whimsydearest

In 1758, Korea, Hyeon is the illegitimate daughter of a lord who seeks to earn her father’s approval. She has worked tirelessly to earn herself a position as a palace nurse. However, she finds herself entangled in a web of lies when four women are murdered in the palace … and her beloved mentor is believed to be responsible. Determined to prove her mentor’s innocence and to free her from the brutal police force, she launches her own private investigation, but she’s met with dark secrets and impossible choices when the Crown Prince himself becomes a suspect. The Red Palace by June Hur is a riveting historical murder mystery filled with court intrigue, compelling characters, and a touch of romance. This is my first time reading once of June Hur’s books, and it won’t be my last. She has a knack for painting complex characters and getting into inner psyches, their desires and motivations—, making for one heck of a gripping read. On top that, I really adored the slow-burn, swoon-worthy rom...

Jeronimus Cornelisz: a murderous apothecary who is offered freedom in exchange for accompanying and safeguarding a mysterious woman aboard a ship headed to the Indies. However, once aboard, he begins to have much grander schemes. Nicolaes de Pelgrom: a gentleman, assassin, and spy tasked with hunting down all of those involved with the torture and murder of a grieving widow's husband. Their deadly paths cross on the sea, but only one man will succeed with his mission. Anatomy of a Heretic by David Mark paints a grisly and gripping historical thriller that’s diabolically good. I do have to admit though, this was a bit of a different story than I had originally expected from the blurb. I thought that this was going to be more of a cat and mouse game with the two main characters facing off throughout. However, they don’t go toe-to-toe until much later on in the story. Regardless, I still immensely enjoyed it. The characters in this book are complex and well-fleshed out, and Cornelisz...