Best of December 2021

It's a busy month but don't forget to make time to check out some of these new releases - perfect wintry vibes for the festive season....

A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch (9 Dec 2021)

It’s three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is drafted in to cater a charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor. Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests has been gruesomely murdered in their bed. Secrets mull in every corner – can Jodie solve the crime before the killer strikes again?

In my opinion: ★★★★

If you've not read this series before, it's a light-hearted, fun, cozy, murder mystery novel - exactly as described. This works as a stand-alone but the best thing about a series is catching up with characters that you love. And, I love these characters from Jodie aka Nosey "the undisputed queen of poking my nose into things that routinely got me into trouble" to her mum who's "like an airport sniffer dog when it comes to PG Tips" but also thinks 'Die Hard' is a good Christmas film for an eight-year-old. It's not just the characters though it's the dynamics and banter between them that makes them so fun. For that reason this one did feel a little flatter for me - I mean don't get me wrong, I was totally rooting for Jodie and Nathan to get together in the previous books but at the same time I really missed the love/hate, will they/won't they thing they used to have.

Hide by Nell Pattison (9 Dec 2021)

Seven friends. One killer. You can run, but you can’t hide…

It’s Boxing Day and your friendship group has planned a hike.

You know tensions are running high.

You’ve heard the rumours flying around.

This trip is a chance for you to reconnect.

But as the sun sets, you hear a gun shot.

One of your group is dead.

And someone you know killed them…

In my opinion: ★★★★

I love a locked-room murder mystery as it goes without saying that the murderer - and next victim - is a character you know as there's a limited group of suspects. Set on a closed nature reserve at night during a snow storm, this was the perfect closed "room" setting where the clever title could equally have related to the bird hides just as much as hiding for your life. The small set of characters were cleverly developed so as one of them says: "I feel like I've seen everyone here in a different light this evening, and that has changed my opinion of them all, some for better, others for worse." In fact the antagonist turns out to be a true psychopath which I didn't foresee but really enjoyed. What I didn't buy, however, were the overly convenient connections between the characters. Lots to like with this but it was slightly let down by the middle which consisted of a lot of running around in the dark without much actually happening.

Best of November 2021

It's November and here's my best of the new releases out this month.....

On A Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk (11 Nov 2021)

Within days of wishing she could change her life, Fran Cooper is acting assistant to a celebrity, on a yacht in the Mediterranean, and en route to a tiny Italian island and the glittering Crystal Ball, along with the world’s rich and famous. When she - quite literally - bumps into a handsome American called Evan he makes her a promise: no last names, no life stories, just one unforgettable night. Yet Evan belongs at the Crystal Ball and Fran is a gatecrasher. They may be soulmates, but their homes are an ocean apart and their lives a world apart. They’ll never meet again - unless, on a night like this, everything can change forever....

In my opinion: ★★★★★

I LOVED this! I loved the character of Fran - someone who's "more Monica than Rachel without so much of a hint of Phoebe" but who's also so so funny. For example, describing the house she lives in as a "nana museum" or declaring "Oh my god, I'm offal" during a meltdown about her and boyfriend Stew merging into one person where he's the good bits, ie arms and legs, and she's the boring but vital inside bits. And, it's not just Fran that's funny, the writing is brilliantly funny with plenty of smart observations such as dancing being "intrinsically embarrassing for ninety-nine percent of humans." There's also plenty of situational humour too including one of my favourite scenes where she gets drunk onboard a yacht and ends up stealing the captain's hat and screeching "I'm the captain now!" This is a modern day Cinderella type story, with great characters, a peek into the lives of the rich and famous, and plenty of lols! I can not recommend enough!

Just Haven't Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens (11 Nov 2021)

When she picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport, Laura wonders if this could be the start of something that's written in the stars. From piano sheet-music to a battered copy of her favourite book, Laura finds in the bag evidence of everything she could hope for in a partner. Now Laura is determined to track down the owner of the suitcase, and her own happy ending. But what if fate has other ideas?

In my opinion: ★★★★

Sophie Cousens is brilliant at creating creating super cute rom-coms and warm, likeable characters. And, there are lots of funny moments in this from scattering tampons all over the airport to being stuck in a coat cupboard while the lady of the manor gets it on with the local beekeeper. Like main character Laura "Cheer up, love, might never happen" is one of my most hated expressions but thanks to Laura I now have the best retort in: "I am allowed to look grumpy if I want to. It is my face and my prerogative not to smile....It is not my responsibility to make the world a prettier place for you." Alongside the humour, there's also some more poignant moments and emotional depth around life, loss, family, friendship, self-discovery, happiness and fate - it's more than just a romance which I really like. I also enjoyed the premise of this - choosing between two very different love interests - and the idea of fate and what we think we want vs what we actually want. 

The Woman on the Pier by BP Walter (11 Nov 2021)

Two strangers meet on the pier. Only one walks away…

Screenwriter Caroline Byrne is desperate to know why her daughter Jessica died, murdered in Stratford when she was supposed to be at a friend’s in Somerset. When Caroline discovers the messages Jessica had been sending a boy named Michael, she realises it’s because of him. Because he failed to meet her that day. He’s the reason why her daughter is dead. And so she makes a choice. He’s the one who’s going to pay.

In my opinion: ★★★

I’m guilty of going into this one blind which was a big mistake as there are so many triggers (child abuse, sexual abuse, terrorism and addiction to callout just a few). It's also not a suspense thriller but more a domestic thriller about an unhinged mother who needs someone to blame for the death of her daughter. But the main problem for me was that the mother's character was so unlikeable even pre-tragedy that it was hard to muster any sympathy for her. And, the boy's story is a tough read - too tough for me. It's also an overwhelmingly tragic tale from the off, with no happy ending and no closure!