I have loved every single one of the Bunch Courtney Investigation books, so I was very much looking forward to reading Deadly Plot. I knew I was in for a treat, and I wasn’t wrong.
In this book a body is found buried in a local allotment and Rose ‘Bunch’ Courtney is hired to help with the investigations, alongside her many other duties and responsibilities.
Bunch is a fabulous character. She’s determined she will not become a typical housewife and to be honest I doubt she’d even find the time. She very much needs to be busy. She is still grieving and trying to accept her own limitations whilst doing everything she can to support the war effort and help solve this most recent murder. I love how curious and intuitive she is. She is an asset to the team.
I love the relationship she has with her family and her colleagues. I do find her quite amusing at times. Her dedication to everything she does is admirable, especially considering the potential risks to her own life.
I love the language throughout this book and the setting. Obviously, I wasn’t alive during the war, and I’ve never been to Sussex, but this book transported me to that time and place. I was immersed in the story. There is such a diverse and fascinating cast of characters. I loved it!
If you love a good murder mystery, historical fiction, and/or books set during the war then look no further. If you’re new to the series though, start with book one, Winter Downs.
**Many thanks to Jan Edwards for my advance kindle copy for review**
When the body of Nario Costa is dug up in Wyncombe’s Victory Gardens, Bunch Courtney’s investigations unearth far more than an escaped POW!
What at first appears to be a cold case takes a darker turn as she uncovers links far beyond her Sussex home — and the body count begins to rise!
Hi, I just wanted to make you all aware of these excellent books by Mick Williams….
I was lucky enough to have read very early copies of these quite some time ago and because I’m an idiot I neglected to write proper reviews for them at the time.
I can, however, confirm that I thoroughly enjoyed them both and very much recommend that you add them to your reading list.
I intend to re-read them at some point and update my review(s). Apologies to Mick for being so disorganised. Thank you so much for sending me ARCs. I do genuinely appreciate having the opportunity to read your books way in advance of the general public 🙂
Anyway, here are the details you need folks….
The Old Farts Club returns in the explosive sequel to the award-winning debut, Exodus.
A sniper’s bullet buzzes the ear of retired bomb disposal expert, John McIntyre, leaving his colleague dead in the street.
When McIntyre discovers the sniper was only the first part of a kill-team sent to stop their investigation into mysterious happenings in the North Sea, he calls in a favor from an old military friend, English, the latest recruit of The Old Farts Club.
While The Club heads overseas to help McIntyre, a purse snatching at home leads Dud’s wife, Evie, and her sister on a chase across the country to confront the thief – a journey that develops into an adventure more perilous and chilling at every turn.
But when the guys find themselves isolated in unchartered waters, and the girls realize the stakes are much higher than they expected, both will have to call on outside help if they are to have any chance of survival.
Will the mission closest to home turn out to be their most dangerous yet? Sarge and Numbers head to the sleepy town of Berding’s Pointe, Indiana, for the funeral of a friend and fellow veteran, only to find that everything has changed.
The once peaceful town is now gripped with fear and riddled with corruption. What starts as a protection racket escalates into full-blown violence. A sinister cult, preparing to make a huge sacrifice, is slowly taking over. The authorities don’t care, and the residents are helpless.
When the sacrifice looms closer and people go missing, the town needs an army. All they have is The Club.
Can Sarge and the rag-tag gang save their friends before the death toll rises and the entire town is taken?
The Old Farts Club returns in ‘Man Down’, the third book in the award-winning action thriller series.
For page-turning excitement, the comradery of military veterans, and epic fights of good vs evil, pick up Man Down and join The Club today!
New to the series?
Start here….
Jamaica: a Caribbean paradise fraught with unseen danger.
The Old Farts Club: a small group of mixed-age military veterans with various ‘skills’ who frequent a local fast food joint to swap stories and trade tales.
During a dream Jamaican vacation, Danny ‘Dud’ Wilkerson is devastated when, after a seemingly random accident, his wife Evie vanishes.
The Montego Bay police force insists on a seventy-two hour wait before anyone is officially considered missing. With concrete evidence of her disappearance, Dud can’t wait and, faced with a race against time to find his wife, calls on The Old Farts Club to join him in paradise to track her down.
About Mick Williams….
Mick Williams moved from Stoke-On-Trent, England to Kentucky, USA. Then, after almost a decade, he moved back. Then, after three years, he moved back again.
This time he’s staying.
In between reading, writing and listening to good music he still watches proper football and, for his sins, follows his local team, Port Vale. He does also still cheer for the Indianapolis Colts.
He was adopted by two cats, Crash and Thud, and resides with his patient wife (who is also tiring of moving!) in Kentucky.
Trail of Broken Wings is an emotional, difficult read, but completely compelling.
I didn’t have any expectations about this book. It is one which has been waiting patiently in my kindle library for a while and I didn’t even re-read the blurb before I started it.
I was not prepared for the heartache.
The story is told from the point of view of a mother and her three daughters. Three grown up daughters who couldn’t be any different to each other, living very different lives.
They all once lived under the same roof as their abusive father though. The father who now lies in a coma he is unlikely to come out of.
I’m struggling with what to say without giving anything away, but my heart broke for all four women along the way. I struggled to understand the mother, but I have no experience of abuse so I can’t really judge. I can’t even begin to imagine how I would cope with a husband like hers. Nor could I ever imagine my dad laying a finger on me.
Learning how their childhoods are still affecting the daughters’ adult lives is heartbreaking. How could anyone not be affected by such a past.
As the story progresses truths are revealed, secrets are shared, and the heartache increases. I never imagined things could have been any worse, but it’s just devastating. No one should ever have to endure what these women went through.
However, a mother’s bravery, finally having an opportunity to talk things through and be truly honest with themselves and each other means healing can begin and there is hope for a happier future.
Such a beautifully written novel. I highly recommend.
**According to Amazon I purchased this kindle book on 15th April 2015. Sejal Badani’s other book, The Storyteller’s Secret, is now on my wishlist and I look forward to anything else she might write in the future**
Goodreads Best Fiction Finalist and Amazon Charts and USA Today Bestseller
When her father falls into a coma, Indian American photographer Sonya reluctantly returns to the family she’d fled years before. Since she left home, Sonya has lived on the run, free of any ties, while her soft-spoken sister, Trisha, has created a perfect suburban life, and her ambitious sister, Marin, has built her own successful career. But as these women come together, their various methods of coping with a terrifying history can no longer hold their memories at bay. Buried secrets rise to the surface as their father–the victim of humiliating racism and perpetrator of horrible violence–remains unconscious. As his condition worsens, the daughters and their mother wrestle with private hopes for his survival or death, as well as their own demons and buried secrets. Told with forceful honesty, Trail of Broken Wings reveals the burden of shame and secrets, the toxicity of cruelty and aggression, and the exquisite, liberating power of speaking and owning truth.
One Christmas Eve has been a lovely festive read. One I stayed up way past 1am this morning to finish as I was just loving it!
The whole book is set on Christmas Eve, but bounces between 1968, 1993, and 2023. I loved that!
Cathy and Eve (Grandmother and Granddaughter) are extremely likable characters. Helena (Eve’s mother, Cathy’s daughter) is another kettle of fish. She’s a bit more difficult to warm to. Intriguing though.
I thoroughly enjoyed the three women’s very different Christmas Eve experiences and couldn’t wait to find out what Eve is so desperate to find out.
I laughed, cried, and found myself smiling a lot.
A beautiful ending to a beautifully written story.
The perfect Christmas read, but I think I would have enjoyed it at any time of the year.
I borrowed this book from the Prime reading library.
Three women, three decades, three Christmas Eve moments that change their lives forever…
On Christmas Eve, 1968, Cathy McLean receives a surprise visit from the lost love of her life and is forced to choose between the one that got away and the one that stayed.
On Christmas Eve, 1993, Cathy’s daughter Helena is overjoyed to hear that her boyfriend is about to propose, until a devastating encounter threatens to bring her heartbreak instead of diamonds.
On Christmas Eve 2023, a shocking discovery rocks Eve Quinn’s world. The only gift Eve wants this year is the truth. But will it take a Christmas miracle to unravel generations of secrets?
Unwrap this festive tale of complicated families, impossible choices, and an unforgettable love that lasts three lifetimes.
I very rarely read non-fiction, but this book intrigued me as soon as I received the email about it from NetGalley.
It isn’t a quick read by any means. I have dipped in and out of it over the last few months and I have found it fascinating.
I love the way it is written. It’s very easy to read even though it’s a complicated subject matter, full of scientific facts. The author makes it very reader friendly. I’d love to have a hardcover copy for my bookshelf.
If you’re even remotely interested in evolution, then I think you will appreciate this book. I learned a lot!
I am not an addict and I have no experience of being close to anyone who is, but I think this book should be read by everyone regardless of personal circumstance. It is aimed at helping addicts/recovering addicts to see that there is always hope. There is always help, and there is always a way forward to a better life, for those that want it. Such an inspirational man, who talks openly and honestly about his battle with addiction. He is dedicated to helping others and I take my hat off to him.
For me it gave an insight into the life and mind of an addict I would otherwise have no clue about. I think I will be much more understanding of people in these situations moving forward. It is easy to think, “well, no one forced them to take drugs or drink themselves into oblivion”, but it goes so much deeper than that and we should all be more aware of the hell some people are living and what led them there.
JR Weaver’s story and those of the other recovering addicts who share their stories with us are truly eye-opening and incredibly moving.
I purchased The Addiction Manifesto in July 2021 after featuring the author, JR Weaver, on my blog.
2020 International Book Awards Finalist for Health: Addiction & Recovery 2021 Literary Titan Award 2021 American Writing Award 2021 Royal Dragonfly Book Award 2021 Readers Choice Award
“Some people won’t believe in you, and that’s ok, this journey isn’t about them. It’s about you.”
The Addiction Manifesto has been uniquely designed to provide you with a new perspective on recovery and will show you that anything is possible. In this deeply personal book, JR Weaver has crafted a raw insight into his life and how he’s been affected by substance abuse over the past 20 years. He details his recovery process and how he’s dealt with loss. With this book he wishes to help people on their journey to recovery. His realistic approach details his journey to try to have a normal life again.
If you’re going through addiction recovery or want to help someone who is… This book allows you to gain a greater understanding of substance abuse and its many challenges.
This is just the most gorgeous story! I’d have enjoyed it at any time of the year, but it is a special, warm, and cosy read at Christmas time.
I know I’ve said it before, but I will say it again, I love Rachael Stewart’s books. They are just perfect for losing yourself in for a few delightful hours.
As this is book two of the How to Win a Munroe series it features characters I loved from book one, but centres around Aiden Monroe. Aiden took over the family business when his father passed away. He never really had the time to grieve properly and won’t even entertain the idea of a serious relationship. His poorly mother would love to see him settled and happy though. He would do anything to make his mother happy, so he enlists the help of his best friend, Elena. Elena is only too happy to help.
I did want to shake Aiden on occasion. I was totally with the Mums!!
Such a beautiful story with gorgeous (some in more ways than one) characters, set in a beautiful place at the most wonderful time of the year. What is not to love!?
‘YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR FAKE WIFE?’
In this How to Win a Monroe story, when my best friend Aiden Monroe proposed, all my foolish youthful dreams came true. But the guarded bachelor only wants a temporary fiancée to appease his family. Still, after my recent break-up, spending Christmas with Aiden sounds ideal. We didn’t expect our families’ enthusiasm for our engagement… Nor that we’d be hurtling towards a real Christmas wedding!
The Last Line is a WWII thriller where we are introduced to war veteran, John Cook.
Cook hears about a young girl who has disappeared since being evacuated from London and he makes it his business to find out where she, and countless other missing children, have gone.
What he discovers is beyond horrific and he will make those responsible pay.
I can only imagine what it must have been like for people in this country who lived through the war. Especially those who had to surrender their children to evacuation in the hope of keeping them safe. It doesn’t even bear thinking about it.
To think your child didn’t even reach their destination and to have no idea what has happened/is happening to them, I would never be able to rest.
Thankfully Cook won’t rest either. He is most definitely someone I would want on my side!
The Last Line is a compelling debut with an excellent storyline and brilliant characterisation. I hope there will be a book two!
‘John Cook is the Jack Reacher of 1940’s Britain’ – Damien Lewis ***** May 1940.
With Nazi forces sweeping across France, invasion seems imminent. The English Channel has never felt so narrow.
In rural Sussex, war veteran John Cook has been tasked with preparing the resistance effort, should the worst happen.
But even as the foreign threat looms, it’s rumours of a missing child that are troubling Cook. A twelve-year-old girl was evacuated from London and never seen again, and she’s just the tip of the iceberg – countless evacuees haven’t made it to their host families.
As Cook investigates, he uncovers a dark conspiracy that reaches to the highest ranks of society. He will do whatever it takes to make the culprits pay. There are some lines you just don’t cross.
THE LAST LINE is a blistering action thriller combined with a smart noir mystery, played out expertly against the taut backdrop of the British home front.
After the death of her husband two years ago, Eve Warrington is ready to start again. But where on earth is she going to meet another soulmate that can match the man she lost? Bumping – literally – into her first love reignites a flame. Now Eve is worrying about getting too close. She couldn’t go through the heartache of losing someone else.
Eve’s daughter, Grace, still reeling from the break-up of a four-year relationship, is the opposite of her mum. She never wants to settle down again. But she does have something to prove at work. When she comes up with a brilliant idea for a community project to involve the people of her hometown, she’s annoyed to then see it handed over to someone else. Why is she always helping out, rather than running something?
Eve’s mother, Rose, is living alone. A dark part of her life ended when her husband, Harry, died, and although she won’t admit it to anyone, there was also a sense of relief. So she gets the shock of her life when a blast from the past tracks her down through the project Grace is working on.
One Letter is a story of first loves and second chances, and of overcoming grief, deceit and loneliness. Perfect for readers who enjoy Rachael Lucas, Hannah Lynn, Milly Johnson and Jill Mansell and Hannah Ellis.
A note from Marcie: One Letter is set in the small market town of Somerley. If you’ve read any of the other books in the series, you may meet some of the characters you loved from that story, but each Somerley novel can be read independently.
I absolutely love Marcie Steele’s books and I was so excited to read One Letter. I knew it would be a treat and I wasn’t wrong. It is a gorgeous story! Add it to your reading list. Honestly, you’ll love it!
I love the characters, I love the setting, I love how I always get swept along with the rollercoaster of emotions in every one of the books in this series.
I absolutely LOVED the idea of local residents writing letters about positive experiences in their lives and things they are grateful for. I love the sense of community in Somerley. Something I think we often lack nowadays, sadly.
I love that Grace, Eve, and Rose are three generations of the same family. All have suffered heartache and the loss of a long-term partner and all of them absolutely deserve to be happy again. I was rooting for all three of them.
I have to say Rose’s story really made me cry.
There isn’t anything I didn’t love about this book! I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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