Nicki's book blog

  The Seven O'clock Club by Amelia Ireland - General Fiction  Four clients, four very different stories. Genevieve is a psychologist and is trying out a new therapy by having four carefully chosen people together in sessions who will hopefully help one another. Freya, Callum, Victoria and Mischa all have gone through bereavement in differing ways. Callum is a famous singer and appears to have a wonderful life, but he’s finding it empty and lonely. Mischa lost her mother to Alzheimer's, and blames herself for what happened. Victoria also lost her mother but as they were estranged she didn't feel anything until she read a letter her mother had left her. Freya had an idyllic childhood but being an adult isn't so great in her world.  This starts with each one trying to recall a happy childhood memory- something not everyone can do so easily and reminds us that everyone is different and we don’t always know what they are going through and the challenges some of us face. It...

  Death of a Wild Swimmer by Peter Boland -crime A man is found dead on the beach and the police think it's an accidental death- a swimmer who got into trouble and hit his head. The woman who leads the wild swimming club he was part of isn't convinced and asks the ladies of the charity shop detective agency to do some investigating. They don’t have to be asked twice! One of them decides to do some wild swimming herself, both to find out more and to see if it will help get rid of “it”, something she calls her depression.  This is the fifth book in this series and I’ve loved them all- they do happily stand alone. The prologue is clever, I won’t spoil it, it made me smile as do the ladies from the Dogs need nice homes charity shop. They are all figures the reader can easily imagine or maybe even know or have met at some time. They have hearts of gold and will do their very best to help. A wonderfully entertaining read that had me engrossed. Loved it. For more reviews please foll...

  I Kill Always Love You by Helen Golden-cozy mystery   Lady Bea, Richard, Perry, Daisy and others are taking a well earned break at a villa in Portugal. There are three villas on the complex which has good security however Bea having been hounded by the press all her life is cautious about who the neighbours are, as she doesn't want her location given away. It turns out they are high profile Hollywood-ites and only a daughter, an influencer, is likely to give anything away. They overhear an argument and when invited to a pool party they hear even more animosity towards the Hollywood director, who later is found dead in the pool. Bea wants to investigate as they have done in other such matters in the past, with Richards help (who was with PaiRs the royal protection service), but a DI is being sent over from the UK, and the team are dreading it will be the man they all can't abide. They have key information which the police don’t appear to be aware of which could save the maid...

  The Preacher by Stewart Giles - Crime A girl commits suicide in front of her friends at a college disco. One of the friends was DS Jason Smith’s daughter Lucy who is understandably traumatised. Her boyfriend heard the girl say something about a preacher. Smith thinks there is something more to this, but his boss thinks it is just a suicide. When there is another one, also with a smashed phone nearby, Smith knows his hunch is right, especially when there are links between them that can't be coincidence. Then another. Who is controlling these people and how/why? I adore it when I get one of Stewarts books as I know I'll get into the heart of things quickly with characters I love. Jason is one of those loveable rogues, who would do anything for you as long as you are on the right side of him- if not then look out! It's partly a dark story (but nothing to give nightmares)  and how messages can influence people to do horrible things, but with Jason’s care and (tasteful)wit thi...

  The Runaway Wives by Karen King- women’s fiction Dee is married to husband Nigel, a solicitor and thinks having seen an email, he is about to whisk her off for a surprise weekend away to celebrate her sixtieth birthday the following day. Her close friend Babs is thrilled for her, but not so thrilled when she arrives home to find her husband Geoff has put the house on the market as he wants to move to Spain- something she has already said she doesn't want to do. When Dee’s weekend turns out not to be for her but for her husband and his golfing friends, the two ladies decide to take themselves off to Cornwall for a few days to sort out their heads from their errant husbands who both appear to be having mid life crises. Can the ladies keep their marriages whilst keeping their sanity and what they want rather than just that of their husbands? I quickly got into this and really enjoyed it. Both Babs and Dee are relatable characters with a sense of purpose as well as a sense of fun. A ...

  The Night Shift by Gemma Rogers- Psychological Thriller Nina is working nights at a storage facility to fund her way through university. She mans the desk and checks customers in and out. One night a man is acting rather suspiciously and puts Nina on edge. When her phone goes missing things take a turn for the worse, not helped by the fact that the phone alerts Nina to her blood sugar levels as she is type 1 diabetic and has to be carefully controlled. As things progress can Nina get out and escape from danger? From the outset this is one of those edge of your seat reads where I kept turning to find out more. It's a locked room-time limited scenario which makes the tension bristle between the pages. Gemma is a skilled author who has the talent for putting the reader right there with Nina and experiencing the uncertainty. A thrilling roller coaster of a read. Hold on to your seat and enjoy!  For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog ----------...

  Death at Horsey Mere by Ross Greenwood- crime thriller DI Ashley Knight has a conundrum. There are four people missing, which is nothing out of the ordinary, however as there has been a trafficking gang operating things could be escalating. When a body is found near a lighthouse of a young woman, it looks like the gang however things don't add up one way or another. When the NCA steps in, the team knows that this is part of something a whole lot bigger than they could have imagined. This is part of a series but happily stands alone ( other than a few minor threads), that said why miss out on other fantastic reads? (all 5* from me) I really enjoy this series. It’s one that is easy to get into and a comfortable read despite the subject matter (nothing gory). The characters are wonderful and realistic and Ross has that skill of enveloping the reader within the pages easily and agreeably. I really like Ashley and her style- one of seeing justice done with a big heart  or tough ...