Having loved Anne Rice’s vampire series when I was in my late teens, I was very excited to be offered a copy of her new novel, ‘The Mummy’. When it arrived through the post, I was startled to see that the book was actually co-authored by Anne Rice and her son, Christopher Rice. Having now […]
‘The Dead can Wait’ is a Dr Watson thriller. Although I’ve only read a few of the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Conan Doyle, I am as fascinated as most by the great detective with his brusque manner and unerring eye for the telling detail. Perhaps it is odd that I keep finding myself reading […]
‘Reader, I murdered him.’ So begins Jane Steele’s tale, a tale which includes a multitude of elements familiar to readers of Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’: an unfairly treated orphan girl; a terrible experience at boarding school; life as a governess; falling in love with a powerful, rich man who is flawed. But, make no mistake, this […]
Sometimes, a change of reading pace is precisely what’s needed. September is bringing changes for me: two children off to school now and only my littlest lady home to kick through the leaves with me and insist that she needs my attention NOW. What better time to embrace a different, more autumnal read than the […]
When a blurb promises a huge twist, I’m wary. If I’m on the lookout for a twist, I might be disappointed when I find it. I might guess it before it arrives. I might not trust anything I read because, well, why should I? I’ve been told my assumptions will be wrong. But. When there […]
‘Again! Again!’ The men bind her again…This time they carry her into the water. This is the much anticipated follow-up to ‘The Girl on the Train’, so of course all the publicity focuses on comparing the two and declaring this book to be “even better”. If by “better” the blurb writers mean “completely different”, then […]
Schooldays. Whether you loved them or loathed them, their impact on your life can last well beyond the 13 years you actually have to attend. In her debut novel, Laura Marshall explores the after effects of one schoolgirl’s determination to get in with the in crowd – and whether we can ever really know another […]
“There were no fines, but the negative feedback in SleepAdvisor could impact upon the following year’s popularity – and rates.” The wonderfully inventive sci-fi / fantasy / literary / comic genius Jasper Fforde is back with a standalone novel introducing the Winter Consul Service and Charlie Worthing: novice Consul, ethical thinker and reluctant dreamer… What’s […]
Very hyped books. You know those books. The ones EVERYONE is talking about? The one even your non-book-reading friends have read? Yeah, that one. And you find yourself wondering, how is it possible that I’ve not read this? Why don’t I possess a copy yet? If you’re a book blogger there might even be a […]
‘Right, I thought, just because you’ve gone mad doesn’t mean you should stop acting like a policeman.’ And that’s the beauty of this book in a nutshell: even when he’s faced with feuding River Gods and Goddesses, and vicious revenant ghosts apparently obsessed with puppet shows, freshly minted constable Peter Grant is ready to employ […]