From the Book Elf

  The Search Party  by Hannah Richell The Search Party by Hannah Richell  was published on 18th January 2024 by Simon & Schuster. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Five old friends. One glamping weekend. A storm that will change everything. Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. They invite old university friends – TV star Dominic, doctor and new mum Kira, and free-spirited Jim and Suze – and their children for a trial weekend but the reunion quickly veers off-course. First, there’s The Incident around the campfire on the first night. The following afternoon, a storm quickly develops off the rugged North Coast. When one of their group goes missing, all hell breaks loose. And as the winds batter the bell-tents, emotions run high and tension mounts for all the characters. Who is ...

 Eat To Your Heart's Content  by Sat Bains  Eat To Your Heart's Content by Sat Baine was published on  18th January 2024 by Octopus Books 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 Sat Bains worked out, always maintained a reasonable weight and considered himself fit and healthy, so it was a shock when, in March 2021, he had a massive heart attack and underwent an emergency triple heart bypass operation. During recovery, Sat consulted his friend, nutritionist Dr Neil Williams, who guided him on a revised diet to help maintain heart health. Having two Michelin Stars and a three-decade long obsession with flavour, Sat was not willing to sacrifice great food just because his diet now had to be heart healthy. This collection of recipes is made up of those he devised following surgery and focuses on lean protein, a mix of legumes, good fats - such as avocado,...

  Vegan Recipes for New Age Men  by Liz Treacher Vegan recipes for New Age Men was written by Liz Treacher  and published by Skelbo Press in 2023.  Liz has sent me the book to review in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis Lauren really, really needs a break. There’s just one problem: a bearded bohemian is squatting in her Highland cottage by the sea. He’s performing reiki on her plants and cluttering the fridge with strange ingredients. What on earth is aquafaba, anyway? When her busybody granny turns up to crash her much-needed holiday, along with Lauren’s boyfriend Patrick - who really is perfect for her, by the way - things get even worse.  As her life unravels, Lauren is forced to confront the ghosts lurking in her idyllic Scottish retreat. But with a skilled hand in the kitchen and a heartfelt recipe or two, she might discover that maybe - just maybe - chickpeas aren’t so bad after all. My Review This lovely cosy romantic novel arrived though me le...

 Spanish House Secrets  by Susan Gray Spanish House Secrets was published in 2023. My thanks to Susan for sending me a copy to review and to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis In 2019 Grace’s memories from childhood are stirred by the sound of a melody. Her home in 1950’s England was a Spanish House. A house with secrets. 1920’s England…loveable, likeable Simon receives a letter on the eve of his twenty-first birthday. A letter that will change the course of his life. Dainty, demure Olivia has so much to be thankful for: a doting husband, a beautiful house and a thriving business…but a nagging doubt. In the last years of the Roaring Twenties this doubt is compounded by the discovery of a discarded item. Elise has known many harsh blows in her young life. Returning to her home in Madrid in 1922, she knows she must pick herself up and move on. Can she continue to live in this Spanish House? The arrival of a visitor creates a new dimensio...

  The Running Wolf  by Helen Steadman The Running Wolf by Helen Steadman  was published in March 2022 by Bell Jar Books. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis When a German smuggler is imprisoned in Morpeth Gaol in the winter of 1703, why does Queen Anne's powerful right-hand man, The Earl of Nottingham, take such a keen interest? At the end of the turbulent 17th century, the ties that bind men are fraying, turning neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend and brother against brother. Beneath a seething layer of religious intolerance, community suspicion and political intrigue, The Running Wolf takes us deep into the heart of rebel country in the run-up to the 1715 Jacobite uprising. Hermann Mohll is a master sword maker from Solingen in Germany who risks his life by breaking his guild oaths and settling in England. While trying to save his family and neighbours ...

  The Longest Goodbye  by Mari Hannah The Longest Goodbye by Mari Hannah is published on 18th January 2024.  My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be a part of  #TeamDaniels. LIES COST LIVES THE BRAND NEW KATE DANIELS THRILLER Three years ago police officer Georgina Ioannau was murdered, her killers never brought to justice. Now the prime suspects have been shot dead within hours of their return to the UK. Has someone finally taken the law into their own hands? Seeking out the truth will force Kate Daniels to confront her own past mistakes, and put her career, and her team's lives, on the line. My Review  The latest in this incredible series of thrillers centred around DCI Kate Daniels has been well worth the wait. The cover itself sets you up for what lies in wait within the pages you are about to read and brings a sense of foreboding before you even start, with this powerful image...

 The Library of Heartbeats  by Laura Imai Messina The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina  was published on 4th January 2024.  My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Compulsive Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis To find what you have lost, you must listen to your heart . . . On the peaceful Japanese island of Teshima there is a library of heartbeats, a place where the heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected. In this small, isolated building, the heartbeats of people who are still alive or have already passed away continue to echo. Several miles away, in the ancient city of Kamakura, two lonely souls Shuichi, a forty-year-old illustrator, who returns to his home-town to fix up the house of his recently deceased mother, and eight-year-old Kenta, a child who wanders like a shadow around Shuichi's house. Day by day, the trust between Shuichi and Kenta grows until they dis...

 The Dirty Dozen  by Lynda La Plante The Dirty Dozen 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 has worked hard to become the first female detective ever post to the infamous Flying Squad, or 'the Sweeney'. But the Dirty Dozen is a notorious boys' club, and Jane's new colleagues make it clear that they don't think a woman is up to the dangers of the job. Dealing with some of London's most ruthless armed criminals, who think the only good cop is a dead cop, is no joke. Determined to prove she's as good as the men, Jane discovers from a reliable witness that a gang is going to carry out a massive robbery. But she doesn't know who they are, or where and when they will strike . . . My Review This series is getting better and better with every book that I read. There is now far more emphasis...