This may be a very quick round up this week as it comes, if not quite from my sick bed, then close enough. Yes. After a good two year run and plenty of avoidance, I have succumbed to the dreaded ‘rona. Not too bad a case, mostly just a stuffy nose, but most definitely positive and today, as I type this, I am battling various episodes of overwhelming tiredness so any spelling mistakes … well situation normal really, but more than usually found, it’s probably the virus. Day four and I am very bored but battling on. Had a care package delivered by Mandie so I at least have cake and (had) crisps 😉. Weekly nature pics sponsored by Mandie’s walk around Attingham as I’ve not been allowed out of the house since Wednesday pm and my garden is not very inspiring. Mostly nettles and dandelions right now but the bees like it.
No sponsored #bookpost this week, but I did receive a few purchased goods. First up was my signed copy of No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride. I also treated myself to a covid pick-me-up of Spring At Blueberry Bay by Holly Martin; Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan and Witness by Alex Wheatle. Along with these physical book books, I purchased e-books of Moonlight Over Muddleford Cove and Escape to Giddywell Grange by Kim Nash. Other than that I treated myself to the audiobook of Dream Town by David Baldacci and a pre-order of The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly which is out September 1st.
Two new Netgalley titles – Fatal Witness by Robert Bryndza and Cat and Mouse by MJ Arlidge. Both from some of my favourite series so I am very happy.
Books I have read
The Fire Killer by Ross Greenwood
When DI Barton is asked to investigate a seemingly innocuous fire that kills, he believes it’s either children fooling around or a worrying racially-motivated crime.
As he delves deeper into the case, he soon realises that there is a history of similar blazes spread out over many years, all within a close area. An idea suggested by pathologist Mortis makes Barton suspect he has the arsonist’s motives wrong.
When a night worker comes forward with a tip, Barton narrows down the suspects. But with all of them acting suspiciously, he knows for sure that one or more of them must be lying. And when a huge house blaze shocks everyone, Barton fears the killer has lost all control.
Who is The Fire Killer? What will be next to burn?
When you think you’re safe,
When you think you’re all alone,
That’s when he’ll come for you…
A silent killer stalks the city, targeting those home alone at night, playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with the victims.
As panic spreads, Detective Inspector Helen Grace leads the investigation, but is herself a hunted woman, her every step shadowed by a ruthless psychopath bent on revenge.
As she tracks the murderer, Grace begins to suspect there is a truly shocking home truth that connects these brutal crimes. But what she will find is something more twisted than she could ever suspect…
Check the windows, lock the doors – this is a twisted page-turner that will prey on your darkest fears, in the way only M.J. Arlidge can.
The Lost Ones by Marnie Riches
The girl is sitting upright, her dark brown hair arranged over her shoulders and her blue, blue eyes staring into the distance. She looks almost peaceful. But her gaze is vacant, and her skin is cold…
When Detective Jackie Cooke is called to the murder scene, she has to choke back tears. Missing teenager Chloe Smedley has finally been found – her body left in a cold back yard, carefully posed with her bright blue eyes still open. Jackie lays a protective hand on the baby in her belly, who seems to kick out in anguish, and vows to find the brutal monster who stole Chloe’s future.
Breaking the news to Chloe’s mother is heartbreaking, and Jackie is haunted by the woman’s cries. She knows too well the terrible pain of losing a loved one: her own brother went missing as a child, the case never solved. Determined to get justice for Chloe and her family, Jackie sets to work, finding footage of the girl waving at someone the day she disappeared. Did Chloe know her killer?
But then a second body is found on the side of a busy motorway, lit up by passing cars. The only link with Chloe is the shocking way the victim has been posed, and the mutilated body convinces Jackie she is searching for a disturbed and dangerous predator. Someone has been hunting missing and vulnerable people for decades, and only Jackie seems to see that they were never lost. They were taken.
Jackie’s boss refuses to believe a serial killer is on the loose and threatens to take her off the case. But then Jackie returns home to find a brightly coloured bracelet on her kitchen counter and her blood turns to ice. It’s the same one her brother was wearing when he vanished. Could his disappearance be connected to the murders? Jackie will stop at nothing to catch her killer… unless he finds her first…
I’m happy with three books given I developed the plague mid-week . Yes, I’d normally hope for more on a Bank Holiday weekend but between the tiredness and lack of concentration, and the fact it was a busy work week too (no rest for the wicked even if we do have Covid), I’m content. It means I managed to finish 16 titles in April too – 13 full length and 3 short stories so not a bad tally all in all.
An English Garden Murder by Katie Gayle
Lightseekers by Femi Kayode
The Last Super by Rachel Amphlett
Six Graves by Angela Marsons
See No Evil By David Fennell
The Bathroom Murders by Mark L Fowler
The Cutting Season by MW Craven
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
Death at the Dinner Party by Emma Davies
The Swimmer by Graham Norton
The New Doctor At Peony Practice by Christie Barlow
The Wedding Night by Harriet Walker
The Fallout by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
The Fire Killer by Ross Greenwood
Cat & Mouse by MJ Arlidge
A busy enough week on the blog – recap below:
#Review – Welcome To Cooper – Tariq Ashkanani
#Review – No Less The Devil – Stuart MacBride
#Review – Outside – Ragnar Jonasson
#Review – Little Sister – Gytha Lodge
#Review – What Falls Between The Cracks – Robert Scragg
The week ahead is fall of reviews of books new and old but no blog tours for a change. Who knew that was possible? I shall be spending most of today nursing myself back to full health (i.e. staying in bed and reading). Allegedly able to make a bid for freedom as of 00:00 tonight but we’ll see what my plague test results say later on today I guess.
Have a lovely week. See you on the other side, hopefully with some pictures of something slightly more exciting than a giant viennese whirl (although that was lush).
Jen x
Jen Med's Book Reviews 
Thank you–some good book ideas there, including audiobook for Dream Town, placing a hold.
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