Book reviews

Authors are readers too. Avid readers.

We also know what it’s like to write a book, so I only post reviews for books I finish. If a book’s not for me, I stop reading and move on.

At all times I aim to be constructive and fair, but it’s only my opinion. I no longer give ratings or stars, except on Amazon, Bookbub and Goodreads.

My tastes are almost exclusively crime fiction, though I venture beyond murders from time to time.

I hope the reviews will help you discover new authors and novels to enjoy.

At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie

9th May 2021. In the eleventh outing for Miss Marple, she’s staying at Bertram’s Hotel, a place she once visited many, many years before. Priding itself on its traditional décor, ...
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National Treasure by Barry Faulkner

8th May 2021. It begins as a simple missing person enquiry. Actress and national treasure, Marcia Johnson, is worried about her daughter, who is missing. From the moment Ben Nevis ...
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What Lies Beneath by Bill Kitson

7th May 2021. This is the first Mike Nash novel I’ve read and it won’t be the last. Due to the nature of the crimes, it wasn’t as easy book ...
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Twisted Crimes by Michael Hambling

7th May 2021. It’s no secret that I love the Sophie Allen series. They’re built around her dynamic and charismatic character and her relationship with her team. Thankfully, there are ...
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Murder on the Levels by David Hodges

6th May 2021. Having previously started this book twice before, I decided to persevere on the third reading and was rewarded with an enjoyable story with some good twists and ...
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A Killer is Calling by BL Faulkner

5th May 2021. You’re always guaranteed an exciting, fast-paced investigation from DCS Justin Palmer and the Serial Crime Squad. This time, it’s a series of strange deaths. People are dying ...
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Buried Lies by Chris Collett

4th May 2021. This is the sixth book in the Tom Mariner series and follows on from events in the previous novel. Like any series, it’s always best to read ...
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A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie

23rd April 2021. In her tenth outing, Miss Marple finds herself on a Caribbean Island with little to do, thanks to her generous nephew, Raymond. She sits in the sun ...
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The Death on the Downs by Simon Brett

22nd April 2021. Having enjoyed the first book in the Fethering village mysteries series, I was keen to see what neighbours Carole and Jude would get up to in this ...
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The Snowdonia Killings by Simon McCleave

17th April 2021. Detective Inspector Ruth Hunter leaves the Metropolitan Police in London for a quieter life in beautiful North Wales, only to find herself thrown into a murder investigation ...
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Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves

9th April 2021. If you like your crime fiction to be as much about the characters as the plot, then the Vera Stanhope series should fit the bill. From the ...
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Take a Number by Janet Dawson

7th April 2021. When Jeri Howard becomes involved in a divorce case, she takes on more than finding the missing $100,000 dollars that Sam has hidden from his wife. He’s ...
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Murder in the Village by Faith Martin

28th March 2021. Having read and enjoyed the first three novels in the Hillary Green series, I settled into this one, not realising what a great and gripping story it ...
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Next to Disappear by Malcolm Richards

28th March 2021. This is a different kind of crime story with an unlikely protagonist, Emily Swanson. With secrets to hide and painful memories, she escapes to London to start ...
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Buried Crimes by Michael Hambling

23rd March 2021. There’s a change of pace in this fourth outing for DCI Sophie Allen and her team. Two children’s skeletons are unearthed in the garden of a family ...
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Silent Tide by Alex Scarrow

17th March 2021. In a yacht off the coast of Hastings the grisly remains of a murder are discovered. For DCI Boyd, relocated from London to Sussex CID after extended ...
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Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves

16th March 2021. Ann Cleeves is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, especially for the Vera Stanhope series. I love the gentle pace, the way she gets inside the ...
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The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

10th March 2021. This is a complex story about four students who discover the body of Rosie in the snow. The discovery is about to change and taint their lives ...
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