**Shortly after the country went into “Lockdown”, Ilkley Literature Festival put up some writing prompts on their website and the inspiration for Week 2 was “A Quiet Spring”. I took a slightly different tack to some of the others that were sent. Newlywed, devoid of means, They pine, like sex-starved, Love-struck teens, At…
Category: 366 Project (2016)
“Campion at Christmas – Four Holiday Stories” by Margery Allingham.
This was a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I have not previously read any of Margery Allingham’s Campion stories, although I believe that I have seen or heard an episode or two on television and on the radio. Therefore, as it was the third day of…
The Edges. (The beginning of a new short story?)
The opening line for a story popped into my head yesterday. It came unexpectedly to me while I was in my workshop preparing graphics for a client. It was only the whisperings of a first line and, initially, I disregarded it. It has resurfaced again this morning and, so, I’ve committed these sparse lines to…
Blog Tour: “The Accusation” by Zosia Wand
I have just finished writing my review for this book. It will appear only blog on June 25th as part of a “blog tour”. I’ve not been involved in one previously, so hopefully it will be a success. Please drop in on the other venues.
LR#37: “Little Boy Blue” by MJ Arlidge
“Little Boy Blue” by M.J. Arlidge ***I received a free physical copy of this book from www.LoveReading.co.uk and a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review** I reviewed the first DI Grace book, “Eeny Meeny”, just under two years ago and found it “a thoroughly enjoyable read” and “eagerly” awaited further instalments. However, this is the…
LR#33: “Behind Closed Doors” by B.A. Paris
***I received a free copy of this book from www.LoveReading.co.uk and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review** “Behind Closed Doors” by B.A. Paris Can the perfect couple with the beautiful home and ideal life really be true? I finished my previous read twelve days ago and immediately turned to this book as, enticed by the synopsis,…
LR#31:”Day Four” by Sarah Lotz
My review may sound as if I didn’t enjoy this book. Far from it, I enjoyed it but, disappointingly, I found it to be a little lacking. An ageing cruise ship, The Beautiful Dreamer, enjoys three uneventful days at sea. On day four, the ship suddenly stops and, with no electricity and food running out,…
LR#28: “The Detective’s Secret”
Stella Darnell runs a cleaning company; her friend, Jack, is a late night train driver who witnesses a man jump under his train. Together they work as detectives and are approached to investigate the suicide of a man’s brother. The same suicide victim from Jack’s train. This is my first exposure to the work of…
LR#27: “The Pocket Wife” by Susan Crawford
This story concerns Dana and the murder of her neighbour. Dana wakes from a drunken afternoon unable to recall if she killed the neighbour. Her state of mind is fragile and we are witness to her mental breakdown as the investigation continues. I struggled to enjoy this book and found it difficult to summon the…
LR#23: “The Iron Necklace” by Giles Waterfield
Regrettably…well, that’s never a good word to start any statement with, is it? But, regrettably, this book became the third in an unwelcome hat-trick of books that I didn’t get on with. Following on from “Orkney Twilight” and “A Place Called Winter”, I was fearing the worst as I began this book. I wanted to…
LR#22: “Orkney Twilight” by Clare Carson
I hate to admit it but this book was a struggle for me. I ploughed on through 240 of its 360 plus pages but had to admit defeat and cast it to one side. The plot involves eighteen-year old Sam, the daughter of Jim, an undercover policeman, and her “difficult” relationship with her father. They…
LR#21: “A Place Called Winter” by Patrick Gale
Life is far too short. We are only here for our prescribed three score and ten and, having turned 46 in July of this year, I am well into my allocation. Yet, it has taken me all this time, excluding my early years when I couldn’t read, to come to a decision about my reading habits. So,…
My next Love Reading title is “A Place Called Winter” by Patrick Gale
My next book to review for the lovely Love Reading folk is “A Place Called Winter” by Patrick Gale. This will be my twenty first review for LR and, yet again, a novelist brand new to me. Thus far, the team at LR have been terrific in introducing myself and, no doubt, their other reviewers,…
My next read? : “The Crimson Ribbon” by Katherine Clements
My next read on behalf of those lovely LoveReading folk will be an historical novel, set in the time of the English Civil War, by debutant author Katherine Clements and published now by Headline. It sounds an interesting read but what will The Moustachioed Reader think? …You’ll have to wait and see.
Gavin Dimmock. Writer. 