Book of the month for April was The Cove by L J Ross. The Big Review is below.
***Big Reviews are written from the point of view that you have read the book. If this is not yet you, bookmark the page and come back once you have***
The Cove – the blurb
Gabrielle Adams has it all – brains, beauty, a handsome fiancé, and a dream job in publishing. Until, one day, everything changes.
‘The Tube Killer’ takes his victims when they least expect it: standing on the edge of a busy London Underground platform, as they wait for a train to arrive through the murky underground tunnels of London.
Gabrielle soon learns that being a survivor is harder than being a victim, and she struggles to return to her old life. Desperate to break free from the endless nightmares, she snatches up an opportunity to run a tiny bookshop in a picturesque cove in rural Cornwall.
She thinks she’s found the perfect escape, but has she swapped one nightmare for another?
Swapping ham and pease pudding for cream and jam
If you’re not familiar with LJ Ross she is a lady more familiar with the coastline of Northumberland than Cornwall. Yet you wouldn’t know it from the descriptions in The Cove with its aquamarine waters, white sands and hidden caves. This added to the fact Gabi takes a job in a book shop makes it very idyllic, cue hunky artist with a tortured soul and a loveable dog.
The book is part of the Summer Suspense Mysteries and it felt a total summer read. Easy to get in to, quick to read, even the large font was pleasing. I was so busy rocking and rolling with the baked goods, planned author events and summer romance that I was surprised to realize I was almost 200 pages in before any true whiff of murder arose.
Once it makes its presence known the book changes direction and becomes much more crime novel esque – the police woman returns from maternity and starts investigating, the love interest could be a potential suspect and even the kitchen chair comes into play.
If you are already a Ross fan you will not be disappointed. Those out for an un-taxing summer read that’s either a romance with extra bite or a crime novel with a bit of doe eyes over easels then this is the book!
Get Involved
If you would like to get involved with the Book Of The Month choices try answering the Book Club questions published every month. Just search in the footnotes section for the ‘Get Involved’ articles. A new book is chosen every month so keep your eyes peeled for the Lowdown on May’s book of the month soon.