Catie Murphy continues to deliver cosy mysteries with engaging character. A third, excellent installment featuring our fave Dublin limo driver! 4/5
Catie Murphy continues to deliver cosy mysteries with engaging character. A third, excellent installment featuring our fave Dublin limo driver! 4/5
“Neolithic cheesemaker Jill Hatch with some stubborn milk”
To be honest, I wasn‘t exactly sure about this book - originally bought as a potential present for a relative, but not gifted as it was bumped for something more exciting. I‘ve just finished the first chapter and it‘s entertaining, informative, and really making me want to have a cheeseboard to hand!
If you‘ve read RJ Blain before then you know what you‘re getting: talky plotty fun with a chunk of world building. This book is the start of a potentially interesting murder-mystery but gets a bit bogged down in getting all the pieces in place. Good enough that I‘ve pre-ordered the sequel, although I‘ll be hoping the plot moves on a bit more.
3/5
I love this book! The first in a series, FBI agent Jamie is magically taken from Earth to another world where stuff happens. I don‘t want to spoil anyone so I‘ll just say that I re-read this - and it‘s sequals - repeatedly. 5/5
The second Terra book from Mitch Benn picks up a couple of years after the first finishes, and brings in some new characters as well as bringing back some familiar faces. The plot keeps things moving along nicely.
3/5
Engaging, brightly written and suitably not-immediately-obvious murder mystery! Kept my attention, kept me guessing - what more could you want?!
5/5
Absorbing and fun with dark undernotes, I enjoyed meeting Will Darling and Kim Secretan. I will be keeping an eye out for the next few books!
5/5
The second Dublin Driver cosy murder mystery book is just as delightful as the first! A nice twisty plot, good characters (and returning characters!) all made for a delightful read.
5/5
Historical romance. Well written with characters I quickly came to root for. Mild peril, and plenty of emotional drama that comes naturally from the characters being themselves (rather than being forced to be stupid to make the plot work). Delightful reading, and just what I needed!
5/5
A single mum inherits a run-down house. A wolf-shifter carpenter in need of somewhere to stay. An adorable 4 year old boy. Why yes, it‘s a charming, low pressure romance! With only some mild peril, I found this to be an ideal escapist read. 5/5
I was interested in this book as soon as I heard “Mercenary Librarians” and I‘m delighted to say it did not disappoint! A lower ‘heat‘ level than many of Rocha‘s self-pubbed works (ie less banging), but the plot is engaging and solid, and the romance was convincing. I did not predict at least one plot twist, so this was a satisfying book on every level. 5/5
I started this yesterday, finished it about five minutes ago. I‘d‘ve finished sooner but didn‘t want to have this slinking round my mind as I was trying to go to sleep.
I‘m not much of a horror buff, but I definitely found this to be creepy and I have a feeling that bits of it are going to resurface for quite some time.
I need to go read some fluff...
4/5
A tense thriller that absorbed me and kept me twitching and nervous for Gina Royal and her children. The tension and paranoia crafted in-story meant although I had a suspicion of a couple of the twists, I kept second-guessing myself.
5/5
Set in the same world as T Kingfisher‘s Clocktaur Wars duology and Swordheart, this book romance has everything you could want: an amusing & awkward 1st meeting, assatinations, eventual kissings, decapitations, a paladin whose god died, a perfumer, courtroom drama, knitting and anal glands.
I shan‘t say any more because spoilers. However, it moved me both to laughter and tears more than once. Cannot recomment highly enough! 5/5
I loved this book - I can see this being a regular re-read! Aliens, a talking dog, and on-going explicit consent AND a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat.
As with all good books, I didn‘t want it to end where it did - I want to read on! 5/5
Ridiculous, sweet, satisfying. What‘s not to love? Plus inflatable T-Rex costume! Instant winner! I think my only complaint is that it‘s too short. 4/5
A classic, deservedly so. Even knowing what happens (having read the book once before, over 20yrs ago), I still did not catch the significant moments in this. Just all round excellence.
5/5
Loved this book! Loved the lead characters, loved their meet-ups, loved the gradual reveal of the male lead‘s situation! A really satisfying read.
5/5
I enjoyed reading an urban fantasy set across the moment the world changed, and I was pleased to find it set in Manchester. But apart from a couple of local references (Arndale Centre, football club) the setting could have been any city. Plus I was left feeling like this book is all about establishing the ground rules for a subsequent series. Not quite satisfying enough.
3/5
The first cosy mystery from Catie Murphy does not disappont! With an American (relocated to Ireland) protagonist, a convincing reason for the protagonist to be involved, and an excellent supporting cast, I really enjoyed this. I did not solve the mystery too fast, and I‘m already keen to read the next installment.
5/5
I love the Innkeeper Chronicles and this sadly-all-too-short story is another brilliant episode of Dina‘s life. Love it!!
5/5
I can think of only one Crusie book I‘ve read that I found to be less-than-stellar, and this one isn‘t it! Another great amusing plotty romance from a reliable and delightful author. Definitely recommended!
4/5
Set in the same world as - and a few months on from - the Clocktaur Duology, this is another stonking book from T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon. The death of her great-uncle leads to Halla discovering she would rather kill herself than marry her cousin. Thus begins a romance featuring an enchanted sword, lawyerly priests, bandits and a very patient ox. Highly recommended!
5/5
The other part of the Clocktaur War duology picks up the threads from Clockwork Boys and finishes weaving an enthralling and satisfying tale.
5/5
The first of T Kingfisher‘s Clocktaur Wars duology, AKA UrsulaV fixes paladins, this is an excellent fantasy read. Featuring theft-by-paperwork, assasins, paladins and enchanted tattoos this is a book I highly recommend!
5/5
First in the Never Say Spy series, we meet Aydan Kelly as she gets carjacked by a stranger. This kicks off the 40-something bookkeeper‘s descent into the world of spies, assassins, intrigue and exasperation. Grabbed me enough to want to read the next in the series immediately.
4/5
I did not fall in love with this book and I can‘t work out why. There‘s some good world-building, political shenanigans, consequences coming home to roost and romance. And still I feel a bit meh about it all. I might read the next in the series but it‘s not on my “must have” list...
3/5
4th in the “Spotless” series with Island and March. Definitely the most intriguing set-up in this one, and yet still not making me fall in love with it. I suspect this will be the last entry in the series for me.
3/5
Further adventures of Island and March. Still engaging enough for me to read on but also still not taking over my brain obsessively.
Sequal to Spotless. Island has gone back to her job and found herself a perfect boyfriend, so she can totally forget about March. Until her boss turns up dead...
Engaging enough that I want to read on, but still not grabbing me by the throat.
I‘m not entirely sure what I was expecting from this book (the set-up is: IT engineer comes home to find professional killer in her apartment, searching for a diamond stolen from a criminal organisation by her deceased mother), but it kept me wanting to know what-happened-next. The plot is entertaining, the romance element is reasonably well handled and I am interested enough to buy the 2nd book in this series.
The first ghost story I‘ve read in some time, and while I liked the characters well enough, I was never too scared for them or too involved / invested in the tale. I saw some of the twists coming but not some of the others, so I can‘t blame predictability for my lack of absorption in this story. Not yet sure if I‘ll read more from this author or not.
SPOILER-FREE! Billed as ‘the last Hellequin novel‘ I was expecting something a bit different from this book. Which is not to say it‘s bad! It delivers everything I‘ve come to expect from Hellequin: big magic battles, twisting plots, pain and travel. The characters all progress (or die) and end up somewhere different to their starting points. But... Although I can see why it‘s the last Hellequin book, I can‘t help but feel slightly cheated.
I enjoyed this One. The titular Alice is an independent, tough PI with an interesting history she wants to keep secret and I was very quickly rooting for her! Faking your own death to escape the grasp of your evil grandfather... Well, Alice‘s backstory informs and colours her present, but has little direct relevance to the mystery central to this book. Clearly though, this is the start of a series and I anticipate the next volume keenly.
Third (and for me, final) book following Ivy. Consequences abound from the events of the second book, and the plot was intriguing enough to keep me reading. However, again this didn't quite hit the spot for me and this wil likely be my break point (assuming the series continues).
A reasonably entertaining sequal to Slouch Witch has Ivy going undercover at her favourite TV show while various other people attempt to use her for their own agenda. This one didn't quite hit it out of the park for me.
Ivy is an interesting character, and who doesn't enjoy a two-extreme-characters-forced-to-work-together storyline? The mystery was good enough that I didn't immediately spot whodunnit. Overall, good enough for me to pick up the next book straight away.
A delightfully frothy Regency Romance from Murphy introduced us to the Lads, but also shines a light on some of the less-appealing aspects of the era. Fans of Heyer will enjoy this one for sure.
Innkeeper book 3. Still a fabulous series, and the over-arcing plot is developing deliciously! Can't wait for book 4...
Innkeeper book 2. Just as fun, fast paced and action-filled as book 1. Love it!
I love the Innkeeper books so much! Book 1 introduces us to so many good ideas and is a fun, fast read full of action, humour and romance.
Bluegrass Bros book 6. An OK tale, but I feel this is a good point for me to leave this series.
Midnight Texas book 3 sees the threat of something nasty under the town's crossroad. Still a reasonably good read but still not grabbing me and refusing to let me go.
Midnight Texas book 2. The abandoned hotel in the town of Midnight, Texas is being renovated, but none of the town's residents understand why.
A nice enough mystery that also advances one of the over-arching story lines. Good enough to keep me reading.
Beth is the first book in this series, and Beth is the POV character. Middle-aged, recently divorced, feeling abandoned by her kids, Beth makes a decision in a bar and finds a whole different world... Overall, I couldn't quite bring myself to like this book. There are some good points made, but I found other aspects problematic.
Federal Witch book 2. Agatha is sent out into the field.. Still some issues, but also still rich in ideas and definitely improved writing skills over book 1. Interesting enough that I'm likely to read the third book, eventually.
About halfway in I realised that this book is where Harris is giving her secondary/supporting characters another bite of the apple (yes, I was slow off the mark on this!) Nevertheless it's an interesting read, appealing enough for me to want to read the second book immediately.
I've enjoyed just about every Crusie book I've read and is is no exception!