This is a thrilling read and I was fully hooked from the initial pages. Set in wartime Denmark, it tells the tale of Kay, a British woman living on her husbands’ country estate. War and the Nazi occupiers encroach ever more on her privileged lifestyle and she must soon make decisions that will impact on…
LR#13: “The Last Witness” by Denzil Meyrick
DCI Jim Daley is settling into life in a small Scottish town when he is shocked to learn that James Machie, a violent crime lord, is out for revenge against his former criminal partners. Daley is further shocked by the news that Machie’s target is living under witness protection on his own patch. But that is…
LR#12: “Tiger Milk” by Stefanie De Velasco
This debut novel tells the story of two best friends Nini and Jameelah, fourteen-year old girls on the cusp of adolescence, in Berlin. Quite frankly, as with some people you meet in life, I knew from the first page that Nini, Jemeelah and I would not get on and wouldn’t become best friends. And so,…
LR#11: “A Song For The Dying” by Stuart MacBride
I must come clean right from the start; a confession almost. I like MacBride’s novels; more specifically, I like his DI Logan McRae stories, and so, when given the opportunity to review this, I jumped at the chance. MacBride fans will not be disappointed as this story follows similar themes to the McRae books –…
LR#10: “A Place For Us” by Harriet Evans
***This is a story that has been sent to be reviewed without the title, author or publication date being revealed yet.*** 21 August 2014 – Now revealed to be “A Place For Us” by Harriet Evans (@HarrietEvans) I like to know a little about what I’m going to read. And by whom it’s written. So, to…
LR#09: “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman
Prepare to meet Ove; a 59 Swedish man and possibly the grumpiest, most short tempered Swede you’ll ever meet. He’s a stickler for enforcing, and making, the rules that the residents of his street must obey. Prepare to meet Ove’s neighbours; people that Ove has absolutely no time for. In his eyes they are all…
LR#08: “The Spring of Kasper Meier” by Ben Fergusson
Kasper Meier, a middle aged German war veteran living off his wits and black market connections in 1946 post war Berlin, is blackmailed by the young, vibrant and attractive Eva Hirsch into searching for a British airman. Kasper, afraid of the consequences if he refuses, has to accept her demands and his efforts place him…
LR#07: “We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves” by Karen Joy Fowler
I don’t quite know what to make of this book. I was intrigued by the plot outline and the questions posed – why did Rosemary, an over talkative child, suddenly stop talking? What happened to her sister Fern? Where did she go? Why didn’t she return to the family home? And what happened to their…
LR#06: “Insurrection” by Robyn Young
I love a good solid, weighty book, with a story that is sweeping and has depth and the scope for you to get lost in. And, if it is part of a longer tale, especially a trilogy, then what could be better? This is a weighty novel, coming in at over 600 pages and is…
LR#05: “Eeny Meeny” by M.J. Arlidge
Victims are being abducted in pairs. Each victim must make a terrible choice; will you kill in order to stay alive? DI Helen Grace and her team must find the links between each pair before a sadistic killer can strike again. This is a terrific read. The plot moves along at a cracking pace and…
LR#04: “After The Silence” by Jake Woodhouse
A man is found hanging under an Amsterdam bridge. The bodies of a couple are found in a burnt-down house in a coastal town and a child is missing. The crimes lead Inspector Jaap Rykel and a young female detective from out of town on a dangerous race through the darkest side of Amsterdam in…
LR#03: “One Step Too Far” by Tina Seskis
I’ll come clean right from the off; I thought this book was superb. Contemporary stories about relationships, especially those from a female viewpoint, do not usually appeal to me but I was hooked from the initial few pages of this gripping read. The writing style and pace of the story seemed, for me at least,…
LR#02: “The Girl From Station X” by Elisa Segrave
I’ll be honest, I did not enjoy this book at all. Heck, I didn’t even like it. The sleeve notes hinted at a wartime tale worth telling yet, for me, it was a dull and frustrating read. This book was real challenge. I had to force myself to pick it up and read it, often…
LR#01: “The Boy That Never Was” by Karen Perry
Buying only one book this year? Make it this one.
Gavin Dimmock. Writer. 