The Mayfly by James Hazel

The Mayfly by James Hazel

Published on 15 June 2017

I did quite enjoy this book and found that it was well researched (in an area I didn’t really know much about if I’m being honest). This is the synopsis…

“It’s happening again.

A mutilated body discovered in the woods.
A murderous plan conceived in the past.
A reckoning seventy years in the making . . .

Charlie Priest, ex-detective inspector turned London lawyer, is hired by influential entrepreneur Kenneth Ellinder to investigate the murder of his son. But Priest is no ordinary lawyer. Brilliant, yet flawed, this case will push him, and those closest to him, to the edge.

Priest traces the evidence back to the desperate last days of the Second World War. Buried in the ashes of the Holocaust is a secret so deadly its poison threatens to destroy the very heart of the establishment.
With more victims going missing, Priest realises that not everyone should be trusted. As he races to uncover the truth, can he prevent history from repeating itself..”

Although grim in places I think it added to the storyline! I liked Charlie Priest, what a character! Ex policeman turned lawyer, with a serial killer for a brother – what could go wrong here!? Lovely shy and geeky Georgie….

The story moved at a fantastic pace and switched from the present day to the 1940’s and the aftermath of the capture of a particular scary Nazi Doctor, I won’t say anymore!

Brilliant ending with a couple of red herrings thrown in to make your head spin. Great debut, and I’m hoping this will be part of a series. So many characters to explore – particularly William Priest, the incarcerated serial killer brother. …Now that is a book I would love to read!

Thank you Readers First for my review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

Yesterday by Felicia Yap

Yesterday by Felicia Yap

Published on 10 August 2017

I really enjoyed this book – completely different with a superb and interesting storyline.

“How do you solve a murder when you can only remember yesterday?

There are two types of people in the world. Those who can only remember yesterday, and those who can also recall the day before.

You have just one lifeline to the past: your diary. Each night, you write down the things that matter. Each morning, your diary tells you where you were, who you loved and what you did.

Today, the police are at your door. They say that the body of your husband’s mistress has been found in the River Cam. They think your husband killed her two days ago.

Can you trust the police? Can you trust your husband? Can you trust yourself?”

Not a concept that I have ever read about and I think it was just so clever. It got me thinking about what it would be like to only remember a couple of days and only then based on what I written about it (I-diary is a must in this book!).

Would people want to remember bad things that had happened and prefer to be happy in the knowledge they needn’t have to remember it if they chose not to? The social classes are interesting too – this is obviously apparent in the world today. The Mono’s looked down on as the ‘inferior’ of the two with Duo’s living the more privileged lives.

Very interesting take on this and I can understand why this is touted as one of the books to look out for in 2017.

Thank you to Millie Seaward at Headline for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Body in the Ice by A J Mackenzie

The Body in the Ice by A J MacKenzie

Published by Bonnier Zaffre

I was sent The Body in the Ice to review and the storyline enticed me into reading this straight away!

I hadn’t read the first book in the series (but I have since bought it!) but this didn’t seem to matter too much but it might be wise to start with this as characters from that book are mentioned and it will probably make it easier.

The story begins when a body is found frozen in water and the main challenge for the characters is trying to identify who this is. What were they doing? Why were they targeted? This was obviously a lot more challenging to find out in the 1700’s than today with the vast array of equipment readily available! It was really interesting reading about how crimes were solved in this day. Actual letters were sent! On horseback! It make you realise how completely spoilt we are in this modern age of cars, mobile phones, CSI and fingerprint analysis!

I loved the easy relationship and friendship that Reverend Hardcastle and Mrs Chaytor had (she’s a sort of Miss Marple character set in the 1700’s without the dotty appearance) and I adored reading about them. This is what made the story easy to read for me and I look forward to reading about their other adventures!

A nice, easy and enjoyable whodunit with characters that come to life on the pages.

Thank you for the review copy Readers First and Bonnier Zaffre in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

 

 

Pendulum by Adam Hamdy

This is such a good book! 

I will admit, I have had this book on my to be read pile since Christmas and it was only after a friend started it and said how much she was enjoying it that I thought I would start too (despite having a very large to be read/review pile!). This was also chosen as a Radio 2 Book Club book of the week so it must be good!

The book is very fast paced and once you get reading, it’s quite hard to stop.

We are introduced to John Wallace as he wakes up in his flat with a noose around his neck. He has no idea why and is obviously terror stricken about what is shortly about to be the end of his life. Fate intervenes however and he manages to escape. This is the start of the journey as he tries to make sense of what has just happened and also trying (but failing) to convince the police and the hospital that he hadn’t done this to himself.

Throughout the story the rug is pulled from under you. Just when you think something is going to happen to actually help John Wallace, no. Rug well and truly pulled. Particularly one part which I won’t mention….. well actually two parts.

The action then moves to America where it is ramped up some more and we discover that there are other victims like John. I quite liked the new characters that were introduced and you could see the change in John as he slowly becomes a little Bourne-esque which I really liked! You begin to learn a little bit more about the actions of the ‘Pendulum’ and why these things have happened.

This book is very addictive reading, especially for me as I love stories that leave you wanting to just read it all in one sitting (I managed over a couple of days). I think the ending was good and sets up from what I have read, another book in this series.

All in all a great book, great story and great characters – I will definitely be reading the next in this series.

The Secrets of Ivy Garden by Catherine Ferguson

I like it when you start to read the first chapter of a new book, just to get a feel of it and right away you feel right at home.  This is probably the best description I can think of for this book.

It is set in the Cotswolds, which isn’t a place I have ever been before but somewhere I really want to visit. After finishing this book however, I felt like I had been there!  The descriptions made me feel like I was standing in the middle of Ivy’s garden with the sun beating down on my neck and the faint sounds of buzzing bees.

We start the book with Ivy and her granddaughter Holly who are saying goodbye to each other following a visit and Holly is going back home to Manchester. There is something that Ivy is wanting to tell Holly but time gets in the way and they part vowing to discuss at a later date….

The story then moves forward a couple of months and we discover that sadly Ivy has passed away and Holly is once again visiting the Cotswolds but this time on a much sadder occasion.

Although Ivy isn’t actually in the book for that long, I felt that she is kept alive by Holly and the diary that Holly discovers in her grandmothers cottage. Although Holly is determined to return back to Manchester, the lovely Cotswold village works its magic on her slowly whilst she is working on the garden that Ivy had lovingly restored over the years.  Along the way you are introduced to some lovely characters (and some not so nice characters!), Layla a gruff sounding teenager who slowly comes out of shell and becomes close to Holly, her much older brother Jack who seems to get under Holly’s skin….

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and enjoyed the relationships and interactions that Holly had, Sylvain being an amusing character!

I’ve not read anything else by this author but I will definitely look out for further books and would recommend this lovely easy going read to anyone that would like to find themselves whisked away to the Cotswolds for a few days….

I was luckily enough to review a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Hope to Die by David Jackson

Hope to Die – David Jackson

Published by Bonnier Zaffre on 6 April 2017.

I was sent this book by Readers First as I am known for liking a crime book or a 100.

This is the synopsis:-

On a bitterly cold winter’s night, Liverpool is left stunned by a brutal murder in the grounds of the city’s Anglican Cathedral. A killer is on the loose, driven by a chilling rage. Put on the case, DS Nathan Cody is quickly stumped. Wherever he digs, the victim seems to be almost angelic – no-one has a bad word to say, let alone a motive for such a violent murder. And Cody has other things on his mind too. The ghosts of his past are coming ever closer, and – still bearing the physical and mental scars – it’s all he can do to hold onto his sanity. And then the killer strikes again. .

I hadn’t read anything by David Jackson before and I am always eager to find new writers and broaden my horizons so I was looking forward to starting this. Hope to Die is actually the second in the Nathan Cody series but don’t let this put you off if you haven’t read the first book – I hadn’t and found that the author does a great job of letting you know information without giving away too much.

The first chapter really draws you into the case straight away, always the best way to start a book and you are introduced to DS Nathan Cody. I liked him straight away and you are immediately drawn into the investigation and also learn that Cody is also battling his own demons from a previous case that went tragically wrong.

We follow him has he desperately tries to hold everything together whilst also trying to solve the case that appears to have no motive. When there is no apparent motive, how do you solve the crime?

I liked the interactions with the other characters, Grace is a favourite of mine. Shy, lonely and a computer geek. She is instrumental in helping with the case and I found this really interesting and hope that her character is explored further in the future books!

Once the investigation really takes hold, I raced through this book and enjoyed the satisfying conclusion.

The last chapter though – wow! It really sets up the next book in the series and I think it is going to be a cracker…

Thank you again to Readers First for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik

What a funny book!

One of my friends has also just read this book and like myself hadn’t read the prequel but don’t let this worry you, it can be read as a standalone book. This is the synopsis:-

“Sofia Khan is just married. But no-one told her life was going to be this way . . .

Her living situation is in dire straits, her husband Conall is distant, and his annoyingly attractive colleague is ringing all sorts of alarm bells.

When her mother forces them into a belated wedding ceremony (elopement: you can run, but you can’t hide), Sofia wonders if it might be a chance to bring them together. But when it forces Conall to confess his darkest secret, it might just tear them apart.

A book to make you smile, laugh and cry, this is the story of a mixed-race marriage and a mixed-up family, for anyone who’s ever struggled to balance their pride with their principles, or stuck around to try to mend a broken heart”

I must confess to not having read anything about the culture but enjoyed hearing about the differences and how tightknit this family was, despite their differences.

The story starts in Karachi with Sofia and her newly converted and new husband Conall. Who is Irish. Plus they eloped. This obviously hasn’t gone down well with her family especially when her she arrives back in London! I don’t want to spoil this book so won’t say too much – just get a copy!

Sofia’s sense of humour is what made the book for me. She’s funny and also quite deadpan which is my favourite type of humour. Her mother is also funny – her mix up of RSVP and RSPCA being a highlight!

A recommended read from me. I will keep an eye out for other books by this author!

As ever, a mssive thanks go to the lovely Readers First and Bonnier Zaffre for this copy in exchange for an unbiased review.