Nicki's book blog

  Someone is Lying by Heidi Perks-psychological thriller A belter of a read, one I raced through. Jess has brought up her daughter Issie alone for many years as her husband left to go to the states with his ex wife. Issie and Jess have always been close, that is until Issie met Dylan, her boyfriend. The caring conscientious girl rapidly changed and has now gone travelling with him. Jess calls Issie on her birthday and can't get hold of her. It's her eighteenth so she may be off enjoying herself but when call after call goes unanswered and it appears Issie’s phone is off, Jess begins to worry. The local police are unhelpful as Issie is abroad and is now technically an adult. Jess tracks down Dylan's mother who is also little help and Jess feels that she is hiding something. What has happened to Issie and why? OMG! There are certain books where you hold your breath right the way through and this is most certainly one of them. I was riveted and would have read this in one sitt...

  The Secrets of Flowers By Sally Page - general fiction   Emma has given up her scientific research job after losing her husband a while ago. She sees an ad in the local paper for a florist at a garden centre  “no experience necessary”. She loves flowers and wants a change of pace and people and this suits her fine. She gets invited to a talk on the Titanic at the garden centre but bottles out at the last minute, however this gets her thinking. Who arranged the flowers on board? There is no mention of a florist despite numerous other occupations being listed and being a luxury liner there would most certainly be flowers around.. Alternate chapters are by “Violet”, someone we know little about to begin with.  I read this straight after finishing “ The Book of Beginnings” which I adored  (and inspired me to buy a fountain pen again- thank you Sally) so you know I love this author, her style and craft. Sally carries the reader into the heart of the story so very e...

  The Woman with All the Answers by Linda Green- women’s fiction   This is a cracking premise! Alexa is really a local woman called Pauline who puts on her “ received pronunciation “ voice to help out the family, working as a call centre operative. The family in question is in turmoil. Michelle , the mother, is just about holding it all together. Her finances aren't great and she finds out her husband has a secret obsession buying memorabilia, her daughter is struggling with her mental health and the son is on the edge of getting into trouble. Add to this her mother in law needs checking on daily and she can’t trust her husband to remember everything Carole might need, and her own perimenopausal issues as well as a full time job and her father who alo requires assistance. When Alexa offers to help, Michelle really needs a friend. This is written brilliantly and with a northern dialect who say it as it is (and occasionally miss out “ the” ( as in “ put tea in cup”.)  I lik...

  The Honourable Rogue by Tony Forder- crime Jimmy, as ever, is really busy. He’s up to his neck in two cases. He is now retired and working as a civilian working cold cases and this one involves someone he’d rather not cross paths with but has little choice if he is to see justice done. He is also SIO on a murder case- an elderly woman was scammed out of a great deal of money and it now looks like the perpetrators have returned and killed her and assaulted a policewoman in the process.  I adore Jimmy. He's someone I'd love to know as he has a heart of gold, a wicked sense of humour and if you are on the right side of him he would defend you to the hilt. Tony has a superb talent for putting this on a page, wrapping the reader into the heart of things and not letting go. It's a crime read but for me a hug in a book from Jimmy who has to be my best all time detective and I don’t say that lightly as I read a lot of crime books. There’s a great camaraderie amongst the character...

  Marshall of Snowdonia by Simon McCleave-crime thriller   Frank Marshall is an ex-DCI now living in the depths of Wales being a ranger which he loves. When the sister of a close friend goes missing he can't help but put on his detective hat and do his best- much to the annoyance of his nemesis- the current DCI. The thing is Frank finds out more than the police and a missing woman could be much more when he finds cleaned up blood near her home. Can Frank find out who the perpetrators are without either damaging himself or being told off (or worse) by the local police? This is a new author to me and wow! Love this. Frank is already like an old friend (in both senses). He reminds me of Jimmy Bliss (Tony J Forder series) in that he is a seasoned detective, who feels he has little to lose but just wants justice done and to see those left behind have some peace. He’s someone you’d love as a friend or neighbour, that as long as you do right by him he’ll defend you to the hilt. Ther...

  Three Days in June by Anne Tyler- general fiction When your daughter is getting married but you find out the groom might not have been faithful and your ex husband turns up on the doorstep, you know the next few days aren't going to be straightforward. A cat is added to the mix amongst the various guests and family. This is a story of chaos and trying your best to be your best whatever the circumstances. A tale of family life and the ups and downs and curve balls that get thrown at us. It's rather a descriptive book, at times to the minutiae, which is done well to paint the picture in the reader's mind. The ordinary to the extraordinary this short read takes it all in. A detailed read of the chaos of life.  For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog ---------------------------------------------------------

  If We Could Turn Back Time by Sian O’Gorman- Women’s fiction Alice has returned home from Australia for a month’s holiday. She misses Dublin and her childhood friends but loves the life she has on the other side of the planet- the sun and the beach. She helps out in the local shop owned and run by her mother Ciara, and finds herself a whizz at marketing, bringing new customers to the shop and encouraging old ones to spend more time there as well as money, which is a good thing as it had been getting a little stale. Her friend Mary-Marg suggests they bring back the disco they ran when at school. Will the over 45’s be up for a night with a disco ball? There are relationships that have soured over the years and secrets being held close to the owners chests. This is a beautiful Irish story of friendships and adventures, perhaps of the small variety. Of how the little things can mean the most  and that a good friend is a real gem. As with all of Sian’s books the characters come ...

  The Many Futures of Maddy Hart by Laura Pearson- women’s fiction Laura has a rare talent. One for getting the reader between the pages very quickly, a cracking plot and characters you would like to meet in real Life. Maddy has a gift, or is it? When having sex she can see ten years into her future and if that person is with her or not. This puts her off having boyfriends for a long time but when she meets Oliver when looking for accommodation, who by chance she briefly worked with , things change. When she meets Isla in her future, Maddy knows she has to work things out which isn't going to be easy.  This is a stunning, uplifting read and one I devoured. It's a very comfortable, at times emotional, read and one that perhaps makes the reader reflect on their own lives a little and to appreciate the moment. One I wanted to read “ one more chapter” and another and another……Loved this doesn't do this justice. Stunning, brilliant, clever and most certainly memorable. 5 stars r...

  A Guilty Woman by Charlotte Barnes-psychological thriller Oh wow! A premise that blew me away (along with the victim!) and fascinated me. A woman is in a bar with her boyfriend. She starts the socially perfectly normal interaction with her boyfriend  and as they have drinks, reaches for her handbag , pulls out a gun and empties the whole barrel into him. On reaching the police station and her solicitor ( whom she has the funds for a very good one), she proceeds to plead not guilty. Occasional chapters give us a podcast of a true crime series covering the trial and takes us more into Carolines life. Blimey Riley! One where I held my breath and was beguiled by the plot. I quite liked Caroline, other than the fact of what she had done, as she seemed grounded and realistic (hope that makes sense?) and very calm through the whole thing- as if carefully planned perhaps? Caroline is an author and her writings take on a whole new meaning. A fantastic twist puts things into place… I ...

  The Old Girls' Chateau Escape by Kate Galley- Women's Fiction Gina’s husband left her for another woman and at 71 Gina is rather upended. That is until she meets Dorothy, a sprightly 89 year old who has rather more than a spring in her step and attitude to life. They get on famously (Old Girls behaving badly book) so when Dorothy suggests Gina takes on a temporary role to look after one of Dorothy’s old friends, Meredith and her husband, she happily agrees, however Dorothy wants Gina to do some sleuthing. Over fifty years ago there was a group of friends who did something that should really stay in the past, however Meredith wants to publish a book and Dorothy doesn't want a starring role in it. Hopefully Gina can find out more and keep Dorothy's anonymity. Although the second in the series this happily stands alone. I adore this series. It's a great mix of humour, drama and more. Both Dorothy and Gina are great characters in differing ways and have those qualiti...

  The Soulmate by Rona Halsall--psychological thriller Holly has escaped from her boyfriend Finn for a few hours and sees a man playing the piano. In a past life Holly, as she is now, loved music and can’t help but sing along with him.  They go for a coffee before Holly has to get her train back and ensures that the performance stays private, away from any social media. Finn is rather controlling and she already has bruises. Mark is smitten and is determined to help her but doesn’t realise quite what he is getting into. When Holly steals herself into his car things take rather a turn. OMG! Who to trust? I thought I liked certain characters to begin with (clever writing!) and then found myself rather unsettled as to who was the good guy or the bad. This is a read with lots of twists and turns and it made for one heck of a read. Fiction is just that and doesn’t always have to follow real life but who knows what goes on behind closed doors? It's clever, it's very very engaging an...