Month: January 2022
+ cosy mystery, crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, fishing, murder, murder mystery, police drama, revenge, review, thriller
Dead Drift by AJ Hill
Former Detective Inspector Jack Lunn is enjoying the quiet life. Twenty years on from being medically retired from the job with Hampshire Police, he’s earned his quiet routine of long walks in the New Forest. However, Jack’s peace is shattered when he discovers the body of a friend and local landowner while on a fishing trip. Drawn into the investigation, he comes face to … Read More Dead Drift by AJ Hill
+ brothers, child abduction, crime fiction, Detective novel, DNA, fiction, loss, murder, police drama, revenge, review, secrets, thriller
Hangmans End by Michelle Kidd
Two bodies…One bridge…Twenty years apart. The discovery of two bodies beneath London Bridge plunges DI Jack MacIntosh and his team at the Metropolitan Police into two of the most complex investigations they’ve ever had to deal with. #HangmansEnd #DIJackMacIntosh @AuthorKidd @QuestionPress @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour With two decades separating them, can the cases really be linked? Having an intense dislike for coincidences, Jack can’t let it … Read More Hangmans End by Michelle Kidd
+ Cornwall, crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, hostage, kidnapping, murder, obsession, psycopath, review, serial killer, Sweden, thriller
Fairest Creatures by Karen Taylor
A serial killer’s dark obsession with the preservation of beauty sees him return to stalk the streets of Penzance in the summer of 2019. It’s 23 years since his first victims went missing, setting DI Brandon Hammett on the hunt for the Sleeping Beauty Killer. A beautiful woman is being held captive in an unknown location. Although not physically injured, she is manacled to … Read More Fairest Creatures by Karen Taylor
+ childhood, crime fiction, demon, fiction, friendship, horror, loss, murder, podcast, review, thriller
Demon by Matt Wesolowski
In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world. Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was savagely murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given … Read More Demon by Matt Wesolowski
Dear Past-Self by Cat on a Piano Productions / Theatrephonic
An exploration into hindsight and mental health. I’m not going to comment or review. Please just listen. This episode contains discussion of depression and suicide. It may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. If you feel like you need help, please reach out. A list of UK based help services are listed below.** It also contains a public Q & … Read More Dear Past-Self by Cat on a Piano Productions / Theatrephonic
+ crime fiction, dark humour, Detective novel, fiction, murder, murder mystery, police corruption, police drama, police procedural, review, thriller, wales
The Engine House by Rhys Dylan
You can bury the bodies, but you can’t hide the truth. When a landslip on Pembrokeshire’s stunning coastal path reveals the harrowing remains of two bodies, ex-DCI Evan Warlow’s quiet retirement is shattered. As the original investigator for the two missing persons eight years before, Evan is recalled to help with what is now a murder inquiry. But as the killer scrambles to cover … Read More The Engine House by Rhys Dylan
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children’s book, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. He took it to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, who became convinced it was the key to solving a puzzle. That a message in secret code ran through all Edith Twyford’s novels. Then Miss Isles disappeared on a class field trip, and … Read More The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
+ crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, murder, murder mystery, Nordic noir, review, Scandi noir, secrets, thriller
Bitter Flowers by Gunnar Staalesen
Translated by Don Bartlett Fresh from rehab, PI Varg Veum faces his most complex investigation yet, when a man is found drowned, a young woman disappears, and the case of a missing child is revived. The classic Nordic Noir series continues… PI Varg Veum has returned to duty following a stint in rehab, but his new composure and resolution are soon threatened when three … Read More Bitter Flowers by Gunnar Staalesen
+ Cornwall, family, fiction, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, literature, loss, love, marriage, mystery, review, secrets, World War One
The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown
I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unfurling out of an upper window and a hectic orange light cascading across the terrace. By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy – one whose death decades ago haunts her still. For Ivy is sure that there is more … Read More The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown
+ childhood, community, family, family drama, fiction, forgiveness, friendship, literature, loss, love, mental health, mental illness, motherhood, photography, review, Scottish Highlands, secrets, sisters, sixties
Little Wing by Freya North
Little Wing is the powerful story of two families over three generations. In the 1960s, a pregnant 16-year-old is banished to one of the remotest parts of the UK. Years later, Nell and Dougie are both at critical moments in their lives when their paths cross. Between Camden, Colchester and the Outer Hebrides, the three story lines collide when secrets are uncovered and answers … Read More Little Wing by Freya North
+ childhood, family, fashion, female friendship, feminism, fiction, friends, friendship, jealousy, love, marriage, motherhood, murder mystery, Nigeria, obsession, relationships, revenge, review, secrets, sisterhood
Wahala by Nikki May
Ronke, Simi, Boo are three mixed-race friends living in London. They have the gift of two cultures, Nigerian and English, though not all of them choose to see it that way. Everyday racism has never held them back, but now in their thirties, they question their future. Ronke wants a husband (he must be Nigerian); Boo enjoys (correction: endures) stay-at-home motherhood; while Simi, full … Read More Wahala by Nikki May
+ fiction, France, friendship, humour fiction, List, Magical realism, mystery, mythology, novel-in-emails, relationships, review, secrets, sisters, supernatural, twins, whimsical, writers, writers group
My Top 3 Books of 2021
It’s January 1st 2022 and it’s time to reflect on my three favourite books of 2021. Last year it was hard but not impossible. There were instant standouts. This year I have found it much harder. I have tried to include a mix of genres but I’ve definitely failed. Maybe I should simply call them all slightly ‘whimsical’. And if that is not where … Read More My Top 3 Books of 2021
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