Recent Reads: Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen is the story of chance.  Chance leads Isabella Waverly to comfort a dying woman in a street in London, only to find an offer of employment from Buckingham Palace on her, and so she decides to take her place.

Arriving at the Palace as Helen Barton, she is thrilled to take her place in the kitchens.  She even gets to go to Nice along with Queen Victoria, and the rest of the retinue.

But when one of the Queen’s retinue dies, and Bella/Helen is the person who prepared this person’s last meal, she is suspected, which must mean it’s only so long before the truth will come out.

This is a thrilling historical tale, with glamour but also the life of a servant.  I enjoyed the glimpse of both!

Above the Bay of Angels was published on 11th February 2020 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Rhys Bowen on Twitter and her website.

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

Recent Reads: The Perfect Christmas Gift by Katie Ginger

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Perfect Christmas Gift by Katie Ginger is a lovely book, that will make you feel super cosy and so much in the Christmas spirit!

Bella is a primary school teacher whose boyfriend leaves her one day in November, completely unexpectedly.  Nick lives next door to Bella, and he’s been trying to keep it all together for his son Freddie, after his wife, Paige, left them both 6 months ago. 

I really enjoyed this Christmas romance, set in a small village, where everyone knows everyone else’s business, there is a lovely community spirit, a lot of Christmas, family and romance.  It is a really lovely read, and one that will make you feel ready for Christmas!

The Perfect Christmas Gift was published on 22nd October 2021, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

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

You can read my reviews of other Katie Ginger books below

The Secrets of Meadow Farmhouse

The Little Theatre on the Seafront

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

Recent Reads: 18th Abduction by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Women’s Murder Club 18)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

18th Abduction by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Women’s Murder Club 18) is set in the present day and five years ago.  Five years ago, three female school teachers go missing, and the whole of the SFPD is thrown at finding them.  Joe, who is still working for the FBI at this point, finds Anna, who tells him that a war criminal is walking the streets of San Francisco!

This is quite a different story from usual, with a bit of time jumping, and one where you know some answers at the beginning of the book, but not why they’re the answers!

I enjoyed the change of pace, and was interested in Lyndsey’s telling of the story, as she was in the present saying what happened then.  As always, a fasted paced thriller that was a good read!

18th Abduction was published on 3rd October 2019 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.

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

Recent Reads: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave starts in 1617, in Vardø, Norway, when most of the men of the small community die in a storm. The women are left to fend for themselves.

Absolam Cornet is summoned from Scotland as the local lord believes that something must have summoned that storm.

Maren is one of the women whose family lost their men – her brother and father.  She is left with her mother and her sister in law, Diinna, who is Sâmi, which the local lord also dislikes.

This is a dramatic story, set in a harsh landscape, with beautiful descriptions.  It is a difficult read in places, but is well written, and the characters are very evocative.

The Mercies was published on 6th February 2020 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Kiran Millwood Hargrave on Twitter and Instagram.

Recent Reads: The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman (The Invisible Library 7)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman (The Invisible Library 7) has Irene with a new apprentice, Catherine, niece of Lord Silver, and a fae.  Irene needs to work out how to get Catherine into the Library, and as fae can’t go in there because of their levels of chaos, it’s going to be a challenge!

At the same time, someone is trying to assassinate Vale and Kai, their world also has higher chaos levels than normal, and Lord Silver has gone on holiday.

This is a great book, exactly what you would expect in this series, where there are twists and turns that you don’t see coming!  I have been really enjoying these books, and the eighth one (The Untold Story) is due out in December, so I can’t wait for the conclusion to this story!

The Dark Archive was published on 26th November 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Genevieve Cogman on Twitter, Facebook and her website.

My reviews for the other books in the series are below:

The Invisible Library (book 1)

The Masked City (book 2)

The Burning Page (book 3)

The Lost Plot (book 4)

The Mortal World (book 5)

The Secret Chapter (book 6)

Recent Reads: The Novice by Trudi Canavan (The Black Magician Trilogy 2)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Novice by Trudi Canavan continues to follow Sonea.  In the first book, she became a student at the Magician’s Guild, with Rothen as her mentor.  She’s made a friend of Dannyl, but he’s become an  Ambassador for the Guild, so is being sent off to Elyne.

Sonea is still trying to fit in with her classmates, whilst living a life so different to the one she knew before.  Sonea is a fish out of water, which readers can understand.  

I enjoyed this book, as it surprised me half way through, and gave more flesh to the world.  There is bullying in this book, just so you are warned.  

The Novice was published in 2002 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Trudi Canavan on Facebook, Instagram and her website.

You can read my reviews for other books in the Black Magician series:

The Magicians’ Guild (book 1)

 

Recent Reads: Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin 8)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton has Agatha going to a new hairdresser, Mr John, that she hears about.  He does a lovely job, is very charming, and asks her out.  Agatha is flattered, especially as she’s sad that James is still off on his travels, but when one of the other ladies of Carsley hears she’s been to him, she’s warned to avoid him.

When he drops down dead, Agatha knows she needs to investigate, and Sir Charles is on board!  

This is another cosy crime, with fun characters and unfortunate scrapes that Agatha gets herself into!

Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham was published in April 1999, and is available on 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)

Recent Reads: Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth is about Jenny McLaine hitting rock bottom – she has a social media addiction, a home that she can’t afford on her own, a famous ex-boyfriend, and she can’t get out of her own head.  

It’s a hard book to read in places when Jenny’s having so many issues, I did enjoy the story as a whole!

Adults was published on 30th January 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Emma Jane Unsworth on Twitter and Instagram.

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

Recent Reads: Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin is a modern re-telling of MacBeth, told from the point of view of Jade, in the role of Lady MacBeth.  

16 year old Jade is date raped at a party by four teenagers, and the next day she is out for revenge, along with her three friends, whom she calls her coven.

This is a bloody tale, set in present day LA, with rich families involved, not all of whom are involved in legal activities.  I enjoyed the version, with overtones of magic, but this isn’t a fantasy novel.

It’s a YA book, but there is drugs, sex, drinking and murder, so just be warned!

Foul is Fair was published on 16th January 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Hannah Capin on her website.

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

Recent Reads: The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman (The Invisible Library 6)

Posted on by Pam

My review:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman (The Invisible Library 6) is about a heist!  Irene and Kai, now representatives of the truce between the fae, dragons and librarians, are being sent off to get a book to stabilise a world that Irene is fond of.

They’re going to join forces for this heist, and the job is being put together by someone who wouldn’t look out of place in a Bond film as a villain!

This is fast paced, with lots of surprises and secrets! And with the change of relationship between Irene and Kai, there’s added challenges to any situation!

I’ve been really enjoying every book in this series so far, and this book did not disappoint!

The Secret Chapter was published 12th November 2019, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Genevieve Cogman on Twitter, Facebook and her website.

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

My reviews for the other books in the series are below:

The Invisible Library (book 1)

The Masked City (book 2)

The Burning Page (book 3)

The Lost Plot (book 4)

The Mortal World (book 5)