Mrs Spy - M. J. Robotham

 

Description

Get ready for a pulse-pounding, laugh-out-loud ride through 1960s London as Maggie Flynn, unexpected MI5 operative and single mum, unravels the intelligence agency's most treacherous secrets.

***

Maggie Flynn isn’t your typical 1960s mum.

She’s a spy, a covert operative for MI5, stalking London’s streets in myriad disguises.

Widowed and balancing her clandestine career with raising a very angsty teenage daughter, Maggie finds comfort and purpose in her profession – providing a connection to her late husband, whose own covert past only surfaced after his death.

But Maggie’s world spins out of control when a chance encounter with a mysterious Russian agent triggers a chilling revelation: he knew her husband. And what’s worse, the agent suspects someone on home soil betrayed him.

As Maggie searches for answers, she’ll question everyone – and everything – she thought she could trust. In the dangerous world of espionage, can she outsmart those determined to keep her silenced?

Review

Not what I expected from the title.

Set in the 1960s Maggie Flynn is Mrs Spy. She is widowed and has a daughter and errant mother living with her. She's no Jane Bond and is far from glamourous in her role as a watcher. Something a middle aged woman is suited to, as no one gives her a second glance, especially in her many wigs. 

She's fairly content with her lot apart from a nasty bunion causing her grief. Then she has to mind a Russian agent with whom she has an interesting conversation, which leads her to believe her husband was much more than a watcher himself.

I loved the social history aspects of this book. From Maggie trying to obtain Beatles tickets for her daughter to her taking her shopping on the Kings Road. It all seemed fairly low key and pedestrian when the plot took a bit of a sinister turn and my interest was piqued. There were some truly nail biting parts that followed and I would have liked more of those. 

Maggie is a strong character and that shows through from her transition from a watcher to actually spying. 

However, I didn't find this book laugh out loud as the blurb suggests. There were amusing scenes of domesticity with her daughter and mother and some very true to life observations of a middle aged lady's ailments.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 15 May 2025.

The Second Chance Book Club - Stephanie Butland

I'm on the Blog Tour for this wonderful book today.

Description

Dear Ms Blythe

We are dealing with an estate of which you may be a beneficiary. Please send any documents in your possession that relate to your birth and adoption.

September is at her wits' end. There's never enough money to support her boyfriend and herself. September has nothing to look forward to.

Then the letter comes. September has inherited a house from a great-aunt she never knew she had. It would make sense to sell it. But when sees the place - the orange gate, the garden, the tree, the bumblebee door knocker - she doesn't want to let it go. Not yet. Then the members of the book club arrive, and she begins to discover the story of the family she didn't know. And to make new friends.

September feels safe here. But money alone can't bring contentment. September is just at the start of a journey full of surprises, shocks – and opportunities, if she's brave enough . . .

Review

As soon as I began to read this book I knew I already loved it!

We meet September as she is struggling to make ends meet and her boyfriend is not helping financially or being supportive. She receives a letter that looks like it may be a demand of some sort, so she is not keen to open it. When she does open it, she is informed she may have inherited a house from a relative she never knew. In fact she never knew she had any relatives. 

After her inheritance is confirmed September goes to visit the house which was owned by her Aunt Lucia, and to say she is overwhelmed is an understatement. Her boyfriend is keen to sell and get a new place together. September decides to move into the house and finds all sorts of things within it, including a book club.

The story flip flops between present day and back when Aunt Lucia was alive. We learn a little more quickly than September some secrets and I was itching for her to find them out. 

There is so much within the pages of this book including love, hate, anger, prejudice, adoption, women's rights and deception. The characters were all brought to life so vividly. To say too much would give spoilers, but I will say that I was so pleased that there was an Epilogue. I feel I can let everyone go knowing what happens, although this book will stay with me for a long time.

At the end of the book is a list of all the books referred to, so no need to make a list!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Headline Books for providing me with a copy of the book to review and inviting me onto the Blog Tour today.

The Cat Who Saved the Library - Sosuke Natsukawa

 

Description

The must-have sequel to Sosuke Natsukawa's bestselling The Cat Who Saved Books – an uplifting tale from Japan about a talking cat, a book-loving girl and the power of books to make a difference in the world.

Nanami sees nothing wrong with a library and cat combination. But a talking cat is a whole other story.

Nanami Kosaki loves reading. The local library is a home from home and books have become her best friends. When Nanami notices books disappearing from the library shelves, she’s particularly curious about a suspicious man in a grey suit whose furtive behaviour doesn’t feel right. Should she follow him to see what he’s up to?

When a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears to warn her about how dangerous that would be, together they’re brave enough to follow the frightening trail to find out where all the books have gone. Will Nanami and Tiger overcome the challenges of the adventure ahead?

Warm, wonderful and wise, The Cat Who Saved the Library is also a powerful lesson never to underestimate the value of great literature, and a reminder always to think for ourselves, no matter what our charismatic leaders might say.

Translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai

Review

A follow up to The Cat Who Saved Books. It is a standalone book, so you can read it and enjoy, even if you didn't read the previous book.

Nanami realises that books are disappearing from her local library, but she seems to be the only one that notices. As of course it is a library and books will be on loan, but she knows they have been gone for much longer. Then she notices a grey man who is always hanging about in the library racks. Time for the cat to appear and help her save the books.

I was reminded of Fahrenheit 451, albeit fleetingly, as the story traces Nanami on a mission to save the books from another world to which they are being taken. It also charts her discoveries about life and people and her own seeming fragility.

Apart from the cat there is also another character from the first book that appears which was a nice touch. Overall I am not sure I enjoyed it as much as the first book. There was a lot of detail about the other world and it certainly stretched the imagination.

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

The Maid's Secret - Nita Prose

 

Description

Molly the Maid is used to being invisible. But it's time for her to shine in a brand new mystery…

**AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW**

*THE SPARKLING NEW MYSTERY FROM THE NO.1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE MAID*

–––––

Molly the maid is no stranger to secrets…

She sees everything behind closed doors at the Regency Grand hotel: wiping away the dust and grime of guests passing through.

But one secret lies much closer to home.

An old trinket – a faux Fabergé egg – is revealed to be a precious antique during an appraisal at the hotel, making Molly a rags-to-riches sensation. But no sooner has the egg shown its value than it’s stolen: vanishing without a trace.

Determined to crack the case of the missing Fabergé, Molly begins dusting for clues – uncovering a mystery that stretches deep into the past.

For in the pages of a long-forgotten diary, written by her late gran, lie the secrets that could unlock all others – and only Molly holds the key…

Review

This is the third book (there was a novella too) in the Molly the Maid series. I enjoyed the first one, loved the second one and this one I felt didn't quite hit the mark for me.

When the hotel where Molly works hosts a TV programme that values antiques, Molly decides to take a few of her late Grandmothers trinkets to be valued. When one of them is found to be a rare antique and extremely valuable, it seems Molly's life is about to change.

The book flip flops between the present, with Molly getting married, and the past, through her Grandmother's old diary. We get to read the diary before Molly does, and so the pieces of the mystery of the trinket begin to be uncovered. I really liked the parts of the diary, but then felt annoyed when I had to get back to the present day. 

Molly didn't seem to have the same voice as she had previously, but that could have been due to all the mayhem being caused by the antique being valuable, and the changes it will bring to her life. The character of Molly really came back true to form towards the end of the book. She began to take control over the situation with the antique, and I thought it was more like the first two books.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars because I did find it hard going at times. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 10 April 2025.

Fair Play - Louise Hegarty

 

Description

This is a murder mystery. This is a story about love. Or is it? . . .

Fair Play is the puzzle-box story of two competing tales that brilliantly lay bare the real truth of life - the terrifying mystery of grief.

'A treat – clever, confident, and always surprising, a mystery story that ingeniously escapes the locked room of the genre to take on the biggest questions of life and death' Paul Murray, author of THE BEE STING

'Dazzling, formally subversive, brimming with compassion' Colin Walsh, author of KALA

Abigail and her brother Benjamin have always been close. To celebrate his birthday, Abigail hires a grand old house and gathers their friends together for a murder mystery party. As the night goes on, they drink too much and play games. Relationships are forged, consolidated or frayed. Someone kisses someone they shouldn’t, someone else’s heart is broken.

In the morning, everyone wakes up – except Benjamin.

Suddenly everything is not quite what it seems. An eminent detective arrives determined to find Benjamin’s killer. The house now has a butler, a gardener and a housekeeper. This is a locked-room mystery, and everyone is a suspect.

As Abigail attempts to fathom her brother’s unexpected death in a world that has been turned upside down, she begins to wonder whether perhaps the true mystery might have been his life . . .

Review

At first I wasn't sure what I had just finished reading, I needed time to digest it.

The book opens with Abigail preparing an Air BNB for the yearly NY party/her Brother's birthday. So far so good. The guests begin to arrive, rather a lot to keep track of for me.

The next day is Benjamin's (her brother) birthday. But he never wakes up to celebrate. He is found in a locked bedroom. A fictional detective and his sidekick turn up to investigate and it appears the house the guests are in, is not a Air BNB, but a grand house that Abigail and her brother own. They even have their own servants. It would seem we are also transported back to the 1930s judging by the dialogue. Strange I thought, reading on and deciding to stick with it.

I actually enjoyed the fictional detective and his powers of deduction ala Monsieur Poirot. The plot became a little like the "Sliding Doors" film. It got a tedious when there was a lot of repeated dialogue, which I scan read. Maybe italics might have been good at this point to distinguish the prose just read. 

Then came the ending. Which at first floored me, I had no idea what had happened. Mulling it over for some time after finishing I think I can reconcile what Abigail was doing and the reason for the ending, but that would be a spoiler.

Most important to mention is that this is not an Agatha Christie clone, or a mystery per se. The trope is used to convey much more than that, so you may be disappointed, or confused if you are expecting it to be purely a murder mystery.

The more I mull, the more I realise how clever the writing is, but it won't be for everyone. So I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. The book is published 3 April 2025. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) - Jesse Sutanto

 

Description

The follow-up to the bestselling Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice to Murderers

Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

Vera Wong is perfectly content as a teashop owner. She is definitely not seeking opportunities for amateur sleuthing. But what else is she to do when a distressed woman called Millie asks for her help?

Okay, perhaps Vera wheedled the story out of her. And maybe the case file for Millie’s missing friend Thomas didn’t exactly fall into her lap. Everyone knows a locked briefcase is just asking to be opened by someone handy with a hairpin.

Not even the aroma of chrysanthemum tea can stop Vera from catching the scent of this mystery. However dangerous it is, Vera intends to uncover the truth in the only way that this Chinese mother knows how: by spilling the tea.

‘I thoroughly loved it. With a Vera in your life nothing bad can ever happen!’ J. M. Hall, bestselling author of A Spoonful of Murder

‘Had me laughing aloud within its first five pages. Charming, hilarious and heartfelt’ Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

‘A dazzling debut full of humour and love. A comedy caper, doused in black humour, comical references, mixed with romance – fans of Crazy Rich Asians will love it’ My Weekly

‘Brilliant, wicked and dead, dead funny’ Andi Osho, Asking For A Friend

Review

I loved it.

We met Vera in Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice to Murderers and it was so good to catch up with her again. This book seemed a little more serious than the first book, but that's not to say it was still funny. Whilst this is a standalone I think you would enjoy it more after reading the first book. There is some recapping, which was useful for me, but maybe not enough to flesh out the background and the characters for a first time reader.

In this book we see Vera become a Tik Tok sensation and of course add more people to those she is now counting as family. She really is an incredible and endearing character. There were a couple of sensational scenes with Vera sticking up for her new found friends. Although I feared for Vera this time, as she does hit home with her snooping regarding a very serious undercover crime. 

Winifred in the next door shop is also back with the gentle feuding between her and Vera. This time with new pastries that sounded incredible and made me ache to visit her and Vera. I guess we will just have to hope there is a another book.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. This book is published on 10 April 2025.

The Woman with All the Answers - Linda Green

 

Description

The brilliantly observed, witty and heart-warming new book club read from Richard & Judy bestseller Linda Green

**Alexa knows your family better than you do. Now you're about to get to know her... **

Fifty-two-year-old Michelle Banks is struggling to keep all the plates spinning. She’s a perimenopausal district nurse, caring for elderly parents. Her husband is wasting their money on children’s TV memorabilia, her teenage daughter is riddled with anxiety and her sixteen-year-old son is behaving secretively.

Alexa is the only one who knows how much Michelle is juggling. Listening in via four smart speakers, she also knows that it’s about to get even worse.

So, when Michelle pleads for help from the woman with all the answers, Alexa decides to go rogue and reveal her true identity as Pauline – a sixty-five-year-old former voiceover artist from Halifax – to teach Michelle everything she knows…

Wise, funny, relatable and inspiring, The Woman With All The Answers is perfect for fans of Clare Pooley, Mike Gayle and David Nicholls.

Praise for Linda Green:

'Linda Green is bloody brilliant!' Amanda Prowse

'A thought-provoking triumph' Mike Gayle

'Heart-warming and inspiring: a great read' Katie Fforde

'I felt so invested in the characters' lives' Lucy Diamond

'Warm, wise and very moving' Araminta Hall

'A rollercoaster adventure full of inspiration, hope and sometimes tears.' 5-Star Reader Review

'Best book I've read in years! It may be because I'm from Yorkshire or because I'm a mum that I felt such an affinity to the characters in this book but I dare you not to enjoy it. It has everything.' 5-Star Reader Review

'A brilliant book that made me laugh out loud, AND audibly so too. True to life characters with real problems.' 5-Star Reader Review

Review

I absolutely loved this book.

Many of us have an Alexa, but did you know she isn't AI but a real person? She is sat listening to you and giving advice from her own home. Well, that is the premise of this book, which may be a little far fetched, but I just went with it and I am so glad that I did. I would have missed out on a real corker of a read.

Michelle is a District Nurse juggling so many plates. She has a Husband, two children, a father and a mother in law who all have demands on her time, not to mention her job. 

With Alexa (aka Pauline) listening in on the smart speakers and seeing through the webcam and door bell, she is able to give Michelle a few pointers about what is going on in her house. To begin with she carries on as she has for the last six years, just putting reminders and prompts onto Michelle's phone. With Pauline's  retirement looming, and things worsening for Michelle, Pauline decides to finally reveal her true self.

Some of this book is hilarious and some is sad. All in all it's about life and a very down to earth portrayal it is. Many of the situations rang so true for me. If you take away the idea that Alexa's all over the country are actually manned by a real person, the story is very heart warming and not at all impossible.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The books is published on 26 February 2025.