The Chic Boutique on Baker Street - Rachel Dove

Description

Winner of the Prima Flirty Fiction Competition

The perfect escape to the country…

Recently single and tired of the London rat race Amanda is determined to make her dreams of setting up an idyllic countryside boutique come true, and the picturesque village of West¬field is the perfect place to
make a fresh start.

Local vet Ben is the golden boy of West¬field, especially to resident gossip Agatha Mayweather, who is determined to help Ben get his life back together after his wife left.

When a chance encounter outside the ‘chic boutique’ sets sparks flying between Amanda and Ben, Agatha is itching to set them up. But are Amanda and Ben really ready for romance?

Review

The author of this book won the Prima Flirty Fiction Competition and I can see why. This is such a fun and light-hearted book with a lovely cosy feeling to it.

Rachel has certainly woven a good yarn (no pun intended!) with this story of a once city high flyer setting up a handmade arts boutique. There are many ups and downs and if I had one slight criticism it would be about the misunderstandings throughout the book - they just made me impatient - however I can see that in the end they did add to the story line.

The ladies of the village who initially seem wary of Rachel rally round her to the last and form a formidable ally for her. I could identify with many of them and Rachel's descriptions of them really brought them to life for me.

My favourite part of the book was when Amanda realised who was on her side and who wasn't and the spectacular showdown which ensued.

Overall this is a good chill out read, not taxing, just go with the flow.

I'm giving this book four out of five stars. My thanks go to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy of this book to review.

A Pitying of Doves - Steve Burrows

Description

With murder, everyone pays a price ...

Why would a killer ignore expensive jewellery and take a pair of turtledoves as the only bounty?

This is only one of the questions that piques Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune’s interest after a senior attaché with the Mexican Consulate is found murdered alongside the director of a local bird sanctuary. The fact that the director’s death has opened up a full-time research position studying birds hasn’t eluded Jejeune either. Could this be the escape from policing that the celebrated detective has been seeking? Even if it is, Jejeune knows he owes it to the victims to solve the case first. But a trail that weaves from embittered aviary owners to suspicious bird sculptors only seems to be leading him farther from the truth. Meanwhile, Jejeune is discovering that diplomatic co-operation and diplomatic pressure go hand in hand.

With two careers hanging in the balance, the stakes have never been higher for Inspector Jejeune. And this time, even bringing a killer to justice may not provide the closure he’s looking for

Review

This book is a sequel to the book I reviewed here A Siege of Bitterns and is the middle book of a three part series.

It didn't seem that long since I last read the first book and to be frank I wasn't really ready for another bird book. However, I do like a challenge, so I began to read.

This time it wasn't so much all the bird references that annoyed me as Jejeune himself. He still can't fully commit to his police role in his mind, and it seems like he also can't do the same with his girlfriend Lindy, who I felt very sorry for in this book.

I was intrigued by the "whodunnit" aspect so I kept reading, but I found long portions of it boring. Around 3/4 of the way in suddenly (well not that sudden after 250 odd pages) the book began to get a bit exciting. I appreciate a story has to be woven and all of that comes together at some point, but it takes so long to get there with such a pedestrian plot line (but it is set in Norfolk not Miami). Yet again I felt the stronger character was Maik, and enjoyed his story line more, including a bit of a stand off he has near the end.

There was also some unexplained goings on in St Lucia where Jejeune and Lindy go apparently for a holiday - but guess what? Birding was the main pastime - another part where I felt sorry for Lindy.! I assume the outcome will be covered in the third book.

So to summarise - there are murders, birds are involved - The Chief thinks it's a closed case but Jejuene knows differently because of his birding and superior intellect.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars which is one up from last time, perhaps because I am getting into the characters more. It is certainly no reflection of the writing - just the subject matter!

My thanks go to Real Readers for an advance copy of this book which is out on 2 June 2016.

Far From True - Linwood Barclay

Description

New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Linwood Barclay delivers the second spine-chilling thriller set in the troubled town of Promise Falls, following the electrifying cliffhanger ending of Broken Promise...

After the screen of a run-down drive-in movie theater collapses and kills four people, the daughter of one of the victims asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into a recent break-in at her father's house. Cal discovers a hidden basement room where it's clear that salacious activities have taken place—as well as evidence of missing DVDs. But his investigation soon becomes more complicated when he realizes it may not be discs the thief was actually interested in....

Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is still trying to solve two murders—one of which is three years old—he believes are connected, since each featured a similar distinctive wound.

As the lies begin to unravel, Cal is headed straight into the heart of a dark secret as his search uncovers more startling truths about Promise Falls. And when yet another murder happens, Cal and Barry are both driven to pursue their investigations, no matter where they lead. Evil deeds long thought buried are about to haunt the residents of this town—as the sins of the past and present collide with terrifying results.

Review

I've only ever given a Linwood Barclay novel five stars but unfortunately this novel left me a little disappointed and just because it contains yet another cliff hanger. 

It is now clear that there is a trilogy of books with the Promise Falls series and this is the second one of those. Unlike other books, in my opinion you really need to have read Broken Promise to fully understand this book and also it would be ideal to read Never Look Away. I've only just read it (see here) as I got out of sync. Although there is a lot of recapping in this book, it serves as a memory jogger to those who are in the know rather than a complete flashback.There are also characters brought in from earlier novels that Linwood Barclay has written. 

At times I felt I could see a large mind map that Linwood must be using to keep track of all of these plot lines and the back stories for each character, which for the reader at times became a little harder to follow than it should be. I kept getting Cal and David mixed up - not sure why, but at times I couldn't understand what was happening because I had the wrong character in my mind. Lots of references to social media and an almost Fifty Shades of Grey story line made me wonder whether there is pressure to attract new readers, and so the story line has been adapted to do that.

Whilst this was an intriguing book, there are still more questions than answers and lets hope they are all resolved in the next book "The Twenty-three" which is out in November.

Please don't let this be the first Linwood Barclay novel you read or you will not understand what a genius he is. I can't wait for the next installment, I think I know who is behind some of what is happening - but I could be wrong.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars as I feel the author got too clever for the reader to follow. My thanks go to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Meddling with Murder - Ellie Campbell

Description
Crouch End Confidential, the agency started by housewife and mother, Cathy O'Farrell, with ex-cleaner, Pimple, is failing badly. Hardly surprising when Cathy's too soft-hearted to charge their only clients, little old ladies seeking lost pets and a school kid searching for his stolen bike. 

A new case involving a teenager in possession of an unexplained Glock pistol promises to change all that. Quickly Cathy's deep in waters over her head, forced with hilarious results to pose as a mathematics tutor, a subject of which she's truly clueless. There's also the tricky situation of best friend and new mother Rosa hiring her to investigate her fiancé, Alec, plus the mysterious sabotage of Cathy's friends' cycle shop and a gang of yobbos dealing drugs at her children's primary school. 

Worst of all, an ill-fated trip to rural Norfolk has Cathy's husband, Declan, intent on buying a post office and transplanting the family to safer climes, threatening to tear Cathy permanently from her beloved North London home. 

Pretty soon Cathy's risking her friendships, her marriage and even her life untangling all these messes. But that's what you get for meddling in murder...

Review
This book is a follow on novel from "To Catch a Creeper" which I reviewed here. It's not necessary to have read either of the previous books in this series as they are standalone books.

I felt this book was a little different to the previous two books as Cathy seems to have grown up, I mean she does mind maps! She is still dizzy and getting in a muddle, but somehow she copes better with it. I was LOL! at the text speak where Cathy and her ex-cleaner Pimple try to get down with the kids.

Although there is a murder in this book and obviously Cathy meddles in it, this book is what I would call a "cosy crime" book. Except this time I did start to get a little anxious at one of the scraps Cathy landed herself in. A very clever plot line ensures she has a new sidekick to make sure she doesn't come to too much harm. 

So many little nuances I found very amusing in this book. The bums and tums classes, the maths homework, Cathy's antics for house viewing and her going undercover. All little gems and great insights with a comical touch.

Once again a great read from the two sisters, and no you can't spot who writes which bit. You do need to suspend disbelief at times, but if you want a hard hitting crime novel, then read another author.....

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

Description

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER.
YOU DON'T KNOW HER. BUT SHE KNOWS YOU.
Rear Window meets Gone Girl, in this exceptional and startling psychological thriller

Review
I must be one of the last people to read this book. I did apply for a review copy but unfortunately wasn't successful. I then waited for the book to come down in price which it didn't - so I decided I would buy it and read it straight away! I'm sure it will be a film and before anyone gives away what happens I felt I really needed to get it read, so it jumped the TBR queue.

There is not much plot outline from the publisher as you can see in the description above, so there wasn't a lot to go on when I began to read the book.

First of all the book jumps around date wise - past and present and also between the main characters. I did have a little trouble remembering who was who and which time frame we were in - but that soon settled down. I also had to re-read the beginning because I thought I had missed something - but that is soon explained and I love the way the author wrote that once I got my head around it.

I really felt for the main character of the book - Rachel. I won't be giving too much away by saying that she feels her life has been stolen and she really would like it back. As the book progresses we come to realise why Rachel lost the life she had and maybe lose a little sympathy for her. There are plenty of characters not to like in the book - with good reason.

It really did keep me guessing right to the end - a great psychological thriller which I personally feel did deserve all the hype.

I'm giving it five out of five stars - and looking forward to more books from this author.

Middle-Aged Boys & Girls - Diane Bracuk

Description

We all know adults who are stranded in the amber of adolescence. Growing older but not necessarily growing up is the central theme of Middle-Aged Boys & Girls, featuring characters who, to varying degrees, are stuck in adolescent roles of rebel, outcast, enfant terrible and cool kid. All are linked by losses--of looks, of status, of job security, of health, of confidence--which forces them to life's inevitable turning point. Given that we are living in an age where fifty is the new forty, and forty is the new thirty, and twenty is the new god-knows-what, these stories, with their sometimes painful, sometimes funny and always unflinching truths, resonate.

Review

This is an easy collection of stories to dip in and out of and none of them take too long to read. Each story is a microcosm of everyday life with an aspect maybe twisted or blown out of proportion to make the story. I did find I was just getting into the story when I flicked the page to find the end of the story - just when it was beginning to capture me. I was attracted to this book by the cover and being of an age that I thought I would relate to the stories. However, I think it would suit any age and as I was reading the link to being middle-aged never really came into play for me. My thanks to Netgalley for a free copy of this book for review. I'm giving the book 4 out of 5 stars.

To Catch a Creeper - Ellie Campbell

Description
Cathy is riding high in her brand-new job at a (surprisingly bitchy) top London advertising agency working with best friend Rosa. But when Rosa's pregnancy goes amiss and enemies sabotage her new career, she finds herself leading a chaotic double life of lies and deception, hiding a shameful secret from all, especially husband Declan who appears in the throes of a nervous breakdown. Meanwhile she's agreed to unmask the notorious Crouch End Creeper, a burglar terrorizing their neighbourhood. Little does she know that her meddling, assisted by fellow mothers (the Wednesday Once Weeklies) and the Neighbourhood Watch, will lead their dangerous opponent to murder. And that it's not only the tall elegant transvestite who is placing herself at risk...

Review
This is the third book I have read by the sisters writing under the name of Ellie Campbell. I really like their writing style - so upbeat and a little crazy with the characters, but if you just go with it you are in for a really good enjoyable read.

There is a new book out in a few weeks called "Meddling with Murder" which is a sequel to this book - so I thought I had better get this off my virtual TBR personal shelf and read it.

In this book we meet Cathy again from "Looking for La La" but it is not necessary to have read that book first as there are enough references for this to be a standalone book, but without the - "I know all this" when you have read the previous book.

Cathy really could put a stop to all the misunderstandings and chaos that surrounds her life if she just told the truth - but that would be boring. I enjoyed the character more in this book, probably because I felt I already knew her and was willing to go along for the ride that is her mad life. 

There is yet again a "whodunnit" element to this book - I really thought I knew who it was, but I was a mile out! But the whodunnit is not the whole story, intermixed is Cathy struggling to fit in with a new job after returning to work, being undermined and also joining the neighbourhood watch. Not to mention her Husband having a mid life crisis - or is he? 

Such an entertaining read and some very true to life insights underneath all the slapstick.

I'm giving this book five out of five stars.