The Cracked Mirror - Chris Brookmyre

  

Description

FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL

You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a twinset and tweed.

You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.

Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.

A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.

Review

This is my first read by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect, being drawn in by the sideways reference to Agatha Christie in the title.

I felt like the book started in traditional Agatha Christie territory in an English village and a little old lady who solved murders. Just settling into that when we are transported to Los Angeles and a homicide detective called Johnny Hawke who has trouble keeping his partners alive.

The story then switched between these two places and it was as if I was reading two totally separate books. What was happening here? How are these two opposite people going to end up being involved in the same story. Slowly it began to come together when suddenly a new person was introduced with their own agenda and story. I was now totally flummoxed with three threads and a shed load of characters, but I read on, hoping it was all going to become clear.

Without totally ruining the book there isn't much else I can say, other than I have never read anything like it before. So very clever, at times maybe too clever for the reader who is having to grasp all the information wondering when it will be needed.  

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Little Brown Book group and netgalley for the ARC to review.

This Motherless Land - Nikki May

 

Description

From the prize-winning author of WAHALA, a powerful de-colonial retelling of MANSFIELD PARK, exploring identity, culture, race and love

'A spirited exploration of culture and kinship' BONNIE GARMUS
'Deeply emotional and entertaining' EMMA STONEX, author of The Lamplighters
'Tugs at the heartstrings' DAMILARE KUKU, author of Nearly all the Men in Lagos are Mad
'______________
When Funke’s mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she’s sent to live with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in, determined to become one of them.

Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family, to be nothing like them. Fiercely protective of Funke, she at last has an ally. The two cousins give each other what they need most: love.

But the past casts long shadows and the choices made by their mothers haunt them, shaping the trajectory of their adult lives. Can they escape their legacy?

Review

Wow! I loved this book so much.

The story begins in 1978 set in Nigeria. When Funke's mother and brother dies her Father grieves his wife and his heir. Funke is sent to England to live with her estranged family. The estrangement came about due to her parents having an interracial marriage. This sets the tone for Funke's life in England albeit her cousin Liv who becomes her best friend.

The years pass and Liv is not a happy young woman. She drinks to excess as well as a lot of other things. When Funke gets unwittingly caught up in Liv's wrong doings it's hard not to cry for her. You could see the shortcomings approaching and reading on only confirmed my worst fears for Funke.

The book ends with the two girls now in adulthood. I was racing through those last chapters needing closure. I leave you to find out for yourself if I got it.

So many brilliantly drawn characters in this book. I felt totally immersed in the world of Funke and Liv.

It's been a while since I really wanted to pick up a book and just read and read it. I loved Wahala and wondered if this book would live up to it. I would say it is a totally different read, apart from covering the cultural differences between British/Nigerian cultures. 

I can't wait to read her next book. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks for the invite from Randomhouse to read the ARC on netgalley. The book is published on 18 July 2024.

A Good Place to Hide a Body - Laura Marshall

 

Description

'Can you come round?' Dad says tremulously.
'Of course. Are you OK? Is it Mum?'
'No!' He almost shouts it. 'Just come quickly. The garden...the...body... we need you, Penny.'
For women of Penny's generation, being on hand for elderly parents is just part of life. But for Penny, things have become a little more serious...

When she receives a frantic phone call from her parents one night, with express instructions NOT to call the police, Penny rushes over at once. But they haven't had a fall. They haven't forgotten their computer passwords. They've killed someone. And his body is lying in the garden, right next to the rose bushes.
Everyone is capable of murder. They just need to meet the right person.

Review

A dark and in places amusing read.

Penny thinks her elderly parents are a little needy and getting in the way of her life. However, this time when they ring she realises they really do need her. 

The books begins with the "body" and works backwards for three months. Just as I was beginning to think there wasn't much to the plot we catch up to the present day, then it really became a page turner. Every time I thought I must be near the end of the book there was another twist. In the end this book definitely became a thriller.

The best drawn characters for me were the parents. Surprises up their sleeves at every turn. Whilst a lot of current books have older people solving crimes, in this case they are involved in the crime. Penny was a little judgemental about everyone and certainly very tardy with her work. However she did take a lot of risks that had me holding my breath at times.

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

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop - Satoshi Yagisawa

 

Description

In Tokyo, there is a neighbourhood with the highest number of bookstores in the world. It is called Jimbocho where book lovers can browse to their heart's delight and where hunters of first editions or autographed copies prowl the bookcases.

The Morisaki bookshop, a small family-run shop, is so packed with books that barely five people can fit inside. Books crowd the shelves and invade every corner of the floor; when a customer arrives, the owner, Satoru, immediately pops out from behind the counter. Recently, his wife Momoko has joined him, and often, in her free time after work, their niece Takako also helps out.

For the first time, the girl does not feel lonely; she has new friends and new rituals to keep her company: the annual Jimbocho festival, the café around the corner, or an unexpected visitor. Because, as she has discovered, a bookstore is populated not by the characters contained in the books, but also by those who frequent it. And those stories create bonds.
As a sign of gratitude, Takako gives her aunt and uncle a trip, promising to look after the shop while they are away. Everything seems to be going swimmingly, but then why is Satoru behaving so strangely? And what does that woman with the red umbrella want who has appeared at the end of the street? How many other stories, emotions, and treasures does the Morisaki bookshop hold?

Loved by thousands of readers worldwide, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a story of hope, friendship and the healing power of books. Will we see you in the bookshop this summer?

Review

This is a sequel to Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. This book can be read as standalone, but you will really get to know the characters better if you read the first book. Also, you will be missing so much of the back story.

Takako is once again the central character in the book. This time she gifts a short break to her Uncle and Aunt and looks after the bookshop whilst they are away. She really relishes the time spent at the bookshop, even sleeping over in her old room. 

Once her Uncle and Aunt return from their trip things seem to be different, and Takako is unsure what is wrong. She also has some worries around her own relationship with Wada. Meanwhile two of her friends are also having a difficult time relating to one another.

The writing is as always magical and so eloquent, but the themes running through the book are a little melancholy at times. Sometimes to the Western mind it seems that it could all be resolved so easily but that is not the way in Japan. Without wishing to spoil the book I won't say anymore about that. 

I really enjoyed reconnecting with the characters, it was like meeting old friends.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 4 July 2024.

Our Holiday - Louise Candlish

 

Description

A gripping new summer thriller from the bestselling author of Our House, full of characters you'll love to hate and twists you'll never see coming!

‘A stylish, sun-soaked thriller… Our Holiday is destined to be THE summer read of 2024’ Janice Hallett

‘A sharp, brilliantly observed novel that had me gasping at every twist and turn’ Sarah Pearse

‘Smart, sharp and suspenseful with characters you won’t forget’ Adele Parks

Charlotte and Perry long for summers at Cliff View, their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge. And now that city friends Amy and Linus have bought a property nearby, they plan lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda.

But there’s trouble in paradise…

A rising tide of resentment towards second-home owners is heading their way and small acts of criminal damage are escalating into something more menacing. By the end of the summer, families and friendships will be torn apart and Pine Ridge will be known for more than its sun-drenched beaches.

It will be known for murder…

Review

I requested to review this book based solely on the author, as I have loved her previous books. This one not so much.

The book is mainly set in a seaside town in England. Two couples both who met in London where they live now have holiday homes in the same road. The idea being, at least by the women of the group, that they share time together on holiday.

The locals are not happy about the DFL (Down From London) people only occupying the properties for part of the year, when they are living in caravans and unable to afford property. So they've formed #NJFA - Not Just For August, to campaign against the DFLs. 

Not only are temperatures rising between DFLs and #NJFA, but the DFLs themselves have some rivalry and ignominy within their ranks too. Several storylines run throughout the book making it an interesting read. For me though, I couldn't get straight in my own head who lived in which property and whose children belonged to which couple.

The book begins at the end and is narrated throughout by various characters. The story then goes backwards to when the DFLs first arrive in August, before flipping between the two timelines. As the timelines began to catch up with each other I had to re read a few lines to realise which timeline I was now in. The story went on far too long for my liking, until about the last quarter of the book when I couldn't put it down. 

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

How to Age Dis-gracefully - Clare Pooley

Description

'Uplifting, heartwarming and joyful. Restored my faith in humankind' - Ruth Jones

When age makes you invisible, secrets are easier to hide

Daphne knows that age is just a number. She also knows that society no longer pays her any attention – something she’s happy to exploit to help her hide a somewhat chequered past.

But finding herself alone on her 70th birthday, with only her plants to talk to and neighbours to stalk online, she decides she needs some friends. Joining a Senior Citizen's Social Club she’s horrified at the expectation she’ll spend her time enduring gentle crafting activities. Thankfully, the other members – including a failed actor addicted to shoplifting and a prolific yarn-bomber – agree.

After a tragic accident, the local council threaten to close the club – but they have underestimated the wrong group of pensioners...and with the help of a teenage dad and a geriatric, orphaned dog, the incongruous gang set out to prove it.

As long as their pasts don't catch up with them first…

Review

Absolutely brilliant.

This is my third book by this author and it was just as good as the previous two novels. I was a little concerned that a group of people trying to save a club was going to be a little pedestrian to say the least. But with the cast of diverse characters in age and background, who all had such interesting storylines and a point of view in the story, it was amazing.

Witty writing and great one liners made this a joy to read. There were some hard hitting parts too but they were cushioned with the funny parts. Even when someone died it had a funny side. It kept me gripped until the end.

I'll admit I had the wrong idea about Daphne from the beginning. As the book progressed I started to realise she was definitely hiding her light and for disturbing reasons. When I grow up I want to be Daphne and get a walking stick and channel her. You need to read the book to find out why. She really was the star of the book closely followed by Ziggy and really everyone else!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book will be published on 20 June 2024.

No such thing as perfect - Emma Hughes

 

Description

'I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud, I was rooting for Laura from the first page. Tender, funny, smart and brilliantly observed. The perfect blend of uplifting escapism and social satire, an utter page turner and such a clever, perceptive moving one. I LOVED it!' DAISY BUCHANAN

No one's life is as perfect as it looks.

Least of all Laura Morrison's. (Although she's not sure how perfect hanging onto your job by a thread and sleeping on an air mattress at your sister's looks, in all honesty.)

When Laura gets the chance to trial Cupid - a high-tech new dating service which will draw on everything she's ever done online to find her perfect match - she figures it's got to be worth a try.

She can't believe her luck when good-looking, kind considerate Adam turns up for their first date. On paper he's...well...perfect.

But when Laura develops feelings for the person who led her to Adam in the first place, familiar doubt creeps in.

Maybe for life to start falling into place, Laura has to learn to let go...

Sharply-observed and laugh-out-loud funny, NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT is the perfect novel for anyone who has ever wondered if there's a formula for finding love.

Review

A different kind of rom-com.

Laura's not much going for her. Her job at the Bugle magazine is on the line, she's sleeping on an air mattress and the guy she once dated is now loved up with their ex flat mate. So when an assignment to test Cupid a new dating service comes along she grabs it, as it might just save her job and get her a boyfriend.

Part of the book is a look back at Laura's childhood and also her relationship with Walker who is now with her ex flat mate. These parts of the book felt like a bit of a pity part at times and I wasn't sure what they were adding to the current story.

Everything seems great when she meets Adam who is the hook up from the dating service. Everyone likes him even her snooty sister. He seems to know what she wants and is willing to put himself out for her. It's still not enough for Laura as she then decides maybe another guy is the one she really wants.

I did like the comedic writing and Laura's friend Lil is a great character along with her little girl Dora. I just didn't really warm to Laura especially when she starts to mess things up. It certainly doesn't follow the usual rom-com path and kept me interested to the end.

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