Week 43 Reviews: Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John and the Haunted Soldier, The Custom of the Army

From Goodreads:
In her much-anticipated new novel, the New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander saga brings back one of her most compelling characters: Lord John Grey—soldier, gentleman, and no mean hand with a blade. Here Diana Gabaldon brilliantly weaves together the strands of Lord John's secret and public lives—a shattering family mystery, a love affair with potentially disastrous consequences, and a war that stretches from the Old World to the New. . .

In 1758, in the heart of the Seven Years' War, Britain fights by the side of Prussia in the Rhineland. For Lord John and his titled brother Hal, the battlefield will be a welcome respite from the torturous mystery that burns poisonously in their family's history. Seventeen years earlier, Lord John's late father, the Duke of Pardloe, was found dead, a pistol in his hand and accusations of his role as a Jacobite agent staining forever a family's honor. 

Now unlaid ghosts from the past are stirring. Lord John's brother has mysteriously received a page of their late father's missing diary. Someone is taunting the Grey family with secrets from the grave, but Hal, with secrets of his own, refuses to pursue the matter and orders his brother to do likewise. Frustrated, John turns to a man who has been both his prisoner and his confessor: the Scottish Jacobite James Fraser.

Fraser can tell many secrets—and withhold many others. But war, a forbidden affair, and Fraser's own secrets will complicate Lord John's quest. Until James Fraser yields the missing piece of an astounding puzzle—and Lord John, caught between his courage and his conscience, must decide whether his family's honor is worth his life.

From Goodreads:

Lord John is thrust into the deadly case of an exploding battlefield cannon. Wounded in the same battle, Lord John is called to testify and soon confronts his own ghost—and the shattering prospect that a traitor is among the ranks of His Majesty's armed forces.

From Goodreads:

London, 1759. After a high society electric-eel party leads to a duel that ends badly, Lord John Grey feels the need to lie low for a while. Conveniently, before starting his new commission in His Majesty's army, Lord John receives an urgent summons. An old friend from the military, Charlie Carruthers, is facing court-martial in Canada, and has called upon Lord John to serve as his character witness. Grey voyages to the New World—a land rife with savages (many of them on his own side) and cleft by war—where he soon finds that he must defend not only his friend's life but his own.

My Review:
I finally continued on with this series! I've been meaning to do so for years now, and I'm so glad that I did, this world is just incredible, and these were some really great stories! And oh, the mystery in Brotherhood of the Blade was just so interesting! 

Brotherhood of the Blade was so fantastic to read for two reasons. One, it brought back Jamie, and we can never have enough Jamie. Two, it got to explore the mystery of John and Hal's father. This is something that's been hanging over their heads since it happened, and I loved watching it play out! 

Lord John and the Haunted Soldier as a really great, quick read. The investigation into this cannon was personal, he was one of the ones injured when it exploded. The fact that he had to pursue it to make clear that they weren't at fault was an awful situation, but Grey's a good investigator.

The fact that The Custom of the Army takes place in Canada, that was fantastic, seeing my own country! Though it was a turbulent time, since France was battling it out with England, and John is dealing with an attempted deserter.Such an entertaining read! 

Loved reading these stories, and I can't wait to continue, and finish, this series! 

Author: Diana Gabaldon
Series: Lord John Grey #2, 2.5, 2.75 
Read: October 23rd, 23rd, 24th, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and they're Historical Fiction 2021 Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Books!
Publisher: Delacorte Press, Dell
Published: August 28th 2007, November 27th 2007, May 21st 2012

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Lord John and the Haunted Soldier:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Custom of the Army:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars