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Home For Christmas by Heidi Swain

 

Home for Christmas by Heidi Swain.

Published 10th October 2024 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

Bella is living her best life in Wynbridge, with her beloved Spaniel, Tink. She’s found a way to keep the house she inherited from her grandparents while expanding her dream business – Away With the Fairies – and she’s ecstatic that Christmas is on the horizon!

In fact, everything is perfect until family friend, Catherine Connelly asks Bella if she’d be willing to rent part of the house to freelance author, Jude who is researching the history of the Connelly Clan and Wynthorpe Hall ahead of turning his findings into a book. The plan had been for Jude to stay at the hall, but he can’t cope with the chaos and Bella reluctantly agrees to open her door to him.

Initially, the pair clash but then friendlier feelings begin to grow and Bella finds herself wondering if Jude could become more than just another guest before it’s time for him to leave. That is, until he announces he has no time for Christmas!

With her favourite time of the year suddenly in jeopardy, will Bella ever feel like she’s home for Christmas?

***********

Bella is in her element as December approaches, and looking forward to decking out the house she inherited from her grandparents in her usual full-on, festive style. This is also her busiest time of year when it comes to her rapidly expanding business, Away with the Fairies, so her hands are going to be full making stock for all the Christmas fairs ahead.

A hiccup in her plans arises when the Connelly Clan at Wynthorpe Hall ask Bella if she would be willing to put up a guest in the run-up to Christmas. Freelance author Jude is writing a book all about the Hall, but the bustling environment there is overwhelming him. He needs peace and quiet, and given all the help the Connellys have given Bella over the years, she feels she can hardly refuse.

Grumpy Jude sets Bella's nerves on edge, but her dog Tink love him at first sight, and soon she begins to warm to him too. She begins to think there might be the chance of romance before he has to leave, but when he drops the bombshell that he is not a fan of her favourite time of year, she has no idea what to do with the feelings she has developed... or what this means for the festive season.

Back to Wynbridge we go for another lovely Christmas adventure at the hands of Heidi Swain, and it is just like returning to old friends, who are here aplenty! Bella is building up to her favourite, and busiest, time of year, looking forward to festive fun in the company of her spaniel Tink, and all her Wynbridge pals. She is not one to indulge overly in thoughts of love, beyond a fling here and there, given the experiences of her mum, but this is going to be a Christmas full of surprises that drag her right our of her comfort zone!

As is Swain's forte, there is lots of lovely stuff here about the Wynbridge community, updating the reader on the lives of her vivid characters, mixed in with glorious detail about all the festive activities that Bella is 100% committed to - and plenty of enchanting fairy-related elements too. You can feel the crisp winter days, smell the festive cooking aromas, and find yourself itching to get going with your own Christmas traditions.

Romance lies at the heart of the story, for more than one character, but it is what happens between Bella and Jude that captures your imagination, and your heart. With bags of romantic suspense (with all the mishaps and misunderstandings this entails), this tale touches of several delicious love-story tropes in the very best way possible. Bella's quest to convince Jude that Christmas really is the best time of year takes them both on a journey that opens her heart, and heals his, wrapping up in the most glorious of endings filled with Christmas (and fairy) magic. I loved the way little Tink takes on the role of match-making, go-between too.

Christmas Heidi Swain style really is the best thing to kick off the countdown to the festive season. Mince pies, anyone?

Home for Christmas is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this Books and the City blog tour.

About the author:

Heidi Swain is a Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author who writes feel good fiction for Simon & Schuster. She releases two books a year (early summer and winter) and the stories all have a strong sense of community, family and friendship. 

She is currently writing books set in three locations - the Fenland town of Wynbridge, Nightingale Square in Norwich and Wynmouth on the Norfolk coast, as well as summer standalone titles. 

Heidi lives in beautiful west Norfolk. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside, collecting vintage paraphernalia and reading. Her tbr pile is always out of control!

Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde: Lady Windermere's Fan (Play)

 

The Oscar Wilde BBC Radio Drama Collection.

Various narrators.

Released 4th April 2019 from BBC Audio.

From the cover:

The collected BBC radio productions of the major works of Oscar Wilde, plus bonus play by Neil Bartlett.

Loved for his flamboyant personality, sparkling wit and brilliant epigrams, Oscar Wilde was a comic genius and a literary icon.

This collection reflects the many facets of his dazzling talent. Here are dramatisations of his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Gothic tale of a gilded aristocrat who makes a dangerous pact, as well as four scintillating social comedies – Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Among the distinguished casts are Ian MacDiarmid, Joely Richardson, Edward Fox, Diana Rigg, Martin Clunes, Michael Hordern and Judi Dench.

Moving examples of his correspondence are revealed in The Letters of Oscar Wilde and De Profundis, read by Simon Callow and Simon Russell Beale respectively, and his most famous poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, is performed live by stars including Ian McKellen, Neil Tennant and Stephen Fry.

In addition, a bonus drama, In Extremis by Neil Bartlett, starring Corin Redgrave and Sheila Hancock, reimagines Oscar Wilde's hastily arranged sitting with a society palm reader, a week before the trial that would cost him so dearly.

***********

Happy 150th birthday Oscar Wilde, a complex man of great personality and wit, who came to a tragic end.

I am celebrating this day with a listen to the excellent BBC Radio Drama Collection from Audible, which features five productions by the great man - a dramatisation of his only novel, the wonderfully gothic The Picture of Dorian Gray; and four of his celebrated plays (plus fascinating extras). 

This is a very worthwhile collection to listen to, with excellent performances from some big acting names, particularly the plays which are ideal as voice pieces - although the adaptation Wilde's novel only gives a flavour of the story itself, so I recommend taking in the original in one of the dedicated, unabridged audio versions to experience its unadulterated magic.

Here, I am going to give my attention to one of the plays from the collection, Lady Windermere's Fan, which arguably contains Wilde's most quoted epigram of all time: 'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.', which is often wrongly attributed to Dorian Gray.

The play was first performed in 1892, in London, and concerns the marriage of one Lady Windermere, who we understand is 'a good woman'. Its four acts centre on Lady Windermere's birthday, following the events that ensue when she hears a rumour that her hitherto beloved husband is having an affair with the infamous Mrs Erlynne, who is newly arrived in London and seems to hold the city's husbands in thrawl... not so much their wives.

Given the damning news, Lady Windermere does a bit of snooping, fears the suspicions are correct, confronts her husband (he denies any such affair), and is thoroughly outraged when he insists she invites Mrs Erlynne to her birthday celebrations that evening to launch her into society. The dramatic events of the evening, full of misunderstandings and rash decisions, gradually secrets about Mrs Erlynne that are quite unexpected, but no spoilers here...

As is Wilde's forte, this is a play full of sparkling repartee, glorious language, and cutting humour. But is also shows his ability to explore thought provoking themes through satire. I absolutely love this one for its musings on reputation, morality, sacrifice, and hypocrisy in late Victorian high-society, particularly when it comes to the gulf between attitudes about the behaviour of men and women. Lady Windermere is actually a bit insipid, despite the celebration of her 'goodness', and the male characters are largely disreputable (and lauded for being so), but Mrs Erlynne is a fabulous character, full of depth - and if you get to listen to this drama, Penelope Keith steals the entire show with her portrayal of her!

Happy birthday, Mr Wilde. Your genius lives long!

Lady Windermere's Fan is available to buy now in various formats.

About the author:

Oscar Fingall O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford where, a disciple of Pater, he founded an aesthetic cult. In 1884 he married Constance Lloyd, and his two sons were born in 1885 and 1886.

His novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), and social comedies Lady Windermere's Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), established his reputation.

In 1895, following his libel action against the Marquess of Queesberry, Wilde was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for homosexual conduct, as a result of which he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), and his confessional letter De Profundis (1905).

On his release from prison in 1897 he lived in obscurity in Europe, and died in Paris in 1900.

Dark As Night (An Áróra Investigation: Book Four) by Lilja Sigurdardottir

 

Dark as Night (An Áróra Investigation: Book Four) by Lilja Sigurdardóttir .

Published 10th October 2024 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

When Áróra receives a call telling her that a child she’s never met is claiming to be her missing sister reincarnated, she is devastated … as ridiculous as the allegations might seem. For three years she has been searching for her sister without finding a single clue, and now this strange child seems to have new information.

On the same day, Icelandic detective Daníel returns home to find a note from his tenant, drag queen Lady Gúgúlú, giving notice on her flat and explaining that she has to leave the country. Daníel is immediately suspicious, and when three threatening men appear, looking for Lady, it’s clear to him that something is very wrong…

And as Iceland’s long dark nights continue into springtime, that is just the very beginning…

Twisty, intricately plotted and atmospheric, Dark as Night is the highly anticipated fourth book in the addictive An Áróra Investigation series, as Áróra and her friends face unimaginable danger and extraordinary experiences that may change everything, forever…

***********

For three long years, Áróra has been searching for her missing sister Ísafold without success, exhausting every possible lead. When she receives a strange call from a woman claiming that her three-year-old daughter insists she is Ísafold reincarnated, Áróra dismisses it as just another hoax. However, then she meets the child, and realises that somehow this golden-haired tot knows impossible things about her sister and the case. Could this really be the chance to find out what happened to Ísafold?

On the same day, Áróra's partner, Icelandic detective Daníel, has a shock of his own. Returning home, he discovers that his flamboyant tenant, drag queen Lady Gúgúlú, has disappeared, leaving a cryptic note saying he has had to leave the country. Daniel's confusion turns to concern when three mysterious men turn up on his door-step and threaten him with violence unless he reveals his tenant's whereabouts. Lady Gúgúlú is obviously in danger, and Daniel has no idea how to help, but private investigator Áróra might...

The fourth book in the excellent Áróra Investigations series follows two captivating storylines for Áróra and Daniel that have them questioning how much they really knew about their larger-than-life friend Lady, and in an intriguing twist, their beliefs about the circle of life and death.

The novel unfurls through the points of view of Áróra, Daniel, and Lady in an epic mash-up of eerie supernatural mystery, gritty police procedural, and suspense-filled action thriller, against a deliciously atmospheric Icelandic backdrop. Áróra is consumed with the possibility that a small child might hold the key to the mystery of Ísafold's disappearance, despite the skepticism of those around her, but her personal feelings make it difficult for her to see things clearly. In parallel, Daniel's tentative search for Lady is brought to a violent halt, while he is also trying to decide if this weird development in Ísafold's case might really be something interesting. Heightened emotions, doubts and anxieties put Áróra and Daniel's relationship under strain as the threads of their stories weave together (not helped by Áróra's misguided physical training regime), and in a lovely twist, the solution to both their problems proves to be to a division of labour that uses their individual skills to best advantage.

Meanwhile, Sigurdardottir has some lovely surprises in store when it comes to Lady Gúgúlú, who you discover has been leading much more of a double life than simply being a drag queen. His part in the story cuts in and out as he tries to save himself from the consequences of a murky past filled with cutting-edge science, dodgy dealing, astonishing subterfuge, and regrets. I loved how this allows Lady's character to develop like never before, and ties Áróra and Daniel's plotlines together in cross-genre splendour. There are nice little asides into the goings on in the lives of some of the other recurring characters too.

The pace of the book ramps up to fever pitch, swapping relentlessly back and forth between the three main characters as their plotlines reach explosive conclusions. I was kept firmly on the edge of my seat, and tip my hat at translator Lorenza Garcia for making the story flow so well - she also manages to convey the emotional intensity of Sigurdardottir's echoed themes of acceptance, family ties, and enduring love quite beautifully.

Sigurdardottir pulls off the cleverest of tricks to satisfyingly tie off the threads of poignant storylines that have run through the series as well as in this fourth book, while leaving just enough hanging to take Áróra and Daniel into staggering new country in the next book... I cannot wait. Nordic noir at its gripping best!

Dark as Night is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972, and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. 

An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written ten crime novels, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavík Noir trilogy, and her standalone thriller Betrayal, all of which have hit bestseller lists worldwide. Snare was longlisted for the CWA International Dagger, Cage won Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year and was a Guardian Book of the Year, and Betrayal was shortlisted for the prestigious Glass Key Award and won Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year. The film rights for the Reykjavík Noir trilogy have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. 

Cold as Hell, the first book in the An Áróra Investigation series, was published in the UK in 2021. 

She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

About the translator:

Lorenza Garcia was born and brought up in England. She spent her early twenties living and working in Iceland and Spain. In 1998 she graduated from Goldsmiths with a first-class honors degree in Spanish and Latin American studies. She moved to France in 2001, where she lived for seven years. Since 2006 she has translated and co-translated more than thirty novels and works of nonfiction from the French, the Spanish, and the Icelandic.

Stupid Stories For Tough Times by Andrew Crowther

 

Stupid Stories for Tough Times by Andrew Crowther.

Published 3rd July 2024 by Renard Press.

From the cover of the book:

In Stupid Stories for Tough Times a woodland spirit causes havoc in suburbia; a wayward uncle causes suspicion in the family; a ferocious troll seeks a friend; and Churchill's statue goes walkabout in Westminster.

In much the same vein as the short stories of W.S. Gilbert, whose oeuvre Crowther knows more about than perhaps anyone else, these tales of life and death are filled with the impossible and the improbable, the ordinary and the absurd.

Together these so-called Stupid Stories for Tough Times are a tonic for our times – a search for sense in the strange and baffling times we live in, shot through, as all good stories should be, with humour and observational wit, with purpose, fate and dogs.

***********

Stupid Stories for Tough Times by Andrew Crowther is a pocket-sized anthology of wonderfully witty short stories, flash-fiction type prose, and a clever skit on a very famous Tennyson poem.

For the purpose of this review, we will refer to the entire contents as short stories, for they all tell a tale of one kind of another. Each has a distinctive style, evoking different shades of fables, magical realism whimsy, unsettling metaphorical horror, and gritty social commentary, which really showcases the scope of Crowther's writing.

The stories are infused with meaning, although quite what Crowther intends to convey might not be immediately obvious, and I am very impressed by quite how much he covers in terms of razor-sharp satire, dark observations on the state of the world, and sensitive explorations of the human condition. Pretty admirable given that this little gem runs to under a hundred pages.

Crowther explores rich themes with remarkable insight, managing to take you through just about the entire range of human emotion as he touches on attitudes towards artistic endeavours, war, work, politics, social conscience, and the circle of life and death (among other things). My absolute favourite was Troll, with its musings on loneliness, which brought a tear to my eye, but they are all special in their own way, even those oozing allegorical rancour that feeds your nightmares - such as Jasper (surely very timely given the recent publication of the shady memoir no one needs). Fortunately Crowther finishes on a note that rings with hope, lifting your spirits with his short, sharp Happy Ending.

Beautifully produced by Renard Press (French flaps and decorative end papers, no less), there is nothing remotely stupid about this lovely little book, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. It would make a perfect present for anyone who enjoys looking at life through the bitter-sweet comic lens of irony!

Stupid Stories for Tough Times is available to buy now in paperback. You can show your support of indie publishing by buying direct from Renard Press HERE.

Thank you to Will at Renard Press for sending me copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Andrew Crowther is not only the Secretary of the W.S. Gilbert Society, author of the major biography Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan, and the undisputed authority on the life and works of W.S. Gilbert, but is also himself a writer, author of the short novel Down to Earth and a variety of comic plays including Welcome to Paradise, Funny Men and Working Lives. His works seem to share with Gilbert's a heartfelt belief in the complete nonsensicality of the universe.

The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey

 

The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey.

Published 9th October 2024 by Boldwood Books.

From the cover of the book:

As the sun rises over the little Provence village where single mother Adeline has escaped with her little girl Lili, she breathes deeply. This is their new beginning. Here, she can forget the lies her family told her. Here, she can start her story again.

Later she opens the door to the town’s tiny bookstore, where she is to work, ready to meet the mysterious owner Monique for the first time.

She expected an ordinary bookshop. But this bookstore feels somehow different… magical. Breathing in the smell of books, she feels a jolt of something. It feels like a new chapter beginning.

As she gets to know the villagers – including the handsome Andre and friendly Michel – she starts to believe in the magic of this new start. But can a runaway like Adeline ever find what she’s looking for? Or is a happy-ever-after just another fiction?

***********

When the death of her mother brings a shocking revelation, single-mum Adeline makes a spur of the moment decision to up-sticks, head to rural France with her five-year-old daughter Lili, and take a job in a little bookshop in Provence. Sleepy St Vianne is a big change from the London buzz they are used to, and Adeline is nervous about meeting Monique, the stranger she will be working for. However, as soon as she steps through the doors of the bookshop, her worries vanish. She senses something magical about the place, and the curious Monique, who she rapidly learns has a rare talent for matching her customers with just the right books.

Adeline soon settles into life in St Vianne, making friends among the villagers (such as Michel, Monique's 'nephew', and the handsome Andre, who makes her heart flutter), and Lili begins to thrive. Adeline feels in her bones this the new start they needed, but she still has questions about who she is and what she really wants. Can she find the answers here in Provence?

I always know I am in for a heart-tugging read when I settle down with a Gillian Harvey book, and The Little Provence Book Shop was no exception. Harvey has a real talent for stories about new beginnings in France, and with each book her ability to introduce some really interesting themes just gets better.

Adeline discovers a secret about her past, when her mother dies, which creates a breach between her and her brother. She needs a new start for herself and her daughter, so when a job advert catches her eye at just the right time, and curiously in just the right place where some answers might be found, she and Lili embark on village life in Provence.

The secret is pretty easy to spot from the outset, and it allows Harvey to connect the two lovely strands of the story. The first is Adeline's search for the truth of her origins, that sensitively explores adoption and how this links to questions about your own sense of self, especially when the knowledge you are adopted comes as a complete shock. The second is the quite magical environment of the bookshop, Monique's acute sense of intuition, and the ability of books to connect with your soul. 

The two storylines weave together, touching through the experiences of Adeline, and in a clever twist Monique, as they each search for answers in their own adoption stories. Harvey maintains just the right level of mystery to keep you guessing about where their searches will take them, and hits the perfect emotional soft spot when they reach the end of their quests. The bookshop element enriches the themes of searching for answers, and healing journeys, with a sprinkling of intuitive magic that may or may not be supernatural. I adored this part of the story, which thrums with the love of books and the restorative power of their contents - absolute balm for the bibliophile soul. 

Along the way, Harvey does her usual excellent job of bringing France alive, and St Vianne and its community are an atmospheric delight. I enjoyed the light romantic suspense she injects into the tale through Adeline's friendships with Michel and Andre, for the will-they-won't-they vibes; and Adeline's relationship with her brother Kevin is so sweet. But for me, this one is all about the relationship between Adeline and Monique, and the themes that tie them together - mothers and daughters; recognising the true value of found family; connection to blood family; and trusting your gut instincts to steer your right.

Escapist loveliness, with a pinch of fairy-dust, and a warm-hearted ending - that gently explores big themes. 

The Little Provence Book Shop is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for providing an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Gillian Harvey is a freelance writer and bestselling author who lives in France. She writes escapist fiction set in France, including bestsellers A Year at the French Farmhouse and A Month in Provence.

The Lost Lover (Wild Isles Book Three) by Karen Swan

 

The Lost Lover (Wild Isles Book Three) by Karen Swan.

Published 18th July 2024 by Pan Macmillan.

From the cover of the book:

Young Flora MacQueen has always dreamt of more than life on the small Scottish island of St Kilda. So, when she catches the eye of visiting adventurer and wealthy businessman James Callaghan, her future seems brighter.

Winter seas separate the lovers but the island’s evacuation the following summer promises to reunite them – until tragedy strikes.

Heartbroken and needing to support her family on the mainland, a chance meeting offers hope. Soon Flora is the toast of glamorous Paris; fame and fortune are hers for the taking. But at a high price.

When a scandal erupts back home, she is implicated, along with her friends, Effie and Mhairi. But then a deception comes to light that will change everything . . .

The Lost Lover is Book Three in Karen Swan's bestselling Wild Isle series, following The Last Summer and The Stolen Hours.

***********

St Kilda, August 1929. Beautiful Flora MacQueen has always longed for a life far away from her home on St Kilda, and her chance to escape comes with the arrival of wealthy Scottish adventurer James Callaghan. Although their romance begins with a bumpy start, love blossoms between them, and a marriage proposal promises happiness for them both. 

Over the winter, Flora yearns for the time she will be reunited with James, and their married life can begin. But when tragedy strikes, the need to support her family takes her in a direction she could never have imagined - all the way to the bright lights of Paris. Flora hopes that the City of Lights will be the place she can forget her grief and begin again. However, there are hard decisions to be made on the road to fame and fortune, and the secrets she and her friends left behind them on St Kilda refuse to stay in the past...

The Lost Lover is the third epic instalment in the sweeping Wild Isles series. This time Karen Swan switches her attention to the story of beautiful Flora MacQueen, weaving another layer to the parallel tales she tells so well in the  previous two books, The Last Summer and The Stolen Hours, about Flora's friends Effie and Mhairi. You really do have to read these books in order for the magic to work, so make sure you do.

This book begins slightly earlier than the first two books, beginning with Flora's meeting with wealthy James Callaghan, who you know from the start of the series captured Flora's heart and offered the chance to fulfil her dreams of a different life. Swan now delves into the rocky origins of their romance, the consequences of their love, and the tragic twists and turns that bring heartache into Flora's life - and the stunning course of events that leads to glamorous 1930's Paris, where she ends up starring in her own show, with the promise of so much more... if she is willing to pay the price demanded.

In a masterclass of storytelling, this third novel dove-tails seamlessly into books one and two to offer oblique views of Effie and Mhairi's tales, and it brings an entirely new perspective on what you think you know about the closely-guarded secrets that tie the young women together - especially when it comes to that last summer on St Kilda, before the evacuation. 

I should know by now that Swan always has tricks up her sleeve to turn the storylines on their head, and she does, indeed, have facts to disclose in this book that I really did not see coming. With finely judged pace and nicely contrived suspense, she spins the threads of Effie, Mhairi and Flora's stories together until they clash in a final jaw-dropping revelation that, quite literally, left me gasping with surprise! Magnifique, Karen Swan!

As Swan does so well in this series, this third book also thrums with themes of love, loss, family, friendship, and it is full of intriguing detail about the social history of St Kilda and its people. On top of this, she adds extra atmosphere and expansive historical context through touching on the wider world of the 1930's to bring in intriguing mentions of dashing explorers, corporate shenanigans, fashion, the heady attractions of Paris show business, and the allure of the burgeoning Hollywood film scene - blending the pizzazz with the sordid games that lie underneath the gloss. Lovely stuff if you are as fixated on between-the-wars history as I am.

This is one of my favourite book series of recent years, which is saying a lot. I am going to be chomping at the bit until the final instalment, The Midnight Secret, told from the point of view of the enigmatic Jayne Ferguson, publishes in April 2025. I cannot wait to finally learn the truth about the secrets these women are hiding, and how their stories end!

The Lost Lover is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Karen Swan is the Sunday Times top three bestselling author and her novels sell all over the world. She writes two books each year – one for the summer period and one for the Christmas season. Previous summer titles include The Spanish Promise, The Hidden Beach and The Secret Path and for winter, Christmas at Tiffany’s, The Christmas Secret and Together by Christmas.

Her books are known for their evocative locations and Karen sees travel as vital research for each story. She loves to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots.

Her historical series called The Wild Isle, is based upon the dramatic evacuation of the Scottish island St Kilda in the summer of 1930.

Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Book 12) by Dorothy L. Sayers

 

Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Book 12) by Dorothy L. Sayers.

This edition published 15th October 2009 by Hodder and Stoughton. Originally published 1935.

From the cover of the book:

Harriet Vane has never dared to return to her old Oxford college. Now, despite her scandalous life, she has been summoned back . . .

At first she thinks her worst fears have been fulfilled, as she encounters obscene graffiti, poison pen letters and a disgusting effigy when she arrives at sedate Shrewsbury College for the 'Gaudy' celebrations.

But soon, Harriet realises that she is not the only target of this murderous malice - and asks Lord Peter Wimsey to help.

***********

Crime novelist Harriet Vane returns to Shrewsbury College, Oxford, for the annual 'Gaudy' celebrations. It has been many years since she visited her alma mater and she is filled with trepidation, especially given the scandal associated with her reprieve from the gallows by the intervention of celebrated detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. Harriet's visit goes rather better than she expected, despite some awkward conversations, and a bizarre letter which she dismisses as a prank. 

Weeks later, an epidemic of vile, poison pen letters and vandalism now threatens to mar Shrewsbury College's spotless reputation. Keen to avoid the involvement of the police, Harriet is persuaded by the warden to secretly look into the affair. She decamps to Oxford under the pretext of undertaking an academic study, and sets her author's mind to the task. However, it proves extremely difficult to pin down the culprit, and as events spiral towards the possibility of real violence, Harriet calls on Lord Peter Wimsey's help...

It is a long time since I indulged myself with a Dorothy L. Sayers' mystery, and I have never actually read one featuring the glamorous Harriet Vane. It was perhaps, a bit ambitious to start with this one given it takes place some years after the meeting of Wimsey and Vane (which happened back in book six, Strong Poison), but when this gem came up on the reading schedule with the lovely #QuietClassics readalong gang, I just had to dive in!

This is a chunky book, coming in just shy of 600 pages, and once you embark on the story it is easy to see why. This is a Golden Age novel that takes its time, which I found a bit disconcerting to begin with, but it proves to be eminently satisfying once you settle into its seductive rhythm. Sayers' mystery is complex, and weaves sinuously through twists and turns like the rivers that flow through the heart of Oxford, and just like those waterways, it proves to be a story full of menacing eddies and changing currents that disguise hidden depths.

As the novel unfurls, tracing Harriet's attempts to discover who is behind the unsettling campaign of malice at Shrewsbury College, it explores an absolute feast of themes about class, the world of female academia, and the role of women in the 1930s. There is a lot going on under the guise of scholarly life at Shrewsbury, and Sayers does a splendid job delving into the complex emotions that the disturbed villain of the piece stirs up by their actions. The spite that motivates said villain is bitter indeed, and it dredges up an extra dimension about professional responsibility that is seriously thought provoking.

Harriet's own feelings are fascinating too, especially in the way her mind changes about Oxford, Shrewsbury College, and her feelings for Wimsey. Intriguingly, the charismatic Wimsey is absent for much of the novel, but the force of his personality is felt through Harriet's musings, and he is very significant in solving the tricky mystery. The interplay between the two in the course of their unconventional romance is delicious throughout. Alas, Wimsey's glorious valet, Bunter, only appears very briefly in this mystery, but in his stead, the stalwart college porter, Padget, is a gem. 

I really enjoyed how you come to see Oxford of the 1930s from Harriet's insightful point of view, and I sense a lot of Sayers' herself in the character. There is so much lovely atmosphere in the life she describes - the hi-jinks and dramas of the undergraduates, the college surroundings, the interactions between staff and students... all provide a beguiling glimpse of the between the wars era, full of social history and nostalgia, with light touches of absurtdity and humour too.

This book was an immersive joy. Some of the literary and Latin references do feel a bit self-indulgent, but they are in keeping with the style, and I really enjoyed slowing the pace with a proper classic. I will definitely be making time for some more Dorothy L. Sayers in the not too distant future.

Gaudy Night is available to buy now in multiple formats.

About the author:

Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) was a playwright, scholar, and acclaimed author of mysteries, best known for her books starring the gentleman sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey.

Born in Oxford, England, Sayers, whose father was a reverend, grew up in the Bluntisham rectory and won a scholarship to Oxford University where she studied modern languages and worked at the publishing house Blackwell's, which published her first book of poetry in 1916.

Years later, working as an advertising copywriter, Sayers began work on Whose Body?, a mystery novel featuring dapper detective Lord Peter Wimsey. Over the next two decades, Sayers published ten more Wimsey novels and several short stories, crafting a character whose complexity was unusual for the mystery novels of the time.

In 1936, Sayers brought Lord Peter Wimsey to the stage in a production of Busman's Honeymoon, a story which she would publish as a novel the following year. The play was so successful that she gave up mystery writing to focus on the stage, producing a series of religious works culminating in The Man Born to Be King (1941) a radio drama about the life of Jesus.

She also wrote theological essays and criticism during and after World War II, and in 1949 published the first volume of a translation of Dante's Divine Comedy (which she considered to be her best work).

Dorothy Sayers died of a heart attack in 1957.

The Lawyer (Carver And Kramer Book One) by A.A. Chaudhuri (Reissue)

 

The Lawyer (Carver and Kramer Book One) by A.A. Chaudhuri.

This edition published 7th October 2024 by Lume Books.

From the cover of the book:

A murdered lawyer. A message carved into her chest. A ruthless killer who must be stopped.

The body of an ambitious trainee lawyer is found sprawled on the boardroom floor, blood pooling around her on the pristine cream carpet.

Etched across her chest is one word — CONTRACT.

Up-and-coming lawyer Maddy Kramer is determined to find out who killed her colleague, even though they weren’t exactly best friends. Maddy’s not your typical legal suit — she’s not ruthless like her teammates who will do anything to get to the top.

But then there’s a second corpse — another female lawyer. And this time inscribed on the body, the word CRIME.

Maddy must team up with Detective Jake Carver to get into the mind of the brutal murderer. The killer has their eye on another victim . . . and Maddy could be next.

Please note this book was previously published as The Scribe.

***********

The Lawyer offers an entertaining mix of legal thriller. police procedural and serial killer mystery, with a touch of the macabre, and a few steamy scenes thrown in to keep things interesting on the romatic suspense front. Just about everything you need in a page-turner! 

It opens with a bang that hooks you from the word go. A young lawyer is horribly butchered when working after hours in her central London office, leaving very little for the police to go on except the enigmatic message that has been carved into her chest - the single word 'Contract'. Before long, more bodies start to pile up, each one a young female linked to The Bloomsbury Academy of Law, and with a different legal term carved into their chest, which inspires the media to start referring to the mystery murderer as 'The Scribe'.

Chief Inspector Jake Carver and his team are desperate to track down the killer and put a stop to this grisly campaign, but with clues thin on the ground they are floundering. It is not until the smart young lawyer Madeleine Kramer, herself a former friend and classmate of some of the victims, comes up with an inspired theory that Carver begins to make any headway at all - and so begins a beautiful partnership!

I really enjoyed the underlying premise of this thriller, with the legal theme running through the core of the piece, tying all the imaginatively staged murders together nicely. Chaudhuri's background as a former City lawyer gives fascinating insight into the intricacies of the different areas of the law, blending fact and fiction together in a truly compelling crime novel. She weaves in seriously thought provoking themes about the abuse of power, sexual politics and the legacy of difficult childhoods in telling the story too.

There are red herrings and twists aplenty that will stop you in your tracks, and just enough subtle hints to keep you guessing about the identity of the culprit in the spirit of Agatha Christie. The tension builds steadily, with clever scenes that bring out your inner detective, and there is lovely suspense in the way you get ahead of the game and wait for Carver and Kramer to catch-up.

The central players of Carver and Kramer complement each other perfectly, sharing the credit for tracking down their serial killer foe, which I really enjoyed. The 'will-they-won't-they' sexual tension builds in a charming frisson to their relationship, and their relatable character flaws make them spring from the page as realistic characters. 

I loved this novel, which introduced me to the cracking writing of the lovely A.A. Chaudhuri, and I am absolutely delighted to see it being reissued by Joffe Books with a sexy new cover design and title (previously issued as The Scribe). If twisty crime mysteries with an unsettling edge are your thing then this is the book you need on your reading pile this autumn. With any luck, the second book in the series will also be reissued in due course... and perhaps Chaudhuri might be tempted to write some more too, because I really want to read them! Any chance, Alex? 

The Lawyer is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

About the author:

A.A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer turned thriller writer, born and raised in Portsmouth, but who now lives in Surrey with her family. Once a highly ranked British junior tennis player, competing in the national championships and a member of the national squad, she went on to tour the women’s professional satellite circuit as a teenager and achieved a world ranking of 650.

THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION, published by LUME BOOKS in July and December 2019, are her first crime book series, plunging readers into London’s glamorous legal world and featuring series’ heroine, Maddy Kramer, fiction’s first female City lawyer amateur sleuth, who teams up with charismatic DCI Jake Carver to solve a gruesome series of murders and a puzzling abduction. THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION were published as audio books by Isis Audio on 1st January and 1st March 2021, both read by David Thorpe.

She has also contributed an original short story THE ENCOUNTER to crime anthology GIVEN IN EVIDENCE published by LUME BOOKS in May 2020, has written many articles and short stories for The Crime Writers’ Association.

Her first psychological thriller with HERA BOOKS, SHE’S MINE, was published in e-book, paperback and audio in August 2021, the second, THE LOYAL FRIEND, was published in all three formats in June 2022 and published in the USA by Canelo US on 20th June 2023. Her third, THE FINAL PARTY, was published on May 25th 2023. It was released in audiobook on 1st February 2024.

Her fourth psychological thriller - UNDER HER ROOF - was released in e-book, paperback and audio on 13th June 2024. Her fifth psychological thriller will be released in June 2025.

The Scribe, was re-published as THE LAWYER by Joffe Books on 7th October 2024 in e-book and paperback.

Besides being an avid reader, she enjoys fitness, films, anything Italian and a good margarita!

 September 2024 Reading Round-Up

Sixteen little crackers on the reading pile in September. You can find my reviews by clicking on the pictures below:

Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho

The Secret Orchard by Sharon Gosling

A Duke of One's Own by Emma Orchard

Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope

The Black Loch by Peter May

Circus of Mirrors by Julie Owen Moylan

The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley

The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne by Freya North

Living is a Problem by Doug Johnstone

The Torments by Michael J. Malone

Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie

Missing Person, Alice by Simon Mason

The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker

The Case of the Lonely Accountant by Simon Mason

It's a not of a slow start to October, as I have been laid low with a nasty sinus bug, but more great books will on the way!

If you have enjoyed my pictures, you can find more over on my Instagram account at @brownflopsy.