Nicki's book blog

  The Killers Family-Miranda Smith- psychological thriller Three sisters have just lost their father. A short few months ago their mother died of cancer so it is left to the women to go through both parents' belongings. On the night of the funeral, unable to sleep, they wander into their fathers shed. What they accidentally find leaves them bewildered. Could their father have been a killer? If so, who is now behind the recent spate of killings that appear to surround them? Someone knows more than they are letting on and why is this happening?  Oh my life! Within a few pages I was racing through this- to me a sign of skillful writing and an excellent plot. I couldn't see who or why and felt the bewilderment of the sisters and the tension between the pages. A man they loved and thought they could trust died suddenly and then the reveal of who he could possibly be. A well thought out, cleverly crafted plot with likeable characters (or not!) and a real page turner. Twists, turns, c

  The Perfect Witness- Susanna Beard- psychological drama/Crime Daniel has a gift- not that he sees it like that. For anything personal he can remember the exact day, date and time of whatever it was. Something in his past just won’t go away in his head and when his adult world falls apart he decides he has to try and find out more about what happened that day nineteen years ago and sets off walking the canals to find the “Golden Serpent”- a narrowboat and tattoo man as he thought of him at the time. Hopefully this will clear his head, take him away from people who he struggles with and from technology where he used to bury his head. Poppy loves her grandmother but is sadly losing her to Alzheimers. She works at an animal sanctuary and when her grandmother dies she decides to do a memory walk as she has seen others do for the charity.  I really enjoyed this, for me more of a crime drama than a  psychological thriller. I took to both Daniel and Poppy, the characters coming across well.

  The Note - Carly Schabowski - Historical fiction post and during WW2    This is a very different read and not quite what I was expecting- read on. In 1950’s America a young girl, Alice, is set up by a friend to throw stones at someone's window- a man they suspect of killing a friend of theirs.  His stone hits and breaks it whilst she hasn’t thrown hers. She feels bad about it and writes a note confessing and offering to pay for the window. So begins an unlikely friendship. Jozef has been through a lot in his life and is still very wary of others. He is jewish and fled Germany to France in the war. Slowly the friendship develops and Alice encourages him to tell his stories of what happened in that dreadful era to him, his wife and friends. An unlikely friendship and one where an outcast is befriended by a young person free of the scepticisms of adulthood. I found this mesmerising and treasuring each page, it is so beautifully written. A compelling story and an innocent listener.  

  The Ash Lake Murders- Helen H Durrant- Crime                 Alice has a long term nemesis in the “ Mad Hatter”. They share a secret, we know not what. Alice is due to retire soon from the police force and receives a message that she will be the Hatters last victim. A man has been found killed and a younger man missing in a country retreat- Still Waters- a luxury place with lodges for fishing and golf etc. DCI Alice is called in when it appears that the Hatter is back revealed through one of her trademark tweets. She is sending subtle messages to those around Alice giving her that uneasy feeling. Can she be caught before anyone else if murdered and is Alice herself safe? I loved this and quickly found myself turning ever faster, immersed in the pages. Helen always gives a good solid plot and characters you can take to and empathise within a fast paced read. As one door is closed on a clue, another is opened, keeping the reader enthralled all the way through. Having several possible s

  The Girl in the Shadows (Margarete's Journey Book 3) by Marion Kummerow -Historical Fiction (WW2) We are in Germany in the second world war and Margarete has been living as Annagret for a while now.  A new SS officer, Unterscharführer Thomas Kallfass starts taking a keen interest in Annagret seeing her as his perfect wife to enhance his status with her position and wealth. Margarete is doing all she can to ease the plight of those working in her armaments factory but Thomas is wanting to eradicate all the jews, little realising the woman of his dreams is also of that faith.  This is a wonderful series in which each could possibly stand alone (perhaps just missing the odd details as some things are briefly explained/commented on so that each book makes sense).. There is a depth of character and lots of plot twists to keep the interest as well as the hard facts and realisation of things that went on during this era. A book to inspire and perhaps one to ponder on. An exciting read a

  The Interview- Gill Perdue-crime thriller Detectives Laura and Niamh are interviewing fourteen year old Jenny. Her mother and brother are both hospitalised and her step father is missing. Jenny isn't saying much, in fact hardly speaking so the two detectives are doing what they do best with vulnerable victims and trying to coax her to tell her story. Laura has her own demons and occasional words trigger her. This is at times a tense, rather dark tale where sometimes you wonder who is the victim and who is the cleverest with answers or questions. Jenny is vulnerable but knows how to play the game- whatever game is set before her. Laura is the specialist victim interviewer (along with Niamh) but as the interview goes on roles become grey areas. This is brilliantly written and well researched. It's one where your brain has to be in gear- which I enjoy- and try to decide certain things as I went along. There are flashback mentions of both domestic violence and rape (# trigger war

  Darker Days To Come-Tony J Forder- Crime  Bliss, pure bliss. Forgive me but I have a rather soft spot for DI Bliss and Tony never fails to deliver- this is another brilliant read. This time Bliss, Penny  and the team have rather a quandary on their hands. A man has apparently committed suicide but was seen moments beforehand in tears apparently pleading on his phone. His house has been turned over, his car discovered in a lake and his wife and child are missing. What on earth is going on? Bliss also has a vehicle handed over by some known dodgy characters, one of whom is a CHIS that “stinks of bleach and has blood on the front seat” hence their handing it over. The two operations don’t as yet really fall to the MCU however Bliss and team think there is far more going on from the little they have. Bliss has that certain “ je ne sais quoi” about him. He says what he thinks although he has reigned it in slightly and now learns to engage his brain before the size 10’ s so to speak- howev

  Birthright- Patricia Dixon- Contemporary/historical fiction (dual timeline)      Such a beautifully written book-so much so that I wanted to step into the pages. Fabien is the heir to the Bombelle chateau and antiques-generations long ago decided that it should pass down the female line. She lost her brother and mother several years ago and her father has now remarried to someone Fabien sees as money grabbing- Veronique. The house needs much work doing on it as it has for many years- her father not seeming to care about it. Her plan of selling the Paris apartment where her father and step mother live to finance the changes to the house that would make it self funding are quickly rejected. Back in 1931 Ophelia receives a gift from an admirer- a painting she admired whilst with him, little knowing he would send it to her as a token of his affection for her. In present day Mac is back at his grandfather's house to sort and sell it- it having been left to him. It holds too many memor

  Poison at the Village Show by Catherine Coles- Cosy crime Martha’s husband left for work a year ago and has never returned. We are in post war England (1947) and Martha has had to take her sister for a lodger to keep a roof over her head and is growing fruit and veg in order to feed them as she has no means of support. She has extended the vegetable patch and there are rumours from one source that she killed her husband and his remains are to be found under the potatoes. It's the village show and Martha is on the committee, so has not entered any of the competitions. Many of the village's gardens have been ransacked, adding further fuel that Martha is up to something. When someone dies at the village show after drinking some of Martha's gin she is instantly the chief suspect in some eyes both for the murder and for her husbands disappearence.  This was a wonderful easy read with a smile. A mystery and larger than life characters quickly bring the story to life. Martha is

I Will Find You by Amanda Rigby -psychological thriller *trigger warning sexual abuse (not graphic), suicide attempt Jessica has what appears on the outside to be the perfect life working hard as a corporate lawyer. A loving husband and two children complete her picture. Her sister Ashleigh is more of a free spirit and since their father died she has often taken to drink and drug s. She was in the car with him when there was a crash and only Ashleigh survived. When she goes missing it is often as a result of this- only this time no-one can find her. Ashleigh has been keeping a secret for twenty odd years, something she only told a close friend. Someone has been leaving eerie messages for her. Could this be a link as to why she is missing? I quickly got into this. There is a good mix of mystery and tension with lots of secrets thrown in for good measure. Jessica lived a secret life which is only really hinted at for most of the book. It is very well written and I found myself wanting to