and save him from the gallows.
But as Charity hunts for the truth, she begins to uncover secrets over a decade old—secrets that will change everything.
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My knowledge around books set in Cornwall comes with some pretty basic prejudices, unfortunately. This (I think) is caused by family holidays as a child, where I would often see people reading generic romance stories with covers that depicted bright blue skies and cartoonish yellow sands. As such, I probably would have overlooked this book because of where it is set, but I am so glad that I didn’t – Along Came a Soldier by Brenda Davies is a spectacular read.
This book is a grim depiction of rural England in the nineteenth century. It is not sugar-coated in any way, but is instead filled with the troubles that faced people of this era. The two villages in which the book is set are rife with small-minded social injustice, as well as poverty, addiction, disease, and conflict. These dilemmas drive the narrative at a very good pace, and the characters that we encounter seem to genuinely react to the complexities and situations they find themselves in. Everybody here feels like they are in the right place – Jethro, Grace, Charity, Henry, Joe – they are all diverse and complex, and they breath such life into this work.
On opening the book, I was struck by how Davies structured the upcoming conflict. We see Charity first, happily engaging in her simple life, seemingly care-free, and then immediately after we see Henry, struggling with his mental state, self-harming in the woods. The contrast here was spectacular as I could feel that when these two seemingly incompatible worlds collided there was going to be something dramatic. From then on, Davies explores both sides, starting with Charity’s growing relationship with Jethro (from bitter enemies to lovers), to how Henry moves around the village, getting his revenge on those who had betrayed him prior to the war. The tension is maintained until half-way through the book, and when these worlds do collide it is fantastic to read. I must say I am a sucker for a courtroom drama and I loved Jethro’s trial and subsequent imprisonment.
This here was the moment when the novel shone for me: I was filled with so much dread for Jethro. Jethro starts out as a rough-and-ready but kind-hearted and misunderstood character, and he develops so much from Charity’s influence that I was worried about his fate. This alone drove me to read until the very end, however, combined with the sub-plot around Joe’s autism and the struggles of people to accept him, there were so many other strands of this tale that I cared about them all deeply. The storytelling is captivating and I feel that Davies has to be credited for her writing talents and plot structure.
Any flaws I could find are minor. Sometimes, maybe, there were too many unneeded character actions (i.e. leaning in, taking a breath etc.) but this is a trivial complaint that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this book. In the end, I got the closure I wanted from this book, and I am delighted with that fact.
Along Came a Soldier is something I would recommend to anyone who enjoys gritty historical fiction (my preferred genre). I cannot praise it highly enough.
Forbidden love. A Romeo and Juliet set of circumstances. Can these star-crossed lovers ever find happiness? Charity’s mother was murdered in their village, the killer never caught. Jethro’s father is a terrible drunk and was accused of the murder. Charity and Jethro wind up falling for one another. (LOL that first kiss.) As this novel set in early 1800s Cornwall opens, we’re introduced to the hardships of life. Infected wounds. Shunnings by the village for crimes your family members may or may not have committed. 19th century understanding of differences (I had to feel for Charity’s younger brother and the scene with the rabbits—I would not have done well in that time period), attitudes towards things like women working outside the home, and having agency. Fun times!
One thing I like that the book examines is the way that people in this time period were often trapped by their circumstances—by lack of funds to pay rent, by being female, by a drunk, violent parent, by the condemnation of the villagers for something you may not have done, by the trauma of war. Of course, these issues are still present today, and in the 1800s, with fewer support systems in place they probably felt even more bleak.
This is my second book by Brenda Davies, and just like the first, what I adored about it most of all were the vivid descriptions. We had various medical treatments—some performed skillfully by Grace the Bonesetter (still my favorite—she comes off the page with such clarity you expect her to walk right through your door) like a dislocated shoulder set back into place and others… well, I’ll let you use your imagination. Let’s just say this was not a good time for hygiene and maggots. Oy! Breathtaking descriptions of flowers, bluebells and mushrooms. I loved the early 1800s Cornwall setting and the cast of characters that stayed with you long after you reached the last page. Charity and Jethro. Thomas and Joe. Henry. Grace the Bonesetter. Each one is fleshed out vividly and has their own interesting backstory. This had quite a few surprises in store, some steamy scenes as the slow-burn romance picked up speed, and a killer lurking in Greenoak Woods. Another delightful tale!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.
Along Came a Soldier, set in Cornwall in 1820, is about Charity Perrow, a young lady who takes care of her ailing father and her two brothers, and Jethro Ennor, a young man who is reckless and wild and misunderstood. The Perrow family and the Ennor family hate each other, as the Perrow family blames the death of Mrs. Perrow on Mr. Ennor. But Charity and Jethro meet accidentally in the woods one day, neither knowing who the other is, and they form a bond. As their feelings for one another grow, they soon realize who the other actually is, at first believing that they cannot be together because of their families’ hatred, but then deciding that they must be together regardless of what their families think. As their love story is unfolding, also lurking in the woods is a soldier, Henry Blight, who is mentally unstable due to what he’s experienced in war. He has returned from war to avenge a crime that happened 15 years ago. But when one of Henry’s acts of vengeance gets pinned on Jethro, Charity must find out the truth to save Jethro from execution.
Overall, I enjoyed Along Came a Soldier. I thought the story line was intriguing, not predictable. I liked the way Charity understood Jethro, seeing that his recklessness stemmed from the abuse he suffered at his father’s hands and that he really just needed someone to show him some love. And I liked the mystery that was interwoven throughout the story. There were a few things I could have done without in this book. The sexuality was a little much for me, and although there aren’t a ton of bad words in the book, there are several uses of very strong language. Some of the descriptions were also quite gory and graphic. If you don’t mind those things, I think you’ll really enjoy this book. If you prefer more of a clean romance, this might not be for you.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Along Came a Soldier by Brenda Davies has all the ingredients that make a book one of my favorites…romance, history, and mystery!!! I was completely enthralled from the very beginning!
Charity and Jethro meet by chance, not knowing their families have been enemies. However, when the heart is involved, things like old grudges don’t matter too much. Charity is a woman caught in a time where women’s opinions didn’t matter, and she was to obey her family. So, she is torn, but when Jethro is accused of murder, the decision is made for her. There is no way she can let him go to prison for a murder he didn’t commit.
Charity’s brother, Joe, the town bonesetter, Grace, and her friend, William, join together to prove his innocence. They will discover that their small village is full of deadly secrets. This crew of sleuths could have their very own series!!!
I know when I have discovered a talented writer when she makes me actually have some pity for the person who is supposed to be the evil one. I would never condone what he did, but I could understand what put him in that state of mind.
The forbidden romance was a part of the novel, but not the entirety of it. However, it is a romance that is both sweet and swoonworthy. Charity shows Jethro that she loves him for the person he is on the inside, not the perception of others. He shows her how to begin living her own life just for her which was not the norm in the 1820s.
If you are looking for a book that crosses several genres with elements of suspense, mystery, and some paranormal aspects, you can’t go wrong with this book. Brenda Davies blends all of them perfectly to make a fantastic read!!!!!