The Christmas Castle in Scotland

 

Description

Unwrap this gorgeous gift of a book for an escape to the snow-peaked caps of the Scottish Highlands and a romance that will melt your heart…

Izzy McBride had never in a million years expected to inherit an actual castle from her great uncle Bill but here she was, in the run up to Christmas, Monarch of her own Glen – a very rundown glen in need of a lot of TLC if her dream of turning it into a boutique bed and breakfast was to come true.

But when Izzy’s eccentric mother rents a room to enigmatic thriller author Ross Adair and the Scottish snow starts to settle like the frosting on a Christmas cake, it’s a race to get the castle ready before they’re all snowed in for the holidays.

Review

I've loved all the books in this series, but for some reason this one not so much.

Izzy has recently returned from Ireland, where we met her in The Cosy Cottage in Ireland on a cookery course. This is a standalone book and you don't need to have read the previous book. She intends to use the skills she's learnt to do the cooking at the Castle she has just inherited.

Although it is Izzy who has inherited the castle in Scotland which she intends to turn into a hotel, it's her Mother who appears to be front of house. This causes a lot of confusion, not least that she is related to Izzy as she won't let her call her Mother. Izzy is also very slow to correct anyone that it is not her Mother than owns the castle. 

There are many and varied supporting characters and I didn't really warm to any of them. The parts of the book I enjoyed were the descriptions of the food and getting the castle ready for the guests. The romance was a little light in this one and felt a little rushed at. There was also a bit of a mystery to be solved which I found annoying more than anything else. I was glad I kept reading as the last part of the book was probably the best.

If you are looking for a very light hearted Christmas read, then this one will be a good one to choose.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Found in a Bookshop - Stephanie Butland

 

Description

'A delightful and original concept about how a second hand bookshop can heal a community' Katie Fforde

'What a lovely book - so assured and gentle, full of compassion and replete with astute observations of human nature and behaviour' Carys Bray

Dear Lost for Words,

We are trying to stay at home . . . I am enclosing a cheque and I hope that you will use it to send us some books. Please choose books that we might think are wonderful.

Rosemary

Loveday Cardew's beloved Lost for Words bookshop, along with the rest of York, has fallen quiet. At the very time when people most need books to widen their horizons, or escape from their fears, or enhance their lives, the doors are closed. Then the first letter comes.

Rosemary and George have been married for fifty years. Now their time is running out. They have decided to set out on their last journey together, without ever leaving the bench at the bottom of their garden in Whitby. All they need is someone who shares their love of books.

Suddenly it's clear to Loveday that she and her team can do something useful in a crisis. They can recommend books to help with the situations their customers find themselves in: fear, boredom, loneliness, the desire for laughter and escape.

And so it begins.

Review

I really enjoyed this read, despite being in tears for most of the book.

I haven't read the predecessor to this book and did not realise one existed until I had finished. So this can definitely be read as a stand alone story. Set in the pandemic of 2020 it captures perfectly for me a lot of the feelings I had at that time. 

The preloved books of the Lost for Words bookshop are not being bought by anyone now the pandemic has taken hold and business are mainly shut. With few people venturing into York and passing trade non existent how will Loveday keep the shop afloat? That is when she hits on the idea of prescriptions for books, to help people through lockdown. People email in with what they are worried about or their fears and the bookshop staff suggest books and then deliver in York and surrounding areas or post them out.

I loved reading the suggestions of the books given and realised some of them are buried in my TBR. It was good to read a synopsis of why I was attracted to them in the first place. I kept stopping to research the books and worried I would not find them in the kindle version again. I need not have worried as at the end of the book they are all listed with a few more too.

We get to meet the people who have asked for the book suggestions and get a glimpse into their lives, some with a backstory before the pandemic. There's also some themes of abuse and of course death which are dealt with very sensitively but all the same are chilling at times.

If I had read this book before a lockdown I might have thought it was far fetched, but having lived through the reality this book and it's stories rang very true. For some it might be a time they wish not to revisit and then this won't be the book for you. It has some lovely highlights and even those made me cry! I liked the style of writing and will look out the predecessor novel.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. This book will be published on 23 April 2023.

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois - Honoree Fanonne Jeffers

 

Description

The 2020 National Book Award–nominated poet makes her fiction debut with this magisterial epic—an intimate yet sweeping novel with all the luminescence and force of Homegoing; Sing, Unburied, Sing; and The Water Dancer—that chronicles the journey of one American family, from the centuries of the colonial slave trade through the Civil War to our own tumultuous era.

The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about the Problem of race in America, and what he called “Double Consciousness,” a sensitivity that every African American possesses in order to survive. Since childhood, Ailey Pearl Garfield has understood Du Bois’s words all too well. Bearing the names of two formidable Black Americans—the revered choreographer Alvin Ailey and her great grandmother Pearl, the descendant of enslaved Georgians and tenant farmers—Ailey carries Du Bois’s Problem on her shoulders.

Ailey is reared in the north in the City but spends summers in the small Georgia town of Chicasetta, where her mother’s family has lived since their ancestors arrived from Africa in bondage. From an early age, Ailey fights a battle for belonging that’s made all the more difficult by a hovering trauma, as well as the whispers of women—her mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuries—that urge Ailey to succeed in their stead.

To come to terms with her own identity, Ailey embarks on a journey through her family’s past, uncovering the shocking tales of generations of ancestors—Indigenous, Black, and white—in the deep South. In doing so Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of oppression and resistance, bondage and independence, cruelty and resilience that is the story—and the song—of America itself.

Review

At 800 pages this book has kept me busy for some time and I enjoyed it so much.

I only heard of this book because Barack Obama had it on his reading list and I was intrigued. I read the first pages as a preview online and was hooked from thereon in. 

The book begins in the 1700s  in America and the honesty of the writing and descriptions just kept me reading. As with any "saga" I did get a little confused at times with who was who in the family tree, and what era we had leapt from and to. 

Ailey is the 20th century woman we follow through her life up to and after college. She has a sister Lydia and we hear about her and the other siblings lives through Ailey's eyes. What I wasn't expecting was that later in the book Lydia is revisited in her own right. It seemed strange at the time but once her story was told in full I began to see why it was done. I did get concerned that the 800 pages were going to taken up in this way with the story repeating, but in the main the story was sequential, if in a flip flop fashion. 

If you are looking for a read to be all encompassing then this is the one for you. Some American references, especially sororities were lost on me at times, but it didn't detract from the overall story.

My thanks to my library and Bolinda digital for the ebook loan.

Marple: Twelve New Stories

 

Description

A brand new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors.

*The first print run will be a true collector’s edition with a gold foiled design on the cover board – pre-order now*

This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery.
· Naomi Alderman
· Leigh Bardugo
· Alyssa Cole
· Lucy Foley
· Elly Griffiths
· Natalie Haynes
· Jean Kwok
· Val McDermid
· Karen M. McManus
· Dreda Say Mitchell
· Kate Mosse
· Ruth Ware

Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time.

Review

A brilliant collection of stories.

I am a big Agatha Christie fan and was intrigued if all these authors could pull off (to my taste) Jane Marple. There are a few that really did that for me and I loved them and most of the others were just about there. A couple of them for me missed the mark, but I will let you decide for yourselves which ones you think did or did not pass the test. 

One of the stories stood out above all else for me, with the beautiful descriptions which really took me away with them. Another stood out for the language which felt so close to that of Jane Marple. There was one story where a phrase felt off for it to be said by Miss Marple, and it did slightly annoy me. The stories however are allowed to cover the period from the 1930s to the 1970s so there is a difference in language depending on when each story is set.

The commonalty all the stories have is that they are wonderful mysteries. Even if you don't like or have never read Miss Marple stories, give these a go, as you will be missing out if you like a mystery. 

I'm not the biggest fan of short stories, but these had me enthralled and I will be reading them again.

I'm giving this collection of stories 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Alias Emma - Ava Glass

 

Description

Emma Makepeace is about to spend the longest night in her life.

She's on her first operation with shadowy organisation The Agency and is assigned to track down a man wanted by the Russians and bring him in to the safety of MI6. When she identifies her target, Michael, in the northern reaches of Camden town in the late hours of the night, she realises that in order to get him to safety, she needs to reach MI6 by dawn. The only problem? It's on the other side of London and the Russians have eyes everywhere. If spotted, Emma and Michael will be killed.

What follows is an exhilarating chase across London's criss-cross streets, the Regent's Canal, a hidden underground river and finally, as dawn breaks, a painstakingly tense crossing of the Thames.

But what sort of reception awaits them? Who can be trusted? And why do the Russians seem to be ahead of them every step of the way?

KILLING EVE meets JAMES BOND in the first novel of the ALIAS EMMA series: a thrilling, cinematic page-turner starring the most likeable and resourceful of heroines.

Review

A great fast paced read.

Emma Makepeace is newly qualified and undercover in a quiet shop in London. That is until she gets a call that her services are needed for a much more important job. She has to protect a man wanted by the Russians, the only thing is he isn't convinced he's in danger and, wants no part of her protection. The first part of her assignment then is to change his mind.

Once Emma convinces Michael he is in danger the action really takes off. I was then surprised by the book taking a backward look at how Emma became an agent and her career so far. This happened a few times and at first was an irritant until it all came together and added so much more to the this cat and mouse chase.

Just how can two people become invisible in a city covered in cameras and outwit their predators, who seem to be one step ahead of them all the time? 

Emma reminded me of Purdy (Joanna Lumley) from the Avengers - she is a feisty, so resourceful and, it was a joy to read her exploits. It can be difficult to read action scenes and them not be confusing or boring, but I was in no doubt throughout this book what was happening. The book certainly kept me on the edge of my seat.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital - Joanna Nell

 

Description

Three unlikely friends. One chance to save the community. It might just be the perfect blend....

The Marjorie Marshall Memorial Cafeteria is at the heart of St Jude's Hospital. Staffed by successive generations of dedicated volunteers, for over fifty years the beloved cafeteria has been serving up a kind word and sympathetic ear along with tea and scones.

Hilary, the stalwart Manageress, has worked her way up through the ranks; Joy, the latest recruit, is driving Hilary mad by arriving late every day; and seventeen-year-old Chloe, the daughter of two successful surgeons, is volunteering in the holidays and bemused by the older women.

But when they discover the cafeteria is under threat of closure, the unlikely trio must put aside their differences. As they realise the secrets and sorrows they have in common, the women grow closer - but can they bring the community together and save the day?

Full of wisdom and warmth, The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital is a gorgeously poignant, hilarious story about unlikely friendships, growing old disgracefully, and coming together to save the things we love...

Review

I just loved it.

When you just want to read a heartwarming story, no complicated plot, just immerse yourself in another world - then this is the book to read.

I really related to so much in this book, despite it being set in Australia (which I forgot about until half way through) so many things resonated with me. The volunteer hospital experience is one I am familiar with and the author got it spot on, including the career volunteers!

We meet Hilary, Joy and Chloe as they are all volunteers for different reasons at the hospital cafe. They all have a different backstory and the relating of these made me care about them all so much more. Each character is so well defined and the differing ages really made this so realistic too. I also applaud the author for making the older women social media savvy too.

Everything is beginning to settle down for Hilary with her new staff when the cafe comes under threat from closure. This is when the three ladies really begin to rally together and form a team to fight everyone that's against them, despite efforts from others to undermine that.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Murder List - Jackie Kabler

 

Description

The brand new psychological thriller from the author of Am I Guilty, The Perfect Couple and The Happy Family

When Mary receives a blank diary as a present, she thinks nothing of it. Until she opens the diary, and sees it’s not blank after all…

1st January MURDER LISA, OXFORD
1st February MURDER JANE, BIRMINGHAM
1st March MURDER DAVID, CARDIFF
1st April MURDER MARY, CHELTENHAM

Is this a sick joke? But…it’s the end of January now. And a woman called Lisa was murdered in Oxford on 1st January.

Could there really be a killer out there, planning to commit a new murder each month? And is the Mary due to be killed on 1st April her?

The clock is ticking for Mary to uncover the truth, before she becomes the next victim on the killer’s list…

Review

Fast paced and a twisty ride.

The book is for the most part narrated by Mary Ellis - receiver of the Murder List.  I really liked the voice she had, so easy going and relatable, she could be anyone you know. So when she discovers her name is potentially on a list of planned murders it hits home and feels so real. 

The author was clever in making me think everyone was possibly the murderer, and I ran ahead in my mind with all sorts of theories.  When one of my theories proved right I thought I had this plot all sewn up, but of course I didn't. A few twists I didn't see coming made me turn pages faster and faster. 

It's a really original concept. A Murder List giving the police the date of who is going to be murdered and where - but it's not quite that straightforward, especially with the name David in Cardiff! From the zoom meetings to the stake outs it was gripping stuff wondering if the police would figure it all out before the 1st April.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to negalley for the ARC to review.