Another week gone, but thankfully it was quite a good one. Managed to get some rather fabulous books read – go me – and also had a bit of a side trip up to Northumberland on Friday. Only an overnighter, but Mandie and I were lucky enough to be invited to attend the LJ Ross event on Holy Island, the spiritual home of the DCI Ryan series. There the author took us back through the origins of DCI Ryan and why she started to write, amongst many other topics, including where her wonderful Frankisms come from. Louise was joined by her husband James (the J in LJ) and the conversation between the two was brilliant. If you’ve never read one of the books you really should – and book twenty will be out next month so there are plenty of books to keep you amused.
We do love Northumberland, so any excuse to head back up north is always welcomed. The weather was atmospheric, the company wonderful. And it was amazing to bump into Susan Heads while we were there too.
Such a beautiful island, we were sad it was such a brief trip, but spending the night in Washington before hand meant we got to do a side trip to Penshaw Farm Shop too, so it wasn’t all bad 😋
Book wise it was a no post week, but I did have a couple of Netgalley titles. First up was Wolf Pack by Will Dean (Hardback 06 Oct, E-book 08 Sept) courtesy of Transworld. I’m on the tour for this next month so am looking forward to reading it. I was also given access to Silent Victim by Michael Wood (28 Oct), which is the next Matilda Darke book. Very excited, and apprehensive, to read it given how the last book ended, but more than happy to shifty around my reading list for.
Order wise, it was relatively quiet too with just the three. I decided to treat myself to the audiobook of Psalms For The End Of the World by Cole Haddon (out now), picked up The Hike by Susi Holliday (01 Oct) as an Amazon First Read, and preordered Lady’s Well, the upcoming DCI Ryan mystery from LJ Ross (30 Oct).
That’s my lot for this week. Not too bad really if you think about it …
Books I have read
Death on the Menu by Emma Davies
Francesca Eve has planned a showstopping funeral supper to say goodbye in style, but the last thing she expects is a murder on the menu…
When elderly millionaire andeccentric entrepreneur Clarence Lightman dies, his nearest and dearest gather one final time at Justice House, Clarence’s beautiful country estate, for the reading of his will. But the day ends in uproar when it is revealed that whoever solves a series of complex clues will inherit everything. Will one of Clarence’s disagreeable children outwit everyone else for the fortune, or could his devoted housekeeper or even Francesca herself win the day?
Francescaknows she should stick to the kitchen and stay out of this lethal game, but she is unwillingly drawn into the mystery when she finds one of Clarence’s sons, blood pooling from a deadly thwack to the head, shoved into the larder. Somebody is clearly not playing fair, and Francesca feels sure that they won’t stop until all of the competition has been eliminated.
Trapped in the game until all the riddles are solved, Francesca must solve the clues and find the ruthless killer to protect herself and her fellow innocent guests. But she can’t trust anyone. Fran must use all her wits, not only to hunt down the truth, but to stay alive…
An addictive cozy crime novel packed with twists you won’t expect. If you love Faith Martin, M.C. Beaton and The Thursday Murder Club you’ll adore this thrilling mystery.
The Other Side Of Night by Adam Hamdy
Bestselling author Adam Hamdy returns with a story of soulmates torn apart by circumstance and three deaths that haunt the past, present and future. The Other Side of Night is a genre-defying book unlike any you’ve ever read and a spellbinding novel about love, sacrifice and endless possibilities.
David Asha wants to tell you a story about three people:
Elliott Asha, his son, broken by a loss that will redeem him.
Ben Elmys, a surrogate father and David’s trusted friend, a man who might also be a murderer.
Harriet Kealty, a retired detective searching for answers to three mysterious deaths, while also investigating a man who might turn out to be the love of her life.
Every word David tells you is true, but you will think it fiction . . .
A Sliver of Darkness by CJ Tudor
A creak of the floorboard, a shiver down your spine, the feeling that you’re not alone . . .
_________
Join a group of survivors who wash up on a deserted island only to make a horrifying discovery.
Meet a cold-hearted killer who befriends a strange young girl at a motorway service station.
Travel along eerie country lanes in a world gone dark, enter a block of flats with the most monstrous of occupants and accompany a ruthless estate agent on a house sale that goes apocalyptically wrong.
These eleven twisted tales of the macabre from the bestselling author of The Chalk Man and The Burning Girls are your perfect companions as the nights draw in . . .
If you’re brave enough.
Marple: Twelve New Stories – Short story Anthology
A brand new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors.
This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery.
· Naomi Alderman
· Leigh Bardugo
· Alyssa Cole
· Lucy Foley
· Elly Griffiths
· Natalie Haynes
· Jean Kwok
· Val McDermid
· Karen M. McManus
· Dreda Say Mitchell
· Kate Mosse
· Ruth Ware
Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time.
The Inheritance by Howard Linskey
You will inherit everything. The house. The money.
There’s just one condition.
You have to catch a killer first . . .
THE GRIPPING NEW THRILLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF DON’T LET HIM IN
_________
When Sarah’s Aunt Evelyn passes away, she’s left a grand fortune.
But it comes with one condition.
Sarah must return to Cragsmoor – the old manor house where Evelyn’s friend went missing decades ago – to uncover the truth.
If she does, she will inherit the house, the money, everything.
But someone wishes for the secrets of Cragsmoor to remain hidden.
Someone who may have killed once before . . .
So – there we have it. five books completed. Don’t be too impressed though – we did have a Bank Holiday and I have been reading Marple over the past few weeks, I just happen to have completed it this week. Full enough week on the blog with reviews all week – recap below:
#Review – The Secret of Elephants – Vasundra Tailor
#Review – Cut Short and The Cutting Season – MW Craven
#Review – The Night Watch – Neil Lancaster
#Review – The Skeleton Key – Erin Kelly
#Review – Women Like Us – Amanda Prowse
Not going to lie – August was not my most productive reading month for a variety of reasons. Still managed to read 15 books though, and there were some absolute crackers in amongst them:
The Secret of Elephants by Vasundra Tailor
The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster
Murder in the Library by Katie Gayle
The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart
Black Hearts by Doug Johnstone
The Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields
Small Deaths by Rijula Das
The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly
Harm by Sólveig Pálsdóttir
The Santa Killer by Ross Greenwood
Women Like Us by Amanda Prowse
The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster
The Other Side of Night by Adam Hamdy
Death on the Menu by Emma Davies
Marple: Twelve New Stories
Somehow, a nod do not ask me how, I have managed to completely ignore my vow of taking on less tours and adopting a gentle pace of blogging this week. We have five blog tours – one every weekday – and by ‘we’ I mean me. I have five blog tours. FIVE!!! I don’t think they started out life this way but have slowly morphed into blog tours over the past few weeks. Today I share my thoughts on Small Deaths by Rijula Das. I have a review of The Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields tomorrow, Murder in the Library by Katie Gayle on Wednesday, The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson on Thursday and Harm by Sólveig Pálsdóttir on Friday. The books were all read (and all fabulous) so it’s just a case of adding a banner, but still. Bad planning on my part I think.
And that, I believe, is my lot. I’m off to do some more reading or possibly to lie down in a darkened room. Super tired this week. Have a fabulously bookish week all and see you next week.
Jen x
Jen Med's Book Reviews 