46 days until Christmas. Easier to do that countdown than ponder how we are so far into November already. Moderately uneventful week. One theatre visit this week to see the UK tour of Mamma Mia which was, as expected, excellent. I’ve never really considered myself an Abba fan, but you just can’t help a little head bobbing when faced with the title song, Waterloo and Dancing Queen now can you?
I have to do a full five days in work this week – gah. Well, unless I book time off which is possible as I have too much annual leave left as always, but we will see. As I write this post, my ambition for the day is to be up to date on all current reviews, so less pressure there, but I do need to give serious consideration to Bookvent, so there is that.
Weird book week, in as much as I didn’t think I’d been that bookish but I have far more new bookage than I expected. I had two Netgalley books, a blog tour e-arc, bought a book and selected my monthly First Read titles. Oh, and a couple of audiobooks via my Audible subscription. Not bad.
My First Reads picks this month were the bonus short story, Certainty by Laura Dave (01 Dec), and The Red Robin of Christmas by Santa Montefiore (01 Dec). I know. Not what you would be expecting, right, but my brain needs a bit of a break at the moment so figured a crimbo read might be a good one rather than the usual crime. I blame hormone imbalance. As they are both shorts, they may well suit my lack of concentration too.
My Netgalley books were No One Believes Me by Tim Weaver (28 Jan), courtesy of Penguin, and Time Of Death by LJ Ross (25 Feb), courtesy of Cornerstone. As I am approaching the end of my Tim Weaver/David Raker readathon, timing on the first is perfect. And as a long time reader of DCI Ryan books by LJ Ross, I’m looking forward to reading all about his early Met years. My e-arc was Face to Face by Gunnar Staalesen (03 Dec), courtesy of Orenda Books. It’s a new Varg Veum thriller and I am already well into reading it. Love these books.
And my one and only book buy was Sherlock, a brand new collection of Sherlock Holmes inspired short stories bvy some very familiar names -Anthony Horowitz, Kate Mosse, Joe Hill, Sarah Perry, Janice Hallett, S. A. Cosby, Steve Cavanagh, Vaseem Khan, Abir Mukherjee and G. T. Karber. Bizarrely, or perhaps not as it is me, these will be my first Sherlock Holmes reads. Yep – you read that right. I have never read any Arthur Conan Doyle books. Ever. But, look. It’s signed inside. And look at the fancy embossed hardcover. And the list of authors. I mean, come on!
My two audiobooks loaned from the Audible collection were Her Last Christmas by Claire McGowan; and All She Wants For Christmas by Lisa Jewell. Much more the kind of Christmas read you were expecting from me, right? Again, both only short titles so all is good.
That’s still quite a lot, right? Not so much in the reading stakes though as you can see below …
Books I have read
First One To Die by Michael Wood
A KILLER CONFESSION
When journalist Danny Hanson answers a call from someone with blood on their hands and a story to share, he tells himself it’s the breakthrough of his career. He should have asked himself a different question. Not what could go wrong. But what already has.
THE CALL YOU NEVER FORGET
DCI Matilda Darke is used to the unexpected. But when her phone lights up in the dead of night, the face staring back at her is the last one she could imagine. But their message is deadly.
A RACE AGAINST TIME
This person knows her secrets. They know her team. And as a suspicious package threatens her case, Matilda is forced to ask herself; is the killer close to home?
Dead Men Don’t Ski by Patricia Moyes
Inspector Henry Tibbett is taking a much-needed holiday from his job at Scotland Yard with his wife Emmy. Headed for a spot of skiing in the Italian Dolomites and some first-class people-watching, Tibbett’s worries blissfully melt away.
That is, until a fellow guest who boards the ski lift alive at the top of the mountain is found dead when the lift touches bottom. Another dead body turns up, and then another, and it becomes clear that Murder has come to the mountain.
Dead Men Don’t Ski reveals Patricia Moyes as one of the great mystery writers of her generation.
Another slow week, but that is me at the moment. I’ve started another book though – Face to Face – so it’s about par for the course. Good selection of reviews on the blog this week – recap below.
Review – Dark Accords – Morgan Cry
Review – You Were Gone – Tim Weaver
Review – The Mortician – Sharon Bolton
Review – The Christmas Dinner Murder – Sarah Dunnakey
Review – Hawk’s Justice – Jim Ross
Two blog tours this week – Girl In the Machine by M.K. Hill tomorrow, and Alfa by Lilja Sigirðardóttir on Wednesday. Do check them both out as they are fabulous books.
And that is that. My week in a nutshell and a look forward to next week. A few other reviews on the blog as well so worth taking a look all week if I do say so myself.
Hope you all have a brilliant week. Happy reading.
Jen x
