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Contemporary Monologues for Women
Book
In this volume of the Good Audition Guides, you'll find fifty fantastic speeches for women, all...
The Whiskeys of Ireland
Book
This beautifully produced book, with full-colour photographs throughout, will tell you everything...
The House of Mountfathom
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Luke Mountfathom knows he is special and odd. He is told so by everyone he knows. His parents are...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Secrets of Primrose Square ( book 1) in Books
Oct 20, 2022
192 of 230
Book
The Secrets of Primrose Square (book 1)
By Claudia Carroll
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It's late at night and the rain is pouring down on the Dublin city streets. A mother is grieving for her dead child. She stands silently outside the home of the teenage boy she believes responsible. She watches . . .
In a kitchen on the same square, a girl waits anxiously for her mum to come home. She knows exactly where she is, but she knows she cannot reach her.
A few doors down, and a widow sits alone in her room. She has just delivered a bombshell to her family during dinner and her life is about to change forever.
And an aspiring theatre director has just moved in to a flat across the street. Her landlord is absent, but there are already things about him that don't quite add up . . .
Welcome to Primrose Square.
What a genuinely lovely book to read. It was so heartfelt and touching. It showed the struggles of grief and the amazing friendships that come from it. There’s nothing worse than losing a child and this book showed the struggle of dealing with it. I think we all need a Primrose Square in our lives.
Book
The Secrets of Primrose Square (book 1)
By Claudia Carroll
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It's late at night and the rain is pouring down on the Dublin city streets. A mother is grieving for her dead child. She stands silently outside the home of the teenage boy she believes responsible. She watches . . .
In a kitchen on the same square, a girl waits anxiously for her mum to come home. She knows exactly where she is, but she knows she cannot reach her.
A few doors down, and a widow sits alone in her room. She has just delivered a bombshell to her family during dinner and her life is about to change forever.
And an aspiring theatre director has just moved in to a flat across the street. Her landlord is absent, but there are already things about him that don't quite add up . . .
Welcome to Primrose Square.
What a genuinely lovely book to read. It was so heartfelt and touching. It showed the struggles of grief and the amazing friendships that come from it. There’s nothing worse than losing a child and this book showed the struggle of dealing with it. I think we all need a Primrose Square in our lives.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Trespasser: Dublin Murder Squad in Books
Feb 1, 2018
We're up to the sixth installment in Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series and she's still going strong. In this one, we hear from Antoinette Conway, the partner of Stephen Moran from French's previous novel, [b:The Secret Place|20821043|The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #5)|Tana French|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1396671263s/20821043.jpg|21598636]. Being a Detective on the Murder Squad isn't everything Antoinette hoped for. She isn't fitting in on the male squad--most of whom tease and prank her viciously--and she and Steve seem only to receive the most bland, boring cases. Not much bothers Antoinette, but she's about ready to leave the Squad behind for good. So when the latest case comes in--handed straight to Conway and Moran by their boss--it looks like much of the same: another domestic dispute. Beautiful, blond Aislinn Murray has been killed in her home. It looks like a typical lover's quarrel gone wrong. Aislinn's table is set for a romantic dinner, and she's dressed up for a beau. But as Antoinette and Steve investigate, they find things aren't exactly what they seem. Why is their colleague, Detective Breslin, so involved in their case? Why does Antoinette keep seeing someone following her home? And why is the local media out to get her? Antoinette knows the Squad doesn't like her, but now it seems like the hatred is wrapped up in her case, too. Who can she trust--and where will it end?
I'll say it up front: this was an excellent mystery. Just a wonderful read. I love all of French's novels, but thoroughly enjoyed this one. Antoinette was a refreshing voice and completely relatable. Her case was interesting and well-plotted, leaving you constantly guessing. As per a typical French novel, you don't receive just a simple mystery; each of her books comes with a backstory. In this one, we see Antoinette battling her demons and her inability to fit in with her Squad. Are they really out to get her, or is it all in her head? It's true that French's books probably aren't for everyone. There's a lot of talking, a lot of expounding, and a lot of knowing what her characters are thinking. But, in turn, you're presented with characters who are so complex, so rich and in-depth. It's amazing. I've said it in previous reviews, but I love that when I open one of French's novels, I know that I'll be completely transported into another world for a few days. Her writing is strong that you completely inhabit her characters and their environment.
Antoinette, as mentioned, is a complex female character -- strong yet vulnerable and just completely refreshing to find in a detective novel. Her relationship with Moran was very enjoyable to read about, especially after hearing about their initial early meeting in [b:The Secret Place|20821043|The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #5)|Tana French|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1396671263s/20821043.jpg|21598636] from Moran's point of view. There's a humor to Conway, lending levity when needed, but also a dark side. She's bitter with the world for a reason. Because the entire book is told from her perspective, we're figuring out the mystery with her, learning facts and alibis as she does, and unraveling the plot along with our detective. Of course, we're limited to seeing the case from her perspective, too. As Moran and Conway try to determine who they can trust, so do we. The book expertly leaves you guessing with the plot; it takes you in one direction early in an incredibly convincing matter. It also skillfully takes you inside the Squad, allowing us to see not only how a case is run, but the inner politics.
In this way, the novel is not just a well-crafted mystery but a lovely treatise on relationships and friendships and the lengths we go for both. I'm also left amazed at how much French can put into a novel. Her way with words is magical, and I just love her books, her stories, and her characters. I highly recommend this novel, or any of her earlier work. 4.5 stars.
I'll say it up front: this was an excellent mystery. Just a wonderful read. I love all of French's novels, but thoroughly enjoyed this one. Antoinette was a refreshing voice and completely relatable. Her case was interesting and well-plotted, leaving you constantly guessing. As per a typical French novel, you don't receive just a simple mystery; each of her books comes with a backstory. In this one, we see Antoinette battling her demons and her inability to fit in with her Squad. Are they really out to get her, or is it all in her head? It's true that French's books probably aren't for everyone. There's a lot of talking, a lot of expounding, and a lot of knowing what her characters are thinking. But, in turn, you're presented with characters who are so complex, so rich and in-depth. It's amazing. I've said it in previous reviews, but I love that when I open one of French's novels, I know that I'll be completely transported into another world for a few days. Her writing is strong that you completely inhabit her characters and their environment.
Antoinette, as mentioned, is a complex female character -- strong yet vulnerable and just completely refreshing to find in a detective novel. Her relationship with Moran was very enjoyable to read about, especially after hearing about their initial early meeting in [b:The Secret Place|20821043|The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #5)|Tana French|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1396671263s/20821043.jpg|21598636] from Moran's point of view. There's a humor to Conway, lending levity when needed, but also a dark side. She's bitter with the world for a reason. Because the entire book is told from her perspective, we're figuring out the mystery with her, learning facts and alibis as she does, and unraveling the plot along with our detective. Of course, we're limited to seeing the case from her perspective, too. As Moran and Conway try to determine who they can trust, so do we. The book expertly leaves you guessing with the plot; it takes you in one direction early in an incredibly convincing matter. It also skillfully takes you inside the Squad, allowing us to see not only how a case is run, but the inner politics.
In this way, the novel is not just a well-crafted mystery but a lovely treatise on relationships and friendships and the lengths we go for both. I'm also left amazed at how much French can put into a novel. Her way with words is magical, and I just love her books, her stories, and her characters. I highly recommend this novel, or any of her earlier work. 4.5 stars.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Trespasser: Dublin Murder Squad in Books
Dec 11, 2017
Good, realistic but fairly anti-climactic
Tana French's look into the Dublin police force is gritty and rather depressing, filled with backbiting and even sabotage. It is gripping in the beginning, seeing a murder investigation almost in real time. The downfall of this book, ironically, is its length, having revealed most of the plot three-quarters of the way through the novel.
The plot of The Trespasser centres on a murder investigation viewed as a straightforward domestic with the murderer being the victim’s boyfriend, but Antoinette and Steve discover something far more sinister. The obvious suspect is subjected to interrogation in a most unorthodox and questionable manner with harsh treatment and language that is likely to be unconvincing to readers – and hopefully is far-fetched. Narrative is largely via Antoinette, and her language and dialogue are irritatingly intrusive throughout the book.
In addition to background support a third detective is added to the team who attempts to force an early arrest of the prime suspect, but Antoinette and Steve are looking elsewhere. The plot becomes hugely complex as corruption is exposed and doubts creep in that the murderer may be closer than the murder victim’s boyfriend. With that being said, the to-ing and fro-ing between three suspects becomes tedious and the big reveal as a result, is rather anti-climactic. Interesting read nevertheless.
The plot of The Trespasser centres on a murder investigation viewed as a straightforward domestic with the murderer being the victim’s boyfriend, but Antoinette and Steve discover something far more sinister. The obvious suspect is subjected to interrogation in a most unorthodox and questionable manner with harsh treatment and language that is likely to be unconvincing to readers – and hopefully is far-fetched. Narrative is largely via Antoinette, and her language and dialogue are irritatingly intrusive throughout the book.
In addition to background support a third detective is added to the team who attempts to force an early arrest of the prime suspect, but Antoinette and Steve are looking elsewhere. The plot becomes hugely complex as corruption is exposed and doubts creep in that the murderer may be closer than the murder victim’s boyfriend. With that being said, the to-ing and fro-ing between three suspects becomes tedious and the big reveal as a result, is rather anti-climactic. Interesting read nevertheless.
David McK (3425 KP) rated Knights of the Hawk (The Bloody Aftermath of 1066, #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I remember a few years back I read a book, before I read the first in this 'Conquest' series [b:Sworn Sword|20684800|Sworn Sword A Novel|James Aitcheson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png|39982373], which told of (some of) the events of 1066 from the English rather than Norman perspective.
Why do I bring that up? Because the main character of that book - Hereward, known today with the sobriquet 'The Wake' - also appears in this, and is indeed a central character in roughly the first half or so.
That part of the book deals with King Guillaime (William, aka (today) 'The Conqueror') campaign to crush the last(?) of the English resistance to his conquest in the fen country, with Tancred (as always) playing a central role in doing so. Following their eventual success, however, and for plot reasons I am not going to go into here, Tancred finds himself on the run from his former Lord, traveling to Dyfflin (Dublin) in pursuit of his lost love, leading to him allying himself with the most unlikely of allies and launching an assault upon a Dane who has holed up in the Northern Isles.
This, I felt, is another great read in the series: I will be picking up the next when it comes out!
Why do I bring that up? Because the main character of that book - Hereward, known today with the sobriquet 'The Wake' - also appears in this, and is indeed a central character in roughly the first half or so.
That part of the book deals with King Guillaime (William, aka (today) 'The Conqueror') campaign to crush the last(?) of the English resistance to his conquest in the fen country, with Tancred (as always) playing a central role in doing so. Following their eventual success, however, and for plot reasons I am not going to go into here, Tancred finds himself on the run from his former Lord, traveling to Dyfflin (Dublin) in pursuit of his lost love, leading to him allying himself with the most unlikely of allies and launching an assault upon a Dane who has holed up in the Northern Isles.
This, I felt, is another great read in the series: I will be picking up the next when it comes out!
David McK (3425 KP) rated Young Bloods (Revolution, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Back in 2006/07, Simon Scarrow took a short break from writing his more famous Eagle/Cato series of books to concentrate on a new quadrilogy of books, centred around two military greats opposed to each other: Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington) and Napoleon Bonaparte.
This is the first of those books, taking it roughly sectiona bout to follw each character through the trials and tribulations of their early life and formative years: through Arthur Wesley (as it was initailly spelled) early life in Ireland, to his move to Engalnd and back again to Dublin alongside Napoleon Bueno Parte (as the Corsican spelling has it) education in France, his attempts to gain Corsican indendepence and his rise during the period of the French Revolution.
As the first in the sereis, this (I felt) did not have - maybe - the 'grip' of the earlier Cato/Macro Roman legion books: there was nothing really in this that made me want to rush out and complete the set.
Having said, that, however, that is just what I did (complete the set), but more from a sense of completionism than for any other real reason. From what I remember (it's been a while since I read them - I may go back and do just that), the sequels are better!
This is the first of those books, taking it roughly sectiona bout to follw each character through the trials and tribulations of their early life and formative years: through Arthur Wesley (as it was initailly spelled) early life in Ireland, to his move to Engalnd and back again to Dublin alongside Napoleon Bueno Parte (as the Corsican spelling has it) education in France, his attempts to gain Corsican indendepence and his rise during the period of the French Revolution.
As the first in the sereis, this (I felt) did not have - maybe - the 'grip' of the earlier Cato/Macro Roman legion books: there was nothing really in this that made me want to rush out and complete the set.
Having said, that, however, that is just what I did (complete the set), but more from a sense of completionism than for any other real reason. From what I remember (it's been a while since I read them - I may go back and do just that), the sequels are better!
The Rocky Road
Book
The Rocky Road is the autobiography of Eamon Dunphy - the man the Guardian called 'the most...
James Connolly: My Search for the Man, the Myth and His Legacy
Book
"Very interesting on how fanaticism can develop within a community, and especially relevant today."...