From the Book Elf

  The Waterfall by Gareth Rubin The Waterfall by Gareth Ruben  was published by Simon & Schuster on 25th September 2025. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me on the Tour. Synopsis A story about stories within stories as four interconnected mysteries take the reader through the ages, from Shakespeare’s day to a 19th century Gothic former Priory, to 1920s Venice, and finally to 1940s California, from the internationally bestselling author of The Turnglass. We begin with the last testament of William Shakespeare as he investigates the real-life murder mystery of his friend, playwright Christopher Marlowe. The second story is a 19th Century Gothic tale about the discovery of Shakespeare’s manuscript, set in an isolated former priory, turned into a clinic for those who cannot sleep. The third is a lighter Golden Age detective tale set in Venice, where private investigator Honora Feldman l...

The Magic of Mr Mishkins  by Samantha Mattocks My huge thanks to Samantha for sending me a copy to review and to  Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me on the tour. Synopsis Everyone's favourite magical ginger cat returns to his Apothecary on Mosaic Street in book two of the Magical Mister Mishkins Series. Here, Mister Mishkins encounters Celene, a girl with a dream to dance with the mice on the moon. As well as Celene, Mister Mishkins and his clowder of cats help a range of children with their everyday fears. When a boy jumps into the Apothecary drawers, Mister Mishkins' new friend, Nero the Hero, joins the cats as they battle the emotions within the realm and try to reach the boy before it is too late. Will they be able to save the boy? And will Celene make it to the moon? Mister Mishkins has all the answers! Samantha Mattocks' next book in her spellbinding The Mister Mishkins Series further evolves the colourful, magical world she has created, brought t...

Male Unknown by C.J. Griffiths   Male Unknown by C.J. Griffiths was published on 11th September 2025  by No Exit Press.  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 EDIE CARTER. FORGIVE ME.   The four words carved into the body of an unidentified patient which bring the repressed childhood trauma of young trainee anaesthetist Edie Carter flooding back. But what terrible secret does the sedated man fighting for his life in her intensive care unit hold? And when she finds out, will she still want to save him? Young doctor Edie Carter is bright, talented and ambitious. She is embarking on her dream career in anaesthetics and is engaged to a man who adores her. The one thing she doesn’t have is a childhood. Suffering from traumatic repression, large parts of her past are blank spaces. When an unidentified patient arrives in her intensive care unit wi...

Daughter of Genoa  by Kat Devereaux   Daughter of Genoa by Kat Devereaux was published on 11th September by Aria. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me on the tour. Synopsis In Nazi-occupied Italy, keeping secrets could be deadly… Genoa, 1944: Widowed and alone, Anna Pastorino has been surviving on her wits since the Germans invaded. The daughter of a prominent Jewish antifascist, Anna lives a hidden life in her small flat near the harbour ... until an RAF bomb destroys her only shelter. When a Jesuit priest approaches her offering help, she has no choice but to accept. She follows her new friend, Father Vittorio, to a safe house above a printers’ shop in a quiet street near via Assarotti. But the Tipografia Guichard is more than just a refuge. It’s a forgery workshop: a key part of the secret rescue operation headed by Massimo Teglio, the “Scarlet Pimpernel” of Genoa’s persecuted Jewish popul...

 Sir Louis Curlewy by Susan Crow Sir Louis Curlewy by Susan Crow was published on 21st April 2025 by Crowvus. My thanks to Susan for sending me a copy to review, along with a lovely little Thank you card and  Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the tour. Synopsis This captivating book combines storytelling with fun facts about these remarkable birds, teaching young readers about their habits, habitats, and importance in nature. Perfect for curious minds, Sir Louis Curlewy inspires a love for wildlife and encourages the protection of these treasured creatures. A must-read for nature-loving families and budding bird enthusiasts! MyThoughts This is a lovely little book that is ideal for slipping into your rucksack when you go on a nature walk with a little one so that you can read it to them when, or if , you are lucky enough, as I was , to see and hear the curlews circling overhead.  Curlews are one of my favourite birds and Sir Louis Curlewy does them proud and is a b...

The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder  by Stephen Cox The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder was self published on 1st September. My thanks to Stephen for sending me a copy to review nad to Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the tour. Synopsis London 1881. Can two crooked women stop a murder? Extravagant medium Mrs Ashton and her lover, blunt working-class Mrs Bradshaw, run a spiritualist scam. Mrs Ashton secretly reads minds. Believing that Mrs Ashton is genuine, grieving Lady Violet craves the truth behind her mother’s untimely death. But Lady Violet’s powerful husband Sir Charles hates spiritualists. Has he killed before? Uncovering this MP’s wicked crimes will put all three women in terrible danger… To solve a shocking murder, look both sides of the grave. My Thoughts This is the first time I have come across Stephen Cox and I found it rather a strange read at first. I have to be honest I stopped and started twice with this novel , mainly due to the fact that I found it...