The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly #TheSkeletonKey @mserinkelly @HodderBooks #BookReview

 

Summer, 2021. Nell has come home at her family's insistence to celebrate an anniversary. Fifty years ago, her father wrote The Golden Bones. Part picture book, part treasure hunt, Sir Frank Churcher created a fairy story about Elinore, a murdered woman whose skeleton was scattered all over England. Clues and puzzles in the pages of The Golden Bones led readers to seven sites where jewels were buried - gold and precious stones, each a different part of a skeleton. One by one, the tiny golden bones were dug up until only Elinore's pelvis remained hidden.

The book was a sensation. A community of treasure hunters called the Bonehunters formed, in frenzied competition, obsessed to a dangerous degree. People sold their homes to travel to England and search for Elinore. Marriages broke down as the quest consumed people. A man died. The book made Frank a rich man. Stalked by fans who could not tell fantasy from reality, his daughter, Nell, became a recluse.

But now the Churchers must be reunited. The book is being reissued along with a new treasure hunt and a documentary crew are charting everything that follows. Nell is appalled, and terrified. During the filming, Frank finally reveals the whereabouts of the missing golden bone. And then all hell breaks loose.

The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly is published in hardback by Hodder on 1 September 2022. My thanks to the publisher who sent my book for review. 

Erin Kelly is one of my all-time favourite authors. I have devoured everything that she's written and have to admit that The Skeleton Key has been one of my most anticipated books of the year. The joy of reading on holiday enabled me to really get stuck into this one, with no distractions and no need to put it aside to cook dinner, or do the washing. What an absolute treat that was and I was completely and utterly lost within the pages. It's a stunning read that takes the reader on a wild and rocky ride, alongside two troubled and very dysfunctional families. 

Nell Churcher has lived away from her family for many years. Choosing to live off-grid in a house boat, shunning the family wealth and making her own way, creating her own glass art and travelling the waterways in a very simple life. 

Nell's father is Sir Frank Churcher, celebrated artist and author of a book that took the world by storm fifty years ago. His creation, named The Golden Bones is a treasure hunt story, with clues littered within the text. The Golden Bones attracted people who were determined to solve the clues and find the bones of Elinore; the female character whose skeleton was scattered and the bones hidden. One bone remains undiscovered and the fiftieth anniversary of the book's publication makes for the perfect showcase. Frank will reveal the whereabouts of Elinor's pelvis, and the jewel that was hidden with it. 

Nell's life was almost ruined by the book, and the hunters. The hunters became obsessive and sometimes violent and Nell's decision to hide herself away is the result of the trauma she faced as a child.  Now she is returning to the family home, and to the two families who live side by side and are linked together by secrets, guilt and deceit.

The Skeleton Key is a gothic mystery with such depth. Kelly not only describes the Golden Bones book, the hunters and the furore caused by it all, she also takes two families and cleverly unpicks the many layers within them. Theres's an age-old mystery within the story too and as the author slowly reveals each character and their innermost thoughts, the reader begins to learn and to suspect each and every one of them.

Told mainly in Nell's present-day voice, with flashbacks from the decades before, this is a complex and multi layered story that is utterly bewitching. I especially loved the female characters who have tried their utmost to be their own people, yet ultimately remain the wives of famous and somewhat controversial men. 

Addictive, disturbing and so very inventive, this is fiction at its finest. Erin Kelly is a master of her art, I adored this book. I loved the mystery, I loved to hate some of the characters, it really is brilliant. 

Erin Kelly is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Poison Tree, The Sick Rose, The Burning
Air, The Ties That Bind, He Said/She Said, Stone Mothers/We Know You Know, Watch Her Fall and Broadchurch: The Novel, inspired by the mega-hit TV series. 

In 2013, The Poison Tree became a major ITV drama and was a Richard & Judy Summer Read in 2011. He Said/She Said spent six weeks in the top ten in both hardback and paperback, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier crime novel of the year award, and selected for both the Simon Mayo Radio 2 and Richard & Judy Book Clubs. 

She has worked as a freelance journalist since 1998 and written for the Guardian, The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, New Statesman, Red, Elle and Cosmopolitan. 

Born in London in 1976, she lives in north London with her husband and daughters. 

erinkelly.co.uk 

twitter.com/mserinkelly

Eleven Liars by Robert Gold #ElevenLiars @books_gold @BooksSphere #BenHarper #BookReview

 

Journalist Ben Harper is on his way home when he sees the flames in the churchyard. The derelict community centre is on fire. And somebody is trapped inside.

 With Ben's help the person escapes, only to flee the scene before they can be identified. Now the small town of Haddley is abuzz with rumours. Was this an accident, or arson?

 Then a skeleton is found in the burnt-out foundations.

 And when the identity of the victim is revealed, Ben is confronted with a crime that is terrifyingly close to home. As he uncovers a web of deceit and destruction that goes back decades, Ben quickly learns that in this small town, everybody has something to hide.

Eleven Liars by Robert Gold was published in hardback by Sphere on 30 March 2023. My thanks to the publisher who sent the book for review. 

This is the second in the Ben Harper series from Robert Gold. I read and reviewed the first; Twelve Secrets back in March this year and was so impressed. I've been looking forward to Eleven Liars for a while and desperately hoping that the author would produce another story to thrill.  I read this on holiday, finding it difficult to put it down. It's another cracker from an extremely talented author. 

Ben Harper is a journalist, he lives in the small town of Haddley and is well known in the area. He recently re-investigated the murder of his brother and the subsequent death of his mother, uncovering a tragic set of consequences.

Ben is walking home when he discovers a fire in the derelict community centre that sits beside the local church. When he realises that someone is inside, he manages to help them to escape. The person runs away and Ben could only spot a pair of bright orange trainers. He doesn't know who it was. 

When a skeleton is found in the remains of the fire, and the identity of this person is revealed, a whole new investigation opens up for Ben. People very close to him have lived their lives believing one thing, whilst the evidence is mounting up to prove that they've been misled for many years. 

Teaming up once more with DC Dani Cash, Ben is determined to discover the truth and to ensure that whoever is responsible for hiding the body faces justice. 

Once again, this author has delivered a thriller that takes many an unexpected twist along the way. His characterisation is impeccable, with people who the reader will despise, some that the reader will suspect and others that will totally surprise. 

His plotting is magnificent, with hints and reveals places perfectly along the way. It's a tense, tightly woven story that kept me gripped. Highly recommended. 

Originally from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Robert Gold began his career as an intern at the
American broadcaster CNN, based in Washington DC. 

He returned to Yorkshire to work for the retailer ASDA, becoming the chain's nationwide book buyer.

He now works in sales for a UK publishing company.

Robert now lives in Putney and his new hometown served as the inspiration for the fictional town of Haddley in his thrillers, Twelve Secrets, an Irish Times bestseller, and Eleven Liars.

Twitter @books_gold

The Child by Fiona Barton @figbarton @TransworldBooks . #TheChild #Review

When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore.

For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her.

For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered.

And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth.

The Child’s story will be told.

The Child by Fiona Barton is published in paperback by Transworld on 14 December 2017, my thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

Back in January 2016, I reviewed Fiona Barton's first novel, The Widow, here on Random Things. I enjoyed it very much, especially the insightful way that the author delves into the world of newspaper reporting.

Kate Waters, the reporter from The Widow is back in this second story. She's investigating the mystery surrounding the discovery of a child's skeleton, buried in the garden of a terraced house, and uncovered by contractors who are developing the site.

This shocking discovery sets many wheels in motion and it is not only bones that are uncovered. Narrated by the women most affected by the finding, The Child is a complex and cleverly told story that kept me guessing right up to the last chapter.

The voices of Angela, Emma, Margaret, and of course, Kate are realistic and expertly done. As each women voices her fears and thoughts about the child's remains, their stories become cleverly woven together.

This author's experience as a journalist shines through in her writing and it is refreshing to see a newspaper reporter portrayed as someone with empathy and heart, instead of the stereotypical heartless hacks that are so often involved in a crime fiction. Kate is multi-layered and whilst she is ambitious and determined to keep her job, she is also caring and considerate to those who are involved in this tragic tale.

Whilst I really enjoyed The Widow, I absolutely loved The Child. Fiona Barton's writing seems more polished, her plot is secure and her characterisation is wonderfully done.  This is a sharp, cleverly crafted, complex story that delivers shocks and twists along the way. Entirely compelling, delivered in short, sharp chapter bursts with a reveal that is quite haunting.

Highly recommended, I look forward to Fiona Barton's next book.

Fiona Barton's debut, The Widow, was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and has been published in thirty-five countries and optioned for television. Her second novel, The Child, was a Sunday Times bestseller. Born in Cambridge, Fiona currently lives in south-west France.

Previously, she was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards.

While working as a journalist, Fiona reported on many high-profile criminal cases and she developed a fascination with watching those involved, their body language and verbal tics. Fiona interviewed people at the heart of these crimes, from the guilty to their families, as well as those on the periphery, and found it was those just outside the spotlight who interested her most . . .

Find out more at www.fionabartonauthor.com
Find her Author page on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter @figbarton

Calico by Lee Goldberg #Calico @LeeGoldberg @severnhouse @angelaontour #BookReview

 

There's a saying in Barstow, California, a decaying city in the scorching Mojave desert . . .

The Interstate here only goes in one direction: Away.

But it's the only place where ex-LAPD detective Beth McDade, after a staggering fall from grace, could get another badge . . . and a shot at redemption.

Over a century ago, and just a few miles further into the bleak landscape, a desperate stranger ended up in Calico, a struggling mining town, also hoping for a second chance.

His fate, all those years ago, and hers today are linked when Beth investigates an old skeleton dug up in a shallow, sandy grave . . . and also tries to identity a vagrant run-over by a distracted motorhome driver during a lightning storm.

Every disturbing clue she finds, every shocking discovery she makes, force Beth to confront her own troubled past . . . and a past that's not her own . . . until it all smashes together in a revelation that could change the world.

Calico by Lee Goldberg was published on 7 November 2023 in hardback, by Severn House. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Oh. My. Goodness! I have never read this author before, and when I looked him up on Fantastic Fiction, I found that he has a HUGE back catalogue. Lots of series and some stand alone novels. So, not really knowing what I was going to get, I went straight in, and my head hardly left the pages for days afterwards.

This is what is described by Harlan Coben on the cover quote as 'genre-bending', and I think that's the perfect description. The reader starts out with a police procedural story set in the Mojave desert in February 2019. It's a strange case for Beth McDade; an ex LAPD detective whose past behaviours have found her working in the ex-mining town of Calico. A man is killed in an accident with a motor home, yet despite the fact that this is a very small town, where everyone knows everyone else, nobody can identify the victim. Things get stranger when his body and clothes are examined. His jeans and boots date back over 100 years, he is filthy, with bad teeth and an array of diseases that haven't been seen for many years.  Beth is really going to be put to the test with this one. And then, a well known YouTube chef goes missing, and then, an old coffin is discovered when a nearby site is being prepared for development. A very old coffin, containing very old bones ... but with the remains of dental implants still in the jaw bone. It just gets stranger and stranger. 

The reader then finds themselves in Calico in the 1880s; the town is fairly new, with just one street, a couple of places to eat, a store and lots and lots of men looking to find their fortune. How do we arrive there? That's for you to find out, and not for me to disclose. I can say, however, that it's extremely clever, if a little 'out there', but I was gripped. Totally and utterly hooked and totally invested in the characters. 

What I loved most was the author's description of this nineteenth century working town. We've all seen the old Western movies, with small towns, dust and working girls. What I've never really thought about before was how terrible those places must have been and the character who suddenly finds themselves there is appalled by the stench, and the dirt and the total lack of hygiene. There's no spare water, there's no sewage system. People don't wash, or clean their teeth. Their waste is disposed in an open gully on the main street. I really was transported to a land of utter filth. 

The story flicks back and forth, we follow Beth as she carries on investigating the modern day mysteries, often bending the rules and more than once, putting herself into danger. We see our 1880s characters develop and grow, we watch them create a life for themselves in what is really an alien place to them, but also use their knowledge of future events wisely.

The pace really quickens towards the end of the story, involving secret Government projects and official people who are determined to silence Beth. It's action packed for sure. A totally gripping and enjoyable read ..... oh, and the ending reveal made me gasp out loud. Highly recommended. 

Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including Lost Hills, the Ian Ludlow trilogy, fifteen Monk mysteries, and five internationally bestselling Fox & O'Hare books co-written with Janet Evanovich. He has also written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk, and is the co-creator of the hit Hallmark movie series Mystery 101.

As an international television consultant, he has advised networks and studios in Canada, France, Germany, Spain, China, Sweden, and the Netherlands on the creation, writing, and production of episodic television series. He is also co-founder of the publishing company Brash Books.

X / Twitter @LeeGoldberg

Facebook : AuthorLeeGoldberg

The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine @LivConstantine2 @fictionpubteam @flisssity #BlogTour #MrsParrish

 

How far would you go to make all your dreams come true?
Amber Patterson is tired of being a nobody: an invisible woman who melts into the background. She deserves more. She deserves a life of wealth, luxury and leisure.
Daphne Parrish is the golden girl of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut. With her model looks, her picture-perfect mansion and her millionaire husband, Jackson, she has everything Amber wants.
Amber’s envy could eat her alive―if she didn't have a plan. Before long, she has become Daphne’s closest friend, and is catching the eye of Jackson. But a skeleton from her past could destroy everything, and if discovered, Amber’s well-laid plan may end in disaster…

The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine is published by Harper Collins in the UK; my thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review and invited me to take part on this Blog Tour.


I was totally hooked by this book, I read it over the Christmas break and it rarely left my hands.

Oh, Amber Patterson; what an impeccably created monster of a character she is! She's the sort of woman who appals me, yet I find her intriguing and fascinating. She's so manipulative, she's focussed and narcissistic and completely and utterly riveting.

Amber is determined to get a rich husband, and Jackson Parrish fits the bill perfectly. A multi millionaire living in a mansion full of luxury; handsome, intelligent, a business man. He is ideal for Amber. However, Jackson is married, with children. His wife Daphne is beautiful, slim, philanthropic and is the leader of the rich wives club in Bishops Harbour. Amber decides that Daphne will be her target. She will make herself indispensable, she and Daphne will become best friends, and eventually, she knows that Jackson will be hers.

Not once does Amber have a pang of compassion towards Daphne and her children, or guilt about what she is doing. She has a plan, meticulously created and she follows it perfectly, step by step. Anyone who may get in her way is gone. Amber makes sure of that.

There are two parts to The Last Mrs Parrish. The first is Amber's side of the story, and then half way through, the reader hears the same tale, but from Daphne. Have you ever changed your mind completely about a character? Well you will when you start to read Daphne's narrative. Slowly and surely, things fall into place until there's the most enormous clang and God damnit you realise you've been had!

Such of tension, The Last Mrs Parrish is not your usual thriller story, it's far far more than that. It's an incredibly well created story of greed and manipulation, along with betrayal and hidden secrets. I spent the latter part of the book with my mouth open and my eyes growing wider and wider as I read more.

The Last Mrs Parrish is a thoroughly entertaining and quite addictive read. It is pacy, gripping and thought-provoking, and the character creation is expertly done. A brilliant premise, I loved it.

Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. 

Separated by three states, they spend hours plotting via FaceTime and burning up each other’s emails. 

They attribute their ability to concoct dark story lines to the hours they spent listening to tales handed down by their Greek grandmother. 

THE LAST MRS. PARRISH is their debut thriller. 

Visit their website at www.livconstantine.com 

Find them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LivConstantine2

*** COVER REVEAL *** Cover The Bones by Rachel Amphlett #CoverTheBones #RachelAmphlett *** COVER REVEAL ***

 

I am so THRILLED to share this cover reveal with you today! 

Cover The Bones (Detective Mark Turpin Book 5) 

by

Rachel Amphlett 

From Saxon Publishing on 18 September 2023 

PRE - ORDER YOUR COPY HERE! 

Amazon

When archaeologists discover a skeleton in secluded woodland, the body is first thought to be related to an ancient Saxon settlement.

Then the torn and rotten remains of another woman’s bones are uncovered, her injuries bearing the markings of abuse and a violent death.

Detective Mark Turpin is tasked with finding their killer, except the forensic evidence is perplexing and the victims’ bodies are proving impossible to identify.

When a third victim is discovered only metres from the first, Mark and his team realise they’re running out of time to find out whoever is responsible.

Are the brutal murders the only evidence in a case gone cold, or does a serial killer lurk in the shadows, stalking their next victim?

Cover the Bones is the fifth book in the Detective Mark Turpin series from USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett.

Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction with over 30 novels and short stories featuring spies, detectives, vigilantes, and assassins.

Rachel’s stories are available in eBook, print and audiobook formats from libraries and retailers as well as her own shop.

A keen traveller, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship.

She loves hearing from readers and personally replies to every email.

Discover more about Rachel and download two free short stories here: https://www.rachelamphlett.com/

Praise for Rachel Amphlett:

"Fast paced with vivid characterisation and clever twists – [None the Wiser] is another winner” Adrian McKinty

“Thrilling start to a new series. Scared to Death is a stylish, smart and gripping crime thriller” Robert Bryndza

"Scared to Death… moves along at breakneck speed with twists and turns" Angela Marsons

My Top Reads of 2022 #AmReading #TopReads2022 #FavouriteBooks2022 #BookBlogger

 

My Top Reads of 2022

At the end of last year, I knew that the coming twelve months were going to be very difficult, and they were.

My lovely, funny, tiny, fierce Irish Mammy died in March after a relatively short illness. Mum was the backbone of our little family, she could be incredibly blunt at times (now you know where I get it from!), but she loved us all with a passion.

Life without her is hard. I miss our telephone calls, our debates, our hugs and our shopping trips. 

We have been lucky enough to have some amazing holidays this year, in between bouts of sickness. We visited Cyprus twice, Corfu and Malta. We managed to get to some literary festivals; Newark, Harrogate and Bloody Scotland. We met up with people we hadn't seen for so long. There were bright spots amongst the sadness, and I know my Mum is watching.

Despite the painful sadness and bouts of ill health that have knocked me off my feet more than once. I have continued to read and shout about the books that I love. I have been able to grow my Blog Tour organising business and once again, I have been fortunate enough to work with some truly amazing books, authors, publishers and fellow bloggers. 

As always, I rarely finish a book that I'm not enjoying, so to pick my top books out of so many that I've really enjoyed has, once more, been very difficult. 

As always, my list is split into three sections; I start with some of the 2022 books that I read in 2021. I mentioned them last year and hoped that they would be huge.

The second part is my list of  Top Books of 2022

Finally, I'll give a mention to some 2023 publications that I've read early.

I really think that 2023 is going to be another fabulous book year!

Enjoy! 

2022 books that I predicted would do well

At the end of last year, I'd read these 2022 books pre-publication, and predicted that they would do well. I'm still recommending them, twelve months later.  (click on the title for my full review).

Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell - 20 January 2022 from Headline

Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond - 6 January 2022 from

 Quercus

The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry - 3 February 2022 from Orion

How To Find Your Way Home by Katy Regan - 3 February 2022 from Mantle

Other Parents by Sarah Stovell - 20 January from HQ Stories 

Wahala by Nikki May - 6 January from Doubleday 

Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes - 17 February from Michael Joseph

My Top Reads of 2022

My Top Reads of the year are listed in order of reading. The list contains some favourite authors who pop up year after year, and also some debuts. I think it's a great list, with something for everyone. 

I heartily recommend all of these books.  (click on the title for my full review)

Notes On An Execution by Danya Kukafka (Phoenix / Orion 3 Feb) - The writing is exceptional, the tension is palpable and the creation of character is genius. This is totally different take on the usual serial killer crime novel and one that left me breathless by it's ingenuity and incredible compassion. 

One Bad Thing by MK Hill (Aries Fiction 3 Feb) - It's clever, and thrilling and totally exhausting. The characters are, in the main, not in the least bit likeable. 

The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill by CS Robertson (Hodder, 20 Jan) - It's as story that takes surprising, yet satisfying twists and turns along the way. Never failing to surprise and shock and always delivering a brilliant reading experience.

About A Son by David Whitehouse (Phoenix / Orion 28 April) - This is a book that will never leave me. I feel as though I know the family so very well. I have nothing but admiration for this incredible family, and for Morgan's friends and associates. 

Metronome by Tom Watson (Bloomsbury 31 March) - Metronome is an addictive and hugely compelling novel, I was totally enraptured by the characters and the plot. Things take an unexpected turn toward the end and the reader is left with a sense of both sorrow and hopeful joy

Tasting Sunlight by Ewald Arenz (Orenda Books 23 June) - Truly exceptional, a novel with heart and with characters and setting that are alluring, beautifully created and totally enchanting.

Faceless by Vanda Symon (Orenda Books 17 March) - Be prepared for a tense, twisty, chilling read. As Billy battles to stay alive, and Bradley's mental state deteriorates slowly but surely and Max's determination grows, we are taken on a journey that is at times terrifying but always compelling. You just can't look away. 

The Baby Shower by SE Lynes (Bookouture -1 March) - The Baby Shower is so powerful, it is perfectly crafted and utterly compelling. I was left breathless by this story. It hit me like a punch in the guts and will never leave me. 

Before We Grow Old by Clare Swatman (Boldwood Books 19 Jan) -With characters that the reader will come to love and a plot that is filled with revelations and lots of new experiences, this is a book that I really treasured.

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy (Bloomsbury 14 April) - A story of powerlessness, and about people who are formed by where they live, or where they worship. It is a remarkable, tender story, written with an honestly and compassion that lingers long after turning the final page.

Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander (Michael Joseph 9 June) -It's a heart tugger at times,  there's some revelations that are really emotionally challenging, but it's also a story that is filled with love and hope and the power of friendship. 

The Lost Ones by Marnie Riches (Bookouture 1 June) - I utterly loved this. It's dark, it's dangerous and often violent. It is written so well, and just hooks the reader along until the shocking, tumultuous ending that is so satisfying. 

The Botanist by MW Craven (Constable / Little Brown 2 June) -Myself and my husband both read The Botanist whilst on holiday in Corfu, we both chuckled in the same places, we both cringed and we both were left open mouthed by the intricate plotting and the total unexpected series of events that are so cleverly and masterfully outlined. 

Still Water by Rebecca Pert (The Borough Press 23 June) - Still Water is breath taking in its style and structure. For me, there wasn't a word out of place. It is compelling, and produces a sense of dread that increases as the story progresses.

Is This Love? by CE Riley (Serpent's Tail 4 Aug) - Clever, utterly compelling and beautifully structured. A book to discuss and one that I recommend. 

The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly (Hodder 1 Sept) - Addictive, disturbing and so very inventive, this is fiction at its finest. Erin Kelly is a master of her art, I adored this book. I loved the mystery, I loved to hate some of the characters, it really is brilliant. 

Love Betty by Laura Kemp (Orion 9 June) - Laura Kemp is one of the finest authors of romantic fiction we have, her characters are beautifully created and her plot lines are always a joy to discover. I truly loved every page of this book and highly recommend it. 

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson (Hodder 1 Sept) - Truly outstanding, one of my favourite books of the year for sure. It's graceful and elegant, it's eye opening and astute. I loved it and highly recommend it. 

The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson (Orenda Books 15 Sept) - With a wonderfully gothic feel, full of characters who are colourful, yet incredibly flawed this is an absolute joy to read. Spellbinding, vivid and fascinating and beautifully translated by David Warriner. 

Good Taste by Caroline Scott (Simon & Schuster 13 Oct) - My review of this one was in S Magazine. Packed with wit and warmth, it is an utter joy to follow Stella’s journey and to hear about the various delicacies of the country. Beautiful, sparkling and joyous

Together Again by Milly Johnson (Simon & Schuster 29 Sept) - My review of this one was in S Magazine. Together, Again is a story of vulnerability and extreme strength and the unbreakable bond of sisterly love. 

Winter People by Gráinne Murphy (Legend Press 12 Oct) -This is a stunning, tender and compassionate story that will stay with me for a long time. 

The Sandstone City by Elaine Canning (Aderyn Press 3 Nov) - It's an exploration of a life that has been overshadowed by painful memories, about secrets hidden so deeply that they are almost impossible to believe when uncovered. It is ultimately about love; both romantic and family love, about the ties of siblings and parents and how the mistakes made early in life can affect the years ahead.

The Dazzle of the Light by Georgina Clarke (Verve Books 17 Nov) - My review of this one was in S Magazine. The plot is wonderfully detailed and the characters jump from the pages. A wonderful read, fans of historical fiction will love this. 

Dashboard Elvis is Dead by David F Ross (Orenda Books 8 Dec) -Magnificent, glorious and often emotionally challenging. With a rawness and sensitivity that is so visceral. This is another extraordinary novel

from David F Ross.

Books to look out for in 2023 ....

I've already made a start on the 2023 books, and if the ones that I've read already are anything to go by, we are in for another outstanding book year.

Here are a few tips; books that I think will be huge next year. 

Some of these reviews have not  been published yet but I can assure you that I enjoyed every one of them. 

The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson -  Paperback 5 January from HQ

So Pretty by Ronnie Turner - 19 January from Orenda Books 

Promise Me by Jill Mansell - 19 January from Headline

When I First Held You by Anstey Harris - 24 January from Lake Union 

Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes - 2 February from Michael Joseph

Mrs Van Gogh by Caroline Cauchi - 2 February from One More Chapter

In The Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan - 19 January from Simon & Schuster

The Daughter In Law by Fanny Blake - 16 February from Simon & Schuster

Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah - 19 January from HQ

That's 2022 over and done with, at last!

I've enjoyed my book year, but as for the rest of it, it's best forgotten!

I want to wish everyone the VERY BEST for next year and I really hope to see lots of lovely book friends soon.

In the meantime, thank you to everyone who reads my reviews and puts up with my book shouting.