Well that week flew by. Not sure what happened. One day it was Monday, the next … well it’s Monday again, just a different one. I feel like I slept through most of it, but I also managed a few pre-work walks, so it was nice to see the baby birds in the dawn light.
Scenes from my canal walks and a walk along the River Severn. Ducks, swans and squirrels – oh my!
Bookishly, I’ve had a far more sedate week. Bought a few, read a few. Not as many as last week, mind. That’s not a bad thing. Everything in moderation as they say, even books. And I have a very busy summer coming up so best not to over commit, right?
Two new buys – Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer and Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang. Netgalley, I have two. I was invited to read A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh (20 July). I have a proof but being able to switch between this and kindle version will benefit my ailing eyesight and knackered body loads. I also have Eye for an Eye by M.J. Arlidge (20 July) which is for a blog tour. One bookish delivery – T hirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen, part of my Bert’s Books Orenda subscription.
L-R: Rubbernecker. Yellowface; A Game of Lies; Eye for an Eye; Thirty Days of Darkness
In other news, I finished my 85th read of the year this week, so have completed my Goodreads ‘Challenge’. It hasn’t been a challenge at all – all pleasure – but I deliberately set a low target to a) encourage myself to read and b) not apply too much pressure. It’s been a mix of novellas and full length books, but I’ve loved every minute of the journey … so far!
Books I have read
Scarlet Ribbons by Mark L. Fowler
When a woman with a past is brutally murdered, the detectives assigned to the investigation discover that there’s no shortage of motives and suspects. A faceless corpse is found in a local park. DCI Tyler and DS Mills establish that the dead woman was working at two brothels in the city, and operating under the name Scarlet. A wealth of suspects and motives are uncovered, and Scarlet, a complex young woman with an interesting past, appears to have been leading a secret life. The investigation stalls, and Tyler’s long-suffering boss goes off sick, his ambitious replacement demanding a swift resolution to the case and pointing the finger at a credible if convenient suspect. But Tyler remains unconvinced. Following his instincts, the detective presses hard, and complaints about his methods start pouring in. The pressure from above reaches breaking point, yet despite warnings from his faithful partner Danny Mills, Tyler remains determined to get to the truth … at all costs. Scarlet Ribbons is the fifth book in the popular Tyler and Mills series. It can be enjoyed as a standalone crime novel.
The Ungrateful Dead by Adam Simcox (20 July)
The gripping third instalment in Adam Simcox’s supernatural crime DYING SQUAD series. A MISSING DETECTIVE Detective Joe Lazarus is missing. The Dying Squad are on the case, but following reports of his sighting, signs suggest he may have fallen back into his criminal ways. A DEATH IN A NIGHTCLUB A new drug is taking the world by storm. Spook allows the living to see the dead, but its effects are often fatal. The Dying Squad’s visit to a Berlin nightclub quickly turns their search into an entirely more sinister case. TWO WORLDS COLLIDE Because the invention of Spook has another purpose. One that’s been decades in the planning. Two worlds are on a collision course – the living and the dead’s – and the Dying Squad must summon all their investigatory cunning to stop a plot that could change people’s (after)lives for ever.
Black Thorn by Sarah Hilary (13 July)
Blackthorn Ashes was meant to be their forever home. For the first six families moving into the exclusive new housing development, it was a chance to live a peaceful life on the cliffs overlooking the Cornish sea, safe in the knowledge that it had been created just for them.
But six weeks later, paradise is lost. Six people are dead. And Blackthorn Ashes is left abandoned and unfinished, its dark shadows hiding all manner of secrets.
One of its surviving residents, Agnes Gale, is determined to find out the truth about what happened. Even if that truth is deadlier than she could have ever believed possible . . .
See – not as productive this week, but still quality reading I’d say. And I have been very busy at work, as well as trying to enjoy the lovely weather whilst we still have it. Busy old week on the blog though – recap below:
#Review – Black Summer – M.W. Craven #Review – The One That Got Away – J.D. Kirk #Happy Blogiversary #Review – The Last Dance – Mark Billingham #Review – Deadly Fate – Angela Marsons #Review – Next of Kin – Kia Abdullah #Review – Killing Moon – Jo Nesbo
The week ahead is packed with reviews once again. Three tours this week – Mandie reviews The Spider by Lars Kepler on Wednesday, and Her Last Promise by Catherine Hokin (30 May) on Friday, and I’m sharing my thoughts on We Can Be Heroes by Paul Burston (01 June) on Thursday. Happy days.
L-R: The Spider; Her Last Promise; We Can Be Heroes
And that’s my lot. Got big plans for this Bank Holiday Monday of ours (well – plans, not really all that big) so hope you all have a good one and are able to enjoy some sun.
Have a fabulously bookish week.
Jen x
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