BOOKSIMO

Description Claire Wright likes to play other people.   A British drama student, in New York without a green card, Claire takes the only job she can get: working for a firm of divorce lawyers, posing as an easy pick-up in hotel bars to entrap straying husbands. When one of her targets becomes the subject of a murder investigation, the police ask Claire to use her acting skills to help lure their suspect into a confession. But right from the start, she has doubts about the part she's being asked to play. Is Patrick Fogler really a killer . . . Or the only decent husband she's ever met? And is there more to this set-up than she's being told? And that's when Claire realises she's playing the deadliest role of her life . . . Review I was attracted to reading this book as I loved the previous novel by J P Delaney, The Girl Before. It turns out that this book was actually his first book. However, he totally rewrote it, keeping just the overall premise of the ...

Description Meet private detective James Leipfold, computer whizzkid Maile O'Hara and good-natured cop Jack Cholmondeley in the first book of the Leipfold series. A car strikes in the middle of the night and a young actress lies dead in the road. The police force thinks it's an accident, but Maile and Leipfold aren't so sure. Putting their differences aside, and brought together by a shared love of crosswords and busting bad guys, Maile and Leipfold investigate. But not all is as it seems, as they soon find out to their peril. Review I've followed Dane Cobain through social media for some time and so when he quit his day job to become a full time writer I was intrigued what his books would be like. I've had this book on my personal tbr list for some time and am so glad I finally got around to reading it. It really was a cracking read. I loved the characters, especially Maile with her bang up to date internet sleuthing  skills. In fact the book was full ...

Description With nearly 60 per cent of us living in cities, the mega-city of Tokyo, through centuries of raze and rebuild, is surely the guiding light for how we can live together amicably in an ever-urbanising world.   Not only is Japan the mother of all metropolis’ but with two thirds of the country covered in forest, there is still much respect and celebration of the natural world, with people perfectly placed to make the most of the green space around them. From the art of making tea, to going for a hike, or celebrating imperfections, there are ceremonies the Japanese have been honing for centuries that thrive alongside modern traditions and practices of well-being.   From Miyazaki to mountains, sake to sparking joy, find your Zen and make time to learn about how to live Japanese. Whether it’s the cutting edge of film-making, revolutionizing the whisky market or competing with parents on lunchboxes, you’ll be all the better for some time spent with  How to Live J...

Description Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . . Because how do you decide what makes life worth living? How do you separate out what you can do without from what you hold dear? In dealing with the Devil our narrator will take himself – and his beloved cat – to the brink. Genki Kawamura's If Cats Disappeared from the World is a story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters in modern life. This beautiful tale is translated from the Japanese by Eric Selland, who also translated The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide. Fans of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles...

Description Kosuke is a perfectly normal dog with an unusual ambition: he wants to be a mechanic. He wants to design and build the powerful, exhilarating jetcars of Formula Q. His problem? He’s a dog. Some people just won’t take him seriously, and that includes his own brother.  Encouraged by Speedlord, an unknown subscriber to Kosuke’s lifestream, Kosuke decides to take one last shot at his dream, but when his big brother turns out to prove him wrong, the event becomes far more than just a race. Can Kosuke prove that he too can handle the awe-inspiring speed of the Hyper Q jetcars he longs to design or will he lose not just the race, but his hopes and dreams for the future? Will his brother succeed in proving he’s a no talent normal dog? Who exactly is Speedlord?  Normal Dog and the Legend of Self Esteem can be read alone or as part of a collection of YA stories and (so far) one novel (Formula Q - to be published September 2018) set in a bright, colorful future where ca...

Description 1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath's leading department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series  Mr Selfridge  and  The Paradise . Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath's premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work. Her father, Edward Pennington believes his daughter lacks the business acumen to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him. Determined to break from her father's iron-clad hold and prove she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely alliance with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter. United they forge forward to bring Pennington's into a new decade, embracing woman's equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and pleasure. Can this dream team thwart Edward Pennington's plans for the store? Or will Edward prove himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately ruin both Elizabeth a...