Tag Archive | Rachels Random Resources

Blood Matters by Ian McFadyen

Nov20

Wow! – Fabulous!

Blood Matters by Ian McFadyen is a totally gripping contemporary crime novel that I just could not put down. I read it in just one sitting. It is the tenth book in the DCI Carmichael series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Ian McFadyen has constructed and well executed a marvellous plotline, full of twists and turns, designed to keep the reader on their toes. I closely followed the action but failed to guess the perpetrator.

As the body count rose, there was a connection to a twenty year old cold case. Unanswered questions saw characters digging deeply. As each question arose, the mystery deepened. There seemed to be those in the know, but their lips were sealed.

Desperate people employed ever more desperate measures. In their mind, bumping off people to silence them was acceptable. Long-held secrets eventually emerged.

I found the ending was superb. It was a jaw dropping moment as the penny dropped for a character and the reader.

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The Girl With The Red Ribbon by Carly Schabowski

Nov8

Truth? Or Imagination?

The Girl With The Red Ribbon by Carly Schabowski is a compelling historical novel that intrigued me from the start. It drew me in, entertained me, and left me wondering – what was real? And what was imagined?

The novel is set over two time periods – 1969 and looking backwards to the 1940’s in war-torn Poland. Two voices tell the story – an old man and a young girl. Both have been marginalised by society. They band together with others whom they acquire along life’s wartime journey.

We see the child-like faith of characters, as they believe that the wearing of red ribbons will keep them safe.

Nazi-occupied Poland was a horrific place to be. Cruelty and evil were all around. Cunning and knowledge were needed to survive.

Partisans and resistance fighters occupied dense forest, often taking the Nazis by surprise.

Folklore and legend grew up surrounding the events of World War II, even the reader is not sure if it really happened.

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What Will People Think? by Vedashree Khambete-Sharma

Nov7

Perfect For The Pride & Prejudice Fan

What Will People Think? by Vedashree Khambete-Sharma is a most delightful re-telling of Pride And Prejudice that will thoroughly entertain the reader.

What Will People Think? is a charming read even if you have no knowledge of Pride And Prejudice. However, for those readers with even just a vague knowledge of Pride And Prejudice, this is a gem of a book.

Pride And Prejudice is my favourite book. I read it for the first time as a teen nearly fifty years ago. I also studied it for A’level. I know Pride And Prejudice inside out. As such I found What Will People Think? an extremely enjoyable version of a very familiar tale.

What Will People Think? is set in Mumbai, India in 1976. The main difference to the original is that there are only four daughters to marry off. “Four daughters! That is a heavy burden indeed.” Once more, the mother is loud and opinionated with the determination to marry her daughters to rich men.

The odious Mr Collins character is still odious and self-promoting. “Any girl would be lucky to marry us.” He cannot believe why anyone would turn him down!

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Christmas At The Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page

Nov5

Imperfectly Perfect

Christmas At The Board Game Café by Jennifer Page is a most delightful Christmas contemporary novel that will warm your heart and leave you smiling. It is the fourth book in The Board Game Café series but can be read as a stand-alone.

This is the perfect book to read in the lead up to Christmas. It will get you in the mood for the festive season. This really is Christmas in a book.

Two Yorkshire villages are the delightful setting. As summer has given way to autumn, the tourists have dropped off. Something needs to be done to attract the visitors back again – enter the Advent Calendar Trail. What is it? Read the book and immerse yourself in the action. It educates, it stirs memories and it is downright hilarious. The scene with the baubles makes me snigger even now!

All the characters were well drawn, likable and believable. They offer a warm welcome to all, including the reader.

We see how the loneliest place can be amongst friends who are all couples, when you are single. It feels like being on the outside looking in. Christmas is a time that some people dread.

A character has struggled with loneliness for years. “Staying busy… keeping the loneliness at bay.” Sooner or later the busyness has to stop or we risk burn-out. Being single has been a way of protecting a heart from hurt but it is a heart that isn’t cherished due to the walls that have been erected around it.

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