Nearly one third of October gone already. How has that even happened? I know this last week has been a blur. Flu jab on Monday and work the rest of the week, but long hours which has meant my reading and blogging productivity has dipped to less than zero. Well, maybe it’s not quite that bad, but it has felt like it. Everything is very last minute at the moment and I hate it. Add to work pressure, it’s left me in a not so comfortable place.
One last minute thing which took me, finally, to my happy place, took place on Friday/Saturday. Last weekend, I saw a picture on Instagram which led to me jokingly asking Mandie if she fancied a day trip to Seahouses to go see the seals. Now, best will in the world, a ‘day trip’ is a big ask given it’s a 270 mile drive from us, but we uh-med, ah-ed and tentatively booked a hotel. Keeping one eye on the weather and one eye on escalating covid rates at work, Friday morning we said sod it and booked ourselves a Seal Cruise with Serenity Boat Trips in Seahouses. I am so glad we did because it was the reset I needed this week.
What a day and what a view. So very glad that we went. I may be tired (and as i have a long drive down to Keynsham today that’s not going to get any better), but it has settled my mind and allowed a little bit of peace to wash over me. As well as some North Sea spray … at least it was refreshing.
It’s not been an all bad week blogging wise. Thursday saw me join Jules Swain and Janet Emson on a Zoom call with WIll Dean for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session, organised by his publisher. It was a great discussion (and lovely to see Bernie too) and should be available via Will and Point Blank’s Socials if you want to see me hiding my tiredness behind my glasses. You can also see my overly cluttered shelves and lame attempts to hide my stack and stacks of books under a blanket if you look closely … Will’s latest Tuva Moodyson thriller, Wolf Pack, is out now and I’ll be reviewing it for the tour next Friday (just as soon as I’ve written the review anyway). Highly recommended in case you were wondering.
Nothing much happening on the book front this week. One book arrived in the post – Manhunt: The Night Stalker by Colin Sutton arrived at some stage in the week (Monday or Tuesday I think?) but no proofs and no other books that I ordered (one due this week – yay). I don’t recall getting any arcs sent or books from Netgalley (and if I did I wholeheartedly apologise to the authors/publishers). The only thing I ordered from Amazon was stuff for the house, so all in all a very slow book week for me.
I missed Bookshop Day (sorry bookshops) as I was on the cruise, but have made up for it a little bit with orders of Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman and Murder On The Christmas Express by Aexandra Benedict from Berts Books (preorder – 10 Nov) and will continue to make up for it this week with copious orders of books that will probably not get read for a while, but it all helps your profits, right?
Books I have read
The Brutal Tide by Kate Rhodes
REVENGE
DI Ben Kitto made many enemies in his time working as an undercover officer for the Met police, none more ruthless and calculating than gang leader Craig Travis.
IS WORTH
Travis has longed to make Kitto pay for his role in getting him convicted – and that day has finally arrived. Now, a dark and twisted killer is heading for the Scilly Isles, one who has waited a long time for revenge.
WAITING FOR . . .
With Kitto busy investigating the discovery of a body on the islands and distracted by the imminent arrival of his first child, his defences are down. He has so much to lose.
And Travis will stop at nothing to take it all from him.
Perfect for fans of the locked-room mystery and novels by Lucy Foley as well as Ann Cleeves, Peter May and Elly Griffiths.
My child means everything to me. But saving his life means destroying my best friend’s family…
I didn’t plan to fall pregnant, but when I found out, I was overjoyed. Even though I’d be going it alone, I swore I’d give my baby everything they needed.
But I didn’t know who the man I met on that sweltering summer night, the father of my child, really was.
I decided to keep his secret to protect the innocent… but then my beautiful baby was born with a rare illness, desperately needing a transplant.
Now, as I gaze into my son’s wide and trusting eyes, I know the choice I have to make: for the sake of my precious little boy, I have to destroy my friend’s happiness.
But when the truth comes out, what if saving my baby means losing him forever?
An absolutely gripping and emotional read about the choices and sacrifices we make for those we love. Fans of Liane Moriarty, Amanda Prowse and Susan Lewis will love The Dilemma.
A CENSURED DETECTIVE WITH NO LEADS
DCI Matilda Darke and her team have been restricted under special measures after a series of calamitous scandals nearly brought down the South Yorkshire police force.
A BRUTAL ATTACK WITH NO WITNESSES
Now Matilda is on the trail of another murderer, an expert in avoiding detection with no obvious motive but one obvious method.
A DEPRAVED KILLER WHO LEAVES NO TRACES
When his latest victim survives the attack despite her vocal cords being severed, Matilda is more convinced than ever of the guilt of her key suspect. If only she had a way to prove it…
Silent Victim is an unputdownable crime thriller with twists that will make your jaw drop – perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs and Ann Cleeves.
Three books finished in the week. I will take that given I had no energy for reading at all this week. A busy enough week on the blog although we really are dropping into the slow down season now. Recap below:
#Review – Permission – Jo Bloom
#Review – Written In Bones – James Oswald
#Review – The Hike – Susi Holliday
#Review – Marple: Twelve New Stories – Various Authors
#Review – 6 Ripley Avenue – Noelle Holten
The week ahead is littered with reviews of all kinds. Tour posts for I Don’t Talk To Bodies by Dr Rhona Morrison; Red As Blood by Lilja Sigurdardóttir; Daughter of the Dawn by Marion Kummerow and Wolf Pack by Will Dean. We are slowing down, honestly.
So that is the week in a nutshell. Not very bookish really, but they can’t all be, can they?
Have a wonderful week all.
Jen x
Jen Med's Book Reviews 