Nicki's book blog

 My books of the year 2024 These are only in the order I read them. All received my special 5** rating, only awarded to books that had that extra special something and were memorable. The ones that were moving, or brought out emotion in an exceptional way. Ones I would, and will more than happily read again.  1. Frank and Red by Matt Coyne  A treasure of a read, one that brought out so many feelings in many different ways. I smiled and I cried.  One with more than just a story. A true gem. Full review: Frank and Red by Matt Coyne 2. Lean on Me by Beth Moran A truly stunning read, one that is inspirational and reflective, one that stopped me in my tracks in a very good way. A feel good read with that something different.  Full review:  Lean on Me by Beth Moran 3. The Day Shelley Wodehouse Woke Up by Laura Pearson A book I didn't want to end and an author whom I'll read without even looking at the synopsis (and I'm very selective as I only have so much time t...

  The Vanilla Killer by Peter Boland- cosy crime   We are back with the ladies of the Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop and their quest for justice. When a daughter of one of the ladies, Daisy, decides to buy an ice cream van as her new venture, the rest of the gang realise she doesn't know what happened inside this particular van a few months ago. A man was killed and found in the freezer.  The ladies have to investigate to make the way safe for the new ice cream van owner. I adore this series. It's always an interesting twisty plot and the characters, both of the ladies and ones they meet are adorable. There’s Partial Sue as she says it a lot and even Simon Le-bon who is the canine of the group.  A wonderful relaxing read I so thoroughly enjoyed. Can’t wait for the next one from the ladies of the charity shop detective agency.  For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog ---------------------------------------------------------- P...

  Crossing the Line by Jamie Sinclair- crime (police procedural) Wow! One to keep you right between the pages and more! There’s a fire in a block of flats and a body has been found but DI Keegan is recovering from a heavy night- his divorce papers have just come through. He is paired with  DC Torrance who has been demoted for making a blunder on a case who was formerly a DS. They are the “ Billy no mates” of a team, given the worst case in town, almost literally. Where to start on a case where no-one appears to know anything? When it gets personal Keegan is fighting not only crime but for his and his family's safety. This is a new author to me and by a few pages in, I found myself enjoying the relaxed style this is written in and the beginnings of great characters which developed through the book. There's humour and a grit about Keegan which I couldn't help but like and his relationship with Torrance, both needing to prove themselves for different reasons. This is a truly b...

  The Dark Archers By Andrew Barrett- Crime DS Regan Carter (Her parents were fans of the Sweeney for those of us old enough to remember it ) is yet again up to her neck in trouble. Bradshaw, who is part of a large organised crime group has it in for her, but meanwhile is planning something that will devastate the local area and the police won’t be able to do anything about it. Regan and her partner Gypsy, try to find a way in without putting themselves in danger- something that has happened before. Can they sort things out and stay alive at the same time? Wow! This is one heck of a gripping series. It’s a gritty read in parts and is most certainly a page turner. Andy has the skill of drawing the reader in quickly and keeping them there. As one small part is sorted another great clanger of a problem appears one way or another. I like Regan and her tenacity and Gypsy for her humour and dedication to Regan, they make a wonderful team batting off each other. A twisty, engrossing read ...

  The Silver-Haired Sisterhood by Judy Leigh -Uplifting women's fiction Oh what a joy! An uplifting read with more than a story between the pages. Tess and Della, after a tragedy and a meeting best forgotten, head to Scotland for a break but it isn't quite the luxury trip that they had envisaged. They pick themselves up by the bootlaces and make the best of things which takes their minds off what happened at home. Just as they begin to get things together there is a surprise arrival. Life for the hens is a very mixed bag at times. Can they overcome the seemingly insurmountable and get back to their old lives with a different attitude? I  can't help but love Judy's books. They are a real joy and pleasure to read. We all have life’s ups and downs and this gives a gentle message that whatever, life goes on and we should do our best to try and grab it with both hands whilst we can. Age is but a number and if told “ you can’t” then maybe (safely) we should at least give it a...

  A Harvest of Souls By JR Sinclair - Crime  DI Joseph Stone has been coerced by friends to go on an archaeological dig, something he finds interesting but freezing! When a human tooth is found things drastically change and it looks like there may have been a series of bodies over several years in the site. He is still chasing the Night Watchmen, an organised crime group that he knows is keeping an eye on his family and wanting him to assist them by using menaces to get him to do their bidding. He is staying in the shadows determined to bring them down and has a suspicion that one of their own in the police may be involved, something making Joseph rather more than angry.  This is book five in the series and continues the day to day police life of Joseph whilst having the Night Watchman plot as a background, which most certainly adds to the story and the tension. J.R Sinclair is a brilliantly talented author in that the pages almost turn themselves, this is such an easy re...

  No Son Of Mine by C L Swatman- Psychological Thriller Oh wow! A book I devoured in one sitting.  Alex has a son Milo, who lives with her and her husband. Milo has been acting up at school with his friend Archie who is the son of Alex’s business partner and close friend. One day Alex sees a picture of a man, Samuel, who is being tried for murder and knows it is her son she gave away many years ago. Something draws her and she has to find out more about Samuel even if only to find out if she is passing on bad genes to her offspring. Through getting to know one she hopes to help the other, but things are never as straightforward as that and could even be dangerous. Can Alex sort out her life and her sons without alienating or putting anyone in danger? OMG. This is stunningly written and I couldn't help but devour this. It's very cleverly written with Clare’s talent for characters and now in this new genre, stunning plot twists. I liked and felt for Alex who was doing her best ...

  The Creed by Stewart Giles- crime A body is found with a finger in the mouth which is rather odd and possibly symbolic. DS Jason Smith is used to finding out quirks.. It's what he does best and his wife Whitton may even say so has a few himself one way or another. When another similar body is found it's clear someone has a mission and is pulling the strings, but what is this creed they have been told about and who is orchestrating things? I adore this series and get through the books rather quickly as they are all tantalising page turners. Stewart has a gift of a twisty mind (that is a compliment! honest!) that can take the reader on a journey quite like no other whereas one small piece comes into place and then boom! Another snippet to head down a seemingly different path. Jason is a no nonsense detective with a big heart and often says what we all think, but well meaning. I can’t believe this is book 30 in the series, each and every one has been a stunning brilliant read. L...

  Thrown under the Bus by Steve Parker- Crime Oh wow! A few pages in and I'm riveted and smiling. Steve certainly knows how to grab a reader's attention- the first couple of chapters are explosive to say the very least. In London there is a team who watch roads and traffic and also pedestrians for any signs of trouble- usually accidents holding up traffic. When they see  a woman looking at her phone and then the traffic repeatedly it sets off  warning bells. When the same thing is seen by his team with others, something strange is going on. Meanwhile Paterson and Clocks have had a nasty early morning call of the armed police kind. Being as these two more than know how to handle themselves it's not an easy job for anyone and rather suspicious being police themselves. Striker the man in charge of the road watch has a visit from someone from the home office regarding his partner which disturbs him somewhat. What is going on and why? Three threads(easy to follow) which grabb...

  The Revenge Pact by Liz Mistry- crime Solanki and McQueen are back! This is the second book in the series but happily stands alone. When the head of a notable gang is killed and there is already a known turf war ,the Jazz Queens find it hard to be directed to desk jobs by the boss they really don’t like. Jaz is still nursing an injured arm from their last escapade but the boss is keen to split up the team. Being behind a desk however could be a good place to find out if there really is a mole in the building. Meanwhile there are communications of not a nice sort- some to Jaz from her sister- who is a serial killer who has evaded justice, and some to gang members from Vengeance. What is going on and why? This is a great series which takes the reader right into the heart of the action. Liz has a skill of characterisation and more, I can't help but like the Jazz queens. This is set in Scotland and has some colloquialisms in (which are explained) which gives the grit and edge of the...

  Fatal Endings By Anita Waller- Crime    A woman's body is found near a shopping precinct, one who tried to call Ex DI Matt Forrester the evening before.  The victim was someone he had encountered in a case a while beforehand and would rather not encounter her again. Matt’s life partner Karen is a DI in major crimes and is soon called out to the case. Meanwhile Matt is dealing with the more mundane- a survey of an old building for a security system and a woman who suspects her husband of scamming her. Karen's case escalates when Matt finds a body during his survey and pharmacy boxes belonging to the shopping precinct murder are found nearby. I love this series, it's a wonderful easy read and despite the subject matter, it's light-hearted and the characters bring a warm smile. Matt and Carol, his receptionist, have a great working relationship and Karen brings the police side of things to the table, where they invariably involve Matt either from an old case, his past...

  My Husband the Murderer by Charlotte Barnes- psychological thriller Maggie, which is not her given name, has a secret. She and her two children have had to move numerous times and change their names as her ex-husband is a convicted serial killer. He now only has a few months to live and is saying he will reveal more of his crimes but only to Maggie which is bringing up all sorts of demons. Her relationship with her children and even her sister is tenuous and fragile and Maggie will do anything to protect them but as the police have said this is the last thing she could possibly do to give some relief to the families of unknown victims and one in particular, Lucy who has never been found. Can Maggie get through this whilst protecting her family and find out more before Edwards death? This is a very clever premise and as ever brilliantly executed by the talented Ms Barnes who knows how to bring tension between the pages to keep them turning. I liked Maggie who had a good heart, des...

  The Poison Pen Letters by Fiona Walker-cozy mystery When the postman dies on Phoebe’s doorstep with a parcel meant for her, after she has already received invitations to her own funeral, it’s rather more than one should have to take. Phoebe is an author and in the past has had threats on line but not sure as to who from. Her friend Juno and Phoebe's husband take it on themselves to find out more and do a whirlwind tour of England and even Paris to suss out various suspects. Who would want Phoebe dead and why? This is a great read with wonderful characters I couldn't help but like. Juno is someone you would want on your side and Fiona has the skill of making the reader smile as well as getting the grey matter working as to whodunnit, which I found thoroughly enjoyable. It's nice to have a read that's light and interesting, one with a little humour and totally enjoyable. An entertaining fun read with a great plot.  For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitte...