I suspect his will be my most read author this year as I am really enjoying. This was a really strong twisty murder mystery featuring all the good tropes. There is a troubled police offer and her incredibly patient partner. A rich powerful pillar of the community and a troubled family with a missing child. Somehow however it‘s so much more than all of its parts. Now to find what else is on kindle unlimited !

I‘ve been really enjoying this authors books but this, a stand alone is a bit of softer pick with em. Loved the atmospheric and isolated setting of a small island off of Maine coast and the secrets that come out when a police officer returns home for the first time in many years. Trigger warnings abound

This was almost perfect. It‘s a fast paced tale of the life of Hercules told not by himself but by those around him - a mix of those he loved and those who hated him. It‘s refreshingly honest and embraces the queer nature of Ancient Greece but keeping track of all of the people and voices is a lot. The tone is quite Jodi Taylor esque (esp when you get to the character list) and feels a bit much across so many narrators.

Quite enjoying this so far. Lots of different perspective on Hercules from people who crossed his path. If I can finish this before September 1st which is an off chance given my upcoming work week I will make my first ever line in bingo!

Read for a challenge with a book by a journalist this was .. a lot. Ex marine turned SBS is now trying out life in the security services when he gets pulled into a twisty issue that would have James Bond shaking his head. It moves very fast from cartels to more traditional enemies of the state and ends up in a rush to solve before a terrible attack. For me there was too much h here and it took away from the story⬇️

Trope laden but still quite fun. Fake marriages, billionaires, billionaires who are also awful, sparky young kids - it doesn‘t set itself up to be classic literature but tells a the tale well. I liked the protagonist who takes no crap and doesn‘t buy into her makeover to make her a worthwhile person which I appreciated. I suspect I won‘t remember this in 6 months but enjoyed for a few hours in the sunshine

Trope laden but still quite fun. Fake marriages, billionaires, billionaires who are also awful, sparky young kids - it doesn‘t set itself up to be classic literature but tells a the tale well. I liked the protagonist who takes no crap and doesn‘t buy into her makeover to make her a worthwhile person which I appreciated. I suspect I won‘t remember this in 6 months but enjoyed for a few hours in the sunshine

In many ways very similar to her first book this is a more assured novel. secrets, complex families and locked in location all come together for a somewhat unbelievable but quite creepy lock in murder mystery. Like her first novel the weather - initially hot, sticky and unforgiving turning to wild winds is as u h a protagonist as the bad guy (my reading location is pretty fun for today)

A Ya distopian threat been on my kindle for 8 years. It‘s a great set up. a national lottery has allowed 20 plus years of genetical modifying 1% of babies born. Now the rest aren‘t sure they like seeing this group - ‘the ones‘ succeed…in steps in big government with the equality COmission and act aimed to controlling and minimising the risk they believe the ones hold. The decent into violence & hatred is almost inevitable. ⬇️

This has the potential to be a great and fun romantic comedy but falls a little short. The male protagonist has a bucket load of issues and I am not sure they fully get solved more than magiced away - also there is a fair amount of reflecting on life lessons versus showing them. For all that though it was an easy enjoyable read and perfect for the start of a short break in the sunshine

My #bookedintime read for Indian independence that I really loved. It‘s great historical fiction but also has a really strong family story with excellently rendered female relationships. Following 3 sisters through the violence of independence and partition it was both profoundly sad and incredibly hopeful. Also more thoughts below ⬇️ My copy came from India last year and so is also my twentieth for #readaway2024 @Andrew65

A bit bonkers but good fun. The start of a new leaves series with conman turned lawyer Eddie Flynn reluctantly defending the Russian mafia… a fast double crossing ride

I have never really understood the pull of a cozy mystery but one set in a lighthouse library in the outer banks - one of the most beautifully places I have ever been and I couldn‘t resist. It was saccharine sweet but I did think characters were fleshed out well and could see the appeal of diving back into the world created (was v into filters in 2013 clearly!)

In an effort to clear the kindle I picked this 2013 buy. it‘s a solid if perhaps unecesssrily complex murder mystery set in the Arizona desert. Narrated by Bridget Quinn in the first person its the story of a somewhat disgraced, early retired FBI agent and the case that got away. Bridget is frankly infuriating but also kind of awesome and it was interesting to have a slightly older protagonist. Apparently now there are also another 3!

Picked this for 30s dust bowl for #bookedintime and whilst starting and finishing late I LOVED this book. It‘s a story of an orphan on the bridge of adulthood who finds himself talking his way into driving 2 African giraffes across the states from New York to San Diego. A road trip in the best tradition of both adventures en route alongside a deeper story of growing self awareness and acceptance. and giraffes! ⬇️ @Cuilin

Here‘s my very vague list for the month @TheAromaofBooks

A kindle special I probably would not have bought had I realised it was short stories but actually quite enjoyed. Grisham brings his characters alive with deft pen portraits - the stories are a real mix but overall I enjoyed even if there is some mining of previous themes

The story here is simple - a young boy disappears from his best friends garden where they had both been camping and the unsolved case echoes through the following 30 years impacting everyone in the small community where it happened. An interesting story but for me a bit flat - the flashbacks were cut into small pieces and the loosely drawn current time characters were only loosely painted so I wasn‘t ever that sure I cared who had done it.

This could have been a fun but with purpose five star rom com but fell flat to me & is a low pick. Both Emma & Justin are grappling with big issues, parental dramas and general trauma to the extent that their story feels heavy under the weight. Justin is more well rounded but seems to be written to be a bit try to hard on the quirky- dog named after his best friend, surveys for dates etc. ticks of my season in the title prompt for #readthedate

@dabbe love this #tlt #threelistthursday I opened your playlist and could see I had over 20 of the songs on various lists of mine ! My picks today (tomorrow will be different again) ! The 1 guaranteed to get me moving on a slow morning - Harry styles As It was… the second a song to get someone singing to Africa by Toto and third the song that makes me think of family parties is the 4 tops sugarpie honey bunch

So I have not read Antigone so didn‘t know it was a retelling which perhaps explains a couple of what felt like slightly clumsy additions to the book but overall thought this was powerful and painful. Follows several characters starting with an older sister left to bring up her twin siblings at 19 and is compelling as we understand their families painful history

I relatively recently remembered I liked Linwood Barclay but this is probably not one of his best. Pacing and characters were great but the mystery and storytelling felt convoluted and it all sort of just happened in the last quarter or so. Low pick

Here I am again Reading an Emily Henry on a plane to India ! Overall I think it‘s a good one, a return to form - easy to read, saccharine in places but decently well rounded characters (who do not seem to quite have the maturity I‘d expect for their age but maybe a sign I am getting old!) and a slow burn love story that includes a healthy dose of self awareness and personal growth outside of the relationship.

I read this as the Cassandra complex but same book! Iiked much more than I thought I would. Cassandra is neurodivergent and after a genuinely terrible day realised she can time travel and sets off to fix what went wrong - in the interim learning a huge amount about herself. The main character is obsessed with Greek mythology and so stories of the gods are liberally sprinkled throughout - sometimes in a quite jarring way

I started this with the expectation it would be a non fiction I dipped in and out of. Instead I found myself seeking opportunities to read. The judge who has written this has done a phenomenal job of explaining our legal system with all of its benefits and flaws. She does this via the medium of a school visit to her court at the Old Bailey and then 6 composite cases / I could easily have red another 6. Insightful, painful and thought provoking. ⬇️

So I am horribly late for mays #bookedintime - sorry!This was a compelling story of Rahab a prostitute who survived the fall@of Jericho and went on to marry Salome. Christian fiction is not something I have ever really read but I did enjoy the strong message of faith, forgiveness and more.

This was short and quite difficult - it explores the impact of content moderation on a meta style tech giant. It‘s a novella with an abrupt ending but in it builds a sense of dread as folks react in different ways to what they see - from numbness to believing. Great example of an unreliable narrator

First time I have not been able to find a book in the database this is the 21st Ryan novel and a return to form with an intriguing case that expands into something i am once sure I saw on an episode of Bones! Moves swiftly to a. Challenging and perhaps little too abrupt conclusion but a solid pick. 📸 an old one of bamborough where this one opens (I was obvs into filters at time of taking!)

I‘m finding that I increasingly enjoy the time police as much if not more than St Mary‘s whose timeline at this point has me befuddled. This is a super enjoyable romp into the mystery of a disappearing train that may or may not be jumping through time and space. Some great character growth in this one - like is starting to look like a leader and Matthew is retaliating himself with the time map - sure to lead to more high jinks downstream

Another hotel and another from this series I think the final book. Another compelling case and interesting insight into sociopath Gretchen‘s mind and approach to work. Solid procedural

So I gobbled up book 2 as quickly as book 1! This entered into new territory where book 1 felt familiar. The case Gretchen sets out to solve is her own and its dark and twisty and yet despite that Marconi as the new detective offers light and a little bit of hope. I loved and as a a murder mystery gets too earrings from me! Off to see if book 3 is also on kindle unlimited!

So I gobbled up book 2 as quickly as book 1! This entered into new territory where book 1 felt familiar. The case Gretchen sets out to solve is her own and its dark and twisty and yet despite that Marconi as the new detective offers light and a little bit of hope. I loved and as a a murder mystery gets too earrings from me! Off to see if book 3 is also on kindle unlimited!

A non violent sociopath consults for the Boston PD in conjunction with the police officer tied to her brutal past. Bizarre set up but familiar from other series this was none the less brilliantly written and I consumed in one delightful poolside sitting! The damage of lies, violence and family secrets are at the forefront of this. Will read the rest of the series

Somewhat predictable but still compelling this dual storyline in the 70s and the 40s is an interesting take on British treatment of Italian first generation families at the start of the war, The SOE and more. Read to accompany a holiday so was pleased to hear Joy share how much she and her father enjoyed the Ancient Greek ruins - exactly what I have been up to when not reading !

This hits hard. The stultifying heat of 1518 seeps off the page. The angst and sadness of Lisbet who has hung ribbons for 12 lost babies is heartbreaking. The combustion engine of Strasbourg as women start to ‘dance‘ in their ‘plague‘ is wonderfully rendered. Is this a book about faith? Loss? Love? Hatred? I am not sure but I am glad I pulled it off the tbr - only the 16th already owned that I have managed! For this year #readaway2024

Just seen a fab play called Underdogs at the National it‘s all about the Brontë sisters, sibling rivalry, being a woman in a man‘s world alongside a heavy dose of who gets to tell the story type vibe. Also really funny. I suspect a rereading of the collected works of the collected Brontes is in my future. London accessible Litsy folk this finishes Saturday but I suspect will be back and I would recommend SO SO much. Playwright is Sarah Gordon ?

Well this is an tough one to review. A ginormous cast of loosely interlinked characters from 2 families travel a 50 year history - it‘s deftly written and the characters and insight into human nature are clever but for all that very little actually happens.

Trust is an odd one. Clearly very clever, 4 different voices, 4 different perspectives all coming together to create something of a truth about a financiers family in the years pre and post crash. Whilst intrigued and taken in by the power of the writing and the different voices I was left a bit cold by the actual story and the reveal. I am not sure they did all add up to a better story

The oldest book on my kindle. This was an intriguing premise - down at luck writer travels with cast and backers of a movie to Cannes for the films debut - on the way learning everyone story. It was beautiful telling of the early 1950s and the glamour of Italy but it was an ensemble book that picked the wrong 2 protagonists - would love to have read the Contessa story more than Stella and Hal‘s

Beautifully written, a light touch that nonetheless brings the pain and fear of Northern Ireland at the peak of the troubles to life. Cushla is not an easy to like protagonist but her challenges, her ambiguous relationship with her religion, her deep care for her student soften off the edges of some of her poorer decisions. Would be a five star read but for the fact I was a bit icked out by the ‘great love story‘ which felt v unhealthy to me

The kind of book I set N alarm to get up early to finish. Twisty and turny FBI murder mystery with a forensic linguist as the main character. It was this detail and the power of words that made this a cut above. Really enjoyed !

At my parents and just unearthed this box of listen along / read along tapes from my childhood! Sad to say we don‘t have a tap player anymore !

This has taken me three weeks - it felt like a real chunkster and at times a real slog. As ever with Penman the research is fabulous and the characters including the often forgotten women jumping the page, alive and vibrant. This is the 4th in her quintet about Henry, Elinor and their children and most is based around Richard‘s crusade and it is a little too battley for me! Did enjoy my last chapters and cocktail though

This is a book about wealthy, entitled girls and all the ways the intensity of female friendship especially as teenagers can be so overwhelming - in this case with tragic consequences. I found the 10 years later plot line frustrating - the mystery wasn‘t all that and I felt like we never really got To know Bess. She is frozen. A low pick mostly for the quality of writing and the feeling it captured.

Gosh. Hardest ‘easy book‘ the protagonist Iris stumbles across (on social media) the woman she thinks responsible for the breakup of her marriage… except now there is no sight of her (ex)husband. What there is however is a growing social media presence.,, 2 kids and a husband who is NOT Iris‘ex. Shenanigans follow. So many feelings about this. Iris is clearly hurting and does something terrible. That being said let‘s thread below 🧵

An, at times, saccharine neighbourhood story about 2 houses that share a garden and 2 generations of its occupants. I was probably more invested in the older Alma and Mayas story but appreciated the echoes of Mayas story in Winston‘s own immigrant experience. A gentle read and the emerging and beautiful garden felt very springlike.

I set myself my own version of my favourite challenge #booked given it is not, for understandable reasons running. My husband and I had fun setting date related challenges and my book of poetry for WH Auden birthday was an enigma. I find poetry super intimidating but was pleased with this choice. The structure of many of the poems are deceptively simple (4 line verses, mostly alternating rhyme) but there were many poems here that will stick ⬇️

I wanted so badly to love this but I just struggled. It may be where I am at the moment but bit I was just caught in what was heartbreakingly sad story of toxic parenting echoing through multiple generations.

Just picked a new book, realised I had not made my list, made my list and then spotted the tag and realised the book I have ok led for this evening is my spin! Serendipity!