From the Book Elf

  Not My Valentine  by Tony Bassett Synopsis The most romantic day of the year turns into a nightmare… Having returned from a date with her new boyfriend, Lydia is fatally attacked in her home. A burglary gone wrong or a planned assault? Detectives from Heart of England Police investigate and try to find out more about the victim. She was much loved by family and colleagues. But maybe someone loved her too much. Attention turns to Lydia’s boyfriend, Roman, when it transpires that he is the son of a local crime boss known to associate with the feared West Side Gang. DS Sunita Roy believes he is hiding something, but will have to tread carefully – the criminals have connections in the force. Despite having strong intuition, Roy is struggling. There is something missing from the picture and it could be a secret taken to the grave.   My Thoughts This is the first book I have read by Tony Bassett and although it is the seventh book in the Roy and Roscoe crime series it is defi...

The  Bologna Vendetta  by Tom Benjamin The Bologna Vendetta by Tom Benjamin was published on 13th May by Constable and is the 6th in the Daniel Leicester series, though they are all standalone books. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the tour. Synopsis Amid  the  oppressive heat of a  Bologna  summer, English detective Daniel Leicester relives his beloved wife's final days. Vivid memories are awakened by  the  sight of her bicycle - missing since  the  accident that killed her - being ridden by a stranger through  the  city's tight medieval streets. As unfinished business bleeds - quite literally - into  the  present,  the  sickening realisation Lucia's death wasn't an accident begins to dawn on Daniel. As he embarks on a quest for  the  truth, this most personal of crusades leads him to two very different worlds:...

The Last Song of the Mistle Thrush  by Ruth Mary Flanagan  “Upon this spot, in days of old, A mistle thrush, so I’ve been told, Would perch high in a tall oak tree. And sing of life’s rich tapestry. He sang of bees and butterflies, Of morning dew and azure skies, Of maidens dancing at the fayre With daisy garlands in their hair.” High in the treetops, a mistle thrush sings of the wonders it sees. But when the trees are lost, its song must change—to one of hope, resilience, and the urgent call to protect our world. A lyrical and beautifully illustrated children’s poem, The Last Song of the Mistle Thrush is a heartfelt tale about hope, love and fresh starts, and the responsibility we all share for nature’s future. Shortlisted for the Hammond House International Literary Prize (2018) My Thoughts This is a beautifully written and illustrated children’s book that has a message of importance for everyone, young and old who is lucky enough to read it. Told in classic rh...

Sipsworth  by Simon Van Booy Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy was published on 8th May 2025 by  Bedford Square Publishers. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis  Following the deaths of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns from sixty years in Australia to the English village of her childhood. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. Helen retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit. Then, one cold autumn night, a chance encounter with an abandoned pet mouse on the street outside her house sets Helen on a surprising journey of friendship, and a way back into life itself. My Review What a beautifully written and emotive book centred around connections and healing from the unlikeliest sources. This utterly heartwarming read draws you in, emotively, from the very first sentence, leading you gent...

  To Hear the Trees Speak  by Olivia Sprinkel To Hear The Trees Speak by Olivia Sprinkel was  published on 8th May 2025 by Bedford Square Publishers. My thanks to the author and the publishers for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the tour A poetically-written testimony of our own deep relationship with  the  natural world, and of nature’s own resilience.' Ben Goldsmith Imagine if you could  hear   the   trees   speak . How would it change your life? Your relationship  to   the  world around you? This is  the  story of what happened when  the   trees  whispered me  to  quit my job, leave my life in New York and go on a journey  to  listen. It is  the  story of what I learnt from ten  trees  on five continents – and  the  lessons that  the   trees  have for all of us on how  to  be i...