Murder at the Manor - a collection of classic crime stories!

It has to be my colonial history that makes me nostalgic for manors, country lanes, country scenes and characters as well. Lady and Lords abound, vicars and curates, butlers, maids, parlour maids, groomsmen and of course murders most prolific. This was a joy to read as it dealt with all of them and country charan, stable hands the lot. Downton Abbey in all its aspects combined with a hint of mystery and murder. Fabulous collection of crime.


The best crime fiction authors coming together under the theme of country manors. I was in heaven!

Gone girl by Gillian Flynn

I must be the last person on the planet who hadn't read this book. I got this from a friend and boy aren't I glad I did.

The book has got so many many reviews so I am not going down that road. All I can say is that this is a twisted, difficult read which was complicated with so many unheard of and unimaginable turns in the story but it all comes together so beautifully in the end that this author has to be brilliant to even concoct a tale like this one.

The author goes into the psyche of Amy so well that at the end we see the whole, but right through the book you are kept guessing as to what is going to happen next. Brilliant story telling.

Definitely looking out for more from this author.

Death of a Nurse by M C Beaton

If you like droll characters set in quirky villages where the language gets some getting used to, this is the series for you.

We have our Plod, Hamish Macbeth who is very happy in his village and in dread that he will be transferred out to one of the big towns. We have Charlie his sidekick, equally happy and in dread that he will be transferred to Strathbane - the home of drugs and every kind of vice it seems. Between these two and their pets Lugs and Sonsie (incidentally a wild cat) we have our cast of main characters.

The arrival of a pretty nurse, saucy and on the prowl herself provides good entertainment for all the local folk until she turns up dead. 


Hamish is also a ladies man who wonders why he cannot find a permanent partner and is on the prowl all the time when there is a good looking lady around. Unraveling the crime is difficult because the suspects keep changing and it is a merry go round of crime. On top of that sparks fly between our Chief Detective Fraser and our simple Charlie much to Hamish's amazement, and then there is strife and jealousy amongst the upper echelons of the constabulary itself with back biting, corruption and paybacks to just throw in a few things to confuse our reader.

Altogether very enjoyable read of a crime novel of an almost different genre!


Sent to me by Netgalley for review courtesy of Grand Central Publishing.

The Damnable Legacy by Elizabeth Kretchmer

Lynn is a dedicated mountaineer. She has sacrificed everything she holds dear to climb mountains. Decades ago she gave up her baby daughter so that she would be free to climb mountains. She still has one more mountain to climb - the infamous Denali and with that she has decided to stop.

On the other side of the country we have Frankie a very troubled teenager, with not the best of mothers. Escaping her mother all Frankie wants to do is reach Ryan and Beth's home where she knows she will be safe and wanted. How to get there is the problem and how she eventually does it shows cunning, shrewdness but above all desperation.

The two people will meet through a series of events which will just bring everyone together. It is almost karmic the way the parties who have nothing to do with each other will eventually meet and it adds to the twists in the story very well. Some things are just meant to be. Why, how, where and when these things happen no one knows and you cannot plan on it as well. It just does.

A story of survival especially under trying physical conditions, the story of climbing mountains in adverse conditions, and the story of love and family are all intertwined in this one.

I enjoyed the slightly out of world experience where Beth who is now dead is a constant figure or rather silent spectator at the happenings throughout the story. Not too far out at all. Very believable!

This was a recommendation on a blog and came free on Amazon.

London Rain by Nicola Upson

May 1937 and it is a good time to be in London. A new king to be crowned amidst controversy not seen for hundreds of years.  Josephine is back in London to oversee a new production of her latest play for the BBC.

The setting is very good. You have the modernity of the BBC which is coming into its own - women are slowly beginning to have some position in administration, not just low level jobs but they have to fight for it. A relationship between two women can be at least acknowledged between the lovers if not openly at least and the controversy of Wallis Simpson has had an ending with the new king coming to the throne.

Within this framework the story of Josephine and her standing in the murders that take place. The why and wherefore are intricate and go back decades and this is the beauty in the story. The death of the broadcaster right during the huge ceremony of the coronation, the discovery of his mistresses's body who is also the chief actress in Josephine's play shows there is some sort of link and it is upto Chief Inspector Archie to sort it out. He did not expect Josephine to put herself in any sort of danger by putting herself forward and taking a leading role in trying to sort it out.

I liked to see how the BBC worked at this period of time and added to that history was also the crime that took place. I am a fan of this series and this worked out very well for me.

Sent to me by Edelweiss.

The Summer Before The War by Helen Simonson

The year of 1914 was obviously going to be one of significant importance for the whole world. In the corner of England in the idyllic village of Rye however everyone hoped that things would just continue the way they would. Life unfortunately did change for all.

Agatha Kent has brought forward a proposal to replace the current Latin master in the school with a lady teacher. A lady teaching Latin was preposterous for almost all but Agatha pushed that through. Beatrice Nash our teacher was not a run of the mill timid woman, willing to get brow beaten by all. Her father's last will had sadly put her under the control of several others who would use all their power to get her to do things which would be of benefit to them. She would suffer financially otherwise and here she was in a bind. She came to Rye full of hope thinking that at last she would be able to be financially independent, earn a living and hold her head high. She did not take into account narrow minded attitudes, very limited outlook and people who would not like her just because she was doing something with her life.

The beginning of the war and the Belgian refugees coming into this village precipitated another crisis. Enlisting for the war became priority amongst the men and women were to get ready to support their menfolk in whatever way they could.

The actual onset of the war and its bitter repercussions on every family was a far cry from the heroic and glorious war cries of all when the boys went to war. Actual war was death, pain for all and the return of men who were damaged beyond repair.

In the midst of this a love story which showed how life balances itself. With death at the same time new life, new beginnings.

Fabulous characterization, storyline excellent. Compelling read.

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review courtesy of Random House.

the things we keep by Sally Hepworth

This was another stupendous read. I have been ever so lucky in my choice of books over the last few weeks. Each one is as good as the previous one. Trying to keep up with the reading and the reviewing is the problem. Am reading these end November but reviews are coming up only in February/March. I would have loved for the review to come up immediately as I feel the book is so newsworthy!

 Anna has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers at only 38. Installed in a comfortable residential care facility here she will be looked after well and will not be a danger to anyone including herself, Anna's situation deteriorates very fast. The sadness that envelopes her twin brother who tries to maintain a bold facade whilst at the same time extending his love and support to his sister is heartbreaking as you feel the pain he is undergoing on her behalf.

Eve is now a single mother, ostracised and hated throughout the community. Her husband has cheated literally thousands of people out of their monies and she knows his name is one that is likely to cause people to turn on her and her only little girl, and they do. Forced to move out of very comfortable surroundings to a place which is very uncomfortable, she takes up the post of cook cum cleaner at the facility just to make sure her address will enable her to keep Clementine in her present school. Both Clementine and Eve face immense problems from people around them.

There are two stories here. The story of Alzheimers and the heartbreak of those living closest to the person and who have to watch the sure deterioration of someone like Anna who was full of joie de vivre and was with a full career as a paramedic  To be helpless and not to be able to do a thing.To watch Anna not being able to remember what a vacuum cleaner was, what was the green thing in the garden (grass) and worst of all not to know a very loved nephew's name.


Then we have the social ostracisation of a person. Eve was an adult and knew she would have to face the music head on even though she was not guilty of the charges against her. Her husband was the cheater but Then we have the social ostracisation of a person. Poor Clementine, just a little girl in pre school had to face the taunts of children who could be much crueler than adults, who eaves dropped and retold stories told at home about Clementine's Dad, her Mom and even herself.

The story telling was superb, the characterisation even more so. A must read.

Sent to me by Netgalley courtesy of St. Martin's Press for an unbiased review.