Archive | November 2022

A Mother’s Christmas Wish by Glenda Young

Nov27

Heart Warming

A Mother’s Christmas Wish by Glenda Young is a wonderful, heart-warming historical novel that will fill your heart with love.

The action takes place in 1923 in a small village in the North East. It is here that the reader witnesses love, care and community in action. Living in a village means your business is never your own but it is a small price to pay for all the love and care. If there are problems, there is always a neighbour to run to.

At the heart of the village is the pub. It has been neglected due to grief but a new girl in town is determined to turn the fortunes around and to inject new life into old.

We witness the camaraderie of the women. There is a network of support and love. When the men folk let them down, the sisterhood picks them up.

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Wicked Whispers At St Brides by Debbie Young

Nov26

Secrets

Wicked Whispers At St Brides by Debbie Young is the third marvellous instalment of the Gemma Lamb Cosy Mystery series. It is equally engaging and amusing as the previous two books.

There is the theme of family. St Brides functions as a family but we also need our own blood family. There is a very inventive way for some to spend time with theirs.

Secrets kept for years, eventually have a way of being unearthed. There are some surprising but very welcome revelations.

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The Viaduct Killings by Wes Markin

Nov25

Cracking Crime Novel

The Viaduct Killings by Wes Markin is a gripping contemporary crime novel that had me glued from the start. It is the first book in The Yorkshire Murders series and I cannot wait for the subsequent novels.

This is a fast paced crime thriller that gives the reader a roller coaster ride as the crimes mount up. We see a cold case that appears to be linked to present day.

There are cases that some police personnel are haunted by. A case that they just cannot let go of as the guilt threatens to overwhelm them.

Growing up in an area has the advantages of knowing who the criminals are – the naughty ones at school prove to be equally challenging as adults. Spats from classroom days continue into adulthood. Choices always bring consequences – some choose a life of crime, others a life of law enforcement.

A new face from down south brings a fresh perspective.

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The Automobile Assassination by M.J. Porter

Nov25

Glimpses Back In Time

The Automobile Assassination by M.J. Porter is a marvelous historical, cosy crime novel. It is the second book in the Erdington Mysteries but can be read as a stand-alone.

The reader is transported back to 1944 in Birmingham. The war is in its final few months but there are still black outs and rationing to contend with. Black outs are the perfect cover for crimes.

The Automobile Assassination is a play on the automobile association or AA which features at the heart of the novel. In 1944 there were AA boxes dotted throughout Britain to help the motorist in trouble.

Having grown up near Birmingham, I was very familiar with the locations – I used to ride the number 9 bus past the AA headquarters on the Hagley Road on a daily basis in the 1980’s. Likewise the Stew Pony (long gone) is very familiar to me.

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