Bob and Shirley's Guide to Murder by Suzy K. Quinn - #bookreview #blogtour

Shirley - Murder? In our quiet, little English village?

Great Oakley is a place of hanging baskets, tearooms and riverside walks. We've won 'Britain's safest village' 10 years running...

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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.

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The Blurb

Bob and Shirley run a lovely country pub. They also solve murders ...

A warmly funny, gloriously British cozy crime and murder mystery series that can be read as standalones or part of a series. Set in a village where the pub is the heart of country life and served with warmth, wit and a very good Sunday roast.

“Murder? In our quiet, little English village?

Great Oakley is a place of hanging baskets, tearooms and riverside walks. We’ve won ‘Britain’s safest village’ 10 years running. I keep three pound coins, a box of toffees and a bottle of Pepto-Bismol on my dashboard at all times, and I’ve never needed to lock my car.

Certainly, Bevvy Hogg was disliked. She ran the local Waist Watchers group, yet came to our pub for fish and chips, treacle tart and a bottle of Chardonnay every Friday. But I don’t think she was murdered …”

When Bevvy Hogg is found dead in the Goose and Gander pub garden, with an empty treacle tart plate beside her and several dress sizes slimmer than anyone remembers, Great Oakley’s winning streak as Britain’s safest village comes to an abrupt end.

My Review

This amusing cosy crime mystery is entertaining to read.

Bob and Shirley are a married couple who run a village pub. When a customer is discovered dead and the reputation of the pub's treacle tart needs to be defended, Bob and Shirley investigate how she was killed.

The chapters alternate between Bob and Shirley, so we are able to see the same occurrences through both pairs of eyes. 

There were times that I found this book very funny and it caused me to chuckle on occasion. It was a light-hearted read, and those who enjoy cosy crime might well like this book.

The book is the first in a planned series, which will thrill those who enjoyed this book. It is a funny, quick and easy read and can easily be read in a couple of sittings.

For me, I found it hard to engage with but reading is very subjective and I have read many good things about it. So, do give it a go and let me know what you think.

Book Details

  ISBN: 978 1999866396

Publisher: Book Club Ltd

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

No. of Pages: 286 (paperback)

Series: Book 1 in the Bob and Shirley Cozy Mystery series

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Suzy K Quinn (hello – it’s me!) is writing this bio in the third person. Which feels duplicitous and also a little egotistical. But here goes ... 

Suzy K Quinn writes book club books and murder mystery series, and has sold over 1 million copies worldwide. She's a bestselling author in the US, UK and Germany and will soon, very possibly, have written more books than she's read.Suzy lives in Wivenhoe, Essex, with her husband and two daughters. She is a twin, an incompetent parent of two and now fully decaffeinated. Her twin sister, Cate Quinn, is also a bestseller author. When Suzy isn't writing in cafes, she is walking around woods dictating like a lunatic.

You can also find Suzy at:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram

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My Other Blog Posts Featuring This Author

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

Love or Your Money Back

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

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

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...

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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

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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 Exciting New Releases in June 2026

 

There are some fabulous books being released in June.

During the latter half of the month, I will be taking a two week break for a holiday. Although, I won't be posting during that time, rest assured that some of the little beauties in this list will be sneaking into my suitcase and keeping me company.

I hope you find something in this list to entice you too.

The Promise of Wonder by Katherine Webb

A tragic accident. A misguided accusation. Are some mistakes unforgivable?

England, 1889. In her family’s rambling manor house in Dorset, fifteen-year-old Theodora Hallewell dreams of magic, adventure, and Toby Meriwether. As Toby prepares to leave for university, Theo plans a midnight gathering—one last chance to make Toby notice her. By dawn, a tragic mistake will shatter the world as they know it.

Years later, Toby has built a respectable life in London, scarred by the past but determined to put it behind him. Theo, struggling with the aftermath of what happened, has begun to fear that the life she has built is more fragile—and far more dangerous—than she ever imagined. Both live under the shadow of that fateful night—until a startling discovery casts what happened in a whole new light, and offers a chance to right the wrongs that have haunted them for so long.

Spanning three decades, The Promise of Wonder is a spellbinding story of lost love, atonement, and the long journey towards forgiveness.

Preorder Link

The Underground Sisters by Soraya M. Lane

Amsterdam, 1940: Schoolteacher Aletta knows the war will soon reach her and the Jewish children in her class. When her family hide an injured Allied airman in their home, they must decide: how much will they risk when resistance could prove deadly?

Paris, 1940: Since her mother’s death, Chloe has dedicated herself to protecting her brothers. So when the SS accuses Claude of being in the Resistance, she sacrifices herself to save him.

Forced together in Ravensbrück concentration camp, Chloe, Aletta and her mother, Emma, forge an unbreakable bond. Surrounded by unimaginable cruelty, they mount their own kind of resistance―secretly teaching children and preserving fellow prisoners’ precious memories. In a place designed to strip away humanity, their friendship becomes an act of defiance, their determination to bear witness a lifeline of hope.

As the war rages on and whispers of a longed-for liberation grow, can their courage and sisterhood see them through to freedom? And if they survive, how can they ever be the same?

Based on true events, this is an inspiring testament to the power of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.

Preorder Link

Dwell by Rue Baldry

January 1919 - A new gardener at a snowbound boarding school catches everyone's attention. It's rumoured he is a war hero.  He's nineteen-year-old Albert, haunted by Great War experiences and fighting the temptation of one particular prefect. What they want is illegal.

Being caught would ruin them. Then Albert's past finds him, making their quest for a place where love can safely dwell look impossible.

Preorder Link

Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko

The past, present, and future collide in a DC Metro elevator as three women get caught up in a gripping time-traveling tale of memory, emotion, and unspoken truths about their shared history. Synopsis: When Emilia Fletcher finds herself trapped inside a Washington, DC Metro elevator, getting out is the least of her problems. Sharing the confined space with her are Em, a troubled teenager plagued by suicidal thoughts, and Millie, an elderly woman yearning to mend ties with her estranged daughter. As the hours drag on, hunger, exhaustion, and panic set in, revealing an almost incomprehensible truth: they are the same person. Locked in an uncompromising match of memories, the three women excavate and attempt to reckon with the shared shame and suffering stemming from an unresolved trauma that has cast a profound shadow over their lives. Brimming with biting humor, compassion, and quick-witted insight, Just Emilia is remarkable journey of self-discovery.

Preorder Link

Collapse by Edourd Louis

Édouard’s brother spends much of his life dreaming. He lives in a poor, working-class world, where he imagines that he will become one of the finest butchers in France, that he will travel, that he will make his fortune, that he will restore cathedrals, that he will earn his father’s love.

But his reality allows none of this. There is no way to escape, no one who can show him how, and everything about him – his drinking, his violence, his behaviour with women and with others – condemns him.

At thirty-eight he is found dead on the floor of his small studio apartment. This book is the story of his collapse.

Preorder Link

Bad Deeds by Andrew Hunter Murray

Alex used to break into houses illegally. These days, it’s his job.

Alex is part of a small firm of consultants who break into offices and homes to test their security. It’s fun, it’s well paid, and he’s very good at it. It’s almost like he’s grown up at last.

But when he gets fired from his firm, evicted from his flat and dumped by his girlfriend, all in the same evening, he decides to steal one last job from his company without their knowing. A job they had already decided not to accept.

Big mistake.

Before long, Alex is in remote northern Scotland, following the trail of an ambitious young man who supposedly fell to his death with no witnesses in sight.

And if Alex doesn’t get to the truth soon, he may well be the next one over the edge...

Preorder Link

A Time to Be Born by Dawn Powell

Amanda Keeler is a bestselling novelist, famed for her martini-soaked parties. It's a glamorous life, paid for in full by marriage to a tedious, teeth-grinding newspaper tycoon.

When a meek friend from her provincial past arrives in Manhattan, Amanda plots to use her as cover for an affair-until she realises that they have both fallen for the same man.

Sophisticated, scandalous and acidly funny, this is a portrait of a woman determined to have everything, even if it costs the one thing she never meant to gamble: her heart.

Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.

Preorder Link

How to Survive in the Woods by Kat Rosenfield

Emma Sharp knows the rules of survival. From being raised by a doomsday-fearing father and hardened by the startup world, she has learned how to endure - especially in her marriage to Logan Grant, a charismatic tyrant who keeps her under tight control. To Emma, her marriage is a cage: it keeps you in, but it also keeps you safe. Until it doesn't.

When Emma forms an unexpected bond with Logan's former girlfriend, the two women form a plan to help Emma reclaim her life. Destination: the punishing final stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

After all, bad things happen in the woods all the time.

As the three venture deeper into Maine's backcountry, desire and dread curdle into something unpredictable, dark and deadly. Someone is lying. Someone is watching. And in the remote heart of the forest, someone is about to be lost . . . or found.

Preorder Link

Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine by Mo Fanning

Lisa Doyle is fine. Absolutely fine.

At least, that's the story she's been telling herself.

Her best friend is getting married. Everyone around her seems to have a partner, a plan, and a life that makes sense. Lisa, meanwhile, has four glasses of wine in her, a talent for making bad situations worse, and a growing sense of being left behind.

So she does what any sensible woman in a crisis would do. She announces that she's engaged.

There is only one problem.

Brian does not exist.

Now Lisa needs a fiancé before the wedding, her actor flatmate is far too willing to get involved, and the real Brian, who is very much married and very much her boss, is starting to look at her in ways that suggest this lie may have got seriously out of hand.

Warm, witty, and painfully recognisable, Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine is a grown-up romantic comedy about love, pressure, friendship, and the exhausting performance of holding everything together when you're quietly falling apart.

Perfect for readers of Mhairi McFarlane, Beth O'Leary, and Marian Keyes.

Preorder Link

The Cider Girls Join the Fight by May Ellis

1941, Somerset: the shadow of war is closing in.

Two years into the conflict, Rose is adjusting to life as a Land Girl, working the Somerset fields alongside Jimmy, the farmer’s son whose watchful, protective attention she can neither escape nor ignore. Thankfully, she has found companionship in Daisy, a district nurse, and Elsie, an ATS clerk. New friends thrown together by the necessities of war, they call themselves the Cider Girls.

As the threat of invasion grows, the girls prove their courage to the commanding officer of a secret resistance unit and are drawn into a dangerous world of espionage, coded messages and hidden loyalties.

But there is trouble close to home too. Daisy knows she is in love with her lifelong friend Mattie, but will she speak the truth before it’s too late? Elsie’s life is shattered by the tragic death of her sister, leaving her with an impossible choice. And Rose finds her work in the resistance increasingly hard to hide.

In a world of secrets and sacrifice, can the Cider Girls’ friendship see them through the darkest days yet?

Preorder Link

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in November 2025

 

Today I am looking ahead to November. The nights will draw in, the heating will be on and it will be the perfect time to snuggle up with a newly released book.

Here are just ten that have caught my eye.

Old Girls Go Greek by Maddie Please

At 64, Meg Foster is ready to paint outside the lines

Newly divorced from overbearing husband Malcom and with only reruns of Bergerac and an irascible black cat called Ivan for company, Meg decides it’s time to add a little colour back into her life. So when she spots a flyer for a local art class at the Lower Begley community centre, she grabs a brush — despite her only painting experience being a half-hearted coat of magnolia in the downstairs loo.

Surrounded by a motley crew of charming amateur artists, Meg slowly begins to rediscover her spark with the help of the other old girls…and the only male in the group Derek. And when someone suggests a painting holiday to sun-soaked Santorini, Meg doesn’t hesitate to sign up. Whitewashed walls, turquoise seas and possibly even a Grecian god or two? Yes please!

As the sun sets over the Aegean, Meg starts to realise that life — like art — is all about perspective. Could this trip be more than just a wash of watercolour fun? Could friendship, freedom and a second-chance romance be just a sketch away?

Full of heart, humour and hues of every shade, relax with another joyful story from Maddie Please celebrating the power of reinvention, female friendship, and living boldly — no matter your age.

 Queen Esther by John Irving

Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board a ship from Bremerhaven to Portland, Maine, and anti-Semites murder her mother in Portland. In the orphanage at St. Cloud’s, it’s clear to Dr Larch, the physician and director of the orphanage, that the abandoned child not only knows she’s Jewish, but she’s familiar with the biblical Queen Esther she was named for. Dr Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther; he doubts he’ll find any family to adopt her.

When Esther is fourteen, soon to become a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic family with a history of providing for unadopted orphans. The Winslows aren’t Jewish, but they detest anti-Semitism and similar prejudice. Esther’s gratitude to the Winslows is unending. As she retraces her steps to her birth city, Esther keeps loving and protecting the Winslows – even in Vienna.

The final chapter of this historical novel is set in Jerusalem in 1981, when Esther is seventy-six.

 Murder and the Maitre'D by Alex Coombs

The Chilterns are at their best in May and The Old Forge Cafe is flourishing, which makes Charlie think about furniture that lives up to the standards her menu sets. Which is what persuades her to take on a job for a wealthy local businessman who suspects his daughter has fallen for a man who is not only a gold-digger but also a murderer.

To Charlie's surprise, she knows him – he's the Maitre d' at the Michelin-starred restaurant at the other end of the village. Does his charm conceal a killer?

A Million Miracles by Roberta Kagan

He has one vow, one mission, one impossible secret.

Pitor Barr no longer exists. To the world, he is Konrad Hoffman, a trusted SS officer deep inside Hitler’s inner circle. But beneath the uniform lies a desperate Jewish father, risking everything to find the last piece of his soul: his stolen son, Jakup.

To uncover the boy’s fate, Pitor must marry Heidi, a woman entangled in the dark secrets of the Lebensborn home. She alone holds the key to Jakup’s whereabouts. But every day of this false marriage is a dangerous dance, where one wrong glance, one whispered word, could expose the truth. And now, Horst and Gretchen are watching, closing in.

Far from Berlin’s shadows, Steffi is torn from her quiet farm and thrown into the horror of Auschwitz. There, she collides with an old enemy whose twisted revenge could destroy her. Yet his cruelty may unwittingly spark a fragile chance to aid Pitor’s fight from within the heart of darkness. 

The Bridge Between Friends by Norma Curtis

On a quiet bridge where memories linger, hearts begin to heal...

1992 Elisavet, a Serbian refugee haunted by loss, finds work on Island Farm Avenue. There, three older women – Cora, Megan, and Gladdie – meet regularly on the old footbridge, a quiet place where stories are shared and wounds are gently laid bare. As they begin to open up about their memories, Elisavet is drawn into their past and the healing power of female friendship.

1944 During the war, a young Cora forms a forbidden bond with Frank, a German prisoner held at Island Farm Camp. A fleeting smile. A folded paper aeroplane. A love that defies the rules of a broken world. But as their connection deepens, Cora must choose between her heart and the hostile judgment of a war-weary town.

As Elisavet pieces together the intertwined pasts of these three extraordinary women, she uncovers a story of resilience, love, and the kind of friendship that builds bridges across time.

  Life in a Medieval Town by Kathryn Warner

An original work of social history focusing on numerous fascinating aspects of life in an English town in the late Middle Ages. Welcome to a world which ordered people not to leave their homes after nightfall and not to let their pigs wander the streets, where butchers who sold bad meat to the public were locked into a pillory with the meat burning beneath them, and where dirt heaps, common scolds, and attempts to cure diseases with dead animal flesh were a normal part of life. Were medieval towns really as filthy as we might think? If not, how did people wash themselves and their clothes? What did being drawn on the hurdle mean? What did people eat, and where did they buy it? What happened to criminals? Did women work outside the home, and if so, in which professions? What were people’s houses like? How did they entertain themselves? How much did they earn, and how much did things cost? What kind of medical treatment was available? Did people travel to other towns, and if so, how did they get there?

  Never Too Late by Maxine Morrey

Every moment of your life is a second chance...

Thirty years ago, Kitty Collins was a confident, carefree fashion history student living her best life in Paris. But then Tomas Laurent broke her heart and she retreated back to England.

A year later, Kitty’s a married stay-at-home mum and those big hopes and dreams have been replaced by nappy changes, school runs and dinner parties for her husband’s Academia colleagues.

Now 50 and recently divorced, Kitty is empowered to embrace single life and finally makes plans with Sasha, her daughter, to return to the city that stole her heart to move forward with her life.

But when a chance encounter awakens feelings she’d forgotten she had Kitty begins to wonder whether the ghosts of Paris should be left in the past.

With the help of old friends and new friends, can Kitty discover the woman she’s supposed to be and fall in love with the City of Light once more?

 Wartime with the Cider Girls by May Ellis

Can their home-front resistance see them through the darkest days?

When war breaks out, Rose Flaherty is eager to do her bit. Swapping city life in Birmingham for the fields of Somerset, she joins the Land Army to help keep Britain fed. But life on the farm is tough, the work backbreaking – and the farmer’s son, Jimmy, isn’t exactly welcoming.

An accident in the orchard brings Rose into the path of nurse Daisy and ATS clerk Elsie, and soon the three girls form an unbreakable bond. But even their quiet corner of the countryside can’t escape the shadow of war.

When Rose uncovers suspicious behaviour and whispers of a secret resistance network, she finds herself pulled into a world of coded messages, hidden identities – and very real danger.

As enemy forces close in, can the girls’ friendship and fierce spirit help protect those they love… and win a battle no one knows they’re fighting?

 The Shabbat Effect by Alan Morinis

What if one day of rest could transform your entire life?

One of the most important biblical mandates, so significant that it numbers among the Ten Commandments, is the directive to observe a weekly day of rest. The Shabbat Effect illuminates how the practice of a day set aside for rest brings about a deep, lasting, and pervasive transformation of character, not just on that seventh day but every day. Drawing on venerable Jewish sources as well as the experiences of contemporary practitioners, this user-friendly and accessible guide explores the eight essential traits that reflect the true meaning of Shabbat.

Rooted in the 1,100-year-old Jewish tradition of Mussar as well as the experiences of contemporary practitioners, this accessible guide offers a radical and moving exploration of how the practice of Shabbat enhances and refines core traits of character. Readers will find that it contributes immeasurably to their enjoyment of life, as well as helping them fulfill their highest human potential.

 How to Survive in Ration Book Britain by Toni Mount

This guide, How to Survive in Ration-Book Britain, will help the time-traveller who journeys back to mid-twentieth century Britain. From 1939 to 1945, the country is involved in World War Two and even after victory is achieved, Britain is cash-strapped and years of austerity follow. Throughout, food, clothing, fuel, furniture and items we take for granted today are rationed and people are scrimping, scraping and using their imagination just to get by. As cities and towns are bombed, lives lost and homes destroyed, men are called to serve the country, children are evacuated and women are expected to ‘do their bit’ on the ‘Home Front’, maintaining the house as a place of welcome, boosting morale and stretching meagre food allowances to keep everyone fed and fit. This is no easy life yet people find lighter moments and ‘carry on carrying on’. Whatever the disaster, somebody will find a way to make tea. The English ‘cuppa’ is the answer to almost every problem. You have to admire their spirit. Enjoy the experience as this book helps you to survive the hazards and live life to the full in Ration-Book Britain.

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths - #bookreview

Alison Dawson can never cross the Old Kent Road without thinking of Monopoly. The brown quare nobody wants. She used to play it with one of her husbands, she can't remember which, offhand...

The Blurb

Ali Dawson is a police officer working on crimes so old, the joke goes, that they are not only cold but frozen. What most people don't know is that the team travels back in time to complete their research - a process pioneered by the mysterious Italian physicist, Serafina Pelligrini.

So far the team has only ventured a few years back but Ali's boss has a new assignment for her. He wants her to step back to 1850, the heart of the Victorian Age, to clear the name of Cain Templeton, the eccentric great-grandfather of Tory MP Isaac Templeton.

To prepare for the challenge ahead, Ali researches the Victorian era. She learns that Cain Templeton was part of a sinister group called The Collectors, the rumour being that you had to kill a woman to become a member. Duly prepared, she arrives in London in January 1850, at the peak of the so-called mini ice age, to start her journey in a house used by artists, with a dead woman at her feet.

Soon she finds herself in extreme danger. Even worse - she appears to be stuck, unable to make her way back to the present, to her life and to her son, Finn.

A brand new series from No 1 bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries. If you're missing Ruth and Nelson, wait till you meet Ali and Cain.

My Review

I adored every one of the Dr Ruth Galloway series of books by this author (links to previous reviews at the end of the post.) When I heard the author, Elly Griffiths had written the first in a new series, I was very keen to read it but with a little trepidation. After all, when you read a series that you love, there is always the possibility that something new might disappoint.

However, my fears came to nought as I enjoyed this book very much. It is very different to the Dr Ruth Galloway series. In fact, I would suggest not going into this thinking it might be similar. This is very different and actually, I enjoyed seeing this talented author turn her hand to something a little different.

The main character, Ali Dawson is a police officer working on a cold case review team. It is a little different to the usual 'cold case' scenario as the officers can actually travel back in time in order to solve the crimes. Thus we see Ali travel back to London in 1850 in order to investigate Cain Templeton, a man associated with a group known as The Collectors. It is said that in order to become a member, one has to murder a woman. What made this even more interesting is that we detect the beginnings of an attraction between Ali and Cain. I can hardly wait for the next book to see whether this relationship develops. 

Whilst she is stuck in the past, Ali's son Fin, is arrested for the murder of Cain's descendent. Needless to say, she is keen to get back to the present to clear his name.

It is a refreshing new take on this genre of books - crime and science fiction mixed together, and it worked very well. The edges of the genres blur perfectly. I loved the way both past and present parallel one another and how a resolution is found.  Although the book moves between past and present, it did so seamlessly.

Ali is a fabulous character. She is a determined, strong minded woman and I am looking forward to seeing how her character develops in subsequent books in the series. 

I highly recommend getting started with this series. I know that I am going to read them all.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1529433371

Publisher:  Quercus

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  368 (paperback)

Series:  Book 1 in the Ali Dawes series

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

About the Author

Bestselling crime author Elly Griffiths worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer.

Her series of Dr Ruth Galloway novels, featuring a forensic archaeologist, are set in Norfolk and regularly hit the Sunday Times top ten in hardback and paperback. The series has won the CWA Dagger in the Library and has been shortlisted three times for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year. There are twelve books in the series so far with number thirteen to be published in February 2021.

Her Brighton-based mystery series set in the 1950s and 1960s is inspired partly by her grandfather's life on the stage and the war magician Jasper Maskelyne, who claimed to have spent the war creating large scale illusions to misdirect the enemy. One of the two leading characters in the series, Max Mephisto, is based on Maskelyne. 

In 2017 she was Programming Chair of Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Festival in Harrogate, the oldest and best-established crime fiction festival in the UK.

In 2018 Elly wrote her first standalone novel The Stranger Diaries. The novel was a top 10 paperback bestseller, selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club and as a summer 2019 Richard and Judy book.

In 2019 Elly published her first children's book in spring 2019 to great reviews with a second following in 2020.

Elly Griffiths lives near Brighton with her husband, an archaeologist, and their two grown children.

You can also find Elly at:

Author Website

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(all opinions are my own)

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10 Ten Exciting New Releases in October 2025

I am looking forward to October and all the lovely new release books that await.

Here are just ten that I am excited about.

 The Lion Cub Secret by Lauren St. John 

Imagine rescuing a lion cub . . .

After Martine rescues an orphaned lion cub from a market, she dreams of keeping him forever. But Tau, the cub, already has a home. He's been snatched from one of South Africa's most famous game reserves.

When Martine and her best friend Ben are invited to the reserve to help settle Tau in, they leap at the chance. But the beautiful wilderness is riddled with mysteries and secrets, and the lion cub's secret is the biggest of all.

As Martine and Ben start asking questions, they quickly discover that there are those who'll stop at nothing to get to Tau. Will the lonely lion cub ever be truly free?

Lauren St John's White Giraffe series has become internationally beloved. This is the perfect time to discover - or rediscover - this bestselling series.

Preorder Link

The Dog Walkers Detective Agency by Michael Hogan

They've got a lot of leads...but can they collar a killer?

When Charlie Boardman and his beloved Staffy, Ruby, stumble across a corpse in the woods, the sleepy coastal town of Framstone is rocked by the discovery that the local pub landlord has been murdered.

Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to try and sniff out any clues that might help the local police with their investigation.

But what begins as idle speculation and gossip quickly becomes something more sinister, when Charlie starts receiving anonymous threats warning him off the case.

Then, a second body washes up on the beach…

Can Charlie hunt down a killer, before he becomes the next victim?

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  Daughter of the Stones by Alexandra Walsh

When Caitlin King’s father collapses on the eve of the summer solstice, she’s drawn back into the tangled web of her already fragile family – and strange visions begin to haunt her. Visions of another life, another time and a woman who looks uncannily like herself.

In Iron Age Britain, Cordelia is the third daughter of chief Lear Bladudsunu and a gifted shaman. But she is left grief-stricken when betrayal, ambition and patriarchal power threaten everything she holds dear.

Linked across the centuries, Caitlin and Cordelia each face devastating choices. As Cordelia fights to protect her people from destruction, Caitlin finds herself drawn deeper into the mysteries of the past.

As the veil thins between past and present, can Caitlin unravel the truth of her own heritage in time to heal old wounds and unite her fractured family?

Alexandra Walsh’s captivating new novel is a richly layered tale of sisterhood, legacy and the enduring power of love across the ages.

Preorder Link

A Stranger Comes to Town by Lynne Sharon Schwartz

"What's the last thing you remember?" 

This is the question posed to Joe Marzino after being found on a sidewalk, knocked down by a bicycle on Columbus Avenue, one block from New York's Central Park. Joe remembers nothing, not even his own name. He awakens into the world with only the clothes on his back, a throbbing pain in his left ankle, and more questions than answers.

A Stranger Comes to Town is a masterful novel of self-discovery, revealing the multitude of histories and lives we each inhabit, as well as the many ways we seek to reinvent ourselves and reshape our pasts. Joe's search to discover his true identity exposes how even the most ordinary aspects of our lives are often extraordinarily felt.

Lynne Sharon Schwartz is a celebrated author of thirty books including novels, short fiction, poetry, criticism, and works of translation. A Stranger Comes to Town is crafted with immense imagination and a skillfulness that reaffirms Schwartz as one of the most assured writers of our time.

Preorder Link

 Better Days on Dressmakers Alley by Rosie Clarke

Catch up with the goings on on Dressmakers' Alley, where love seems to be in the air.

London’s East End 1926

The girls of Dressmaker’s Alley are busier than ever and Lady Diane’s business continues to thrive.

New recruit Janice Williams is one of the new seamstresses Miss Susie hires to cope with the work but on the day of her interview, Janice is injured in a roadside accident that will change her life forever.

Poor Winnie Collins’ pregnancy is beset with problems and under Doctor’s strict orders she is confined to bed rest. How will she cope when there is so much to do?

Susie Collins’ and Timothy Marsh’s relationship continues to flourish. But when will Susie find time to allow Timothy to make an honest woman of her?

Meanwhile business is blooming at the flower shop but Lily is concerned what her husband Jeb Jarvis and brother Joe Ross are up to. When something seems too good to be true, it usually is and none of them realise the danger it could bring.

Things are looking brighter on Dressmaker’s Alley, but there are always those who want to cause trouble…

Preorder Link

 The Old Gals Bucket List by Karen King

It’s been eight months since Sandra lost her beloved husband, and she knows something has to change. Her son wants her to sell up her home and move into a retirement apartment, close to him. But she doesn’t feel ready for that yet.

Then she bumps into her old friend Patti, heading off to get her first tattoo. Patti explains she’s beaten cancer and now she’s ready to make every second count… And – sitting down for a cuppa and a slice of cake – the women land on the perfect idea – a bucket list!

As they set out to fulfil dreams, overcome fears, and have the adventure of their lives, their lives intertwine with others who feel the same, including Mary and her anxious husband…

If anyone can help them live their best lives… it’s the old gals!

Preorder Link

  A New Recruit for the Resistance Girls by Alice G May

They said women were a liability in war. They were wrong...

March 1940

A woman desperate for escape…

A skilled mechanic, Fliss Makepeace chafes under the suffocating expectations of her family and society. Ordered to abandon her beloved engines for a 'woman's job' and pressured into a brutal marriage with the menacing Jake, Fliss feels trapped. But as the drums of war beat louder, she vows to serve King and Country rather than surrender to a life of quiet torment.

A chance to serve her country…

Joining the ATS offers Fliss not just a uniform, but freedom. Yet, a chance encounter with the formidable Major Stapleton propels her into an even deeper secret: a clandestine Women's Army, poised to become the British Resistance should Hitler invade. For Fliss, it's an undeniable call to duty—and a thrilling escape from her past.

And turn the tide of war?

At a secret research base, Fliss and the other ATS girls join scientists in a race against time to intercept Hitler's deadly bombing raids. The work is exhilarating, exhausting and fraught with peril. When a vicious attack rocks the isolated compound, a chilling question echoes through the ranks: Is there a German spy in their midst?

With their vital mission now at risk, Fliss must draw on every ounce of her mechanical ingenuity and intuition to unmask the traitor before their secret war plans—and their lives—are shattered.

A heart-stopping story of courage, betrayal, and the hidden heroines who risked everything to change the course of history. Inspired by the true-life stories of The Women's Secret Army. Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Lana Kortchik and Tenko!

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 Dead of Winter by Keri Beevis

A sister looking for answers.

A brother with secrets to hide...

Three days before Christmas, I travel to Midwinter Manor in Norfolk through a worsening snowstorm to meet Daniel, the brother I never knew existed. He has reluctantly granted me an hour of his precious time.

The welcome I receive is frosty. Daniel is cold, intimidating and unfriendly, while his wife, Rose, is polite, but tense. From the moment I step through the door of this imposing manor house, I sense I’m not welcome.

When I go to leave, the snowy blizzard prevents me. Then there’s a power cut and I can’t let anyone know where I am. I realise I am trapped.

Something feels wrong in this house. The way Daniel and Rose speak in whispers behind closed doors suggests something’s amiss. As cracks start to form in their stories, I wonder what it is they are hiding.

Midwinter Manor is a house full of secrets, and some of them are dangerously deadly.

Preorder Link

 The Cornish Chrismas Book Club by Angela Britnell

'Tis the season for second chances - and unexpected chapters . . .

Tamara Pascoe has spent years saving every penny and perfecting her baking in the hopes of opening her own café in the cosy Cornish village of Penworthal. But when she loses her job, her long-held dream is suddenly out of reach.

To make matters worse, her perfect café location is snapped up by newcomer Gage Bennet - a brooding ex-Marine with plans to open a bookshop.

Gage has no time for pleasantries, let alone Christmas spirit. But he didn't count on Tamara - sharp, stubborn and full of festive cheer.

Tamara is impossible to ignore, and when the village book club throws them together, Gage realises they might just be able to help one another. Tamara needs a job. He needs help connecting with the community.

Striking a reluctant truce, Tamara and Gage's frosty beginning starts to melt as they bond over their shared love of books.

As snow begins to fall and the fairy lights go up, could a little Cornish book club help two opposites write their own happily ever after?

Preorder Link

 The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House by Jenni Keer

As the bones start to fall, the spirits will rise…

Norfolk, England, 1895: When renowned spiritualist Edward Blackmore receives a desperate message from his cousin Barnabas, begging him to come to the coastal village of Thistlewick Tye, his first thought is to ignore the request. Despite his cousin’s insistence that his wife is possessed by a malevolent spirit, Edward has no time for the man who stole his inheritance. Lured by the promise of money, along with a genuine concern for Barnabas’s wife – who he’d once loved – he reluctantly travels to at Thistlewick House, only to arrive too late. Emma is dead. Barnabas suspects there are supernatural forces at play. But Edward is convinced murder is afoot. As he begins to investigate, he finds himself drawn into the lives of those in this isolated and unnerving village, especially the beguiling woman who gathers up the human bones falling from the rapidly eroding cliffs. Then he discovers that a travelling circus completely disappeared in the area forty years previously and no one is willing to talk about it. Perhaps not everything at Thistlewick Tye is quite what it seems…

Preorder Link