Tuesday, 5 April 2022
Review: The Stone Chamber (#25 DI Wesley Peterson) by Kate Ellis
Saturday, 11 September 2021
Review: The Midnight Hour (The Brighton Mysteries #6) by Elly Griffiths
The Midnight Hour will be published in the UK on 30th September 2021
Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.
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Monday, 12 July 2021
Review: The Man Who Died Twice (The Thursday Murder Club #2) by Richard Osman
I loved the first book in this series (The Thursday Murder Club). When I was offered an early read of this book by the publisher, I think I may have screamed with excitement!
In a peaceful retirement village, four friends meet up once a week to solve cold crimes. In this story, their leader, Elizabeth, has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He's made a big mistake and he needs her help, but as the bodies begin to pile up, Elizabeth enlists her friends (Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim) to help find the killer - before the killer finds them!
Like the first book in the series, The Man Who Died Twice is a jaw-droppingly surreal, achingly funny, jolly good murder mystery. Imagine a mash-up of Miss Marple and James Bond, with a gleeful dash of Tarrantino. There are priceless diamonds, house-proud mobsters, sarky drug dealers and two not-remotely hapless police officers - who have long ago learnt to just go with the flow whenever the Thursday Murder Club are involved.
Strangely, it is the surreal parts that seem the most realistic. My favourite character (apart from Elizabeth; I can SO imagine Helen Mirren playing her) is Bogdan. I love the way he just goes along with whatever the Thursday Murder Club suggest, as though it is all perfectly normal. And his crush on (uh uh, no spoilers!) is adorable.
One of my favourite reads this year. Would suit fans of character-driven cosy crime and authors such as Elly Griffiths (The Postscript Murders).
The Man Who Died Twice will be published on 16th September 2021.
Thank you to Richard Osman and Viking (Penguin Books) for my copy of this book, which I received via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.
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Friday, 16 October 2020
Review: Pulpit Rock (DI Ben Kitto #4) by Kate Rhodes
I've been a fan of this detective series set on the Isles of Scilly since the first book, Hell Bay, and was thrilled to receive an early copy of Pulpit Rock. I love that cover!
It's the height of the tourist season and a serial killer is stalking lone women on St Mary's. DI Ben Kitto has no choice but to force a lockdown to prevent anyone from leaving the island. Everyone is a suspect, islander and tourist alike, as Ben and his team search for a killer who dresses their chosen victims as brides.
I love this series because of the great characters (particularly Ben and his wayward dog, Shadow) and the atmospheric setting of the Scilly Isles. I enjoyed the snippets of history and the superstitions relating to the jewellery the sailors bought their wives. The story is fast-paced with a real sense of time running out as another woman is attacked and then a third disappears. I got to the halfway point and was so gripped I could not put the book down until I'd finished it. Cleverly plotted so that everyone seems to have a motive, I was convinced I knew who the killer was - but was completely wrong! I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!
Recommended to anyone who loves traditional murder mysteries and authors such as Elly Griffiths and Kate Ellis.
Thank you to Kate Rhodes and Simon & Schuster (UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.
Thursday, 8 October 2020
Review: The Burial Circle (DI Wesley Peterson #24)
Kate Ellis is one of my favourite authors. I've read all her books but have a particular fondness for her detective series about DI Wesley Peterson.
The title of this story is The Burial Circle and I had got it into my head that this was something to do with an ancient stone circle. It actually refers to a 19th century basic insurance scheme covering the cost of funerals!
The Burial Circle has a slightly gothic vibe, which I loved, and is a perfect autumn/winter read. Central to the story is an old mill, where a suspected murderer once hid, and the house alongside it where a psychic weekend is being held. I really felt for the poor psychic, who felt bombarded on all sides from the restless spirts. This being a murder mystery, someone is soon murdered and everyone is a suspect. On top of this investigation, the body of a hitchhiker is found buried on farmland several years after she went missing. Can Wesley connect the two cases?
I love Kate Ellis's books because the mysteries are so twisty it is practically impossible to guess how they are going to end! They are so cleverly and perfectly plotted, it is incredible how she ties all the loose ends so neatly. The story's setting in a village where a series of unexplained deaths once took place, along with the spooky old mill, is very atmospheric. I especially love that her books always have a past mystery running through them, echoing the one in the present.
This was a five-star read for me. Recommended for all readers of traditional murder mysteries, particularly fans of authors such as Elly Griffiths and Kate Rhodes.












