Left on the Shelf

Monday, 11 November 2024

The Wives by Valerie Keogh - #bookreview #blogtour

Natasha met Daniel at a gallery opening she'd gone to with a friend. It had been a crowded event, full of minor celebrities posing for cameras trying to look as if they understood, or even liked, the garishly coloured artwork that had been chosen for the opening...

***

The Blurb

Meet The Wives...

Lies, secrets, deadly decisions…

When Natasha meets Daniel, she knows her life is made. Rich, handsome and charming, Daniel will make the perfect husband. Even if she won’t make the perfect wife…

She is thrilled when Daniel suggests an all-expenses paid cruise for Natasha, her friends, Barbara, Tracy Ann and Michelle, and their husbands. What better way to show everyone that Natasha has finally made it?

But as the ship sets sail, she learns that far from being the perfect husband, Daniel has terrible secrets that are about to be revealed. And each of the wives has their own reasons for wanting him dead.

This trip might cost more than any of them ever imagined…

My Review

I have previously read and enjoyed a few of Valerie Keogh's books, and so I jumped at the opportunity to read this when I was offered an early reader's copy for the blog tour.

I think this is her best one yet and I was gripped from the first page to the last. It is the story of Natasha meeting Daniel. He is charming, caring and charismatic and they marry very quickly. His generosity appears to know no bounds and when he offers to pay for them both along with all of Natasha's friends and their husbands to go on a cruise, Natasha is all the more enamoured with him.

However, it is on the cruise that Natasha begins to see a different side to Daniel, who has dark secrets to hide. Equally it seems her friends have secrets too, and Natasha sees a different side to all of them, and of herself.

This made for an exciting read. Ms Keogh writes extremely well and knows how to increase the tension with the turn of every page. Being set on a cruise ship, I could really feel the sense of claustrophobia that the characters were experiencing.

The chapters vary in their point of view. Most are written from Natasha's perspective, but there are also chapters written by her friends, Michelle, Barbara and Tracy Ann. This varied perspective gave the book immediacy as I was able to understand the feelings of the different women from their own viewpoint.

The story is loaded with secrets, lies and deceptions, along with some marvellous twists and turns in the plot. This was a five star read for me and I highly recommend it.

If you would like to read my thoughts on the books I have previously read by Valerie Keogh please click on the title links.

The Mother

The Mistress

The Nurse

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1805494416

Publisher: Boldwood Books

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

No. of Pages: 296 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Valerie Keogh is the best-selling author of The Nurse. She lives in Wiltshire with her husband and a huge black cat, Fatty Arbuckle. She grew up reading Agatha Christie and initially wrote crime novels - she now writes psychological thrillers.

The Little Lies was shortlisted for the Crime Fiction Lovers Award 2021.

You can also find Valerie at:

Twitter / X

Instagram

Newsletter

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

(all opinions are my own)

Friday, 8 November 2024

Murder at the Crooked Horse by Lesley Cookman: A Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery - #bookspotlight #bookpromo #blogtour

I am delighted to be shining the spotlight on this book today.

Murder at the Crooked Horse by Lesley Cookman is a gripping whodunnit set in the English countryside, and is a Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery.

The Blurb

After learning of a suspicious attempt to burn down a beloved old pub, The Crooked Horse, Libby Sarjeant and her friend Fran reluctantly agree to investigate.

But when a local antiques dealer mysteriously disappears after apparently taking out his boat, it appears there are dark and sinister forces at play.

Can Libby and Fran uncover a connection between the fire and the missing man? And will unravelling a deadly case put them in terrible danger?

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1035405718

Publisher: Headline Accent

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 288 (paperback)

Buy Links

About the Author

Lesley Cookman writes the Libby Sarjeant Murder Mysteries and the The Alexandrians, an Edwardian Mystery Series. She lives on the south east coast of England, and is a former model, actor, and journalist. Her four adult children are all musicians and writers.

You can also find Lesley at:

Twitter / X

Newsletter

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

Thursday, 7 November 2024

When the Stammer Came to Stay by Maggie O'Farrell - Illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini - #bookreview

When the Stammer Came to Stay by Maggie O'Farrell - Illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini book cover review

This is the tale of two sisters...

who had no idea that everything was about to change...

***

The Blurb

Quiet Bea keeps her shoes polished, folds her clothes every night, and alphabetizes her books. Her rambunctious sister Min wears torn trousers and wades into ponds to collect frogspawn. Above all, Min is a storyteller who loves to chat with everyone. But one day she chokes, and the words forming in her mouth never make it out. Words suddenly feel dangerous, unwieldly. Min is no longer herself--not with some strange creature stealing her words, a creature not even her sister can see. But that doesn't matter, because Bea sees Min.

Award-winning author Maggie O'Farrell pulls from her own experiences with stammering to create a realistic portrait of shaken self-confidence and how sharing painful situations with a loved one can make all the difference. Featuring expressive and detailed illustrations from Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, this book will speak to readers who have ever lost a part of themselves--and found something new in return.

My Review

I am a big fan of Maggie O'Farrell and so I was delighted when this book appeared on my doormat.

It is the story of two very different sisters. Bea is quiet and likes order in her life. Min is boisterous and leaves chaos in her wake. One day Min suddenly develops a stammer and struggles with speaking her words. Whilst looking in the mirror she detects a wispy shape over her shoulder which is actually stealing the words as she tries to speak them.

They are both lovely characters and children will be able to identify with one or other of the sisters. I could really feel Min's frustration flow from the page. I loved the way the two girls come together to try to find a solution. When Bea takes Min to the library to research it, they discover the cause might be a dibbuk and this helps Min feel less alone.

This is a charming book which has been beautifully illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini. The wonderful pictures support the text extremely well which makes this accessible to a large age range. Whilst it is aimed at confident readers, I could well imagine younger children poring over the illustrations and taking away the gist of the story solely on that.

In my opinion this book should be in every primary school library. It would be a fantastic aid to discussing differences.

It is full of charm and I highly recommend it.

I have previously read several of Maggie O'Farrell's books, The Hand That First Held Mine, Hamnet, I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox and After You'd Gone.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1536239102

Publisher: Walker Books

Formats: Hardback

No. of Pages: 72 (hardback)

Preorder Links

About the Author

Maggie O’Farrell, FRSOL, is the author of HAMNET, Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020, and the memoir I AM, I AM, I AM, both Sunday Times no. 1 bestsellers. Her novels include AFTER YOU’D GONE, MY LOVER’S LOVER, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, which won a Somerset Maugham Award, THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX, THE HAND THAT FIRST HELD MINE, which won the 2010 Costa Novel Award, INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEATWAVE and THIS MUST BE THE PLACE., and THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT. She is also the author of two books for children, WHERE SNOW ANGELS GO and THE BOY WHO LOST HIS SPARK. She lives in Edinburgh.

There is a very interesting article about Maggie and why she wrote this book at

The Guardian

About the Illustrator

Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini author photo

Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini joined The Artworks in 2005 and has been going from strength to strength. She first studied Fine Art in Milan. Inspired and encouraged greatly by the accomplished painter Claudio Olivieri, Daniela’s technique portrays mixed media, collage and sometimes computer-generated design.

Daniela moved to London from Italy in 1999 to study photography at The London College of Printing. She has managed to split her illustration work into two distinctive and equally successful styles of detailed paintings and graphic surface patterns. Since beginning her career as an illustrator with The Artworks, Daniela has worked extensively in many areas. The contemporary take on classic style has allowed Daniela to take on some very challenging picture books. “The Seeing Stick” published by Running Press and “The Animals Marco Polo Saw” published by Chronicle have attracted much industry acclaim.

You can learn more about Daniela at

(book courtesy of Walker Books)

(author media courtesy of the publisher Hachette)

(illustrator media courtesy of The Art Works)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

Wednesday, 6 November 2024

Secrets in the Water by Alice Fitzpatrick - Meredith Island Mystery - #bookreview

The Blurb

Emma Galway's suicide has haunted the Meredith Island for fifty years.

Back on the island to lay her grandmother to rest, Kate can't avoid reflecting on the death of her aunt. Learning that her late mother had believed Emma was murdered and had conducted her own investigation, she decides to track down her aunt's killer. With the help of her neighbour, impetuous and hedonistic sculptor Siobhan Fitzgerald, Kate picks up where her mother had left off. When the two women become the subject of threatening notes and violent incidents, it's clear that one of their fellow islanders is warning them off. As they begin to look into Emma's connection to the Sutherlands, a prominent Meredith Island family, another islander dies under suspicious circumstances, forcing Kate and Siobhan to confront the likelihood that Emma's killer is still on the island.

My Review

I love a book about hidden secrets and there are plenty in this novel.

The book is set in a small town on an island in Wales. The inhabitants know one another well. When the main character, Kate returns to the island she decides to continue with the investigation that her mother began into the death of her aunt which occurred some fifty years previously. It quickly becomes clear that somebody does not want her to ask too many questions.

There are some quirky characters on the island. I found Kate easy to engage with and her friend, Siobhan was a humorous addition to this cast of characters. I found all of them to be well fleshed out and utterly believable.

I liked the way this cosy mystery was written. It was evocative and entertaining, was paced well and kept me hooked. The resolution came as a surprise. I love it when that happens.

As a debut novel this is excellent. This is the first in a planned series based on Meredith Island. A Dark Death is due to be released in the UK in June 2025 and I am very much looking forward to reading it.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1988754604

Publisher: Stonehouse Publishing

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 340 (paperback)

Buy Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Stonehouse Publishing

About the Author

Alice was born on the English side of the northern Welsh border and was raised in a small town in southern Ontario. After abandoning the idea of becoming the youngest person to win the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry, she earned both her BA in Fine Arts and BEd in English and Drama. Along the way, she received my MA in Interdisciplinary Studies.

She has taught creative and therapeutic writing, English as a Second Language (ESL), and high school English and drama while publishing literary short fiction and personal essays.

Then she turned her hand to writing mysteries.

The Meredith Island Mysteries, a traditional mystery series set on a Welsh island, features historical novelist Kate Galway. The second novel in the series was a finalist for the Killer Nashville Claymore Award. That Which is Lost is a standalone crime novel set in Massachusetts.

A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Crime Cymru, when she is not writing, she can be found singing or reading mysteries with her cats.

You can also find Alice at:

https://www.alicefitzpatrick.com/

Instagram

Twitter / X

(book courtesy of the publicist)

(all opinions are my own)

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

The Red Tunic by Kate Wiseman - #bookreview #blogtour

the red tunic kate wiseman book cover book review

Corporal Knowles is in full flow this evening, trying to get us to write letters to our loved ones, "just in case the worst happens." He says this with a pursed-lipped smile, embarrassed at having to mention something so inconvenient. Hello and welcome to the Western Front...

***

The Blurb

History and gender are intertwined in this fast-paced arresting account of the First World War and its devastating impact on familial and romantic bonds.

As headstrong as her twin is gentle, Nina has never fit the womanly mould society expects of her. Alfie and Nina Mullins have always relied on their shared world of hope and make-believe for comfort, but as the pressure on Alfie to prove himself at the Front mounts, Nina is presented with more possibility than she had ever imagined and the two are pushed in wildly different directions.

Coming of age as the First World War breaks out, the Mullins twins’ fates are inextricably interlinked with the turmoil of conflict in this fascinating exploration of gender roles and the extremes to which war pushes us.

My Review

I so enjoyed reading this book and it had me gripped from the very beginning.

This is a coming of age story that features main characters, Nina and Alfie who are twins. They have a strong bond and understand one another extremely well. Neither are entirely happy in their own skin. We first meet them as children who are exploring their world, their gender and the expectations that lie ahead of them in life.

In fact, the main focus of the book is upon the expectations that their birth gender attributed to each of the twins. They bravely challenge this and the author does a good job in demonstrating that the roles of men and women were pretty much set in stone during this time period. However, with the role of Suffragists on the horizon, these views are beginning to be challenged.

I have read many books set during World War One but this one has an originality to it that made for fabulous reading. It is beautifully written and was easy to read. The words flowed from the page and I read it in a couple of sittings.

It is well paced for it's genre and the author captured the atmosphere of the trenches extremely well. It is thought provoking and powerful and I was captivated by the bravery of both of the main characters.

It is well worth reading and has much to commend it.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1915584137

Publisher: Neem Tree Press

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 240 (paperback)

Buy Links

About the Author

Kate was a late developer, attending university to study English and Creative Writing in her late 30s. She was one of the real life 'Ritas' featured on the Radio 4 Woman's Hour Programme commemorating the anniversary of the play, Educating Rita. Kate is a dedicated and licenced mudlark who is never happier than when she is up to her eyes in mud. She has won several literary awards and this year judged the historical fiction and biography category of the prestigious Eyelands International Book Awards.

You can also find Kate at:

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 4 November 2024

Chicken Boy: My Life With Hens by Arthur Parkinson - #bookreview

chicken boy my life with hens arthur parkinson book cover

You notice other small beings far more when you're little. I am a toddler the first time I meet a chicken, and we are equal in size and height. The hen has tiny eyelashes, a strawberry-jam face and a voice of purring clucks. I sense a happy spirit of inquisitiveness and smile in fascination. From that moment on, I will always love the company of chickens. I have found my tribe...

***

The Blurb

Most of us want a dog, or a cat, or a pony when we are young – but for Arthur Parkinson, it was always hens. Growing up in an ex-mining town in Nottinghamshire, the other kids in the playground called him 'Chicken Boy'. The quiet fulfilment of keeping hens became his sanctuary, a tonic for mental and physical health, a connection with his family and the natural world. Illustrated with Arthur's own characterful watercolours and photographs of his ‘girls’, Chicken Boy is a one-of-a-kind memoir of a life in nature.

My Review

This was a fabulous non-fiction title to read, and I enjoyed it very much.

Arthur Parkinson has been fascinated by hens almost his entire life, and has been a chicken keeper for much of it too. His passion and enthusiasm are infectious. It flows from the pages, and it made this book a delight to read.

There is a mixture of his personal story and his relationship with chickens presented alongside instructions on how to care for them. He paints a vivid and pleasurable experience whilst not avoiding the realities involved. For most of us keeping chickens is unfeasible but I almost feel as though I have lived some of his experience through this book.

The text is mesmerising and it is accompanied by beautiful photography and illustrations, all of which have been done by the author.

This will appeal to chicken keepers but also to those of us for whom this could only be a dream. It is a beautifully written narrative and I highly recommend this book.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 0241573662

Publisher: Penguin

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 240 (paperback)

Buy Links

About the Author

Arthur Parkinson is the author of The Pottery Gardener and The Flower Yard, and the co-host, with Sarah Raven, of the popular Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange podcast. His writing and photography are regularly featured in the Daily Telegraph, and have appeared in The Times, Country Life and Country Living, among other magazines and newspapers; he has also featured in BBC Two's Gardeners' World.

You can also find Arthur at

Instagram

Twitter / X

Substack

(book and media courtesy of https://www.penguin.co.uk/)

(author photo courtesy of https://gardenmuseum.org.uk/)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)