This has not been a great reading month for me – I was taking part in NetGalley November and had so many plans to zip through lots of lovely ARCs (including some that have been on my shelf for far too long).
The reality was work, work, work with a side order of insomnia! I managed to read 6 books this month, which isn’t many for me at all. Still, I’m on 121/100 on my GoodReads Challenge so this is a blip in an otherwise great year.
Continue reading November 2021 Wrap-Up and December TBRLook at that tagline – ‘I am your maid. I know about your secrets. Your dirty laundry. But what do you know about me?’
Sounds fabulous, yes? I’ll admit I was intrigued and am grateful to NetGalley and Harper Collins for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Continue reading Book Review: ‘The Maid’ by Nita ProseI love historical fiction and this time period – James VI of Scotland succeeding to the throne after Elizabeth I and becoming James I of England. In my head, this is a time of Shakespeare, Macbeth, witch hunts and the Gunpowder Plot. Genuinely fascinating, and a precarious time to be part of the court, especially if you were gay as this was definitely not a time of tolerance.
Cue Francis Bacon – writer, philosopher and newly promoted to Attorney General under James I. And hiding his sexuality from all but the men he picks up for fleeting liaisons on the banks of the Thames.
Continue reading (Audio)Book Review: ‘The Dangerous Kingdom of Love’ by Neil BlackmoreHaving thoroughly enjoyed John Carey’s ‘A Little History of Poetry’, I was pleased to be given an advance copy of ‘100 Poets: A Little Anthology’ for review. Thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for my book – opinions, as always, are entirely my own.
Continue reading Book Review: ‘100 Poets: A Little Anthology’ by John CareyThis marks yet another series that I’ve jumped into at a mid-point! This is the second book in this series, following on from ‘The Christmas Killer’ – although I think this works fine as a stand alone novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This story opens with a farmer returning home on Christmas Eve – it’s snowing in the remote part of Cumbria where he lives and he is dreading discussing his urgent financial issues with his family. When he returns to the farm, he notices some footprints in the snow leading to his cellar – but there are no prints leaving the cellar. Days later, the bodies of the farmer and his family are found in the farmhouse and DI Walker is called in to solve a complex crime.
I loved the remote and snowy setting of this book – there is something really eerie about an already remote place being cut off further by the weather. Cumbria is also a great setting for crime novels as it is at the mercy of the elements and difficult to navigate quickly even in bright sunshine – Rachel Lynch uses just this setting for her excellent crime novels about DI Kelly Porter (also worth a read!)
The central characters of DI Walker and his wife are also well-rounded and engaging. They are expecting a baby and there is a sub-plot to do with their past in London which adds a bit of depth and interest to their relationship and situation – although I think the sub-plot probably feels more high-stake if you’ve read the first book. I thought it was a shame that more of the police team weren’t given more to do – so much of the focus is on Walker himself that the team don’t really have distinct personalities.
The plotting is clever and this is a really solid police procedural novel – I enjoyed following the investigation as it experienced highs, lows and setbacks galore. There was certainly enough happening to keep me reading – but I did guess one of the big revelations very early on which is why this is a 4 star review and not a 5 – maybe I’ve just read too many crime novels and am suspicious of everything! That said, the tension is managed well and the connection to the earlier crime at the farmhouse gives this an interesting dimension.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys tense and twisty police procedurals. There are some really creepy ideas and situations in the book so it probably isn’t for the faint of heart. However, there’s lots to enjoy and it would make a lively festive read…if Christmas bloodbaths are your thing.
Incidentally, no judgement from me because this book is just my thing!
If you’d like a copy of this book, please use my affiliate link below – 99p last time I looked so you can’t go wrong! Thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases.
Header photo by Paul Green on Unsplash
I’ve had a life-long fascination with the Greek myths which probably stemmed from the (at the time terrifying) ‘Clash of the Titans’ film that made up a chunk of my 80s childhood – very much like Haynes herself, it turns out!
Nowadays, my job as an English teacher sees me teaching Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘The World’s Wife’ so I’ve become a lot more au fait with the details of the women in the ancient texts – especially Medusa, Penelope and Eurydice – which is what brought me to Haynes’ excellent book.
Continue reading Book Review: ‘Pandora’s Jar’ by Natalie HaynesIt’s been a surprisingly busy reading month – helped by school half term holidays and the desire to clear some of my proofs before I embark on NetGalley November (more of that in a bit!)
This month, I’ve read 14 books which puts me on 115/100 on my Goodreads Challenge.
Read moreI’ll admit that I came to this book with a healthy dose of scepticism. I’m not usually wholly sold on ghost stories – I prefer my sinister goings-on with distinctly human causes!
However, I was won over by this beautifully written tale of eerie occurences on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. This truly is a cleverly-plotted and vividly-imagined story with some moments of genuine horror.
Continue reading Book Review: ‘The Whistling’ by Rebecca NetleyIt’s no secret that I love DI Kelly Porter so a new book from Rachel Lynch is always a treat. This is the ninth in the series – a great series that I’ve followed since the start.
This book is centered on HMP Highton, a prison in a remote bit of the already pretty remote Lake District. When a newly released convict is found tortured and killed shortly after leaving Highton, DI Kelly Porter and her team are horrified at the brutality of the crime. When a second ex-convict is killed in similar circumstances, it seems that there is a dangerous killer on the loose…but the leads keep taking the team back within the prison walls.
Continue reading Book Review: ‘Lying Ways’ by Rachel LynchI’m a teacher. Mainly a secondary level one, although I do have primary-age children so the school world explored by brothers Lee and Adam Parkinson in this book is not entirely alien to me. I had also seen posts by Mr P on Twitter but hadn’t made the connection with this book – the @ICT_MrP account is (I think) run by Lee.
This book is an entertaining jaunt through life as a teacher. It covers all the parts of the school year that are part and parcel of teaching life – the parents’ evenings, the school play, assemblies…plus the primary school belief that a wet paper towel can cure all ills. Headache – wet paper towel. Bruised knee – wet paper towel. Major arterial bleeding – wet paper towel. True.
Continue reading Book Review: ‘Put a Wet Paper Towel on It: The Weird and Wonderful World of Primary Schools’ by Lee and Adam Parkinson
