Review: From Scotland With Love

From Scotland With Love by Katie Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Inept PR girl Daisy tries to rectify her mistakes by travelling to Scotland to persuade her firm's most prestigious but also grumpy writer Rory McAllan to sign some bookplates she doesn't realise that there's a snowstorm incoming and she gets trapped with him in his tiny cottage in the middle of nowhere in the days leading up to New Year's Eve.

While Daisy might not be the greatest PR girl, she has lots of other skills which impress Rory, especially because she is nothing like his high-maintenance ex-wife.

This is a sweet holiday, forced proximity, grumpy meets sunshine romance novella - just the thing you need in the dead time between Christmas and New Year when I have the attention span of a gnat.

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Review: From Scotland With Love

From Scotland With Love by Katie Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Inept PR girl Daisy tries to rectify her mistakes by travelling to Scotland to persuade her firm's most prestigious but also grumpy writer Rory McAllan to sign some bookplates she doesn't realise that there's a snowstorm incoming and she gets trapped with him in his tiny cottage in the middle of nowhere in the days leading up to New Year's Eve.

While Daisy might not be the greatest PR girl, she has lots of other skills which impress Rory, especially because she is nothing like his high-maintenance ex-wife.

This is a sweet holiday, forced proximity, grumpy meets sunshine romance novella - just the thing you need in the dead time between Christmas and New Year when I have the attention span of a gnat.

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Review: The Affair of the Christmas Card Killer

The Affair of the Christmas Card Killer by Jack Murray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lord Arthur Cavendish has invited his grandson (and heir) Henry and Henry's mother Mrs Emily Cavendish to Cavendish Hall for Christmas. Henry's father, Robert (Lord Cavendish's second son) is dead. Mrs Cavendish and Lord Cavendish do not get on well together but he is determined to make more of an effort to be pleasant to her and to get to know his grandson better. For his part, Henry hates Cavendish Hall and feels like he is both bullied by his mother and made to feel unworthy by his grandfather because he is not sporty or interested in joining the army like the other men in his family.

Lord Cavendish's eldest son John and daughter-in-law Katherine are also both dead and his two nieces Esther and Mary now live with him at Cavendish Hall. Esther is a more classical beauty, but Mary is more lively, and they are the greatest of friends.

Lord Cavendish has also invited two single, eligible bachelors to the party in the hope that one or both of them might fall in love with his nieces and provide for their future. The two single gentlemen are Lord Kit Aston and an explorer called Eric Strangerson, who was in Robert's battalion in WW1.

Lord Kit Aston was an officer in WW1, he is rumoured to have done some intelligence work, and has had some success in solving the murder of a French diplomat - very Lord Peter Wimsey. Kit is assisted by his manservant Harry Miller, a former thief, who rescued him from No Man's Land during the war. Besides his suitability as a potential spouse for one of his nieces, Lord Cavendish also wants to consult Kit about a number of cards he has received over the years saying 'Happy Christmas, I've killed you', Lord Cavendish is worried that the card sender might succeed and he wants to reconcile with his grandson and see his granddaughters settled before he does (succeed).

The party gets snowed in, and a locum doctor appears at the door. He'd been visiting a patient nearby and was unable to get back to the village in the snow. Trapped in a remote country house with secrets swirling and no access to the outside world it's a surprise to no-one when Lord Cavendish is found dead in his room. While there is no evidence of foul play, Kit is concerned because of the threatening cards, and the girls ask him to investigate until the police can take over.

Overall I enjoyed this. However, it wasn't without its faults, others have commented that the author has almost consistently mis-titled all the characters, some even said he clearly hasn't even watched Downton Abbey to know that Emily should be called Mrs Cavendish, Kit's father is alive so he can't be Lord Kit etc, etc. Also, Lord Cavendish's death literally comes 50% into the book which is way too late in the book. (view spoiler)[Furthermore, making the suspect the most unlikable character is a huuuge clue. (hide spoiler)]Generally there were way too many coincidences, which would only have worked if the characters had been deliberately invited because they were all connected by The Thing.

However, I have a weakness for Golden Age mysteries and aristocratic sleuths so I will definitely continue reading the series.

Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

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Review: Murder at Martingale Manor

Murder at Martingale Manor by Jodi Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Leon takes Max to recuperate after her injuries, and what could be nicer than a trip back to the 1920s and a country house hotel, all very Agatha Christie - who just happens to be the author of the paperback book Max is reading in hospital.

Indeed, the guests and staff at Martingale Manor in Devon could easily have come from one of Ms Christie's books: the mysterious older woman, the absent-minded clergyman, the doctor, the military man, the charming young couple, the chatty maid, the hotel manageress with a secret.

One night at dinner, one of the guests makes a quite innocuous comment, directed more at themselves than any other person in the room ... and yet the effect on the room was remarkable. The next day, the guest is dead, and it doesn't look like an accident or natural causes. Even worse, all the other guests and staff seemed to have congregated together in the lobby or gardens with other people ... except Leon. Can Max uncover the real culprit and save Leon?

This was a lovely mystery, I do love reading Jodi's annual Christmas novella, it's as much a part of my Christmas as turkey with all the trimmings or a tin of Quality Street. My only gripe is that I didn't understand what Max meant about Olly and Molly - I'll have to read a review/analysis from someone cleverer than me to find out I guess. Okay, on second thoughts I had two gripes, wasn't the murder method the same one (pretty much) as in the recent BBC adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel? Not naming it specifically but it was aired in March 2025.

Anyway, if you love an Agatha Christie, or Jodi Taylor, or time travel give this a go.

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Review: A Dangerous Train of Thought: A gripping crime, golden age murder mystery from multimillion bestseller author of A Fatal Obsession, Faith Martin, to read in 2026!

A Dangerous Train of Thought: A gripping crime, golden age murder mystery from multimillion bestseller author of A Fatal Obsession, Faith Martin, to read in 2026! by Faith Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sir Bayard Cherville and his (much younger and very beautiful) wife Lady Sybil have invited houseguests to their home in Yorkshire, Cleeves Lea Manor. But at the last minute, and with some malice, Sir Bayard has invited Bill Endicott, a charming Adonis-like single man, to the party, which consists of: Elizabeth and Bernadette Rowe (a mother and daughter, Elizabeth was at school with Sybil), Agnes Warren (a middle-aged nervy spinster to whom they owed a favour), Roger and Daphne Potts-Gibbon (he a wealthy self-made man, she the daughter of a former archbishop), and finally, Arbie (a young rather indolent man, the author of two rather successful books entitled the Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost Hunting) and Val, his childhood friend and self-appointed assistant. Arbie is the 'celebrity' that has been invited to the party, with the promise that there is a local legend of a ghostly railway signalman who can be seen waving his lamp. Frankly, Arbie's first book was a bit of a laugh, and mainly consisted of him staying in various hotels and country houses making half-hearted attempts to see the local ghosts, but now Val has got involved he is expected to a lot of actual leg-work.

When Arbie and Val arrive at the Manor it is clear that there is a fair bit of tension between the parties, Sir Bayard and his wife appear to have argued, and several of the guests appear to be ignoring Bill, who is flirting rather heavily with poor Agnes. However, Arbie does not expect to find Bill's body in the library the following morning next to an empty champagne glass, a bottle of champagne, and a rather odd-looking suicide note.

Meanwhile, Arbis discovers from his host that there is not one, but two, local ghost legends, the other involving a devil train!!

This was another cracking cosy murder mystery. Everyone has a motive and yet when the murderer is revealed (because of course it isn't suicide) it all falls cleverly into place. I am glad that Faith Martin has toned-down her portrayal of Val as being stupid. IF (and yes I did mean to capitalise it) Faith Martin's end game is for Val and Arbie to get together (and it may not be) then having him be extraordinarily bright under all the sloth while she always gets it wrong is a recipe for disaster.

Anyway, if you love a good country house murder mystery look no further.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot

Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot by Alexis Hall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Audrey Lane is a journalist. Five years ago Audrey was living in London with her girlfriend, living the dream as a hard-hitting investigative journalist, but it didn't sit well with her and when their relationship crashed and burned, she returned to Shropshire to live near her parents and took a job on Shropshire's second largest regional newspaper. Now her typical day involves 'investigating' increases in parking charges and supermarket trolleys being dumped in the river.

After getting drunk and applying online, Audrey is a contestant on Bake Expectations, a thinly veiled homage to the Great British Bake Off. AS a journalist she is always interested in meeting new people and her personal quirk is wanting to know 'what happened next' so she quickly pigeon-holes her fellow contestants into the stock characters from previous seasons eg the hipster, the tradesman, the mother figure, the overly-precise one etc and realises that they have both the oldest and the youngest ever contestants in this cohort. Doris, the oldest contestant is familiar with the stately home in which the current season is being filmed, she was evacuated there during the war, and Audrey can't help but be fascinated by her story. Unfortunately, the show's producer, Jennifer Hallet is unimpressed by journalists generally and by Audrey specifically and she is very vocal about her mistrust. In fact, Jennifer may well be the most sweary character I have ever read. When Jennifer learns that Audrey has been 'interviewing' Doris she becomes incandescent with rage - is it wrong that Audrey finds that kind of hot?

There is so much here and I don't want to spoil it. But there are (obviously) lots of cheesy innuendos as befits a reality tv show about baking, there's romance, there's heartbreak, there's a lot of swearing, I repeat a lot of swearing, and a wonderful story that just carries you along.

Loved it.

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Review: Love and Other Brain Experiments

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dr Frances Silberstein is a neuroscientist, her interest was sparked when her sister was injured on a skiing holiday and developed amnesia, from which she luckily subsequently recovered.

After breaking up with a former boyfriend who assumed Frances would be willing to support his research and just be named as a collaborator forevermore, Frances has led a peripatetic life, moving every few years from lab to lab, always seeking funding which would allow her stay in one place and perform her own experiments, putting everything else in her life on hold, including her sister Karo, in the pursuit of academic recognition.

A perpetual thorn in Frances' side is Dr Lewis North, years ago they corresponded on a piece of research but when it came to publication Lewis didn't mention Frances at all, when she should have been listed as one of the authors. The research paper has been cited numerous times by other scientists and it has bolstered Dr North's career, whilst not being named has been to Frances' detriment. Ever since then, for which she never received an apology, Dr North has always been one of the first to comment on anything Frances publishes, often critically. Frances is sure that he is one of her two peer reviewers - the mean one.

Frances is terrified of flying, so when a series of Murphy's Law coincidences means that she is without her sleeping pills on a turbulent flight to New York from her lab in the Netherlands, she is comforted by the cute guy seated beside her, until she realises that it is none other than Dr Lewis North, also flying to New York for the same conference, the Sawyer's Summer Seminars, which just happens to be hosted by Frances' very successful ex-boyfriend Jacob.

When Jacob's fiancée accidentally assumes that Frances and Lewis are a couple when they turn up together for a welcome dinner, Frances leans into the misconception - before realising that being outed as a liar could destroy her professional career, so she begs Lewis to fake date for the two weeks of the conference.

I was enjoying this until about halfway. But like so many books which on the surface feature clever women, it felt like Lewis was given a free ride for what he did/does whereas Frances has to grovel to absolutely everyone. Similarly, and maybe its a real-life facet of the misogyny of academia, why is it always the men who get the grants and the success in these books and it is only because they are gracious and step aside that the women get recognised?

So, I struggled with the second half of the book, the inevitable big drama/misunderstanding in which once again (in my opinion) Lewis was in the wrong but gets to act like the injured party was just irritating and what had started out as a four star read got knocked down to three stars.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Love and Other Brain Experiments

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dr Frances Silberstein is a neuroscientist, her interest was sparked when her sister was injured on a skiing holiday and developed amnesia, from which she luckily subsequently recovered.

After breaking up with a former boyfriend who assumed Frances would be willing to support his research and just be named as a collaborator forevermore, Frances has led a peripatetic life, moving every few years from lab to lab, always seeking funding which would allow her stay in one place and perform her own experiments, putting everything else in her life on hold, including her sister Karo, in the pursuit of academic recognition.

A perpetual thorn in Frances' side is Dr Lewis North, years ago they corresponded on a piece of research but when it came to publication Lewis didn't mention Frances at all, when she should have been listed as one of the authors. The research paper has been cited numerous times by other scientists and it has bolstered Dr North's career, whilst not being named has been to Frances' detriment. Ever since then, for which she never received an apology, Dr North has always been one of the first to comment on anything Frances publishes, often critically. Frances is sure that he is one of her two peer reviewers - the mean one.

Frances is terrified of flying, so when a series of Murphy's Law coincidences means that she is without her sleeping pills on a turbulent flight to New York from her lab in the Netherlands, she is comforted by the cute guy seated beside her, until she realises that it is none other than Dr Lewis North, also flying to New York for the same conference, the Sawyer's Summer Seminars, which just happens to be hosted by Frances' very successful ex-boyfriend Jacob.

When Jacob's fiancée accidentally assumes that Frances and Lewis are a couple when they turn up together for a welcome dinner, Frances leans into the misconception - before realising that being outed as a liar could destroy her professional career, so she begs Lewis to fake date for the two weeks of the conference.

I was enjoying this until about halfway. But like so many books which on the surface feature clever women, it felt like Lewis was given a free ride for what he did/does whereas Frances has to grovel to absolutely everyone. Similarly, and maybe its a real-life facet of the misogyny of academia, why is it always the men who get the grants and the success in these books and it is only because they are gracious and step aside that the women get recognised?

So, I struggled with the second half of the book, the inevitable big drama/misunderstanding in which once again (in my opinion) Lewis was in the wrong but gets to act like the injured party was just irritating and what had started out as a four star read got knocked down to three stars.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: How to Fake It in Society

How to Fake It in Society by K.J. Charles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Titus Pilcrow makes a precarious living as a shopkeeper, mixing colours to sell to artists. His former lover, and landlord, Henry is expressing his displeasure at their break-up by raising his rent - something Titus cannot afford. When visiting Miss Whitecross, a wealthy elderly very crotchety customer with a large order, Titus is sad to discover that she is very ill, unlikely to last the night. However, Miss Whitecross' butler invites Titus in with a proposition. Miss Whitecross had an understanding with Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte, she would marry him and leave him her considerable fortune in order to ensure her nephew Mr Laxton did not inherit. But the Comte is out of town and in order to thwart her nephew, who deliberately tripped her at the top of the stairs which has led to her current situation, Miss Whitecross needs to marry someone that night.

Suddenly a poor shopkeeper has inherited a house, possessions and a fortune of £8,000 a year. But along with the wealth comes the burden of society and people desperate to relieve poor Titus of his money, including Henry and Titus' estranged older brother Augustus. When the Comte (Nico) returns to London he is devastated to learn he has missed out on Miss Whitecross' fortune, especially since he and his cousin Eve were depending on the money to extract them from the clutches of a vicious moneylender after a dodgy scheme Eve cooked up went spectacularly wrong.

At first Nico just wants to try to shame Titus into sharing some of his fortune, but then he decides befriending Titus might bear more fruit in the short-term. Titus obviously needs help getting rid of the chancers and conmen that are coming out of the woodwork, just as much as he needs help in getting clothes to match his new status; Nico can do both these things. For his part, Titus might not know his way around society but as a tradesman he knows when people are using you for their own ends, and he doesn't mind that Nico is probably extending his credit with the tradespeople he takes Titus to visit.

I love me a historical romance, throw in a fortune-hunter, a long con, a fake accent, Marie-Antoinette, cross-dressers, some fascinating historical details, wonderful characters, and a wicked brother and I'm in heaven. I love, love, love KJ Charles' books and I only wish she would/could write them faster because I gobble them down too fast. Nico was such a lovely character, and Titus was a charming mixture of astute and naïve, loved it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Heaven Forbid

Heaven Forbid by Rosalind James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Four and a half stars.

The blurb

So: I was a German princess sailing across the Atlantic to join my American-GI husband in 1947. My Jewish GI husband. And I was Catholic. And eighteen years old. And an independent woman.

In the previous book Marguerite (the princess) met Joe (the GI) in Nazi Germany. Now she has come to America to be with him like so many other GI brides, although I don't suppose many of them had a fortune in emeralds in their luggage. Joe's parents are aghast, a poor Catholic (probably Nazi) German wife for their only son? Inconceivable.

Whilst Marguerite was a wonderful baker and could scrub floors, her previously privileged upbringing meant that she had no idea how to boil an egg, or cook potatoes, or clean a house. While Joe returns to college under the GI Bill of Rights, Marguerite tries to get a job to help supplement his GI stipend. Turns out there aren't many jobs for former princesses. Also her lack of skills meant that she had one disaster after another trying to demonstrate domestic appliances (often to appreciative husbands). And once her colleagues/customers/boss found out she was German, then often she was let go. But her strength of mind, intelligence, and sheer determination meant that she was never down for long.

Just like with the previous book, I was sceptical about this - I mean we have already seen when Joe and Marguerite met and fell in love, we know what happens in the present day - what could this book bring to the table? Well I was wrong, different again from the two preceding books, this was both revealing about life in the 1940s, laugh-out-loud as Marguerite makes some truly awful clangers, infuriating as she encounters misogyny and racism (both against being German and also her husband being Jewish), and uplifting as the couple create a new life together.

This book had the feel of one of those big family sagas that were so popular back in the day (not saying it felt old-school), indeed I was sad that it ended where it did, I could have read on and on about Marguerite, Joe, their burgeoning business, and their family for hundreds more pages. In what has been a period of fairly dismal cookie-cutter novels (for me), this shone like a beacon of good writing, a great plot, and something that stands out from the crowd.

I received an ARC from the author, but the opinions are my own.

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Review: Dolly All the Time

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dolly Brick is a hard-working single mother. She's a teacher, an Uber driver, and the telephone answer service for a sporting goods company. Called back to her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island to help her father after their family home was damaged by fire, Dolly is horrified to discover that their roof is unsafe and will cost thousands of dollars to repair - money that neither she nor her father have.

Then providence shines on her. After delivering a vast quantity of shrimp to the Whitfield estate (for cocktail hour), Dolly is cycling back home when she encounters Stewart Whitfield, handsome oldest son of the family that founded the town, beside a car with a flat tyre and no phone battery. Laughing at the uselessness of the wealthy who have no idea how to change a tyre, Dolly kindly helps him out.

Later it turns out that Stewart's girlfriend has been caught publicly cheating on him with a baseball player. A paparazzi photographer has snapped a picture of Dolly changing Stewart's tyre and the Whitfield publicist has spun it as him teaching his new girlfriend to change a tyre. Stewart desperately wants to be appointed head of the family business but his family are concerned that he's a workaholic and so he suggests that he and Dolly fake-date. It will stop all the bad publicity about not being able to keep a girlfriend and appease his family.

This is like a jam-up between Mystic Pizza and Pretty Woman (and probably lots more). Its very familiar, fake dating, small-town, rich guy/poor girl, billionaire and the single mom territory. Yachts, black-tie dinners, fancy apartments, money-no-object romance with cute kids, and home renovation.

I really enjoyed it and would have given it a higher rating if it wasn't for the fact that it felt just a little bit too familiar. Not sure if it was the storyline , or Stewart's character, but I just felt like I'd read something very similar before.

Nevertheless, great summer romance reading.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: A Yorkshire Affair: The BRAND NEW feel-good Yorkshire romance about taking chances and following your heart

A Yorkshire Affair: The BRAND NEW feel-good Yorkshire romance about taking chances and following your heart by Julie Houston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The third book in the series features (more on that later) Jess Allen, who gave up a place at university and a potential career as a chef to marry her high school sweetheart Dean after she got pregnant. Always afraid of change, Jess has stuck by her philandering husband, lives next door to her mother Alice and younger sister Sorrel, and is content working at the local care home.

However, recently things have started to change. Jess won a local bakery contest and has been given the opportunity to go into partnership with her soon-to-be brother-in-law Fabian and Kamran Sattar a local businessman (who also happens to be her mum's new boyfriend) in Beddingfield's stylish new restaurant, The White House. Alice is moving in with Kamran, Sorrel is moving to London for school, and Jess is giving up her job at the care home.

Things are taking a turn on the romantic front as well, Jess kicks out Dean, and meets the handsome, wealthy father of her daughter's new BFF.

I've noted this before in these interlinked series, at some point continuing the strains of multiple couples and storylines becomes horrifically confused and all the stories become superficial - that is what happened here. We have updates to Jess's sister Sorrel's career and romance with Joel, the local bad boy, updates to Jess' sister Robyn's struggles to keep the local school open, updates to Robyn's partner Fabian's career as a barrister, updates to Joel's court case, updates to Alice's love life. The story also adds a further level of confusion by introducing

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Review: The Last Devil to Die

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's Christmas, a large drug shipment is coming into the UK, usual sources are unavailable so the dealers lean on a local antique dealer to 'buy' an ugly box (which contains the drugs) for £500 which he can sell for £5,000 in a few days time to a courier. Unfortunately, the antiques dealer is murdered in his car and the drugs have gone missing - he happens to be an old friend of Elizabeth's husband Stephen so the gang are determined to find the killer and locate the drugs.

Throw in the FCA, art forgers, a rabid Afghan heroin seller, the Thursday Murder Club and many, many old friends and you have yet another cracking murder mystery. I laughed, I cried, I totally got the killer wrong yet again.

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Review: The Last Devil to Die

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's Christmas, a large drug shipment is coming into the UK, usual sources are unavailable so the dealers lean on a local antique dealer to 'buy' an ugly box (which contains the drugs) for £500 which he can sell for £5,000 in a few days time to a courier. Unfortunately, the antiques dealer is murdered in his car and the drugs have gone missing - he happens to be an old friend of Elizabeth's husband Stephen so the gang are determined to find the killer and locate the drugs.

Throw in the FCA, art forgers, a rabid Afghan heroin seller, the Thursday Murder Club and many, many old friends and you have yet another cracking murder mystery. I laughed, I cried, I totally got the killer wrong yet again.

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Review: The Bullet That Missed

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The team have decided to investigate a cold case, the disappearance of a young local TV presenter who was in the process of breaking a major investigation. To kick off their investigation Ron agrees/proposes being interviewed by local TV host Mike Waghorn so the Thursday Murder Club gang can gently interrogate him about what he knows about Bethany Waites and what she was investigating.

Meanwhile, Connie Johnson is in prison on remand, running her drugs empire quite comfortably whilst plotting to kill Ron.

Throw in a war between money launderers, senior romance, kidnapping, dementia, and Joyce's cakes and you have another brilliant book in this endearing series.

Not sure why I stopped reading it two years ago but I fairly ripped through it while on holiday.

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Review: Scot’s Eggs

Scot’s Eggs by Catriona McPherson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Its Easter in Cuento, Lexy and Taylor are trying (unsuccessfully) to get pregnant. Todd is doing his best to help them (no, eugh, by offering advice).

A retired couple have gone missing, their rented Mustang has been found abandoned in a museum parking lot, liberally splattered with blood. It seems the couple, the improbably named Bill and Billie Miller, were on the trip of a lifetime, staying in five star hotels, but Bill got a migraine and they tried to find a room to stay in Cuento, not realising all the hotels were full.

Of course, this occurred when most of the regular residents of the Last Ditch Motel were away for some or all of the weekend and a pair of locums were supposed to be looking after the motel. Kathi and Noleen are desperate to prove that there is no way that the Millers could have stayed at the motel, but the generally chaotic way in which the locums appear to have left the place and the lack of record-keeping isn't making life easy.

As usual, this is a completely bonkers detective story featuring variously: a Scottish therapist; a germophobe who runs a cleaning company; an aesthetician on semi-permanent sick leave who is also a germ/creature-phobe; collectively known as Trinity who solve crimes, as well as a rag-tag assortment of lesser but no less bonkers characters.

Lexy is trying for her citizenship (as well as a baby), so expect lots of references to the constitution alongside the inevitable US/UK confusion of two countries speaking the same language with different cultural backgrounds.

I don't know whether its just me, but this book almost made sense to me, not quite, but nearly - its like always being just that one step behind everyone else ...

Anyway, it was funny, mad, silly, and an enjoyable read.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Turns of Fate

Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to the Isle of Wyrd.

The Isle of Wyrd is ruled by the Arcana, humans are allowed to visit Destiny Park for entertainment, a brush with the uncanny, to have their palms read, or to eat at the restaurant or sleep at the hotel. Some come to make a bargain with the Arcana, out of love, fear, desperation, or hate. But a bargain with the Arcana doesn't always end up the way that you planned and their idea of justice can be brutal.

Detective Beth Fahey has recently joined the local police district responsible for incidents that occur on Wyrd, she has her own burdens having been abandoned by her parents as a child and brought up by an ultra-religious aunt with addiction, Beth is drawn to art featuring the uncanny and her aunt often berated her for her unnatural interests.

Beth's first case is to investigate the case of a thirty-five year old man who bought a gun from Wyrd to shoot his girlfriend, his ex, and his daughter. Unbelievably, despite shooting at point-blank range he didn't kill any of them, but himself died of what looks like extreme old age. Beth's boss wants her to ask the leader of Wyrd whether the weapon was a ghost gun, and whether it has returned to Wyrd. Such questions require her to pay the Ferryman his price in silver or gold coins and cross to Wyrd to meet the three sisters who will answer questions ... for a price.

Little does Beth know that she is one-quarter Arcana herself and the inhabitants of Wyrd are happy to share more information with her than they would with others, making her both the ideal liaison between the humans and the Arcana, but also ostracising her from her colleagues.

As an introduction to a new series we see variously: someone running from an abusive relationship seeking sanctuary on Wyrd; a bully getting his just desserts; a businessman trying to welch on an agreement and paying the price; a kidnapping; and what happens to visitors who don't remember that words and intentions have meaning.

I loved every page of this, couldn't get enough, can't wait for the next book.

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Review: Death of a Stranger

Death of a Stranger by John Pilkington
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Matthew Cutler is a constable in the parish of Spitalsfields in 1594. Widowed by the Plague, he lives with his two daughters and their aunt Margery.

Called upon to investigate the murder of an Italian perfumer Paulo Brisco, stabbed multiple times by a sword, Matthew is beset by well-meaning do-gooders keen to proclaim various people as the murderer. But Matthew's dogged pursuit of the truth leads him into darker secrets than he thought possible, and puts his own and his family's lives in danger.

I loved the historical details about this book. I work in the City of London, so mentions of place like Bishopsgate and Moorgate etc are places that I see all the time and made it doubly interesting, I even looked up a map of London at around this time to see how small London was and how areas that are now heavily built up were once fields. Loved the reference to Peckham Rye being in Surrey (I had to look that up to confirm that it would have been at that point).

However, historical detail aside, the mystery felt a little flat to me, Matthew's pursuit of potential culprits one after the other seemed to lack direction and although I know who killed Brisco there were so many motives flying around that I confess I don't really recall WHY.

This is only the first book in what looks to be a series, maybe Matthew's character will deepen and develop over time.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Let's Make a Scene

Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thirteen years ago Cynthie Taylor made her acting debut in an historical romance, Lady of Quality, co-starring with acting royalty Jack Turner-Jones. They were enemies (with a fair amount of attraction being denied), forced to pretend to date to drum up publicity for the film.

Present day, Cynthie has been publicly shamed as the scarlet woman for trying to break up her director's marriage, with his wife four months pregnant! He told Cynthie they'd been separated for years and is now making gooey eyes at his wife in public. Cynthie has lost the action-hero film she was about to star in (morality clause) and her BFF/manager Hannah brings her a new script, Lady of Quality 2, same producers/directors/cast/crew. The film has been a Netflix staple for the last thirteen years and a new generation want to see the sequel.

Of course, to add insult to injury, there will be a Netflix documentary crew filming behind the scenes and the producers think it would be a great idea for all concerned if Cynthie and Jack reprised their fake romance, which would squash rumours that Cynthie is a drug addict or in despair etc.

Jack is now one of the stars of a hit Vampire series (think Vampire Diaries/Buffy/Angel) but the last season ended rather ambiguously for his character and he hopes being a hot property with the film could help his character return for the next season.

With both of them older and wiser could this film change enemies to lovers?

This was a one-day only 99p offer on Amazon Kindle and it had rave reviews from so many rom-com authors I had to give it a go - L.O.V.E.D. it. Funny, touching, I could totally see this being made into a great film.

I see now that it is the second in a series, I didn't know that and it can totally be read as a standalone.

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Review: A Cottage in the Country: The new heartwarming romance from the beloved #1 Sunday Times bestselling author

A Cottage in the Country: The new heartwarming romance from the beloved #1 Sunday Times bestselling author by Katie Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Hattie is a house-finder (nothing like an estate agent) in the Cotswolds, finding the perfect property for her clients. She also happens to have visions (inherited from her Irish grandmother) which show her romantic couples for good (or bad) and she does her best to honour those visions by either bringing the couples together, or helping them to split up. However, despite all her success for her clients, Hattie has been unable to find her own forever home and instead house-sits for various landlords on a temporary basis. The house she really loves belongs to an octogenarian friend of hers called Mary, a beautiful old Cotswolds cottage, but Hattie knows she could never afford it, even if Mary's nephew Clive has neglected basic maintenance for too long.

Her best friends are Rose who owns a local shop (who Hattie got together with her now-husband) and Luke, a restorer of old houses. Everyone thinks she and Luke should be more than friends, but Hattie has always shied away from that, what could be worse than losing a partner and a best friend in one?

When Hattie's bossy older sister gets a job in Switzerland she asks (demands) that Hattie look after her fifteen-year old son Xander who has been having some trouble at school and has been enrolled at a local school which specialises in helping troubled teens.

After Katie Fforde's recent books set in the 1960s this was a nice return to present day and I have to say for the first 75% of the book I was absolutely loving it, no shrinking virginal heroine, just a lovely friends to lovers (eventually) romance. Two things brought down what was a solid four star rating for me: Clive, and the 'secret'. Clive was too much of a pantomime villain, and the secret was totally unnecessary and I don't understand why it was a secret in the first place.

But other than those minor gripes (which is a bit like saying I wish Katie Fforde wasn't so Katie Fforde I know), this was a feel good, sweet romance - just what you would expect.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Murder in York

Murder in York by J.R. Ellis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

DCI Oldroyd is in York attending a residential conference on modern policing. For a bit of light relief he decides to spend the evening in York town centre and join a walking ghost tour to dind out more about the history of this Roman settlement.

Unfortunately, the night turns rather more ghoulish than planned when the tour discovers a dead body in one of York's narrow alleyways. The victim, Henry Marlow, is a wealthy landlord in the area. A self-made man, Marlow is also a miser and has had numerous run-ins with his tenants, the council, and local charities about the way he fails to maintain his properties. Throw an ex-wife, her new boyfriend, and a disgruntled PA into the mix and there are plenty of suspects.

With DCI Oldroyd and Andy temporarily attached to York police station to help with the investigation (and get out of the seminar), things are progressing slowly, but as the body count starts mounting, was the motive hatred of Marlow, or is there a serial killer loose on the run-up to Christmas?

I thoroughly enjoyed this, Oldroyd's more irritating characteristics have been toned down (eg his habit of making up acronyms) and there was an impressive array of potential suspects paraded before the reader to muddy the waters.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Thrown for a Loop

Thrown for a Loop by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Ten years ago Zoe Carson was an Olympic hopeful figure skater and Chase Merritt was an ice hockey hopeful picking up some extra cash as the boys' dorm leader at skating summer camp. They met, they fell in love, they sneaked around, the got caught. Things went badly wrong and they've never spoken since.

Now newly divorced Olympic silver medalist Zoe has accepted a part-time job coaching the New York Legends ice hockey team. Its the only job she has managed to secure and she desperately needs it to become permanent to be able to actually afford to live and work in NYC, too bad if the boy who broke her heart a decade ago is one of their star players.

Its an uphill battle trying to coax NHL players to listen to a diminutive figure skater, even if she can help them improve speed and accuracy, especially when someone clearly wants to bully her out of her job.

This was fun, low on the scorch-o-meter, but a bit predictable. I guessed very early on who it was who wanted to get rid of Zoe - they just had to think about motive.

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Review: The Devil in Oxford

The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ruby Vaughn travels from Exeter to Oxford to spend Christmas with her friend Leona and also accompany her (Ruby's) boss/companion the octogenarian Mr Owen aka the Viscount of Harwick to various of antiquarian society dinners and talks.

Ruby and Mr Owen arrive slap bang in the middle of a ding-dong between two Oxford scholars, the disgraced Julius Harker who now runs a curiosity museum and the illustrious lecturer on anthropology Frederick Reaver - apparently they were supposed to have a debate several days ago in public but Harker failed to show up. Now crowds have gathered for Harker's unveiling of his Napoleonic cache of Egyptian treasures. But the missing man makes an appearance in the most shocking way possible, his dead body stuffed inside a sarcophagus with his tongue cut out. When Harker's mild mannered business partner Herr Mueller is arrested for his murder Leona begs Ruby to investigate the case and prove Mueller innocent, but there seem to be multiple factors at work.

I didn't realise that this was the third book in a series when I requested the ARC and I have to say I found it difficult to keep track of all the different threads. As I said in my review of a very different book, there are too many overreaching arcs in this book: the romance with the witch Ruan; the women pretending to be Ruby's mother (who died when the Ruritania sank, along with Ruby's father and sister); the mystery about Ruby's 'powers'; her WW1 trauma which may or may not have caused a nervous breakdown, etc, etc.

Also, there were so many suspects for Harker's murder and in the end when the culprit is revealed I didn't feel that there was any evidence (other than the villain's convenient mea culpa) to suggest it was that person over any of the others. There were lots of hints at the supernatural but when it came down to it all the explanations were pretty prosaic.

Pleasant enough but not really what I was hoping for.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: A Cold Heart

A Cold Heart by Doug Sinclair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

A small crime with potentially deadly consequences. Elizabeth Dunn is a care worker with a husband suffering from MS and a daughter with mental health issues. When she discovers her daughter is being bullied by the rich girls at her school for not having the latest designer jumper, Elizabeth will stop at nothing to help her daughter, even if it means shoplifting a £300 jumper.

Unfortunately, a security guard sees Elizabeth and chases after her, straight into traffic where he is hit by a car, with fatal consequences. Elizabeth scurries off into the night bumping into DS Malkie McCulloch on her way, he was on the way to meet his twenty-six year old daughter Jennifer for the first time until the RTA derailed his plans.

Although full of guilt, Elizabeth is happy to have made her daughter smile, until it transpires that the dead security guard was a member of the notorious Jessop family and Elizabeth is abducted from her home in broad daylight.

Can Malkie and his team find Elizabeth before Stevie Jessop returns to Scotland to extract his revenge?

Over and above the mystery we also have the overreaching arcs of Steph's rapist sperm donor and drug pushing step father (luckily Doug has toned down her constant harping on about it), Malkie's romance with the wounded former pilot Deborah, and the investigation into his mother's death, which Malkie now believes was murder, as well as Malkie meeting his daughter for the first time. TBH, I think these four overarching arcs are too much, at least one of them needs to fade away quickly because they detract from the current mystery in each book.

As always, this is on the high side of violence in what I like in my detective stories (ie one below serial killer in terms of violence and gore), I tend more towards the procedural and cosy but for others this is probably just right.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Something Blue

Something Blue by Emma Jameson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The third in the series featuring Anthony Hetheridge, chief superintendent for New Scotland Yard and ninth baron of Wellegrave, and his fiancée Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield as well as Detective Sergeant Deepal ('Paul') Bhar.

Its three weeks before Tony and Kate get married, then Michael Martin Hughes, disgraced CEO of Peerless Petrol Co which caused an ecological disaster, is found murdered (strychnine poisoning) at the exclusive Nonpareil Hotel, which just happens to be the current residence of Lady Isabel Bartlow and her brother, Sir Duncan Godington (Tony's arch-nemesis, he is believed to have murdered his father and brother in cold blood but got away on a technicality).

What with all the eco-warriors who considered Hughes the anti-Christ, his estranged wife and son, his fiancée, and girlfriend, there's no shortage of suspects and all of them were present on the evening as Hughes was hosting a fundraiser for Peerless Petrol.

Meanwhile, the gutter press are digging dirt on Kate and her less than squeaky-clean family, threatening to ruin the wedding.

As I believe I said in my last review, Godington is such a pantomime villain he taints everything. Allegedly so charismatic he can charm people into committing murder on his behalf he has apparently also developed a taste for bathing in his victims' blood whilst in South America.

Also, there are so many illegitimate children flying around (not literally you understand) that it seems that no-one is really the child of their parents (that got away from me a bit but you know what I mean).

This was okay, but I don't think I need to continue reading the series.

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Review: A Judgement of Powers

A Judgement of Powers by Benedict Jacka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book 3 in the Inheritance of Magic series and looks like there are a few more to come.

Stephen Oakwood is just an ordinary young man living in Plaistow, London. He just happens to be one of the people who can use magic (Drucraft). His mother left when he was small, his father disappeared when he was a teenager. Since then he's been surviving on low-paying monotonous jobs, scraping enough to pay his rent and feed his cat.

Then he discovered his mother is the daughter of Charles Ashford, head of House Ashford. Charles can bequeath the House to whoever he chooses as his heir and there is fierce (deadly) competition between his grandchildren for that privilege. Apparently Stephen could be in the running, if Charles didn't seem to hate him.

Anyway, Stephen is perfecting his Drucraft, trying to get together a team of raiders to drain C+/B class magic wells without being caught, whilst also acting as quasi-bodyguard for the Ashford heir, his cousin Calhoun.

Meanwhile a group calling themselves the Winged are alternatively trying to recruit or kill Stephen.

It seems like Stephen might have three choices: join House Ashford; join the Winged; or go it alone ...

I am enjoying this series but I also feel it has very similar vibes to Benedict's Alex Verus series, where Alex started out as a nobody and gradually became inveigled into politics and warring factions, forced to pick a side (surprise he chose his own). But hey, this is clearly a middle book and they progress the arc while not resolving much.

I received an ARC from the publisher.

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Review: Blind Date with a Werewolf

Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anyone who has read any of the previous books featuring Asil knows that he is an ancient werewolf, deadly, barely holding on to his sanity, unable to speak with his wolf, beautiful, but deadly and very, very dangerous.

So what does Patricia Briggs give us? Why she gives us a light and fluffy Christmas story. Some of Asil's 'concerned friends' think he should start dating and they have set him up with five dates over three weeks in the run up to Christmas. Each date has been selected from a different dating website. There may, or may not, be betting amongst the pack as to whether Asil will fail. Failure being variously, not staying for at least two hours with the date in question, the date running screaming from Asil, or the date ending up dead.

Of course none of the dates go according to plan, although technically Asil doesn't fail. But there is a lot of bloodshed, there are also some encounters with other supernatural beings, and even a bit of romance.

What is galling is that I wrote a review, I thought it was a good one, and my internet/Goodreads swallowed it, leaving me just the first line, not even a sentence. Imagine it was the best review you've ever read :)

Anyway, loved it.

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Review: Big Nick Energy

Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kay is a librarian in North London who also has a side business writing children's stories. Whilst browsing in Covent Garden antiques stalls for Christmas presents for her parents and Nana she runs into Nick, the boy she dated in college eight years ago, the boy who dumped during a pub quiz at Christmas out of the blue.

Despite initial misgivings, after Nick apologises profusely, Kay and Nick start sort of dating. They still have great chemistry, he's proper grown-up with a job in finance and a swanky flat, he still finds her funny. Everything is screaming that this could be a second-chance romance with potential, Nick is even saying long-term type things. He is too good to be true so Kay nicknames him Saint Nick.

Then when visiting her best friend at her temporary place of work (an upmarket Christmas tree farm) where she works as an elf, after a boozy party with Nick's work goes awry, Kay accidentally gets dragged into the Christmas tree netting machine and needs to be rescued by her friend's boss, the grumpy Nick North, who just happens to be dressed as Father Christmas. Santa Nick, as Kay refers to him, might be grumpy but there is also a frisson of something when he attends to the gash in her knee.

Now Kay has two Nicks in her life. Saint Nick wines and dines her, takes her on special dates, and talks about long-term plans. Santa Nick doesn't seem to understand any of Kay's jokes, but he is unfailingly kind to small children and the elderly. Saint Nick seems a little embarrassed that Kay works in a library and writes children's books, when he introduces her to his colleagues he says she works in publishing. Santa Nick might be breathtakingly beautiful but he hasn't done anything to suggest that is attracted to Kay.

How will she decide which Nick is right for her?

I generally love Kristen Bailey's books, although they can verge on the slapstick at times. After requesting this book, I got cold feet, mainly because of the title I think, and didn't get around to reading it. Also for some odd reason I thought there were three Nicks involved.

Anyway, loved it. Wonderful feel-good holiday romance. The love triangle is resolved carefully and kindly. No-one had to act out of character or throw a wobbly. All's well that ends well.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Death between the Vines

Death between the Vines by G.J. Bellamy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Brent Umber is a former thief turned private detective. After solving a tricky issue involving the stepson of a Police Chief, he is invited to assist local officers in solving the murder of Sheila Babbington, an apparently devoted wife and mother who was stabbed in the heart in her own vineyard in broad daylight. There are multiple suspects, but apparently no motives, or if people might have motives they have alibis.

Brent's methods may be unorthodox, he isn't interested in evidence so much as whether someone presents as innocent or guilty ... and guilty of what.

This is a hard one to review, I enjoyed reading it but I couldn't tell you what happened because it all got so convoluted and there were multiple conflicting motives and (frankly) the characters weren't distinct enough for me to be able to keep them straight in my own mind.

Accordingly, I am in two minds as to whether to read the second book, although the introduction does intrigue me.

Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.



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Review: The Mumbai School for Murder

The Mumbai School for Murder by Meeti Shroff Shah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The blurb

Writer and traveller Radhi Zaveri returns home to Mumbai’s posh Temple Hill after spending years living in New York City, in search of inspiration and a salve for her broken heart. To the world it seems she has it all. But little do they know that she hasn’t written a word in more than a year, that she is devastated at the sudden disappearance of her American lover and that she is still haunted by her parents’ death, which happened almost two decades ago and for which, she holds herself responsible.

Ms Venus is found dead at her desk, the school tries to claim it was natural causes, but Radhi isn't convinced. Ms Venus was a famous writer of poetry who had made enemies: a junior English teacher, the school's owners, the school's head, students that she had reported for misdemeanours, and parents of children who had misbehaved. Ms Venus had high moral standards and would not hesitate to report wrong-doing. In addition, the person who found Ms Venus' body reported that her face was bright - a sign of cyanide poisoning. Ms Venus also appears to have left Radhi a clue scrawled across a book of her poetry which Radhi had asked to sign.

Meanwhile, Soam Mehta, one of the students Ms Venus had reported for vaping in school, who subsequently lost his role as school sports captain as a result, has gone missing. Is this a sign of a guilty conscience? Or could Soam be so distraught he has taken his own life? Or, alternatively, could Soam have seen something on the night Ms Venus died?

Radhi almost has too many suspects as she investigates Ms Venus' death and Soam's disappearance. But she doggedly follows the truth, uncovering other secrets along the way.

This is the third book to feature Radhi, I hadn't read the others but this was very easy to read as a standalone. It was easy to read, engrossing, and shone a different light (yet again) on contemporary life in India for a modern woman. I would definitely read more in this series.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: A Touch of Magic at the Comfort Food Cafe

A Touch of Magic at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sarah is an author of grisly detective stories with a hint of the supernatural. Now fifty years old, she has bought a cottage in the village of Budbury, sight unseen, on a whim. Partially to escape a relationship gone wrong in London, partly for space to walkalong the beach, and partly to get away from her slightly annoying older twin sister Sally, and her parents. As a writer Sarah relies heavily on her imagination, but that also means that she can become prone to flights of fantasy where she imagines that every creak and groan from her cottage means she is being attacked by zombies, or vampires, or werewolves, or something.

Immediately Sarah is struck by the welcoming nature of the villagers (even though she actually would prefer to be left alone), and soon she has made friends with Cherie, the owner of the Comfort Food Café and the many women who congregate there. ON one such afternoon Sarah is initiated into what I refer to as the ladies' Diet Coke moment ... another newcomer to the village, a thirty-something man runs along the beach past the café most afternoons topless and the women shamelessly ogle him as he passes. The man keeps himself to himself, lives alone in the woods, and people have heard loud howls coming from his property, speculation is rife that he may be a werewolf.

When Sarah finally meets the clothing challenged hunk, Aidan, the truth is more prosaic. As a man fourteen years or so younger than Sarah, Aidan is definitely a toy boy, although his air of assurance makes him seem much older, and he seems to be interested in Sarah romantically. But after her last two relationships crashed and burned Sarah is not willing to take chance on something that clearly won't last the distance.

Then, when Sally yet again disparages Sarah's ability to attract a man and laughingly says at least she won't have to worry about Sarah asking to invite a plus one to Sally's daughters' eighteenth birthday party, Sarah may just have snapped and told a little white lie ... that Aidan would be accompanying her.

This was cute, cosy and perfect for a gentle romantic read cuddled up under a blanket.

Special offer at 99p when bought.

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Review: Murder in Venice: A BRAND NEW instalment in the cozy mystery series from T A Williams

Murder in Venice: A BRAND NEW instalment in the cozy mystery series from T A Williams by T.A. Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Dan Armstrong, a retired detective from Scotland Yard, now living in Italy and acting as a private investigator, when he isn’t writing crime novels, receives a request from a world-famous actress Alice Graceland to meet her in Venice. Excited that she might want to make one of his novels into a film, Dan travels to Venice, where Alice has bought and renovated an ancient fortification on an island. Sadly for Dan, Alice isn’t interested in making one of his novels into a film, instead she is hosting a murder mystery evening for a small group of influential Hollywood movers and shakers and wants Dan to play the role of the detective. As one would expect from someone rich and famous, the murder mystery evening will involve costumes, paid actors, and a sumptuous feast prepared by Alice’s staff. Alice herself will play the role of the Doge’s wife, the real power behind the throne and she will be the victim. Dan will encourage the guests to discuss their theories as to who murdered Alice’s character and then reveal the murderer’s identity.

However, when Dan returns to Venice two weeks later for the party it appears that the other guests are not Alice’s friends, in fact the atmosphere could be cut with a knife. The guests are even arguing amongst themselves. Alice’s PA tells Dan that she suspects Alice is writing a reveal-all memoir, and that the guests all feature heavily. Indeed, Alice admits as much to Dan, confiding that she wants to confront each of the guests with what they did and give them a chance to apologise/confess as appropriate, if they do she will temper what she has written in her draft memoir.

I think we can all guess what happens, there is a real murder and Dan will have to use his knowledge of the individuals and the crimes exposed in Alice’s memoirs to determine the murderer and the reason.

This was another enjoyable detective story featuring Dan and his trusty Labrador Oscar, the only issue I have is that if Oscar trusts/likes a human I know they can’t be the murderer – unless T.A. Williams mixes it up in the next book.

Anyway, if you like the idea of a cosy mystery set on an island in the Venice lagoon with descriptions of food that will have you salivating, look no further.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.


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Review: The Burning Grounds

The Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

The book opens with Sam Wyndham investigating the body of a man left at the burning ghats, which ordinarily would be perfectly normal, it is after all where the Bengalis of Calcutta bring their dead. However, the man has had his throat slit and Sam can already tell that the body is that of none other than JP Mullick, Indian entrepreneur and industrialist. Sam is in disgrace at work for various reasons, so he is astonished when his boss allows him to investigate JP’s murder.

Meanwhile, Sam’s friend/former partner Suren Banerjee, who has spent the last three years in Europe, has recently returned at his father’s request/command. Suren had fallen in love with a French girl, Elise, while in Paris and is feeling rather love-sick but he must honour his father’s wishes. Suren is ordered by his father to investigate the disappearance of his cousin Dolly. Dolly has always trodden an unusual path for an unmarried Indian woman, setting up her own photography business for women only. However, her reputation has been besmirched by rumours that she has been associating with beggars and street women (and taking their photos). Dolly has gone missing, and her family are concerned.

Despite their mutual prickliness after not having spoken in three years, especially when Sam discovers Suren has been back in India for over a month without contacting him, Sam and Suren agree to work together to try to discover who murdered JP and where Dolly has gone. Perhaps inevitably, it turns out that the two investigations are linked.

This is apparently the sixth book in a series featuring an Indian policeman and a British detective, Suren Banerjee and Sam Wyndham set in 1920s Calcutta. I had read a book featuring an Indian female police officer and a British Scotland Yard criminalist by Vaseem Khan about a year ago and without paying much attention thought this was the same series. However, this was reasonably easy to read as a standalone novel.

I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Sam wasn’t a particularly likable character, in fact I don’t think any of the characters were likable, there was both too much politics and not enough at the same time. By which I mean that, for all his feelings of British superiority, Sam speaks in a very modern way about the tyranny of the British occupation of India which I don’t think a man of his time would have done. Similarly, Suren is apparently pro-independence and yet doesn’t actually seem to be doing anything about it, just wandering around with no purpose (although that’s just me judging him for abandoning the love of his life with no farewell just because his father decreed it.

The plot itself was good, but I have read something similar before (without spoilering the why) and so it was nothing new.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Law Maker

Law Maker by Susie Tate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clara Morris has a big secret. She tries to keep under the radar and has accepted a job as a teacher's assistant at the exclusive Molton Prep, even though with her qualifications she should be a teacher in her own right. She guards her privacy fiercely, and has it written into her employment contract that she doesn't have to meet any parents EVER. Her one indulgence is lusting after the impossibly handsome Lord Sterling when he comes to collect his sone Ozzie from school.

Unfortunately, Lord Rafe Sterling, criminal barrister and tipped to be the UK's youngest ever Judge, isn't good at taking no for an answer. Ozzie is dyslexic and spends his evenings lauding the wonderful Miss Clara to the skies, but Ozzie tells his father that Miss Clara said his brain works differently Rafe is on the warpath.

Although initial impressions aren't good, Rafe is surprised that this mousy young woman (who looks like a child) who barely spoke above a mumble becomes incredibly fierce when she thinks someone is labelling Ozzie as stupid. First Rafe is intrigued and then fascinated and, because he's from an aristocratic family used to bending others to his will, he soon makes Clara an offer she can't refuse to tutor/nanny Ozzie for a few hours every evening after school.

But Clara isn't hiding any old secrets, making the wrong move has landed her in the hospital more than once and what she is hiding could have massive repercussions for her, Rafe, and her beloved brother.

I love Susie Tate, she nearly always includes characters with real issues, and as a UK General Practitioner she knows first hand the problems, diagnoses, symptoms, and feelings that come with them. This book is no exception, in this case domestic violence - there are trigger warnings in the blurb so this isn't a spoiler. I thought she did this really well, not doing a Hollywood lite version of violence, this was shocking and frightening.

Rafe was a true alpha male, his breeding, education, money, and job make him authoritative, but strangely Clara finds it comforting and it makes her feel safe. Especially when she's behind electronic gates and driven to work in a bullet proof car by a close security officer.

If you fancy a romance between a bossy billionaire lawyer single dad and his son's teacher, laughs, tears, extreme bravery, and a lot of swearing - well you're in luck!

I received an ARC from the author via BookFunnel.

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Review: Fire Must Burn

Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sparks and Bainbridge are inveigled into setting up an old friend of Sparks' with a planted girlfriend.

Back in the 1930s when Iris was at Cambridge University she met Tony Danforth, they were good friends for a while, even dated a little, but he joined the Socialists (and perhaps the Communist Party) and went off to fight in Spain, later he went to Singapore for the duration of the war. Apparently he's back working at the Foreign Office but MI5 has suspicions that he may be a spy for the Russians or the Chinese and want him vetted - which is where The Right Sort marriage agency comes in. Iris will 'accidentally' bump into him, get reacquainted and offer their services - Tony has already been advised that a married man is viewed more favourably than one who is single - they will then introduce him to an MI5 spy who will clear or condemn him.

Iris is torn, she hates lying to an old friend, but if he is a spy then she wants that uncovered.

Meanwhile, Gwen discovers from her boyfriend that Tony was involved in a scandal at Cambridge - something that may have precipitated his departure to Spain - could the past shed light on the present?

Yet another wonderful mystery featuring our redoubtable heroines, loved it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: The High Tide Murder

The High Tide Murder by Emylia Hall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cat and Jayden are having a weekend alone in The High Tide hotel overlooking Trebaron Cove. But things aren’t going to plan. First Cat meets Summer, a girl she went to school with who is now a social media influencer, at the hotel to post some content with her surfer boyfriend and they agree to meet for drinks (and maybe dinner), instead of a romantic dinner at deux.

Then two couples arrive, Kathy and Drew Schofield and Steve Bradshaw with his girlfriend Mae. Ostensibly the couples have come to celebrate Drew’s retirement from the Police and their wedding anniversary, but there seem to be undercurrents between the two couples, Steve having been recently let go from the same police force. At dinner, the foursome are loud and obnoxious, resulting in the hotel owner, Elliott King having to intervene when they made a waitress cry.

Late that night during a storm there was a power cut and in the morning, Summer finds Drew’s dead body below his bedroom balcony. Was it a drunken accident or was it deliberate? Steve is convinced its murder, then Jayden notices that the Instagram post Summer made of the storm shows two men arguing on Drew’s balcony.

But there seems to be a plethora of suspects, let’s face it Drew was not liked in the police force (old-school copper seems to be the kindest epitaph). But as Ally and Jaden dig deeper it seems like Drew’s death may relate to something that happened many years ago, which may involve someone else who was at the hotel that night.

Another great yarn from the Shell House Detectives, although Gus is off-stage for most of the action.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Happy Christmas: A Hilarious Holiday Marriage of Convenience Romance

Happy Christmas: A Hilarious Holiday Marriage of Convenience Romance by Kelsey Humphreys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Janie Rowland is down on her luck. Her no-good brother has got in debt and she has literally had to liquidate all her savings, sell all her possessions, and move home to live in her granny's dilapidated house in Juniper Falls to try to get by, even now she's getting threatening emails and texts for the balance of the funds owed. She's a genius accountant (allegedly) and has taken a job working for a cutesy mayonnaise subsidiary of the global Clark Industries empire.

One day, while dressed as a hot dog at an expo in Vegas Janie is unlucky enough to run into Benedict Clark, a British trust fund fun-loving guy who she has met on numerous occasions at various family and friends' parties. Benedict is the sort of guy who is seen in gossip magazines with models and actresses hanging off his arm, he's a terrible flirt and a thrill-seeker.

Benedict pulls rank and gets Janie to spend the afternoon with him, life is becoming difficult, his father has laid down an ultimatum - get serious or he'll lose his trust fund and rumours will be spread that will make him unemployable.

Benedict comes up with a plan, they already know each other so its not impossible that they might have fallen in love. Get married before Christmas, attend a few events as a couple in the first year, then stay loosely married for another four years before getting divorced. In return, Benedict will pay Janie an obscene amount of money.

Janie has had terrible luck with men, her ex dumped her at their engagement party then got back with her, only to dump her again - in a small town that sort of thing is never forgotten.

Juniper Falls is one of those hokey towns that goes big for the Autumn/Winter holidays (it also brings in plenty of tourist dollars which helps the town stay afloat for the rest of the year) and Janie and Benedict agree to participate in a weekly event to give enough photo opportunities to give credence to their fake relationship.

Of course the chemistry is off the charts, but neither of them wants to be the first to say they've caught feels ... until the inevitable misunderstanding.

A lovely opposites attract, billionaire romance.

Free on Kindle Unlimited.

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Review: Let the Bells Ring Out

Let the Bells Ring Out by Milly Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Seven people on their way to 'celebrate' very different Christmases get stuck in a snow storm in Yorkshire.

Frank and Gracie, a middle-aged couple who run a pub, this Christmas was supposed to be his last chance to rescue their marriage but everything has gone wrong from the start.

Elizabeth, a young woman on her way to spend Christmas with her fiancé (who also happens to be a director in her father's business), his family, her father, and various relatives, being driven by Vincent.

Jane, a widowed octogenarian en route to spend Christmas with her stepson and his wife.

Roo, an orphan in a dead-end job, who was expecting to spend Christmas alone after her fiancé and best friend had an affair, got pregnant and are planning a Christmas wedding.

And finally Tim, a retired businessman who was going to play Father Christmas at a corporate event.

They all meet at a small train station, some of them awaiting a replacement train service, Tim because his car breaks down, and Elizabeth and Vincent because the snow is making driving conditions too difficult. When a train arrives to take them to the next main station where they can get connections it is not just a normal train. This is the Yorkshire Belle, an American millionaire's pet project en route to Scotland for him and his family to spend the holidays travelling in style - think the Orient Express but fancier. When the brakes seize up due to ice on the tracks the guard and driver go off to get the engineer, leaving the seven passengers on the train.

In their own ways each of the passengers is feeling unhappy or unfulfilled, but spending a few days together, trapped on a train, with only the dulcet tones of Brian 'the real BBC' on the radio to keep them company, friendships develop and they may even make some life-changing decisions.

If you like a bit of fantasy with your cosy Christmas stories then this is the one for you. Although I could see the twist I still enjoyed it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Recipe for Trouble: A grumpy/sunshine queer MM romantic comedy

Recipe for Trouble: A grumpy/sunshine queer MM romantic comedy by Dylan Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Ben Blumenthal is a video editor working in a fairly soul destroying job for a big corporate. He night have a lovely apartment, but his only friend is his eighty year old agoraphobic neighbour, even his cat doesn't seem to like him much, and she might only like him because he feeds her regularly. Ben's trouble is that he is cynical and people get offended at his snarkiness.

Then Vince, an acquaintance who works for a sister publication, the food magazine Gastronomic, asks Ben to edit a video for him. The powers that be want the magazine to publish video content on the website and have told one of the test chefs that he *MUST* make the videos. Vince freely acknowledges that the raw footage is absolute carnage but wants Ben to have a go and cobbling it together into something okay - the idea is to force management to rethink things and bring in professionals.

When Ben reviews the footage he can't believe it, this guy, Pete Bailey is a disaster. If he doesn't drop it he burns it, he forgets what he is saying, he says things wrong over and over. Full of indignant fury Ben edits the footage into a comedy montage with his own voice-over - along the lines of 'if this bozo can do it so could your pet hamster' and of course it is an instant hit, people love the slapstick humour and voiceovers. So management commission (aka command) a further series of videos leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Prepared to loath Pete, a good-looking guy with the job of his dreams, Ben is pleasantly surprised to discover that Pete not only enjoys Ben's humour, but off-camera he's an extremely competent chef - he seems to have an extreme version of camera shyness. As their friendship develops Ben comes to know Pete a bit better, but is there something he's not sharing?

TBH I was in two minds whether to request an ARC, I wasn't sure about the premise and I didn't love the cover art, but decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did, I rally enjoyed the developing relationship between Ben and Pete, the way in which they really 'saw' each other. What reduced the rating for me was the cause of the 'conflict', it felt unrealistic - like that would ever happen - and too mwah ha ha to be believable - yes it was clearly signalled from the beginning but that didn't make it any more realistic for me (maybe its different in the US).

Anyway, glad I took a chance on a new-to-me author and I would definitely read more.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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