10 Ten Exciting New Releases in October 2024

 

It's time to look ahead at some of the new releases which will be coming our way next month. There are so many good ones coming along in October

Here are just ten which look like just my cup of tea.

The Eagle and the Hart by Helen Castor

The author of She-Wolves chronicles the lives and reigns of Richard II and Henry IV, two cousins whose rivalry brought their nation to the brink of disintegration - and back again

Richard of Bordeaux and Henry Bolingbroke were first cousins, born just three months apart. Their lives were from the beginning entwined. When they were still children, Richard was crowned King Richard II with Henry at his side, carrying the sword of state: a ten-year-old lord in the service of his ten-year-old king.

Yet, as the animals on their heraldic badges showed, they grew up to be opposites: Richard was the white hart, a thin-skinned narcissist, and Henry the eagle, a chivalric hero, a leader who inspired loyalty where Richard inspired only fear. Henry had all the qualities Richard lacked, all the qualities a sovereign needed, bar one: birth right. Increasingly threatened by his charismatic cousin, Richard became consumed by the need for total power, in a time of constant conflict, rebellions and reprisals. When he banished Henry into exile, the stage was set for a final confrontation, as the hart became the tyrant and the eagle his usurper.

Helen Castor tells this story of one of the strangest and most fateful relationships in English history. It is a story about power, and masculinity in crisis, and a nation brought to the brink of catastrophe. At its heart, it is the story of two men whose lives were played out in extraordinary parallel, to devastating effect.

One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggott

Things aren’t going well for travel writer Orla Bradbee.

With Christmas fast approaching, her boss is insisting Orla must travel to a rural village in France to interview a man who doesn’t speak. But with trouble at home – her teenage sister Erin is in a ‘situationship’ with a man online – Orla’s only plan is to take Erin with her.

Get the interview done, find out more about this online Romeo and still be back in time for Christmas dinner. Easy, right?

Saint-Chambéry is a picturesque French village nestled in the snow-capped mountains, but Jacques Barbier – gorgeous and brooding, yet a man of few words – makes it clear that Orla is wasting her time here.

Orla can’t deny that Jacques intrigues and infuriates her, but what is the mysterious Frenchman hiding exactly? And can she get close enough to uncover his secrets without risking her own heart?

Escape to the beautiful French Alps with Mandy Baggot for a romantic, heartwarming story to get you through the cold winter months!

The Making of Us by Debbie Howells

Two people are about to take off on a journey that could change their whole lives…

As the plane surges up into the clouds, Stevie finds herself clutching the hand of the stranger sitting in the seat next to her.

It is a moment that will change everything. But Ned is heading to see his dying mother, and Stevie is returning to France to escape a terrible loss in her past. Neither of them can think about that tiny flame that just flickered between them.

But then their paths keep crossing, leading them both to the same beautiful community garden in a small French village; run by a mysterious old man named Zeke – a man with many of his own secrets.

As it becomes clear that fate is going to keep bringing them together – the two of them have to ask – are they ready for a happy-ever-after? Do they even know how to find it?

As the seeds grow into plants and flowers all around them, Stevie begins to wonders if Zeke – and his garden – might just have the answers…

The Secret Santa Project by Tracy Bloom

A name drawn from a hat

Someone you barely know

A Christmas you’ll never forget

Each December, Jolene can’t wait for the office Secret Santa moment ― the festive present-swapping exercise made up of unlikely pairings and inappropriate gifts.

But this year, her colleagues are in need of more than a novelty wine glass and a box of Celebrations to get their tinsel twinkling.

So Jolene’s a woman on a mission, and she’s hatched a secret plan to make this their best Christmas ever…

Mornings with my Cat Mii by Mayumi Inaba

It was the end of summer, 1977. I found a cat, a little ball of fluff. A teeny tiny baby kitten.

The perfect gift for cat lovers: a beloved Japanese modern classic about our special connection with cats, and how they can change our lives over the course of a lifetime.

For the last twenty years, Japanese readers have been falling in love with the late poet and prize-winning author Mayumi Inaba’s story of life with her cat Mii, after she rescued her as a newborn kitten from a riverbank in Tokyo.

We follow their everyday joys through the seasons, as Mayumi develops her career as a writer and finds her feet in life, with her small feline always at her side.

Mornings With My Cat Mii lovingly chronicles Mayumi and Mii’s unshakeable twenty-year bond, meditating on solitude, companionship, the writing life, and how we care for our cats as they grow older.

Translated into English for the first time by world-renowned translator Ginny Tapley Takemori, this beloved Japanese modern classic is a celebration of how a cat can change our lives forever.

A Winter Wedding at Primrose Hill by Jill Steeples

As the year draws to an end at Primrose Hall, Pia and her Lord of the Manor fiancé Jackson are putting the finishing touches to their annual Carols by Candlelight evening.

The past twelve months have not all been plain sailing – Jackson’s father Rex had a serious health scare, his long-lost brother Tom appeared unannounced, and Jackson himself had his own disaster. So the family are thrilled to finally be able to look forward to Christmas together and the event of the year – Jackson and Pia’s long-awaited wedding.

With the idyllic backdrop of Primrose Woods, the dream venue, and a community ready to celebrate with them, Pia and Jackson are counting the days until they are husband and wife. Now they just need to cross their fingers that the dramas of the previous year are all behind them…

The Snow Angel by Dilly Court

As snow falls outside Abbotsford vicarage on Christmas Eve, Rose Northwood finds a child lying destitute in the manger of the town's nativity display.

Reminded of her younger brother, who died at Christmastime, she is determined to nurse the young boy back to health.

But the child has lost his memory and can't recall where he came from…

Will Rose discover the boy's true identity, and reunite him with his lost family this winter?

The Ballerina of Auschwitz by Edith Eger

In 1944, sixteen-year-old ballerina Edith was sent to Auschwitz and endured unimaginable experiences. When the camp was finally liberated, she was pulled from a pile of bodies, barely alive.

Celebrated therapist and Holocaust survivor Edith Eger captivated millions with her incredible tale of survival and strength in her best-selling book The Choice.

Now, in The Ballerina of Auschwitz, Edith revisits her wartime experiences in a deeply personal retelling, through the eyes and emotions of her teenage self. Through this reworking of her poignant narrative, Edith brings readers of all ages into the heart of her experiences, offering a compelling message of hope and resilience that will ensure her story is never forgotten.

The Promise of Tomorrow by Samantha Tonge

Elena Swan believes she's going to die. And soon.

She's not ill. She's not in imminent danger. But she is sure it's going to happen.

Because many years ago... she'd made a promise to a stranger, in the woods. Elena's mother was in hospital, after a life-threatening accident. The promise would keep her mother safe, but put Elena's own life at risk, instead, when she grew up and turned thirty.

Elena put the promise to the back of her mind, over the years. But she's twenty-nine now, and when something happens that puts her life in danger, she remembers. And she knows.

But Elena hasn't done everything yet. She's not brave like her daredevil friend Rory. But she's also not ready to give up on life. Not before she's been to Paris. She always wanted to skydive too. She's never even fallen in love.

Without the promise of tomorrow, can she fulfil all her dreams before fate comes for her?

Skyfleet: March of the Metabugs by Victoria Williamson

When the skies turn deadly, a young heroine must rise from the ashes...

Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it - the Firehawk - lies in pieces in the hangar.

Determined to honour her parents' legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo's help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.

Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs is a thrilling tale of adventure and resilience, perfect for middle-grade readers.

The Haunting Scent of Poppies by Victoria Williamson - #bookreview #blogtour

 

It was the books that Charlie smelled first - the books that drew him in.

Charlie Briggs had a nose for business, and he wasn't about to let a little thing like the "closed for lunch" sign hanging on the door of the bookshop get between him and a chance to make some unearned cash...

***

A spine-chilling winter ghost story set in the months after the Great War. Perfect for lovers of MR James and Susan Hill

The War is over, but for petty criminal Charlie his darkest days are only just beginning.

Charlie Briggs is never off-duty, even when a botched job means he's forced to lay low in a sleepy Hampshire town for the holiday season. Always searching for his next unwitting victim, or a shiny trinket he can pilfer, he can't believe his luck when he happens upon a rare book so valuable it will set him up for life. All he needs to do is sit tight until Boxing Day. But there's a desperate story that bleeds beyond the pages; something far more dangerous than London's mobsters is lurking in the shadows.

Could the book be cursed? Why is he haunted by the horrors of war? Can he put things right before he's suffocated by his own greed?

***

I usually steer well clear of any book that has the genre of horror attached to it. However, when I was offered a copy of this for a blog tour and saw it was authored by the talented Victoria Williamson, who I have read and enjoyed previously, I could not resist.

I am so glad that I decided to read it as it was beautifully written and I did not find it remotely scary. Rather it has an eeriness to it which is engrossing. 

It focuses on a character called Charlie Briggs, who is a petty criminal who has fraudulently evaded serving in the First World War.  He is a thoroughly unlikeable character but that did not deter me from being completely engrossed in this novella from the first page to the last. Charlie is haunted in two ways; first by the ghost of a man who died in the war and whose book Charlie has stolen; and secondly by the war itself.

At just under a hundred pages, this made for a quick read. However, the horrors of the war did not make for light and entertaining reading, and the book dealt with some very difficult themes as even though we are just over a century on from the war, the horrors and the experiences of the men in the trenches is still shocking to read.

However, Ms. Williamson, handles her subject in a way which is not gratuitous but she writes in a way which gets her point across admirably. It is astonishing that she has been able to convey the atmosphere and subject so well in such a short piece of writing. I highly recommend this book and it is perfectly sized to slip in a pocket... or the Christmas stocking of an older teenager or adult if you would prefer.

If you would like to read my reviews of the books I have previously read by Victoria Williamson please click on the title links below.

The Whistlers in the Dark

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams

Norah's Ark

ISBN: 978 1738436408

Publisher:  Silver Thistle Press

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

No. of Pages:  100 (paperback)

About the Author:

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

(book and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Christmas at the Cabin by Rebecca Boxall - #bookreview #blogtour

 

There are worse places to be homeless than St Helier. Jersey is one of the smartest places in Britain, after all, and the people are generally very nice. They don't like to look at me - I'm a blot on the beautiful landscape - but they're generous when they see me busking, tossing their coins past my dog, Lola, into my open guitar case.

The weather here isn't too extreme - rarely too hot or too cold, though you'd be surprised how bitter it can feel when you're trying to sleep in a bleak multi-storey in the thick of winter. And there are charities, soup kitchens, shelters, hotstels - even some vicar who seems to have made it his mission to befriend me...

***

A festive, coming-of-age tale about an Oxbridge candidate and a young homeless man who find themselves in the bittersweet predicament of falling in love with exactly the right person at exactly the wrong time. 

Well-to-do Jed never imagined he’d end up homeless, but family circumstances have made it his only option. Local vicar, Ben, tries to help him but there’s an element of self-punishment to the homelessness that makes Jed continue to put up with his situation – until disaster leads him to re-consider the vicar’s offer of a place to stay. 

Hattie is on the cusp of adulthood, frantically trying to persuade her mum that she doesn’t want to attend an elite university, preferring the idea of pursuing her love of art and textiles. When she meets Jed, she badly wants to understand his circumstances and why, when she has everything at her fingertips, he doesn’t. 

Hattie’s mum, Christine, has had a hard life and is desperate for more for her only child. When she meets Ben, the vicar who’s trying to help Jed, she finds an unlikely ally, and the two heartbroken souls find themselves drawn to each other. Until they find their relationship suddenly tested to the limit. 

One thing’s for certain: none of these characters is looking forward to Christmas. It’s the worst time of year for each of them, for different reasons. But perhaps this year, the festive season could defy all expectations.

***

This is a lovely story which begins with the plight of a homeless man. However, if that makes you think that the plot will be a little depressing I urge you not to as this is one of the most uplifting books I have read in a while.

It is the story of four people and how their lives interact. Jed is the homeless man I referred to previously, Ben is the local vicar, Hattie is studying for her A levels and Christine is her mum. Christmas is fast approaching (for them and us) and none of them are looking forward to the festive season. Each of them had a complex background which had led them not to trust others.

I was completely gripped by this book and enjoyed reading every word. It has been well written in an engaging style. Ms Boxall brings her story and characters to life on the page which made me want to get back to this book on every occasion. 

Throw in a dog, Lola, to the story and you have the perfect festive read. I have not read anything by this author before and she seems to specialise in novels set at Christmas. I would love to fit another one in before the festivities but I may be being a little optimistic timewise. Never mind, there is always next year!

Formats:  e-book - currently available on Kindle Unlimited

About the Author:

Rebecca Boxall was born in East Sussex in 1977 and grew up in a bustling vicarage always filled with family, friends and parishioners. She now lives by the sea in Jersey with her family and Rodney the cat. 

She read English at the University of Warwick before she trained as a lawyer and more recently worked at a psychiatric unit.

She is the No. 1 bestselling author of Christmas at the Vicarage and Christmas on the Coast as well as the bestselling writer of Home for Winter, The Christmas Forest and Christmas by the Lighthouse, in respect of which she was nominated for the Romantic Novel Awards in 2020. She is also the author of Christmas at the Farmhouse and her popular short story, A Winter’s Day. 

(e-book and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Charlotte's Snowman by Lainey Dee - Illustrated by Sarah-Leigh Wills - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

Charlotte woke up and noticed that it had been snowing all night and to her delight was still snowing. "It's snowing, it's snowing!" she yelled.

The front garden was filled with a thick layer of white sparkling snow...

***

Children love building snowmen. When they add a nose, eyes, and mouth to their snowman, they get a magical feeling that their snowman has his own personality.

And… sometimes snowmen do come alive!

Charlotte wakes up and sees that it’s snowing… it’s snowing and it’s snowing. She runs outside to build a snowman. She fixes a carrot for the snowman’s nose, a stick for his mouth, and two stones for his eyes.

But the snowman has many demands, so Charlotte has to part with her gloves, scarf and hat; so her snowman wouldn’t feel cold. But the sun comes up all of a sudden, and Charlotte cannot find her snowman anymore. 

She is sad. Then, she learns that her snowman hasn’t disappeared completely, but is hiding in the ground, waiting to emerge next winter.

A great book for those children who miss their much loved snowman when winter is over​.

***

This is a delightful and charming picture book for young children and would definitely have a place in the infant classroom.

It is a sweet story about a child's delight and eventual disappointment with a snowman that she has built. However, the book ends on a hopeful note as she realises that she can rebuild him again next winter.

It could lead to interesting discussion between an adult and child about the changing seasons, and how each season will return again.

The book has been beautifully illustrated and support the text very well. The colourful illustrations will appeal to children.

When my children were young, throughout December, I would always share a different winter themed book with them each day. This book would have been a perfect addition to that, and I will be alerting them to this book to share with their own children.

ISBN: 978 1909191532

Publisher:  KA Books

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

No. of Pages:  28 (paperback)

About the Author:

Lainey Dee was born in Birmingham and grew up in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

The author of Charlotte's Snowman, Let's Celebrate Being Different and Rodasauri the Dinosaur's Trip to London. 

Lainey was inspired to write for young people having worked with children for many years. Lainey currently looks after twins aged five years. A huge art deco fan, she lives in an art deco house which is decorated in that period style. In her free time, she enjoys baking and cooking for friends and visiting National Trust properties.

Her favourite ice cream is strawberry and the strangest place she has slept in was a tepee Texas.

She enjoys using her imagination to invent new stories and characters. Lainey hopes her books will help readers see themselves and the world differently and understand how special they are.

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

(all opinions are my own)

New Releases in October 2022

 As we approach the last quarter of 2022 there are some exciting books being published. There are some seasonal reads amongst them, and it's never too early to dive in to those.

Here are ten which look amazing.

Kitty Fisher: The First Female Celebrity by Joanne Major

Lucy Locket lost her pocket,

Kitty Fisher found it,

not a penny was there in it,

only ribbon round it.’

Generations of children have grown up knowing Kitty Fisher from the nursery rhyme, but who was she? Remembered as an eighteenth-century ‘celebrated’ courtesan and style icon, it is surprising to learn that Kitty’s career in the upper echelons of London’s sex industry was brief. For someone of her profession, Kitty had one great flaw: she fell in love too easily.

Kitty Fisher managed her public relations and controlled her image with care. In a time when women’s choices were limited, she navigated her way to fame and fortune. Hers was a life filled equally with happiness and tragedy, one which left such an impact that the fascinating Kitty Fisher’s name still resonates today. She was the Georgian era’s most famous – and infamous – celebrity.

This is more than just a biography of Kitty Fisher’s short, scandalous and action-packed life. It is also a social history of the period looking not just at Kitty but also the women who were her contemporaries, as well as the men who were drawn to their sides… and into their beds. In this meticulously researched, lively and enjoyable book we discover the real woman at the heart of Kitty Fisher’s enduring myth and legend.

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall.

This place is shrouded in folklore – old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who is not quite a child.

Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.

Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.

Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds – and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.

As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew – and risk what she holds most dear.

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber

Peter and Hank are lifelong friends, but when it comes to their jobs they couldn't be more different. Peter is a small-town pastor and is devoted to helping the community, while Hank runs the local pub and is never too far from a party. But this Christmas, everything is about to change . . .

Having never settled down, Peter and Hank believe their demanding jobs are keeping them from finding love. Convinced that the other has it easier, they hatch a plan to swap places the week before Christmas to put their theories to the test and find time for themselves.

But as Hank quickly becomes overwhelmed by nativity plans, and Peter struggles to control the rowdy festive pub-goers, they each begin to worry they're in over their heads. Luckily, church assistant Grace is on hand to help Hank navigate a church/life balance, and a young woman seeking shelter at the pub might be exactly what Peter needs to realise there's more than one way to help his community . . .

This Christmas, will Peter and Hank's stunt fall flat, or will it open their eyes to the possibility of love at last?

The Winter Garden by Nicola Cornick

Remember, remember, the fifth of November…

1605: Anne Catesby fears for her family. Her son, the darkly charismatic Robert, is secretly plotting to kill the King, placing his wife and child in grave danger. Anne must make a terrible choice: betray her only child, or risk her family’s future.

Present day: When her dreams of becoming a musician are shattered, Lucy takes refuge in her family’s ancestral home in Oxfordshire. Everyone knows it was originally home to Robert Catesby, the gunpowder plotter. As Lucy spends more time in the beautiful winter garden that Robert had made, she starts to

have strange visions of a woman in Tudor dress, terrified and facing a heartbreaking dilemma.

As Lucy and Anne’s stories converge, a shared secret that has echoed through the centuries separating them, will change Lucy’s life forever…

 

Sweeping generations from the 1600s to the present day, with the enthralling Gunpowder Plot at its heart, Nicola Cornick’s utterly enchanting new timeslip novel will sweep you off your feet. Perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara Erskine and Kate Morton.

When Stars Align by E. K. McCoy

Dr. Augustus Owens is the trauma specialist working that pivotal night when a nearly unrecognizable woman is brought into the ER. As he works tirelessly to save her life, he notices a familiar jagged scar on the left side of her neck. He is overwhelmed by the gut-wrenching realization that the woman's life that balances in his hands is none other than his one and only lost love, Elsie McCormick.

When Stars Align is a riveting, heartwarming tale that explores love and destiny. E.K. McCoy ponders what role does destiny play in love? How much control do we really have in matters of the heart? Are second chances possible?

The Winter Rose by Katie Flynn

Liverpool, 1941: After German bombs shatter the life Cadi has built for herself in Liverpool, she is more determined than ever to sign up and do her bit. Joining the WAAF also means she is closer to her beau - until Jez is sent thousands of miles from home.

While Jez is in Africa, someone from the past starts spreading vicious rumours that could threaten their relationship, and Cadi finds herself torn between keeping secrets and telling the truth to protect those she holds dear.

Cadi has always believed that their love can weather any storm but as the snow sweeps in, she faces an impossible choice. Will her decision leave her broken-hearted or will Cadi and Jez be reunited in time for Christmas?

Being released in paperback on 27th October.

Mr Ma and Son by Lao She

Newly arrived from China, Mr Ma and his son Ma Wei run an antiques shop nestled by St Paul's Cathedral, where they try to make a living amid the smog and bustle of 1920s London. As they struggle with money, misunderstandings and the ways of the English - from the overbearing patronage of missionary Reverend Ely to their well-meaning landlady Mrs Weddeburn and her carefree daughter - can understanding, even love, blossom? Both a moving story of the Chinese immigrant experience and a bitingly funny satire on the English, Mr Ma and Son delicately portrays the dreams and disappointments of those seeking a new life in a distant land.

Translated by William Dolby, with an introduction by Julia Lovell.

The House of Lost Wives by Rebecca Hardy

Secrets. Lies.  And four missing wives.

1813. Lizzie's beloved older sister Esme is sold in marriage to the aging Lord Blountford to settle their father's debts.

One year later, Esme is dead, and Lizzie is sent to take her place as Lord Blountford's next wife. Arriving at Ambletye Manor, Lizzie uncovers a twisted web of secrets, not least that she is to be the fifth mistress of this house.

Marisa. Anne. Pansy. Esme - What happened to the four wives who came before her?

In possession of a unique gift, only Lizzie can hear their stories, and try to find a way to save herself from sharing the same fate.

The Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames

Alice is nursing an injured hand and a broken heart when she moves to the village of Churchwood at the start of WWII. She is desperate to be independent but worries that her injuries will make that impossible.

Kate lives with her family on Brimbles Farm, where her father and brothers treat her no better than a servant. With no mother or sisters, and shunned by the locals, Kate longs for a friend of her own.

Naomi is looked up to for owning the best house in the village. But privately, she carries the hurts of childlessness, a husband who has little time for her and some deep-rooted insecurities.

With war raging overseas, and difficulties to overcome at home, friendship is needed now more than ever. Can the war effort and a shared love of books bring these women - and the community of Churchwood - together?

The first in a brand-new nostalgic and heart-warming WWII series, perfect for fans of Donna Douglas and Elaine Everest.

The Cat Who Caught a Killer by L. T. Shearer

Meet Conrad the cat. You’ve never met a detective like him before.

Neither has Lulu Lewis when he walks into her life one summer’s day. Mourning the recent death of her husband, the former police detective had expected a gentle retirement, quietly enjoying life on her new canal boat, The Lark, and visiting her mother-in-law Emily in a nearby care home.

But when Emily dies suddenly in suspicious circumstances, Lulu senses foul play and resolves to find out what really happened. And a remarkable cat named Conrad will be with her every step of the way . . .

10 Festive Books of 2021

 I can hardly believe that the festivities are upon us once again. It seems to come around more quickly every year. So, whether you are celebrating Diwali, Chanukkah, winter or Christmas, I hope you will find  something here to catch your reader's eye.

Without any further ado, here are a few Christmas/Winter time books, both old and new, that I would like to read. I am ever the optimist to think that I could fit this lot into my reading schedule.

The Second Chance Cafe by Amanda Prowse

Bea is fifty three, and she's just lost her husband after thirty years of marriage. To distract herself from grief, she throws herself into her work running the Reservoir Street Kitchen in one of Sydney's most fashionable districts.

But then an email from a cafe-owner in Edinburgh prompts her to take a trip to Scotland in the depths of winter. Her journey will be one of self-discovery, as she is drawn back to a secret past - and a secret love - that she has tried to forget.

Set between Sydney and Edinburgh at Christmas, this is a story of family ties, lost love, and the power of the past.

The Christmas Proposal by Lisa Moreau

Grace Dawson is completely over her ex, Christina. But that doesn’t mean she wants to plan her wedding proposal to another woman.

Grace dreams of the day she’ll have a romantic proposal like those she plans for her clients at Tie the Knot. She’s spent the last year reading a boatload of self-help books. No way she’s going to fall back into old patterns and date someone afraid of commitment ever again. When it comes to everlasting love, Grace is all in.

Bridget Cartwright, Christina’s personal assistant, will do anything for Christina with the hopes of getting a promotion, even plan her proposal. So what if she knows zilch about romance and doesn’t even believe in happily-ever-after? There are companies for hire that do that sort of thing.

When Grace and Bridget end up stranded together on Mistletoe Mountain, Grace has no chance to escape. Not from her painful past, not from her attraction to Bridget, and definitely not from all the romance in the air.

A Shetland Winter Mystery by Marsali Taylor

It's the dark nights in the run up to Christmas, and sailing sleuth Cass Lynch's first night on dry land is disturbed by strange noises outside her isolated cottage. Tiny footprints in the moonlit snow trail from her front door before mysteriously disappearing. Soon Cass learns others were visited by the same tiny feet in the night.

It looks like ingenious local teenagers playing tricks - but what happens when festive games turn deadly?

Cass soon finds out as a schoolboy disappears, leaving only a trail of footprints into the middle of a snowy field. She's determined to investigate, but uncovering the truth will also put her in danger . . 

Winter Gardens by Cedric Pollet

 In this stunning reimagination of an entire season, acclaimed and award-winning author and photographer Cedric Pollet presents 20 of the most beautiful winter gardens across France and the UK.

Winner of the Garden Media Guild - Garden Book of the Year award, Pollet showcases these breathtaking winter gardens which are at their best when most gardens are at their barest.

Rich with blazes of colour and light, these gardens use creative structural planning and subtle textures to create masterful visual and sensory ensembles.

From berries and barks to vibrant shrubs and evergreens, these gardens will delight and inspire in equal measure, all captured in extraordinary photographs by Pollet, one of today's masters of garden photography and accompanied by insightful text which picks out the reasons these gardens are so special.

The second half of the book is an illustrated directory of over 300 plants which encourage you to achieve these effects in their own gardens.

From the author of bestselling Bark: An Intimate Look at the World's Trees, this beautiful guide is a unique and unmissable book on some of the most creative and inspiring gardens around today.

The Killer in the Snow by Alex Pine

The first fall of snow can be fatal…

A year has passed since DI James Walker cracked his biggest case yet, and he’s hoping for peace and quiet this festive season.

But across the fells, a local farmer returns home on Christmas Eve to find footsteps in the fresh snow that lead down to his unused basement – and no footsteps leading away. Days later, his body is found, alongside those of his wife and daughter.

Without a neighbour for miles, there are no witnesses and little evidence. And the crime scene has strange echoes of another terrible murder committed at the farmhouse, twenty years earlier…

 

James knows that to catch this killer, he needs to solve a case that has long since gone cold…

A Christmas to Remember by Anton Du Beke

London, 1938.

As the festive season approaches at the luxurious Buckingham Hotel, romance is in the air. The hotel staff

are preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime event - the marriage of chambermaid Nancy Nettleton to debonair demonstration dancer Raymond de Guise.

As wreaths are hung and carols are sung, life at the hotel is busier than ever. Guests arrive from around the world, seeking comfort, relaxation and refuge as tensions build across Europe and whispered rumours of war grow louder.

Behind the scenes, the staff work tirelessly, ensuring the smooth operation of the hotel, not only keeping the

confidences of their guests, but also protecting their own secrets . . .

As Raymond takes Nancy in his arms for their first dance, one thing is certain - this will be a Christmas to remember.

A Scandinavian Christmas

Have yourself a truly Scandinavian Christmas... Of visions and prophesies seen in dark, dark woods. Of toys and trees come to life. Of trolls raising chaos, and of families torn apart -- only to be brought back together by festive cheer.

In this collection, classic tales from Hans Christian Andersen and Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlof blend with modern day stories from Karl Ove Knausgaard and Vigdis Hjorth. Each touch on the warm and wild spirit of Christmas, where the cosiness and contentment of the season can often give way to the unexpected, magical and sometimes mystical.

A smorgasbord of strange literary gifts, let A Scandinavian Christmas transport you to a winter wonderland in which fantasy, the fantastic and the festive combine for your reading delight.

From Shetland, With Love at Christmas by Erin Green

Friendship can be the greatest gift you'll ever give...

Verity is embarking on a better-late-than-never gap year now that her sons have flown the nest, and dreams of turning a lifetime's hobby of knitting and crocheting into a profitable new enterprise at Lerwick Manor's gallery.

Nessie has returned to Shetland after two years spent retraining as a blacksmith on the Scottish mainland. She's determined to do whatever it takes to reignite the traditional craft and prove that gender is no obstacle to taking on her family's heritage.

Isla is fresh out of catering college, but she is desperate to prove she has what it takes to run Lerwick Manor's artisan café. Focused on perfecting her grandmother's traditional recipes, Isla has no time for anything else - especially not her pesky ex.

With the island's Yule Day celebration fast approaching, it's the ideal moment for their crafts to shine. But they can't do it alone - and their friendship might turn out to be their greatest creation yet...

A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch

A PINCH OF PARANOIA

It’s three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is drafted in to cater a charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor.

A DASH OF DECEPTION

Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests has been gruesomely murdered in their bed…

A MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Secrets mull in every corner – can Jodie solve the crime before the killer strikes again?

A Cornish Christmas Murder is a must-read mystery full of heart and humour – perfect for fans of Richard Osman and The Appeal.

Christmas with Hamish by Sophie Penhaligon

Christmas has never been the most wonderful time of the year for Verity Robinson. When her younger sister sends her an invite to her Christmas wedding on the other side of the country in Vancouver, she decides to kill two birds with one stone and plans a ski trip to Whistler with some old friends. However, her dreams of a snowy Christmas on skis are thwarted by her sister’s dog sitting crisis.

Instead of spending Christmas enjoying the après ski alcohol, she is instead stuck minding Hamish McDuff for the next week. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and for Verity the silver lining comes in the guise of her sexy new neighbour, Nikau Taylor. Nikau seems determined to help Verity eradicate her ghosts of Christmas past, but what will happen when her time is up and it’s time to go home to Toronto?

(header photo courtesy of Unsplash)