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Murder on the Home Front
Murder on the Home Front
Jessica Ellicott | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Body in the Air Raid Shelter
Billie Harkness has been on the job as one of only two female constables in the Hull police force for a few weeks now. In that time, neither her co-workers nor the public have come to accept her any more then when she first started. One of her true allies has been Peter Upton, a fellow constable who has been training her. When the two of them find a dead body in an air raid shelter, Billie discovers some details that don’t make any sense. Can they use those to figure out what happened to the victim?

It was great to be back in summer 1940 with Billie and Peter. While most of the book is written from Billie’s third person point of view, we get some scenes from Peter’s, and they help flesh out the characters and plot wonderfully. I was hooked the entire way through the story, although I did wonder where it was going a bit at first. Once the body turned up, things were full speed ahead until we reached the end. There is a strong sub-plot that is unfortunately too real and should not have been acceptable then or now. I appreciated how it was handled. The overall mystery is something that could only be told in England during World War II, and it helped bring details of that time in history to life for me. If you enjoy historical mysteries, you need to pick it up.
  
Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter
Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter
Lizzie Pook | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Moonlight and the Pearler’s daughter ticked a lot of the boxes on my ‘favourite books’ list:
Historical fiction ✅
Set somewhere completely out of my previous knowledge ✅
A strong female character, operating in a difficult situation ✅
A bit of a mystery ✅ (I don’t really want to try and solve it, I just like the big reveal!)

As is often the case, the expectation of women in historical fiction is to stay at home, look after the house, wait to get married and have babies. But Eliza won’t stay at home when her father goes missing - she doesn’t assume he’s dead like the rest of the townsfolk.

There’s a real feeling of danger in a town where there appears to be no law keepers - not honest one’s, anyway. And if the corrupt, prejudiced townsfolk don’t get you, the climate and the wildlife (jellyfish, crocodiles!!) will.

This is a gripping, descriptive novel, that puts the reader firmly in Eliza’s world. I certainly had more of an idea of the hardships of living in NW Australia at this time. What will stay with me however, is Eliza’s determination to save her father and her family. She’s single-minded in her quest to find him, and determined not to let anyone else take the blame for his supposed death. It’s unnerving at times, when the attitudes of the white settlers towards the Aboriginals and other people of colour are starkly described.

A dark time in history, indeed.
And I’d highly recommend this. It’s wonderfully told.
  
TP
The Plotters
Un-su Kim | 2023
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
154 of 235
Book
The Plotters
By Un-su Kim
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Behind every assassination, there is an anonymous mastermind--a plotter--working in the shadows. Plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, but their existence is little more than legend. Just who are the plotters? And more important, what do they want?
     Reseng is an assassin. Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library," Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But one day, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans. And when he uncovers an extraordinary scheme set into motion by an eccentric trio of young women--a convenience store clerk, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed librarian--Reseng will have to decide if he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the plot.
     Crackling with action and filled with unforgettable characters, The Plotters is a deeply entertaining thriller that soars with the soul, wit, and lyricism of real literary craft.

I really enjoyed this book it was dark, twisty and violent. A look into the dark world of an assassin life one that doesn’t like doing what he does. Knowing he has only one way out. I wasn’t expecting to like it at all it was a mystery book I had in a subscription box. It was really well translated too.
  
A Sense for Murder
A Sense for Murder
Leslie Karst | 2023 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fundraising is Murder
When Sally Solari hears about the farm-to-fork fundraiser that the new restaurant in Santa Cruz is hosting, she immediately volunteers to help with the cooking for the event. As a result, she on hand when someone steals one of the auction items – a signed set of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking – killing a member of the restaurant’s staff as well. Can Sally figure out what happened?

The book takes a bit of time setting up the suspects, but it isn’t too long before the body is found and things really pick up. There were several puzzling twists on the way to the satisfying climax. I was anxious to see how Sally’s relationship with her new boyfriend was going to go. I appreciated that their storyline didn’t drag their conflict out too much. The rest of the cast was great; we mostly focus on the suspects, and they kept me guessing. The book touches on the issue of the homeless, and I felt it did a good job of presenting the concerns fairly, which I appreciated. We also dabble a little with the sixth sense in this book, but it didn’t go so far that it bothered me or took this book out of the real world. There are five gourmet recipes at the end to enjoy later. This series was always intended to be a six book series, and if the author does stick with that, fans will be happy with where Sally winds up here.
  
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Morgan Sheppard (992 KP) created a post

Feb 16, 2024  
IT'S LIVE!!! - Slippers and Songs

I can't believe it's finally out in the world! So far, the feedback has been great. And don't forget, you can get it for FREE in return for a review if you click the link for BookSirens - https://booksirens.com/book/HI60XMA/Y746Y5R

I also had some fun this week and, by request, made a recipe page for the Brodyr Alarch. All of the recipes were found online - although some have already disappeared, so I had to find substitutes! Which one would you like to try the most? And if you do for real, let me know what you think! https://morganjsheppard.weebly.com/brodyralarchrecipes.html

You can find Slippers and Songs at the following:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200681601-slippers-and-songs​
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/slippers-and-songs-by-morgan-sheppard​
Smashbomb: https://smashbomb.com/s/slippers-and-songs-brodyr-alarch-1​
Universal Purchase: https://books2read.com/SlippersandSongs​
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSPQTCJ6​
Apple: https://books.apple.com/de/book/slippers-and-songs-brodyr-alarch-1/id6477316319​
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/slippers-and-songs-morgan-sheppard/1144779682​
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/slippers-and-songs-brodyr-alarch-1​
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1514775​
Eden: https://edenbookstore.com/product/pre-order-slippers-and-songs-brodyr-alarch-11/

If you could spare a moment, I'd greatly appreciate your review. Even just a few words can make a significant difference for authors.💙

Have a great weekend and I'll catch you later. Have fun!

#Fantasy
#Romance
#WelshGods
#BrodyrAlarch
#BrothersGrimm
#FairytaleRetelling