Month: November 2021

Recent Reads: Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 1)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 1) is  set in early 1900s, about Molly, who leaves Ireland as she’s murdered in self defence the son of the landowner, and heads to England, and then on to New York under a different name.  It’s the start of a new life for Molly, and she’s eager to take it, except a man is murdered on Ellis Island, and it’s a man whom she’s been seen arguing with.

Molly needs to convince handsome police captain, Daniel Sullivan that she’s not the murderer, and find out who really is!

I really enjoyed learning about this time period in New York, Ireland and England, and Molly is a great heroine that I’m enjoying getting to know!

I actually listened to this as an audiobook through my library online.  The narrator is Lara Hutchinson, who acts out all the parts, and does a good job of transporting me away to New York in 1900s as I listen!

Murphy’s Law was published in October 2001, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Rhys Bowen on Twitter, Facebook and her website.

Recent Reads: Love in the Blitz; A Woman in a World Turned Upside Down by Eileen Alexander

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Love in the Blitz; A Woman in a World Turned Upside Down by Eileen Alexander is a compilation of letters that Eileen Alexander sent to the man that she loves. They start in 1939 and go throughout World War 2, whilst Gershon is drafted, and sent off to war.

They are entertaining letters, and show a time when Eileen is ready to be her own person.  She writes about how difficult she finds the separation from Gershon, how her parents control her actions, how she finds her work, about her friends, and the about living through the war.

I found this to be well written, sometimes hard to read, interesting, and really insightful.  

Love in the Blitz was published on 30th April 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and to William Collins.

Recent Reads: 20th Victim by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Women’s Murder Club 20)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

20th Victim by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Women’s Murder Club 20) has Claire having to take time off work, Yuki prosecuting someone she doesn’t believe is guilty, Lindsay investigating multiple homicides, that happen at the same time in different counties, and Cindy being contacted by a killer. 

This is a fast paced thriller, with characters that I’ve grown to love over the last 19 books!  I’m still enjoying the series, and looking forward to what is going to be thrown at us next!

20th Victim was published on 5th March 2020 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow James Patterson on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and his website.

I’m afraid I couldn’t find any links for Maxine Paetro for you to follow.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Cornerstone.  And yes, I did read 19 books in order to review this one!

Women’s Murder Club books:

1st to Die   – book 1 

2nd Chance – book 2

3rd Degree – book 3

4th of July – book 4

The 5th Horseman – book 5

The 6th Target – book 6

7th Heaven – book 7

The 8th Confession – book 8;

The 9th Judgement – book 9

10th Anniversary – book 10

11th Hour – book 11

12th of Never – book 12

Unlucky 13 – book 13

14th Deadly Sin – book 14

15th Affair – book 15

16th Seduction – book 16

17th Suspect – book 17

18th Abduction – book 18

19th Christmas – book 19

Recent Reads: Cold Days by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files 14)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Cold Days by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files 14) has Harry alive and being nursed back to health, with Mab trying to kill him often.  It’s all in aid of getting her Winter Knight ready to face whatever comes his way.  And when he’s better, it’s off to work he goes, at the behest of Mab, who asks him to kill Maeve, her daughter.

Harry returns to Chicago, and learns that Demonreach, his island, is in danger.  He also needs to do some explaining as to what’s happened, and of course, work out if Mab is serious.

I have been really enjoying reading this series, and when I finish one book, I want to start the next!  The world is well written and interesting, with characters who return, so none of them feel throw away.  I highly recommend this series if you want to dip your toe into urban fantasy!

Cold Days was published on 27th November 2012, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Jim Butcher on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

My reviews for previous Dresden Files books are below:

Storm Front (book 1)

Fool Moon (book 2)

Grave Peril (book 3)

Summer Knight (book 4)

Death Masks (book 5)

Blood Rites (book 6)

Dead Beat (book 7)

Proven Guilty (book 8)

White Night (book 9)

Small Favor (book 10)

Turn Coat (book 11)

Changes (book 12)

Ghost Story (book 13)

Recent Reads: The Fall of the House of Byron; Scandal and Seduction in Georgian England by Emily Brand

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Fall of the House of Byron; Scandal and Seduction in Georgian England by Emily Brand tells the stories of Lord Byron’s ancestors, who were just as scandalous as he was!  If you’re looking for a book about Lord Byron’s life, this isn’t it.  It is referenced, but assumes you know about it already.  

If you’re looking for background on Lord Byron’s family, or stories from Georgian times of elopement, murder, debt and adventures at sea, then this is a great book for you!

The Fall of the House of Byron was published on 16th April 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Emily Brand on Twitter, Facebook and her website.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, and so many thanks to NetGalley and to John Murray Press. 

Recent Reads: Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by M.C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin 9)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by M.C. Beaton has fled to an English seaside town so she can grow out her hair a little before James Lacey sees her next.  She stays at an old fashioned hotel, where there are a number of permanent guests who play scrabble every night.  Agatha feels out of place, but takes one of the guests advice about going to see the local witch for a hair tonic.

Whilst at the seaside town, she meets a nice man who takes her dancing, which is a boost to her ego.  But, you know that murder is never far from Agatha, no matter where she goes, and that she has to investigate when it happens!

I’m still enjoying these books!  Agatha is so forthright that it’s always a good read to see what she’s gotten up to this time!  They have all been good books, and the characters have remained consistent, which can be a problem with a long series!

Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden was published in December 1999 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (book 3)

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (book 4)

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (book 5)

Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (book 6)

Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death (book 7)

Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham (book 8)

Recent Reads: Shredding the Evidence by Daryl Wood Gerber (A Cookbook Nook Mystery 9)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟

Shredding the Evidence by Daryl Wood Gerber (A Cookbook Nook Mystery 9) has a big emphasis on food, recipes, cook books and exercise…..  It’s also a cosy murder mystery.

This was the first book I read in the series, and whilst you could tell a lot had happened in the past, it didn’t stop me from understanding the story.  I did find that there was fat shaming in this book, which I didn’t enjoy.  Also, in a book all about food, there’s an awful lot about exercise, which felt too unnatural.

Shredding the Evidence was published on 21st April 2020, and is available from Amazon.

You can follow Daryl Wood Gerber on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and her website.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and to Beyond the Page.

Recent Reads: The Red Monarch by Bella Ellis (Brontë Sisters Mystery 3)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Red Monarch by Bella Ellis (Brontë Sisters Mystery 3) follows the sisters as they go to London to help one of Anne’s former pupils – Lydia Robinson, who is also the daughter of the woman that Branwell is in love with.  Branwell sees this as a way to get her love back, and the sisters see it as their duty to help.

Lydia’s husband has been taken away as he’s lost something that the gang he was working for needs.  Lydia is heavily pregnant, doesn’t know anyone in London, and has a week to find whatever it is in order to get her husband back.  The siblings have their work cut out for them!

This was an enjoyable murder mystery, and seeing the sisters in London was interesting after the previous two books being set in country houses.  I’m looking forward to the next book!

The Red Monarch was published on 18th November 2021, and is available on Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Bella Ellis on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and her website.

You can read my review for book 1 in this series: The Vanished Bride and book 2, The Diabolical Bones.

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Hodder & Stoughton.

Recent Reads: Aria’s Travelling Book Shop by Rebecca Raisin

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Aria’s Travelling Book Shop by Rebecca Raisin made me cry quite a few times when I was reading.  Some sad, some happy, but all required tissues, so be warned!

Aria is a young widow, who lives in a camper van, which doubles as her shop.  She is still carrying the grief for her husband, TJ’s, death, but a man keeps appearing in her life.  She made a promise to TJ never to love again, a promise which he didn’t want.  When TJ’s mother sends Aria his journal, Aria finds herself questioning if she could have love again!

This is the second book in the series, but I didn’t notice this when reading it. The first book is about Rosie, who appears in this book as she’s Aria’s best friend.

Aria’s Travelling Book Shop was published on 8 April 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Rebecca Raisin on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and her website.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to HQ.

Recent Reads: The Winter of Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Winter of Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss has Annie, a chef and restaurant co-owner leave her husband, and move to the seaside, where she becomes the caretaker for Saltwater Nook.

She starts taking part in community events, and starts thinking about opening up the cafe that’s onsite, but the John, the nephew of the owner is unhappy about what she’s doing.  Max, her husband, has decided that he can win her back. 

This is a lovely autumnal book, full of cosy moments, hot drinks, and bracing seaside descriptions!  I enjoyed the story, and the community that Annie is put into!

The Winter of Second Chances was published on 11th November 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Jenny Bayliss on Twitter and her website.

You can read my review of Jenny Bayliss’s first book, Twelve Dates of Christmas here.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan MacMillan.