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The Man Who Died Twice
The Man Who Died Twice
Richard Osman | 2021 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
One Heck of a Hoot!
I have read and enjoyed the first in this series which introduced us to the members of The Thursday Murder Club and what a surprising and enjoyable read it was; this second instalment is, in my opinion, even better. You don't have to have read the first as The Man Who Died Twice can be read as a standalone but it will certainly help to have a knowledge of the main characters.

I am loving being back amongst the members of the Thursday Murder Club - Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim and the additional, but definitely not superfluous, characters of Chris, Donna, Stephen, Bogdan, Patrice and Kendrick ... I love them all and really enjoyed getting to more about them which was skilfully woven within the story. The relationships they have with each other is special and really shows the value of friendship, trust and loyalty.

Reading The Man Who Died Twice is like putting on a pair of comfy slippers, a fluffy dressing gown, cosying up on the sofa in front of a real fire with the rain pouring down outside - perfect. Do not, however, be mistaken - this is not a cosy mystery, it is so much more than that - it has action, humour (lots of it), violence (although not a lot and not gratuitous) and tender moments all wrapped up in an excellent plot which is addictive and enthralling.

Is it plausible? Not really but its one heck of a hoot and I love it and cannot wait for the next .. there'd better be one Mr Osman!

Many thanks to Penguin General UK via NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.
  
The Dinner Lady Detectives
The Dinner Lady Detectives
Hannah Hendy | 2021 | Crime, Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is, in my humble opinion, a very successful debut and definitely a series that I am looking forward to keeping up with. It is described as "a delightful, quintessentially British cosy mystery" and that's exactly what you get.

Margery and Clementine are dinner ladies, or to give them their official title 'Education Centre Nourishment Consultants' (really? is that what they're called now?!?!?!), and they are an absolute blast. Their relationship absolutely shines through from start to finish, it's beautiful and very authentic feeling.

Margery and Clementine smell a rat when one of their colleagues is found dead in the walk-in freezer of the school kitchen and so begins their unorthodox investigation into her death which results in all manner of escapades. There are some very funny moments (the suspended school ceiling being a particular highlight for me 🤣🤣) amongst a great and engaging plot with excellent characters throughout.

I raced through this book desperate to find out what happened and how it was all going to come together and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest and I am pleased to read on the publisher website that they have acquired the rights to a three-book deal. I think someone needs to snap this up and make a television series - I can so see Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders as Margery and Clem, in fact, that's who I was seeing in my head as I was reading it!

Highly recommended for those of you who want a break from all the doom, gloom and violence in many crime fiction books and who don't mind a bit of dark humour.

Thank you so much Canelo and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
Khahari Discovering the Meaning of Autism
Khahari Discovering the Meaning of Autism
Evan J Roberts | 2017 | Children
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Khahari Discovering the Meaning of Autism is an excellent educational book for children. It is simple and explains the emotions of Khahari, his friend Omari, and Omari's cousin Jayden.

The boys decide they want to play. Kharhari goes out to play basketball with his friend Omari. When they do, Omari introduces Jayden to Khahari, and they start playing. However, a misunderstood happens when Jayden goes after the ball and takes it inside. Will Khahari and Omari play again, or will a misunderstanding get in the way?

When playing, misunderstandings happen. Things go awry. Will learning about something you do not know and trying to have fun help Khahari and Omari come to an understanding? Can they help teach Jayden how to share by taking turns and playing a game?

As the story unfolds, the children learn and understand each other. This book is about Khahari, Omari, and Jayden. It shows that children with autism are not so different in their desire to play. They just have a unique way of understanding. By asking questions and learning about themselves, your child can help educate all children. Khahari is learning about autism, and Jayden is learning about sharing and taking turns. And together, we're all learning about empathy and inclusivity.

Omari and Khahari, through their understanding of the challenges and struggles of autism, strengthen their friendship and help each other out. This is a lesson all children can benefit from. The author has made it simple and easy to understand and read, ensuring that the journey of learning is enjoyable for children. And the best part? The fun and learning don't end with the book. They continue in real life, where understanding and empathy can make a world of difference.
  
We have always lived in the castle
We have always lived in the castle
Shirley Jackson | 2024 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Good writing skills by the Author (0 more)
Plotless (2 more)
Made no sense
Kiddish
CONFUSED! Is what I’m after finishing this novel. This Novel does showcase some excellent writing and story telling skills by the author.
Chapter 1 needed my utmost attention and I had to slow down my reading pace to understand all those directions and the story because there was a lot going on. From chapter 2, the story began to flow more easily and I was able to pick up some pace with my reading, by chapter 5, I was enjoying the story with the entry of cousin Charles and Merricat’s attempts to frighten him with all that poison talk. By Chapter 7, I was back to the blurb in search of some missing element, like a plot or some kind of purpose or meaning to this story but failed to find any and by chapter 9, this book began to wear me out in terms of reading, I had to put it down and pick it back up a couple of times. This is how I actually felt throughout this book.

Though, I enjoyed the writing and the narration from Merricat’s POV but as far as the story goes, this book just didn’t make sense to me. There was no plot or purpose as to why the characters behaved in a particular manner, was Merricat dead or alive — I had no clue. It was absolutely not a horror story and was very childish. And the ending just went on in circles and the chapters grew longer and tiresome to get through. The book just left me with a lot of unanswered questions.

I personally wouldn’t recommend this book unless you are looking for a good piece of writing.