February 2024 Reads

 

February is a funny month. January seems to last forever and February disappears in a flash, even with the extra day we had. I’ve had that horrible “100 day” cough that seems to be doing the rounds, luckily mine only lasted about 40 days but it did mean I struggled to concentrate on my reading and only managed six books. Added to this I really struggled to engage with a couple of them. I did, however, manage three audiobooks.

The month started with one of the books I found difficult to engage with, Moral Injuries by  Christie Watson. Three friends meet at medical school and at a party something happens, something they keep a secret for the next twenty-five years. When two of their teenage children are involved in a similar incident the women are faced with a moral dilemma. I liked the premise of the story and the characters were engaging but, generally, I found the story a little slow.

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas was a complete contrast, the pace never let up, and there were a variety of different storylines and lots of twists and turns. Tasha and her husband snatch a much-needed break thanks to her sister and brother-in-law who offer to house-sit and baby-sit. While away the house is broken into and the brother-in-law is killed. A note implies it was the wrong sister that was targeted.

Another book I struggled with was Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner. A prisoner on death row asks Frankie Elkin to track down her sister before she is executed. This involves Frankie going undercover on a sparsely populated Hawaiian island. Once again, this story had lots going for it, but every so often the momentum ground to a halt as the lead character dwelt on the past. Far too much navel-gazing for my liking. Added to this, I never want to see a coconut crab in real life after reading this book.

Things picked up from this point on when I read The Outsider by Jane Casey. This is an off-shoot of the Maeve Kerrigan series and explains what happened to Maeve’s boyfriend, police officer Rob Langton, after they split. My nerves were in shreds as Rob went undercover to infiltrate a crime family. It felt as if Rob was going to be caught constantly as he walked the fine line between staying on the right side of the head of the family and not breaking the law.

Ten Seconds by Robert Gold saw a return to the town of Haddley with the third book in the Ben Harper series. Ben’s boss, Madeline, is kidnapped and it looks like there are links to a murder years earlier where Madeline’s dogged reporting led to the killer being caught. It’s a race against time for Ben and Madeline’s father to track down the kidnapper.

The month finished off with A Stranger In The Family by Jane Casey, book 11 in the Maeve Kerrigan series. The crime the team are investigating is linked to a child abduction sixteen years earlier that was never solved. Revisiting the missing person case makes this more of a murder mystery than an action-packed police procedural. Fans of the series will be more interested in the developing “will they, won’t they?” relationship between Maeve and her boss, Josh Derwent. The sexual tension between the pair is off the scale, but you’ll just have to read the book to find out what happens.

Audiobooks

Murder By Candlelight by Faith Martin has all the hallmarks of a locked-room murder mystery, quaint village setting, lots of suspects, a wealthy spinster and ghostly apparitions. Add to the mix a bumbling accidental ghost-hunter and you have a cosy murder mystery that is enjoyable from start to finish.

The Antique Hunter’s Guide To Murder by C. L. Miller is great fun. It flows a little like an Indiana Jones style story as Freya Lockwood tries to uncover why her estranged mentor has been murdered. As she investigates, she learns about events years ago and the murder of her lover. The story is filled with larger-than-life characters, many of whom aren’t what they seem.

How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin concerns Annabelle Adams who discovers she’s going to be a beneficiary in her great-aunt’s will. On the day she is to finally meet her great-aunt Frances, Frances is murdered, bringing about a sixty-year-old fortune teller’s prediction. Annabelle needs to solve the murder if she is to inherit a vast fortune. Plenty of twists keep the listener/reader on their toes with a pantomime villain thrown in for good measure.

Publication dates to look out for are:-

Moral Injuries by Christie Watson will be published on 14/3/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas will be published on 14/3/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner will be published on 14/3/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Ten Seconds by Robert Gold will be published on 14/3/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

A Stranger In The Family by Jane Casey will be published on 14/3/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin will be published on 26/3/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.