Lord Somerton’s Heir

By: Alison Stuart ISBN: 978-1-8672-3471-5 Mira (2021) “Lord Somerton’s Heir” brings a modern sensibility to a regency romance, giving a splash of freshness to a very familiar genre. Fans of the genre will delight in it, and those who dip into the genre occasionally will also find it a pleasure. As a teenager, I went … Continue reading Lord Somerton’s Heir →

Over My Dead Body

By: Jeffrey Archer ISBN: 9780008476403 Publisher: Harper Collins (2021) “Over My Dead Body” has a potentially interesting plot, but is let down by mediocre writing. The result is a run of the mill, easily forgettable, crime novel. Detective William Warwick is newly in charge of a cold case unit at Scotland Yard. He is most … Continue reading Over My Dead Body →

Midnight in Everwood

By: M.A. Kuzniar ISBN: 978 000 8450670 HQ Fiction (2021) “Midnight in Everwood” is an entrancing fairy story based loosely on the story of the Nutcracker ballet. Although short enough and thematically appropriate for young adult readers, it will also appeal to many adult readers. In 1906 London, Marietta is entranced by ballet. She has … Continue reading Midnight in Everwood →

Private Prosecution

By: Lisa Ellery ISBN: 9781925 816730 Fremantle Press (2021) “Private Prosecution” is a relatively short crime novel that nevertheless lands a substantial punch. I enjoyed it a lot. There’s a whole sub-genre of crime novels that could be described as “lawyer sticks their nose in too far”. This sub-genre thrives in America, but isn’t seen … Continue reading Private Prosecution →

Her Heart for a Compass

By: Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York ISBN:978-0-008-38361-9 Mills and Boon (2021) “Her Heart for a Compass” is an enjoyable historical novel that will appeal to a lot of readers. The burning question for many potential readers is, of course, can Ferguson write, or is this just a vanity project? Happily, Ferguson can indeed write, and … Continue reading Her Heart for a Compass →

The Buchanan Girls

By: Emily Madden ISBN: 978-1-8672-0424-4 Mira (2021) “The Buchanan Girls” is a novel with no great surprises, but it thoroughly engages you with strong characters and is ultimately very moving. I thoroughly enjoyed it. In 1941 Sydney, the war is beginning to look very real. Australian men are signing up in ever greater numbers, and … Continue reading The Buchanan Girls →

Happy Hour

By: Jacquie Byron ISBN: 978-1-76106-513-2 Allen & Unwin “Happy Hour” doesn’t have anything very new to say, but it tells a lovely story that reminds us all of the value of human connections, and the fact that isolation is rarely a good strategy. Three years ago, Franny Calderwood lost her husband in an accident. The … Continue reading Happy Hour →