The Running Wolf by Helen Steadman~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Bell Jar Books

Publication Date: 7th October 2022

Genre: Historial Fiction

Summary:

The running wolf inscription told the world that a Solingen blade was at its throat.

When a German smuggler is imprisoned in Morpeth Gaol in the winter of 1703, why does Queen Anne's powerful right-hand man, the Earl of Nottingham, take such a keen interest?

At the end of the turbulent 17th century, the ties that bind men are fraying, turning neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend and brother against brother. Beneath a seething layer of religious intolerance, community suspicion and political intrigue, The Running Wolf takes us deep into the heart of rebel country in the run-up to the 1715 Jacobite uprising.

Hermann Mohll is a master sword maker from Solingen in Germany who risks his life by breaking his guild oaths and settling in England. While trying to save his family and neighbours from poverty, he is caught smuggling swords and finds himself in Morpeth Gaol facing charges of High Treason.

Determined to hold his tongue and his nerve, Mohll finds himself at the mercy of the corrupt keeper, Robert Tipstaff. The keeper fancies he can persuade the truth out of Mohll and make him face the ultimate justice: hanging, drawing and quartering. But in this tangled web of secrets and lies, just who is telling the truth?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Bell Jar Books and Helen Steadman for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I was really looking forward to diving into this book i loved the last book I read by Helen Steadman (solstice) and so I had very high expectations for this one! You can tell that the author has done some brilliant research before starting

this book because she's written such vivid characters and once again brought the period to life for me. I loved that we had little mentions of Rose and Joseph, whom we met in Solstice, it was nice to see a little more of their story even if just in passing mention with other characters' conversations.
I love reading books by Helen Steadman, she makes me want to go away and do more reading on the period she's drawn me into with her writing, it's just so beautifully done. I get caught up reading her books that time just passes me by as I just don't want to leave where she's taken me.I enjoyed the alternating chapters, I liked that we went between two time periods in Hermann's life but it took me a few chapters to make the connection i think I was having a slow night lol
I still can't believe that the author learnt swordmaking! I absolutely love that she did that, it's brilliant the level of dedication to her research that she has and it makes the books amazing for it. She's quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors and I have all her other books on my want-to-read list.

Krystina xx