I’ve no idea where September went… anyone? Well, hello to October and it’s the start of my favourite reading months snuggled by the open fire. My daughter has already got a rotten cold, poor thing, she looked like the undead after school today; I’m hoping it stays away from me.

This is my second attempt to write my September wrap-up, as something weird happened and all my drafts disappeared, including my prepared October reviews – painful! So, I’ve only just got the will to write it all again! So here goes some speedy typing…

Highlight of the month! So, I was deliriously happy to receive an advanced copy of Jane Casey’s ‘The Cutting Place’ – the next book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. I obviously read it immediately and it’s pretty much my favourite of the series… it’s out April 2020. As always I’d recommend reading this series from the start as it’s all about the character developments, particularly the Kerrigan and Derwent dynamic, and this book is a real treat! A 5 star read.

‘Bringing Down a Duke’ by Evie Dunmore – this is a new historical romance set in 1879 where a bluestocking teaches a duke a lesson – it’s what is says on the blurb, and fun for a couple of hours entertainment – some funny moments 3.5 stars, as it took me a while to get into.

‘Trade Winds’ by M.M.Kaye, the author of ”The Far Pavilions’; this one’s set in 1859 where a young girl arrives in Zanzibar and meets a ruthless trader – it’s all about piracy, slave trades, abduction and a cholera epidemic – overall I’m not a fan of this one. 3 stars, just.

‘The Birthday House’ by Jill Treseder – this is for a blog tour next week, so more then. But briefly, it’s a novella looking at different perspectives of a tragic event in 1955 – based on a true event. 3.8 stars.

‘Code 17’ by Francis Booth – this was also read for a blog tour – see my earlier post for more chat about this one. It’s a quirky light-hearted spy thriller set in the swinging sixties. 4 stars. Fun.

‘A Single Thread’ by Tracy Chevalier – 4.8 stars, I really enjoyed this – I’ve chatted about it already, so have a look if you’d like to know more. It’s set in 1932 where the losses of WW1 are still keenly felt. It focuses on one of the surplus women and her new life in Winchester, with churches, bell-ringing and embroidery filling her days. I really enjoyed this and read it with the Pigeonhole reading community.

‘The Devil Upstairs’ by Anthony O’Neill – 4 stars and read for another blog tour – so check out that post if this book interests you. Set in Edinburgh where a neighbour from hell is ruining our protagonist’s life – so she unwittingly calls up the devil. Enjoyable, dark tale.

‘Gods of Shade and Shadow’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was a 3.5 star read for me and a bit of a cover buy. Set in Mexico in 1927 where Casiopea Tun accidentally sets free an ancient Mayan god of death and they head off on a cross country odyssey – so it’s an historical fantasy based loosely on Hades and Persephone. Nice rich language and descriptions but the characters didn’t overly work for me. A strong ending that implies a sequel.

‘The Princess Plan’ by Julia London was a review book read and I didn’t overly enjoy it, the characters didn’t really interest me and it was really slow. Last 40% improved so 3 stars but an overall no for suiting me.

‘Promise of Darkness’ by Bec McMaster is the first book in the Dark Court Rising fantasy romance series. It’s about Fae Kingdoms, cursed princes, evil queens and hostages. Dark, smouldering scenes with lots of action. Entertaining. and well-written escapism! 4 stars…just.

‘The Animals of Lockwood Manor’ by Jane Healey – a well-written book with a dark, gothic edged setting. With themes from parental loss and parental control, to female plight in a dominant patriarchal world and the desire and secrecy of female relationships. There’s also a cast of stuffed animals moved to an isolated manor to protect them from bombings during the war – not as enjoyable as I’d hoped for me 3.8 stars.

‘Broken Souls’ by Patricia Gibney – another review read and this one I was really looking forward to. I’ve been reading the Lottie Parker detective series from the start. They are smart, well-written crime dramas which include some fully rounded characters and their relationships. Really enjoyed it 4.8 stars.

‘The Ten Thousand Doors of January’ by Alix E. Harrow. 4 stars, I really liked this, for me it was a slow start but then I was hooked. Creative, beautifully written and emotive. Based on the idea that every story opens a door and is a bit of a homage to fantasy stories like Narnia, where a doorway can lead to a new land and adventures.

October reads have started well, I’ve read 5 books so far which I’m looking forward to writing about in my Oct wrap-up…

I worked furiously in the office today to free up reading time, so I’m off to make my daughter a comforting sick-bed snack and continue reading Helen Fields’ new book ‘Perfect Kill’ for the rest of the day – with huge thanks to Avon Books for the advance review copy! Love this series! Happy Days all!

August is always a good reading month for me, as I take extra time off work to be with my daughter whilst she’s on her summer break. As usual the summer has passed by far too quickly and she’s already back at school beginning her A’Levels. At least there’s the autumn to look forward to, with warm jumpers, open fires, hot chocolate and of course more books to read. So, back to August and I read 23 books…

‘Stalking Jack the Ripper’ by Kerri Maniscalco – the first in the quartet series featuring Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell. A YA book featuring murder mysteries and two pathology students that repeatedly get caught up in them. Fun, easy read and I can see the appeal. 3.5 YA stars.

‘The Sleepwalker’ by Joseph Knox. When I got this to review I hadn’t realised it was a series, so it took me a while to catch up and grasp some of the character nuances. The writing is really good and the tensions strummed beautifully – I really enjoyed this and have ordered the first two books. 4 stars.

‘The Museum of Broken Promises’ by Elizabeth Buchan. I was sent a copy of this to review and I absolutely loved it! A brilliant book set during a terrible time in European history; it really pulls at the heart-strings. I needed tissues at the end. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

‘Felicity Carol and the Perilous Pursuit’ by Patricia Marcantonio. I was sent the second book to review, so I ordered and read ‘Perilous Pursuit’ first. Set during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebrations – there’s murder, romance and a woman ahead of her time. Light, historical mystery fun but really easy to guess ‘whodunit’. 3 stars.

‘Felicity Carol and the Murderous Menace’ by Patricia Marcantonio. This was a review read and follows heiress and amateur sleuth, Felicity, as she explores forensic methods to chase a murderer, helped by Jackson Davies from Scotland Yard. 3 stars.

‘The Turn of the Key’ by Ruth Ware. I read this with the Pigeon Hole community to review and it was enjoyable. I wasn’t a huge fan of Ware’s descriptive style – it kept alienating me from the plot. Overall, fairly enjoyable 3.8 stars.

‘Shadow & Flame’ by Mindee Arnett. This is a YA fantasy novel and the second book in the Rime Chronicles. It was pacy, fun, dramatic and very enjoyable. 4 YA stars.

‘Deeplight’ by Frances Hardinge. This was sent to me to review and I enjoyed elements of it, but overall it didn’t hold my attention. The writing is really good, it’s quite long and sadly I drifted. Don’t let that put you off, I’ve seen others have loved this. 3 stars.

‘Lady in the Lake’ by Laura Lippman. I enjoy Lippman’s novels and was really pleased to receive this new book to review. An enjoyable read mixing a psychological focus with the classic noir. Set in 1966 Baltimore, it explores why a middle-aged housewife turned journalist becomes fixated on the murder of a forgotten black woman. 4 stars.

‘The Lost Ones’ by Anita Frank. This was another review read which I enjoyed, set in 1917 and follows the grieving Stella Marcham when she stays at the imposing Grayswick mansion. Soon, strange incidents start happening and Stella begins to uncover some dark and terrible secrets. 4 stars.

‘Spin the Dawn’ by Elizabeth Lim. This is the first book in the YA fantasy series called The Blood of the Stars. I had great fun reading this with its ‘Mulan’ and ‘Project Runway’ vibes. You get Chinese culture, a sizzling forbidden romance and a magical tailor set a seemingly impossible task. 4.5 YA stars.

”The Little Shop of Found Things’ by Paula Brackston. I was a bit disappointed with this, I found it slow and wasn’t held by the plot, set around a time-travelling chatelaine, taking our modern protagonist back to the early 17th century – it picked up in the last quarter, which pulled it into 3 stars.

‘Through the White Wood’ by Jessica Leake. This is a YA fanasy featuring some of the characters from Leake’s previous book ‘Beyond a Darkened Shore’. An enjoyable read about magical powers inspired by Russian Mythology, lots of drama, romance and personal sacrifice. 4 YA stars.

”The Wages of Sin’ by Kaite Welsh. I had a great time reading this, set in 1890s Edinburgh and features a female medical student-turned-detective. It’s also about the harsh challenges of a female trying to be respected and educated as well as a driven murder mystery. 4 stars.

‘House of Salt and Sorrows’ by Erin A. Craig. A YA fantasy novel loosely based on ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’ this was okay, but it could’ve been so much better! 3 YA Stars.

‘The Unquiet Heart’ by Kaite Welsh. This is the second book in the Sarah Gilchrist series and another fun read, Set once again in Victorian Edinburgh and follows Sarah as she continues her medical training, she now has an unwanted fiance and is back working with the mercurial, professor Merchiston on a new murder case. 4 stars.

‘The Governess Game’ by Tessa Dare. I read my first review Dare book a few months ago and had a great time. This is the second in the ‘Girl Meets Duke’ series and it’s really funny! This one’s all about a governess and a bad bad rake! 3.5 stars as not as good as the other Dare I’d read. I’d happily read another, I mean the stories are ridiculous and the characters hugely romanticised but generally racy, entertaining fun.

‘The Winter Rose’ by Jennifer Donnelly. I love this book and this is my third read. It’s the second book in ‘The Tea Rose’ trilogy and set in 1900s London and pitches India Selwyn Jones, a recently qualified doctor against Sid Malone, London’s most notorious gangster. Donnelly’s writing is so rich and vivid you are completely drawn into this world. 5 stars.

‘Elevator Pitch’ by Linwood Barclay. Not my favourite Barclay read but a solid mystery thriller and no, I’m NEVER getting into an elevator again! 3.5 stars.

‘The Book Collector’ by Alice Thompson. I bought this when I heard that Salt Publishing was going through a difficult time, every purchase helps if you want to check out their book lists? This one is a gothic story about madness and murder. Strange, delusional and macabre. 4 stars.

‘The Wild Rose’ by Jennifer Donnelly. This is the final book in ‘The Tea Rose’ trilogy and it’s definitely advisable to read the first two books to get the most out of it. A good conclusion to this epic family drama. I’m a happy reader. 4 stars.

‘Platform Seven’ by Louise Doughty. Despite a slow start (which probably was the point) I loved this! I needed my tissue box at the end! Platform Seven is a notorious place for suicides and there have been two fatalities in the past 18 months, Lisa Evans is desperate to find out what connects them and why they happened… particularly as she was the first one to die. 5 stars.

‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the second book in the Wadsworth and Cresswell YA murder mystery series it centres on a copycat killer and is set in Europe’s best forensic training school, which is more like Dracula’s castle! 4 YA stars for the gothic adventure!

And that’s the August reads done!

I’ve already read a couple of great books in September and look forward to sharing those with you next month.

July turned out to be an unusually quiet reading month, but for good reasons. I’ve been spending more time with my daughter and we’ve been on a few trips. We arrived back from Canterbury yesterday after a three day mini break, which included a day at the Whitstable Oyster Festival ~ although neither of us liked oysters, but lots to do there, a food festival, bands, activities on the beach and lots more. The sun also shone for us, I think the only part of the country that wasn’t suffering from a deluge of rain.

So, July’s books:

‘The Puppet Show’ by M. W. Craven ~ thoroughly enjoyed this crime thriller. The two central characters Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are fabulous! Can’t wait to read the next in the series. 4.5 stars.

‘Beasts of the Frozen Sun’ by Jill Crisswell is a richly written YA fantasy adventure 3.5 YA stars as it needed to develop, we went round in circles rather a lot but definitely worth a read if this genre is your thing.

‘American Dreams’ by Kenneth Bromberg is a debut novel and I loved it. ‘The Godfather’ in style and spans generations of immigrants entering New York. 4 stars. This one has its own blog post if you’d like to know more about it.

‘Bone China’ by Laura Purcell is another Victorian gothic descriptive delight, really enjoyed it! 4.5 stars. Read it!

‘The Boy’ by Tami Hoag is the long awaited follow up to ‘A Thin Dark Line’ featuring Cajun cop Nick Fourcade and Detective Annie Broussard. Not as good as book one, but nice to see Fourcade and Broussard again. 3.5 stars.

‘Endgame’ by Daniel Cole ~ the final book in the Ragdoll Trilogy. Loved it! 5 stars.

‘The Girl in the Grave’ by Helen Phifer ~ I struggled with this a bit, plot was good but the writing style jarred with me a bit, which stopped my reading flow. Hopefully this will be tided up in final editing. 3 stars.

Thanks for reading! Tell me if you have any book recommendations as always! 💕

Seriously how did June disappear so quickly? Saying that, it could have been because I spent a lot of it stuck between the pages of my books.

I definitely need to get out and about in July… possibly.

Overall, 19 books read this month and as always here’s my speedy thoughts on this month’s bunch…

The ‘Air Awakens’ series – really enjoyed the first three books, and then it dragged for me. Overall though, a creative, fun fantasy YA series. 4 YA stars.

‘One Last Greek Summer’ – I read this with the Pigeonhole community and it was a light, summery group read. 3.5/4 stars.

‘Stoker’s Wilde’ – a review read via Netgalley and surprisingly fun. Mixing literary characters of Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker into a Gothic mystery. 4 stars

‘The Peculiar Charm of Miss Jane Austen’ – a Netgalley review read, and it didn’t overly work for me, some fun elements and ideas. I believe this is going to be a time-travelling series. 3 stars.

‘The Art of Dying’ – I enjoyed this murder mystery sequel novel set in 1850s Edinburgh, full review previously on the blog. 4.5 stars.

‘Death and the Harlot’ – loved this fun crime read set in 1759 London whose MC is a prostitute named Lizzie Hardwick (full review on this book and the art of a good-story on my blog feed) 5 stars for pure entertainment and historical detail.

‘The Corpse Played Dead’ – the second Lizzie Hardwick novel and another really fun read! Bring on some more! Rounding up to 5 stars for pure enjoyment grading.

‘The Misfit Tribe and the Secret of Mystery Island’ – read this for a blog tour and sadly it didn’t work as it was too similar to ‘The Goonies’. A sad 2 stars.

‘The Sorcery of Thorns’ – enjoyable, creative and magical YA read. Just tipping into 4 stars on my YA scale.

‘Truthwitch’ – another magical action fantasy read, and the first in a series; fun! 4 YA stars.

‘Blood Orange’ – I’m still thinking about what went wrong for me with this one. I think my expectation was high, from other reviews but it didn’t all come together for me. Weird ending and lots of unlikeable characters with little to balance them. 3 stars.

‘We Hunt the Flame’ – really enjoyed this, loved the evocative language and the central characters, great YA magical fantasy read. 4 YA stars.

‘The Missing Years – full review on blog as part of a June Blog tour celebrating the publication of this thriller, mystery. Really enjoyed it. Lacked pace of some novels, but I enjoyed taking my time reading it. 4.5 stars.

‘The French Girl’ – again not a pacey read from Lexie Elliott but entertaining, nicely plotted and created. Tipped into 4 stars.

‘Wicked Saints’ – despite it waning for me in the middle, I enjoyed this debut YA novel – bloody, gothic dark fairy-tale with themes of deception, desire, greed, lies, religion and the exploration of monstrosity. Some great character complexity and subversion, which redeemed it for me. Just tipping into 4 YA stars.