Paradise by Julie Cohen

 I loved this story so much.  I was caught up in Katie's drama immediately, and the more I read, the more involved I felt in Katie and Nic's worlds, wondering what would happen, if Katie would get her memory back, and what might happen if she did.  Whilst it's set post-lockdown, as the world is starting to edge towards normal, it isn't a pandemic novel.  It's a story about friendship, and love, and what happen when you are lying to yourself, as well as to everyone else.  

I was another little girl growing up reading Harriet the Spy, and so it felt easy to imagine myself friends with these two girls, feeling envious of their detective investigations!  You get to know both of them very well, and their summer lives are so colourful and engaging.  The lake, and the pond, felt very real, as did the families of both girls, and I was swept up in their stories, reading the last third of the novel all in one go because I couldn't bear to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for my copy.

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

Although it feels a bit mean to give this 2 stars I feel I have to because of how angry I was when I finished it!  I really wanted to read this book because of the title and the description.  I heard a history talk earlier this year, and she mentioned the women who encoded information into knitted items and I found it fascinating, so this book sounded like it would be really interesting.  I enjoy wartime stories, I enjoy knitting and crochet...what could possibly go wrong?

The book starts fairly well - I was interested in Lenny, and her adventure into War Office work.  I was sometimes unsettled by her attitude, but I enjoyed her secret spy training and her idea of putting morse code into the knitting with the different stitches.  So far, so good.  But when she is dropped in France, with a new secret identity, things started to go wrong for me.  Instead of sneaking around and coding things into scarves and socks and jumpers and smuggling them to the British, she manages 1 scarf, and then that doesn't even end up getting to the right people!  The story turns into more of a romance, but then even that became disappointing as, without giving away spoilers, Lenny seems very changeable and I did shout 'what?!' a few times.  I persevered to the end, in the hopes that things might get better, but instead we lurch back into the present day (and I had completely forgotten that we'd started there to be honest) but we never actually see Lenny relate her spy history to her family.  It felt like a rushed ending to me, and I was still feeling grumpy about the lack of knitting and the dodgy romance plot.

If you don't mind a slightly random wartime story then do go ahead because there were parts I really enjoyed reading, and had the book had a different title and blurb I wouldn't have felt half as cheated!  But if, like me, you're hoping for yarn-based subterfuge then I'm afraid I would recommend you look elsewhere...

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy in return for an honest review.

A Chapter of Accidents: Twenty-seven Rediscovered Stories L.M. Montgomery Edited by Carolyn Strom Collins

Being a total Anne of Green Gables nerd, I was overjoyed to get to read this volume of short stories by Lucy Maud Montgomery.  LMM's books have been such a huge part of my life, and who I am, for so many years now that it's delightful and surprising to read something 'new' from LMM.  I felt that same buzz of excitement that I had years ago when I discovered that it wasn't just the Anne & Emily novels she had written, but that there was lots more besides!

This is a good collection of stories that haven't been in print since they were published in the various newspapers and periodicals that originally paid for them.  Most were written before Anne was published in 1908, with five of them written shortly after that, and one from 1932.  They are a mixture of those very moralistic tales she penned for younger children, and then other (more interesting, to me) grown-up stories.  I always love LMM best when she is funny, and there were some really good moments in this collection.  You can see flashes of parts or ideas that she used later in her novels, and it's interesting to see her writing develop.  I enjoyed thinking to myself as I read 'oh, well that's the start of idea of the disappointed house' or 'that feels like a very Anne-ish disaster!'  

There were one or two stories that sat a little uncomfortably - with rather young women being 'seduced' by much older men.  But on the whole I was caught up in these little flashes of characters that she brings to life so beautifully.  There isn't quite the same sense of place as you find in the novels - I fell in love with Prince Edward Island long before I actually managed to go there - but there are flashes of description that I could see were the start of how she writes to create a sense of place.

It's a lovely collection, with a good range of stories, and just perfect for all the many LMM fans out there who are always eager to read a little more.  Thank you so much to the publishers and to NetGalley for my review copy.

Frogs for Watchdogs by Sean Farrell

I fell into this book, charmed by the small boy narrator, my head making his Irish accent.  I loved the countryside life, the single mum struggles, the wise older sister, and the elderly neighbour friend of the boy.  And the boy felt real, which is always difficult to capture I think, but I totally believed in his character.  I also enjoyed the darker side to the story (and felt very anxious for many chapters), and that added mystery/suspense side added a lot to the story, making the final, gentle slow approaching finale hit home with a bigger impact.  It does meander, as a tale, and it doesn't get anywhere quickly, but if you're in the right mood for that then it's just perfect.

With thanks to the publishers, and to Net Galley, for my copy.

October books catch-up

 

When the world is a hot mess, I find safety and comfort in Alexander McCall Smith's stories, so 'In a time of pumpkins' was a nice start to the month.
'How to get away with murder' by Rebecca Philipson was great all the way until the disappointing end, though looking at Goodreads I am in the minority on this so maybe focus on the fact that I raced through the rest of it happily enough!
I thoroughly enjoyed 'The impossible fortune' by Richard Osman, which was much less tragic than the last one. (I have bought into the idea of Celia Imrie as Joyce, but the whole Pierce Brosnan is Ron business is nonsense. But anyway, just read the books!)
'Alea Aquarius, The water's call' by Tanya Stewner was VERY exciting to read because Tanya is my friend! We lived together in London many years ago, and she always said she was going to be a writer, and now she is a hugely popular children's author in Germany. This is the first book to be translated, thank goodness, because my GCSE German was never going to manage a novel. It's an exciting adventure story with interesting characters, and I loved it!
'A body at the Christmas Book Fair' by Helen Cox sounded hugely promising because it is a librarian-turned-private investigator! This is quite some way into the series, though, so I felt a little left out not knowing the characters or the origin story. It was a spooky start, so intriguing and an easy read.
'Love Lane' by Patrick Gale is just gorgeous. I loved the characters, I was completely caught up in their stories. Wonderful.
'The ending writes itself' by Evelyn Clarke. I hadn't realised, as I read it, there was a lot of buzz about this or that it was co-authored. It explains why I sometimes felt like I was reading two stories. It was another where I really enjoyed it until the end. I thought it was going to do something much cleverer than it did. But still, lots of it was good, and maybe my ending expectations are too high!

How to Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson

Well now, this is tricky.  I raced through most of this book, really enjoying it.  I liked detective Sam, back at work after several months leave following a sexual assault at work that's been covered up.  I liked the jovial 'how to' murder book, and I was intrigued by the crime and what had happened.  I felt the pacing was good, and I could feel that we were building towards *something*...I did have an inkling of what that something might be, but I was hoping I was wrong.

Without giving spoilers, I was not wrong.

I just really didn't like the ending, and I think that reading other reviews, I might be in the minority with this!  But I was disappointed.  I get why it went for the twist, but I would have preferred a slightly different denouement.

But still, for the most part, this was an excellent read so I haven't allowed the end to sway me too much!

With thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for my copy.

The Good Boy by Stella Hayward

I really loved this!  Yes, it's silly (Genie makes a wish, turns out her Gran actually is a bit magic and the wish comes true and suddenly Genie's lovely dog Rory is a human being!) but it's also sweet and charming and funny.  I found myself just completely buying into what was happening, because human Rory was so funny and endearing, and Genie made me laugh.

As readers we know throughout that something terrible happened to Genie to derail her life, and I did feel a slight frustration with how long it took to find out the truth, but at the same time that's what makes it so powerful and moving when you do find out.  But really, I was all in with the story.  I really wanted Genie to be okay.  I was worried about her 2 best friends (and her dog/human best friend), and waiting for how everything would resolve.  Rory was really, really a good boy, and every dog I've seen since reading I've been thinking about what's going through their heads!

I enjoyed her mad Gran, and her lovely mum.  The seaside setting was great, and I felt like I was walking around the town with the characters.  The book touches on a wide range of issues/topics, and it has a great will they, won't they romcom side too (I was mentally shouting 'JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER' quite a lot!)

I really enjoyed reading this, so big thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for my review copy.

The Isle of Ever by Jen Calonita

I really enjoyed this mysterious story.  Benny is great main character - I was interested in her life, and how things would work out for her.  Although it's a slower paced start, it's helpful to see her beginnings and the life she is coming from.  I had mixed feelings about her mum, but I suspect that's intentional.  I enjoyed the people that Benny makes friends with along the way too.  They're an interesting mix of characters, and seeing her friendships develop is great, knowing how isolated and friendless she was previously.  

The mystery is intriguing, and keeps the pace ramped up through the story, and although there is some jumping back and forth between timelines I found it wasn't confusing, and worked really well for the book.  I liked the people we meet in the previous timeline, and the way that what's happening is slowly revealed.

My only quibble would be the cliffhanger ending...I had obviously fully committed to the book because when I got to the end I was insanely cross that it ended where it did!  I know, it's part of a series, but I don't think I'd appreciated that at the start of reading, so it did leave me feeling incomplete.  But I guess the strength of my feeling goes to show how good the writing was!

With thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for my copy.

Danger at Dead Man's Pass by MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman

Back to the train detectives, and this was another enjoyable, fast-paced ride.  I did miss Uncle Nat a bit in this book as he had less of a role.  But the story was dark and mysterious, and I was so engrossed that when I had arranged to meet someone in town one afternoon I snuck into Waterstones before they arrived and found the book on the shelf so I could carry on reading a bit more!

These are great books for children who are confident readers, and for grown-ups who just enjoy a good story.

The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar

I'm not sure why this is being touted as the author's debut adult novel? Perhaps to make it stand out, and shelve it in a different place, away from his usual children's books. But it didn't read as being particularly adult - there are some sexual jokes, but nothing that stops it from being a story for teens. Perhaps they thought having a middle aged man as the main character would be off-putting for kids? I don't think so. He's interesting, he makes magical potions and falls off things and steps in horse poo and gets into scrapes...

Anyway, children or adult it doesn't really matter. It's an easy to read, and funny fantasy story. I liked Anatole, more than the Princess and her suitor (who annoyed me). I was more interested in Anatole's potions. But the issue I had with the story was, mainly, the resolution. It comes to a funny ending, all of a sudden, and because we have known about present day Anatole the whole way through, there are no surprises or reveals from that point of view. So then you wonder what the point of that aspect was, and if it made an impact on the rest of the story. I'm not sure it did, or not enough to warrant it. I'd thought we'd have some interesting reveal, that Anatole had discovered in present day, that then explained more of the past that we'd just read.
The pace starts to slow once it turns into a journey story, and then it suddenly winds itself up nd you find that there are some threads that are left unresolved (though hinted at). I came away from the book feeling very mixed. Perhaps if you go in knowing it's not really 'adult' fantasy fiction that would help, and there was a lot to like about the story. I just personally would have liked a tidier resolve.
With many thanks to Net Galley and the Publishers for my ARC.

Exiles by Mason Coile

Tense, dark, and an interesting mix of sci-fi and horror, this was a fast read as I didn't want to put it down.  I was kind of glad I read most of it on a train.  In daylight.  If I'd have been reading at night, in bed, on my Kindle, in the dark I think I would have been terrified!

I enjoyed the small cast of characters - that adds to the suspense.  And the fact that you don't know who to trust at any given moment in the story.  It took me a few pages to find my feet with the writing style but then either I settled into things, or the author did, and after that it was an easy, entertaining read.  Mars felt hostile, and just as remote and desolate as it should.

I was sad to see that the author (Andrew Pyper, writing as Mason Coile) died recently (which adds an extra layer to the story now I know that).  But he has written quite a few other books, so I'm glad there is more that I can go back and read.

With thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for my copy.

Body Count by Julie Mae Cohen

I loved 'Bad Men', and now Saffy is back, and so is Jonathan, and the dog (who is slowly chewing up Saffy's very expensive shoe collection...), Saffy's sister, and a whole bunch of dead bad men!

This time around I feel like we see a bit of a softer side to Saffy.  She's still hard as nails, but we also get to see her taking care of her sister, and going for therapy.  We learn more about Jonathan too, and see him in the aftermath of his near death experience last time, navigating what happens to his career now and if he really wants to continue his investigations into murderers.  Can Saffy maintain any semblance of a normal relationship at the same time as continuing her vigilante exploits?  Well, no spoilers from me, you'll have to read it yourself, but I flew through the last half of the book wanting to find out what would happen.

I enjoyed all the different little side characters, my favourite being Jon's imprisoned serial killer friend.  But there are lots of laughs through the whole book, and some satisfyingly grotesque endings for some truly horrible characters.

Looking forward to the next one already!

With thanks to Net Galley & the publishers for my copy.

Holly by Stephen King

Casting a glance at other reviews, I'm surprised by how many dnfs there are along with very ranty reviews...but I guess being British I am misunderstanding the enormity of a fictional book being a little bit political?!  I personally thought the Covid setting made for an interesting read.  It's long enough ago now that I don't feel scarred, and it's close enough that all the hand-washing and mask wearing feels familiar enough.  I suppose the thing is, I agree with Holly...I can see that someone who doesn't, and who thought Covid was a made-up fiasco, make take issue with it all.

Anyway, regardless of whether you think Tr*mp is a d#&$ or not, this story was disgusting, unsettling and utterly readable.  I should probably go back and read the others stories Holly's in (I did read Mr Mercedes a long time ago) as I really liked her as a character.  I also loved the elderly poet.  I struggled to put this down each night.  It's not the best for bedtime reading, but it was certainly compelling and had me audibly gasping with anxiety towards the end!

The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery

I raced through this very fun, very readable murder mystery locked room story.  The detecting duo are an unlikely coupling, and were probably my favourite thing about the book, though I did also laugh out loud at the bumbling inspector from Scotland Yard.  I liked the way the story layered as it grew, and the way I felt involved in the detecting as I experienced everything alongside of Stephen so I felt like I was also on the verge of figuring everything out alongside side of him (I wasn't!)

I would note that I did find the swearing a bit of a surprise - it had felt like a cosy crime up until that point, you know, one of those excellent early Sunday evening pre-watershed period crime series, so I felt that it jarred a little with what I'd thought I was reading.  The language does add to the humour of the character it comes from ultimately, but a little bit of me wondered if it had been included simply to mark the book out as an adult novel, since the author does also write excellent children's stories.

With thanks to Net Galley and the Publisher for my ARC.

The Dilemmas of Working Women by Fumio Yamamoto

This collection of short stories provides an interesting, rather unsettling view of women's lives in Japan, though I think it's worth bearing in mind that it was written 25 years ago and hopefully society now is a little less patriarchal than it was.  Each of the women's stories is quite different, though I have to say I struggled to like any of the women portrayed!  

I was surprised by the final story that is actually written from a man's point of view - it felt different to the others in the collection, and whilst it was ostensibly Sumie's story, it was the man's story and life we followed for the most part, which sat a little oddly with the other stories.
Some of the stories were uncomfortable to read, and deal with serious illness and depression.  But the collection is still very readable, and it felt like an excellent translation.
With thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC.

The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park by Michiko Aoyama

This is a short, gentle little book that is effectively a collection of short stories all linked by the hippo in the park.  I really like the premise for the story, and the interweaving of the different stories works well.  The hippo itself isn't magical, and I liked that the various different characters change their mindsets themselves really, the hippo just provides a focus for that impetus for change.  I felt some of the stories worked better than others - or I liked and understood their characters more in some perhaps.  

This would have been a higher rating for me except I felt that it was written in quite a juvenile style.  It isn't a children's story, but at the start especially that was how it felt, and it was just a little too simplistic in style and slightly jolted - perhaps because of the translation.  But it was enjoyable and sweet, and I will be on the lookout for any hippo rides in parks next time I visit Japan!

With thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for my review copy.

The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves

Very readable, but the killer was who?!

This is my first Jimmy Perez book, so perhaps I would have liked him more if I'd met him earlier in the book series. He didn't seem to be very effective, and I much preferred his partner, Willow, who is basically storming the policing whilst very heavily pregnant.
There's a good sense of place and community, and the things I enjoyed most were the bits of island life and the multitude of characters. I knew who everyone was, despite there being so many of them to try to keep track of.
The plot winds along slowly, and I felt that Perez wasn't really detecting, but more stumbling over clues accidentally. The suspense did build, and I did enjoy the book, but I felt that the reveal was a curve-ball, and that left me nudging this down from a 4 star to a 3 star. It felt like a sudden leap towards social commentary (and it's something we should all be thinking about and talking about) but for me, it came out of nowhere.
I would read another in the series, but I would be secretly hoping for Willow to take the lead!

With thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for my review copy.

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Read for book group.

I wasn't sure which way to land on how I felt about this book, so I plumped for an in the middle rating in the end, though it sometimes veered both above and below this as I read.  I found it slow to get going.  Altha's story dragged initially, I didn't like wet Kate, and so it was only really Violet I was interested in until quite far into the book.  It's a dark read, full of abuse, and blood, and rape, and miscarriage and abortion and whilst I think the long line of Weyward women was supposed to feel like a positive thing, it just felt very sad.  All those women, all abused in some way.  I did begin to care more about Altha as her story progressed, and even Kate.  But it remained, for me, mostly Violet's story and so I found myself disappointed by her ending 

**Warning - spoilers to follow**

Why did she drive all that way, watch a car crash, and then go home?  Why did she see Kate's bad husband and not dig more into what was happening?  Why didn't she do more for her whilst she was still alive?  That whole section made me cross.  This isn't how Violet would behave, was what I kept thinking to myself as I read!

I also struggle a bit with magical realism, though with all the suggested witchy-ness I was prepared for it, but still, for magical relations with animals, bugs and birds to be the way someone can escape domestic abuse was a bit...I don't know...I wanted them to be rejuvenated by nature, sure, but then I hoped it would be their own strength of will that would succeed, not a bunch of birds.  And what's with Simon's eye getting pecked out - do the police not question what the hell happened in that cottage before they got there?  I mean, I wanted him to get his eye pecked out but still.  It left me feeling all loose-endish.

But for all my complaints, I did enjoy reading the last half/third of the book, though I was always racing to get to Violet's story.

Smartphone Nation: Why We're All Addicted to Our Screens and What You and Your Family Can Do About It by Dr. Kaitlyn Regehr

This is an accessible, thought-provoking read.  Looking at smartphone usage for both children and adults, it highlights the ways in which we are all effectively giving away our likes, dislikes, interests and personal information and offering it up to advertisers who then target us with ever more specific ads.  It also looks at the darker side of smartphone use, the content that children are exposed to from a very young age, as well as discussing screen time as a potential issue, and ways to address these things with your children.

I really liked that the book felt balanced, in that it isn't a diatribe against technological advances.  And the suggestions and ideas for ways to check you're not stuck in a you-loop, and how you can moderate your own usage, as well as your children's, were all useful.  I've already implemented some of the ideas within my own feed, and discussed the book with my children.  Although it does make reference to children throughout, I found it relevant to my own smartphone usage, and so I think it isn't just for parents and would be a useful reminder of monitoring what information you are giving away, and thinking about your active and passive phone usage.
With thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for my ARC.

All the colours of the dark by Chris Whitaker

I wasn't sure at the start, and good golly it's long, but I sat reading the final third of the book barely breathing until the end I was so completely caught up in these characters...even when they didn't make sense (Tooms?) I was so fully committed to them that I just wanted to see what else would unravel.

It's dark and difficult subject-wise, and wordy, but I thought it was great.

Dear Miss Lake by A J Pearce

I have really enjoyed these books about Emmy, and so I was very happy to receive a copy for review of this, the final episode which saw me let out a large, unexpected sob near the end!  In this story we see the end of the war approaching and yet still unknown...and whilst it looks like the horrors might soon end, nobody knows when, or how, and London is still facing a barrage of bombs, and the women at home are still living through rationing, shortages, working, keeping their children safe whilst not knowing, in some cases, where their husbands are or if they're even alive.  Emmy and the magazine's team continue their work to encourage and support these women, whilst living through wartime horrors of their own.

I whip through these stories so quickly.  I did wish for a little more Bunty, and a little more Stan too (because he really makes me laugh), but I loved the country gathering then return to London, and Emmy's fierce, passionate quest.  And Guy, dear lovely Guy.  It made me want to read some of the actual magazines from the time.  It made me think about my Nan, and the work she was doing during the war, and of how her sister, my great aunt, must have felt watching her husband go up in the planes (he was a navigator), and of their wedding photo where she and my Nan look so beautiful, but how much their clothes must have been cobbled together and remade.

Anyway, these are lovely stories and I feel sad they're at an end, though they ended just as I would have wished.  I'm looking forward to see what the author will write next!

With thanks to the publisher, and Net Galley, for my review copy.

By Your Side by Ruth Jones

I loved Linda's job - working for the council as a sort of special detective, helping to settle people's final affairs when they have died and seemingly have no family to help.  (Is this a real job, and can I do it?)  And I was fully committed to her discovering the truth about Levi, fairly screaming in my head 'but why was he living on his own?!' by the end.  The book is the story of Linda and of Levi, but of lots of other characters along the way too.  

Ruth Jones is very clever with characters - there's a large cast here, but I felt like I knew everyone as they came into the story, and I enjoyed the mixture of humour and tragedy...some of the book is really, really sad, but then in a moment she's lifting your spirits again.  I did find myself reading it, initially, with Nessa's voice narrating the whole thing in my head!  But soon the story, and the characters, took over.  You know from early on that Levi's story won't be a happy one, but that unravelling of why is really wonderfully, heart-breakingly done.  And the gentle reveal of Linda's own tragedy is handled with care.  I was fully immersed in these lives as I read, and I felt a bit bereft once it was all over.

The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1) by Agatha Christie

I picked up a small box set of Marple books at the local tip the other week (they now have a recycling bookshelf where you can take whatever you fancy...I will be going back!) and as I sat down to read the first one I wondered if it was possible that I haven't actually read all the Marples?  I grew up watching the brilliant Joan Hickson, so I sort of felt like I knew Marple, but as I started this book I was fairly sure I hadn't actually read it.  

I was surprised, initially, that it's not really about Miss Marple!  She's there, obviously, and she figures everything out, obviously.  But the story is told from the vicar's point of view.  So I was immediately caught up, wondering how Miss Marple would become embroiled in it all, and it was such a good read that I finished it all off in one day because I didn't want to put it down!

I love the humour, the social observation, and the fact that every time I thought I might have figured out who had done it I was fairly sure that I wasn't correct!

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

I realised as I read this that my knowledge of the Vietnam war was based almost entirely of fuzzy memories of 'Mash' being on TV as a child, meaning I really didn't know very much about the country or the people at all.  This is a huge (in scope) story, spanning several decades and giving us the stories of Grandma Tran Dieu Lan and her granddaughter Huong.  It is violent, brutal, shocking, moving and brave.  At some points I wasn't sure I could keep reading as it was so sad, but I really wanted to see where the story would go.  The two strong female characters are brave, and I was fully committed to their stories, even when I didn't always like their actions.  I'm really glad my friend chose this for our book group to read.

Pocket book of pocket poems by A F Harrold

 

A great little book of funny poems.  I enjoy the way AF Harrold doesn't talk down to kids, and writes suitably bonkers poems that make you smile or make you think.  I had read some of his postcard poems previously, having ordered some for my son's birthday once, and we all enjoyed seeing the short little poems that arrived on interesting postcards each week.  So this was right up my street, and interesting to see one or two we recognised!  A lovely collection, with some fun illustrations too.  Very easy to dip in and out of, and with topics covering everything from snakes, squirrels, packed lunches, climate change and pet slugs!

With thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for my review copy.

All the other mothers hate me by Sarah Harman

I'm a little surprised by how many people found this to be a funny book.  For me it felt like an uncomfortable 'journey' story...and Flo is a hot mess.  It is no wonder the other mothers hate her.  I hated her.  What the hell was up with her?  Yes, she'd crashed out of her girl band.  Yes, her boyfriend was very bad.  But when we meet her in the book her son is 10 years old and she is still barely functioning as a human being, let alone a mother.  She loves her son, but she doesn't seem to understand him at all.  How have social services not been involved?  I didn't find her funny, she was infuriating!

I ended up having to read this only in the daytime, because it felt like some kind of horror thriller to me, and reading it before bed made me so anxious!  Without giving any spoilers, Flo acts in ways that are not just morally fluid, they are downright illegal, and I didn't like her enough to forgive her.

All of this is not to say I wasn't caught up in the story, because I was, and I still wanted to know what would happen!  I liked her new friend Jenny, and I could have done with a bit more Jenny, a bit less Flo to be honest.  I had guessed part of what was going on, but not what had happened to Alfie.  I sort of suspended belief by the end, because it all wraps up in a bit of a mad way (really?! I kept saying in my head as I read) and had Flo actually learned anything from her journey?  I don't know.  It was certainly a rollercoaster read!

With thanks to Net Galley & the publishers for my copy.

Can you solve the murder by Antony Johnston

I used to love 'Choose your own adventure' books when I was a child, borrowing them from the local library and becoming adept at holding my fingers as place-markers in multiple pages in the book so I could attempt to undo any mistaken choices!  So I was excited to try this grown up version, the only sad thing being that I was reading it on my Kindle!  The jumps from section to section worked well, though I missed that scrabble through the pages to find the right section during the exciting parts!   I did, initially, use the notes and highlights function on the Kindle to try to keep track of all the clues, but this quickly became completely unmanageable and I resorted to traditional paper & pen and honestly, I would recommend that as you feel much more of a detective when you're scrawling things down in a notebook!

I wasn't a very good detective, it turns out!  I failed my first attempt pretty quickly, and then I started trying to keep track of where I'd made choices that turned out to be bad choices, so that I could more easily undo rather than go back entirely to the beginning.  So, I did get there in the end, and wound up with a good rating of being a Detective Inspector, but felt slightly guilty that this might not have been warranted.  I've always felt quite suited to the role of a small village sleuth, so it's a bit sad to find that I was missing the obvious clues and repeatedly reprimanded by my superiors for making bad decisions and letting suspects get away or fail to be convicted due to lack of evidence!  

I should also admit that I tried using AI to help me crack the code in the book!  It managed a little bit, but what came out was mostly nonsense, so actually in the end I had to sit and work it out with pen and paper myself.  Which was fun and harder than I'd thought!

The actual writing isn't anything fancy, and initially that worried me, but once I started collecting clues and trying to solve the crime I stopped worrying about literary style and just enjoyed the book for the adventure it is.  This was definitely a nostalgic experience, and an interesting and unusual way to enjoy crime fiction!

With thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for my review copy.

The highland falcon thief by MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman

A mystery on a steam train?  Well, what's not to love?!  Really enjoyed this one, which has everything from stowaways, dogs, missing jewels, royalty and the excitement of a steam train journey.  I enjoyed all the little details about the train journey, and the train itself, as well as enjoying the mystery.  Hal is a great character, and I raced through the book.  The mother in me felt sick at some of the super dangerous antics that ensue on the train, but put your grown-up head away and just enjoy the ride :)

Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood

This one was my favourite of the series so far.  I read it in a blink, and this time around Judith was my favourite!  I think having been in school theatre productions many moons ago, the storyline and character of the Marlow am drams appealed to me.  I enjoyed the setting along the river as well and, as I said, I really liked Judith in this book.  I enjoyed watching her puzzle things out, and I felt her character was filling out a little more.  I really loved the final grand reveal - the setting is great, and the audience participation made me laugh!

Looking forward to the next one, thanks to the cheeky cliff-hanger!

Endless Night by Agatha Christie

This was recommended at an author talk I attended recently (Robert Thorogood) and so I thought I'd give it a try.  I love 'Why didn't they ask Evans', and Poirot, but had never come across this book.  I wasn't sure what to expect, and for quite a lot of it I was wondering 'what on earth is this?!'  Told by our narrator, Mike, it feels a bit soap-opera-drama for a lot of the novel.  But of course I knew that *something* must be coming, and so I hung on, wondering what that something could be and finding myself more and more caught up in Ellie and Mike's lives.  I really didn't want them to go and live at Gypsy's Acre, but of course they were going to...I didn't see what was coming at all, and I raced through the final part of the book!

Some of the writing felt great, and some a little melodramatic.  But overall, this was a good, somewhat unsettling read.

What are you doing here?: My autobiography by Baroness Floella Benjamin

I am one of Floella's playschool babies.  I remember her beautiful smile on the TV when I was a little girl, and feeling like she was directly speaking to me.  And so I just loved this book - her early childhood (she was fierce!), her family's experiences in coming to the UK, and how she took everything that made her who she is into everything she did.  

I cried at the end - she has so tirelessly tried to make a difference, and she *has* made a difference, in a multitude of ways.  Not least of which is the recent introduction for women who have experienced early baby loss to be able to apply for a certificate to mark that, and it applies retrospectively.  I miscarried twice before having my children, and so I had applied for one - I'd had no idea she had worked on that.  So thank you, Floella.

The boy from the sea by Garrett Carr

I was swept up into this novel from the start, fully living and breathing the life of the Bonnar family and hoping against hope that things would turn out okay.  I loved the town's narration, the undefined 'we' who are observing events, and through the years and the seasons I enjoyed the short paragraphs with a run down of what had happened to who in town...people outside of the heart of the story and yet, somehow, it felt like I knew them.  There was just a moment part way through when I felt in began to run a little slow - I'd imagined I was nearing the end, but then realised my Kindle was showing there was still forty percent left to read!  But then the story picked up pace again, and I was completely wrapped up once more in the life on and around the sea.

I felt I knew the characters intimately.  I think Ambrose remains my favourite, but I enjoyed the feuding brothers too, and I hoped against hope that Declan would be okay.  There is sadness in the story, but ultimately it felt uplifting, and there is a gentle humour running all the way through, which read best when I held an Irish accent running in my head.  I really enjoyed it. 

Title: The boy from the sea

Author: Garrett Carr

ISBN: 9781035044535

Death of the author by Nnedi Okorafor

For a lot of the time I was reading this book I felt like it was definitely a five star review, but then the last 30% or so really dragged for me and it slipped to a four.

There was a lot I really loved - Zelu is interesting and awful and engaging and fierce, and she made me feel all sorts of feels.  I loved the first half of the book, the mad family dynamics, and watching her navigate her fame and fortune.

Learning more about Nigerian families was fascinating.

I loved the robots, and the snippets you get of Zelu's book (well...!) as you read Zelu's own story.

I liked her relationship with her partner, and the way he supports her.

What I felt worked less well were the interviews sprinkled throughout the book with family members & friends - it made me feel like something awful had happened to Zelu, and so I felt had to be ready at any moment for her to die.  And afterwards, although they gave another insight into Zelu's character, I wasn't sure that they had needed to be there.

In the end, I think maybe there was just too much - a tighter edit would have given everything more impact.  As it was, reading the ending, I was thinking 'wait....WHAT?' feeling cross with myself that I hadn't spotted it coming!

I have found it interesting seeing other reviews complaining it is too much literary fiction, not enough sci fi, or too much robots and not enough literary fiction!  I just enjoyed it for what it was - I read widely anyway, and enjoy both genres.  I think it is sci-fi, but accessible to other readers in a way that some sci-fi really isn't.  It is family drama, but also more than that too.  It feels like a book that will stay with me, and I'm really glad I read it.

Title: Death of the author

Author: Nnedi Okorafor

ISBN: 9781399622950