From the Book Elf

 Her Last Request  by Mari Hannah Her Last Request by Mari Hannah was published in January 2022 by Orion. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be a part of #TeamDaniels Synopsis A Hidden Clue A victim leaves a note for the SIO who will investigate her death. This not what DCI Kate Daniels expects to find concealed at a crime scene. A Desperate Plea The note contains a last request: 'Find Aaron'. But is Kate searching for a potential second victim, or a killer? The Countdown is on... Following the clues, Kate becomes the obsession of her adversary who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Will she find Aaron before he does? My Review For all of you who have ben following my reviews for #TeamDaniels, you will know by now that I am a huge fan of this series of Mari Hannah books. Each book has just kept on getting better and better and darker and darker. Her Last Request though has really mov...

 A Body of Fates  by Kenneth Evren Letter from the Author Dear Reader, The story was inspired by the real-life tragedy of losing my wife to MS when our boys were very young. This life altering event brought up a host of if-only demons exorcized in the writing of this book. The story explores chance, choice, ancestry and genes through four generations of extraordinary women and dreadnought mothers as they navigate emigration, two world wars, depression, recession and cultural upheaval, each in turn delivering their children safely into their future. The narrator is last in four generations of husbands each of whom is abused, addicted or damaged in some way. The primacy of motherhood is chronicled in the voice of fatherhood. A twist on the Greek myth of The Fates, the villain of the story is the narrator’s personal Fate, a being he becomes convinced is real, she torments his dreams whispering malign revelations about his life’s choices and all the things he did and did not do. I...

 The Juggler's Box  by Clio Gray The Juggler's Box by Clio Gray was published on 1st December 2023 by Thornborough Press. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me copy to review and to Literally PR for inviting me to take part on the book tour. Overview A body is found in a salt hedge with a crate of purloined books. Ruon Peat is on the case. Hela believes she has the means to achieve Hungarian independence, if only she can get her hands on it. No one will be allowed to stand in her way. Greta Finnerty is smuggling a dead English officer through French lines, with urgent news for the Dutch authorities. Three strands pulling deftly drawn characters together from remote Norwegian mountains, ancient Russian battles, Irish and French uprisings, until all three stands become one in the exciting historical adventure that is The Juggler's Box. My Review This was , for me, one of those books that took me a while to get into and get my head around what was happening ...

 Murder on the Menu  by Alex Coombes Murder on the Menu by Alex Coombes was published on 7th December 2023 by No Exit Press. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Overview Chef Charlie Hunter’s arrival in the beautiful Chilterns is the fulfilment of a long-held dream: to open her own restaurant in an idyllic countryside location. The Old Forge sits on the village green (complete with duck pond and flint-faced houses) and seems just the place for the high-quality cooking she wants to be known for. But instead of rural peace and a chance to lick her wounds, Charlie finds something ugly stirring under the chocolate box perfection. When a prominent local builder is found dead in suspicious circumstances, Charlie the outsider becomes a suspect. And the only way to clear her name seems to be to find out who the real killer is. Luckily she has allies: her student waitress, a k...

  Mr Gearhart  by Emily Owen Mr Gearhart by Emily Owen  was published on 27th November by Open Door Books. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. 1863 Six years have passed at Ravenfeld Hall. The Abernathy siblings’ fortunes continue to improve as George and Douglas’s android-building business thrives. But change looms on the horizon. Douglas’s engagement to the sweet, charming Clara Marsden threatens to take him from his family, while sister Molly contemplates whether a future with the man she loves means sacrificing her independence and academic pursuits. Then the family face more pressing concerns… One night, George’s latest invention escapes the Hall. Four months later, a charismatic inventor by the name of Gearhart appears in London, with an intellect to rival that of the Abernathys’. George senses there’s something sinister about the mysterious Mr Gearhart, who’s ...

  Do Penguins like the Cold  by Huw Lewis Jones and Sam Caldwell Do Penguins Like The Cold  by Huw Lewis Jones and Sam Caldwell  was published on19th October 2023 by Thames & Hudson. My thanks to Huw, Sam and the publisher for sending me a copy to review  and to Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Grab your life jacket and wrap up warm – it’s time to go polar! In this entertaining and highly informative book, expert field guide Huw Lewis Jones and nature illustrator Sam Caldwell take readers on an intrepid voyage to meet the eighteen species of penguin and to witness the conservation work underway to protect these incredible birds and their native habitats. By observing penguins first hand, readers will discover whether penguins truly like the cold, how their diving skills make up for the fact that penguins can’t fly, and how to tell what a penguin had for dinner based on the colour of its poo! You’ll travel by ship ac...

 Without A Trace  by Mari Hannah Without A Trace by Mari Hannah was published in January 2021 by Orion. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be a part of #TeamDaniels A FATAL CRASH A plane on route from London to New York City has disappeared out of the sky. This breaking news dominates every TV channel, every social media platform, and every waking hour of the Metropolitan Police and US Homeland Security. A PRIVATE TRAGEDY The love of DCI Kate Daniels' life was on that aircraft, but she has no authority to investigate. This major disaster is outside of her jurisdiction and she's ordered to walk away. A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH But Kate can't let it lie. She has to find out what happened to that plane - even if it means going off book. No one is safe. And there are some very dangerous people watching her... My Review Well Mari Hannah certainly knows how to up the game with each book she writes in t...

 Bright Star  by Orna Ross Bright Star by Orna Ross was published in March 2022 . My thanks to Orna for sending me a copy to review and to Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Overview The theme of this gift book is beginning anew. Divided into four sections - Rebirth, Renew, Reconnect and Rejoice - these are poems to inspire and uplift, celebrating hope, returning to light and new beginnings. Chosen and arranged by the poet, each poem is beautifully illustrated with art generated by AI using lines from the poetry. My Review I was so pleased to be offered the chance to review this beautiful collection of 12 poems by Orna Ross I found another of her books, Circle of Life, so uplifting. I wasn't disappointed, Bright Star is another set of poems designed to get you thinking about new beginnings, Christmas and births. I love the way that Orna divides her book into four sections, rebirth, reconnect, renew and rejoice with three beautiful and thought prov...

 Let Them Float  by Katie Wimhurst Let Them Float by Katy Wimhurst  was published in December by Alien Buddha Press. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis In these short stories, Katy Wimhurst creates off-kilter worlds that illuminate our own. Apocalyptic rabbits invade a town. People overwhelmed by their lives float above an urban park. A woman turns transparent after a virus. The Messiah helps a grieving widow to garden. A retired man is desperate to see mermaids.  The playful lens of magical realism and surrealism is used to explore physical and mental illness and our fragile environment. Most stories are set at a tipping point, just as change happens to a character or events escalate. Thought-provoking fiction with a good dose of wry humour and whimsy.  My Review This is an intriguing collection of short stories that, in some cases, has you lookin...

  The Other Side  by Milo McGivern The Other Side by Milo McGivern is published by Troubador Books. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to Love Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Return to the wacky and mysterious Island of Animaux; unknown to humans, hidden by fog and always on the move around the planet. The Other Side  features five new tales of crazy adventures. Follow Aubrey the Turkey on a seaside holiday and witness his magic trick gone wrong. See how Clifford Platypus, Walli Hog, and their friends come to his rescue. Experience the biggest crisis in the island's history as it becomes stuck in the Pacific Ocean. But shh, don't forget to keep the island's location a secret! Aubrey the Turkey is once again in big bother. See where he ends up after his bad magic spell, marvel at his strange holiday, and watch how Animaux gets stuck in the biggest crisis in its long history! Get ready to laugh and enjoy the f...

  Murder Mile  by Lynda La Plante Murder Mile by Lynda La Plante is published by Bonnier Books. My thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be a part of the #TeamTennison Tour. Synopsis Jane Tennison, now a Detective Sergeant, has been posted to Peckham CID, one of London's toughest areas. As the rubbish on the streets begins to pile up, so does the murder count: two bodies in as many days. There are no suspects and the manner of death is different in each case. The only link between the two victims is the location of the bodies, found within a short distance of each other near Rye Lane in Peckham. Three days later another murder occurs in the same area. Press headlines scream that a serial killer is loose on 'Murder Mile' and that police incompetence is hampering the investigation. Jane is under immense pressure to catch the killer before they strike again.Working long hours with little sleep, what she uncovers le...