Nicki's book blog

  I Spy With My Little Die by Helen Golden- cozy crime The PAIRS team are back and this time one of their friends who was injured when shadowing thinks her colleague who was shot and later died was the real target rather than the person they were protecting. Lady Beatrice is still wondering about Fitz as lately he seems to have changed from the rather fierce, no nonsense person she once shuddered at. She is still trying to find out more about her husband's death fifteen years ago as new information has come to light that could put things in a totally different perspective. This is one of a series (number 5)  and needs to be read in order for the backstories to make sense. All are 5* reads from me- books with far more than a plot- read on. Helen has a talent for taking a clever plot and making it lighthearted with wonderful characters you might even want as friends. There’s never a dull moment and I'm smiling writing this as there’s lots of fun between the pages to engage the re

  Wild Hope by Donna Ashworth - Poetry (lifestyle) Hope-that thing we sometimes lose sight of often in the darkest times just when we could do with it and it slips from our grasp. Early on Donna explains about this and to perhaps “ keep it next to our car keys” so we know where it is and like the keys we won’t get far without it. I'm now thinking this when I reach for said keys- perhaps a good mindset and habit. I had a hen called Hope who died not so long ago. She was a rescue and came with issues which meant she was not expected to live very long. She ended up thriving almost twice as long as her healthy counterparts (who themselves lived a good long life) and she was so calm and determined and just got on with things, a force to be reckoned with. I mention this as it taught me that there is always Hope and I always remember her when I hear the word. She was and is such an inspiration- exactly what this book is for those that don’t have an animal reminder. It's explanatory, i

  Murder in the Blitz by F. L. Everett-historical/cozy crime mystery  1940 and the war is in full swing. In Manchester Edie is working at a newspaper typing and doing a variety of jobs in an era where " you can't possibly be a reporter, you are female". When some are called to fight and others plead reserved occupation,  Edie is called into the office.  She is terrified that she will lose her job but gets a welcome surprise when she is given the job of obituarist, to write about someone's life who is recently deceased. Her editor had chosen that someone but in trying to find out more about them Edie inadvertently steps into a possible murder enquiry.  I loved this from the outset. There’s an entertaining light hearted element to this and the skill of writing a character that I quickly took to. I rapidly felt in the heart of wartime Manchester in a good way and the mystery that Edie found herself drawn to solving. There is an excellent balance between respect for the e

  Have a Little Faith by Kate Bottley  This is a book about ”life lessons on love, death and how Lasagne always helps”. Its also about Kate- or rather it's not, not really. It's about all of us and how we get through life, seen in perhaps a different way in that “faith plays a part in normal life” and by faith not always being what one first might think. Being first a teacher and then a Reverend has given Kate a perspective on life some of us rarely see. Like hairdressers and other therapists, Reverends are sometimes those people we turn to when things are difficult and Kate loves a good chat- she bills herself as a ”curator of faith conversations”. That said, she also mentions that often on train journeys many avoid her as they expect her to talk about nothing but religion- do we all want to talk about work all the time?  It's partly about success and how we measure it, or not and perhaps to be more kind to ourselves in doing so. One person's success isn't always a

  Weirdo by Sara Pascoe- general fiction   Written in the first person this tells the story of Sophie who is working in a bar and as a guide on the London tour buses. She has been to Australia, ostensibly to see her father until she realised he was 5 hours flight away from where she was, not realising how big the place is. She is in debt big time on her credit cards and her life is rather a mess from where she is standing right now. Of love and life and the ups and downs therein. I felt for Sophie almost from the word go as there is a vulnerability about her and a naivety as she struggles through life. It’s a journey through her days and how she sees the world which maybe makes us think about our own position in it. It’s weird, it's wonderful, it’s good and sad and happy and mad. It's perhaps an acquired taste for the writing style as at times it's rather disjointed until you realise this is how Sophie’s mind works. A jazz style if you will with bursts of sax and piano an

  Code Blue by Anita Waller- crime I was in the mood for something familiar and a read with a smile but one that would keep me engrossed and this fitted the bill perfectly from the word go. The Connections agency is once again busy, this time with an old case that Tessa dealt with in her time with the police. A woman, Caroline, was attacked in her home for the sake of some cash and lost the twins she was shortly to give birth to. The attackers were quickly found and apprehended however the man behind it who came to the house the day before to buy her car was never caught and Caroline is still traumatised knowing he is possibly doing the same to others. Meanwhile Fred is tasked with finding a man’s mother- a woman he thought was dead when he was a child and it now transpires that she has recently left him a fortune. Can Fred find out what really happened and can the others find a man that the police have given up on? This is not just a crime book, there are wonderful backstories to add

  The Evil Within by Alistair Birch- psychological thriller Back in 1966 a young woman was attacked and left for dead. In the 1980’s at school, three friends are vying for their place in the hierarchy. One is lured by his teacher, letting him do what he wants in class and getting better grades than he should, which it turns out is for a price. One is more than happy that his new employer, the newsagent has advanced him money for his bike which will help with his rounds. With debts, the price has to be paid and sometimes more. There is evil within but who is behind it and how does it link to the past? Oooh! A book that drew me in and kept me there with a clever well executed plot. This has been well thought out and the characters carefully bespoken and as time goes on they grow up and perspectives perhaps change. There are reminisces of the era in clothes and songs which if you remember the eighties bring this even more alive. It has twists and turns, deception and a whole range of emot

  The Trail by M.A. Hunter-psychological thriller  Thirty years ago Jess’s mother disappeared whilst walking with friends on the Appalachian trail in the USA. She has always wondered what happened as no body was ever found and it appeared that there was little to go on. Whilst in an interview for a new job she receives an alert that remains have been found near where her mother was last seen and decides that this is a sign that she should finally do something to put things to rest. When she gets there, no-one is very helpful and it appears that things have been covered up to the extent that Jess herself may now be in danger. Can she find out the truth and stay safe? A book that drew me in and kept me there. Alternate chapters are from Jess and then her mother at the time of the walk to give both perspectives, each one is cleverly left on a hook which made me turn evermore so that I read this in two sittings- clever and well crafted. It's a mystery with lots of interesting parts abo

  Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells A book once begun I wanted to read in one sitting. Jude has run the farm on the Malvern hills alone ever since her husband Adam sadly died a few years ago. She has help in the form of Noah and occasionally others when it's busy such as at lambing time. She and her friends attend the wedding of a friend who has been very successful due to an online quiz he developed and sold, one that Jude’s friend Sarah had a hand in but little reward. When Jude finds Sarah’s body in what looks like a suicide, she isn't convinced that's what it is. Who would kill Sarah and why? I quickly took to Jude and her surroundings. She’s someone who has the qualities you perhaps look for in a friend- loyal, tenacious and caring. The plot is clever and has a few twists and turns also involving the puzzle which I liked as it's something that is a little bit different. This is the first in the Malvern Farm series and my first taste of this author- please sign me u