Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Mrs Endicott’s Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl club by Mary Jane Riley
Friday, September 19, 2025
St James Park by John Doll
For convenience two petty criminals were arrested and mob violence prevailed. The two men were beaten, hanged in the town square and one was burnt. Mob violence at its worst. We have the worst that the era represented and it is a factionalized telling of what happened in 1933 long before Silicon Valley came into existence.
Not an easy read but life is sometimes full of horror stories too.
Sent by Koehler Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
My Great Aunt’s Diary by Laura Sweeney
Monday, September 15, 2025
Fonseka by Jessica Francis Kane
The cast is very varied and interesting. In such a community, a certain cut throat attitude is there and that proves Penelope’s downfall and ouster from the race. Nice outline of good and mean features found in humans as well.
Sent by the Penguin Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.
Saturday, September 13, 2025
The Shakespeare Secret by D J Nix
Friday, September 12, 2025
A Hollow Death by Colleen Dumaine
Set in the 1890s and this time in Adelaide, Australia, we follow the travails of a female detective battling prejudice because she is a woman, not doing what is considered normal for women of the times. Very seldom do I get to read a story set in Australia of that era, so this had a lot to recommend it.
Looking for missing dogs is Beth’s main means of survival because there is a hard mean gang doing exactly that. But then Beth is approached to find a missing husband, and at first with a lover on the side who has a brutish husband, the reasoning is that he has run away. The story takes several turns with Eric found dead, but Beth is not happy with the accidental death verdict.
The story also highlights Beth’s personal life, her marriage and life in Afghanistan and Ariffs death and her flight to safety in Adelaide and the fear of kidnapping of her son by Ariffs brother, who is determined to take him back to Afghanistan. The dog robbing ring in Adelaide was a violent one and that added another circle to the story.
Sent by Vivid Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
A Ghostwriters Guide to Murder by Melinda Mullet
Monday, September 8, 2025
The Women of Arlington Hall by Jane Healey
Saturday, September 6, 2025
The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau
Eloise takes up a job there leaving her entire past life behind, to make a fresh start. Numerous failures to start a family, and the breakdown of her marriage has made her an ideal candidate for this job, where one of the conditions is that no children can be seen or entertained on the premises. From the beginning, it is obvious that all the rules are going to be broken, and chaos results.
The story had a mix of magic and realism and the story of many lives - the ones seen and the few hidden all sad and complicated with dark history. Elements of love and romance also part of the story.
Sent by Harper Collin’s Focus, for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Murder on platform Four by Irina Shapiro
When confronted with a body at Paddington Station at the same time he has arranged to meet his long estranged brother, there is no question in Sebastian’s mind about what should take precedence. Following up on clues despite opposition from higher ups who think this investigation of an unknown poorer woman is of no significance as against bigger and potentially cases which will get better publicity for the police. It seems symptomatic of the times, that poorer people got little attention as against the richer strata of society in England.
The constraints on women were irritating to even read about, and how clever intelligent women had to skirt around people in order not to irritate the men and their egos. It was a hard time for women. The book does well as a stand alone but is part of a very good series.
Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
The Sanctuary Keepers by Alexandra Barber
The House is magical with its own set of benevolent ghosts, supportive neighbours and a charismatic man with his own brand of charm. The story proceeds in a nice manner despite villainous boyfriend reappearing on the scene, a series of misunderstandings resulting, but all ends well.
Descriptive of the workings of life on a remote island, the story is a relaxing one.
Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.