Weekly Wrap Up (May 15)

Life has overtaken in the last few weeks with the result that I have read far less than normal but despite that, I thought I’d use this wrap-up post to share what I have read and which new books I have gained.

Last Week on the Blog

I took part in the Extract tour of Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard which had the unusual setting of a cruise ship for her psychological thriller.

I wrote a review for Little Bones by Sam Blake, a Dublin based crime novel, which was full of good things: action, great characters and a credible plot with an equally believable solution.

My Tuesday Post had an extract from the wonderful Play Dead by Angela Marsons which is out 20 May 2016. If you haven’t read the first three in this series, you are missing out!

Wednesday’s post  confirmed t that I have finished Mary Kubica’s third book, Don’t You Cry, the review will be posted next week as part of the book tour.

I then took part in the latest fun meme ‘My A-Z of Books’ which had me reflecting on those books I love from the past as well as the more recent additions.

Stacking the Shelves

It’s quite a while since I featured new additions to my bookshelves so here is what I’ve got!

There have been some irresistible bargains for kindle on Amazon recently so I purchased this one from my wishlist: Pariah by David Jackson which is the first in his Callum Doyle series. I loved his latest book A Tapping at my Door – one of my favourite reads of the year, so I now have a back-catalogue to explore.

Blurb

Where can you turn when your very presence brings death to those around you?
That’s the question Detective Callum Doyle is about to face. It begins with the calculated murder of his partner on a vacant lot. But more death is to follow, and when the chilling anonymous messages arrive, Doyle is left in no doubt that this is about him.
You cannot go near your friends, your colleagues, or even your family. Because if you do… they will be killed.
To save others, Doyle is forced to cut himself off from society. But with the investigation getting nowhere and his isolation becoming unbearable, Doyle has to ask himself how much he’s willing to sacrifice to get his life back. Goodreads

The many excellent reviews I’ve read of In Her Wake by Amanda Jennings made buying a copy of this at a bargain price a no-brainer

Blurb

A perfect life … until she discovered it wasn’t her own.
A tragic family event reveals devastating news that rips apart Bella’s comfortable existence. Embarking on a personal journey to uncover the truth, she faces a series of traumatic discoveries that take her to the ruggedly beautiful Cornish coast, where hidden truths, past betrayals and a 25-year-old mystery threaten not just her identity, but also her life.
Chilling, complex and profoundly moving, In Her Wake is a gripping psychological thriller that questions the nature of family – and reminds us that sometimes the most shocking crimes are committed closest to home. Goodreads

The lovely Alice from Midas PR sent me a copy of Love You Dead by Peter James which arrived Friday to squeals of excitement, the Roy Grace series has been a firm favourite of mine for years now, a whole twelve in fact.

Blurb

An ugly duckling as a child, Jodie Bentley had two dreams in life – to be beautiful and rich. She’s achieved the first, with a little help from a plastic surgeon, and now she’s working hard on the second. Her philosophy on money is simple: you can either earn it or marry it. Marrying is easy, it’s getting rid of the husband afterwards that’s harder, that takes real skill. But hey, practice makes perfect . . .
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is feeling the pressure from his superiors, his previous case is still giving him sleepless nights, there have been major developments with his missing wife Sandy, and an old adversary is back. But worse than all of this, he now believes a Black Widow is operating in his city. One with a venomous mind . . . and venomous skills. Soon Grace comes to the frightening realization that he may have underestimated just how dangerous this lady is. Goodreads

And finally while out with a friend just yesterday I came across a used copy of Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín which has also been on my wishlist since reading Nora Webster by the same author.

Blurb

Colm Tóibín’s sixth novel, Brooklyn, is set in Brooklyn and Ireland in the early 1950s, when one young woman crosses the ocean to make a new life for herself.
Eilis Lacey has come of age in small-town Ireland in the hard years following World War Two. When an Irish priest from Brooklyn offers to sponsor Eilis in America — to live and work in a Brooklyn neighbourhood “just like Ireland” — she decides she must go, leaving her fragile mother and her charismatic sister behind.
Eilis finds work in a department store on Fulton Street, and when she least expects it, finds love. Tony, who loves the Dodgers and his big Italian family, slowly wins her over with patient charm. But just as Eilis begins to fall in love with Tony, devastating news from Ireland threatens the promise of her future. Goodreads

TBR WATCH
Since my last count I have read 8 books, and gained, 4 so the total has plummeted to 176 books!
94 physical books
69 e-books
13 books on NetGalley

What have you found to read this week? Please don’t tempt me too much!