I will be in Wales having celebrated a wedding of one of my partner’s school friends when this post gets published. Sadly my reading still isn’t up to the normal rate, real life is just too busy at the moment. That said I have managed to write a respectable four reviews this week.
Monday’s review was from The Apprentice of Split Crow Lane by Jane Housham. This is a non-fiction historical true crime story set in the Gateshead area in the mid-Victorian era. The book is as much about what happened afterwards taking in a look at the newly opened Broadmoor Hospital for the criminally insane – a fantastic read that easily deserved the full five stars.
Tuesday’s excerpt came from the fifth in Angela Marsons’ DI Kim Stone series, Blood Lines which was up to her usual incredible high standards – my review of this book will be published soon.
On Wednesday my reading week also took in Elly Griffiths and Alex Caan, neither of which were finished at the time of writing this post but hopefully I will manage some reading during the travelling!
Thursday’s review was of Pariah by David Jackson, a book I purchased following his incredibly A Tapping at my Door. This series is set in New York and is an action packed thriller.
I returned to the historical crime fiction on Friday by reviewing a shortlisted book for the Man Booker Prize; His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet – a stunning read which was also set in the mid-Victorian era, this time in Scotland.
My final review of the week was for the stunning debut The Two O’clock Boy by Mark Hill, a book that reaches back to the 1980s for the seed of a current murder spree.
This Time Last Year…
I was reading Nowhere Girl by Ruth Dugdall. Although I personally preferred the earlier books featuring Kate Austin set in the UK, this book set in Luxembourg has lingered in my mind which to me says I probably liked it more than the review at the time suggests.
Blurb
From the top of the Ferris wheel, Ellie can see everything. Her life, laid out beneath her. Ellie looks up. She wants freedom.
Down below, her little sister and mother wait, watching as people bundle off the wheel and disappear into the crowd. No Ellie. Must be the next box.
But the Ferris wheel continues to turn.
When Ellie goes missing on the first day of Schueberfouer, the police are dismissive, keen not to attract negative attention on one of Luxembourg’s most important events.
Probation officer, Cate Austin, has moved for a fresh start, along with her daughter Amelia, to live with her police detective boyfriend, Olivier Massard. But when she realises just how casually he is taking the disappearance of Ellie, Cate decides to investigate matters for herself.
She discovers Luxembourg has a dark heart. With its geographical position, could it be the centre of a child trafficking ring? As Cate comes closer to discovering Ellie’s whereabouts she uncovers a hidden world, placing herself in danger, not just from traffickers, but from a source much closer to home. Amazon
Stacking the Shelves
This week from NetGalley I have a copy of Another Day Gone by Eliza Graham, an unusual choice for me but I read Jubilee by this author many years ago which was a huge hit with me so I’m hoping for not only a change of style but more great writing.
Blurb
Coventry, 1939. Days before the outbreak of World War II, a terrorist bomb explodes on a busy street, killing and maiming innocent civilians. A man is hanged on the evidence given by a young witness. As time goes on, the witness doubts her recollection of events, but her testimony has already had far-reaching consequences.
Over sixty years later, in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings, Sara returns to her childhood home to find that her sister, Polly, missing for more than ten years, has finally come back too. Why now—and where has she been? The sisters grew up under the fierce protection of their nanny, Bridie, herself haunted by a family secret. And there are other secrets that Bridie has kept from the two girls she brought up as her own. Polly’s return sets in motion events that will stretch the women’s fragile bond to its breaking point.
Set against three generations of violence and retribution, Another Day Gone reveals the enduring consequences of a single mistaken memory. NetGalley
From Amazon Vine I have a copy of The Stranger in My Home by Adele Parks, a book that caught my eye because I’ve heard wonderful things about this author but haven’t read any of her books.
Blurb
What would YOU do if your child wasn’t yours?
Utterly compelling, Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks’s new contemporary novel The Stranger In My Home, is sure to move, grip and delight her fans, along with readers of Liane Moriarty, Jane Shemilt and Lisa Jewell.
Alison is lucky and she knows it. She has the life she always craved, including a happy home with Jeff and their brilliant, vivacious teenage daughter, Katherine – the absolute centre of Alison’s world.
Then a knock at the door ends life as they know it.
Fifteen years ago, someone else took Alison’s baby from the hospital. And now Alison is facing the unthinkable.
The daughter she brought home doesn’t belong to her.
When you have everything you dreamed of, there is everything to lose. Amazon
Lastly, unrequested but gratefully received from Trapeze Books is a copy of Ragdoll by Daniel Cole. Fortunately this won’t be published until 23 February 2017 so I have a space on my spreadsheet for it!
Blurb
A body is discovered with the dismembered parts of six victims stitched together like a puppet, nicknamed by the press as the ‘ragdoll’.
Assigned to the shocking case are Detective William ‘Wolf’ Fawkes, recently reinstated to the London Met, and his former partner Detective Emily Baxter.
The ‘Ragdoll Killer’ taunts the police by releasing a list of names to the media, and the dates on which he intends to murder them.
With six people to save, can Fawkes and Baxter catch a killer when the world is watching their every move? Amazon
TBR WATCH
Since my last post I have read 2 books, and gained 3 and so my TBR has reached a new high of 182 books!
93 physical books
69 e-books
20 books on NetGalley
What have you found to read this week?
Oh, these all look really good. I am especially curious about Nowhere Girl. Thanks for sharing…enjoy your week!
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Thank you Laurel – you have a great week too!
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I just bought the Adele Parks book! I haven’t read anything by her but this sounded fascinating. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
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It does sound fascinating doesn’t it? My thoughts will be with you soon 😉
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This is happening more and more to me too Cleo where a while after I’ve read a book I thought I hadn’t liked as much, I realise it’s still with me and maybe I had been a bit quick to judge it.
I also have the Adele Parks and Ragdoll added to my TBR pile x
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I’ve always thought that because I review straight after reading those books that take a little longer to ‘settle’ lose out so this feature is a good place to put that right. We may be twin reviewers again soon then 🙂
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Yes i totally agree. The book that affected me most like that is The Hidden Legacy by Graeme Minnett. When I read and reviewed I had read something very similar the same week and gave it 3 * but now I still think about that book and can’t even remember the other one! If I read it now it would probably get 4/5*!! Always felt a bit guilty about that one!!
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I loved The Hidden Legacy but I know what you mean – with Nowhere Girl I was upset with the change in the protagonist’s character but on reflection I see why it was written that way – that said I’m a big fan of Ruth Dugdall!
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Me too! Can’t wait to see where she takes Cate next!
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I know what it feels to have too many books on your tbr. It is rough. Good luck to you! I wish you all the best. The books you have on your list seem really amazing! I’m adding them to my to-buy list now!
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It’s a very good problem to have 🙂 Thank you for visiting
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I have just read the Adele Parks novel and really enjoyed as I have most (not all) of her books! Looking forward to Ragdoll when it comes out…
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Thank you Mary-Jane for confirming my thoughts re Adele Park, it is good to branch out a little and Ragdoll does look terrific!
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Ooh you’re in my part of the world?? Where exactly. Sadly I don’t think you are going to see much sunshine…
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I went to the Brecon Beacons to Craig Y Nos Castle – amazingly the sun shone for the wedding and we had fine weather until arriving home to torrential rain.
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So glad we could organise the sunshine for you. Ive been to the Castle for a wedding too – fabulous setting though I always come away with a determination to find recordings by Adelina Patti who owned the place. but never get around to it
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😊 yes we were told the story of Adelina plus a few about ghosts!!
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I like the look and sound of Another Day Gone. It will go on my wishlist as I try and resist the urge to visit NetGalley.
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I’m looking forward to Another Day Gone – it is a while since I’ve read this type of book but her Jubilee book was an amazing read so I have high hopes – I need to stay well away from NG for the foreseeable.
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Checked this out on NetGalley and saw it was a Read Now – I am so tempted, but no way can I read it by publication date.
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Four reviews is more than respectable! 🙂 I hope you have a nice time at the wedding. The Stranger in my Home caught my eye on Twitter, I hope it will be as good as I expect it to be!
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Thank you – I had a bit of a backlog to get posted – the wedding was great, always a bit daunting going somewhere where you know no-one but everyone was lovely 🙂
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Both the Graham and Parks look terrific Cleo. I’ll be interested in what you think of them. I hope you had a wonderful time at the weddinng!
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Thank you Margot – the wedding was lovely which made up for the long amount of travelling!
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Feel like I’ve read Adele Parks but can’t think which one/s.
Your TBR stack might have reached a new high but it’s still way, way lower than mine! (Which is currently around 370).
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I’ve seen loads of her books around but never picked one up – glad to hear I haven’t got the largest TBR 😉
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I hope you enjoyed Wales, Cleo! It is one of my favourite parts of the UK, and I feel so much at home both in Cardiff and Swansea. I think that you’re doing amazingly well if you get 4 reviews published a week, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Glad to hear that you’re doing fine xx
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It was a great weekend and as I grew up just over the boarder in Gloucestershire the scenery alone felt like coming ‘home’ My prediction is there will be less reviews this week – I need more time haha
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Are you sure Ragdoll is published by Penguin? and published 23 February 2016. I thought it was being published by a different UK publisher and that it was being released 23 February 2017.
i
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Thank you – yes the year was a typo! All corrected now.
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Ooh, Ragdoll sounds really good. Did you get a copy on NetGalley or directly from the publisher? That sounds like my kind of book. 🙂
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My copy came from the publisher (or I suspect PR company) I’m really looking forward to reading it!
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182!!!! *laughs her head off* Ouch!
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Hi Headless FictionFan – I’ll have the last laugh when you’re still reading Moby Dick this time next year surrounded by your TBR mountain!!
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Hope you enjoy your trip. The stack of books will still be there when you get back.
sherry @ fundinmental My Sunday Memes
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