November 2024 Reads

A bit below my monthly average, but I thoroughly enjoyed the books I read during November. For some reason it completely escaped my attention that I read both the first and the latest book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright. It's hard to believe we're getting close to Christmas and the end of the year. Before I do a reading round-up for the year, I've got a few more books to read first. If I posted longer or related reviews, the links can be found below.

A VERY ENGLISH MURDER (Lady Eleanor Swift #1) by Verity Bright (4*)

A fun, somewhat over the top but overall, very amusing and easy to read vanishing-corpse mystery. I’m looking forward to spending more time in early 20^th century England solving mysteries with Lady Eleanor, her butler Clifford, and her English bulldog Gladstone.

 

AGATHA CHRISTIE: A MYSTERIOUS LIFE by Laura Thompson NF (4.5*)

This was more than ‘just’ a description of Christie’s life. This biography also deep dives into her books, her writing, her storytelling powers, as well as the puzzles she created and solved. The author takes links and hints about Agatha’s life from her (mostly Mary Westmacott’s) fiction. All of it sounds plausible but none of it can be taken as fact since they are conclusions drawn by Laura Thompson and not biographical details provided by Christie herself. It is noteworthy that the author uses the word ‘elusive’ with regard to Agatha Christie given that Lucy Worsley titled her biography Agatha Christie: an Elusive Woman. This has been a most enjoyable bedtime read. Sure, at about eight pages per evening it took a looooong time read, but I wasn’t in a hurry. I’m going to miss my nighttime encounters with Agatha Christie.

 

LIAR’S ISLAND (CSI Ally Dymond #3) by T. Orr Munro (3.5*)

Two CSI investigators find themselves stranded on a small island with a tiny group of inhabitants, one of whom may well be a murderer. I enjoyed Liar’s Island and I’d call it a well-plotted and easy-to-read mystery that for me personally could have done with a little more tension and a little less personal backstory. My full review can be found here:  https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/11/liars-island-by-t-orr-munro.html

 

A MIDWINTER MURDER (Lady Eleanor Swift #20) by Verity Bright (4+*)

A delightful new instalment in the Lady Eleanor Swift series. The setting combined with the reclusive Earl who lives there create a wonderful contrast with the charming Christmas atmosphere Eleanor’s staff create in the gamekeeper’s cottage. Just as the mystery is wonderfully balances with the developing romance between Ellie and her Chief Inspector fiancé. My full review can be found here: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/11/a-midwinter-murder-by-verity-bright.html

 

OUT OF SIGHT (Second Sight #3) by K.C. Wells 4*

Detective Gary Mitchell and psychic Dan Porter tackle their third baffling case while their relationship continues to flourish. What should have been a cold-case investigation almost immediately turns active and takes them far out of their comfort zones in more ways than one. In the background runs the continuing unsolved mystery of Gary’s brother’s murder. Because this story arc stretches over all the books in this series, they should be read in order.

 

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE (Ernest Cunningham #1) by Benjamin Stevenson 4.5*

Gripping, well-plotted, and at times funny mystery in which the first-person narrator strictly follows the Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction as established during the Golden Age of Crime Writing. More than once I feared the story was trying to be too clever only for the ending of the story to prove that the plot was indeed that clever. I’m sorry now that I already read Everyone on This Train is a Suspect and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret earlier this year. Not because they spoiled this book for me but because I’d love to be able to look forward to reading them.

October Reads

October was a solid reading month. I didn't have any star reads and my lowest score was 3 stars. See below for my thoughts on the books I read. The first two come with links to longer reviews on this blog because I was lucky enough to get ARCs through Netgalley.

What was your October like? Did you read any books you'd like to recommend? Please share in the comment section because I'm always on the lookout for new gems.

MISS BEETON’S MURDER AGENCY (Miss Beeton #1) by Josie Lloyd (4-*)

A fast-paced, thrilling mystery, and captivating crime-caper with a few too many wtf moments for me to rate if five stars. If you like your cosy mystery with a large dose of mayhem, a host of larger-than-life characters, a cute little doggo, as well as plenty of action, and you don’t mind suspending disbelief once or twice, you’re going to love Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency.

Longer review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/10/miss-beetons-murder-agency-by-josie.html

 

EVERONE THIS CHRISTMAS HAS A SECRET (Ernest Cunningham #3) by Benjamin Stevenson (4.5*)

I found this book all but impossible to put down. Ernest’s chatty narration pulled me along and had my swiping through the pages as fast as I could. The cast of characters was fascinating and the possible motifs for murder kept me guessing until Ernest reveals all in the rather spectacular denouement. Did I pick up on all the clues? No! Did I figure out whodunit? Also, no! But did I thoroughly enjoy myself while reading this book? Absolutely!

If you’re looking for a captivating, well-plotted and faultlessly executed mystery this Christmas, you are probably looking for Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.

Longer review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/10/everyone-this-christmas-has-secret-by.html

 

ONE OF US IS DEAD (Roy Grace #21) by Peter James (3*)

Rufus Rorke was supposed to have died two years ago but is recognised, alive and well by a man he used to be friends with. At the same time the police, led by Detective Superintendent Roy Grace are investigating a number of suspicious deaths. It isn’t long before the police's attention is focussed on Rufus. But how do you catch a man who has successfully lived undercover for years?

This is a well-written story with a fascinating plot. I was disappointed that it wasn’t a real mystery or thriller, though. This is not a whodunnit but a ‘how-do-we-catch-him’ sorta story and I kept on waiting for a twist in the tale that never happened.

 

MY BROTHER’S HUSBAND (My Brother’s Husband #1) by Gengoroh Tagame (4*)

I’m copying the original blurb here since I can’t put it better myself:

Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki, father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself the widower of Yaichi's estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to explore Ryoji's past, and the family reluctantly but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an unprecedented and heartbreaking look at the state of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how it's been affected by the West, and how the next generation can change the preconceptions about it and prejudices against it.

I’m not sure how much I like reading Mangas but even turning the pages from back to front didn’t diminish how much I enjoyed this touching story.

 

AUTUMN CHILLS by Agatha Christie (4.5*)

A collection of 12 short stories featuring Hercule Poirot (4 stories), Miss Marple (2 stories), Harley Quin (2 stories), Parker Pyne (1 story), Tommy & Tuppence (1 story). Two of the stories were stand-alone and one of them (While the Light Lasts) wasn’t actually a mystery. While I enjoyed some stories more than others, all of them were a delight to read.

 

YOU ARE HERE by David Nicholls (4+)

Michael and Marnie have both retreated from the world after their marriages failed. Now they both find themselves on a coast to coast walk and with every passing kilometre they find themselves coming out of their self-imposed shells and getting closer to each other. A well-written and intriguing read about second chances taking them.

 

DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER by Alice Slater (3.5*)

A story about obsession that makes for an obsessive read despite the fact that I’m not sure how much I actually liked the main characters or the story itself. The book makes the reader wonder about the popularity of true crime books, podcasts, and television shows. How healthy is that fascination and how does that public interest affect those who have to live with the consequences of murder? The book’s ending was a bit too ambiguous for my liking too. Just as the title is a little misleading.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

 

Ernest Cunningham #3

208 pages

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Release Date: October 24, 2024

 

Blurb

My name is Ernest Cunningham.

I’m not a detective. I just happen to have a knack for what makes mysteries – and murderers – tick. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any killers out there might be willing to take a break for the holidays.

I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the Christmas show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. From the magician’s assistant to the hypnotist, my suspects are all professional tricksters. Masters in the art of misdirection.

My clues are even more of a mystery:

A suspect covered in blood, with no memory of how it got there.
A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens.
And an advent calendar. Because, you know. It’s Christmas.

Solving the murder is the only gift I want this year. But can I catch a killer, and make it home for Christmas alive?

 

Review

Ernest Cunningham can’t stay away from murders, it would seem. After Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone and Everyone On This Train is A Suspect he is back for a third instalment when his ex-wife Erin asks for his help. Her partner has been murdered and she is found with blood on her hands without having any idea how it got there. And, as if one impossible murder isn’t enough, it isn’t long before magician Rylan Blaze is decapitated by a blade made of paper. With only a few days until it is Christmas, Ernest is, once again, up against it.

“I’m not a private investigator. I just happen to have a knack for understanding how mysteries tick, provided they follow the rules set out by the classics, of course.”

As was the case in the previous two books, the narrator in this story is Ernest Cunningham himself and he often addresses the reader directly. In fact, he plays a game with the reader, providing them with all the clues needed to solve the mystery without actually pointing them out. In other words, plays fair and according to the rules set by the writers of the Golden Age of Mystery.

“You’ll find no hidden clues or unreliable narrators here. My job is to relay to you everything you need to reach the same ‘lightbulb’ moment I did.”

And, because we’re dealing with a Christmas mystery, the story has a seasonable flavour:

“…this whole thing’s best treated as an advent calendar. Twenty-four chapters hold twenty-four clues and various bits and bobs that help me with the case. Well, twenty-three clues and a killer.”

Readers with great self-control could treat this book like an Advent calendar and read one chapter each day starting December 1st. I like that idea, but I wouldn’t have been able to limit myself like that. There’s too much happening and the use of cliffhangers at the end of each chapter pushed me straight from one chapter into the next one. In fact, I found this book all but impossible to put down. Ernest’s chatty narration pulled me along and had me swiping through the pages as fast as I could. The cast of characters was fascinating and the possible motifs for murder kept me guessing until Ernest revealed all in the rather spectacular denouement. Did I pick up on all the clues? No! Did I figure out whodunit? Also, no! But did I thoroughly enjoy myself while reading this book? Absolutely!

If you’re looking for a captivating, well-plotted, at times laugh-out-loud funny, and faultlessly executed mystery this Christmas, you are probably looking for Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.

Words Christmas Gave Us by Grace Tierney

Pages: 223

Publisher: Wordfoolery Press

Release Date: September 9, 2024

 

Blurb

“Words Christmas Gave Us” unwraps the stories behind the season, via festive words from advent to yule and grinch to scurryfunge.

This book, the third in the series, explores the influence of Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Tudors, Dickens, and of course Santa Claus on worldwide traditions, merry music, decorations, feasts, and more. Discover why Jean-Paul Sartre wrote a nativity play, when Jingle Bells was sung in space, who gave us gingerbread houses, what Christmas decoration used to contain false teeth, and how a newspaper typo started Santa tracking.

Pull on your Santa hat, make a wish, and dive into the words and history of Christmas.

Ideal for word geeks, Christmas enthusiasts, and anybody who’s ever said Bah Humbug or Ho Ho Ho.

 

Review

Words Christmas Gave Us, is, as the title and the blurb suggest a book all about words about and relating to Christmas. Over the course of thirteen chapters with titles ranging from Christmas Feasting to Salmangundi a host of Christmas-related words and customs, presented in alphabetical order within each chapter, are introduced and explained.

While that description of this book is accurate, it doesn’t do the wonders you’ll find on its pages justice. By the time I finished reading I had six pages of handwritten notes. Don’t worry, I won’t be sharing all of them here. After all, I don’t want to spoil the joy of discovering where words and customs originated for you. But if you’ve ever wondered why there are no figs in figgy pudding or mince in mince pies, if you’re curious about where the idea of a flying sleigh originally came from, or surprised to hear that there are two types of chestnut tree in Ireland and that only one of them produces edible chestnuts, this might well be the book for you. In fact, if you’re still trying to figure out what on earth the salmangundi I mentioned in the previous paragraph might be, you should pick up a copy of Words Christmas Gave Us.

Apart from a Christmas-themed Lexicon, Words Christmas Gave Us is a well-written, easy-to-read, and captivating work of non-fiction. Some words, such as gizzard and the aforementioned salmangundi (yes, I fell in love with that word), were new to me while I also found myself learning more about words and customs I considered myself familiar with.

This book can easily be read and enjoyed from cover to cover but would work just as well if you prefer to dip in and out based on what particular Christmas-related word or custom you’re curious about. I can see myself returning to these pages in the future for a reminder or to double-check something. And if there is a better Christmas present for any person in your life with an interest in words and their origins I have yet to find it. I am sure the logophile in your life would only be too happy to spend their twixtmas between the covers of this captivating book.

  

The Pantomime Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith

#2 Miss Clara Vale Mysteries

290 pages

Publisher: Embla Books

Publishing Date: November 28, 2023

 

Blurb

 

Someone is killing fairy godmothers in Cinderella... Can Miss Clara Vale crack the case before the clock strikes twelve?

 

1929, December: Snow is falling, and Miss Clara Vale is wrapped up against the cold as she braves the icy streets of Newcastle in her latest investigation.

When a young actress from the touring pantomime of Cinderella arrives at her door, Clara isn't sure what to make of her request. Sybil Langford, the legendary fairy godmother in their production, has mysteriously vanished. Could Clara help track her down?

But a few days into Clara's search, Sybil's body is pulled from an icy river, and Clara finds herself in the middle of yet another murder mystery.

With scheming stepsisters waiting in the wings, handsome princes who aren't all they seem, and clues as elusive as glass slippers, Clara will need every one of her scientific skills to catch the killer...

And when Sybil's replacement meets her own tragic end, Clara is in a race against time before the murderer sends a third cast member to their unhappily ever after...

 

Review

Although this is the second title in a series, this was my first encounter with Miss Clara Vale, and it was a pleasure making her acquaintance and joining her on her sleuthing adventures. Furthermore, I can safely say that this book can be read as a stand-alone story.

Historical mysteries with female leads don’t always work for me. All too often the story becomes a little absurd or over the top in order to allow the sleuth to investigate within the world she inhabits. I had no such qualms about Miss Clara Vale. While it was still (very) rare, women were allowed into colleges in England in 1929, so it is plausible that she would be a knowledgeable chemist. The fact that most but not all men she encounters disapprove of her chosen profession and way of life, and try to discourage her, also makes perfect sense but thankfully didn’t take over the story.

I enjoyed the multi-layered mysteries in this book. What starts of as a case of a missing pantomime leading lady soon turns into something a lot darker and more serious when she turns up dead. Clara Vale moves along with developments, adjusting her investigation to new discoveries as required and making good use of science, friends, and associates.

I have to admit that I figured a lot (but not all) of the mysteries in this book out for myself well before Clara and the police arrived at the same conclusions. That’s not a complaint, however. It just means that this is a true puzzle mystery in that the reader is given all the clues they need to solve the riddles.

This story is filled with interesting and well-portrayed characters. I like Miss Clare Vale. She is a smart, practical, and feisty woman who mostly manages to steer clear of stupid decisions. There is a vast cast of secondary characters in this book, and I liked that they were described just enough for them to play their assigned role in the story without turning into boring stereotypes. I’m especially fond of Clara’s new assistant Betty, and I’m looking forward to reading more about her.

Overall, The Pantomime Murders was a delightful surprise. Who could ask for more than a well-plotted mystery, featuring a fascinating main character, intriguing side characters, and a satisfying solution? Especially when it’s all served as a smooth and captivating read. I’ve got a feeling, I’ll be spending more time with Miss Clara Vale in the future.

  

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

The Appeal #1.5

208 pages

Publisher: Viper

Publishing Date: October 26.2023

Netgalley

 

Blurb

 One dead Santa. A town full of suspects. Will you discover the truth?

Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking amongst the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the fibreglass beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and a someone is intent on ruining the panto even before the curtain goes up.

Of course there's also the matter of the dead body. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts. Will the show go on?

 

Review

Before I get to my thoughts about The Christmas Appeal a word of warning. While I guess that you could read this book without having read The Appeal, I would strongly advice against such an action. The Christmas Appeal very much moves on from the earlier book and contains (vague) spoilers for the prequel.

While I’m on the subject of similarities between the two ‘Appeal’ titles, I want to add that this second one is very much a continuation of the first story. Once again Charlotte and Femi are invited by their mentor to investigate emails and messages shared between the members of the Fairway Players amateur drama group in order to figure out who was murdered by whom and how it happened.

While the setup of the Fairway Players has changed as a result of what happened in The Appeal, the dynamics between the members are as intriguing and amusing in this sequel. The politics, gossip, and backstabbing in the drama group remain frequent and as delicious as they were before. There is a nice mixture of familiar characters (with one very surprising appearance) and new faces.

Once again, the murder mystery appears to be an afterthought to what is happening within the group. In this book too, (the remains of) the victim don’t appear until near the end of the story. In both books, the reader wouldn’t know they were dealing with a mystery if it hadn’t been for the instructions given to Charlotte and Femi at the very start of the story. And yet, it is all the apparently unconnected interaction between the various members of the group that give us all the clues to what is really happening—provided we pay enough attention.

After discussing The Appeal with my book club I’m more conscious than ever that these books aren’t for everyone. Having the story revealed through what at first glance appear to be irrelevant emails and messages about the production of a (Christmas) play can be confusing. Personally, I love it. While it can be a bit like hard work trying to keep up with who is who and how they related to each other, I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between these people, all with their own agenda, while trying to figure out how any of their communications might relate to the mystery in question.

Finally, while The Appeal certainly had its moments of light relief, The Christmas Appeal is funnier. In fact, it’s a bit over the top, a caper, which feels perfect for a mystery centred around the production of a Christmas panto. And while The Appeal was all about righting a miscarriage of justice, The Christmas Appeal puts a different spin on what does and doesn’t constitute justice. Whether or not you agree with the outcome is a personal choice.

Long review short: The Christmas Appeal is a wonderful sequel to The Appeal and a well-plotted and delightful mystery.

Related review: The Appeal

 

Last Place in the Chalet by Sue Brown - Release Day Review

Buy links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner

Blurb

Noel Garrett leaves for his Christmas vacation with an engagement ring in his pocket. But he boards the plane alone and with a broken heart when his boyfriend dumps him in the airport.

His seatmate, Angel Marinelli, takes care of him with gentle determination… whether Noel wants it or not, and Noel doesn't expect to see Angel again. But when an overbooking leaves Angel without a room and Noel is asked to host him, one night turns into the whole vacation and they settle into the chalet and mix with an eclectic group of guests, including the Wise Guys and a pregnant woman. As they ski and spend every moment together, Noel finds himself falling for Angel, and though his feelings are returned, Noel worries it’s just a rebound romance. It’ll mean taking a leap of faith, but Noel has to make a decision before he hurts Angel, and Christmas is fast approaching.

Review

Last Place in the Chalet is about as Christmassy as a story can possibly get. For starters, the tale is stuffed full of Christmas references. From the character’s names—Noel, Angel, Maria, Three Wise Men—, to the ‘no room in the inn’ confusion, the festive seasons sparkles from these pages.

This story starts with all the sads. Poor Noel, being dumped just before he was going to bring his partner on a skiing trip during which he wanted to propose. It’s hardly surprising Noel is devastated and short with others for the rest of the day, except that from the moment he boards his plane there’s Angel, who, although a stranger, manages to calm and comfort Noel with small acts of understanding and kindness. From that moment forward, coincidence, the weather, and their fellow-house guests conspire to push Angel and Noel together and, with the aid of a little seasonal magic, the two men fall hard and fast.

Yes, there’s definitely a strong insta-love theme to this story but given that it’s a Christmas tale I had no problems suspending disbelieve and just losing myself in the delightful descriptions of Angel and Noel’s coming together. Besides, Noel is well aware how fast his feelings are developing and initially very reluctant to trust the attraction.

Maybe this is more a fairytale than a romance in so far as everything that happens appears to be ordained, and meant to be. But what could be more magical and Christmassy than two men who are obviously made for each other coming together and finding each other while surrounded by seasonal magic.

Last place in the Chalet is the ultimate feel-good read and perfect for the holiday season. I challenge anyone to read it without a huge smile stretched across their face from start to finish.

My Christmas Spirit by K.C. Wells

Buy links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

I knew I had problems when I woke up in the middle of the night to find Mike Stubbins sitting at the foot of my bed, stark naked, still as gorgeous as every one of my memories of him.
So what’s the problem, I hear you cry? Gorgeous, naked man in my bedroom?
Well, there’s the not-so-small, highly significant detail that he died six years ago.

Yup. You read that right. And now he’s everywhere. I can’t even brush my teeth in peace. And did I mention that he never stops talking?

I’ve missed him like crazy, every day of the six years he’s been gone. And with Christmas coming, the memories are even more acute. But this is getting beyond a joke. Ignoring a naked guy is a pretty tough task, especially when I’m the only one who sees him.
So when he bops a complete stranger on the head with his dick in the middle of the coffee shop, I have to laugh. Anyone would, right?

Except… there’s a look on the guy’s face that tells me he felt that. But… how could he?
And now he’s looking at me like he’s expecting me to explain what just happened.

Either he’ll call for the guys with the straitjacket… or this will be one of the most interesting conversations I’ve ever had….

Review

Some stories are emotional and deeply touching. Other stories are light and uplifting. And then there are stories like My Christmas Spirit, which manage to be both at the same time.

Meet Andy who, on the surface is doing pretty well. He has a job and a routine and moves from day to day without much look forward to or worry about. He’s lost Mike, the love of his life, six years previously and has basically given up on joy, love, and Christmas ever since.

Six years is a long time to be stuck and apparently Mike agrees because one night in the run up to Christmas, his ghost appears in Andy’s bedroom, stark naked, determined to push Andy out of his funk, and not beyond using his ‘junk’ to get the job done. 😊

It is thanks to Mike that Andy breaks his normal routine and enters a coffeeshop where he meets Ollie (and where Mike pulls the stunt described in the blurb). Ollie is more or less in the same boat as Andy, having lost his partner three years earlier and thus, with some not always gentle prodding from Mike, Andy and Ollie start spending time together. It isn’t long before they discover that they have more in common than just their grief. Acknowledging the attraction between them takes a while longer and accepting it requires more time again but, as Christmas draws closer, their resistance fades as their feelings grow.

This adorable story is as touching as it is funny. Mike’s antics had me laughing out loud more than once while Andy and Ollie’s feelings tugged at the heartstrings, and the balance between those two was pretty much perfect. Watching Andy and Ollie as they slowly crawl out of their self-imposed isolation and embrace life, fun, and ultimately love again was delightful. While there certainly were one or two heartbreaking moments, Mike’s presence prevented the story from ever becoming angst-ridden or too sad.

My Christmas Spirit is a wonderful holiday story. The combination of deep emotions, humour, and ghostly goings-on will put you right in the mood for the upcoming holidays while Andy and Ollie’s coming together will leave you with a smile on your face. And that’s before I mention that just when you think the story has reached its conclusion, it holds one more, delightful surprise.

Winter Tales by Tiffany Reisz

(Original Sinners 8.7)

Buy links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

An Original Sinners Christmas Anthology

Return to USA Today bestseller Tiffany Reisz's Original Sinners series with Winter Tales, a collection of three fan-favorite Christmas novellas plus a brand-new novella exclusive to this anthology.

In December Wine, the long-awaited story of Nora Sutherlin's first meeting with Nico can finally be told. Nora enlists her editor (and sometimes lover) Zach Easton on a mission to track down Kingsley's long-lost son. Nicolas "Nico" Delacroix turns out to be young, strikingly handsome, and very French. He wants nothing to do with his father...but everything to do with Nora.

This special holiday-themed collection also includes the novellas Poinsettia, The Christmas Truce, and The Scent of Winter (previously available only as ebooks). A bonus short story starring Søren rounds out the Winter Tales anthology.

Review

It won’t surprise anybody when I say I’m a die-hard Tiffany Reisz fan. In many ways she was my gateway drug to erotic romance as well as MM and up to a point she’s also responsible for me writing my own books. All of which means I’m probably stating the obvious when I declare that reading Winter Tales was a pure and utter delight.

As the blurb states, this book contains five novellas/short stories, three of which were previously published. If like me you’re not in the habit of re-reading books, the fact that The Christmas Truce, Poinsettia, and The Scent of Winter have been published before won’t matter; to me they read almost like new stories. Besides, there’s obviously no such thing as a bad time to reconnect with any of the Original Sinners.

The thing I love most about these shorter stories, apart from the opportunity to reconnect with my favourite Sinners, is that they fill in the gaps, those moments that were only hinted at in the novels. And, in doing so, they also give us the opportunity to get to know these characters we love, and think no longer hold secrets for us, even better than we did before we opened the book.

If I had to categorize these tales, I’d say that, despite being stand-alone shorts set at different times over the Original Sinner’s timeline they all have one theme in common: children and the (often fraught) relationships between parents and their offspring. And, as always it does so with a wonderful message hidden beneath the touching, sometimes painful reality the Sinners have to deal with—the sins of the father don’t condemn their offspring.

1.    December Wine

“It didn’t take much to get on Nora’s good side—all she ever wanted was a little abject devotion and total erotic surrender…the simple things in life.”

December Wine is basically wall to wall emotions. Nora meets and holds Fionn, Søren’s son with Grace. for the first time and gets to have her last (kinky) encounter with Zach before they all start behaving like reasonable adults.

That, however, is only where the emotional journey starts…and ends. In between Nora finds and meets Nicholas, who is Kingsley’s son although Kingsley has no idea he exists. She gets to tell Nico about Kingsley, the man he never knew existed, the man who fathered him. The timing couldn’t have been worse, since Nico has recently lost the man who raised him, the man he believed to be his father and deeply loved.

While I have (of course) read all Original Sinner’s stories and therefore knew what will happen to Nora and Nico next, I still read the descriptions of their first encounter with my heart in my throat and, at times, tears in my eyes.

A most wonderful combination of kinky delights and deep emotions, delivered in a way only Tiffany Reisz can.

2.    The Christmas Truce – a story in two parts

A story set first from Nora’s and then from Kingsley’s point of few, cumulating in an encounter between them and Søren on Christmas Eve but not before Nora and Kingsley exchange memories about previous Christmas’s with their priest.

3.    Poinsettia

“You’re much like a poinsettia, Bambi. You really are.”

He furrowed his brow at her. “How so?”

“Because everyone has this erroneous idea that you’re poisonous. And you’re not. You’re not at all.”

This story is set at a time when Søren is twenty-three, in Rome, and going by Marcus. In between classes in seminary, he spends time in a brothel where Magdalena, a renowned sadist, instructs him, basically by being truly sadistic with him.

We get to see Søren at a time when he was no longer the borderline out of control young sadist we met in The Angel, but not yet the collected, unflappable, and cruel task master he’d become later.

The interactions between Magdalena and Søren were a delight, especially the way they try to ‘out-sadist’ each other. But, as always with Tiffany Reisz, underneath the snark, the smart retorts, and cruel comments hides a deep layer of care, which comes in to brightly sparkling focus when Søren gifts Magdalena something for Christmas she was sure she could never have again.  

4.    The Scent of Winter

While there is a flashback to an earlier encounter between Kingsley and Søren in this story, the main part of it deals with two days they spent together in the ‘present’. Of course it involves sex and a lot of enticing pain, but the centre point of this story for me was the moment when Kingsley gives Søren the same advice Father Ballard gave Magdalena decades earlier. I just love it when stories come full circle.

5.    Blood & Snow – Bonus Short Story

Søren returns to Magdalena, who’s no longer young but still a sadist in charge of a brothel. And, as in the past, Søren visits her because he needs help, advice, or, to be precise, he needs her sadistic streak to put his world back into perspective and take away fears he has never been able to shed completely.

“Joy and terror—they’re twins, you know. Joy is born first. Then terror a few minutes later. Joy arrives when you recognize what you have. Terror comes on its heels, terror that you’ll lose the thing that gave you all that joy.”

Long story, very short: Winter Tales is magnificent and an utter delight.

Christmas Stories 2018

Over the past week or so I've been reading Christmas stories whenever I found myself with a few spare minutes. Below are my thoughts on the stories I read.

Cupcakes and Mistletoe by George Loveland

Declan was sure he had locked the front door to his bakery shop. When a handsome man begs Declan to make him a batch of cupcakes, he knows he can’t refuse.

Adorable, sweet, with a small dose of magic this is a charming Christmas story featuring characters (both main and secondary) I wouldn’t mind meeting again.

Made in Paris by Ana Newfolk

New York. Paris. A friendship across continents and ages.

In Paris, days before Christmas, and on the most important stage of their lives, Dorian and Jean-Paul stumble upon the many letters they exchanged over the years since they became penpals at the tender age of ten. 

Watch what happens when friendship turns into more. 

Distance, tragedy, and fear. 
Will anything get in the way of their love?

A sweet gay romance set in the most romantic city with a happy ever after from the author of Made in Portugal, Ana Newfolk.

Grab your copy and discover a love...made in Paris.

Made In Paris is a 10k word standalone gay romance short story with a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.

A most charming story portraying a relationship as it develops over twenty years as two boys, living on different continents, grow up and move from pen pals via friends to.… Well, if you want to know what their lives look like twenty years after the first letter you’ll just have to read this wonderful story, told in part through those letters they sent back and forth.

Baby, It’s Cold Inside by Brigham Vaughn

A trip to visit his boyfriend Nate’s parents during the holidays leaves Emerson a nervous wreck. Bad weather and an unfortunate mix-up leads to an awkward first introduction, and as things deteriorate from there, Emerson begins to doubt if their relationship will survive the stressful weekend. Can Emerson get everything back on track and impress the Collins family in time to have a Merry Christmas? 

Poor Emerson. He’s hopeful and full of good intentions as he is about to meet his boyfriend’s parents for the first time. Except nothing goes as he’d imagined it would and he fears he’s ruined his only chance to make a good first impression. The poor lad made me smile. He’s so young and his emotions are sooooo over the top. In fact, the whole story made me happy and I can honestly say I read it, from start to finish, with a constant smile tugging at my lips. And the epilogue turned that smile into a delighted grin. A wonderful, feel good, Christmas story.

First Footing by Clare London

Caleb and Owen's relationship thrives on conflict and banter, however deep their true feelings run. But are they really going to fall out over... a Christmas card?

Who knew receiving a Christmas card could have such exuberant consequences?

Sometimes having an argument can be as much fun and as hot as more standard foreplay. Caleb and Owen sure have arguing for the heat of it down to a find art. And the question about whose name should be mentioned first on a card addressed to both of them leads to all sorts of rather fabulous not to mention deliciously scorching verbal skirmishes and other, more physical shenanigans.

An original, highly entertaining and rather sexy Christmas short.

The Christmas Hitch (Mysterious Mixology) by Chris Ethan

All they want for Christmas is love.

Charlie is desperate for company this Christmas. With his family and friends away for the holidays, he’s accepted he might have to spend the last few days of the year on his own.

Adam hopes his friend will invite him to spend Christmas with him. When he does, however, he’s on the other side of the country.

What happens when a train is halted mid-journey and the two men are stuck in each other’s charming company?

The Christmas Hitch is a cozy gay romance with magical cocktails, mysterious bartenders and love at first sight and is approximately 15k words. 

Treat yourself to a sweet date with two strangers...

Two men at their wits end when it comes to life in general and love in particular find each other and happiness thanks to a delightful combination of coincidence and mysterious encounters with someone who may not be who or what he presents himself as.

An adorable story that will leave you with a huge smile on your face once you’ve reached the end (and on one or two crucial moments during the story too). Charlie and Adam are so obviously made for each other it’s hard not to cheer when they find each other during what might have been a disastrous delay in their journey, but turns out to be anything but. This is a comforting feel good read if ever I saw one.

A Gentle Shove of Human Kindness by Amy Lane

Witness the Angel Gabriel.

a.k.a. "Heaven's biggest prick"

Gabriel has been accused of the crime of hubris--and his sentence is to remember why angels protected humans in the first place. A permanent seat at Starbucks might be Gabriel's idea of hell, but it's there that he meets the irrepressible Jamie and wounded Ernie, and realizes that the human race might be worth saving after all.

It just needs a gentle shove of human kindness.

Okay, so strictly speaking this isn’t a Christmas story. Given that it features angels as the main characters and ends with the reader feeling happy and, may I say it, with their faith in human kindness refreshed, I’m inclined to gently shove this adorable, funny, and yet poignant short into this lineup anyway.

Gabriel in this story is probably best described as a grumpy old angel, convinced humankind is depraved and doomed. All it takes is twenty-four hours of observing Jamie and Ernie to restore his faith in humans and reduce his cynicism. A most wonderful, lighthearted yet poignant short.

When Harry Met Sully by Susan Mac Nicol

Sometimes, Christmas elves ARE real. And when Harry sees one he'd like to get to know better, you simply have to go with the Christmas flow.

This is a rather sweet and gently funny account of, as the title suggests, the moment Harry is introduced to Sully by Liz, his friend who is determined to end his solitary status.

This is the shortest of the Christmas stories I’ve recently read. It doesn’t come with a happily ever after. Heck, I’m not even sure it qualifies as a happy for now. But, it does leave you with a feeling of happy times to come, and in this case, that’s more than enough.