
Will Raven's wife is 8 months' pregnant. Spiritualism and mesmerism come to Edinburgh. And a foot is found in a cupboard in Surgeons' Hall. But whose?
An enjoyable mystery and a great picture of mid-19th century Edinburgh. An exciting finish.

Will Raven's wife is 8 months' pregnant. Spiritualism and mesmerism come to Edinburgh. And a foot is found in a cupboard in Surgeons' Hall. But whose?
An enjoyable mystery and a great picture of mid-19th century Edinburgh. An exciting finish.

The smell of oil was all around him, sharp and yet cloying. He had splashed it about the stage until the can was empty, taking care to make sure its grim centrepiece in particular was thoroughly doused.
#FirstLineFridays
#ShyBookOwl

so good and yet heartbreaking at the same time. It deals with some pretty tough themes and as a parent of a girl the right age it was hard hitting. I like how we saw it through three completely different experiences. It added so much more depth to the story. The plot is simple in many ways yet it takes you on a journey. It has a modern feel running through it with occasional excerpts from online posts, police reports. #Netgalley 5*

The #maid is a favourite with the Ghost Cat. I enjoyed this read which I picked up at a street library in Exmouth WA.
#charactercharm
@eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

“Gratitude was a lost art, she felt. People accepted things, took them as their right, and had forgotten how to give proper thanks.”
#Gratitude
#JulyJazz
#Read2025
#Bookspinbingo
#Series2025
#Pantone2025

Val is always a solid 4 star read for me.
I love her characters, their relationships and the very realistic growth they show.
Karen and her cold cases are quickly becoming my most favourite. The way Val structure these stories makes it page turners even knowing there's no life to save at the end.
This installment had a very intriguing plot and is set during COVID, so every normal thing had to be done slightly differently.

In the mood for an Inspector Rebus mystery. Ian Rankin always pleases.

He really believed it was a madcap game. A joke. A dare, played out between old friends.
#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl

June
#BookSpin - Past Lying (Val McDermid)
#DoubleSpin - Master of Revels (Nicole Galland)
@TheAromaofBooks