Month: December 2021

Recent Reads: Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 2)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 2) is set in New York, in early twentith century, with Molly trying her hand at being a companion, and then getting a job with a private investigator.

There is a murder that she decides to investigate, and this time she’s had a little training from the private investigatory, which makes it interesting seeing the new things she does.  I enjoyed the evolution of Molly, and I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series!

Death of Riley was published on 5th December 2002, and is available from Amazon and Waterstones.

I listened to this one as an audiobook, and so enjoyed Lara Hutchinson’s reading of the book.

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

You can read my review of book 1 in this series, Murphy’s Choice.

Recent Reads: The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi is set in a world where Sin Eaters are women who have been cast out by society, cannot speak to anyone, except for hearing their list of sins in their life, and then they say the food that they will eat to absolve the confessor’s sins.  They also have a collar put on around their neck that is locked in place.

May Owens becomes a sit eater at 14 after being caught trying to steal a loaf of bread.  She goes to live with the sin eater, and learn the life, all without words.  When a food is left out for a sin that a confessor didn’t confess to, things start to happen.

This is set in a version of Tudor England, with a queen that feels very like Queen Elizabeth I.  I enjoyed the historical references that you could recognise, and I’m sure there were more that I didn’t spot!  It was a rich story, with a mystery investigated when the investigator can’t talk.

The Sin Eater was published on 23rd July 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

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

Recent reads: Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin has Flora, a Christmas addict, who gets fired from her job in a Christmas shop, and hits on the idea of going to a Christmas fayre in Lapland with a travelling Christmas shop!

There she meets Connor, someone who definitely does not like Chirsmtas, and so she decides to make it her aim to make him enjoy Christmas.  And of course we have things going wrong, people getting the wrong idea about things, and moments of joy.

I enjoyed this story a lot, and found it to be very Christmasy. It’s an enjoyable read, with a lovely setting on Lapland.

Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop was published on 28th October 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I’ve read and reviewed another book in this same series, Aria’s Travelling Book shop.

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: 21st Birthday by James Patterson (Women’s Murder Club book 21)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Cindy is approached by a woman saying that her daughter and granddaughter have gone missing, and blames her daughter’s husband, Lucas.  He says she’s young and flighty, and so Lindsay starts looking into it.

All four women are involved with the case, with Claire and Yuki contributing, but Claire is recovering from an operation, and so has to be a little more careful of herself that she’s used to.

This was a thrilling story, with events unfolding that weren’t expected, and a fast pace set as always!

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.

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

20th Victim – book 20

Recent Reads: Death on the Trans-Siberian Express by C J Farrington

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Death on the Trans-Siberian Express by C J Farrington is set in Russia, with Olga Pushkn, Railway Engineer (Third Class), who wants more, in this case, to study literature at Tomsk State University, and become a best selling author.  But life is a little more boring than that, in a snow, boring village in Russia.

It becomes more exciting when Olga gets knocked over by an American tourist being pushed off a train, and so she becomes involved in the investigation, with the usual problems that a civilian helping the police has.

I enjoyed the story being set somewhere new, with a disappointed heroine trying to make her way in the world.  This felt quite like a cosy crime, and as this is labelled as book 1 in places, there are obviously plans for more in the series.

Death on the Trans-Siberian Express was published on 25th November 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow C J Farrington on Twitter and his website.

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

Recent Reads: The Curse That Binds Us by Katie Hayoz

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Curse That Binds Us by Katie Hayoz tells the story of Redd, who has a mysterious box that appears every year on her birthday, which her mother refuses to allow her to open!  But this year, she’s going to open it, and starts a chain of events!

John lives in a village that is both lovely and has a dark secret.  He’s sent to find Redd.

Eleanor leaves England in 1587, pregnant, and ready to become a settler, but there are a number of horrible decisions that she has to make along the way.

These three stories go along together, with flashbacks to Eleanor making the current events make more sense.

This was the first in a series, and so sets up a number of questions that I’m sure will be answered in later books.  It was entertaining, with darkness that becomes more apparent the further on in the book you go.

The Curse That Binds Us was published on 15th December 2021, and is available from Amazon and Waterstones.

You can follow Katie Hayoz on Facebook, Instagram and her website.

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

Recent Reads: Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam by M.C Beaton (Agatha Raisin 10)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam has Agatha moving to Norfolk after a fortune teller in the previous book told her that she would find her true love there.  She rents a cottage in village called Fryfam, and is ready to be welcomed, just as she was in Carsley.  Then odd lights start being seen in gardens, and things disappear from homes.

When there’s a murder locally, Agatha manages to fall under suspicion, and so the investigation begins!

This is another cosy mystery that I enjoyed, with Agatha being abrasive to new people, and in a new situation.

Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam was published in June 2000 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)

Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden (book 9)

Recent Reads: Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay are the experiences that Adam Kay had a Christmas, as by the luck of the draw, he worked most of the Christmas’s he was an NHS doctor!

This is no less shocking, gory, amazing and funny than This is Going to Hurt was.  But, it is shorter.  I enjoyed Adam Kay’s writing again, and was engaged with what happened.  This book did, again, make me cry, and more trigger warnings as there is a graphic chapter, but he does give you a warning in the book.

Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas was published on 17th October 2019 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Adam Kay on Twitter and on his website.

Recent Reads: The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd is about Maya, who follows her boyfriend to the Arctic, where he is going to count polar bears, and she’s not certain what she’s going to do.

Maya has panic attacks, is scared of the snow, would like to see some daylight sometimes, and her father is starting a new relationship.  Oh, and her boyfriend is acting distant.  All in all, Maya is having a hard time.

When she is given a meal that’s been prepared from her late mother’s recipe book, she has a flashback to her childhood, something that she can’t remember on her own.  And things start changing in her life.

This was an enjoyable read, with the descriptions of the Arctic well done.  It’s a book that makes you want to circle up with a hot drink, and read about Maya’s adventures.

The Arctic Curry Club was published on 9th December 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Dani Redd on Twitter.

I was given this book in exchanged for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Avon Books.

Recent Reads: Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot book 20)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie is set in a country house at Christmas, with a family gathering together to celebrate.  Simeon Lee has demanded attendance by all of his sons, and their families, and some others, so he can throw barbed insults, and tell them how life is about to change for all of them. Then there’s a murder, and Hercule Poirot is asked to investigate!

This is classic Golden Age cosy crime, set at Christmas, and so is a wonderfully warm and cosy read! I really enjoyed the story!

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas was published on 19th December 1938 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.