My review: ??? Watchers of the Dead by Simon Beaufort is set in London, 1882, with the Natural History Museum only recently opened! There are cannibals and dinosaur bones. Yes, three people from Africa are going to be on show, except they’ve gone missing. Alec Lonsdale, a reporter for Pall Mall Gazette stumbles on the body in the basement of the Natural History Museum when hunting for the cannibals! This leads him to discover there’s been some other murders, and the cannibals are the police’s chief suspects! I found Watchers of the Dead to be full of people from the time, which is really interesting from a historical perspective, but I feel the story fell a bit flat, with quite a lot going on that got a little muddled, and then what felt like big character moments being dealt with in one line.
Crime books are one of my favourite genres, and I read them for different reasons. Cosy crime (which I’m afraid I would lump Golden Age crime in to) is my midnight read, historical for a bit of a history lesson, crime thriller are ones not to read at bedtime because you’ll be sucked in to the action. When I think of historical crime, I think of C.J Sansom (Matthew Shardlake), Lindsey Davis (Falco), and Ellis Peters (Cadfael), and I’m afraid Watchers of the Dead didn’t quite measure up to these!
Watchers of the Dead was published on 1st July 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!
Simon Beaufort is two people! Susanna Gregory and Beau Riffenburgh, who write together under the name Simon Beaufort.
You can follow Susanna Gregory on her website, and you can follow Beau Riffenburgh on this page.
If you’re interested in historical crime book, then here’s some others I’ve reviewed:
My review: ???? Crossfire by Malorie Blackman is the fifth book in the Noughts and Crosses series. I had heard of Noughts and Crosses before, and so read it, and the second book Knife Edge, before reading Crossfire. Which does mean I haven’t read books 3 and 4. I figured I would see how much I was missing out on the story in this fifth book, and it turns out I was missing quite a lot!
When asked why she wrote Noughts and Crosses Malorie Blackman has said on her website:
Noughts are the minority, previous slaves of the Crosses. We are shown the every day racism of a world that is in the 21st century, and trialing integrated schools.
Noughts and Crosses is the story of Sephy, a Cross, and Callum, a Nought, and their doomed love.
Crossfire is bringing us up to date, and is set 18 years after the 4th book. Malorie Blackman has said that she felt like she had to write it due to Brexit, and you can also find Windrush references.
In Crossfire, we have Sephy’s son, Troy, and Libby, a Nought, who are kidnapped, and each thinks they know why. Callie Rose is a lawyer, and is to defend the first Nought Prime Minister from the charge of murder.
I did enjoy the story, and the characters, but I did also feel like I was missing out on quite a lot of references to things going on, so read this when you’ve read the previous four to get the full enjoyment out of it! The end is also a cliff hanger, just to prepare you!
Crossfire was published on 8th August 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent! You can follow Malorie Blackman on Twitter, or through her website.
I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Random House(the publishers) for this book.
My review: ???? The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg is set in the future, when a theme park has developed hybrids, which are humans with cybernetic parts. They have also created animals, dinosaurs and other extinct creatures.
Ana, one of the seven cybernetic princesses of the Kindgom, is on trial, and we are taken through interviews, court transcripts, and flashbacks from Ana to find out what exactly happened.
There are secrets, hidden purposes, and lies, and we are shown the truth bit by bit.
This is labelled as YA, and is a good thriller that kept me guessing as to what was going to happen, and why!
The Kingdom was published on 11th July 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent! You can follow Jess Rothenberg on Twitter, or through her website.
I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan Macmillan(the publishers) for this book.
I’ve talked before about finding Caroline Hirons‘ blog and youtube videos before, and Moringa Cleansing Balm is another product I’ve bought on her general advice, and loved!
It’s a hot cloth cleansing balm, which means it’s a bit oily. You scoop it out of the pot with a fingernail, smear it on both your hands, and rub your face with it, and then put a hot face cloth on your face to clean off the balm, and any makeup. I’ve used a couple of different hot cloth cleansers, and really, having a hot cloth on your face just feels so lovely! I highly recommend it! If you want to dip your toe in, then have a try with Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant hot cloth cleanser! I’m on my third pot of the Moringa Cleansing Balm, so I think I’ve found something that’s going to stay with me for a while!
Hello from the end of my first week of the Magical Readathon! If you’re not sure what that is, have a look at my first post on it! For these N.E.W.T’s, I’m aiming for O in Ancient Runes, E in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and E in History of Magic, so that I can choose the career of Librarian! What I’ve been reading!
Ancient Runes A: Ehwaz (partnership) – read a book recommended by a friend I’ve read ‘I Kill Giants‘ by Joe Kelly. It’s about a little girl who talks a lot about killing giants whilst everyone else goes about their normal daily lives.
This was a lovely graphic novel, and one that made me cry.
Defence Against the Dark Arts A: Book that’s black under the dust cover I can’t remember how I found My Favorite Murder, but I’ve loved the podcast ever since, and as I’m up to date on their many episodes, and have tickets for their live show when they tour the UK this autumn, you might have an idea of how much I love it! I really enjoyed Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered! This was a look at the hosts, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, and a little more about them as individuals and as hosts of a podcast that basically exploded due to popularity. There is also some awesome fan art! And that’s it for week 1! I read some other books as well, but they didn’t count towards the Magical Readathon!
My review: ???? What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini is about Madga, a teenage girl from New York, who has caused problems in her old life, and has come to live with her grandparents, somewhere she hasn’t been for a couple of years, but where she used to summer every year, so there are other teens in the area that her grandparents fish up for her to socialise with again. You find out more about Magda as you read the book, but you start out with a young woman who needs to take pills, and talks about guilt. She starts to take walks in the woods near her grandparents house, and one day meets a guy, Bo, who tells her his family lives in the woods. Magda is keeping his secret, trying to act like a normal college age teen, whilst knowing she won’t be accepted by any college, so she starts volunteering at a woman’s refuge in the town, with some of her friends.
This was a thrill ride, as you learn more about Magda, Bo, the woman’s refuge, and someone called Dr Goodnight. It is a book written for teens, but that just means all of the emotions come across more intensely, which really works for a thriller.
What She Found in the Woods was published on 25th July 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent! You can follow Josephine Angelini on Twitter, or through her website.
I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan MacMillan(the publishers) for this book.
My review: ???? The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay tells us the story of Somlata, who gets married at 18 to a man from a noble but impoverished family. The newly weds live with his extended family in a large house, with Aunt Pishima as the matriarch of the family. When she dies, her ghost haunts Somlata, and it is up to Somlata to fix the family’s fortunes. This was a quick read, but enjoyable, with all of the characters lifelike, and Somlata a heroine you could cheer on.
The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die was published on 11th July 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent! You can find out more about Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay on Wikipedia as he has written a lot of books in Bengali, and this edition has been translated into English.
I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to John Murray Press(the publishers) for this book.
It’s my favourite hobby, and when I wake up early, I’m excited to sneak out of bed, make myself a cup of tea, and read! I have a HUGE to be read pile in the house, and I have the GoodReads as an always open tab on my laptop, and as an app on my ipad and phone, as I might want to add or update a book at any time!
So yes, book addict might be a good description.
I’m telling you (or in some cases, just confirming what you already knew) as even though I love to read, sometimes it can be hard to choose what to read next.
I read for Netgalley, and that means there is an ever present list of books that I should be reading, and yes, I have made my bed by clicking on too many books going ‘oooh, yes please!’. Maybe book magpie might be a better description?
But anyway, I wanted to tell you about a readathon I discovered on Sunday night that has me excited!
What is a readathon?
It’s an event with a set time, where you have a target for how many books to read.
The readathon I discovered is the Magical Readathon by Book Roast. This is a twice yearly readathon, with a Harry Potter theme. And when I say theme, I mean, ooh, you need to look at some of the documents that have been produced!
In April you have the O.W.L’s (Ordinary Wizarding Level’s), where you have prompts for each subject, such as ‘a book with a symbol on the cover’, and you have a look at your to be read pile or list, and choose a book from there to read.
The second readathon is in August, and it’s the N.E.W.T’s (Nasty Exhausting Wizarding Tests), and for these you are aiming at a career. Yes, a career in the world of Harry Potter! What’s not to love?!
For the N.E.W.T’s, each subject has three levels, and you check the career guide for what levels you need. I’ve chosen Librarian for my first career. Maybe I’ll manage to do this, and then can look at another career and be a Curse Breaking Librarian, or a Wand Making Librarian! Who knows!
For Librarian, I need O in Ancient Runes, E in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and E in History of Magic.
But, what does that mean? The levels stand for A is Acceptable (so only 1 prompt), E is for Excellent (2 prompts) and O is for Outstanding (3 prompts!).
That makes 7 books over the rest of August in order to become a Librarian! Which sounds lovely, but then I need to choose the books! I’ve chosen from my physical to be read pile, and my kindle/ Netgalley list!
Here’s the list of prompts for the subjects I need to be a Librarian, and the books I’ve chosen and why!
Ancient Runes
A: Ehwaz (partnership) – read a book recommended by a friend
I’ve chosen ‘I Kill Giants‘ by Joe Kelly. It ‘s a graphic novel that was given to my husband as a present from a lover of graphic novels, so that sounds like a recommendation to me! I’ve had other recommendations, but this is one that we already had!
E: Book written in past tense
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. This is a Netgalley book for me, and is written in past tense. I tried to choose one that was due out recently.
I pre-ordered it, and it’s sat on my shelf whilst I read Netgalley books, so I’m excited to have a reason to read it!
E: Gilderoy’s memory charm (grab a pen!) first book that you remembered just now from your to be read pile!
An Edited Life by Anna Newton. Another book that I pre-ordered and in this case because I enjoy Anna Newton‘s Instagram! It’s been on my physical to be read pile for a while, and was the first book that I thought of!
History of Magic
A: Read a fantasy
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang! A book that I bought on impulse as it was on offer on Kindle one day!
E: Read a book that includes a map
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang. Another Netgalley book, and the sequel to the Poppy War, so why not! It does have a map in it, I checked!
This is the first time I’m going to be doing a readathon whilst blogging, so I’ll keep you updated, and anything else going on!
My review: ???? The Case of Miss Elliott: The Teahouse Detective by Baroness Orczy is from the time of Sherlock Holmes, so very early in the detective genre. This is a book of 12 short stories, each of them a murder mystery, with the person who is solving the case someone who finds out the answer for the case. The solver is a man, who is described as being the man in the corner throughout the book, and he is explaining the cases to a female journalist in a tea room. He isn’t a policeman, or a private investigator hired for the case, but simply a man who is interested. Each case has gone to court, and typically the wrong outcome has happened, but the man in the corner believes he knows the truth, and each story ends with him knowing the truth, and justice not having been carried out because he doesn’t have proof that what he supposes really happened. I did enjoy these stories, even if I did find the man in the corner a bit odd, but I enjoyed the mysteries, the settings, and the different way things came about.
Baroness Orczy also wrote the Scarlet Pimpernel, which is much better known both as a book, and as a tv series by the BBC, with Richard E Grant in! It’s set in the time of the French Revolution, and the Scarlet Pimpernel is a swashbuckling aristocrat who is always popping over to France to save French royalists!
Earlier this year, I went to my first event at a literary festival, which those who know me will probably be surprised that I’ve managed to live this long without having gone to one!
Portsmouth BookFest, a literary festival, held in libraries in Portsmouth, and I went to a couple of events they held. One was Afternoon Tea with Deadly Dames, which was a talk from 4 female authors of crime fiction!
They had some prepared questions, and they each took turns answering them. It was an interesting mix of indie published forensic murder mystery (Carol Westron), what looked to be popular crime books (Sue Fortin), gay historical mystery (Charlie Cochrane), and historical crime (Nicola Slade).
The other was Portsmouth MysteryFest, which was held in Portsmouth Central Library, and was an all day event. Yes, an entire Saturday of murder mystery lovers, all in a room together!
The audience was mostly female, and there was a series of talks, on subjects such as ‘Bodies in the Library’ by Jennifer Palmer (whom I’d love to link, but I can’t find a page for her!), how a lot of crime novels have things happening in libraries, including bodies being found there. The examples were books such as Agatha Christie, ‘The Body in the library’, and Simon Brett, ‘The Liar in the Library‘ (which I’ve reviewed!). Speaking of Simon Brett, he gave a monologue called ‘Lines of Enquiry’, which was taking a humours look at police procedurals, and all of their cliches.
Because I was at a book event, I felt it would be wrong if I didn’t buy anything, so I came away with three books, which felt a bit rude, as I had to choose between all of the authors who had come to the event!
I’ve not read any of them yet, but they’re now on my lovely ‘To Be Read’ trolley, in my office!
If you’re interested, and to be fair to all of the author’s and others who gave their time, here’s the timetable for the day! Panel 1 ‘In the Reviewers’ Hot Seat’ Authors Diana Bretherick, Donna Fletcher-Crow, Leigh Russell, Sally Spedding and Carol Westron asked questions by Mystery People Reviewers Dot Marshall-Gent and Jennifer Palmer. ‘Research for Crime Writers’ where Judith Cranswick discussing her lessons of how much research you need to do versus the amount of research you need to put in the book! Simon Brett‘s monologue ‘Lines of Enquiry’. Panel 2 ‘Single Offender or Serial Killer?’ Authors Jeff Dowson, Christine Hammacott, Graham Minette, Lesley Thomson and Linda Regan (moderator as well), discussed stand-alone crime novels versus series. Series authors said it meant their characters can grow, stand-alone didn’t get bored of the characters. This is an over-simplication, as not everyone would fall into one of these two camps, but we know that Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan-Doyle definitely did! ‘Authur Conan Doyle’s real life investigations’ – Laura Weston discussed the two cases that Conan Doyle looked at, They were the cases of George Edalji and Oscar Slater. Dot Marshall-Gent talked about ‘Victorian crime writing’, mentioning Catherine Crowe, who wrote Susan Hopley, for which there is an argument that it’s the first detective novel! And last but not least, Jennifer Palmer talked about ‘Bodies in the Library!’
