August 2022 - The Quick and the Read

Blog Tour: ‘Small Angels’ by Lauren Owen

Today’s blog tour is for a gothic treat of a book!

Thanks to Claire Maxwell and Tinder Press for my place on the tour and for the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are always my own.

Book Review: ‘Pandora’ by Susan Stokes-Chapman

Reading the sampler of this book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the full version. A feisty, independent, female lead? A pet magpie? A Georgian London setting but with Greek myth elements? Absolutely, sign me up now!

Book Review: ‘Run Time’ by Catherine Ryan Howard

I absolutely loved the idea of this book! A thriller that takes place on the remote set of a horror film – what a great idea. I’d read one of Catherine Ryan Howard’s previous books (’56 Days’) set during Covid lockdown so I knew that I was in safe hands…if anyone can pull off some bogglingly high concept ideas then she can!

Book Review: ‘The Cliff House’ by Chris Brookmyre

I started reading this book on Pigeonhole, a chunk at a time, released daily. This is definitely one you don’t want to read in small chunks – to keep up with everyone and to not constantly be on a cliffhanger, you need to devour this in one sitting! Thanks to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: ‘Dear Little Corpses’ by Nicola Upson

If you haven’t yet discovered Nicola Upson’s excellent historical crime series, here’s your chance.

This novel takes place in the early days of World War Two as war is declared and children evacuated en masse to the country. The Suffolk village in which Josephine Tey is living ends up with a lot more evacuees than planned, forcing those who didn’t want to take children to open their homes – the scene in the village hall where the evacuees are being homed made me really think of ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ in all the best ways! When a child goes missing, Tey and the villagers start asking questions and pointing fingers…

Ten books I should have shouted about before now!

I’ve hit a bit of a reading slump. It happens to the best of us – a run of good books but not peppered with the absolutely great ones. The ones you put down all other books for, ignore your phone and your family…yeah, those.

To find my inspiration, I had a look back at the books I’ve read this year and noticed that 10/73 had got my top mark of 5 stars on Goodreads. Now seems like a good time to revisit the top ten…in no particular order.

Turns out I really like crime fiction!

All links in this post are affiliate ones - thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases as it all helps with my running costs.

Book Review: ‘All About Evie’ by Matson Taylor

‘The Miseducation of Evie Epworth’ was one of my books of 2021 – I couldn’t wait to see how Matson Taylor was going to follow up his impressive debut novel. Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this sequel in exchange for an honest review.

This novel picks up a way after the first one finished with 1960s Evie heading for London. She’s now 10 years older and living the high life in 1970s London – until a surprising and unfortunate incident involving Princess Anne ends her BBC career a little prematurely. Faced with a number of possibilities, Evie picks herself up and tries some different paths with the help of her friends.

Book Review: ‘Cat and Mouse’ by M J Arlidge

You pretty much know what you’re getting with an M. J. Arlidge crime novel – a high body count, scary and gruesome murders, lots of twists and DI Helen Grace doing her maverick thing along the way! This one is no exception and it’s a satisfying addition to the series.

In this book, a killer is targeting people in their Southampton homes – attacking when they are alone or vulnerable. DI Grace and her team are called in to investigate, but immediately struggle with finding the link between the victims. As the murders continue, the police investigation seems to be going nowhere and the stakes continue to rise. With DI Grace in danger herself, it’s a race against time to stop a killer.

Book Review: ‘Hope to Die’ by Cara Hunter

A new Cara Hunter book is always a treat – and this is no exception. I read A LOT of crime fiction and think that Cara Hunter’s books are among the best.

This is the sixth book in the series featuring DI Adam Fawley and his team – although there are some plotlines that run across the books (mainly to do with the team’s personal lives and relationships), I think this could be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

Book Review: ‘A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting’ by Sophie Irwin

I don’t usually read a lot of historical romance, but this one proved irresistible. The recommendations promised ‘witty’, ‘fun’ and ‘sassy’ which I’m absolutely here for, so I was pleased to be granted a copy by NetGalley for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.