Murder at Christmas by T. A. Williams - #bookreview #blogtour

My phone started ringing as Oscar and I were on our way back from an early-morning assignment. An American would have referred to what we were doing as a stakeout, but I try to avoid using that world unnecessarily, because my ever-hungry Labrador is all too familiar with the word 'steak' and I don't like to get his hopes up...

***

I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from Rachel's Random Resources. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

The Blurb

A festive gathering...

Private investigator Dan Armstrong, accompanied by his wife and his canine sidekick, Oscar, are spending the days before Christmas in a luxurious Alpine chalet tucked away in a hidden valley. It should be the perfect escape, except the owner is in fear for his life.

A house full of secrets...

Amid perfect winter wonderland scenery, the more Dan discovers about his host and the other guests, he realises that all is not as it seems. What should be a happy family party is riddled with rancour, mistrust and hatred.

A killer in the snow?

Then the snow falls – fast and heavy – and within moments, someone is dead. Accident, suicide, or murder? As the snow closes in, Dan has to work out if he's looking for a killer, or whether he and Oscar are barking up the wrong tree.

A brand new instalment in the page-turning Armstrong & Oscar cozy mystery series, this time in the snowy Italian Alps.

My Review

I have been wanting to read this series for a while now. Whilst I would usually start a series at the beginning, I was offered this book as part of the blog tour and I simply couldn't resist. This works perfectly as a standalone story and I enjoyed it very much.

It seems somewhat ironic to be reading a Christmas book during a heatwave, but I so enjoyed reading about Private Investigator Dan Armstrong and his faithful canine friend, Oscar. Call me fickle, but almost any book which has a dog on the cover has my immediate attention.

Asked by a friend to visit the house and talk to its owner, who is in fear of his life, Dan is employed to stay and look into this. There is an interesting cast of characters staying at the house, and Dan and Oscar have to investigate whether one of them is a killer.

The Italian setting of this book was gorgeous and the descriptions of the snowy scenery sounded like something from the front of a Christmas card. Gorgeous imagery alongside the claustrophobia of the snow causing the guests in the house to be trapped until the snow was cleared. Add into that scenario a potential murderer amongst the guests and you have this fabulous novel.

The author knows just how to bring his characters alive on the page. In the same way that Oscar is an excellent judge of character, as dogs so often are, and combined with Dan's intuitive yet experiential nature, I was left fully trusting the judgement of the duo.

Using both narrative and dialogue to move the story along, the pace of the book was perfect for the genre. Without doubt, the author is an excellent storyteller and this book has left me wanting more. I may well go and start at the beginning of the series now. There are sixteen other books in the series for me to enjoy, and I can't wait to get stuck in.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1837031627

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 256 (paperback)

Series: Book 17 in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery Series

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

In his own words: I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I studied languages at Nottingham University a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to work in Italy for seven years. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only 13 years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

I started off writing romances but after 28 of them, I knew I wanted to try something different, and so the first of the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mysteries, Murder in Tuscany, was born three years ago. I’ve been having a lot of fun ever since getting to know the dynamic duo (and introducing them to people all over the world). These books are cosy crime [a genre I didn't even know existed when I started writing them). They are murder mysteries, but not gory, over-violent stuff, but stories designed to exercise the brain of the reader and to put a smile on their face. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations all over my beloved Italy.

You can also find the author at:

Author Website

X

Facebook

My Other Blog Posts Featuring Cosy Crime

Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells

The Wonderland Murders by Millie Ravensworth

How Not to Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

10 Ten Books I Want to Read in July 2026

 

Hello July (almost)! We have just passed the middle point of the year and I have read lots of lovely books already. This month I intend to dive into some exciting new ones. 

Do you have any reading plans for July? I would love to know what you are thinking of reading. Here are just ten that I hope to read.

Chalk Dust and New Chapters by Gervase Phinn

Summer term, 1956. For boys and girls, primary school days mean blackboards and chalk dust, pinafores and short trousers, satchels and skipping ropes.

For talented teacher Helen Mercer, returning to her home county of Yorkshire and working in a supply role, it’s a term of being sent wherever there’s a gap to fill, and getting to grips with idiosyncratic head teachers, eccentric colleagues and new classes of young children.

To each school, Helen brings warmth, creativity and a stubborn conviction that every child matters. But among the endearing, funny youngsters she meets, defiant Terry Smith tests her more than most. Can she reach the vulnerable boy she spies beneath the unruly behaviour?

As Helen settles back into Yorkshire life and even considers a new romance, she must decide which school needs her most, and where she can truly belong.

An evocative, entertaining and feel-good novel that celebrates those memorable early schooldays, from one of the UK’s most beloved storytellers.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Wedded to her Enemy Knight by Lissa Morgan

An enemies to lovers, convenient marriage Medieval romance

A house divided…

A passion ignited!

Outraged when Yorkist knight Edmund Deverell stakes his centuries-old claim on her beloved home, Lancastrian maiden Isobel Calvert won’t leave without a fight! But her best defense against destitution is to propose marriage—to her enemy!

After the pain of his first union, Edmund had never planned to wed again, his only allegiance now is to the House of York. Still, he can’t deny a practical marriage will secure his legacy and leave his emotions intact. But days of verbal sparring with his new wife lead to nights of unforgettable passion, until Edmund finds his loyalties wavering dangerously… 

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

Tell Tale by Claire Parkin

How do you catch a serial killer when no-one believes you’re telling the truth?

Wales, 1984.

Llanfair's most notorious busybody, Debbie-Marie Tunstall, has really gone and done it this time. Her snooping and merciless announcements of observations written in her Kajagoogoo notebook have gotten her into so much trouble that even her mum can't defend her. She has no choice but to run away.

And then finds herself the sole witness to a murder.

From a decades-old tragedy to the immediate danger of a potential serial killer on the loose, Debbie takes it upon herself to piece together the mysteries. But even if she uncovers the truth, will anyone believe the village’s biggest tell-tale?

Because in Llanfair, secrets are buried just beneath the surface, and what Debbie has inadvertently stumbled upon could unravel the very fabric of her community . . .

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

Single mum Lila:

Has got her hands full with two unruly daughters.

Is the author of an unexpectedly successful self-help book.

Is the impulsive owner of a flashy sportscar.

She also:

Has a stepdad who quietly moved in after her mother died.

Has a deadline looming on a book that just won’t write itself.

Is exchanging school-gate daggers with her ex’s pregnant girlfriend.

It feels like she alone is holding up the sky.

So the last thing she needs is a stranger at the door.

Not even when he’s a Hollywood star.

Needing a place to stay.

With a million-dollar smile she doesn’t trust for a second.

Because this is Gene – the father she hasn’t seen in 16 years . . .

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

Really Rubie: A Diary by Maddie Frost

Rubie can’t wait to go to summer camp for the very first time. She and her best friend, Riley, are going to have an ENTIRE MONTH TOGETHER!

Then Riley drops the bombshell that she can’t go. Now Rubie has to go all by herself and stay in a cabin full of girls she doesn’t know. EEK!

But going solo, Rubie might just make a new BFF, break out of her shell, and even meet a boy… What’s for sure is that camp will be more eventful than Rubie ever thought it could be - with more drama than she ever imagined!

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

Kitten by Stacey Yu

A magnetic novel about a young woman who falls in love with her boyfriend's cat.

Katie hasn't spoken to her mother in a year when her boyfriend James introduces her to his cat Silver. A small, vulnerable, incorrigible ball of need, Silver's acceptance of Katie cracks open something inside of her: an unravelling begins.

Fresh out of college and far from home, Katie is desperate to skirt the demands of adult life - especially because, as she promised her mother, the plan was to never grow up in the first place. Luckily, she has James: self-assured, generous, and seemingly happy to make decisions for them both.

When they go on holiday to James's family's seaside home, Katie's attachment to Silver grows. Silver doesn't mind that Katie can't seem to get a job, hold her own at dinner parties, or make amends with her mother. Silver, who gets to misbehave spectacularly, be childish, be gross, and still get fed, seems to have the life Katie increasingly longs for. But as their bond intensifies, Katie's other relationships reach tipping points. Soon, Katie must come to terms with what she really wants, and what she might have to risk to get it.

Delicately playful and unexpectedly heartfelt, Kitten is a sensitive reckoning with the allure of helplessness and the uncertainty of becoming yourself in a world that is as disorienting as it is full of hope and connection.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Fiona and the Forgotten Piano by Kate Demaio

Eleven-year-old Fiona isn't allowed in the Fermata woods. And though its unique trees are fascinating, Fiona has no problem following her mother's rules. That is until the trees begin to sing.

Suddenly, it feels as though long forgotten memories are being unlocked in Fiona's mind. As she nears the woods edge, the trees fall silent, so silent even the leaves stop rustling. Fiona will finally break the rules and venture into the woods. She'll soon find herself traveling through portals to undiscovered worlds. And she'll have to trust her instincts and her quirky new friends to bring back the music or she may get lost within its notes.

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys

One of the great cult novels, a book that can be read and re-read throughout a lifetime, A Glastonbury Romance is John Cowper Powys' masterpiece. Set in a beautifully imagined fictional version of the West Country, the novel inhabits a twentieth century under siege from older and stranger forces.

An epic work of terrific force and lyrical intensity, interweaving the ancient with the modern, the novel probes the mystical and spiritual ethos of Glastonbury and its association with the legend of the Grail. At the heart of the book is the vision of one man, who wishes to make Glastonbury again the great pilgrimage centre it once was. But what really lies in this powerful landscape and why did so many men and women once come to it seeking redemption?

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

The Strange Lives of Eleanor Teague by M K Hill

SAFE.

Eleanor Teague has a new life: a grand house in the country, a husband who adores her, and a place to recover from everything that came before. London is far away now. So are the whispers about the terrible thing she did.

PROTECTED.

The rules are simple. Stay inside. Stay calm. Stay quiet. Her husband says it’s for her own safety. The staff watch her closely. Because if she doesn’t follow the rules... people start to talk.

TRAPPED.

But something isn’t right at Haddon Hall. Eleanor starts seeing and hearing things she can’t explain. She starts to question what’s real. And the more she tries to understand her life, the less it makes sense...

Is Eleanor losing her mind? Or is everyone around her lying?

Purchase Link - Amazon

The Freshman Parents by Ko Porteous

THEY'RE OFF FOR THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES. BUT ARE YOU?

Single parent Heather isn't neurotic (honest!) — she's simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university — so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice from a parents' forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad, whose "helpful" statistics and assertions about "helicopter parenting" leave her fuming.

Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren't just room-mates — they're self-declared best friends for life.

Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing Heather and Scott together, making it increasingly difficult to ignore each other...

Purchase Link - Amazon

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

The Fatal Farandole by Ana T. Drew - #bookspotlight #blogtour #giveaway

Today I am shining the book spotlight on this lovely looking book. The Fatal Farandole by Ana T. Drew is a cozy mystery full of plot twists and small-town secrets. It’s perfect for fans of character-driven crime novels with emotional depth.

*If you would like to be in with a chance of winning a boxset of the three books in the Provence Mysteries Series you can enter at the end of this post (Open INT)

The Blurb

A beloved Provençal festival.

A murderous conspiracy.

A bullfighter who knows too much.

When two local chefs are killed within a week, shockwaves ripple through the region’s tight-knit culinary world.

Suspicion lands squarely on baker Julie Cavallo. 

As whispers turn to accusations, her eccentric family closes ranks, and her loyal friends rally to her side.

But Julie’s running out of time. Her pastry shop is at risk. Her love life is unraveling. The gendarmes are tracking her every move. Julie can’t afford to wait for the official investigation to uncover the truth.Her instincts go into overdrive. Dots connect. Patterns appear…

Can Julie make it through this case, when asking the right questions has already gotten others killed?

Book Details

ISBN:  979 8198692329

Publisher:  Independently published

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  334 (paperback)

Series:  Part of the Julie Cavallo Investigates series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind a recent string of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc. A first-place winner of the Chanticleer MYSTERY & MAYHEM Awards, her books have been released in several languages, both independently and through traditional houses, including HarperCollins France and Straarup & Co.

When she’s not plotting mysteries, Ana can be found perfecting her low-carb cookie recipes or watching The Rookie to cope with the void left by Castle.

Ana lives in Paris with her husband and their dog, but her heart resides in Provence.

You can also find Ana at:

Author Website

Facebook

X

Instagram

Giveaway

*Giveaway to win a boxset of the three books in the Provence Mysteries Series

 (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

ENTER HERE

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

The Body That Floats by Jayne Chard - #bookreview #giveaway

A crisp February morning. The sun is shining down on Little Clarsden, an English village nestling in the county of Berkshire. At its heart is the village green,,,

***

It has recently come to my attention that I must make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the publisher. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

***

For a chance to win a copy of Jayne's first book in the series, More Than Murder, click on the link below. (open to UK residents only)

Good Luck!

GIVEAWAY of More Than Murder

The Blurb

The mystery’s deep, the water’s cold, and the locals are packing more than just fishing gear...

TWO RETIRED SISTERS. ONE FLOATING DEAD BODY

Julia, a retired head teacher with a fondness for order, and her half-sister Frankie, who believes that rules are more like vague suggestions, are back—this time in the picturesque Cornish village of Portscatho.

Their morning swim off Tatum’s beach is rudely interrupted by a floating corpse. The police declare the death accidental, but the sisters have other ideas.

Soon, they’re knee-deep in smugglers’ tunnels, taking a bumpy ride in the back of a builder’s van, and facing down a gun-toting local with questionable fashion choices.

Can the sisters keep their heads above water long enough to uncover the truth or will the killer make sure they sink without a trace?

My Review

This was an easy and entertaining read and I enjoyed it very much.

In fact, this was my second foray into the antics of the main characters, Julia and Frankie. It is the second book in the series but it works perfectly well as a standalone novel. However, if you would like to win a copy of the first book in the series, More Than Murder, follow the link to my review of that book for details of how to enter.

Julia and Frankie are half-sisters. Having inherited their aunt's cottage in Cornwall, the will stipulated that they must both live together in the cottage for a year before the cottage becomes theirs. However, they are very different and haven't always got along. This book takes place in the latter part of this one-year proviso to their inheritance.

They are fabulous characters and I love the way they have such different personalities yet complement each other very well. Julia, a retired headteacher, is as organised as Frankie is disorganised and impetuous. When they discover a body floating in the lake, they suspect foul play and it falls to them to investigate what happened and to prove that this was murder and not an accidental death.  They are really fun characters and add much humour to the story.

The book has been well written and I felt that the author had portrayed her plot and characters extremely well. The Cornish setting is nicely described and the perfect location for her to have set the books.

The story moves along at a good pace with some twists and turns along the way. It was easy to read and I got through it in a couple of sittings. It is the perfect read for a lazy weekend and I highly recommend it.

Publishing on 7th May, The Body that Floats is the second book in the Julia and Frankie Mystery series. My review of the first book, More Than Murder, can be found here. 

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1068325021

Publisher:  Chapters Crime Press

Formats:  paperback

No. of Pages:  284 (paperback)

Series:  Book 2 in the Julia and Frankie Mystery series

Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Direct from Author Website

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Jayne Chard began writing plays when she was eight years old and wrote her first “book” at fourteen.

 After graduating with a degree in psychology and drama, she went on to win the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Buzz Goodbody Director Award. She directed a number of theatre plays, including shows at the Royal Court and Riverside Studios. During this time, Jayne continued to write, and two of her plays were performed on the London Fringe. Attracted to the small screen, Jayne became immersed in directing TV dramas. Now a multi-award-winning film and TV drama producer, her credits include the BBC flagship brand, Silent Witness and three feature films.

 In addition to her television career, Jayne was instrumental in establishing a veterinary clinic on the remote island of Koh Tao in Thailand and also worked as a radio presenter. Jayne lives in the West Country with her partner and two cuddly cockapoos.

You can also find Jayne at:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram

Bluesky

X

For a chance to win a copy of Jayne's first book in the series, More Than Murder, click on the link below. (open to UK residents only)

Good Luck!

GIVEAWAY of More Than Murder

(ARC and media courtesy of the publicist)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

10 Ten Books I Want to Read in April 2026

Hello April. It's lovely to welcome you again with your promise of tulips and sunshine.

What are your reading plans for this month? Here are ten books that I would like to read this month.

 Six Mile Store by A.M. Belsey

SOMETHING UGLY’S WAITIN’ FOR YOU

Honey’s working weekends down at the Six Mile, trying to figure her life out. Her boyfriend’s about to leave the country, her college advisor hates her guts, her momma ain’t listening, and she’s got this cop breathing down her neck just about all the time.

She finds a friend in her new colleague Lisa, but when one of their regular customers turns up dead, everything goes sideways faster than a greased hog at the county fair…

Purchase Link - Amazon

Fruit Fly by Josh Silver

Anyone can write a bestseller. Here’s how.

GO GAY

It’s been seven years since Mallory shot to fame as a literary sensation. But after years of struggling with writer’s block, she’s desperate to resurrect her career before it spirals into obscurity. She needs inspiration to strike – and fast.

GO SAD

Enter Leo – a young struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for.

GO DARK

Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. Authenticity sells, and there’s nothing more authentic than real life. She’s the perfect person to tell Leo’s story. Gay, sad, dark – just what the world needs right now. But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must decide: just how far will she go to pen the perfect story?

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

Story of a Murder : The Wives, the Mistress and Doctor Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold

No murderer should ever be the keeper of their victim's story …

On 1 February, 1910, vivacious music-hall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.

They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle’s husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.

Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen’s typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve – was she really just ‘an innocent young girl’ in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported?

In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard – the women.

Featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, glamorous lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER is meticulously researched and multi-layered, offering the reader an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era.

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

 The Other Killer by Heidi Field

You can change your name. Change your life. But someone knows exactly who you are.

Twenty years ago, Mason Tucker was tried and convicted as the teenager who helped lure young boys to the serial killer known as the Pied Piper of Peasedale. After serving his twenty-year sentence, Mason is freed and hopes to remain invisible while he rebuilds his life as an adult, hoping to become a man he can be proud of. A new town, a new flat, a new job and a new purpose.

But living with secrets is challenging, and protecting his anonymity, the woman who stood beside him, and her child becomes impossible when the past pushes back. Hard. Within days of his release, Mason suspects he’s being stalked. He’s threatened and twice attacked. He never imagined being outside would be more dangerous than being in prison. The police aren’t an option. One headline will destroy him.

Someone wants him punished, not redeemed, and as danger closes in, you will never suspect where the next threat comes from.

Purchase Link - Amazon

 1984 by George Orwell

A dystopian masterpiece - the powerful and prophetic novel that defined the twentieth century.

The year is 1984. War and revolution have created an unrecognisable world. Great Britain, now known as Airstrip One, is ruled by the Party, led by Big Brother. Mass surveillance is total and The Thought Police ensure no individual thinking is allowed.

Winston Smith works at The Ministry of Truth, carefully rewriting history. But Winston dreams of freedom, and of rebellion. It is here that he falls in love with Julia, and starts a secret, forbidden affair with her - but in this world nothing can be kept secret, and they are forced to face consequences more terrifying than either of them could have ever imagined.

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

 Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben

The present day is hard enough for former Detective Sami Kierce, but his past isn’t through with him yet…

Sami Kierce, a young college grad backpacking in Spain with friends, wakes up one morning, covered in blood. There’s a knife in his hand. Beside him, the body of his girlfriend. Anna. Dead. He begins to scream - and then he runs.

Twenty two years later, Kierce, now a private investigator, is a new father who’s working off his debts by teaching wannabe sleuths at a night school in New York City. One evening, he recognizes a familiar face at the back of the classroom. Anna. It’s unmistakably her. But as soon as he makes eye contact with her, she bolts.

For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the impossible mystery that has haunted his every waking moment since that terrible day.

His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past. Soon he discovers that some secrets should stay buried...

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

 The Body That Floats by Jayne Chard

TWO RETIRED SISTERS

ONE DEAD BODY

Julia, a retired head teacher with a fondness for order, and her half-sister Frankie, who believes that rules are more like vague suggestions, are back—this time in the picturesque Cornish village of Portscatho.

Their morning swim off Tatum’s beach is rudely interrupted by a floating corpse. The police declare the death accidental, but the sisters have other ideas.

Soon, they’re knee-deep in smugglers’ tunnels, taking a bumpy ride in the back of a builder’s van, and facing down a gun-toting local with questionable fashion choices.

Can the sisters keep their heads above water long enough to uncover the truth or will the killer make sure they sink without a trace?

The Body That Floats – the mystery’s deep, the water’s cold, and the locals are packing more than just fishing gear. The second charming and witty adventure in the Julia and Frankie mysteries.

Preorder Link - Bookshop.org

 The Spirit Guide by Bridget Walsh

Tragedy strikes Minnie Ward's beloved Variety Palace Theatre when a man is found dead in suspicious circumstances. Along with private detective Albert Easterbrook, she investigates. The trail leads them from the streets of London to a grand country house in the Suffolk countryside, home of the shadowy Spirit Sisterhood, who promise their clients an audience with the deceased.

Minnie isn't buying it. She goes undercover within the Sisterhood and enters an eerie world of seances and mediums. But unravelling their secrets will bring Minnie face-to-face with ghosts from her own past. Can she get to the truth before the murderer kills again?

Purchase Link - Bookshop.org

 The Witch by Marie NDiaye

In a small, sleepy town, a mediocre witch, in a mediocre marriage, tries to pass on her gifts to her twin daughters, who, it becomes immediately apparent, have skills far beyond her own.

Lucie comes from a long line of witches, powers passed down from mother to daughter. Her own mum was formidable in her powers, but ashamed of her magic. Perhaps as a result, Lucie's own gift is weak: she can see into the future, sometimes - but more often, she can only see the present of some other location. Not very useful. And the worst part? All she can ever see are insignificant details - a scrap of outfit, the colour of the sky.

Lucie's own children are initiated into their family's peculiar womanhood when they reach twelve years of age, and in a few short months, Maud and Lise are crying the curious tears of blood that denote their magical powers. Having learned, they take off quickly and fly the nest. Literally.

Witty, dreamlike, vaguely unsettling, and utterly enchanting (pun intended), The Witch brings the mysteries of womanhood and motherhood into sharp relief and leaves us teetering on the edge, unbalanced by questions as seemingly unbreakable relationships break down left and right.

Who is to blame for family failures? And how can you - can you? - build a nest that no one wants to fly?

More Than Just a Dog : Understanding, Loving and Living with Dogs : An Essential Guide for Humans by Simon Wooler

This book explores what every dog owner knows – that a dog is never just a dog.

They are our companions, best friends, members of the family and for some the most important part of our lives.

Our ability to make meaningful connections with other animal species and their ability to return the favour is, perhaps, never more beautiful than the bond we have with dogs.

Simon Wooler, trainer to Sophie from Romania, social media’s most famous fearful canine, unlocks the heart of the special relationship we have with dogs.

He explores how, over millennia, they have inveigled their way into our homes and hearts and evolved to live alongside us. Demystifying the science behind dog behaviour, he explains how they learn (and why they sometimes seem immune to our efforts to train them), how they communicate and what influences the powerful bond they form with their people.

(header photo courtesy of Elin Melas at Unsplashed)

Books I Have Read This Month - March 2026

As another end of month rolls around, I am looking at the books I have read this month.

I have read a couple of really good ones, but there have been a few that didn't strike a chord with me. That doesn't mean that they are not good books, only that they didn't work for me, and I would encourage you to read them for yourselves. Reading is a very subjective experience and is always worth making up our own minds about.

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

This was the book choice for my Book Group this month. It was enjoyed very much by everyone and I highly recommend it. I haven't reviewed yet but it will be coming soon.

Michael Without Apology by Catherine Ryan Hyde

This was a very powerful book about a young man who is physically scarred and how he learns to deal with it. It is well worth reading and I highly recommend.  I haven't reviewed yet but it will be coming soon.

No One Would Do What the Lambert's Have Done by Sophie Hannah

This is a very different offering from the usual Sophie Hannah novel. You can find my review by clicking here.

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood

I am a big fan of the television series for this series of book but this was my first venture into the books. Personally, I prefer watching it to reading it.

A Theory in Vienna by Heidi Gallacher

Based on true events, this is the remarkable story of Ignaz Semmelweis, an unsung hero of the 19th century. You can find my review by clicking here.

The Three Witches by Elena Collins

This was a fabulous book and I devoured the whole thing over one weekend. It had me gripped from the very first page and was my favourite read this month. You can find my review by clicking here.

Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur

This book contains a series of stories of Iranian women who have chosen to live their lives without men and made for interesting reading. You can find my review by clicking here.

Like Me by Katharine Light

Although I read this from beginning to end, it didn't work for me. However, I did a spotlight of this book and if you would like to read it you can find it here.

New Harmony by Leon E. Pettiway

I literally finished this during the early hours of this morning. My review of this will be up tomorrow so watch this space.

Books I Did Not Finish

Nova Scotia House by Charlie Porter 

Margery and Me by Maryka Biaggio

A Mirror Murder by Helen Hollick - #guestpost #blogtour

I am so thrilled to be hosting the author, Helen Hollick on the blog today. Helen is not new to the blog. I featured her book, Harold the King, earlier this year, and her Sea Witch Voyages prior to that.

Today, Helen is going to tell us about her book, A Mirror Murder which is the first book in the Jan Christopher Cozy Mystery Series.  However, the whole series looks great so I am going to include some information about the other books in the series further down in this blog post.

But first a little about A Mirror Murder...

The Blurb

July 1971Eighteen-year-old library assistant Jan Christopher’s life is to change on a rainy evening, when her legal guardian and uncle, DCI Toby Christopher, gives her a lift home after work. Driving the car, is her uncle’s new Detective Constable, Lawrence Walker – and it is love at first sight for the young couple. But romance is soon to take a back seat when a baby boy is taken from his pram, a naked man is scaring young ladies in nearby Epping Forest, and an elderly lady is found, brutally murdered... Are the events related? How will they affect the staff and public of the local library where Jan works – will romance survive and blossom between library assistant Jan Christopher and DC Walker? Or will a brutal murder intervene?

Hi Helen. Welcome to the blog.

Location, Location, Location...

When I decided to write A Mirror Murder, back when we were about to enter the first Covid Lockdown, I already had a basic Cosy Mystery plot for this first episode of an intended series. It was to be set in the 1970s, in the north-east London suburb town of Chingford and based around young, public library assistant, Jan Christopher. Why? Because I had worked as a Chingford library assistant through the 1970s, and had quite a useful memory-file of ideas to use. I had also decided to alternate between Chingford and the location where I now live, rural North Devon.

The main characters came just as easily. Jan, based loosely on myself working at the library and sharing our hobbies. I must add, though, I have never been involved in a murder or police business! That’s where the skill of writing imaginative fiction comes in! Jan’s adopted ‘parents’ presented themselves: her Aunt Madge and her Uncle, DCI Toby Christopher. Then his bagman, DC Lawrence – Laurie – Walker, provided a romantic interest for Jan. Police characters who needn’t be too intrusive with the details of police procedures. These are, after all, Cosy Mysteries, where amateur sleuthing (usually by a woman), set in easily identifiable locations come into their own.

Laurie’s parents live in North Devon, so it made sense to alternate my settings to give different aspects, and alternative interest, to the plot lines. Town v country. London v Devon. And different characters could then be included alongside regular cast members to give extra diversity. The library staff in Chingford and the villagers at Chappletawton in Devon, such as Heather from the village shop and Mary-Anne Calpin, a mischievous but likeable child. (Oh, and Bee Bear, a teddy bear regularly appears from Episode 2 onwards.)

My dilemma? Chingford is a real town. Did I use the name but make up the roads and places, or use the real thing? I decided on the latter – apart from any streets where a murder is committed. Although anyone who knows Chingford could probably work out the locations.

I use Ridgeway Park, for instance, where there is (or a least, used to be,) a ride-on model railway, once famously visited by Walt Disney. The old police station at the top of King’s Head Hill, which in the 1970s was a crumbling old Victorian house – eventually replaced by a modern (for the 1970s/’80s) building. Epping Forest, where Jan and Aunt Madge go horse riding – as I did with my own horses back then.

The actual library is still there, in Hall Lane, although sadly it is now offices – what a shame that our libraries are rapidly disappearing? As readers, writers and booklovers how many of us started out in our local library, discovering a new book we’d not read, or going back to familiar, favourite authors and their wonderful books? You can travel to new places – new worlds – in a book, or as I found as a shy schoolgirl, escape the bullies by immersing myself with better people, even if they were fictional characters.

The Devon village, however, I have invented, Chappletawton doesn’t exist because this location is based, very slightly, on today’s village where I live. I had quite a bit of fun, for instance, merging our 2025 Flower and Vegetable annual show with those of the 1970s. (A Mischief of Murder.) The village pub, by the way, The Exeter Inn, is a real place.  As is our, slightly disguised farm.

So locations are important, and what I have discovered, lots of readers are enthusiastic about the nostalgia for the things they remember about back then. The bold, bright patterned wallpaper, the popular orange colours. Flared trousers and miniskirts. My cover designer researched the colours and styles of the 1970s – for A Mirror Murder we had to enlarge the cover design to ensure we’d removed roof-top skylights (loft conversions for ordinary households were rare in the 1970s), and all the wall-mounted TV reception dishes.

Oh, and for the Devonshire-based titles, I assure you the cream teas are just as delicious for us today as they are for my 1970s characters. Cream first, though, on scones. Jam first is the Cornish tradition, not Devonshire. The rivalry is sincere and genuine!

Helen, thank you so much for being my guest on the blog today. The book sounds great and I would love to read it.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1838131807

Publisher:  Taw River Press

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages: 158 (paperback)

Series:  Book 1 in the Jan Christopher Mysteries series

Purchase Link

Amazon

The Rest of the Series

Episode 2: A MYSTERY OF MURDER 

 Set in rural Devon, Christmas 1971, Library Assistant Jan Christopher is to spend Christmas in Devon with her boyfriend, DS Laurie Walker and his family, but when a murder is discovered, followed by a not very accidental accident, the traditional Christmas spirit is somewhat marred...

What happened to Laurie’s ex-girlfriend? Where is the vicar’s wife? Who took those old photographs? And will the farmer up the lane ever mend those broken fences?

"There are lots of things to enjoy in the second in the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series" Best-selling cozy mystery author Debbie Young

"A laid back sort of novel, the kind that you can relax while reading, and simply let the story happen. This author has a particularly unique style of writing... this book wasn’t simply a story, but an experience. You almost have the feeling that the author is reading the book to you, and is adding in her own little quips every now and again. I loved every second... The whole mystery is well thought out... utterly amazing!" Review: I Got Lost In A Book Blog

"The pace is gently cosy, despite the murder... Jan is a wonderful character; young, naïve, but also savvy when needed. And Laurie is a gem. All the characters and their foibles and actions stay true to the era... a lovely, warm story." Review: Ruins & Reading

Episode 3 A MISTAKE OF MURDER

Was murder deliberate - or a tragic mistake?

Episode 4 A MEADOW MURDER

Make hay while the sun shines? But what happens when a murder is discovered, and country life is disrupted?

Episode 5 A MEMORY OF MURDER

A missing girl, annoying decorators, circus performers and a wanna-be rock star to deal with. But who remembers the brutal, cold case murder of a policeman?

Episode 6 A MISCHIEF OF MURDER

The village Flower and Veg Show should be a fun annual event – but who added mischief and murder to the traditional schedule?

About the Author

Known for her captivating storytelling and rich attention to historical detail, Helen’s historical fiction, nautical adventure series, cosy mysteries – and her short stories – skilfully invite readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between fact and  fiction blend together.

Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was initially published in 1993 in the UK with her Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy and two Anglo-Saxon novels about the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, one of which, The Forever Queen (USA title – A Hollow Crown in the UK) became a USA Today best-seller. Her Sea Witch Voyages are nautical-based adventures inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy. She also writes the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series set during the 1970s, and based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant. Her 2025 release is Ghost Encounters, a book about the ghosts of North Devon – even if you don’t believe in ghosts you might enjoy the snippets of interesting history and the many location photograhs.

Helen and her family moved from London to Devon after a Lottery win on the opening night of the London Olympics, 2012. She spends her time glowering at the overgrown garden, fending off the geese, chasing the peacocks away from her roses, helping with the horses and wishing the friendly, resident ghosts would occasionally help with the housework...

You can also find Helen at:

Author Website

Facebook

X

Blog

Bluesky

Author Newsletter

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)