Another week gone, and another month in fact. That’s July done and dusted and now only five months left in 2021. Is it wrong of me to hope they pass quickly? Much like the last one, I’ll be glad to see the back of this year too. There have been some highlights – the swans dozen of cygnets for one thing, and a wonderful two weeks in Northumberland for another, but it’s still be a rough ride and I’m looking forward to the possibilities of some semblance of normal in the not to distant future. My past week has been moderately uneventful. Read a few books, bought a few more. Walked, ate, drank, repeated. The usual. How was your week?
It’s not been too shabby a week book wise. Received some very lovely book post, bought a few books myself, and read quite a few more. I’ve definitely found my reading stride these past few weeks with an amazing 18 books read in July. 18! That made 125 year to date, although I’ve finished a couple more short stories/novellas today (Sunday) bringing me up to 127. The books read were:
The Hunt and the Kill by Holly Watt; Murder in the Village by Lisa Cutts; The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh; Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar; A Line To Kill by Anthony Horowitz; Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena; Substitute by Susi Holliday; Mummy’s Little Secret by M.A. Hunter; My Name is Jensen by Heidi Amsinck; Bad Apples by Will Dean; The Heron’s Cry by Ann Cleeves; A Breath on Dying Embers by Denzil Meyrick; The Relentless Tide by Denzil Meyrick; A Darker Place by Rachel Amphlett; One Last Dram Before Midnight by Denzil Meyrick; The Wedding Party by Tammy Cohen; Jeremiah’s Bell by Denzil Meyrick and The Cove by LJ Ross.
Book post this week was pretty. special. First up was a lovely delivery of a copy of The Rock along with some coffee and chocolate from LJ Ross. I also received a wonderful signed copy of The Reacher Guy from author Heather Martin, alongside a copy of The Wedding Party by Tammy Cohen courtesy of publisher Black Swan. Purchase wise I treated myself to a copy of The Reckoning by Rachel Amphlett, a new Case File short story, Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie, one of the Harper Collins hardback special editions and The Book Club by CJ Cooper. Two new netgalley books this week as well – 1979 by Val McDermid and Trick or Treat by Katerina Diamond.
Orders, I’ve placed a few. Aside from the three books above, The Book Club, The Reckoning and Midsummer Mysteries, I placed pre-orders for the following and I’m excited about them all. The Last Time She Died by Zoe Sharp; A Life for a Life by Carol Wyer; The Beachcomber by Rachel Amphlett; Peony Practice by Christie Barlow; To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee; and the audiobook version of Troy by Stephen Fry.
There is also one very special pre-order, out this October. You Need Me by Sharon Bairden. This is a pretty special cover don’t you think?
Books I have read
A Breath on Dying Embers by Denzil Meyrick
When the luxury cruiser, hastily renamed Great Britain, berths in Kinloch harbour, the pressure is on DCI Jim Daley. The UK Government are taking a high-powered group of businessmen and women on a tour of the British isles, golfing and seeing the sights, as part of a push for global trade. But when one of the crew goes missing, and an elderly local ornithologist disappears, will the pressure become too great?
The arrival of a face from the past, sends Daley’s world into a tailspin. And the lives of the passengers and crew of SS Great Britain, as well as the country’s economic future are in jeopardy. DS Brian Scott comes to the fore, and replete with a temporary promotion, is once more – most reluctantly, in his case – back at sea.
Daley faces a life and death struggle, but is this his last throw of the dice?
The Wedding Party by Tammy Cohen
Till death do us part . . .
Lucy has dreamt of her wedding day for as long as she can remember.
And now the day is almost here. Her nearest and dearest are gathered on an idyllic Greek island and she just knows it’s going to be perfect. It has to be.
But even the best-laid plans can go horribly wrong. Why are her parents behaving so strangely? Why won’t the rather odd lady from the airport stop hanging around? Who is the silent stranger her sister brought as a plus-1?
And then they find the body.
It’s going to be a day to remember.
Jeremiah’s Bell by Denzil Meyrick
Teenager Alison Doig disappeared from Kinloch over thirty years ago under mysterious circumstances. Her reclusive family still live in a remote part of the Kintyre peninsula, amidst rumours of wrecking, smuggling and barbaric cruelty.
Now rich American hotelier Alice Wenger has arrived in town, determined to punish those who made her suffer in the past. But someone has vowed to keep hidden sins concealed for ever.
Daley’s team must race against time to expose long-held secrets and shameful lies before there are any more victims.
THE PERFECT ESCAPE…
Gabrielle Adams has it all – brains, beauty, a handsome fiancé, and a dream job in publishing. Until, one day, everything changes.
‘The Tube Killer’ takes his victims when they least expect it: standing on the edge of a busy London Underground platform, as they wait for a train to arrive through the murky underground tunnels of London.
Gabrielle soon learns that being a survivor is harder than being a victim, and she struggles to return to her old life. Desperate to break free from the endless nightmares, she snatches up an opportunity to run a tiny bookshop in a picturesque cove in rural Cornwall.
She thinks she’s found the perfect escape, but has she swapped one nightmare for another?
Suspense and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced thriller, set amidst the spectacular Cornish landscape.
The Reckoning by Rachel Amphlett
History never forgets…
The newest arrival at a care home for the elderly carries an air of mystery that even an ex-WW2 Resistance fighter can’t help trying to solve.
Then matters take a sinister turn…
The Reckoning forms part of the Case Files series of short crime stories from USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett.
A Large Measure of Snow by Denzil Meyrick
It’s December 1967, and the town of Kinloch is cut off by heavy snow. With all roads closed, the only way to feed and water the townsfolk is for the fishing fleet to sail to Girvan for much-needed supplies.
But the skipper of the Girl Maggie, Sandy Hoynes, has a problem. First mate Hamish has, to everyone’s astonishment, been chosen as Young Fisherman of the Year by a Glasgow newspaper. Marooned in the town and with one eye on a scoop, their reporter decides to join the fishing crew on the mercy mission. The thought of the publicity – and some remuneration – delights Hoynes. But Hamish hasn’t told him the whole story.
As the blizzards worsen, the crew of the Girl Maggie embarks upon a trip like no other, encountering ghostly Vikings, gigantic crustaceans and a helpful seagull.
A pretty good week I’d say and certainly very entertaining. All books I would heartily recommend. A busy week on the blog too – recap below:
#Review – Mimic – Daniel Cole
#Review – Broken Girls – Joy Kluver
#Review – Rabbit Hole – Mark Billingham
#Review – The Rise and Fall Of The Miraculous Vespas – David F. Ross.
#Review – The Lies I Tell – Joel Hames
We’re fully booked this week. I’ve a brilliant cover reveal for Fall by West Camel this morning which you can find right here. Then there are blog tour reviews for The Hunt and the Kill by Holly Watt and Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena as well as a host of other reviews taking us right through to Sunday. Phew!
Hope you all have a fabulously bookish week. I actually have to do a full five days this week at the job job. Not sure how I feel about that …😉 I will be enjoying the reading though and have some brilliant books lined up so I cannot wait.
Stay safe.
Jen x
Jen Med's Book Reviews 