December 2023 Reads

 

Firstly I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that 2024 brings you health, happiness and lots of books. Thanks to the social aspect of Christmas I didn't get to read as much as I would have liked but I did manage three audiobooks so I'm not complaining.

I don't do a top ten books of the year (or top 12, top 23, etc) but if I did my first book of December would be pretty near the top. Frank And Red by Matt Coyne is such a joyful, uplifting read. Frank has given up on life following the death of his beloved wife. When 6-year-old Red moves in next door his life is turned upside down. Red is a force of nature, he never shuts up. Matt Coyne has done a fantastic job making two very different characters spring from the page.

Just over a year ago, I read The Close by Jane Casey, not realising this was book 10 in a series. Since then I've made an effort to read the earlier books in the series. With book 11 due out in March 2024 I decided to read books 7 and 8 last month. Let The Dead Speak is an insidious tale set in suburbia, where everyone is hiding a secret. Promotion means we see a more self-assured Kerrigan but her authority is regularly undermined by a new member of the team. I found Cruel Acts the most disturbing of all the books in the series. A convicted murderer is released on appeal. When a young woman goes missing shortly after his release the police wonder if he's struck again or is someone else responsible for the murders. The death-defying chase towards the end has Kerrigan fighting for her life.

The premise of End Of Story by A. J. Finn is intriguing. Twenty years ago the wife and son of a mystery writer disappeared and their bodies have never been found. Now, with a terminal diagnosis, he invites a young writer and fan to write a memoir. The young writer hopes to find out the truth about what happened. The story is atmospheric and pays homage to many classic mystery writers. I really struggled with the writing style and was close to giving up a number of times. I'm glad I didn't as I was fully invested in the mystery by the end.

It was lovely to return to the town of Marlow in The Queen Of Poisons by Robert Thorogood. During a council planning meeting the Mayor is poisoned. Suspicion falls on the other people present at the meeting. A small group of suspects made this a very enjoyable cozy mystery as my attention was focused on this small group of characters. 

Author T. M. Logan writes extremely twisty thrillers. The Dream Home is the twistiest and creepiest to date. From the very beginning there's a sense of menace as a family discovers a hidden room in the house they've just moved into. Their lives then turn into a nightmare and I wasn't sure if I was reading a thriller or a horror story. Definitely one to read with the lights on.

Three very different audiobooks featured in December. I started the month with a Christmas story, revisiting Michelle Vernal's town of Emerald Bay in A Christmas Miracle In The Little Irish Village. This is the third in a series so fans will be familiar with all of the characters. When her ex-boyfriend Shane goes missing at sea Ava Kelly rushes home. As Ava anxiously waits she recalls happier times in her relationship with Shane and realises she still loves him. A warm and fuzzy read/listen, perfect for Christmas.

The second audiobook, Helle And Death, by Oskar Jensen also has a wintery theme. A group of university friends meet up ten years later at an isolated mansion. The host announces he's terminally ill and has left them all a bequest in his will. That evening the host is murdered. A storm means they are snowed in with no means of contacting the police. Who among them is a murderer? It's one of those stories where there are so many twists it's impossible to guess who the murderer is.

The final audiobook was The Library Of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina, a beautiful tale which examines grief, guilt and the redeeming value of love. A young man returns to his childhood home following the recent death of his mother. He befriends a young boy who his mother was helping with his schoolwork. Little do they realise they are both struggling with the guilt of the death of someone close to them. Through friendship they slowly begin to heal. 

Publication dates to watch for are:- 

The Queen Of Poisons by Robert Thorogood will be published on 18/1/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Helle And Death by Oskar Jensen will be published on 18/1/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Frank And Red by Matt Coyne will be published on 1/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

End Of Story by A. J. Finn will be published on 29/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format. 

The Dream Home by T. M. Logan will be published on 29/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.