A Place called Freedom

This is of a different genre by Ken Follett, the master story teller. This is a historical fiction novel set in Scotland of 1766 when slave trade existed. Mack McAsh is a coal miner in the employ of Sir George Jamisson. Sir George has two sons and apart from mines he has some plantations in Virginia and some sugar plantation in Barbados. But he is perennially indebted. So he has to marry off his eldest son to Lizzie Halim of the Halim Estate. Lizzie's mother is also severely indebted and she seeks the hand of Robert the eldest son of Sir George. Mack is involved in a coal mining incident where he rescues several people. He constantly seeks freedom from slavery. The Halim estate does not have any mines but it is reckoned that after the marriage between the two families, mines can start there. But Lizzie is against such thing having seen with her own eyes the kind of degrading lives led by the miners. Follett is brilliant in his narrative and the pages moves exceedingly fast. Goodreads 5/5  

The Sacred Bones

The Sacred Bones by Michael Byrnes is a fast paced historical fiction book dating back to the biblical times. An explosion takes place below Jerusalem's Temple Mount, a melting point for three religions viz. Christianity, Islam & Judaism. An ossuary is stolen from that place which contains sacred bones, some fragments,  a scroll etc. The ossuary is ferreted out of Jerusalem into the Vatican to be examined by America's top forensic scientist Charlotte Hennessey alongwith Italian anthrolopologist Giovanni Bersei. As they proceed to examine the skeleton, they slowly come to realisation that it could be something very paramount. Meanwhile the Islamic faith ask a British archaeologist Graham Burton to examine the site which was bombed for clues. The plot unravels quickly with deep explanations about the biblical importance and significance of Jesus Christ crucifixion and resurrection after three days.  Vatican priests are involved with Islamic leaders and Jewish police in this plot. The narrative is bilinear involving the investigations at the Vatican level and at the Jerusalem level. But the biblical facts are little difficult to understand for somebody like me. But its a courageous book just like the Da Vinci Code of Dan Brown. I cannot comprehend what would have been the reaction had such a historically controversial fiction book been written about my religious gods. Goodreads 4/5 

Dark Fire

Dark Fire is a historical fiction novel written by C.J. Sansom. The mystery story is set during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century. Brother Mathew Shardlake is a hunchbacked lawyer and he has been called upon to rescue a friend's young niece who is wrongly accused of murder of her cousin. The girl gets an unexpected reprieve assisted through the offices of Duke Thomas Cromwell who wants a favour from Shardlake in return for granting a two week reprieve for the girl. The Duke wants him to investigate something called Greek Fire which is some kind of chemical to be used for creating havoc and destruction amongst people. Cromwell wants it desperately in order to resuscitate his own position with the King. One after another people who have worked on the Greek Fire start getting killed mysteriously. Shardlake has to follow that lead and also keep working on the investigation into Elizabeth's case. Luck falls his way on the girl's case, when he espies a locked out well in the household of Elizabeth's family. She is an orphan staying with her uncle, grandmother and cousins. Meanwhile he gets track of the diabolical plot surrounding the Greek Fire or the Dark Fire as it is commonly known. Sansom uses language that is known to have been used in those times. He keeps the suspense alive through an engaging and fast developing plot. This is my second book of C.J. Sansom, first one being Revelation. Rating 4/5