A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer

Reminiscent of an Agatha Christie mystery, we have a perfect well liked gentleman found bludgeoned to death. As is usual, however we also find on further probing the gentleman was not such a perfect one after all.

Ernest Fletcher was a light hearted ladies man. When he was found murdered at his desk in his own house the investigation reveals that the root cause for the murder has to be linked to a woman. There was also a very small time frame, just a few minutes before he was murdered and his body discovered by the local bobby actually whilst on his rounds.

Conflicting reports of all those involved in the crime throw up nothing because each person sticks to their original stories and their alibis all seem to be holding up very well.

Like all good classic crime novels, this one was hard to catch. It caught me unawares.

I've liked Georgette Heyer for her regency romances and now I like her for her crime novels as well.

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Sourcebook Landmark.

Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron

I like stories told in two separate time frames. They were also of separate genres though a love story was also part of the main stories.

Laine is following her friend to France to participate in her wedding there. Unexpected and totally unforeseen circumstances force the friends to forsake a honeymoon and return to the groom's roots in Ireland. Bequeathed a castle in Ireland with a history no one really knows much about, Cormac turns to Laine to help him find out what are the secrets in the castle, and how it can bring about peace in the family.

Told alongside this and linked to this castle is the story of the Easter Rising of 1916. Bloody, violent and merciless. It pitted Irishman against the detested English and the Protestant faith and it was long and tore the country apart. In sheer numbers the Englishmen fought to maintain supremacy and in the best forms of a rebellious army the Irish proved to be equally adept at outmaneuvering their masters.

There was strong characterization of women who played major league roles in 1916 in Ireland. Not easy on the women at all. There were love stories and tales of treachery and death but it did not detract from the sheer story telling of both time lines.

The present and the past stories both wove stories of love and faith, survival and family so those were common to both stories.

This was a lovely read which has to be savoured rather than rushed through.

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Thomas Nelson Fiction.

The Liar's Wife by Samantha Hayes

Ella is scared and worried. She wakes up in hospital after an accident and the nurse assures her that her husband is waiting anxiously for her to get up. Ella despite the injuries knows that she has never been married and is now terrified that her past life and the secret she carries is about to be exposed.

This is one of those psychological thrillers where you root for the party who is downtrodden and in this case it is Ella and you hope that she will be able to get out of this predicament.  It is quite a dark read and maybe not for everyone! It keeps you on edge right up to the end.

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Bookouture.


PS - Reviews are not very regular because hubby has been ill throughout the Christmas season and right now even, not quite right.

A Family Affair by Mary Campisi

I think a story like this is only possible in a vast country like America. Here where everyone would know everyone and find a long lost connection as well, this would be implausible if not impossible.

Christine Blacksworth world is turned upside down on the death of her father. She was dearly loved and very close to him, not so close to her mother who is a very manipulative and calculating woman.
Now Christine wants to find out who the woman is and why more importantly her father bequeathed a sizeable sum on his death.

Situated in a tiny town of Magdalena, Christine discovers a mistress whom she is ready to hate with all her might but meeting up with her and her daughter Lily who has Downs Syndrome and the enigmatic Nate puts Christine questioning who was the sinned and who was the sinner here. Her father for not being able to make up his mind between his mistress and his wife, and enjoying the best of both worlds - hypocritical to himself and to his ideals, his wife who pretended she did not know of the mistresses's existence or the mistress who had her partner for just four days every month and who yearned and counted the days till he returned and this went on for over 15 years!

A complicated story with a nice ending, romance, family and survival.

This was a free download. After a very long time I found something which I enjoyed from the free titles.

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

This was gothic but set in modern times with very modern characters. The characters portrayed were teachers, their present day normal teenagers, single mothers trying to do their best (in their opinion!!) for their children, and like countless families actually knowing very little of what their children are upto.

Clare is writing a book on R M Holland and the mystery behind him. She also teaches at Talgarth High which is where Holland lived and his wife had a tragic end. The mystery surrounding his daughter Mariana survives to the day. When one of her dearest friends are found murdered on similar lines to the Holland stories with tag lines from his writings, Clare knows she is in some danger. When Rick another fellow teacher is found stabbed to death in Holland's study Clare has to figure out who and most importantly why people surrounding her are being targeted. The danger spirals when Herbert her pet goes missing and then her ex husband is stabbed in London in a seemingly random attack.

Are these attacks as random as they seem, what is the significance of the notes that appear in Clare's diary which is secured in her house, her daughters random reaches into the spirits - all happening at the same time, all either connected to the Holland book or is it something else entirely. The detectives in charge have to put random clues by a clever murderer together before he strikes again. Both the final almost victim and the murderer were surprises to me.

A book I couldn't put down combining murder, the spirit world, a bit of Gothic and 21st century schooling with touches of romance put together well.

Sent to me by Netgalley, courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Winter Sister by Megan Collins

A death sixteen years ago traumatized both Sylvie and her mother Annie. Annie becomes an alcoholic and Sylvie is never the same. Cared for by an aunt, Sylvie is resentful of the lack of caring and indifference on the part of her mother. Persephone was a loved sister and her death especially since the murder was never solved left a huge hole in their existence.

Returning to the dismal family home Sylvie is determined to try to open this cold case, despite one of the original detectives long retired and the suspects being related to the most prominent man in this tiny town with a reputation for being determined to get his own way.

The story unravels fairly slowly, at times a bit too slow. You realize where this is going but that does not detract from the telling of the story. It is the characterization of Annie the mother that gripped me. That a woman could be so blind to anything else than her passionate love for a scoundrel amazed me. Everything else fell by the wayside. That she realized that her idol had feet of clay at the end, was neither here or there. That her surviving daughter could move on showed the character of Sylvie.

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Touchstone Atria Books.


PS This review done on my iPad so please excuse any shortcomings in typing!

Friends Like These by Sarah Alderson

Becca seemingingly has it all - good looks, a rich professional boyfriend, popularity in the office. It can spark envy especially if like Lizzie you are just ordinary, but you yearn to be so much more.

A chance accident and Becca as she was is no more. Lizzie is also transformed into a confident bright young woman. An encounter with the ex boyfriend of Becca's sets off a story which is so implausible, it has to be true.

We have all sent a text to a wrong number but in this case a Facebook post which is derogatory to Becca sets off a catastrophic tirade of revenge against Lizzie with disastrous consequences. When Lizzie realizes her mistake and tries to rectify it in the form of a face to face apology, she opens a can of worms in the form of a concocted life full of fabricated stories, showing a life much removed from reality.

The twist in the tale however does not end there. It catches you unaware and was bizarre. The author certainly knows to keep the best for last.

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Hodder & Stoughton.