amothersmusings1's reviews
1939 reviews

“Evolution  - A Celebration of Beautiful Animals” looks to be a true treasure trove of visual storytelling, with its informative content and beautiful watercolour life like drawings and will make, not just a book to read but a book to keep and re read every time you wish to visit nature. In this horrid climate of unrest and chaos, the natural world doesn’t change and it makes a real help to mental health be able to just look and learn about the birds and animals we might not of heard of, purely down to their names or odd looks. I really can’t express how gorgeous this book is in presentation! It’s literally huge and so well printed and crafted it’s a genuine work of art in itself. 
So if you are a pet lover, nature lover or just love learning, this book is for you - it definitely is for me and I’m know with clarity it will be read by many other members of my family too! 

Scottish author Lin Anderson is known for her bestselling crime thrillers featuring forensic scientist Dr Rhona Macleod.  

“Whispers of the Dead” is book eighteen in this popular series and this time is set in Glasgow, opening with a brutal and unique murder. This sets the scene for a fantastic police procedural with an intriguing storyline, you won’t forget in a hurry. 

 

The long running characters are so endearing it’s impossible not to fall instantly in love with them and their camaraderie is a pleasure to read. There’s a genuine friendship between them which promotes the excellent working conditions that bring justice for the victims who come under their radar. 

 

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a run of the mill thriller as the violence and brutality isn’t held back and together with the correct balance of emotions between the side characters, victims and the officials investigating, makes this a very entertaining and engrossing read. 

 

Something I also enjoyed, was how so much of the book is dedicated to the crimes, with a minimal of time on private lives but still conveying more than enough information to know the main characters backgrounds and current situations.  This is what makes the series unique, in that each book works just as successfully as standalones. 

 

Nothing beats a decent police procedural and this author communicates the necessary dynamics for this to happen perfectly, which puts her in similar successful leagues as Ian Rankin and Val McDermid. 

 

This is a cracking book for crime thriller readers, or if you’re a regular Dr Rhona Macleod fan, it’s another entertaining read in this long running, superbly set of developed stories. 

 

#WhispersOfTheDead - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

If you fancy being transported to Jamaica 1960’s in a poignant literary novel that truly places you in the atmospheric Caribbean, then “The Pages of the Sea” is for you. 

 

Written in both Caribbean and Standard English, in a way that is easy to follow and understand, you truly feel you are in Wheeler’s shoes as she manoeuvres her way around life, living without her mother, asking each day ‘when we mudda sending f’us?’ My heart went out to her for her trauma, the sudden upheaval of living arrangements, a new school and growing up as a girl without her mother but at the same time the story remained at times funny, colourfully vibrant as the Caribbean is known for and enchantingly lyrical that couldn’t be more beautifully written, even by a more seasoned author. 

 

As Windrush continues to be a major scandal in the UK after coming to people’s attention in 2018, the story of the neglected children left behind is a little talked about subject, with most of the media focusing on the adult ‘Windrush Generation’ itself. I am guilty myself of this and only now realise that some children were never sent for at all by their migrating parents. 

 

The author has created a beautifully emotive and poignant story that portrays this plight inspired purely by the author’s own personal experience at being left behind when her mother travelled to England and which will no doubt resonate with thousands of other people too. 

 

As a debut novel, this is one of the most powerful and important stories I’ve read and should be widely promoted to show the other tragic side to the more commonly known stories about the ‘Windrush Generation’. 

 

#ThePagesOfTheSea - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve been reading books by Kathy Reichs’ for many, many years now and I find it truly remarkable how she manages to create so many unique and ingenious storylines, that are so intriguing and entertaining. 

 

“Fire and Bones” is impressively book twenty three in her highly successful and popular, forensic anthropologist, ‘Temperance Brennan’ series. As Tempe investigates a mysterious arson attack in Washington DC, which claims the lives of four people, she realises that the building’s chequered history may have more to do with the attack than first thought. 

 

Reichs’ has superbly researched the Warring brothers and their ‘Foggy Bottom Gang’, with their bootlegging business dating back to the thirties and forties, to create a fictional story that ties a modern day crime with historical connotations to the gang. Using the author’s own experience as a forensic anthropologist, she has skilfully crafted a story using fire and how it affects the human body when exposed to it. Nothing is held back in the descriptions but I found it interesting and was paramount to revealing the causes of death throughout the book. 

 

Kathy Reichs is one of my favourite authors, alongside Karin Slaughter and Patricia Cornwell, I love her style of writing and storytelling. Concise, humorous, self deprecating and hugely talented, Tempe Brennan is a genuinely relatable character, who can’t fail to win the hearts of crime thriller readers of all ages. 

 

#FireAndBones - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Isabel Ashdown is well known for her dark, family thrillers and “33 Women” is a superb example of this. Written with a psychological edge, unsolved murders and with a predominantly matriarch feel to it, this highly intriguing and entertaining story, made it unputdownable for me. 

 

Based around a cult/commune/woman’s community - whichever term you feel fits once you’ve read the book - it was interesting to see the dynamics between the women, all of differing ages, backgrounds, past traumas and personality traits.  Very rarely can these communities survive without some sort of internal conflict and ‘Two Cross Farm’ was no exception especially when emotions came into play.  

 

The conclusion/s could well be described as far fetched and I agree some suspension of disbelief is required but I personally thought the whole story was excellently crafted and even though I did start putting together some of the pieces, the way the whole story came together was both emotional and endearing. 

 

Told in alternating chapters of the past and present, we hear from ‘Bramble’, one of the original founding sisters of ‘Two Cross Farm’, learning of the dynamics between the women, and in the present from Celine, as she tries to understand what happened to her sister when she died fifteen years ago. These blended seamlessly and although cult style stories are either loved or hated, I loved it and devoured every page with fervour. 

 

(A word of warning, there are scenes of domestic violence which may upset some readers) 

 

#33Women - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I must start by saying what a fab cover “The Summer Swap” has - so summery and feel good and for fans of Sarah Morgan and similar authors, this book is the perfect summer read. 

I liked how the characters had depth, Sarah Morgan always pays attention to detail when depicting characters emotions and this book was no exception. I totally got how each woman felt, each with their own issues in life, either in the past, present or future and the intrigue over “the girl on the beach” painting kept a moderate interest going. 

I did feel though that this was one of the weaker storylines I’ve read by this author, with not a lot of story progression and the ‘fade to black romance’ a bit saccharine and obvious. If you’re after a gentle read, to while away the time and you enjoy women’s fiction novels, you’ll probably enjoy this book, but for me it was an only ok read with decent characters. 

#TheSummerSwap - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love armchair travelling and this book took me all over India, to the point I can’t tell whether I’ve actually been there or I’ve just read about it. The vibrant detailed atmospheric descriptions were vividly realistic, with Delhi being exactly as I imagined and Goa just as beautiful. 

 

Jacob was a breath of fresh air with his carefree, living life to the full attitude but I personally felt more aligned to Olivia’s approach, organising meticulous itineraries and making sure every minute of the day was carefully planned for. 

 

When these two characters meet, their attitudes couldn’t be more different but there’s a spark that fires between them which they can’t ignore…..can they overcome the predilections that control their everyday and enjoy a happy ever after?.……or will there be twists and turns that will keep you reading well past your bedtime? 

 

Finding romance unexpectedly in soaring temperatures wasn’t on either of their agendas and I have to admit myself, to feeling hot under the collar and not just with the Delhi heat! Not just an exploration of solo travelling, the story is an exploration of the heart, emotions, grief and learning to live life unconditionally. 

 

These ‘will they, won’t they’ stories are so frustrating and I was screaming in my head to sort themselves out and make things work. “Take a Chance on Me”  is a wonderful escapist romance, that surprisingly pulls on your heartstrings. Funny, heartbreaking, poignant and highly entertaining, I adored this book and if this is your reading genre, then you’ll surely love this book too. It’s billed as the summer romance for 2024 - however for me, it’s the romance of the year! 

 

Isabel Ashdown has written ten novels now and you can’t go wrong reading her books if you like a police procedural wrapped in a dark psychological thriller, with interesting and endearing characters at its heart. Set in the Dorset countryside, “One Girl, One Summer” is a multi layered story focusing on teenager Nell and her mother Cathy, their family and the business at the Golden Rabbit holiday park.  When Nell witnesses a fatal tragedy strike the holiday park, guilt overcomes her and she starts to emotionally unravel as events tumble out of her control. Along with an event that’s put her at her lowest ebb ever, she befriends her adopted cousin to help solve her distressing issue. 

 

My heart went out to Nell and her circumstances and sadly her story is all to modern and believable. I liked how DS Ali Sampson displayed empathy for her and even put her own life on the line to help solve the crime committed against her. 

 

There were mentions of the ‘Starlings’ in the story, which focused heavily in the authors previous novel “Home Coming” and was nice to see the continuity (although absolutely no need to read any of her novels in order to enjoy). 

 

I did feel a few of the coincidences a little too convenient but then it wouldn’t have been the story it was, if they weren’t. The various individual character stories that are portrayed throughout, needed these overlapping coincidences to work and the wonderful, almost spiritually guided romance between two of the characters, was like an angel had been sent from heaven. 

 

A great read indeed, which I certainly enjoyed and I look forward to reading some of Isabel Ashdown’s other novels that I’ve previously missed. 

 

#OneGirlOneSummer - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Set in March 2020 and focusing quite heavily on Covid restrictions and protocols, “Beyond Closed Doors” sees DCI Greg Geldard and his team, try to solve their cases in the most inhospitable of times ever encountered and considering what freedom they had to work with, it’s amazing any crimes were ever solved!  With a long wait for court dates, it was frustrating for Greg to realise how Covid was affecting remand and trials. It’s hard to believe the pandemic was 4 years ago now and we experienced the many changes to everyday life but sudden deaths did occur and the author tied this into the story, with the respect and empathy it deserved. 

 

Neat short chapters, allow for easy reading and quick scene changes that reflect the different layers to the story, whilst still keeping the atmospheric Norfolk Broads this author is renowned for. 

 

Anything in the story that refers to a previous novel, the author points this out to the reader and directs you to the correct book. However, you don’t need to read any previous ones, as this quite easily reads as a stand-alone but the books do follow on immediately from the one previous, so for complete continuity, reading them in order is recommend but not essential.  

 

Now don’t expect this book to arrive at a nice and tidy conclusion because Heather Peck does not do this! She leaves irresistible cliffhangers, with a tease that is just too enticing to ignore and as usual I’m begging you Heather, to not wait too long to write the next book……this particular cliffhanger is going to be truly interesting! 

 

#BeyondClosedDoors - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

“Forget Me Not” is M.J. Arlidge’s brand new novel in his popular DI Helen Grace series.  Anyone who has read books by this author will know just how thrilling he makes his stories and with often stomach turning scenes, he makes the perfect reading for me. 

 

From the opening chapter on day one, I was instantly hooked and it was very difficult to put the book down with so much going on. Hitting on modern themes, with homelessness, misogyny, #MeToo and another much more distressing story, these were either handled with respect or with the empathy the victims deserved. 

 

I wasn’t too sure about a couple of things within the station that occurred, with regard to how the suspect was investigated and it certainly became frustrating as Helen and Charlie found their hands legally tied. However, this police procedural was spot on and had a real life feel to the various ‘major incident squad’ personalities. 

 

A very tense and nerve shredding thriller, with some very dark and heart wrenching scenes that some readers may find distressing - I myself must admit to having shivers of apprehension and to choking back the tears at certain times. 

 

“Forget Me Not” is pace perfect that pulls you in and doesn't let go until the nail biting end and with a race against time to find Naomi, you will literally be screaming at the characters to hurry up and get moving! 

 

I personally loved this book and will continue to read more by M.J. Arlidge, he’s a fantastic author with a brilliant imagination, who I highly recommend to readers of this genre. 

 

#ForgetMeNot - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️