Nicki's book blog

  A Backstage Betrayal by Michael Ball -general fiction/historical It’s 1926 and running a theatre isn't the glamorous life some think. Purse strings are tight and when the producer of the forthcoming pantomime has gone missing due to tax evasion, they need to find someone to step into the breach. Meanwhile Lillian the proprietor has a new beau with rather a background, and Sally Blow has found herself redundant so needs to find employment pronto in order to keep a roof over her son’s head, more than the singing at the pub she already does.  This is Michaels second book (can be read alone) based in theatre land which he knows so well. It's one that I quickly got into and could almost hear Michael reading it as it has his style right through it if that makes sense? There are numerous threads including Harry the Rat(!) which makes for a very interesting read and the descriptions are enough to put the reader at the heart of things without too much to distract from what is going on

  The Missing Heirloom by Rachel Ward- Cozy crime Bea and Ant work at Costsave, the local supermarket. They have a reputation for investigating crimes so when Ant finds the body of his friend at the allotments, in a shed, Ant wants to do what they’ve always done and find out more. Bea is still shaken by the last body they found and wants nothing to do with it. When there is a second body, they all wonder if the two are connected in some way. Who would want them dead and why? This is book five in the series but can happily stand alone- I haven’t (yet) read the others, but enjoyed this so much I’m putting the others on my TBR pile. I quickly got to know the characters and having them at a supermarket puts them in a great position to hear what's going on in the town and talk to people, a great unusual concept.  I liked Bea and Ant as they have their hearts in the right place and are everyday people doing their best for the community. A wonderfully relaxing read I most thoroughly enjoy

  MADNESS ON THE ISLAND by Stewart Giles- Crime There’s a spate of murders on Guernsey and Liam O’Reilly is tasked with finding out why. The victims have all been killed by either their nearest and dearest or a close friend and the perpetrators all admit to it but have no memory of doing so, the event and time around it being a complete blank. What on earth is going on and why? I adore Stewarts books, my only complaint is that I get through them too quickly as they are so engrossing. I love Liam and his mannerisms, especially the way he deals with things. There’s a heart of gold, sometimes hidden but it shows through at the right moments so there's often a smile within the pages. A cracking plot as ever, and one with twists to keep the reader engaged right the way through. I'm in awe of Stewarts imagination - he’d either make a cracking good detective or criminal depending how you look at it!! A stunningly clever, captivating read. Can’t wait for the next one. For more reviews

  Sanctuary by Patricia Dixon- contemporary fiction  A book about a self proclaimed matriarch who rules her family with a rod of steel.  A family who just want to do their best for all those around them and build their own lives but the shadow of Bertha won’t let them. The siblings who have not known love from their mother all their lives and miss their father who treated them well, and the daughter in law who has her own terrors from an incident a few years ago. This is a hard read in parts and although fiction does bring home the injustices some have to bear in their own real lives. Patricia has more than thoroughly researched this and topics are handled sensitively , and with care, something some don’t have the luxury of sadly. Cathy’s speech half way through took my breath away. Patricia has a rare talent, of seeing things with a very astute and caring mind. As Cathy says, having been through a trauma and then withdrawing herself from the world, sometimes the past belongs where it

  The Honeymoon by Gemma Rogers -psychological thriller Kelly has just got married to Ryan, the happiest day of her life…. until it isn’t. She spots Ryan in a more than congratulatory embrace with her friend Liza. She storms off and takes off for their honeymoon alone, having hidden Ryan’s passport. He appears a few days later, denying everything and then a surprise or two shatters her world even further. Can she get through the holiday in one piece? OMG! I raced through this, turning ever faster. Gemma has the skill of tantalising the reader and building a tension throughout each chapter and just as one thing begins to clarify, another leaps up. I felt for Kelly and the situation she unwittingly found herself in, one that no doubt could be true on occasion. It's cleverly written and very well thought out, a captivating read that thoroughly entertained me. Nice one! For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog ------------------------------------------

  The Cottage By The Sea by Keri Beevis- psychological thriller Oh blimey! Where do I start? A read that had me galloping through it, keeping me up at night, wanting, no,  needing, to find out what was going on!  Harper lost her husband Charlie following a car crash two years ago. Her friend Megan has encouraged her to start dating and she has signed up to a paying app hoping this will mean a more genuine type of person from the horror stories she has heard about. She meets a few dates, soon learning that some really aren't who they say they are and in the process meets Luke who rescues her when she fell and hurt herself and soon he becomes a friend. Harper starts getting odd things happening- literally bumps in the night and feels that someone has been in her house but nothing she can really put her finger on. One thing leads to another and then she finds out things about her husband she never imagined possible. A cottage holding secrets that make Harper physically sick when she

  The Making of Us by Debbie Howells- women’s fiction This is centred around a group of British strangers in France who find each other by chance and about paying things forward. Stevie lost her parents tragically a year ago and has no-one so has come to find her happy place, one she remembered from childhood, really having nowhere else to go. Fay has a holiday home here but finds she would like to stay longer, have a garden of her own and not be dictated to by her husband. Ned has just found out about his mother and is rather lost. Zeke has lived here for almost forty years and has allotments which he rents out but no-one knows much about him. They bump into each other one way and another,, a mix of generations and find that helping others more than helps themselves. I devoured this, there was a kind of magic between the pages, something I can't quite put my finger on rather like Madame Picard's herbs. Chapters are told from the different main characters point of view which wo

  The Promise of Tomorrow by Samantha Tonge - women’s fiction Written in Samantha's own beautifully relaxing style this tells the story of Elena and Rory. When Elena was ten, at Christmas her mother was in a RTA and seriously ill in hospital not expected to pull through. Elena crept out and made a promise to a stranger if her mother could be kept alive and since then has dreaded her thirtieth birthday which is now only a few weeks away. Because of this promise she has always been very cautious in everything she does. Rory is a colleague from work that is having some renovations done on his house and needs somewhere to stay whilst it's being done so comes to stay with Elena. Rory has daredevil hobbies and a come-what-may attitude, very different from his host which begins to rub off on her. This tells the story of Elena trying to make the last of those last few weeks before the big three-O and how Rory has a part in this. Oh what a joy, what a delight. Samantha's books and

  Something More To Say by Tony J Forder- Crime Jimmy is now a civilian- something he’s not been for around forty years and it’s feeling rather strange. He is now working heading up a cold case unit, solving previously unsolved crimes. The one they are working on is of a shooting in a graveyard where there was nothing to go on other than a bullet found in a gate post. No witnesses, no likely suspects, nothing. He is also asked to be SIO for a double murder that looks like it’s drug related. Two young boys have been killed and there is a potential drug war with three OCG vying for position as top dog. A figure from Jimmy's past makes an appearance and not in a good way, wanting a favour on one of his cases. Can Jimmy and the teams solve both cases without stepping over some rather fine lines? I love Tony’s books. Despite the subject matter they are a very comfortable read with an old friend, one that wraps themselves around you like a hug, that said there are some dark and heinous c

  Into the Storm by Cecelia Ahern -mystery/thrillers It's rather disconcerting when you are driving home and the rain is of biblical proportions when you see a man standing in the middle of the road near something. Enya, A GP, gets out and discovers a boy lying on the road and the other man Oscar saying he didn't hit him, he found him like it and has called the emergency services. Enya has her own issues. Since moving into her now deceased mother-in-law's home. Enya’s marriage hasn't been great. Her son has become very detached and when he’s home from school he escapes to his room without interaction. When she leaves and takes up a new rural practice things aren’t as straightforward as she first thought. There is a tree with rags on, blocking the light and when Enya tries to have it taken down things turn for the worse. Enya has her own secrets as does Margaret who is looking after the property Enya is in and they become friends. What really happened on the night of the

  A Random Kill by Andrew Barrett - Crime This is a new series from Andy and only a couple of chapters in and I'm  already hooked on Regan. She is a no nonsense, no filter type sergeant who dives in and doesn't let go. For anyone who knows Andy’s work will know of Eddie (who makes the occasional appearance in this), Regan could well be his sister from another mother, ‘nuff said. Oh boy, was I looking forward to diving into this one.  A woman has been found shot dead. Her son is missing who was with her in his pushchair. Her partner at first appears clean but is soon found to be lurking in the criminal shadows of a potential OCG.  Regan has been moved to MCU. She hates dead bodies and doesn't know why the move came about- until she clocks it- her ex, a DCI arranged it purposefully. She goes back to her maiden name, her parents were huge fans of a certain 70’s crime programme right down to signed prints. To prove her worth in her new position, and to earn the respect of her

  The Absurd Life of Barry White by Rob Harris I was recommended this by a friend (thanks Trish!) and very glad I was. It's a wonderful book that brings a smile and a dose of life in all its facets. Barry is lazy, overweight and drinks far far more in a night than he should in a month. His mother has facilitated this by spoiling him for all his 44 years and it takes a few short sharp shocks for him to realise he is still in essence a child, having everything done for him. He gambles obsessively and hardly ever wins… until he does and this is the catalyst for his life changes. I smiled and I winced and I felt for Barry in many ways. His heart was always in the right place and this makes for a very entertaining read. A person we could all learn lessons from. Be kind, be thoughtful, and be selfless. A light brilliantly entertaining read with wonderful characters, I more than thoroughly enjoyed. _______________

  A Death Of Fresh Air by Helen Golden - cozy mystery Bea and Perry have a knack of finding dead people and when one is found in a stud wall of a restaurant that is about to open in three weeks, they decide they need to get things moving. The restaurant belongs to Perry’s partner and the person is thought to be the previous owner who took off rather unexpectedly a while back. Can the case be sorted and the work get done before the grand opening? I love this series, it's like sitting down with old friends that make me smile. It's brilliantly written and is a wonderful comfortable read as you would expect from the talented Helen. A great mystery with twists and turns, a little romance and lots of drama all well thought out. A thoroughly entertaining read, can't wait for the next one.  For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog ---------------------------------------------------------- A Death Of Fresh Air In a charming seaside town, secrets don