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.
