Nicki's book blog

Betrayal- Adam Croft + Steven Moore- Crime  Sam’s son Benjii is heavily involved with Ecohope- an international agreement to be kinder to the planet. Sam however is there undercover for the firm as there is allegedly some dodgy goings on to do with the purchase of land in places such as Mali and he is investigating their scheme. We already know that young boys are being promised jobs abroad in return for their parents giving up land. Many of the boys never see light of day again. Ecohope is a huge political move for many countries and one wrong move either way could upset not only the premise but lives in the process. Sam wants to do the right thing whilst not endangering his son. When the stakes get even higher are both Sam and Benji safe?  This is the second in the Sam Barker series and whilst there is some background from the first (to do with who Sam works for etc) this would probably stand alone- but then again why miss out on another good read? A

Killing Pretties by Rob Ashman- Crime/thriller Damien is a successful criminal barrister.He owns three houses and wants for nothing in life. One of his loves is pottery where he uses unusual glazes that often win awards and comments for their uniqueness. Damiens other love is the “pretties”- people who lead a vacuous life, also wanting for nothing but also doing very little other than the “look at me” rounds of launches and social media. His wife Elsa arranges for the pretties to come to Damien by seducing them. DS Malice has a new partner in Kelly Pieterson and he is investigating a murder alongside  a missing woman. Malice has his own issues with his ex wife and also has a side line to top up his police salary. I really enjoyed this. Rob has the talent for quickly getting you into the plot and wonderful characters that have that something more about them. I liked Malice and Pieterson came over as a woman not to be trifled with. Damien

https://www.joffebooks.com/the-huge-giveaway t’s no joke/We’re not fooling: on Wednesday 1 April , we are giving away one book by each of our brilliant authors, exclusively on Kindle. That’s 46 books in all, pretty much a whole year’s worth of reading! Maybe you’re at home hankering for something new to read. Maybe you want to dive into a series you’ve never read before. Maybe you just want a distraction. Well, for one day only, you can pick up hours and hours of wonderful reading. Please tell your friends/Share this with fellow book lovers, then get ready to give your library a boost! The details. We are giving away one Kindle book by each of our brilliant Joffe Books authors. It’s usually the first book in the series. This is one day only from 8 am (UK time) on 1 April to 11.59 pm on 1 April. There may be a couple authors whose book (per Amazon guidelines) we can't make free because they've recently been published.  The book are free where we

The Telephone Call- Michael Pakenham This is the second in the Daniel Appleman books but happily stands alone  (I hadn't read the first one). An overheard telephone call changes lives. Twelve years on and the ripples are being  felt and someone wants answers to a mystery they fear may never be solved. Daniel gets  involved if only to make a change from the divorce case he has done as a private  investigator and he likes the intrigue of this. I liked Daniel and not only his tenacity but  having a well rounded character, something that is sometimes missing from books like  this- to me the sign of a good writer when you feel the character could almost be a  neighbour. An excellent plot, albeit complex but well defined and easy enough to follow,  a little humour and even a little romance. An author I had not come across before and  one I will have no hesitation in looking for again. A very interesting, entertaining read. For more reviews please see my bl

Mr Nice- John Nicholl-  Crime “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. The greater the evil, the deadlier the game…” Maddy is a successful solicitor. She has split from her husband Dale after his drinking got worse and led to threats and violence. Maddy lives with Lottie, her young daughter. When Dale arrives late one night and causes a disturbance the neighbours yet again call the police. He yet again wants to see Lottie and “I'll go once I’ve given her a hug”. It’s the early hours of the morning.  Maddie awakes the next morning to find an empty bed and Lottie missing. Only her husband could have taken her- couldn't he? I found Martin unsettling (I'm not giving anything away by saying he’s the perpetrator) and was very well written. We get alternating chapters from his perspective as well as from Maddy and DI Kesey. It was nice for DI Gravel to be mentioned a couple of times (I liked him in John’s other books ) and Kesey is fast growi

Death in Vermilion Barbara Elle- Cozy crime        Leila works at the Red Barn studio as an artist. It is a co-operative of six artists and one photographer who is the only male. One evening working a little later she hears a thud above her, something she is used to as above is Iris who constantly makes a noise much to the distraction of everyone else. When Leila goes to leave and all has gone quiet, too quiet, she takes herself up the stairs to Iris’ studio and finds her dead on the floor.  Despite Iris not being popular they all got along so who would want her dead and why? What is the significance of Fred on the floor and the word on the wall inb paint- or is it blood? This is a cozy crime/whodunit small town mystery. I liked Leila’s character and this was an easy relaxing read. Nothing startling and nothing to put you off your dinner. A clever plot and one possibly only known to an artist or much research. I learnt something from this about pigments

Breeda Looney Steps forth- Oliver Sands- Womens humerous fiction Breeda gave up a good job and pretty much her life to be home and look after her mother, not that she would have it any other way. To keep her occupied she has been doing a few hours at the local wine store- and also making good use of the discount offered.  Her mother sadly passed away a few weeks ago and Breeda is now thinking she should get back on the horse so to speak. Breeda lost her father when she was twelve years old so when something turns up that disputes this Breeda is curious and sets out to find out who and why and a lot more besides. Her Aunt Nora believes she is a “waste of skin” and dispels her notion. Breeda however has other plans! I liked Breeda, she had determination and a sense of fun despite all that was going on. I had to smile a “Cheeses Christ” as the cheese shop- a nod to the religions of Ireland.  A wonderful uplifting fun read- a good plot, larger than life

Constable on the Hill- Nicholas Rhea- nostalgia/autobiography/mysteries This is one of the books that the TV series “Heartbeat” was based on (first published in the 1980’s).  If you enjoyed the series and also things like “All creatures Great and Small” and “Call the Midwife”  then you may enjoy this. It's a constable’s view of Yorkshire in the 1960’s warts and all. Even for those of us who don’t remember that time, it's an interesting read of a different pace of life compared to today. From stray donkeys that end up in the police kennels (albeit a very large one!) , monks being interdenominational and breeding doves, to batty old ladies imagining invisible insects and intruders. This is written as seen by PC Rhea himself. This is a wonderful easy read with a smile on most pages. How simple things were then and how differently life was lived, things we couldn't imagine today. I'm too young to remember those days but still really enjoy