Maddy's Book Blog

  Keep It In The Family by John Marrs How has such a nice family man got such a dark, twisty brain? His nightmares must be something else - which is why he is able to see into our souls and bring out something to really creep us out! Well done John Marrs, another triumph! Mia and Finn are living with Finn's parents but are desperate for a home of their own. When Finn's parents find a derelict house that they want to do up and flip on, Mia and Finn decide that they should buy the house and do it up for them to live in. This unlocks a chain of events that there is no coming back from. Told in various voices, on different timelines, this story carries you along throwing boulders in your way every so often upsetting what you thought you knew and taking you along a different track completely. A dark, disturbing, twisty novel that will haunt you for a long time. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4785170724

How to Solve Murders Like a Lady by Hannah Dolby This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first. It can be read as a stand alone book, as it reminds you of everything you need to know from the first book, which is helpful as it was a long time since I read the first. Set in the 1890s, when women were expected just to get married, have children and run a household, the language, the settings, and the personalities are very evocative of the time. Violet was born a lady, but when her mother disappeared when she was younger, she decided she wanted more out of life than marriage to a man she found boring, and who didn’t share her values. Her father would set her up with ‘suitable’ men and Violet would dispatch them very quickly. When Violet decided that she wanted to be a Lady Detective, and solve the case of her missing mother, she came across Benjamin, another Detective in town, and she found she enjoyed his company and working together. In order to ...

Scripted by Fearne Cotton I was very intrigued by the blurb for this novel, and it certainly lived up to expectations. Leave your credulity on the doorstep and you will love this book about learning how to say no, and not letting others manipulate you. Jade is a pushover with a soft heart, and this means everyone around her takes advantage of her. Her sister asks her to babysit at the drop of a hat, and to do her favours without thought for Jade’s welfare. Her boss works her all hours and wants her to pick up his washing, and buy gifts for his wife in her lunchtime. Her parents are always making unreasonable demands, and patently favour her sister. Worst of all is her boyfriend, Adam, who spares no thought for her whatsoever. Jade starts to find scrips left in the oddest of places, depicting her conversations with various other people – her family, her boss and her boyfriend – the only thing is that they haven’t happened yet. Shortly after finding each script, the dialogue plays ou...

 The Stranger in her House by John Marrs John Marrs is one of my favorite authors, and that is because of books exactly like this one. He has the imagination we would all love to have - boundless and exciting, to take us on journeys which surpass our fantasies. Connie is very comfortable living with her elderly mother Gwen who is suffering from Alzheimers. Along comes Paul, a handyman sent by a charity to do some odd jobs in the house. Paul is strong, handsome and has a captivating manner, but Paul's attentions seem to be very focused on Gwen. Alarm bells ring for Connie, but everyone is so talented in by Paul, and he is so deceptively clever, Connie just starts looking unhinged. Reading this blurb you think you know exactly where this book is headed - I can assure you that you don't. Several times throughout the novel I had to re-evaluate what I knew - or thought I knew. This book is published in February 2024, but as soon as you can pre-order it, I recommend that you do. http...

 The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn This book was billed as being like A Man Called Ove, and I can see why. It has similar charm, and is very well written, with strong characters driving the narrative. Carl Kollhoff works for a bookstore, and every evening he delivers books to those that can't get to the store. When his boss has to go into a home and his boss' daughter takes over, his time delivering books should be terminated too. However, Carl can't bear to leave his customers, that he has begun to think of as friends, and he continues delivering books - financed from his own pocket. Carl's life is slowly changed by a 9 year old girl called Schascha who opens his eyes, and his heart, to the world around him. A beautiful story with wonderful characters which will leave you smiling . https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5942080483

 Say You'll Be My Jaan by Naina Kamur Meghna is a modern girl. She has tried dating in every way - dating apps, blind dates, and dated boys from University but till now nothing has worked. She still dreams that her best friend and ex Seth will see the error of his ways and marry her but until then... When Seth announces he is getting married and asks her to be his best man, Meghna gets desperate and tells her mother (who has been trying convince her how good arranged marriages could be) that they can find her a man. That is how she meets Karthik and his mother. Karthik, whilst very handsome is very abrupt and tells her he is only going along with the charade of meeting her to please his mother but that having seen his parents' marriage he is not interested in marriage - ever! However, Meghna needs a date for Seth's engagement and wedding, and Karthik needs a date to get his parents off his back and to help his job prospects. So a plan is hatched to have a mutually beneficia...

 Everything I Have by Tammy Robinson I love Tammy Robinson's books and this one is no exception. A fun, feel good novel that will warm your heart. Ellie and Sam were the best of friends until Elli took her then boyfriend's side over Sam, and Sam left town. Years later Sam comes back to sell his Grandfather's house, now widowed and sad. He writes his feelings in a letter and ties it to a tree. Ellie replies, trying to help him. Their relationship progresses in real life, and her anonymous  letters help him too. A lovely romcom with well crafted characters. Will make your heart swell and make you smile. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6267405044

 The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens by  Jaimie Admans I just love Jaimie Admans' books. Definitely one of my 'go to ' authors for a wonderful Romcom with strong characters and beautiful settings. When I found this book on Prime Reading I was delighted. It's like a warm hug and a cup of hot chocolate in a book. Essie loves Mistletoe Gardens, her ancestors planted the first Mistletoe, an rumour is that if you kiss under the Mistletoe you are guaranteed a year of love, and Essie could do with love before her Mother sets her up with just about anyone! When she finds out that the Gardens are being demolished to build flats due to their not being used, she decides to build a full size Gingerbread House for publicity and to draw the crowds. As a baker she can make Gingerbread, but she has no idea about the actual building. Enter Joss, a local builder. Grumpy, moody, Christmas hating, village hating, and who can't wait to sell up and move away to a dessert island! I...

The Last Resort by Heidi Perks With Heidi Perks you know you are in for a real treat. Murder, intrigue, plot twists, amazing characters and a well crafted story, and this was no exception. I LOVED it - it just took me time to get over my book hangover to write a review. Erin and Will were the perfect couple, and so happy in their marriage. Then Erin's beloved dog goes missing whilst Will is supposed to be looking after it. This is not long after Will buying her a necklace and when he tries to put it on her she has a real feeling of dread. Erin's best friend has taken Will's side and she feels like she has no one to turn to. This is the start of the end for Erin and Will, and they decide to go to couples therapy with Maggie Day, who is herself in therapy. When Erin is hit by a bit and run driver, and is critically ill in hospital, and Maggie has disappeared, the hunt is on to find out what happened to Maggie and who hit Erin, as it is looking a lot like murder. A totally ama...

  A Very Country Christmas by Zara Stoneley I quite enjoyed this book, despite all the horsey references. It was quite a sweet Romcom with a lot of horsey references. Lottie is looking forward to a Christmas dinner for 2 - just her and the hunky Rory. And if he were to give her an engagement ring for Christmas she would be delighted - as they have been engaged for a while without a ring. However, their cozy dinner for 2, soon escalates to a very squashed dinner for 10, and with the various relationships around the table things soon become very drunken, and very interesting. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5986270580

  The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins I had never heard of the author but when I saw the blurb I knew I had to read it, and I am so glad I did. This is the story of 2 sisters who started life in the same petri dish as twins, but one was born several years before the other. The younger sister, Lexi, was living and working in America when she got the call that her sister had ‘died’ on the beach, and been brought back by some doctors who just happened to be there. When Lexi comes home and races to the hospital, she finds her sister Mimi in a bad way, and changed in personality – she is also convinced that she has a husband called Sam, who doesn’t exist. When Lexi finds a man who matches the description of the fictitious Sam, Lexi asks him to recreate some of the scenes in Mimi’s imaginary dates with Sam. There starts a relationship between Lexi and Nick (the Sam look alike) that threatens to break the sisters apart. I absolutely loved this book. It ran the through all the emotions...

  The Story Collector by Iris Costello I enjoyed this story, which appeared to be 3 separate stories   in 3 different timelines, but which all came together very cleverly at the end. In London in 1915 Katrina who is a Tarot card reader and a baker struggles in war torn Britain to keep herself and her friends going, whilst trying to aid the poor and promote women’s rights. However she holds a few secrets which threaten to blow her world apart. In Germany in 1918 a female German researcher in the camps befriends a silent male British soldier – very dangerous for them both. In Cornwall, in the present day, Edie finds a box in a wall of the house she is renovating. Well written, and cleverly woven together, I highly recommend this book. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6046074790

An invitation to Seashell Bay by Bella Osborne I really enjoyed this story, and can't wait to read the sequels. I found it hard to put down as I wanted to find out what happened to both Nancy and Alice. I. Thought the first one ended well - tying up the loose ends between Nancy and Freddie, and Alice and Dom, whilst still leaving you wanting more. The story is told with two narrators who are flatmates. Nancy owns the flat and is the owner of All things Crafty, a struggling new business which Nancy is trying to build. When Nancy mishears a telephone conversation on the way home from a pitch which doesn't go well, she thinks she has the answer to both her problems sorted - a new PA to help out, and a lucrative deal which will solve her financial problems. Instead she meets Freddie who comes from an extremely wealthy background and thinks that he can pretend to his parents that he is employed for 6 months so he can gain his inheritance, without actually doing any real work. This i...

  The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown I haven’t read any books by this author before but the premise really intrigued me. I could very easily see a sequel being written as there is lots more to explore. I really enjoyed the book, although I didn’t find the explanation as to where the books came from to be plausible – that’s the only thing I would change. Cassie Andrews is sharing a flat with her best friend Izzy in New York City. She has her dream job of working in a bookshop, and she is shocked when one of her favourite customers dies in the bookstore leaving her a very special book – The Book of Doors. Inside it says that any door is every door. Merely imagining a door can take you there – present and past! This unlocks a wonderful world for Cassie and Izzy – until one day they find that others also want the Book, and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more the Book of Doors isn’t the only magical book. Definitely a good read, especially if you like magic, time travel, an...

  Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus I knew this was coming out as a film so I quickly read the book. I hadn’t heard of the author but I had heard lots of people talking about the book and how good it was and I quite agree. I listened to this as an audiobook and it was read beautifully. It’s the early 1960s and women were supposed to be seen and not heard, they weren’t supposed to have a career, or have children out of wedlock. When Elizabeth Zott goes to work in a research institute the men are all appalled except for Calvin Evans, a brilliant rising star at the institute. When Elizabeth takes his beakers, as she has run out of her own, he becomes very taken with her. This leads to an affair and Elizabeth becomes pregnant, which is all the more daunting as Calvin passed away and Elizabeth thinks it’s her fault. When Elizabeth gets fired from the institute as an unwed mother, her life takes a very different term. An amusing, very original book. It is well researched, and I...

  Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde I love Katie Fforde’s books and I knew I was going to be in for a treat with this one, largely set on the beautiful island of Dominica in the Caribbean. Cass’ parents are divorced, and her father is living on a remote Scottish Island. When she goes to visit, he asks her to go to Dominica, recently ravaged by a hurricane, and try and photograph some stone carvings on the island for a book his friend Bastian is putting together. Cass’ father is a famous photographer but can’t go himself, so he trusts his daughter with the only copy of the very fragile map to the carvings, and his Leica camera. Not wanting her to go alone, he sends her with his friend and neighbour Ranaulph (Ran) to look after her and help with the aftermath of the hurricane. Cass is soon infatuated with the dashing Ran, but he is much older and she fears he sees her as a child.   There is another visitor on the Island – Austin, who is equally determined to prove that the r...

  The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson Kate Thompson has done it again! What a fantastic book – it kept me enthralled from beginning to end. An amazing story which takes place on the Island of Jersey during the second world war, which is lovely based on several true stories which took place during that period in Jersey, which made it even more fascinating. Bea and Grace are the best of friends, living on Jersey. Grace works in the Library, and Bea works for the Post Office. Bea is also dating Grace’s brother, who is her childhood sweetheart. When the Germans take over the Island the population are starving and miserable – the library becomes a massive form of escape and the amount of books borrowed each week goes through the roof and Grace is very busy. Bea is also busy as some of the Islanders are very happy to send anonymous letters denouncing their neighbours. Bea holds the letters up just long enough for the victims to be warned that their house will be searched. Unfort...

  Every Move You Make by C. L. Taylor This is one of those books that will stay with you for a very long time. Cally Taylor is the master of suspense,  subterfuge, and with the uncanny ability to totally creep you out! 5 people come together to form a WhatsApp group – what do they have in common? Nothing except for the fact that all were being stalked. When one of the group is killed, and they group receive a death threat for a second member, time is ticking to prevent another of their group dying. This is a book that will make the hair stand up on the back of your arms, and play with your head. A brilliant read. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6192558002

  Very Very Lucky by Amanda Prowse   There aren’t enough stars in the sky to give this book what it deserves. I binged read it in 2 days – not getting up this morning until it was finished. It takes you through every emotion and back again, and is written from the heart, and with a lot of knowledge. The story is told by 2 people in alternative chapters, who seem to have nothing in common. Emma’s life is manic – she has 3 children – 2 of whom live at home and are quite demanding. Her mother is elderly, crotchety and needs a lot of attention. Her best friend Roz isn’t in the best of health, and she works in a grocery shop. It’s no wonder she falls asleep in IKEA! Thurston has been married to his beloved Mary for 62 years, and when she passes away he decides he doesn’t want to be left behind.   He can’t imagine life without Mary, and it’s only his dog, Rhubarb, keeping him going. When Emma and Thurston meet, they find a bond that spans their ages, and helps them both...

  The Memory Library by Kate Storey I had never heard of Kate Storey, but I was sent the blurb and loved the premise so thought I would try it, and I’m so glad I did. A wonderfully written insight into family life, and how misunderstandings can fester if unresolved. Sally started a library for her daughter when she was a little girl. Each year on her birthday she added another book, with an insight as to why she chose that particular book on the inside. Unfortunately her daughter Ella fled to Australia many years before after a bad argument, so hasn’t seen the majority of the books. When Sally has a bad fall, Ella is forced to come back to look after her for a while – which she is very much dreading. However sometimes things are not always as they seem, and sometimes a second chance is just what you need. A rich, poignant book, with very believable and relatable characters. I absolutely loved it – and can’t wait to start a memory library for my Grandchildren. 😀 https://www.g...

  The Women by Kristin Hannah   Kristin Hannah is the writer of such amazing books as The Nightingale and The Four Winds so when I got the opportunity to read this book, I was very excited and it didn’t disappoint. This was very different to her other books. Very compulsive reading – I couldn’t put it down – but emotionally quite traumatic. It felt less like a novel, and more like a friend recounting their true like experiences of their time during the Vietnam war and the aftermath in the USA. Frances ‘Frankie’ and her brother were extremely close, and lead very charmed lives. The men in the family were expected to do their duty, and so when her brother signed up and went to war in Vietnam, he was hailed a hero. When Frankie hears that women can be heroes too, she wants to make her father proud, and signs up to be a nurse in Vietnam, despite the fact that she has very little nursing experience in America. In Vietnam Frankie finds herself – she makes best friends for life, ...

  The Lifeline by Tom Ellen   Will was the lead singer in a band that seemed to be heading straight for the top, but one dark night in Paris it all came crashing down. He now works in an electronics store in Tottenham Court Road, has no friends or social life, and volunteers for a small, little known crisis line. Annie works for a publication, has 2 best friends and lives with her boyfriend, but she isn’t happy. She blames her mother and sister for the death of her beloved father from cancer, so doesn’t see them, and her relationship seems to be going from bad to worse. When Annie sees the crisis line number it seems like a sign, and she begins speaking to Will. Neither knows that their lives are about to change dramatically as a result of their conversations I really enjoyed this book, even more than I expected. It was in turns funny, and painfully sad. Well written with believable characters. I definitely recommend it.   https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6...

 Everything I Have by Tammy Robinson I love Tammy Robinson's books and this one is no exception. A fun, feel good novel that will warm your heart. Ellie and Sam were the best of friends until Elli took her then boyfriend's side over Sam, and Sam left town. Years later Sam comes back to sell his Grandfather's house, now widowed and sad. He writes his feelings in a letter and ties it to a tree. Ellie replies, trying to help him. Their relationship progresses in real life, and her anonymous  letters help him too. A lovely romcom with well crafted characters. Will make your heart swell and make you smile. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6267405044

  Dreaming Northwood by Craig Lancaster   I was so excited to read this as I am a massive fan of Craig Lancaster. Unfortunately, for me this wasn’t one of his best. I found it way too confusing as it had a huge cast and switched around between the timelines. Maybe a key at the beginning would have helped. There are 4 different timelines, with 4 sets of people, and then near the end you see how all the people weave together very cleverly and it all makes sense. I really enjoy his writing style, and enjoyed the individual stories, I just found it a little confusing to keep in my head who was who so 3.5 stars for me, rounded up to 4. https://www.goodreads.com/review/update/121706398

  Seven Summers by Paige Toon I had never heard of Paige Toon, but the blurb for this book intrigued me, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance. This book took me through every emotion and back again and I loved it. The story tells of Liv, who met Finn 6 summers ago. A tragedy leaves Liv stuck in the Cornwall village she wanted to leave, and Finn can’t stay, so the end of the summer sees them parting ways. For the next 6 summers Finn comes back to spend a few weeks with Liv, which is so hard on them both. Finn wants Liv to leave with him, but she can’t , and she wants him to stay but he can’t. After the 6 summers, Finn meets someone else, which is devastating for Liv – until she meets Tom. Tom seems like the perfect man for her, and wants to stay in Cornwall for her, but there are influences beyond his control, and their happiness can all come crashing down at any minute. A beautiful story which doesn’t   finish in the present, after the aforementioned 7 summers, but carries...

  Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin Reading a book by Rebecca Raisin is like being enveloped in a warm hug. You know what you are getting – stunning scenery which will make you immediately want to travel to the setting, and interesting, and very real characters. With the addition of a bookshop and rescue dogs, what’s not to like? The book is set on the beautiful Greek Island of Santorini where Evie is sent to check up on her grandmother, who has just married her 9 th husband and opened a Bookshop. Apparently, money is tight, and her grandmother is unable to pay the rent and her landlord is threatening to close the Bookshop. Her Grandmother is delighted to see her, but asks her to fake date the Landlord’s Grandson, Georgios, to keep an eye on what is happening with the Landlord, and hopefully stop him closing the Bookshop for good. What Evie hadn’t reckoned on was that Georgios would be so incredibly handsome – and a book lover, a dog whisperer, and a lovely ma...

  The last murder at the end of the world by Stuart Turton Having enjoyed several other Stuart Turton books, I was excited to try this one. I was totally shocked as this is totally different to any of his other books – however I loved it. Brilliant, original, well written, just so clever. The Islanders are stranded on a small Island surrounded by ‘The Fog’ which would kill them if it wasn’t kept at bay. There are 3 Scientists on the Island too, and they are charged with keeping the fog at bay. However when one of the scientists is murdered, one of the Islanders is charged with solving the murder – and if the murder isn’t solved within 92 hours, the fog will smother the island   and kill all the inhabitants. Unfortunately, none of the Islanders remember what happened that night, as their memories have been wiped – even the murderer doesn’t remember. This book is so exciting, full of twists and turns. You are drip fed astounding new information all through the book. I coul...

  My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes I loved reading about Rachel in ‘Rachel’s holiday’ and ‘Again, Rachel’ so I was excited to read another book by Ms Keyes. I hadn’t realised that this one centred on another of the Walsh sisters – Rachel’s sister Anna, and that Rachel and Luke would appear in the book with the rest of the Walsh clan. Anna is living in New York with her boyfriend, and with a fantastic job in PR. Unfortunately the lockdown happens, and living in each other’s pockets is too much for Anna and Angelo and they break up. Work is also becoming too stressful, so Anna decides to take a sabbatical in Ireland with her family, and moves in with one of her sisters.   However, she soon gets purloined to help out some friends with their new high end development, which is getting some major resistance from the locals, and Anna’s PR experience is needed to smooth the way.   The problem with this is that it brings her back to Joey Armstrong – the one who broke her h...

  The Household by Stacey Halls Stacey Halls’ books can be relied upon to be historical, well researched, beautifully written, with amazing characters and lots going on. This one is certainly no exception. In London, a house has been set up for unfortunate girls who are down on their luck and need a second chance. Josephine and Martha, fresh out of prison, are amongst the first to arrive. Mrs Holdsworth, an ex prison warder, looks after the household and teaches the girls cooking, sewing, scriptures, music, and anything else they may need to prepare them for moving to Australia to begin a new life. The benefactors for this enterprise include a single, extremely rich, noblewomen called Angela, and Mr Charles Dickens – the famous writer. Unfortunately Angela has a stalker who has recently been let out of prison and she knows it is a matter of time before he comes after her again. Martha has been looking for her sister Emily who disappeared from service a whole before, and Josephi...

  Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz   What an absolutely brilliant idea for a book. I absolutely loved it. Original, quirky, and I wasn’t quite sure if it was  real. Such an incredible idea.Anthony has to write another book about Detective Hawthorne, but there isn’t a suitable case currently, so Detective Hawthorne decides to drip feed Anthony a previous case he has solved, which took place years ago in a private Close in London. Riverside Close is picture perfect   - a closed community of friends who all get on well and live an idyllic lifestyle – that is until one family move out, and the family who moved in are a complete nightmare. The trouble is, when the father, Charles Kentworthy dies literally the whole Close could be responsible as every one had reason to hate him. Added to that the gardener, the nanny, there are more suspects than you can shake a stick at. Charles does by crossbow, and a few days later another of the neighbours ends up dead in his car ...

  The Darkest Water by Mark Edwards   Just when you think that Mark has written his best book ever, another comes along which knocks it out of the park. All I can say is wow! The master of suspense and misdirection had me convinced I knew what was going on, but I didn’t. Calvin is a chef with a brand new cafe. His wife Vicky runs an animal shelter. Mel is a lady who turns up just at the right time to help out at the cafe. A recluse turns up on the beach, buried from the neck down and drowned.   Detective Imogen Jones has recently moved to the area with a lot to prove. Feted as a super-cop the pressure is on Imogen to solve the murder. Unfortunately, rather than being able to solve the murder eople are either going missing or dying. A brilliantly thought out story, which will keep you gripped to the last page, and beyond. Mark Edwards is truly the master of suspense! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6407766452

  Under a Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft I don’t know how Sue Moorcroft does it. She writes fabulous books with innovative stories, gorgeous locations which make you want to jump on the first plane, plot twists, and extraordinarily well crafted and believable characters – flaws and all. When life circumstances meant that Thea had to disappear, it seemed like a good idea to go to Scotland where her oldest sister already lives.   Thea and her middle sister Ezzie both found a job in a beautiful stately home on the Island – Thea as Head Gardener and Ezzie – running the office as deputy manager. When a handsome stranger, Dev, rescues a puppy from drowning he steals a little bit of her heart – as does the puppy. Despite misgivings as to why all his worldly goods are in his car, he is given a job at the stately home when it turns out that he is an excellent gardener. Is the mysterious Dev all that he seems? Will the secrets that Thea is running from catch up with her on this remote...

Love is a curse by Keith Stuart Having read, and enjoyed, A Boy Made of Blocks and The Frequency of Us, I was very excited to read this book. Whilst I enjoyed it immensely, this was nothilike either. It is a story tracked through several generations of a family – full of murder   intrigued, and some spooky goings on – but is everything as it seems? When Cammy’s Aunt Lorna dies she tells Cammy about the curse on the members of the family and warns her not to fall in love. She then leaves her the old gothic church that Aunt Lorna lived and where she worked in on her art. When Cammy meets Ben she hopes the curse isn’t real, however when Ben is involved in a serious car accident   Cammy is determined to find out more. This was nothing like the previous books I have read by Keith Stuart, but really very enjoyable and well written. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6431337302

  The Gathering by CJ Tudor Honestly   if I had known that the book was a out Vampires I would never have chosen to read it, but I’m so glad I did as it was we written, exciting, enthralling and had be hooked. C.J. Tudor is a force to be reckoned with Detective Barbara Atkins is sent to the town of Deadhart, Alaska when a boy is killed – seemingly the work of a large colony of Vampires (spelt Vampyr) who have recently   returned to their homes nearby, having disappeared long ago when another boy was killed. Are the colony responsible for the murder   in which case the colony will be culled, or is there another monster on the loose? Exciting, and full of murders, mystery and intrigue, this book will capture your imagination   and keep you riveted – even those like me who don’t like vampire books 😁 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6469765721  

  The Family Experiment by John Marrs   All I can say is WOW WOW WOW! There aren’t enough stars in the sky for this book. It’s definitely my book of the year, and probably of the century! Set in the same world as The One, The Passengers and The Marriage Act – 3 of My favourite books, this is another of John’s speculative fiction books and up there with the best. Imagine a future where AI is as common as watching TV, and people are struggling to have children both for financial and medical reasons. Unfortunately, this isn’t a hard stretch of the imagination. A company has come up with the innovative idea of providing AI babies who you can interact with in the Metaverse.   To kick it off, they sponsor a reality show where couples compete to bring a child up in the Metaverse in front of millions of viewers, who will vote some out, whilst giving others difficult tasks. The winner can choose whether to keep the child or to use their prize money to start a real life child. ...

  The Unretirement by Penny Mirren I had never heard of Penny Mirren, but when I saw the book was about a lady in her early 60s, and her retirement, I thought I would try it. I am certainly glad it did. It was well written, with wonderful characters, and a fun storyline. I would definitely look out for more of Penny Mirren’s books. Maggie is in her early 60s and had her life mapped out – retirement and trips around the world with her husband – until the unthinkable happens and her beloved husband passes away. When her daughter, Hannah, gets divorced, she moves close to her mum to keep an eye on her mum – and so that her mum can help with the childcare of her small daughter. When Maggie and Hannah go on a rare night out to an Indian restaurant that was always a favourite, they find that that the owners have had to go back to India, and the restaurant is struggling. Maggie then comes out of retirement to help out in the restaurant, and Hannah find herself very invested too – part...

 Second Chance Summer by Phillipa Ashley I so enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the islands are outstanding, and will make you want to take a trip immediately. The characters are very real and very believable, and the storyline is great if a little predictable. The main character, Lily, is a strong independent woman, with her own thriving business. What’s not to like? Lily isn’t as much driven, as completely immersed in work. Since her sister died, she felt the need to be successful – and she is very successful - almost to the exclusion of everything else. When she collapses on the floor in the office her PA is insistent that she needs a break, and arranges for her to have a break on one of the Scilly Islands in a very new resort which is in the process of being set up by the owner. When Lily arrives after a horrendous journey in the most awful weather, she just wants to turn around and go back to ‘civilisation’ – especially when she realises that the wifi and all communic...