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Nov 8

The Red Monarch By Bella Ellis

The Red MonarchThe Red Monarch’ is the third book By Bella Ellis in Bronte Mysteries series.

The Brontë sisters’ first poetry collection has just been published, potentially marking an end to their careers as amateur detectors, when Anne receives a letter from her former pupil Lydia Robinson. Lydia has eloped with a young actor, Harry Roxby, and following her disinheritance, the couple been living in poverty in London. Harry has become embroiled with a criminal gang and is in terrible danger after allegedly losing something very valuable that he was meant to deliver to their leader. The desperate and heavily pregnant Lydia has a week to return what her husband supposedly stole, or he will be killed. She knows there are few people who she can turn to in this time of need, but the sisters agree to help Lydia, beginning a race against time to save Harry’s life. In doing so, our intrepid sisters come face to face with a terrifying adversary whom even the toughest of the slum-dwellers are afraid of . . . The Red Monarch.

The latest book in the Bronte Mysteries sees the Bronte sisters and their brother leave the Yorkshire wilds for the busy streets of London as they are asked to help find a missing man and missing jewell.

Once again Bella Ellis aka Rowan Coleman has delivered another deliciously atmospheric and compelling story about the Bronte sisters and their detecting skills.

The story sees them meeting some unscrupulous characters and putting themselves in danger as they try to solve mysteries. The various narratives give an interesting insight into the sisters as they find their places in world and experience new things, feelings and emotions as they try to be accepted as female detectives and writers, as well as deal with new loves.

In a time filled with discrimination, sexism and a deep resentment to women, Ellis writes wonderfully of the inspiring women who were brave and challenged dynamics and stood up for beliefs and weren’t afraid to stand up to be heard.

Wonderfully written and filled with charm and wit. This historical fiction book is a glorious story from the first page, this atmospheric and chilling story set in the theatric and scary streets of London. ‘The Red Monarch’ is another fantastic instalment in the
Bronte sisters.

You can pre-order ‘The Red Monarch’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 18th November 2021.

Nov 4

Christmas At The Village Sewing Shop By Helen Rolfe

Christmas At The Village Sewing Shop‘Christmas At The Village Sewing Shop’ is the latest book by Helen Rolfe.

Loretta loves running the little village sewing shop in Butterbury. Some of her most precious memories are sitting with her three daughters Daisy, Ginny and Fern, stitching together pieces of material – and their hopes and dreams.

But this Christmas the family is coming apart at the seams: Fern feels like she’s failing at motherhood and marriage, Ginny’s passion for her job as a midwife is fading, Daisy is desperate to prove she ‘ s changed since her wild younger years – and most of all, Loretta seems to be hiding something…

It’s that time of the year when the Christmas books are hitting the shelves and we’ve got that warm and fuzzy feeling from festive reading.

The story is seen through the narrative of mother Loretta and her 3 daughters, Fern, Ginny and Daisy. Their relationship is turbulent and all Loretta wants is for the 4 of them to be together for the Christmas with their grandfather Ivor and hopes that sewing a quilt together for their grandfather will bring them all together.

Once close, the sisters have all drifted apart. Eldest sister, Fern likes order and control, so much so that it’s affecting her marriage and using the time away to work on herself. Ginny prefers to be more of a free spirit and working in temp jobs as a midwife. Her heart has never recovered when her first love Lucas broke it and now he’s back in her life and all feelings have ignited. Whilst Daisy is the baby of the family and most sensitive of the three girls. She’s never left home and enjoys the security of her mother’s sewing shop, whilst admiring her teenage crush called Joshua from afar.

This story is a charming festive read about reconciliation and sibling relationships and it made for tender reading as the three sisters begin to bond whilst rediscovering their shared love of sewing and reflecting on their childhoods. There are lovely moments in the stories as they reconnect.

Beautifully written and filled with festive charm and romance, ‘The Christmas Village Sewing Shop’ is a lovely book to curl up and get you in the festive Christmas mood.

You can buy ‘Christmas At The Village Sewing Shop’ from Amazon

Nov 4

Sometimes When I Sleep By Helen Salsbury

Sometimes When I Sleep‘Sometime When I Sleep’ is the latest book by Helen Salbury.

For the last couple of evenings, I’ve been embroiled in this fascinating thriller with a gothic and paranormal undertones.

The story is seen through the narrative of Harriet who’s joined Eden University and is happy to be away from dysfunctional family and from living in her brother’s shadow. She’s left behind hockey and straight A’s grades and finds solace in the menacing and dark lyrics of Dark Island, a rock band with sinister and troubling songs. Harriet finds friendship in Iquis, a quiet and fore brooding goth woman who people are drawn to particularly Harriet and Mark, a man that Harriet finds repulsive but is secretly drawn to.

As Harriet settle into university life, her nights are occupied by troubled dreams and visions that makes it hard for her to know what is real and what is not. Both Iquis and Harriet have troubled lives but they find solace and understanding in each other’s pain and are trying to piece their lives together with each other’s help. Although their friendship is turbulent and occasionally one-sided, it’s evident that they care for each other.

This story is a dark one from the terrifying and claustrophobic dreams that Harriet has, to the disturbing lyrics in Dark Island’s songs with their cult like following. The book is cleverly written and wildly descriptive with smaller stories that come neatly together in the final chapters.

Rife with atmosphere and eeriness from the first page. Sometimes When I Sleep’ is an angst ridden and poignant story about tragedies, life and grief that made for magnificent reading.

You can buy ‘Sometimes When I Sleep’ from Amazon.

Oct 28

Let Me Sleep By Laura J Sillett

Let Me Sleep’’Let Me Sleep’ is the latest book by Laura J Sillet.

Tormented by nightmares of a screaming woman, Nico Jakes opens his eyes to an unfamiliar world. Forced into hiding by a global war, a society has made its home underground. Suffering from psychological trauma, Nico learns that his lost memories hold the key to the survival of the entire community. Frustrated, confused, and under the watchful eye of his protective brother, Nico submits to an unconventional drug treatment to unearth a crucial secret, before an escaped traitor can exploit it. But the descent into his mind also opens the flood gates to Nico’s past, bringing back forgotten lovers, enemies, and tragedy. With dreams warped by drugs and memories tainted by lies, Nico soon realises that he cannot trust anything, not even himself.

When I initially started this book, I found it a bit hard to get into. To understand the premise of the story and all the roles of the characters but once I got into the book, I found it to be a fascinating read.

This story is a dark, dystopian tale set in the future in 2031 and seen through the eyes of Nico, the hero of the story who’s having to save the world by going into his dreams and revisiting the world that he wants to forget and has to piece together his memories.

The story is set in the past and present and at times, I did find it a bit confusing at times to understand which era the story is set in. Nico initially comes across as quite an unlikable and nasty character who has to face up to his past and his memories are unreliable, so he’s unsure as to what is real and what is not.

As the story progresses and Nico deals with his issues, we see him progress in personality and life and this makes for interesting reading in such a bleak world.

A compelling and dark story riddled with suspense, despair and drama, ‘Let Me Sleep’ is a fascinating story of recovery and hope.

You can buy ‘Let Me Sleep’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Oct 27

The Rabbit Factor By Antti Toumainen

The Rabbit Factor‘The Rabbit Factor’ is the latest book by Antti Toumainen.

What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal. And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.But what Henri really can’t compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri’s relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets…

Seen through the narrative of Henri, this book is a quirky story that entertained me. Henri is a mathematical and logical man who has been left an amusement park by his deceased brother who also leaves behind a huge amount of debt.

Using logic and his calculations Henri has to save his brother’s failing amusement park as well trying to pay off the loan sharks that are threatening his life.

Henri is a mild mannered character who keeps his feelings in check. He’s a loner who’s unhappy in life and once he’s given an amusement park to look after and rescue, Henri finds a new meaning to his life and finds people that he connects with.

This story is a fascinating one, it’s a quirky storyline that has the reader smiling and giggling throughout. I loved Henri, he’s smart he’s odd but at the core of it all, he has a huge heart.

With a fantastically bright and fun cover, ‘The Rabbit Factor’ is a story of new beginnings and friendships, that made for really enjoyable reading

You can buy ‘The Rabbit Factor’ from Amazon.

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