There really is no greater thrill for a book blogger than learning that your review has been quoted inside in a book you have loved. This week I hit the jackpot because I’m quoted inside the front cover of Lie In Wait by G.J. Minett alongside some of my favorite bloggers!! As you can see Lie In Wait is now out in paperback and comes highly recommended by yours truly!
I also have to ask, is anyone watching Unforgotten on ITV? Do you have a scenario which will work for the final on Thursday? All the ones I can come up with have massive flaws and I lay awake last night re-examining the evidence and still zilch!
This Week on the Blog
So I managed to post three reviews this week starting with After She Fell by Mary-Jane Riley in a tale of an apparent suicide in North Norfolk. This is the second in the Alex Devlin series and my review awarded it a well-deserved five stars.
On Tuesday my excerpt post was from The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths whose series featuring the forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is one of my favourites.
This Week in Books detailed my reading plans, which I admit have been somewhat derailed, but I have now finished the magnificent He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly which I will be reviewing soon.
On Thursday I posted my review of Hannah Kent’s second book The Good People which transported me to a village steeped in superstition in early nineteenth century Ireland – the story told is all the more powerful as it is based on a true event.
My last review of this week was for The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards which is the second in his Lake District Mystery series. This was a good puzzle, set in a beautiful location with historian Daniel Kind and DCI Hannah Scarlett investigating a cold case where a man murdered with his own scythe!
And yesterday Put A Book On The Map had its launch in East Anglia with Mary-Jane Riley talking about the settings for The Bad Things and After She Fell alongside Katherine Sunderland of Bibliomaniac. The piece looked amazing especially as they both generously contributed beautiful photos. Susan from The Book Trail drew up Book Trails for each book too.
This Time Last Year…
I was reading The Ex by Alafair Burke . This courtroom drama had me hooked with my sympathies for the characters swaying with each revelation. This author is a master of pace, and plotting. I really must keep my promise to myself and read some of her other works.
You can read my full review here or click on the book cover
Blurb
DID HE, OR DIDN’T HE?
Olivia Randall is one of New York City’s best criminal defence lawyers. When she gets a phone call informing her that her former fiancé has been arrested for a triple homicide there is no doubt in her mind as to his innocence. The only question is who would go to such great lengths to frame him – and why?
For Olivia, representing Jack is a way to make up for past regrets, and the hurt she caused him, but as the evidence against him mounts, she is forced to confront her doubts. Amazon
Stacking The Shelves
Just one book this week courtesy of the lovely Margot Kinberg of Confessions of a Mystery Novelist who kindly posted What Remains Behind by Dorothy Fowler because I was struggling to find a copy. Margot’s blog really is the place to go to discover all things crime fiction and she featured this book in one of her ‘In The Spotlight’ posts. Do go and check out her blog although be warned, it has many, many tempting books featured.
Blurb
Everything leaves a trace. Chloe, a contract archaeologist, is excavating the site of a religious Kaipara Harbour community, which burnt to the ground in the 1880s. As the site is uncovered, what unpalatable truths will be revealed about the events on the night of the fire?
Chloe’s own family has farmed this land, and she is caught in the conflict as local resistance to the excavation mounts. When Chloe digs up more than shards of pottery, she realises that the site holds secrets that will not stay buried, and their effect on the present is devastating.
Moving between a diary written in the 1880s and the current day, this compelling novel has murder, mystery, love, lust – and archeology. Goodreads
What have you found to read this week?
Since my last post I’ve read just 2 books but I only gained 1 new one, and I found a book lurking on the TBR which I’d read – so the grand total for the first weekend in February is a mere 188
Physical Books – 110
Kindle Books – 67
NetGalley Books – 11