It’s my very great pleasure to welcome Ros Rendle to the blog today. Ros lives just up the road from me and we have served together on the Deepings Literary Festival committee. I caught up with Ros in person recently and realised she’d never actually featured on Linda’s Book Bag so we’re putting that omission right today.

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Ros Rendle

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Ros and thank you for staying in with me.

It’s lovely to spend an evening with you, Linda.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along this evening?

The book I’ve brought is Sisters At War. It’s the first of a series of books about three sisters in times of early 20th century turbulence in Europe and beyond. 

A series of books in that era must have taken considerable research. 

With the extent of research I’ve done for the subject matters, the stories have the possibility of being grim but, while painting a picture of those times, WW1, WW2, and the Cold War, each is definitely interesting (I’m told), and ultimately uplifting. In each, they look at the position of women in a ‘man’s world’ and how they show bravery, and conquer setbacks to reach fulfilment.

I love a bit of ‘herstory’ as a counterbalance to history Ros! Tell me more…

Sisters At War is set during WW1, and covers life for men in the trenches but also the things women did to contribute and survive. I’ve brought Rose, my main character from the first book along with me. Let me introduce her to you.

  Rose gives a small self-conscious smile, pushes her glasses up her nose, and pats her fly-away hair. 

  “She has agreed that we might tell the background to her story.” I glance at her. “Rose, you  are serious and intelligent, and I know you’ve loved Michael for as long as you can remember.”

  “Yes, It’s true but I’ve secured a place at Oxford university. I know, as a woman, I can’t win the degree even if I qualify but it will be marvellous, and Father is so generous to let me go. It’s causing problems, though.”

  “Oh?”

  “Delphi is far from happy. She’s so vivacious and beautiful, exotic-looking, really, but she’s always struggled as the middle sister. She’s envious of me and this opportunity, and Iris, Izzy we call her, is the young one and spoiled, I suppose.

  “I gather Delphi has told you a secret.”

   “Yes, I’m not sure whether to believe her or not. Perhaps she’s being malicious. She’s complex, but I do love her dearly. She told me Michael has said he loves her and has asked her to wait for him when he goes away to France. It shouldn’t be a surprise. She’s so lovely.” Rose needlessly brushes her skirt and takes a moment.

  I give her time, and say, “I’m not giving anything away to say that Delphi will eventually go to France, too. She will grow and develop but she’ll have a major life-changing experience.”

  “Indeed, and maybe I’ll even develop some sense of my own place,” Rose says.

  “My dear Rose, it’s not always wise to be too self-deprecating. I know you try to see the best in everyone but if it’s at the expense of your own worth and well-being, well…”  I pause. “Michael’s going to France, you say?”

I like the sound of Rose. What made you decide on WW1 as your narrative background for Sisters at War? 

My grandfather, who fought at the battle of the Somme, survived those ordeals and when we went to live in France we weren’t far from the battlefields. 

My grandfather was at the Somme too – reported missing in action, blinded in one eye and with shrapnel embedded in him for the rest of his life. I find the battlefields fascinating so I think I’d love Sisters at War.

Through significant research and looking at war diaries of the time, my husband and I found him mentioned, and were able to walk within ten metres of his positions on that first day – 1st July 1916. When he died, a small memento was found among his effects. It was a tiny ‘touch wood’ figure. He would have worn it on his watch chain. They were given to soldiers  for good luck and a swift return, hence the four-leaved clover stamped on its little wooden head and the wings on its heels. The arms can be raised to touch the wood. This one has a silver body but others were brass or gold, and some had precious stones for the eyes. I have a collection of nearly forty now and each is slightly different. 

Oh! I haven’t heard of them. I’d love to see that collection sometime. What else have you brought along?

I’ve also brought some slices of trench cake. The women at home sometimes made this and sent it out as a taste of home to their men in France. Sometimes eggs were in short supply, and were substituted with vinegar and baking soda to make it rise. I shan’t be offended if you don’t want to try it. It’s a little dense, shall we say!

I think I’d better just give it a quality control test Ros, even if it doesn’t sound the most appetising! Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Sisters at War. You serve up a couple of slices of cake and I’ll give readers a few more details about Sisters at War:

Sisters at War

In the shadow of war, a young woman battles with her heart…

England, 1913

Eighteen-year-old Rose Strong has loved childhood friend Michael Redfern for as long as she can remember.

However, believing that Michael loves her beautiful but aloof younger sister, Delphi, Rose vows to keep her feelings hidden.

When war breaks out, Michael enlists, and Rose fears for his life as he heads to the trenches in France.

As the war rages on, Rose strikes up a friendship with Thom, a budding engineer. And when Thom’s feelings for her grow warmer, Rose must decide whether she is prepared to betray her heart.

And with Delphi joining the Women’s Legion while Rose remains at home, it seems Michael and Delphi may grow closer. But Delphi is harbouring a secret of her own…

Will Michael make it home safely? Is he destined to be with Delphi?

Or could Rose be the one to win his heart…?

Published by Sapere Books on 13th July 2021, Sisters at War is available for purchase here.

About Ros Rendle

After taking early retirement as a headteacher, when Ros Rendle had to write many policy documents and also had fun story-writing for children, she moved with her husband and dogs to France. She lived there for over ten years and began writing seriously for adults. She joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme. This afforded a detailed critique of her first novel and subsequently she was fortunate enough to gain a publishing contract. Ros has twelve historical and romance books published and another three contracted, frequently featuring the French countryside and sometimes even a handsome, enigmatic Frenchman!

The new mediaeval series (first book published 25/07/2025 and two others, so far, to follow), is published under the pseudonym of Cara Clayton.

Now, as well as writing, Ros and her husband are raising a guide dog puppy for the blind and enjoy walking him and their new pet dog.

For further information, visit Ros’s website, follow her on X @ros_rendle or find Ros on Facebook and Bluesky.

Having spectacularly failed to get beyond page 30 of my U3A Reading Group book in November, I’m delighted actually to have read this month’s choice, Miss Austen by Gill Hornby, which we will be discussing today. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Miss Austen here on Linda’s Book Bag. 

Miss Austen was originally published by Penguin imprint Arrow in 2020, was given a rebranding to coincide with the BBC television series in 2025 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Miss Austen

Throughout her lifetime, Jane Austen wrote countless letters to her sister. But why did Cassandra burn them all?

1840: twenty three years after the death of her famous sister Jane, Cassandra Austen returns to the village of Kintbury, and the home of her family’s friends, the Fowles.

She knows that, in some dusty corner of the sprawling vicarage, there is a cache of family letters which hold secrets she can never allow to be revealed.

As Cassandra recalls her youth and her relationship with her brilliant yet complex sister, she pieces together buried truths about Jane’s history, and her own. And she faces a stark choice: should she act to protect Jane’s reputation, or leave the contents of the letters to go unguarded into posterity?

My Review of Miss Austen

Cassandra Austen is on the hunt for her sister, Jane’s, letters.

What a super book! I thoroughly enjoyed Miss Austen.

Gill Hornby’s narrative style is pitch perfect, being accessible to the modern reader, but with a tone that Jane Austen herself would recognise. I loved the wry, observational humor threaded throughout the narrative that echoes the type of wit found in Jane Austen’s novels. The direct speech, the societal norms, the place of women in society added a fabulous sense of the era so that the historical setting of the book feels every bit as engaging as plot and character.

What I found so brilliant was that Miss Austen stands as a fascinating story in its own right without the need to know anything about Jane Austen or her writing. However, a little knowledge adds absolute delight in seeing where themes and characters have been woven into those books from real life. It makes reading Miss Austen great fun.

Normally I am not a fan of narratives that range backwards and forwards across timeframes, but in Miss Austen I loved it. The letters, the times before and after Jane’s death, the meticulous detail that is never intrusive – all add up to a satisfying and entertaining read. 

I loved discovering more about Cassandra – and indeed Jane. Gill Hornby writes with such assured knowledge that, whilst Miss Austen is a work of fiction, I felt I had learnt a considerable amount whilst being thoroughly entertained. Neither sister is presented superficially, so that they feel authentic and real. Both women have flaws and I felt one of the great strengths of the narrative was the development of Cassandra’s self-knowledge by the end of the story.

The themes of Miss Austen are perfectly pitched and whilst they represent the times in which the novel is set, they have huge resonance for today’s society. Through Cassandra’s life we encounter the impact of wealth, gender, societal position and expectation, familial duty and all manner of relationships, marriage and friendship. This has the effect of providing an aspect for any reader to engage with and enjoy.

At a time when reading has eluded me, Miss Austen has been a great solace. I found it compelling, interesting and written with assured originality and depth. Indeed, I loved it!

About Gill Hornby

Gill Hornby is the author of The Hive and All Together Now, as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for younger readers.

Her subsequent novels, Miss Austen and Godmersham Park were Sunday Times bestsellers, and Miss Austen is a four-part BBC adaptation starring Keely Hawes as Cassandra Austen. She is also the President of the Jane Austen Society.

Gill lives in West Berkshire with her husband and four children.

For further information, follow Gill on X @GillHornby and Instagram. 

Having thoroughly enjoyed Jo Middleton’s Happy BLOODY Christmas (reviewed here), I was delighted when a copy of her latest book Not Another BLOODY Christmas arrived in surprise book mail. My huge thanks to Laura Sherlock for sending it to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

Not Another BLOODY Christmas was published by Harper Collins imprint Avon on 23rd October 2025 and is available for purchase through the links here. 

Not Another BLOODY Christmas 

Anna’s taking the family away for a quiet Christmas in this hilarious, standalone murder mystery…

Unlike last year, there will be no risk of her burning the turkey, far less nagging from her mother-in-law and – crucially – a zero per cent chance of finding a dead body in her larder.

All she wants is to relax with a glass of wine in front of the fire. But when another group of guests show up just before a snowstorm, her plans begin to go awry. And the appearance of a dead body threatens to bugger up Christmas once again…

Can Anna get merry and root out the murderer? Or will this be another bloody Christmas nightmare?

My Review of Not Another BLOODY Christmas 

Anna is in search of the perfect family Christmas away. 

Not Another BLOODY Christmas is enormous fun and I really enjoyed it. It was thoroughly entertaining to be back in the company of Anna, whose desperate attempts to have an Instagram worthy Christmas in a wonderful country house, backfire spectacularly. 

I think Anna is hugely relatable. The contrast between the perfection of ourselves on social media as presented by one of the characters, Everlie, and the reality of dealing with true family life feels so realistic. Anna has a disapproving mother-in-law, an endearing (occasionally slightly dim) and always supportive husband, and two children who represent youngsters any one of us might know. Indeed, I’m not a great fan of children in books (or in real life come to that), but both Ben and Lily feel authentic and add to the humour of the book.

And Not Another Bloody Christmas is funny. Anna’s thoughts resonate brilliantly and I laughed aloud. This, along with her first person narrative voice, ensures that the reader feels included in the plot because it is as if Anna is speaking directly to them. The inclusion of Jennie on the end of the phone is such a clever device. It adds detail to the humour and the plot and provides another perspective. 

It seems somehow wrong to say that a book about a murder is the perfect escapist Christmas read, but this story is exactly that. It’s fast paced, and any one of the characters could have committed the crime so that the reader is kept guessing throughout. All the familiar features of the genre create a brilliant blend of tradition and freshness. There’s a confused double booking, there’s a large country house with suits of armour, creepy portraits and there are secrets that only gradually reveal themselves. Add in a dour housekeeper who seems able to appear and disappear at will, and Jo Middleton provides an action packed, witty and engaging read. 

But there’s additional depth for consideration too. In amongst the humour and mad-cap action, Jo MIddleton drops weightier aspects for consideration, such as nature and nurture for children, family and business rivalries, marriage and relationships and so on, making the story surprisingly thought-provoking as well as diverting.

I have struggled to settle to reading recently and I picked up Not Another BLOODY Christmas thinking I might as well give it a go. How wonderful to find a story that allowed me to escape the cares of the world, that made me laugh and brought joy into my life. I thoroughly recommend it.

About Jo Middleton

Jo Middleton is a writer, mum of two grown up children and slave to a golden retriever and three cats, named after fictional detectives. Jo published her first novel, Playgroups and Prosecco, in 2019 and has since gone on to work with her good friend Gill Sims, hosting her 2022 theatre tour and co-hosting a podcast, It’s Five O’clock Somewhere. Happy Bloody Christmas was her first crime novel.

Jo lives in Somerset and when she’s not working or tending to a pet she loves reading murder mysteries, binge-watching dating reality TV shows and being dragged around the countryside by her disrespectful dog Mako.

For further information, follow Jo on X @mummyblogger and Instagram.