My November reads looks pitiful. That's because my reading mojo has completely deserted me. I just can't seem to settle for any length of time to make headway with whatever I'm reading. I can't blame the books, two out of the three I've managed this month have been great. November was a busy month for me so that is probably part of the reason, I'm still trying to catch up after a fantastic trip to London at the beginning of the month. I just hope that December improves.
On with the books. November started with Murder At The Castle by Chris McGeorge. This took a look at a royal family from an alternate timeline, looking at who would be monarch if Edward VIII hadn't abdicated. The family are isolated at Balmoral when the King dies, possibly poisoned by another member of the family. More a locked castle than locked room mystery, I was left a little underwhelmed by the whole story. I couldn't get to grips with the writing style and I felt that there were far too many red herrings.
Louise Candlish is superb at writing middle-class suburban thrillers. You look at some of the characters and think that could easily be me, or my neighbour. In The Only Suspect we have Alex who is worrying about a piece of wasteland being transformed into a nature trail. Immediately you are wondering what he is afraid of being uncovered. The story then jumps back to 1995 and we meet Rick who gets involved with a married woman. Alternating between the two characters you are on the edge of your seat wondering how Alex and Rick are connected and what lies buried.
My favourite book of the month was The Ugly Truth by L. C. North. When a business woman/influencer goes missing her friends are adamant she's being held captive by her father. Her father is insistent she is at a private retreat struggling with her mental health. Through transcripts for a documentary, interviews for a book, video clips and twitter comments we learn all about Melanie Lange, how she rose to fame and how constant press and public intrusion effected her mental health. I found the book quite shocking, as I was reading I could identify real life examples that were similar to those in the book.
I only managed one audiobook during the month. Sing Me A Secret by Julie Houston is an enjoyable listen about a family hiding secrets. Juno Sutherland is a married GP who lusts after a new work colleague while her husband is working away. Juno begins to question if her marriage is a happy one. Younger sister Lexia left home at sixteen and never returned. Thanks to a reality TV singing competition she became a star. Now her footballer husband has been transferred to her home town team so she has to return home and face secrets she's kept hidden for years.
Dates to watch out for are:-
Sing Me A Secret by Julie Houston will released on audio format on 8th December 2022. The paperback and ebook are already available.
The Only Suspect by Louise Candlish will be published on 2nd March 2023 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
The Ugly Truth by L. C. North will be published on 16th March 2023 in hardback and audio format. The ebook will be available from 2nd March 2023.
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