Book reviews

Forgotten Lives is the second of the Whitby's Forgotten Victims series, and I've seen enough now to think I'll probably be on board for any additions - it's a good read.In this volume, a body is found in the walls of a pub that's about to be torn down, and DCI Frank...

I always enjoy a crime book that makes you feel like you're reading something fresh and interesting, rather than a retread of everything that's gone before, even when there are familiar elements. That was certainly the case for me in One of Us Is Dead.It begins with...

This was a fun read, albeit one that took a little while to get into.It opens with the birthday party - and death - of the wealthy Anthony Wistern. Impaled on a spike in a pool, his death draws interest and suspicion from far and wide. If he was murdered, who did it?...

The Salt Flats is a taut and well-told tale about a couple heading to a mysterious retreat on the Bolivian salt flats.It's difficult to pin down as a specific genre. Is it a book about climate change fear (guilt about climate change eats away at main character...

I really enjoyed this start to a new crime/detective series from Wes Markin.When old remains are discovered in a suitcase in Whitby, Detective Chief Inspector Frank Black is put on the case. He sees beyond the bones to the person they once were, with hopes and dreams...

Slow Dance is an enjoyable romance that dances through time (sorry, you just have to run with the title cheese sometimes) as it builds up to romance in the past and present.Shiloh and Cary are our hero and heroine, with Shiloh the main viewpoint character. This...

At the beginning of Irresponsible Adult, our main character Robyn is verging on smug (which almost put me off - you have to keep reading).She's making sales left, right and centre in her estate agent job and she's about to make a huge investment that could set her up...

A lovely and literary exploration of a family that's still grieving, 12 years after the death of daughter Alice.Now her younger brother is getting married to her old frenemy, after hiding their relationship from both sets of parents. Gathering everyone in the same...

An engaging read with a fresh summer feel.Nevertheless, it's a serious book too (but not so much to weigh you down).It begins when main character Ali Morris is grieving - her mother died two years ago, and her husband left her on the one-year anniversary. She...

Between Friends & Lovers is really quite delightful.Yes, it's a romance with a love triangle, but it's not forced or cliched, and there aren't (refreshingly) too many misunderstandings.Anyway, back to the beginning: Josephine Boateng is a doctor and influencer,...

The Mercy of Gods is part 1 of a new science fiction epic series from the author(s) of the Expanse series. I haven't read the Expanse but really loved this book so clearly am going to have to clear some more space on the old bookshelf.It begins with humans on a planet...

As you should be able to tell from the title - but let me just confirm it - this really is a book all about triangles. Do not buy it if you are not remotely interested in these shapes with three sides! But if you like popular science books, are intrigued by the shapes...

This is a literary romance with bags of charm and a gentle pace.Addie lives on a tiny island running a women's retreat with her mother, who has controlled her every move her whole life. She dreams of getting away but doesn't know how. Sol is visits a neighbouring...

Five years ago, Ryan's girlfriend goes missing during a night out with him - he says she was taken, no one else is convinced, but with no body there is only suspicion rather than arrests. Today, Ryan's at law school, slowly getting over it all - and then her car is...

I see the 5-star reviews and this is a page-turner, but gawd it's depressing, too.Redemption is largely about retribution. Eleven years ago Aaron ran over and killed Evelyn and Josh's nine-year-old son. For eleven years, Evelyn has been waiting to serve justice - to...