Category: Crime

Recent Reads: In Dublin’s Fair City by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 6)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Molly is hired by Tommy Burke, a big deal in the theatre scene.  He wants her to find his long lost sister who was left in Ireland when the rest of the family fled the famine.  With Daniel on suspension pending his trail, this is a difficult time for both of them.

On the trip back to Ireland, Molly gets hired by Oona Sheehan, a leading theatre actress, to pose as her on the ship.  Needless to say, things aren’t as simple as they appear, and so Molly gets to Ireland with Oona vanished and her maid dead.

The trip on the ship is very different to Molly’s trip to America.  I really enjoy the historical details in these books as I find they really help with the story.

The experience Molly had in the previous book of wanting to get rid of her pregnancy gave a real insight into the options had at the time.  Her decision not to tell Daniel is explained and reinforced a couple of times in this book.

In Dublin’s Fair City was published on 6th March 2007, and is available from Amazon and Waterstones.

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

You can read my review of books in this series: 

Murphy’s Choice (book 1)

Death of Riley (book 2)

For The Love Of Mike (book 3)

In Like Flynn (book 4)

Oh Danny Boy (book 5)

Recent Reads: The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont; Narrated by Lucy Scott

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont; Narrated by Lucy Scott is written about the time that Agatha Christie famously disappeared for 11 days, and this is an imagining of the whole event told from the point of view of Christie’s husband’s mistress!

This is an entertaining mystery with a murder along the way!

I though this was a good story, and was one that tries to make sense of the events that occurred, and how Agatha Christie’s life changed so much.

I enjoyed the narrator, and felt that Lucy Scott did a good job, and added to the story.

The Christie Affair was released as an audiobook on 20th January 2022, and is available from Amazon/ Audible.

You can follow Nina de Gramont on Twitter, Instagram and her website.

You can follow Lucy Scott on Twitter.

I was given access to this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Macmillan UK Audio.

Recent Reads: This is the Night They Come For You by Robert Goddard

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the Night They Come For You by Robert Goddard is set in Algeria, France and England.

Algerian police are starting to look into a crime that takes the police involved back to a troubled time, and looking for a former agent of the Algerian secret service.

This is a story that looks at the politics and issues between Algeria and France, whilst also being a thriller.  It has flashbacks to 1960s and also current times.  It was an enjoyable read, and one that kept me guessing.

This is the Night They Come For You was published on 24th March 2022, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I’m afraid I couldn’t find any links for you to follow Robert Goddard!

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

Recent Reads: Oh Danny Boy by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 5)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Daniel has been arrested, accused of accepting bribes, and in front of the police commissioner.  He calls on Molly to try to help him.  He wants her to look into anyone who might have a grudge against him, including his ex-fiancée!  Or was it connected to the case Daniel was working on, a serial killer who has murdered 5 prostitutes so far!

There are a good number of cast in this series now, and each time it’s good to see who is going to pop up!  I have enjoyed this insight into early 20th century New York, and a woman’s place in it!

Oh Danny Boy was published on 6th March 2006, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

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

You can read my review of books in this series: 

Murphy’s Choice (book 1)

Death of Riley (book 2)

For The Love Of Mike (book 3)

In Like Flynn (book 4)

Recent Reads: A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

A Spoonful of Murder by J.M. Hall is a book that you’d like if you enjoyed the Thursday Murder Club books by Richard Osman, or other mysteries where retired people use their wits and knowledge to solve murders.

3 retired schoolteachers meet every Thursday for coffee, and one day they see an old colleague who has gone downhill, and mentions something disturbing to one of them in the toilets.  Shortly after that, she’s found dead, and without meaning to, they start investigating.

Enjoyable cosy crime set in Yorkshire with characters that you believe.  There are a couple of threads of storyline, that all worked out in the end!

A Spoonful of Murder was published on 17th March 2022, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I’m afraid I couldn’t find any links for you to follow J.M. Hall!

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

Recent Reads: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Paris Apartment has Jess, who is heading to her half brother Ben’s apartment in Paris to get away from her old job.  Jess and Ben aren’t close so whilst he wasn’t jumping for joy at her coming, he is letting her stay there.  Except he’s not around when she arrives.

As he stays missing, Jess gets more worried, and starts to discover things that make her wonder what’s going on!

This is a good thriller, set in a place that makes you feel like an outsider as much as possible.

This is the third book I’ve ready by Lucy Foley, and they’ve all been very good thrillers, with interesting set ups and all based in very different places.

The Paris Apartment was published on 3rd March 2022, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Lucy Foley on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can read my review of The Guest List by Lucy Foley here.

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley, and to HarperCollins for this book. 

Recent Reads: This Charming Man by C. K. McDonnell (The Stranger Times book 2)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

This Charming Man is the second book in the Stranger Times series.  Everyone knows that vampires don’t exist, except for the vampires that are popping up in Manchester!

On top of that, there’s someone trying to kidnap one of the Stranger Times staff, the Assistant Editor, Hannah has returned after a messy divorce, and the editor, Vincent, is as unpleasant as ever.

This is an urban fantasy, all set in a newspaper that prints stories that seem to be ridiculous, but at least some of them are true!

I’ve enjoyed this series, and seeing urban fantasy from a slightly different point of view.  

This Charming Man was published on 17th February 2022, 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 Random House, Transworld Publishers.

Recent Reads: In Like Flynn by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy book 4)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Molly’s latest job is from Daniel, who she is trying to stay away from until he gets rid of his fiancée.  The job is outside of New York, which is good as there is a typhoid epidemic in the city at the moment.  Daniel wants Molly to try to uncover the Sorenson Sisters, a spiritualist pair, and show them for frauds.

They are staying at Senator Barney Flynn’s and so Daniel wants Molly to join the household as a cousin.  Senator Flynn and his wife. Theresa, lost their son 5 years ago as he was kidnapped and not returned.  Theresa is desperate to make contact with her son.

An unsolved kidnapping in addition to uncovering fraudsters is all up Molly’s street!

We haven’t dealt very much with the upper classes in these books, other than occasional visits, and so this was an interesting change of pace!

In Like Flynn was published on 29th November 2005, and is available from Amazon and  Waterstones.

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

You can read my review of books in this series: 

Murphy’s Choice (book 1)

Death of Riley (book 2)

For The Love Of Mike (book 3)

Recent Reads: Midwinter Mysteries

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟

Midwinter Mysteries by eleven authors is a selection of short stories, each involving a mystery of some kind.

Some were good, some weren’t as good, but it was an interesting collection to find new mystery authors and series.

Midwinter Mysteries was published on 31st October 2019 and is available from Amazon and Waterstones.

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

Recent Reads: Opal Country by Chris Hammer

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Opal Country by Chris Hammer is set in the Australian outback, where they have opal mines.  There’s been a suspicious death, and so the police are investigating.  This is a thriller, with lots of things going on.

This is a very atmospheric book, with the hard life of living in the Australian little communities shown very evocatively, with the secrets and weirdnesses, including a local cult.

Opal Country was published on 6th January 2022, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Chris Hammer on his website.

You can read my review of Scrublands, also by Chris Hammer.

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