The clever people behind the official website of Agatha Christie have devised their third Christie reading challenge. The prompts this year celebrate popular scenes, settings and tropes Christie’s novels. I’ve missed the first two challenges but when I saw this I thought it would be fun to join in. The challenges to tick off are:…
Month: January 2021
Toppling the TBR Pile – Penguin Michael Joseph 2021 titles (January to June)
We are well into 2021 and it looks like it is set to be a year where we once again seek solace in the written word. I’ve taken it upon myself to scour publishers catalogues (a hard job as you can imagine) and have a look to see what we can all look forward to….
The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean – review
Published by Hodder & Stoughton Publication date – 7 January 2021 Source – review copy He is her husband. She is his captive. Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name. She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped….
Louise Mumford – Q&A
Louise Mumford is the author of Sleepless which was published by HQ on 10 December 2020. Louise kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about Sleepless. Sleepless is a dystopian, psychological thriller. Thea is an insomniac; she hasn’t slept more than three hours a night for years. So when an…
My Chronicle Box – review
I love the idea of a book box or book subscription. A surprise parcel in the post every month or so, packed with books, treats and edible goodies? Yes please! However, I’m always fearful that I’ll receive a book I already have so I’ve stopped short of actually signing up to any. The lovely people…
Under the Reader’s Radar – celebrating the quiet novel
There are thousands upon thousands of books published each year. Only a small percentage of those make it to the best-seller list. That doesn’t mean that the rest aren’t worthy of reading. It may be that they are written by self-published authors who don’t have the marketing knowledge or a small independent publisher who doesn’t have…
Tim Ewins Q&A
Tim Ewins is the author of We Are Animals, published by Lightening Books on 2 March 2020. Tim kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about We Are Animals. I’ve been told We Are Animals is contemporary fiction and I’ve been told it’s comic fiction, so I’m not 100% sure…
Matthew Ross – Q&A
Matthew Ross is the author of Death of a Painter. His latest novel, The Red Admiral’s Secret, is published by Red Dog Press on 3 February 2021. Matthew kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about Mark Poynter. Mark Poynter is the reluctant protagonist in my novels: a series of…
Trace Elements by Donna Leon – review
Published by Arrow Publication date – 24 September 2020 Source – own copy ‘They killed him. It was bad money.’ A dying hospice patient gasps these cryptic words about her recently-deceased husband. Brunetti softly promises he will look into what appears to be a private family tragedy. He discovers that her husband worked for a…
Six Degrees of Separation – from Hamnet to The Railway Children
Six Degrees of Separation is the brainchild of Kate from Books Are My Favourite and My Best. Each month there is a different starter book and through six books, with what can be, on my part, extremely tenuous links, you see which book you end up at. The starter book this month is Hamnet by Maggie…
From First Page to Last 