Reading Stuff 'n' Things

The Picture House Murders (Miss Clara Vale Mysteries #1) by Fiona Veitch Smith [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Fiona Veitch Smith and Hannah Genesius 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"Murder is no occupation for a lady... or is it?

1929: Miss Clara Vale is a woman ahead of her time. Rather than attending Oxford to bag an eligible Duke (as her mother, Lady Vale, so desperately hoped), she threw herself into a degree in chemistry, with aspirations to become a scientist in her own right.

But the world isn't ready for Clara. Unable to land a job in science because she's a woman, she is stuck behind the desk at a dingy London library.

Until her estranged Uncle dies suddenly, leaving her his private detective agency, and laboratory, in his will.

Clara couldn't become a detective, could she?

The decision is made for her when one of her uncle's old clients comes to her for help with a case surrounding the local picture house and invites Clara to see the latest show, before they discuss the details.

But during the film, a fire suddenly engulfs the picture house, with tragic consequences.

It seems at first an accident, but Clara soon begins to question if it was in fact a carefully orchestrated murder.

She's suddenly in the middle of a deadly mystery and will discover her scientific skills make her a sleuth to be reckoned with... Can she catch the killer before they strike again?"

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I don't usually read or listen to books of this genre or set in this time period but I was looking for something a bit different and chanced upon The Picture House Murders and, wow, am I pleased. What an absolute revelation! I loved it and was totally hooked from the very first word.

Clara is a young woman who is living in a time where woman have little to no control over their lives; yes they have now got the vote but they aren't taken seriously and can't be trusted to run their own lives without the backing of a man! When Clara finds out she has inherited a business, property and money from her uncle, she has some big decisions to make.

The business she has been left is a private detective agency; Clara has to decide whether to sell it or keep it on but her interest is piqued when one of her uncle's clients comes to her for help and with Clara's background as a scientist with an inquisitive mind, she can't help herself. However, things soon become more sinister when there are break-ins and a mugging followed by another fire and Clara has to use all her knowledge and acumen to get to the bottom of things.

With a fantastic cast of characters (I absolutely love Clara), an intriguing plot and with narrators that absolutely nailed it, I can highly recommend this audiobook and am looking forward to the next instalment in this new series.

Many thanks to the author, Bonnier UK Audio, Embla Books and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Picture House Murders.

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The Killer in the Snow (DI James Walker #2)

The Night Before Christmas (DI James Walker #4) by Alex Pine

Description from Goodreads:

"This Christmas, the hunters become the hunted…

When four trail hunters go missing in the fells of Cumbria on Christmas Eve, the race is on to find them before nightfall – when the temperature plummets.

After hours of searching, the first body is found… Not frozen in the snow, but brutally murdered and bearing a the real hunt has begun .

As a snowstorm descends, three lives hang in the balance. But can the killer be caught before the trail goes cold?"

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Another cracking instalment to this excellent series but don't worry, it can be read as a standalone.

Christmas is a season to be dreaded in the beautiful Lake District as despite it's breath-taking views, bad things seem to happen around the festive season and this year is no exception.

Four locals have failed to return home, no one can get in touch with them and with the weather closing in, DI Walker and his team are tasked with investigating. The hope is that they've holed up somewhere to get out of the weather but on arrival at the home of one of the men, they find it trashed with a picture of the four daubed with the words "murderers".

It transpires that the men and their dogs were on an illegal hunt and when a photograph showing one of the men having been murdered is sent to the press, it appears they are the ones being hunted and DI Walker and his team realise they have precious little time to find the others amongst a plethora of suspects.

With excellent characters, a perfect setting and an intriguing plot, The Night Before Christmas is one to be added to anyone's reading list for the upcoming festive season ... or for any time for that matter!

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Night Before Christmas.

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Other books by Alex Pine I have read and reviewed:

The Winter Killer (DI James Walker #3)

Sunday 22 October 2023

The Girl from the Resistance (The Dutch Girls #1) by Imogen Matthews

Description from Goodreads:

"1941, Nazi-occupied Holland . Trudi can hear the muffled sobs of two heartbroken little girls as they peer wide-eyed from their hiding place behind the bookcase. Rosy and Louisa’s parents have been dragged away by soldiers. Now Trudi is the only one who can keep them safe…

When Nazis break down the front door of eighteen-year-old Trudi ’s home and seize the Jewish couple hiding in her attic, she’s devastated, and is suddenly solely responsible for their two innocent children. The whispered rumours about the resistance are her only hope. A man called Frans and his cousin Piet risk their lives every day, helping scared and abandoned Jewish children escape into the countryside. Under the cover of night she races to beg for their help.

When the girls are offered a safe house, Trudi is relieved. But with soldiers on every corner of the cobbled streets, getting there will be extremely dangerous… she must dress up in a German nurse’s uniform and convince anyone who asks that she is transporting two children to hospital.

Trudi will have to give up everything to protect Rosy and Louisa. She will have to lie to her friends and family, and learn to fire a weapon that could take someone’s life. The only consolation is Piet’s dark eyes and handsome face as he stands beside her helping to plan her next steps.

But Trudi suspects someone close to her told the Nazis about the hiding place in the attic, and they’ll stop at nothing to make sure the girls do not escape…

A heartbreaking, inspiring and uplifting tale about the sacrifices we’re prepared to make for innocent people. Fans of Mandy Robotham, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See will love this unforgettable historical series based on true stories of the heroic women of the Dutch resistance."

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Although this is a fictional story, the characters are based on real people.

I cannot begin to imagine what it was like for the people of Holland having to live in their country with a brutal occupier who don't even think twice about making lives even more difficult than they already are and that's for the Dutch; what it must have been like to be a Jew ... I cannot comprehend.

In this book we focus on Trudi and young and slightly naïve young woman who decided not to stand by and allow men, women and, particularly, children to be whisked away to unknown horrors and what a story it is. Full of tension and suspense, this is a compelling story that had me totally immersed.

I am pleased to see that this is the first in a series and am very much looking forward to reading more. Thanks go to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Girl from the Resistance.

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Connect with the author:

The Hidden Village (Wartime Holland Book 1) [Audiobook]

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Other books by Imogen Matthews I have read and reviewed:

The Boy in the Attic (Wartime Holland Book 3)

Sunday 15 October 2023

The Night in the Woods by Kristopher Triana

Description from Goodreads:

"When Jennifer receives a message from Scott Dwyer after twenty years without contact, her first reaction is one of excitement. Scott was her first love, and now that she’s in her forties and in the middle of a divorce, nostalgia for her youth gets the better of her.

Scott invites Jennifer to his house in Redford, the very same town she grew up in. It’s a place she’s made great effort to put behind her, for not all her childhood memories are sunny. When she accepts Scott’s invite and returns to her old hometown, she struggles with mixed feelings, especially when she learns of the death of Steven Winters, one of her and Scott’s childhood friends.

Scott invites three other people from their past to honor Steven’s memory—Corey, Traci, and Mark. But the group is more than old friends. They share a dark secret that has troubled them for decades. Now it’s time to face their traumatic pasts. Together, they must unravel the mystery of what happened that night in the patch of forest behind Scott’s house, a place once known as Suicide Woods.

From the author of Gone to See the River Man comes a chilling novel that reminds us old ghosts are the ones that haunt us most."

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I have never read anything by this author before but I do enjoy a good horror book every now and again, unfortunately, whilst this showed a lot of promise, it didn't hit the mark for me.

An old friend passes away and a group of his friends are invited to honour him by getting together in the town they grew up in. Slowly, we learn that something horrendous happened to them during a camp out on Halloween when they were teenagers which led them to drift apart.

The characters are really well developed however, herein lies one of the problems; there is just too much information about their lives which makes the story drag on. It picks up (mostly) when we start to find out what happened in those woods all those years ago but then it goes downhill again and becomes something quite unbelievable even for a horror book and I found myself flicking the pages to get to the eventual outcome which, unfortunately, was a bit of an anti-climax.

It's a shame really because it had all the makings of a really good horror/supernatural book but there was just too much talking about the characters, their lives and how they felt about each other rather than focussing on the horror in the woods.

My thanks must go to the author, Cemetery Dance Publications and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Night in the Woods.

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The Perfect Date by Julia Crouch [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Sarah Durham 🎙🎙🎙

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"I’m out on an early morning dog walk when I find the body. It’s Harry, the man I was dating. It should be the worst thing that has ever happened to me.... But it has happened to me before.

Six months ago I found the body of Ash, another man I’d been seeing. The police arrested me, and the trauma nearly destroyed me. I moved back home and changed my life.

Now, it’s a bright sunny morning, the air is fresh, and I’m finally feeling like I can move on. I can’t wait for my second date with Harry....

Then my rescue dog starts barking.

I follow the sound to see what he’s found, and then I realize what it is. Who it is. I back away, trembling.

My heart pounding, I call the police and wait for them to come.

But I don't tell them I recognise the dead man. If I did, I know I’d be their number one suspect.

How could this have happened to me again?

Who is doing this? Will I be next? And worst of all: Is it my fault?

Because there are things nobody knows about me...."

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Overall, this is a pretty good thriller.

With great characters, although some of them are questionable when it comes to being 'nice', a good 'who-dunnit' plot, some tense moments and a good narrator, The Perfect Date kept my interest. Unfortunately, I think the pace let it down a little - the start and end were great but the middle was a little slow for me with bits that didn't, for me, really add to the story.

Like i said, overall, this is a pretty good thriller and I will definitely look out for more by this author.

Many thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Perfect Date.

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Sunday 8 October 2023

Downpour by Christopher Hawkins

Description from Goodreads:

"A sudden storm appears above an isolated farmhouse in rural Illinois, bringing with it a relentless and unnatural rain. A rain that eats away at everything it touches. A rain that turns people into monsters.

Trapped inside his crumbling home, a father must do everything he can to keep his family from falling apart. But the rain calls to them, and not everyone wants to stay inside.

Haunted by memories of loss, he must put aside his painful past and find a way to keep them all safe. But the rain shows no signs of stopping, and time is running out."

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A rather strange and ominous cloud appears on the horizon and Scott just knows it's more than just a storm coming and as it approaches, the feelings of dread grow and when the rain arrives, the horror begins. Scott is determined to keep his wife and children safe but all does not go to plan and Scott finds himself in an impossible situation.

Written with a growing sense of unease and impending doom and with a small cast of characters, Downpour is a pretty successful debut for this author. I did find it a little repetitive however, it kept my interest until the end ... which I am still trying to process and haven't decided yet whether it was fitting or not!

Overall, a pretty good debut and my thanks go to the author and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Downpour.

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Devil (Liam Tate #2) by Steven Jenkins

Description:

"In the black mould, something hideous is lurking. A malicious spirit that stalks the children of Shyden.

After barely escaping his old house, Liam comes face to face with this new threat. But with his mother's health rapidly declining, his focus is torn between his family and shielding the young boys from this hideous ghoul.

Who is this devil creature?

And what does it want with the children?

Once again, Liam must step into the darkness, face the mould, and protect Shyden from this unspeakable evil."

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This is another great short story and follows on from Mould, the first in this series, and once again is full of general creepiness despite it's relatively short length.

The universe has a habit of drawing Liam into things that he would rather avoid but he sees things others can't, and wouldn't even want to, imagine so when he realises that children are in danger, he can't look away but it quickly becomes a race against time before they disappear.

With great characters, a really good story line and written at a good pace, this is another great short story and a good addition to this series.

Many thanks to the author for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Devil.

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Connect with the author:

YouTube

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Read my reviews of other books by Steven Jenkins:

A Cure for Everything

Mould (Liam Tate #1)

Sunday 1 October 2023

Her Husband's Mistake by Daniel Hurst [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Tamsin Kennard and Nathaniel Priestley 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"A week in New York with my family should be the trip of a lifetime--yet I’ve been on edge the whole time because fifteen years ago, when we were living in this city, my husband did something that ripped our lives apart. I swore I would never come back, but he insisted. As we stroll along the Hudson River, drinking coffee in the sunshine, anyone would think we’re the perfect family. But the truth is far more complicated."

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This is one of those audiobooks that you just have to keep listening to; I found myself hoping for a traffic jam just so I could keep listening so invested I was in this book.

The narrators did a brilliant job of bringing the characters to life and the story was gripping with some great twists and turns. The characters are well developed and although I didn't particularly like the main characters of Jack and Lorna, it didn't really matter too much. The pace is steady and overall I was entertained.

Recommended to those who enjoy a pretty good thriller which makes you wonder how far you would go to get revenge and thanks to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Her Husband's Mistake.

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Check out my reviews of other books by Daniel Hurst:

The Holiday Home

The Couple in the Cabin

Below Ground (DCI Matilda Darke #11) by Michael Wood

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"A MISSING DETECTIVE

DCI Matilda Darke has been kidnapped and her nemesis, Steve Harrison appears to be behind it. He’s currently residing in the supermax of Wakefield Prison and spends twenty-three hours a day in his cell, so how could he possibly be responsible?

A SERIAL KILLER WITH A VENGEANCE

As Matilda’s team race to find her, they’re alerted to a body found in an abandoned car on the outskirts of Sheffield. With forensics scouring the woodland for clues, the last thing they expect is for the body count to rise.

A RACE AGAINST TIME

Meanwhile the search intensifies for the DCI when a video of her kidnapping is leaked to the media. And as she desperately tries to uncover what has led to her being held captive in an underground cell, she’s about to find out how much danger she’s truly in.

If Matilda’s team don’t find her soon, they might not find her at all…"

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I can't get enough of this series and whilst many series can get a little stale and boring, not so with Matilda Darke ... they just seem to get better and better.

It doesn't happen very often, but I can't find any faults with Below Ground ... the plot, the characters, the pace, the twists, the suspense and tension ... it's just a perfect police procedural thriller from start to finish and I would highly recommend this and the others in the series.

The only question is ... how long do we have to wait for the next? Too long - I want to read it now!!

Many thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Below Ground and I can't wait for the next.

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