Nicki's book blog

  A BODY UNDER THE BRIDGE by P. F. Ford- crime  A man is reported missing by a friend who says he would never leave his dog for more than a couple of hours. When a body is found in a stream nearby it looks like it is the missing man however the pathologist is convinced the man has been dead for several days. The missing man was seen only 48 hours before. When his sister turns up and appears to know more than she is letting on, the team led by DS Norman needs to find out more. This is one of a series, set in Wales, and happily stands alone- I hadn’t read all of the others. I liked Norman and the team- there’s a great camaraderie and lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested all the way through. An interesting story line where it appears everyone is under suspicion at one time or another until the final clever reveal. There’s a certain charm about this and one I found highly enjoyable and entertaining. Remind me to go back for the rest of the series. A highly recommended rea

Fire on the Island by Stewart Giles- Crime (stand alone- part of a series)  When the Island of Guernsey is bombarded with firebombs one evening and several people have been killed in the process, DI Liam O’Reilly knows he is going to have to cut short his honeymoon. It appears that the bombs were dropped by drones- so where on earth could they have been launched from as they came in over the sea and there were so many? On a visit to nearby Herm as a possible starting point, Liam finds the local special constable less than helpful or even friendly, especially about one of their residents. What is going on and why? Stewart does it every time. He produces a book that I can’t put down with twists and turns that keep the pages ever turning. There’s something really special about his writing that engages the reader right the way through. Liam is a very likeable character and has steely determination to achieve justice- sometimes in his own inimitable way, A thoroughly enjoyable read that I r

  For Once In My Life by Sian O’Gorman-women’s fiction Kitty’s boyfriend Dave has gone back to his mum having been in the doldrums for a while. Kitty is neat, tidy and organised, something Dave finds an anathema and Kitty’s work is also suffering from her being drained. Shazza, who is Kitty’s best friend, is also recently single but lives life at the other end, being loud and rather “out there” but finding little satisfaction in return. The two get together and decide they need to find more fun in life and get pushed into joining the local five a side football team along with two brothers who have also been pushed by a relative. Can Kitty get her spark back and perhaps even Dave or even a new life? This is a f un , at times for me, emotional read. I confess I did want to say a few choice words to Dave and even his mum as he was so self centred. Sometimes we can’t see the wood for the trees in life and find ourselves either busy or bored, or even  being taken advantage of when there is

  Team Spirit by RJ Gould- humorous literary fiction The tennis club is in uproar. The Chairman Oliver, who is rather self assured, has been having affairs along with taking bribes and it’s all over the club WhatsApp group just prior to the AGM where he is hoping to be re-elected. His wife has other ideas as she has put herself up against him. There is ensuing chaos at the AGM and as there is building work going on at the clubhouse things are having to be moved around, along with certain players who are not playing fairly but not admitting it. Laurie the deputy takes over the reins along with Helen but there is so much to sort out, it never seems to stop. Laurie and Helen have now been pushed together but always secretly (so they thought) fancied each other. Will this be the beginning of a romance or more fireworks at the tennis club? This is a read with a smile almost on every page. It’s a light-hearted look at the ins and outs of running a tennis club and in some ways on life. The u

  T he Suspect By Rob Rinder- crime A brilliant, gripping read I raced through. When a TV presenter has a fatal anaphylactic shock on screen it appears that there can only be one suspect- the show's chef. There were strict rules as to what could be brought into the studio because of this and the chef insists that he adhered to them and is therefore innocent. Adam Green is the junior barrister on the case and finds out more behind the scenes than was first realised. This is the second in Rob’s barrister series and provides a fascinating insight into the world of law. They do stand alone however Adam’s rise and experience follow in order. I love this series. It's clever and captivating with several proficient, well thought out twists which keep the pages turning. The sort of book I could happily read in one sitting. There is lots of drama and excellent characterisation- Adam is very likeable but also very grounded which you would expect in a barrister but not always found in his

  The Garden of Memories by Amanda James- general fiction Three women, three lives, amazing tales. Rose has just retired from being a nurse after 40 years. Her husband died a while ago and now she needs to begin again and she is not quite sure how after all this time.. She has been friends with Daisy since school and they know each other inside out. Flora has not long moved to the area and would like to make new friends but doesn't get off on the best footing with Rose when she speaks to her one day. Through their shared love of gardens the women share their experiences and learn from each other in ways they never thought possible and expand their horizons beyond their wildest dreams- all through the calming effect of plants on each of our senses. Oh wow! A stunningly beautiful book that wrapped itself around me like a beautiful honeysuckle.  Flora's story stopped me in my tracks as much resonated with me, despite being decades younger. One of her phrases to stop a certain voi

  The Games People Play by JR Sinclair- Crime   A woman has been shot and killed by a crossbow. DI Joseph Stone and team find this a rather gruesome killing. Who would want the young woman dead and why? Her boyfriend is devastated but is not particularly forthcoming with information and Joseph feels he is holding something back. Meanwhile Joseph has his own cloak and dagger investigation going on. His ex wife is now married to the Superintendent- who is not a nice person to say the least and Joseph is convinced that he is caught up in something criminal, something he is trying to find out more about very quietly. I love this series, there is something very special about it. Each book happily stands alone (but why miss out on a terrific series- all 5* from me?). Joseph is someone you would want on your side, the sort of person who would have your back no matter what if he thought he could trust you. He lives on a houseboat and loves coffee and cake- maximum points from me! It's an

  Murder on Stage by F.L Everett- historical crime/Mystery Edie is a trainee reporter on a newspaper writing the obituary column. She would however prefer to be doing the crime page as this is where her passion lies. This is 1941 and life is very different in the war era for everyone. There is a theatre group in town and mid performance one of the actors dies on stage and the next day one of the actresses goes missing. Edie gets on well with the local detective and is given pretty much free rein to investigate. Who is against the group and why? This is a wonderful, entertaining, easy read and one with a smile. It is one of a series (the third) but happily stands alone. One to immerse the reader in wartime, good old fashioned detective work with none of the trappings of modern life. Edie has a steely determination and a good pair of eyes and ears which often works well in her favour whilst being a delightful character . A cozy type mystery to bring a smile and keep the pages more than h

  The Girl from Berchtesgaden by Alistair Birch & Kim Rigby- historical thriller    Oh wow! A book I started and didn’t want to put down as I held my breath……. This tells the story of Ingrid and Dieter, brother and sister, who try to escape Nazi Germany in the early 1930’s. Hitler has risen to power and anti- semitism is on the rise which both Ingrid and Dieter have fallen foul of, to their cost. Their Father should have been travelling with them but was found out and detained whilst the children managed to get away. Ingrid, once in England and grown up, decides to take a new path to help try and put things right. Her bravery and courage are admirable and although fiction reminded me that things like this really did happen during the war. A book I was enthralled by and learnt something along the way. For all the numerous war books I've read I didn't know about Oswald Mosley and the fascist uprising in this country. Although we were not invaded, some were fighting the war bo