One Love by Matt Cain

 

Danny and Guy met twenty years ago during Freshers Week at Manchester University. It was love at first sight as far as Danny was concerned but he never had the courage to let Guy know his true feelings. Spending a weekend together celebrating Manchester Pride, Danny hopes that now is the right time to tell Guy exactly how he feels.

When we are first introduced to Danny and Guy in One Love by Matt Cain they are exploring the Gay Village in Manchester for the first time. Newly arrived at Manchester University in 2002 Danny is determined to live his best life as an openly gay man, having been unable to really be himself in his hometown. Danny’s openness finally allows Guy to come out about his own sexuality. Danny’s quest for adventure and to make the most of everything Manchester has to offer is the support and catalyst Guy needs.

The pair form a strong friendship; however, what Guy doesn’t realise is that Danny has fallen in love with him. Over the span of twenty years, Danny’s unrequited love doesn’t abate. Fate seems to conspire to keep them apart, with one or the other always being in a relationship, until now. After twenty years both men are single and heading to Manchester Pride together. Danny hopes that he’ll finally be able to tell Guy exactly how he feels about him and hopes that his feelings will be reciprocated.

Interspersed with the events of the weekend are snapshots of the past twenty years. We see the highs and lows of the friendship. Your heart goes out to Danny. As Guy looks for a long-term relationship he repeatedly overlooks Danny. Danny’s insecurity and low self-esteem mean that he’s never been brave enough to tell Guy exactly how he feels about him. You really feel the catch-22 situation Danny is in, torturing himself by maintaining the friendship and as a result, watching Guy fall in love with a variety of partners, but on the other hand terrified of being honest and destroying the friendship completely.

Over the space of the weekend, the pair are forced to examine the nature of their friendship, set against a backdrop of a vibrant, joyful and often raucous Pride festival.

One Love by Matt Cain will be published on 18^th January 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

 

When a reclusive author is murdered just as he’s about to make a mysterious announcement at the Regency Grand Hotel almost everyone becomes a suspect, including head maid Molly Gray.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose is the second book in the Molly the Maid series, featuring Molly Gray. Taking place three years after the events of The Maid we see a much more self-assured Molly. Mr Snow, the hotel manager, has promoted Molly to head maid and taken on board all of her suggestions for the training and duties of the maids.

When J. D. Grimthorpe, a successful but reclusive writer decides to make a big announcement it’s the Regency Grand Hotel that becomes the venue for the event. The press and a legion of the writer’s loyal fans are all present when disaster strikes and the writer drops dead during his presentation.

This second murder in the hotel is a catalyst, resulting in Molly losing much of the confidence she has gained. Not only does she have to work to ensure she isn’t a suspect in the murder, but she also has to prevent her maid-in-training, Lily, from being the prime suspect.

We learn that Molly has a history with J. D. Grimthorpe, something she has kept secret for years. The story alternates between the murder investigation and twenty years ago when Molly first met the author. We get a fascinating insight into Molly’s past, learning a little more about her social issues and why she is in the care of her beloved grandmother.

The sections based in the past give us the opportunity to learn more about Molly’s grandmother, Flora, and the care she took raising Molly. Many of Flora’s sayings are peppered throughout the story, with Molly using them as rules to live by. We discover that these sayings are a result of hard work, kindness and a desire to ensure Molly has a positive code to embrace.

Ever observant Molly is the one who pieces all the clues together, solving more than one crime while she’s at it, and even bringing her nemesis to task. The detective in charge of the investigation acknowledges Molly’s attention to detail, pointing out that they are excellent requirements for a police officer. Could we be seeing a spin-off series?

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose will be published on 18^th January 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.

Helle And Death by Oskar Jensen (Audiobook)

 

A group of friends meet up ten years after leaving university. The destination is an isolated mansion belonging to the most successful member of the group, Anthony. On the first evening together Anthony breaks the news that he is terminally ill and is leaving each of them a bequest in his will. That evening the group are shocked when their host commits suicide, or has one of them murdered Anthony to access their bequest quicker? 

Helle And Death by Oskar Jensen is a classic snowed-in mystery. From the start the scene is set perfectly; an isolated mansion, mobile phones banned, weapons readily available and a mysterious host. 

The cast of characters are an unlikely group of friends, they were simply thrown together by the fact of their accommodation at university, had it been normal life they probably would not have known each other. Some of the group have been successful in life, others are still trying to make their mark. The host of the group has been the most successful, making his fortune as a tech entrepreneur. We learn early on that one of the group contributed to the tech that made Anthony his fortune but his contribution was never acknowledged. Is this a motive for what follows?

Each member of the party is a suspect in the possible murder. They all have the means and opportunity, and many of them also have a motive. Art Historian Torben Helle is the member of the group who investigates the possibility of murder, along with Ruth who is a police detective. The difficulty arises when they can't believe anyone in the group is actually capable of murder, no matter what their personal circumstances are.

The narrator does an excellent job at voicing Torben, particularly his struggles with the complexity of English idioms, quite a few of these do raise a smile. 

Twists and turns, false accusations, confessions and shock revelations keep you gripped and make it impossible to figure out who is responsible before the big reveal.

Helle And Death by Oskar Jensen will be published in hardback, ebook and audio format on 18th January 2024. My thanks to NetGalley and Profile Books Audio for a review copy.

Let The Dead Speak by Jane Casey

 

A young woman returns home to find her mother missing and the house covered in blood. Everything points to murder. Maeve Kerrigan, Josh Derwent and the rest of the MIT need to investigate the woman's life to try and find a motive that will help them track down the murderer and, hopefully, find the missing body.

Let The Dead Speak by Jane Casey is book 7 in the Maeve Kerrigan series. This story takes place eight months after the previous book, After The Fire, and we see a much more self-assured Kerrigan. She's recently been promoted to Detective Sergeant and has taken under her wing the new recruit to the team, DC Georgia Shaw. The promotion means that Kerrigan feels that DI Josh Derwent has less power over her, she is also spending less time working alongside him as she works with the new recruit.

An ominous opening immediately builds the tension. A young woman, clearly distressed, returning home. My immediate thoughts turned to why she was so upset. When the woman, Chloe, is approached by her neighbour, you then begin to wonder why she is so distrustful of him. It is only when Chloe enters her home that the real terror sets in. We are given vague descriptions of inside the house and it's blatantly obvious to the reader what has happened, but Chloe struggles to understand the ramifications of what she is seeing.

What follows is an insidious tale set in suburbia, where everyone is hiding a secret. Combined with this is a mother who is prepared to do almost anything to protect her child. The fact that members of a religious community are at the heart of the story makes things even more sinister.

The new recruit to the team is an interesting character. Initially, she comes across as inexperienced but keen to fit in. Kerrigan, by taking her under her wing, hopes that Georgia will avoid a lot of the pitfalls she experienced. Unfortunately, we quickly learn that Georgia keeps trying to undermine Kerrigan, sulking if she's not at the forefront of the investigation.

As we have come to expect from our lead character she puts her own life on the line in the pursuit of tracking down a murderer. This, combined with a number of shocking twists, keeps you gripped throughout.

A Christmas Miracle In The Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal (Audiobook)

 

Ava Kelly has left the confines of the village she grew up in and moved to London. In doing so she ended her five-year relationship with her boyfriend Shane. When she hears that Shane has fallen overboard from the trawler he works on and is missing at sea her immediate reaction is to return home.

A Christmas Miracle In The Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal is the third book in the Little Irish Village series. Fans of the series will be familiar with the village of Emerald Bay, along with its residents, particularly the Kelly clan. This time around the focus of the story is Ava Kelly, one of the twins.

We quickly learn that twins Ava and Grace have left Emerald Bay and settled in London. The aim was to save money and travel but things haven't quite worked out that way and Ava is beginning to doubt her decision to move. Her doubt is amplified when she gets the distressing news that her ex-boyfriend, Shane, is missing at sea. Without a moment's hesitation she books a flight and returns home.

The first half of the story focuses on Ava's memories of her relationship with Shane. The listener shares in the highs of young love and the lows of breaking up. We discover that Ava didn't want the relationship to end, it was Shane who decided a long-distance relationship wouldn't work, and Ava has always felt guilty about her decision to leave. This guilt is now compounded with Shane missing.

This is a spoiler-free review but you can probably guess what happens from the title of the book. Yes, it's predictable, but for light relief the storyline works well. The fact that we know the characters makes the story feel as if we're visiting old friends and catching up on how their lives are developing. Alongside this, a Christmas setting makes it ideal for a December read/listen. I'll be more than happy to pay another visit to the Kelly family of Emerald Bay in the future.

A Christmas Miracle In The Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for a review copy.

Holmes, Marple And Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

When a young woman goes missing the police have no clues to her whereabouts. It takes a new team of private investigators to solve the case. It’s hardly a surprise that the team are able to succeed where the police failed since they are Holmes, Marple and Poe.

It’s a while since I’ve read anything by James Patterson. I used to buy each new hardback and race through them. Since I was working full-time the writing style suited my time perfectly. Short, snappy chapters, gripping plot and familiar characters (I’m thinking of series such as Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett) meant that I didn’t have to invest a lot of time or concentration. However, I simply couldn’t keep up with the author’s prolific output and I simply drifted away. Even though I now have more time available to read I haven’t really been tempted back, probably because it would involve trying to figure out where I was in each series and trying to catch up. When I saw the title of this new book, Holmes, Marple And Poe, along with the description, I was immediately intrigued.

I’m so pleased I decided to give the book a chance as I thoroughly enjoyed it. My attention was grabbed from the very beginning as we are introduced to the eccentric Brendan Holmes. Alongside Margaret Marple and Auguste Poe, he is able to solve the case of the mysterious disappearance of a young attorney. While the case thrusts the new team of private investigators into the limelight, it also makes them a few enemies, namely the mayor and the police commissioner.

New cases to solve come at the team thick and fast, crimes which are solved relatively quickly. While we do get a taste for the eccentric nature of each character and can see links to their namesakes, we don’t get an in-depth understanding of the thought process and deductions that lead to solving each case. This light touch is part of the reason the book is so readable.

More intriguing than the numerous crimes the trio are involved with is the identity of the characters themselves. Whenever they are introduced to someone there is always a comment about the names being a “joke”. Each of the trio shares traits with their namesake, some of which have a negative impact. There are subtle hints regarding the true identities of each of them but nothing is fully revealed, keeping the reader in suspense. A couple of supporting characters also add to the overall mystique of the team.

I really did enjoy this far more than I expected to. I do hope that this is the start of a new series.

Holmes, Marple And Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts will be published on 4^th January 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for a review copy.

 

November 2023 Reads

 

All of my November reads were fantastic. Most of them were from well-established authors whose books I know I’ll enjoy. I made a conscious effort to take a break from my usual diet of thrillers midway through the month. I think this probably helped reset my brain (if that makes sense). Rave reviews I read online also resulted in me moving away from thrillers with my last book of the month and I’m so glad I did; it was such a joyful and uplifting read.

The Secret by Lee Child and Andrew Child sees a return to form for the Jack Reacher series. Set thirty years ago, Reacher joins a task force investigating the mysterious deaths of a group of scientists linked to a top-secret project in the late 1960s. Lots of questions about who is responsible, why they are killing scientists, and what their ultimate aim is.

I used to devour everything James Patterson released, particularly the Alex Cross series. It eventually became impossible to keep up so it’s been a few years since I read anything by the author. The title and description of Holmes, Marple And Poe, however, caught my attention. Three modern-day private investigators, with names similar to literary detectives, solve seemingly unsolvable crimes in New York. The trio have skills similar to their namesakes and mysterious backgrounds. An excellent start to what I hope is a new series.

Tess Gerritsen is another author with an extensive catalogue that I would jump on with each new publication. The Spy Coast is the start of a new series and features a group of retired CIA agents living in a small town in Maine. When a ghost from the past reappears it looks as if the life of one of the group is in danger. The fact that the book features a group of retirees means that it is likely to be compared to The Thursday Murder Club, however, there is no comparison. The Spy Coast delivers menace, adventure and a twist I certainly didn’t expect.

Deciding to take a break from all the thrillers I have read my next book was chosen for some light relief. Why Mummy Drinks by Gill Sims certainly didn’t disappoint. We meet Ellen, wife and mother, who struggles to juggle the demands of family and work. As Ellen lurches from one disaster to the next you can’t help but laugh, however, I certainly found myself identifying with her on more than one occasion.

The Murder After The Night Before is the second novel from Katy Brent. I absolutely loved this story of a young woman waking up after a party to discover not only does she have no memory of the previous night’s events but a video of her has also gone viral. She then goes on to discover her best friend is dead. The novel shines a light on some of the more questionable aspects of society today such as social media, misogyny and press control.

I raced through After The Fire by Jane Casey, book six in the Maeve Kerrigan series, as there were so many questions raised following an arson attack on a tower block. As the team investigates who the intended target was they uncover so many secrets. Alongside this Kerrigan is dealing with a stalker who is getting closer and closer.

A Death In Diamonds by S. J. Bennett is the fourth book in the “Her Majesty The Queen Investigates” series. This time around we go back to 1957 and meet a young Queen trying to figure out who is trying to sabotage the monarchy. Alongside this is a shocking double murder that has possible links to a member of the royal family. An engrossing cozy crime that is a little darker than previous books in the series.

Last book of the month was the wonderful Joe Nuthin’s Guide To Life by Helen Fisher. Joe-Nathan, a neurodiverse young man is trying to navigate his way in life. He takes everything at face value and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. This was a joy to read, seeing how Joe-Nathan gets to grips with major changes in his life and how he slowly wins over some of the people who are hostile toward him.

My first audiobook of the month was The Holiday by T. M. Logan. A couple are holidaying with a group of friends when the wife discovers her husband is having an affair with one of her friends, but which one? The more she investigates, the more she discovers everyone has secrets they are hiding.

The second audiobook of the month was The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict. Perfect for the Christmas season, we meet Lily Armitage returning to her family home for the holidays. Lily is reluctant to return as it is the scene of her mother’s unsolved murder. However, this year the traditional family game of solving clues has added bonuses. The winner will inherit the house and the clues will reveal the identity of the murderer. When one of the family is murdered we realise that someone will stop at nothing to be the winner.

Publication dates to watch out for are:-

Holmes, Marple And Poe by James Patterson  and  Brian Sitts will be published 4/1/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen will be published 18/1/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format

The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent will be published 1/2/24 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

A Death In Diamonds by S. J. Bennett will be published 1/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.