The Cornish Campsite Murder by Fiona Leitch

 

Jodie 'Nosey' Parker, ex-police officer, is persuaded to run a friend's food truck at a music festival in Cornwall. When the lead singer of an old rock group is found dead Jodie can't help but get involved in the investigation.

The Cornish Campsite Murder is the seventh book in the Nosey Parker cozy crime series by author Fiona Leitch. I've long been a fan of this series and feel as if the characters have become friends, having seen them evolve over the series.

Jodie is astounded to discover that a recent dinner she catered was hosted by Caz Harper, the bassist of a rock group she idolised as a teen. Caz, along with some of the other members of the band, have decided to perform at the local music festival. The group are unable to use their original name or much of their old material following an acrimonious split with the band's lead singer, Lee Roskill.

When Roskill's body is discovered the following morning the remaining members of the group immediately become suspects. Each of them has an alibi but as the police, well Jodie and her fiance DCI Nathan Withers, investigate, the alibi's begin to crumble. Having worked as a consultant for the local police in the previous book, Jodie had decided it really didn't work, particularly with her boss also being her fiance. As we learn as the story progresses, Jodie finds it impossible not to get involved with the investigation. Nathan is just as bad as he's supposed to be on holiday.

Initially, it is assumed that the motive for murder is the fall-out of the band members. The investigation points to other possible motives, motives which have been festering for years and still put the other band members at the top of the suspect list. By chipping away at each person's alibi, and a tense stand-off, the murderer is apprehended. I'm now looking forward to the next installment of this cozy crime series.

One of my few criticisms of the previous book in the series was that we didn't see enough of the supporting characters. This time around they all have a part to play in the investigation, although Debbie's usual effervescent self isn't used fully. The supporting character that shines the most this time around is Germaine, the dog.

The Cornish Campsite Murder by Fiona Leitch will be published as an ebook on 28th June 2024, with the paperback available on 4th July 2024. My thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for a review copy.

Author Details

Fiona Leitch is a writer with a chequered past. She’s written for football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves and is a stalwart of the low budget TV commercial, even appearing as the Australasian face of a cleaning product called ‘Sod Off’. After living in London and Cornwall she’s finally settled in sunny New Zealand, where she enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days dreaming of retiring to a crumbling Venetian palazzo, walking on the windswept beaches of West Auckland, and writing funny, flawed but awesome female characters.

Her debut novel ‘Dead in Venice’ was published by Audible in 2018 as one of their Crime Grant finalists. Fiona also writes screenplays and was a finalist in the Athena Film Festival Writers Lab, co-run by Meryl Streep’s IRIS company.

The Last List Of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson

 

Mabel and Arthur Beamont have been married for sixty-two years. When Arthur suddenly dies Mabel finds a mysterious note from him, "Find D", she sets out to do exactly as he asked.

Having recently discovered Laura Pearson's novels when I read  The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up, I knew it wouldn't be long before I read another book by the author. Since I already had The Last List Of Mabel Beaumont on my TBR pile the decision was even easier.

The story of Mabel Beaumont is a poignant one that really resonated with me, as I'm sure it will with a lot of women. Mabel is eighty-six, for the past sixty-two years she and Arthur have been a unit as they had no children. Mabel acknowledges that this means their relationship has been intense but also isolating as they have done everything together. Arthur had a few friends at the local pub but for Mabel, her life revolved around Arthur. With Arthur's sudden demise, Mabel realises how lonely and isolated she is. Ever thoughtful, Arthur had considered this and put a plan in place, he'd arranged for a carer to visit Mabel daily. Mabel is staggered when she learns of this, and is adamant that the last thing she needs is a carer. This, in part, is down to Mabel's personality. The couple never needed any support in the past, they just got on with things. Mabel also thinks she's a lot younger than she is and this adds to her struggle to accept the help offered. Loneliness is the biggest issue and Mabel acknowledges that a daily visit from Julie, the carer, would help combat this, even if there's nothing for her to do.

With Julie's help, Mabel sets out to "Find D", which she has interpreted as finding Dot, the friend she hasn't seen in sixty-two years. Lots of memories resurface focusing on the years in which she first met Arthur and her brother was dating Dot. You form a picture of how caring and loving Arthur was, but there are hints that not everything in the marriage was perfect.

Not only does Julie help Mabel in her quest to find Dot but she also encourages her to try new experiences. Through this Mabel meets new friends, women at various stages of life, who are also dealing with their own problems. Mabel forms her own list, wanting to help her new friends solve the issues they are each facing.

This wonderful novel highlights how invisible the older generation becomes, particularly widows, and that friendships are difficult to make the older you get. Being open to new opportunities and experiences is key to meeting new friends and can offer a new lease on life.

Author Details

Laura Pearson is the author of four novels. The Last List of Mabel Beaumont was a Kindle number one bestseller in the UK and a top ten bestseller in the US. Laura lives in Leicestershire, England, with her husband, their two children, and a cat who likes to lie on her keyboard while she tries to write.

Lucky Day by Beth Morrey

 

Clover Hendry, wife, mother, and TV producer, is constantly on the go, doing everything for everyone, it's the only way she can guarantee that things are done correctly. When her morning routine seems to go from bad to worse she tells her boss exactly what she thinks of him and his meeting and takes off for a day of "What ifs?".

Beth Morrey has written some of my favourite heart-warming books in recent years so I was keen to read her latest novel, Lucky Day. In her previous two novels, Beth Morrey focuses on a central character who, through the help and support of a wider community, is able to find their place in society. This time around the central character, Clover, uses her own knowledge and skills to finally say "Enough is enough".

Clover's day doesn't start well, her husband has put the forks the wrong way up in the dishwasher. As with many of this kind of story, it's something utterly trivial that is the catalyst, the final straw. The dishwasher saga, combined with a headache, means Clover just knows it's going to be a bad day. Her tendency to catastrophise things results in her getting a bump to the head as she flees her train. When her boss holds one of his interminable meetings Clover can't take anymore and walks out of work.

With her newfound honesty and assertiveness Clover sets off on a day of adventure, one in which she refuses to accept any bullshit. We follow Clover through some hilarious situations where she speaks her mind. I admired Clover and her brutal honesty, along with her refusal to be patronised. The swimming pool scene was side-splittingly funny, the reactions of the staff were just so believable. As for the dress shop, I had "Pretty Woman" vibes as I cheered Clover on.

The old Clover was a doormat, sometimes it was easier to do things herself, rather than delegate, because she knew that the task would be done correctly. At other times, it was simply because she was too nice to be assertive. Her boss took advantage of these characteristics by piling extra work on her. Combined with members of her team not pulling their weight it was always going to lead to one thing and it was brilliant to witness Clover's epiphany.

By the end of the day Clover is able to settle a few scores and realises that going forward, she needs a mixture of the old and the new Clover.

Lucky Day by Beth Morrey will be published on 20th June 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.

Author Details

Previously Creative Director at RDF Television, Beth Morrey now writes full time. Her debut novel, Saving Missy, was a Sunday Times bestseller and longlisted for the Authors' Club First Novel Award. Beth lives in London with her husband, two sons and two poodles.

 

You Are Here by David Nicholls

 

Marnie, a divorced Londoner, and Michael, a recently separated teacher from York, are persuaded by a mutual friend to join her for a few days on a walking holiday. An unlikely friendship is formed between the pair.

No doubt the coast-to-coast route will be packed with new walkers for a while thanks to the wonderful writing of David Nicholls in You Are Here. The descriptions of the route, even at its bleakest, are enticing, although one or two of the fictional hotels/B&B's should be given a wide berth.

It's the characters involved in You Are Here that really grabbed my attention. The author takes his time to establish them, we have a real sense of who they are long before the walking begins.

Marnie is thirty-eight, a copy-editor and proofreader, who lives in London and works from home. Her divorce and the pandemic have caused her world to shrink drastically. She's lonely, days at a time can go by without her speaking to anyone and the positives of working from home because of the pandemic have lost their shine. Her experience of romance has also left her believing that the risks far outweigh the rewards.

Teacher Michael is forty-two and recently separated, something he has struggled to come to terms with. His life seems to be paused as he waits, and hopes, for his wife to return. Michael is suffering from depression and PTSD following a vicious assault and as a result looks for solitude. Long, solitary walks are currently the only solution to Michael's problems.

Thanks to a mutual friend, Cleo, the pair find themselves as part of a group on a short walking holiday. Cleo has tried to do a bit of secret match-making, however, this falls at the first hurdle when the person she thought would be an ideal match for Michael fails to turn up.

The walk begins at St. Bees and the plan is to follow the route of the famous coast-to-coast walk for a few days before returning home. Michael, however, has other plans. He has decided that once the rest of the walking party leaves he will complete the full route alone, giving him the solitude he so desperately desires.

As members of the group drop out an unlikely friendship develops between Marnie and Michael, with Marnie repeatedly putting off her return to London. It is clear from the outset that they have a spark, and their sense of humour is attuned, this isn't simply the desperation of two lonely individuals. As the pair get to know each other they slowly begin to lower their defenses and we learn more about their lives. The pair realise that they met briefly once before at a christening. Michael asks Marnie if he could also have met her ex-husband, her reply is "Anyone patronise you, start an argument, talk over you?". You seriously wonder why Marnie married in the first place and how such a feisty, intelligent and funny woman is single.

The story isn't all funny jokes and a budding romance, there are some truly poignant moments that will bring tears to your eyes, particularly involving another pair of walkers they keep bumping into.

The premise of a story about the coast-to-coast walk didn't immediately appeal to me but this tentative romance involving two people who have been trodden down by life and broken by failed relationships filled me with hope. Anyone who is a little unsure if this book is for them should take a leap of faith.

Author Details

David Nicholls is the bestselling author of Starter for Ten, The Understudy, One Day, Us, Sweet Sorrow and You Are Here. One Day was published in 2009 to extraordinary critical acclaim: translated into 40 languages, it became a global bestseller, selling millions of copies worldwide. His fourth novel, Us, was longlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction. On screen, David has written adaptations of Far from the Madding Crowd, When Did You Last See Your Father? and Great Expectations, as well as of his own novels, Starter for Ten, One Day and Us. His adaptation of Edward St Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, was nominated for an Emmy and won him a BAFTA for best writer. The Netflix adaptation of One Day was executive-produced by David.

One Of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon

 

Jasmyn and Kingston Williams are excited to move into their new home in the suburb of Liberty on the outskirts of LA. The affluent suburb is 100% black, including all employees. The couple sees this as a safe environment in which to raise their young son. Once settled Jasmyn begins to have apprehensions.

One Of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon is a powerful tale of racism in America. Told against a backdrop of widely publicised police shootings of black men, we meet Jasmyn Williams, an attorney who works in the public defender's office. Through Jasmyn we are given a glimpse of the fear someone who is black lives with every day in America. Not being black, or from the USA, it is difficult to truly comprehend the level of racism. As Jasmyn recounts some of the incidents she, or people she knows, has had to deal with I felt shocked, saddened and angry.

When the young family first move to Liberty, not everything feels quite right. I was getting a "Stepford Wives" vibe initially and this slightly dystopian feeling lingers throughout the novel. The centrepiece of the suburb is the Wellness Center and once we are offered a glimpse inside you begin to wonder if we are contending with a cult of some type, particularly as Jasmyn's husband becomes obsessed with the place.

Central to the story is the police shooting of a black family in a car elsewhere in LA. The father is killed and the young daughter ends up in intensive care. Jasmyn is appalled that the residents of Liberty are not as affected by the incident as she is. All of this adds to the unsettled feeling she has and increases the sense of unease the reader feels.

Jasmyn becomes more and more concerned as she digs deeper, especially as her husband seems to be falling even more under the thrall of the Wellness Center and its leaders. The conclusion is gripping, and one that you might guess at, but is still shocking when all is revealed. This is a book I would recommend everyone to read. Not only is it ideal for a book group as it will throw up a wide range of discussion topics, I also feel that the message it contains is one we need to be reminded of regularly.

One Of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon will be published on 13th June 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for a review copy.

Author Details

Nicola Yoon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR and EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING. Nicola is also the author of the #1 NYT bestseller, INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING (June 1, 2021) and the NYT bestseller BLACKOUT (June 22, 2022, an anthology with Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, Tiffany D. Jackson and others and which has been optioned by the Obama’s production company). Nicola and her husband, author David Yoon, have also created the Joy Revolution imprint at Random House Children’s Books in the US. It’s their mission to publish romance/joyous books by authors of color featuring characters of color. And last but not least, Nicola and Dave have also created Yooniverse Media through which they have a first-look film/tv deal at Anonymous Content.

The Suspect by Rob Rinder

 

Jessica Holby, host of a popular morning TV show and much loved by the public, dies live on air following a cooking segment. Anaphylactic shock as a result of a serious food allergy is to blame and TV chef Sebastian Brooks is charged with her murder. 

The Suspect by Rob Rinder is the sequel to the hugely successful The Trial and features the same characters. I was very impressed last year when I read The Trial as "celebrity" written novels don't always live up to expectations. With this sequel, Rob Rinder has created a gripping series, with believable characters, that has the potential to spawn a long and successful series, especially as I thought the second book was an improvement on the first.

Junior barrister Adam Green is the main character in both books. The story follows Adam as he supports a senior barrister defending the TV chef. By selecting this topic the author has hit a goldmine, the public infatuation with "celebrity" is boundless. Rob Rinder has created characters that have a passing resemblance to a number of real-life celebrities the media, and the public, seem to be obsessed with. It isn't difficult to figure out who some of the celebrities are supposed to be.

The glare of the media spotlight means that the barristers know it is going to be extremely difficult for a fair trial to take place. The situation isn't helped by the fact that Sebastian Brooks offers no defense other than "I didn't do it". Colleagues and friends of both the victim and the accused are tight-lipped and refuse to be witnesses at the trial. This immediately makes you wonder what secrets are being hidden. A further complication is that the prosecuting barrister is from the same chambers and Adam's friend, Georgina, is working under them, putting them on opposing sides.

While all of this is happening Adam is approached by the barrister he most admires, the man who ignited his interest in law, to assist him on another case. Adam is overjoyed to be asked but slowly realises that the case involves a moral dilemma; persist in a lie and the client faces years in jail, tell the truth and the client faces retribution.

Once again we witness the punishing workload for anyone who aspires to be a barrister. Adam's old pupil master, Jonathan Taylor-Cameron, makes a couple of brief appearances and is his usual misogynistic, lazy and pompous self. Thankfully, this character is more than balanced by the number of hard-working and conscientious barristers, although we learn that even the most successful among them have to make sacrifices.

There is a sprinkling of humour throughout thanks to the irregular phone conversations Adam has with his mother. She is still trying to run his life, and his love life in particular. Adam seems to be running a constant battle to stop her from turning up at his bedsit or place of work.

Dogged determination, exposing hidden secrets and realising that the image a celebrity displays isn't always a true reflection of their real character helps Adam to uncover exactly what happened on the fateful day Jessica Holby died.

The Suspect by Rob Rinder will be published on 20th June 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Century for a review copy.

Author Details

Rob Rinder is a barrister turned broadcaster and Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author. Called to the bar in 2001, Rob went on to specialise in cases involving murder, international fraud, money laundering and other forms of financial crime, while working in media to make law more accessible. He started his broadcast career with Judge Rinder for ITV winning a Royal Television Society Award before going on to host his own BBC 5Live series Raising the Bar.

Rob’s participation in Who Do You Think You Are? retraced the story of his Holocaust survivor grandfather and received a BAFTA. The BBC series he presented, The Holocaust, My Family and Me, was aired to wide critical acclaim and he has gone on to curate and present notable documentaries on a range of topics, from international conflict to medieval history and, recently, the history of prisons. In 2020, Rob was awarded an MBE for his services to Holocaust education and an honorary doctorate for his legal work.

A regular host on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Rob co-hosts BBC Two’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby and recently appeared in a new show about art and travel, The Grand Tour, which saw Rob and his co-host Rylan retrace the footsteps of cultural greats around Italy.

Rob’s novels The Trial and The Suspect are inspired by his experiences as a barrister.