My local book club chose ‘Australia‘ as the theme this time. Luckily I had a copy of the selected book - my daughter bought a signed edition for me for Christmas 2023. I‘m looking forward to getting stuck in as Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors.

The first in a new series, a spin off from the Giordano Bruno series, featuring Sophia de Wolf as former spy and investigator. I really enjoyed this mystery, it‘s a promising start to a new series. Lots of twists and turns and a steady pace make this an engaging and gripping thriller. Sophia is an intriguing character and I look forward to joining her again on her next adventure.

An imaginative and compelling tale with some interesting characters. I thought It had an intriguing and well paced plot. It kept me turning the pages. There‘s plenty of action and a smattering of romance, too. The only quibble I have is with the writing style. To me it reads like a young adult book and some of the dialogue feels a little stilted. All in all it‘s an engaging debut with a satisfying conclusion, leaving it open for a sequel.

A library book.

This book wasn‘t really for me. I can appreciate the research gone into but to me it just read like a school text book. It‘s so dry. And there are so many female characters called Hannah! Very confusing. I persevered with it as it was a book chosen by my local reading group. We all felt the same about it. Love the cover, though. Very attractive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It‘s a compelling and beautifully written story. I‘d never heard of Martha Ballard before reading The Frozen River, but all I can say is what a woman! There are some great peripheral characters and it has an atmospheric setting. It‘s very much a page turner and I can highly recommend it.

An ARC to read and review.

A library book to read. It‘s the first in a new series. Sophia de Wolfe who was a former spy for Robert Cecil, spymaster for Queen Elizabeth I, is asked to investigate the murder of an heiress.

The Standing Stone in the Moor by Allie Cresswell
This is a beautifully and atmospherically written story where the house is very much a character. The descriptions of the house and moors are very vivid and easy to visualise. The human characters are well rounded and realistic. There‘s a good plot-line which gets quite exciting towards the end, I was on the edge of my seat at one point. An engaging and enjoyable read.

I‘m reading this with my online book club, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main. The theme was a story set near water.

A sweet little tale about books. This is not only about the power of books, though, but also the importance of books in our lives. The blurb says to never underestimate great literature and to think for ourselves no matter what our ‘charismatic‘ leaders might say! An easy, charming and fun read with a message. I must add that I loved the cover and the cat pattern on the edges of the pages!

The Standing Stone on the Moor by Allie Cresswell

“Forced from their homeland by the potato famine, a group of itinerant Irish refugees sets up camp by the stone. They are met with suspicion by the locals, branded as ‘thieves and ne‘er-do-wells.‘ Only Beth Harlish takes pity on them, and finds herself instantly attracted to Ruairi, their charismatic leader.”

A book I‘ve received to read and review.

Set in the marshlands on the south coast of England, this tells the story of Alinor and her family who live off the land. Alinor is for all intents and purposes a wisewoman and raises the suspicions of her neighbours that she is a witch. She meets James, a spy for the Cavaliers during the English Civil War. I really enjoyed this book, it‘s a real romp through a tumultuous time in England‘s history. It‘s entertaining stuff.

I‘m reading this with my local book group, the theme being a biography. I‘ve been reading a chapter or so a day - I‘m finding it quite dry. I‘m not a big non-fiction fan so it‘s a bit of a slog for me. I have to read it alongside a book I am enjoying or I think I‘d go mad! We‘re not meeting up until 12 June so hopefully I will have either read it all or at least a good deal of it! 🥱

I loved this one. It‘s about how one drop of water can connect us. It‘s told via the unique voices of three people. Arthur who born very near the Thames, Narin who lives near the Tigris and Zaleekah who is renting a houseboat on the Thames. Beautifully written and very moving at times, I was very immersed in these characters‘ lives and found it a page turner.

I‘ve just collected this book from the library and just have to share a photo of the page edges with you! How lovely are they!?🐱😻

I‘m reading this with my online book group https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main

An enjoyable read. I liked how it was written. If you‘re looking for a fast paced thriller where the bodies line up, Whisper Cottage is not for you. I would class it as more of a gothic tale of suspense. It‘s nicely creepy and I liked the characters. It slowly draws the reader in and ends on a little twist!

I‘m reading this on my Kindle as I have another book on the go and it‘s a hardback. Kindles are more easily transportable. I always like to have my book with me. I would feel lost without it. ☺️

A library book. I loved The Island of Missing Trees by this author so looking forward to this one.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Gallows Wood, so was looking forward to Memorial Park. I wasn‘t disappointed! Quite a dark read with some twists and turns and the odd red herring. PD Iggy is certainly the hero in this book. It all makes for a gripping and engrossing read. I look forward to joining Lucy and her furry friends/police dogs again on another mystery.

This is a quirky story about friendship, grief, guilt and finding yourself. There are lessons to be learnt here - to live in the moment and not look too far into the future as that can be quite a minefield for the brain. It‘s a well written book with some fascinating characters, although I did find Robin a little immature for his years. There are some very humorous moments as well moving ones. A heartwarming, engaging and enjoyable read. #TBC

An ARC to read and review for #TBC (the Book Club Reviewer Group) on Facebook.

This is a moving love story which spans a whole lifetime. It‘s a tale of misunderstandings and regrets. There‘s quite a bit of background with the history of Iran - women seem to have had more freedom in the 1950s than they do now in that part of the world. The characters are well written and believable. An engaging and captivating story of lost love.

I very much enjoyed the first book in the PC Lucy Halliday series, Gallow Woods, where murder mysteries are investigated with the help of police dogs, Moss and Iggy. I‘m looking forward to book two and meeting up with these wonderful characters again.

I have to say I wondered what I‘d read when I eventually finished this book! 😄🤯. It‘s what I‘d describe as Jasper Fforde meets Stephen King with a little bit of John Connolly thrown in. I enjoyed but there‘s quite a big twist in the middle which just keeps on twisting. Cleverly plotted and written, it‘s a book I continued to think about a while afterwards.

This is a delightfully charming and sweet little tale about Grimaldi the cat who is sent back to Earth to live out his remaining eight lives. He visits 1909, 1935, 1942, 1953, 1969, 1997, 2002 and 2022 and the story is told in a series of glimpses or vignettes as told through Grimaldi‘s eyes. Engaging and also a little poignant in places. I read this with my online book club, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main/topics

I‘m reading this with my local book group. The theme is a story set in the Middle East.

A library book. Sounds interesting. I like fairy tale inspired stories.

I‘m reading this with my online book group, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main

This is a very atmospheric and dark story, eerily gothic in its telling. I loved the setting! Venice is an extraordinary city. Fiction is combined with fact to treat the reader to a fantastic tale of intrigue and adventure. Cleverly written to include certain poems and writings by Byron and presenting some fascinating real life as well as fictional characters, ‘Dangerous‘ is an exciting and engaging historical mystery which is sure to enthrall.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I didn‘t want it to end and I was certainly immersed in this family‘s world. It‘s character rather than plot driven. I found it quite relatable, totally engaging and humorous. I even liked Gene, the errant father, by the end of the book. He endeared himself! 🙂

An ARC to read and review for #TBC The Book Club Reviewer Group on Facebook. I do enjoy Essie Fox‘s books.

A library book. It needs to be back by 7 April as there are 45 people behind me on the reservation list, so I better get a move on! I do enjoy Jojo Moyes‘ books.

I very much enjoyed this one. It‘s very different to the author‘s Ruth Galloway Mysteries. If you enjoy mysteries and time travel stories, you‘ll love The Frozen People. Quite clever with some interesting characters and a humorous vibe. I‘m looking forward to book two!

A lovely, gentle tale covering themes of loneliness, grief, friendship and the power of a community garden to help heal. I really enjoyed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting story revolving around the slave trade and then the ‘rookeries‘ of St Giles in London set in the 18thC. It‘s beautifully written with some fantastically colourful characters. There is a slight Dickensian feeling to the tale, even some of the characters‘ names add a certain ambience. Fast paced it takes you on quite a rollercoaster of a ride. A great piece of historical fiction which I can highly recommend.

From the library. I love Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway Mysteries and I love a bit of time travel so I‘m looking forward to reading this first book in a new series.

I‘m reading this one with my online book group, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main

Once again I enjoyed revisiting Skarfr and Hlif, our Viking intrepid duo, and joining them on their exciting adventures. These books are very well researched and imaginatively written with some fantastic and colourful characters. There are even some family trees and lists of characters to help keep track. This is the third in the Midwinter Dragon series. I can‘t wait to read the final episode and wish all the best for Skarfr and Hlif! #TBC

A library book to read.

Third in the Midwinter Dragon series. I‘ve read the first two, The Ring Breaker and Among Sea Wolves. Reading and reviewing for #TBC on Facebook.

I very much enjoyed this book. I loved immersing myself in the Ancient Egyptian world. Nefertiti was a fascinating queen to read about. It seems well researched and it‘s imaginatively told to fill in any holes. Highly recommended for historical fiction fans.

The Absent Heart by Ali Bacon

Inspired by the letters of Robert Louis Stevenson. It took me a little while to get into this book as it‘s quite a slow burner, but once I did I found myself quite transported to the 19th century. It has a good sense of time and place. It‘s beautifully and imaginatively written. The characters are well drawn and the author brought them to life wonderfully. An engaging, interesting and worthwhile read. #TBC

The Absent Heart by Ali Bacon

In 1870, Frances Sitwell, beautiful, intelligent and trapped in an abusive marriage, is grateful for the chaste affection offered by rising literary star, Sidney Colvin. They make a perfect couple until the young Robert Louis Stevenson bursts into their lives to captivate them with his wild, mercurial spirit and startlingly original talent.

Reviewing for #TBC on Facebook.

Wow, what a gripping thriller! It‘s a page turner from start to finish. Fast paced with plenty of twists, turns and, of course, the odd red herring, it makes for a rollercoaster of a read. I liked the characters and I loved the setting - very atmospheric and just right for the mood of the story. The ending is unexpected and leaves it on a bit of a cliffhanger. I can‘t wait to read the next in the series to find out what happens next! #TBC

I didn‘t enjoy this one as much as other books I‘ve read by Judith Lennox but it‘s still a pleasant and gentle story. It‘s a family drama set during and after WWII. There isn‘t much of a plot just a meander through a family‘s trials and tribulations. An easy read.

I‘m reading this with my local book group. The theme is a story set in North Africa. It‘s about time I read it as it‘s been on my TBR pile for about 15 years apparently!! 🫣🤪☺️. I‘ve read The Heretic Queen and Cleopatra‘s Daughter by the same author and enjoyed them so here‘s hoping! 🤞

I read this with my online book club, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main. The theme was a love story seeing as it‘s February/Valentine‘s Day. I very much enjoyed it. It wasn‘t a conventional love story but I thought it was very perceptive and insightful. I‘d already seen the Netflix series so knew how it ended but I still cried! 😢. A moving and engaging story.

I‘m reading and reviewing this for the Book Club Reviewer group on Facebook. #TBC