Nikki's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 13 Apr 2025 08:31:38 -0700 60 Nikki's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Catch (Slough House, #6.5)]]> 48550232
John Bachelor is the saddest kind of spy: not a joe in the field, not even a desk jockey, but a milkman—a part-time pension administrator whose main job is to check in on aging retired spies. Late in his career and having lost his wife, his house, and his savings after a series of unlucky choices, John’s been living in a dead man’s London apartment, hoping the bureaucracy isn’t going to catch up with him and leave him homeless. But keeping a secret among spies is a fool’s errand, and now John has made himself eminently blackmailable.]]> 128 Mick Herron 1641292342 Nikki 0 currently-reading 3.87 2020 The Catch (Slough House, #6.5)
author: Mick Herron
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Joe Country (Slough House, #6)]]> 123229152
In Slough House, the London outpost for disgraced MI5 spies, memories are stirring, all of them bad. Catherine Standish is buying booze again, Louisa Guy is raking over the ashes of lost love, and new recruit Lech Wicinski, whose sins make him an outcast even among the slow horses, is determined to discover who destroyed his career, even if he tears his life apart in the process.

Meanwhile, in Regent’s Park, Diana Taverner’s tenure as First Desk is running into difficulties. If she’s going to make the Service fit for purpose, she might have to make deals with a familiar old devil . . .

And with winter taking its grip, Jackson Lamb would sooner be left brooding in peace, but even he can’t ignore the dried blood on his carpets. So when the man responsible for killing a slow horse breaks cover at last, Lamb sends the slow horses out to even the score.]]> 337 Mick Herron 1641291338 Nikki 0 to-read 4.23 2019 Joe Country (Slough House, #6)
author: Mick Herron
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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]]> Bad Actors (Slough House, #8) 57927145
Over at Slough House, with Shirley Dander in rehab, Roddy Ho in dress rehearsal, and new recruit Ashley Khan turning up the heat, the slow horses are doing what they do best, and adding a little bit of chaos to an already unstable situation . . .

There are bad actors everywhere, and they usually get their comeuppance before the credits roll. But politics is a dirty business, and in a world where lying, cheating and backstabbing are the norm, sometimes the good guys can find themselves outgunned.]]> 344 Mick Herron 1641293373 Nikki 0 to-read 4.22 2022 Bad Actors (Slough House, #8)
author: Mick Herron
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Slough House (Slough House, #7)]]> 54005204 Brexit is in full swing. And due to mysterious accidents, the Slough Houses ranks continue to thin. The seventh entry to the Slough House series is as thrilling and bleeding-edge relevant as ever.

A year after a calamitous blunder by the Russian secret service left a British citizen dead from novichok poisoning, Diana Taverner is on the warpath. What seems a gutless response from the government has pushed the Service's First Desk into mounting her own counter-offensive—but she's had to make a deal with the devil first. And given that the devil in question is arch-manipulator Peter Judd, she could be about to lose control of everything she's fought for.

Meanwhile, still reeling from recent losses, the slow horses are worried they've been pushed further into the cold. Slough House has been wiped from Service records, and fatal accidents keep happening. No wonder Jackson Lamb's crew are feeling paranoid. But have they actually been targeted? With a new populist movement taking a grip on London's streets, and the old order ensuring that everything's for sale to the highest bidder, the world's an uncomfortable place for those deemed surplus to requirements. The wise move would be to find a safe place and wait for the troubles to pass.

But the slow horses aren't famed for making wise decisions. And with enemies on all sides, not even Jackson Lamb can keep his crew from harm.]]> 312 Mick Herron 1641292369 Nikki 0 to-read 4.29 2021 Slough House (Slough House, #7)
author: Mick Herron
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2021
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]]> The Secret Hours 123727738
But MI5’s formidable First Desk did not become Britain’s top spy by accident, and she has successfully thwarted the inquiry at every turn. Now the administration that created Monochrome has been ousted, the investigation is a total bust—and Griselda and Malcolm are stuck watching as their career prospects are washed away by the pounding London rain.

Until the eve of Monochrome’s shuttering, when an MI5 case file appears without explanation. It is the buried history of a classified operation in 1994 Berlin—an operation that ended in tragedy and scandal, whose cover-up has rewritten thirty years of Service history.

TheSecretHours is a dazzling entry point into Mick Herron’s body of work, a standalone spy thriller that is at once unnerving, poignant, and laugh-out-loud funny. It is also the breathtakingsecrethistory that Slough House fans have been waiting for.]]> 384 Mick Herron 164129521X Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.08 2023 The Secret Hours
author: Mick Herron
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[London Rules (Slough House, #5)]]> 59336985 The fifth entry in CWA Gold dagger-winning Slough House series.

London Rules might not be written down, but everyone knows rule one: Cover your arse.

At MI5 headquarters Regent's Park, First Desk Claude Whelan is learning this the hard way. Tasked with protecting a beleaguered prime minister, he's facing attack from all directions himself: from the showboating MP who orchestrated the Brexit vote, and now has his sights set on Number Ten; from the showboat's wife, a tabloid columnist, who's crucifying Whelan in print; from the PM's favorite Muslim, who's about to be elected mayor of the West Midlands, despite the dark secret he's hiding; and especially from his own deputy, Lady Di Taverner, who's alert for Claude's every stumble. Meanwhile, the country's being rocked by an apparently random string of terror attacks.

Over at Slough House, the MI5 satellite office for outcast and demoted spies, the agents are struggling with personal problems: repressed grief, various addictions, retail paralysis, and the nagging suspicion that their newest colleague is a psychopath. Plus someone is trying to kill Roddy Ho. But collectively, they're about to rediscover their greatest strength - that of making a bad situation much, much worse.]]> 383 Mick Herron Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.36 2018 London Rules (Slough House, #5)
author: Mick Herron
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Exit (Jon Reznick, #11) 62037944 301 J.B. Turner 1542039800 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.43 2023 Hard Exit (Jon Reznick, #11)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2023
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]]> Hard Fire (Jon Reznick, #10) 60832488 From bestselling author J. B. Turner comes the next chapter in Jon Reznick’s story—revenge for a murdered friend.

Jon Reznick is not a man to cross. A brutally effective black-ops veteran, Reznick has a history of taking the law into his own hands. So when a group of masked men murders his closest friend, he swears to exact vengeance. The now-deceased Bill Eastland had been Reznick’s last living tie to his father, leaving him devastated…and furious. Whether or not the FBI approves, he swears to hunt down whoever issued the hit on his friend.

With the help of hacker Trevelle Williams, Reznick tracks the masked murderers from Maine to Texas to New York, quickly becoming embroiled in the shadowy world of the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mafia. As Reznick’s own body count begins to climb, clues lead him to one of the most dangerous crime families in New York, headed by the infamous Paul Moretti. But FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein has just learned a crucial secret that could derail Reznick’s quest for revenge—Moretti is a high-level FBI informant.

Reznick faces a stark take on the FBI and risk severing ties with Martha, or inflict his own form of rigorous justice no matter the possible fallout. How far will he go—and how many government agencies will he undermine—to get retribution for his best friend’s death? He might just have to create his own set of rules.]]> 334 J.B. Turner 1542030072 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.38 2022 Hard Fire (Jon Reznick, #10)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Hard Vengeance (Jon Reznick, #9)]]> 53810275 When the people he loves most are in danger, Jon Reznick will get revenge…or die trying.

When black-ops specialist Jon Reznick receives a voice mail from FBI assistant director Martha Meyerstein, hoping to explore their relationship outside of the federal government, Jon starts to imagine a new future, one where he can leave his past behind. But an unhinged killer with a grudge has other plans. He’s setting a trap for Reznick, one he knows the operative won’t be able to resist.

In a picturesque fishing village on the Mediterranean coast, a luxury yacht has gone up in flames. Was it a terrible accident or something much more sinister? Jon Reznick must travel overseas, to find out what’s happened to Martha and seek revenge on the psychopath who has put Reznick’s entire future in jeopardy.

Jon will need all the help he can get to bring him to justice. Fresh out of Quantico, Reznick’s daughter, Lauren, joins him against his wishes, along with hacker Trevelle Williams. But government operatives from across the globe have descended on this quiet vacation destination and will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from coming out.]]> 283 J.B. Turner 1542025338 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.45 2021 Hard Vengeance (Jon Reznick, #9)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Target (Jon Reznick, #8) 48755603 A threat inside the government. A whistleblower’s life on the line. It’s up to Jon Reznick to bring justice.

When hacker Trevelle Williams discovers documents that threaten national security and put his life in jeopardy, there’s only one person he can turn to—Jon Reznick. Williams has learned that Rosalind Dyer, a key congressional witness, is about to be killed in order to stop her testimony. She has stumbled into the middle of a cover-up that goes deep into the United States government. Dyer knows her days are numbered, but that won’t stop her from doing what she has to do.

Trevelle Williams has helped Jon out of many a scrape in the past. Now, Jon is the only person he can turn to for help saving Rosalind’s life, as well as his own, and protecting national security in the process.

With enemies on all sides, including within the United States government, can Jon and Trevelle get to Rosalind in time? They’re her only hope to escape her pursuers and bring these secrets to light.]]> 268 J.B. Turner Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.46 2020 Hard Target (Jon Reznick, #8)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Shot (Jon Reznick, #7) 49374875 Jon Reznick will protect New York City or die trying.

When a group of homegrown attackers takes aim at cops outside a Fourth of July baseball game, black-ops specialist Jon Reznick and his daughter, Lauren, are caught in the cross fire. Jon hunts down two of the gunmen. But the last member of the group is at large and about to launch a fresh killing spree across the city. Cops are under fire, and Jon must stop this madman before more people are killed.

But Jon’s renegade tactics and vigilante justice are starting to ruffle some feathers, and his friends in high places might not be able to help him anymore. With leaks inside the FBI and resistance from the NYPD, Reznick doesn’t know whom to trust.

He knows one thing: he won’t watch the city he loves be torn apart, especially not with his daughter in the crosshairs. But can he get to her in time?]]> 253 J.B. Turner 1542006147 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.41 2019 Hard Shot (Jon Reznick, #7)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Hit (Jon Reznick, #6) 43325788 He’s fighting for justice while she fights for her life.

With his daughter lying in the hospital, struck down in a reckless hit-and-run, the only thing Jon Reznick can do is wait—and plot his revenge. Not satisfied with the slow-moving police investigation, he starts his own manhunt.

He discovers that the car belongs to a high-ranking diplomat whose interests are closely tied to those of the United States government, and this man may not be what he appears. The FBI wants Reznick to back down, but the more information Jon digs up, the more questions he finds. Was it a simple accident, or is there more to it? How many young women’s lives has this man ruined? Lauren’s life hangs in the balance, and Jon must get answers, no matter the cost—to him or the government.

With the help of a dedicated NYPD detective who has suspicions of her own, as well as FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein, Jon Reznick will have to fight for his daughter while she fights for her life.]]> 282 J.B. Turner 1542006643 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.40 2019 Hard Hit (Jon Reznick, #6)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Fall (Jon Reznick, #5) 35907546 A friend in danger. A shadowy psych ward. A conspiracy beyond Reznick’s worst nightmares.

When an old Delta Force buddy comes to Jon Reznick for help, paranoid and fearing for his life, Reznick feels duty-bound to protect him. As a black-ops specialist, loyalty to his brothers in arms comes before everything—even the law.

But Jerry White proves difficult to protect. A runaway from a top-security psychiatric facility in upstate New York, he’s considered a danger to himself and others, and Reznick is powerless to stop shadowy senior hospital managers taking Jerry back by force. When FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein warns him off, Reznick ignores her advice, suspecting the Wittenden Institute is not what it seems.

Digging deeper into the hospital’s background—and that of its esteemed manager, Dr. Robert Gittinger—Reznick begins to unravel a sinister plot that will bring warzone black ops to American soil. And when his own life comes under threat, he discovers that Jerry is trapped in a web of high-level conspiracies more terrifying than anything he has ever encountered…]]> 312 J.B. Turner 1542099994 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.31 2018 Hard Fall (Jon Reznick, #5)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Way (Jon Reznick, #4) 33518000
The FBI are reluctant to let Reznick anywhere near the case, but he’s not in the habit of seeking their permission—especially once his covert investigation leads him straight to the head of the Russian mob. And it soon becomes clear that it’s not only Meyerstein who’s in danger: her abduction is just the start of a campaign to undermine American law and order.

With Meyerstein’s whereabouts unknown, and the CIA and FBI seemingly operating at cross-purposes, it falls to Reznick to go it alone. Can he get to Meyerstein before the mob get to him?]]> 273 J.B. Turner 1477821945 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.42 2017 Hard Way (Jon Reznick, #4)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Wired (Jon Reznick, #3) 30968390
Reznick’s one-man investigation quickly enters dangerous territory when it becomes clear that this was merely the first in a series of mysterious deaths. All of the victims are ex-Delta Forces, and all were involved in a top-secret Iranian hit under Reznick’s command. Retribution will not be complete until Reznick is wiped out too.

With Iran’s ruthless Quds Force hunting him down on US soil, assisted by a powerful Mexican drug cartel determined to increase its own foothold in the country, Reznick’s survival is a threat to national security. FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein is not as keen as some government officials to sacrifice him as collateral damage, but the longer Reznick runs, the more audacious his enemies become. Innocent American lives are at risk, and only Reznick’s victory—or surrender—can save them.

Revised edition: This edition of Hard Wired includes editorial revisions.]]> 264 J.B. Turner 1503993302 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.36 2015 Hard Wired (Jon Reznick, #3)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Kill (Jon Reznick, #2) 30978521
The former black-ops assassin is supposed to be on vacation with his daughter, but when Meyerstein calls, it doesn’t pay to keep her waiting. Her elite team is convinced that the missing diplomat’s expertise in the Persian Gulf points to an Iranian terrorist cell, but Reznick isn’t so sure. His gut instinct tells him they’re all wrong. Never one to play by the rules, he finds himself working alone, following a lead that everyone else has dismissed. But to Reznick, the suspect seems a little too clean�

When the team comes under attack, the kidnapping is exposed as part of a much wider conspiracy, one far more dangerous than Meyerstein feared. Nothing and nobody is safe—and only Jon Reznick stands between national security and a campaign of unprecedented terror.

Revised edition: This edition of Hard Kill includes editorial revisions.]]> 302 J.B. Turner 1503991601 Nikki 0 currently-reading 4.28 2014 Hard Kill (Jon Reznick, #2)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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]]> Hard Road (Jon Reznick, #1) 30978496
But the target is not the man Reznick expected. The whole setup is wrong. In an instant the operation is compromised, and Reznick is on the run with the man he was sent to kill. A man wanted by the FBI, and by a mysterious terrorist organization hell-bent on bringing the United States to its knees. FBI Assistant Director Martha Meyerstein is determined to track him down, and to intercept whatever it is Reznick was sent to do.

When Reznick’s young daughter becomes a pawn in the game, he has to use more than his military training to stay one step ahead of those responsible. Meanwhile, he is the only person who knows the true extent of the threat to national security—and has the stealth and determination to stop it.

Revised edition: This edition of Hard Road includes editorial revisions.]]> 322 J.B. Turner 1503991547 Nikki 3 4.22 2013 Hard Road (Jon Reznick, #1)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2013
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Shadows of Winter (The Curse and the Crown, #1)]]> 211771113 she runs headlong into the powerful royal ranger, Lord Vlerion. He’s aloof, sexy, dangerous, and� he accuses her of being a spy.

To remove suspicion from her name, Kaylina must work with him to stop the real danger to the crown.

But she soon learns that Vlerion suffers from a curse. When he experiences strong emotions, he turns into a deadly beast who can’t tell friend from foe.

Irking him would be a bad idea. Developing feelings for him would be even worse. Unfortunately, as Kaylina spends more time with Vlerion, she struggles with both.

If she can’t keep from rousing the beast, she won’t clear her name, fulfill her dream, or even survive the week.

~

Shadows of Winter is the first in a romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and enemies-to-lovers stories.]]> 388 Lindsay Buroker Nikki 3 4.44 2024 Shadows of Winter (The Curse and the Crown, #1)
author: Lindsay Buroker
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2025/03/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Dragon Keeper (Rain Wild Chronicles #1)]]> 26841427
One of the most gifted fantasy authors writing today, New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb has dazzled readers with brilliantly imaginative, emotionally resonant, and compulsively readable tales set in far-flung realms not unlike our own. In this enthralling new novel, she returns to the territory of her beloved Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies with a story of dragons and humans, return and rebirth, and the search for meaning, belonging, and home.

For years, the Trader cities valiantly battled their enemies, the Chalcedeans. But they could not have staved off invasion without the powerful dragon Tintaglia. In return, the Traders promised to help her serpents migrate up the Rain Wild River after a long exile at sea--to find a safe haven and, Tintaglia hopes, to restore her species. But too much time has passed, and the newly hatched dragons are damaged and weak, and many die. The few who survive cannot use their wings; earthbound, they are powerless to hunt and vulnerable to human predators willing to kill them for the fabled healing powers of dragon flesh.

But Tintaglia has vanished and the Traders are weary of the labor and expense of tending useless dragons. The Trader leadership fears that if it stops providing for the young dragons, the hungry and neglected creatures will rampage--or die along the river's acidic muddy banks. To avert catastrophe, the dragons decree a move even farther up the treacherous river to Kelsingra, their ancient, mythical homeland whose mysterious location is locked deep within the dragons' uncertain ancestral memories.

To ensure their safe passage, the Traders recruit a disparate group of young people to care for the damaged creatures and escort them to their new home. Among them is Thymara, an unschooled forest girl of sixteen, and Alise, a wealthy Trader's wife trapped in a loveless marriage, who attaches herself to the expedition as a dragon expert. The two women share a deep kinship with the Thymara can instinctively communicate with them, and Alise, captivated by their beauty and majesty, has devoted her life to studying them.

Embarking on an arduous journey that holds no promise of return, the band of humans and dragons must make their way along the toxic and inhospitable Rain Wild River--an extraordinary odyssey that will teach them lessons about themselves and one another, as they experience hardships, betrayals, and joys beyond their wildest dreams.]]> 560 Robin Hobb 0008154392 Nikki 5 3.89 2009 Dragon Keeper (Rain Wild Chronicles #1)
author: Robin Hobb
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2019/10/28
date added: 2025/02/27
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]]> <![CDATA[American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer]]> 128085531 721 Kai Bird 183895970X Nikki 5 4.59 2005 American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
author: Kai Bird
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
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]]> <![CDATA[The Paper Magician (The Paper Magician, #1)]]> 20727654
Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

From the imaginative mind of debut author Charlie N. Holmberg, The Paper Magician is an extraordinary adventure both dark and whimsical that will delight readers of all ages.]]> 222 Charlie N. Holmberg 1477823832 Nikki 3 3.61 2014 The Paper Magician (The Paper Magician, #1)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Boy of Chaotic Making (Whimbrel House, #3)]]> 125373512
Merritt Fernsby’s life has changed considerably since he inherited Whimbrel House. He’s engaged to Hulda Larkin, who opened his eyes to the uncanny. And he’s grown quite protective of his uncle Owein—several generations, and iterations, removed. Owein is presently inhabiting the body of a mixed-breed terrier when Merritt receives a missive from none other than Alexandrina Victoria, the Queen of England: I am interested in your dog.

It’s the queen’s duty to the peerage to keep British wizardry empowered. Her offer: England will find a human vessel for Owein, marry him into the royal family, and add this remarkable soul-shifter to its lineage. For Owein, a boy trapped in the body of a pup, it’s a dream come true. How can Merritt refuse? However, once they are in London and in consortium with a necromancer, the situation doesn’t feel right, both with their hosts and the house they inhabit. Owein is having nightmares. And Hulda’s premonitions warn of danger in Merritt’s future. Clearly, someone doesn’t want them in town.

But after two hundred years of being cursed to drift, Owein is determined to chart his own destiny. He’s ready to defy whatever chaos is coming. After all, Owein is the master of chaos, and with Merritt and Hulda’s love and magical support, he can overcome anything.]]> 299 Charlie N. Holmberg 1662508727 Nikki 3 4.31 2024 Boy of Chaotic Making (Whimbrel House, #3)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Heir of Uncertain Magic (Whimbrel House, #2)]]> 61252380
Thanks to house tamer Hulda Larkin, the mischief infesting Whimbrel House has calmed. But if Hulda’s job is done, what does that mean for Merritt Fernsby, inheritor of the remote Narragansett Bay estate, who’s only now coming to terms with his enchanted place in the world?]]> 300 Charlie N. Holmberg 1662508689 Nikki 3 4.17 2023 Heir of Uncertain Magic (Whimbrel House, #2)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Stateside (Robert Hoon Thrillers #5)]]> 213432453 Viva Las Vengeance

All Bob Hoon ever wanted was a good whisky, and some peace and quiet.

But, when Hoon hears that his friend and MI5 agent, Miles Crabtree, has gone missing in the United States, he is dragged back into action once more.

The hunt leads him to the Florida Everglades, and into conflict with the violent locals, the terrifying wildlife, and a Sheriff with a sinister agenda of his own.

Carving a trail of destruction across America, Hoon crosses swords with a washed-out, Elvis-themed P.I. who might be his only chance of not only saving his friend, but of foiling a twisted conspiracy that could lead to the deaths of millions.

From the Highlands of Scotland, through the steamy dive bars of Florida, to the dazzling neon nightmare of Vegas, Hoon’s quest for justice will expose the rotten underbelly of the American Dream.

And he might just cause a major international incident along the way.

Stateside is the fifth book in the Robert Hoon Thrillers series by internationally bestselling author, JD Kirk. If you ever thought Jack Reacher should be Scottish and swear more often, this is the series for you!]]> 410 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.50 Stateside (Robert Hoon Thrillers #5)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Eastgate (Robert Hoon Thrillers #4)]]> 61958370 Former Detective Superintendent, Bob Hoon, has had one hell of a year.

After being repeatedly beaten, shot at, blown-up, and tortured, Hoon is looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas drinking heavily in front of the TV, while pointedly ignoring the older sister who has invaded his home.

The world, however, has other plans.

When a routine trip to an Inverness shopping centre is interrupted by a squad of heavily armed Santas, Hoon, his sister, and an old army colleague find themselves trapped alongside several hundred terrified hostages.

With so much potential for bloodshed, the police gathering outside the centre can only wait, watch, and try to negotiate with the terrorists within.

But patience has never been Hoon’s strong point.

And so, if he and everyone else in the centre are going to make it home for Christmas, Hoon is left with only one choice.

He’s going to Die Hard the **** out of this thing.

Eastgate is the fourth explosive novel in the Robert Hoon Thrillers series by bestselling author, JD Kirk, and is perfect for fans of Lee Child, Robert Ludlum, and angry, middle-aged Scottish men doing implausible things.]]> 332 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.62 Eastgate (Robert Hoon Thrillers #4)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.62
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
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]]> <![CDATA[Death at Paradise Palms (Retired Detectives Club #2)]]> 60283532
When movie producer Cody Ziegler goes missing from The Homestead’s Millionaires� Row, his wife, retired actress Olivia, immediately claims there’s foul play afoot. A million-dollar ransom demand soon follows, with clear instructions not to involve the cops. In desperation she enlists the help of Moira, Rick, Philip and Lizzie, aka the Retired Detectives Club.

Racing against the clock, the four retirees set to work. Sure, Cody had enemies—there’s a disgruntled employee, a jilted film-maker and a hundred other people who know how much he’s worth. But when it emerges that Cody’s apparently perfect marriage isn’t what it seems, even Olivia isn’t above suspicion.

When Cody’s car turns up in a nearby lake with a shocking surprise inside, the case becomes even more complicated. But with Philip and Lizzie’s marriage on the rocks, and threatening notes sending Moira into a spin, the Retired Detectives Club risks falling apart before getting any closer to the truth.

Can Moira and the gang find Cody before it’s too late? Or will this case see them lose in more ways than one?]]> 316 Steph Broadribb 1542027519 Nikki 3 4.23 2022 Death at Paradise Palms (Retired Detectives Club #2)
author: Steph Broadribb
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Death on the Beach (Retired Detectives Club #3)]]> 62925967 313 Steph Broadribb 1542027543 Nikki 3 4.30 2023 Death on the Beach (Retired Detectives Club #3)
author: Steph Broadribb
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
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]]> <![CDATA[Death in the Sunshine (Retired Detectives Club, #1)]]> 58268720
After a long career as a police officer, Moira hopes a move to a luxury retirement community will mean she can finally leave the detective work to the youngsters and focus on a quieter life. But it turns out The Homestead is far from paradise. When she discovers the body of a young woman floating in one of the pools, surrounded by thousands of dollar bills, her crime-fighting instinct kicks back in and she joins up with fellow ex-cops—and new neighbours—Philip, Lizzie and Rick to investigate the murder.

With the case officers dropping ball after ball, Moira and the gang take matters into their own hands, turning undercover homicide investigators. But the killer is desperate to destroy all the evidence and Moira, Philip, Lizzie and Rick soon find themselves getting in the way—of the murderer and the police.

Just when they thought they could finally relax, they discover that someone has infiltrated their ‘safe� community. Can they hunt down the murderer and get back to retiring in peace? And after all the excitement, will they want to?]]> 319 Steph Broadribb 1542029813 Nikki 0 3.92 2022 Death in the Sunshine (Retired Detectives Club, #1)
author: Steph Broadribb
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/19
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]]> No Way Back (Jack McNeal #1) 58260834 From the author of the bestselling Jon Reznick Thriller series comes an exhilarating new adventure. When the people he loves most are in danger, Jack McNeal will get revenge...or die trying.

NYPD detective Jack McNeal is used to asking the tough questions. But a late-night visit from the Secret Service lands Jack on the other side of the table—as a suspect in the disappearance of his estranged wife, Caroline, a prominent reporter on the White House beat. When her body is found floating in the Potomac, Jack is overcome by disbelief and despair.

Her death seems eerily similar to the suspicious fatality of a young socialite years before. Is the similarity of the two tragic incidents simply a coincidence, or could it be a sign of a murderous orchestrated plot to protect those in the highest echelons of the American government?

To avenge Caroline’s death, Jack embarks on a journey into the darkest recesses of power. Suspects abound—from haunted special forces soldiers to ex-CIA to the president’s own body man. Along the way, Jack will be forced to decide: Is there a line he won’t cross to expose the killer?]]> 301 J.B. Turner 1542030048 Nikki 3 4.02 2022 No Way Back (Jack McNeal #1)
author: J.B. Turner
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
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]]> <![CDATA[Westward (Robert Hoon Thrillers, #3)]]> 60858212
Disgraced ex-cop Robert Hoon has crossed the wrong people for the last time.

Having struck a humiliating blow against the criminal network known as the Loop, Hoon has been targeted by the Alphas, an elite squad of assassins who will not stop until he is dead.

Outnumbered, outgunned, and on unfamiliar territory, Hoon's only chance of survival lies several hundred miles north, in a place he knows better than anyone else on Earth.

He swore he'd never set foot there again, but almost four decades after he left, Bob Hoon is finally going home.

Westward is the third thriller novel in the Robert Hoon series and is perfect for fans of Jack Reacher, James Bond, and excessive swearing.]]> 343 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.54 Westward (Robert Hoon Thrillers, #3)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.54
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
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]]> <![CDATA[Southpaw (Robert Hoon Thrillers, #2)]]> 60155307
Following his brutal search for the missing daughter of an old army colleague, Hoon is being hunted by the Loop, a secretive criminal cabal with members in very high places and a tendency to eliminate all those who stand against it.

Unfortunately for them, Hoon has never been one to back down from a fight, and he isn’t about to start now. Instead, he’s going to burn their whole damn organisation to the ground.

But first, he’s going to have to get inside.

He may be a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking psychopath with a death wish, but Bob Hoon is about to do something he hasn’t done in years.

He’s going undercover.]]> 402 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.53 Southpaw (Robert Hoon Thrillers, #2)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
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]]> <![CDATA[Northwind (Robert Hoon Thrillers, #1)]]> 57670094
Shunned by his old colleagues, and dividing his time between a dead-end job and the bottom of a whisky bottle, former Police Scotland Detective Superintendent Bob Hoon’s life is a mess.

Then an old face from Hoon’s Special Forces days turns up asking for help: his teenage daughter has been missing for months, the police have drawn a blank, and he needs the kind of help that only Hoon can provide.

And besides, Hoon owes him one.

From the Highlands of Scotland, to the mean streets of London, Hoon’s relentless hunt for the girl will see him make new friends and encounter old enemies. Enemies who know what happened to the girl. And to hundreds more like her.

But Hoon’s been given something that makes him dangerous, something he thought he’d long-since lost: a purpose.
He may be a disgraced ex-copper, a barely-functioning alcoholic, and a borderline psychopath, but Bob Hoon still believes in justice.

And he’s just the foul-mouthed **** to dish some out.]]> 332 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.52 Northwind (Robert Hoon Thrillers, #1)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.52
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/02
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]]> The God of the Woods 199700434 When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide.

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances.

Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet, The God of the Woods is a story of inheritance and second chances, the tensions between a family and a community, and a history that will not let any of them go.]]> 478 Liz Moore 0593418913 Nikki 0 to-read 4.09 2024 The God of the Woods
author: Liz Moore
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)]]> 123211531
Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.]]> 835 Sarah J. Maas 1635574102 Nikki 0 to-read 4.15 2024 House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/31
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]]> <![CDATA[Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2)]]> 199347538 Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely anticipated sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. Featuring gorgeous orange sprayed edges!

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.]]> 416 T.J. Klune 125088120X Nikki 0 to-read 4.17 2024 Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2)
author: T.J. Klune
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/31
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]]> The Ministry of Time 199798179 A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley.

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats� from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge�: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as �1847� or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,� “Spotify,� and “the collapse of the British Empire.� But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts.

Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.

An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.]]> 339 Kaliane Bradley 1668045141 Nikki 0 to-read 3.54 2024 The Ministry of Time
author: Kaliane Bradley
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2024
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]]> The Women 127305853 De la autora superventas de El Ruiseñor , una historia de mujeres valientes decididas a arriesgar su vida por los demás en uno de los momentos más peligrosos de la historia.

Inspiradas por el coraje. Ligadas por la amistad. Unidas por la esperanza.

«Las mujeres pueden ser heroínas». Cuando Frankie McGrath, estudiante de enfermería de veinte años, oye por primera vez estas inesperadas palabras, siente una revelación. Criada en el idílico y soleado sur de California y protegida por sus conservadores padres, siempre se ha enorgullecido de hacer lo que se espera de ella, de ser una buena chica. Pero en 1966 el mundo está cambiando y, de repente, su vida parece abrirse a nuevas posibilidades. Cuando su hermano parte para combatir en Vietnam, ella se une de manera impulsiva al Cuerpo de Enfermeras del Ejército para seguirle.

Allí, Frankie se siente igual de inmadura e inexperta que los jóvenes enviados para luchar, y se ve abrumada por el caos y la destrucción de la guerra. Además, un trauma inesperado la golpea al volver a casa, el de encontrar un país cambiado y dividido, un país que quiere olvidar. Frankie descubrirá el verdadero valor de la amistad y el dolor que puede causar un corazón roto.

***Número 1 en las listas de best sellers de The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, la Asociación de Librerías Independientes, Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, Amazon, Audible y Los Angeles Daily News***

Sobre la novela han
«De nuevo, Hannah ilumina con su luz a mujeres que la historia ha ignorado».
People Magazine

«Hannah está en su mejor momento en esta novela».
The New York Times

«Conmovedora y excepcionalmente documentada».
Stephen King

«ʴǻDz».
Matt Haig, autor de La biblioteca de la medianoche

«Kristin Hannah, una de las mejores narradoras de nuestro tiempo, aborda una de las más crueles y viles guerras del último Vietnam. Las mujeres de la guerra revela la enorme contribución y los horribles sacrificios de las enfermeras militares que sirvieron en ella... Nunca una novela de guerra se ha metamorfoseado tan profundamente en una historia sobre el corazón humano».
Delia Owen, autora de La chica salvaje

«Este libro es ficción histórica en su mejor versión. Tan conmovedor, tan desgarrador, y, sin embargo, en última instancia, optimista. ¡Bravo!».
Nicholas D. Kristof, ganador del Premio Pulitzer y coautor de La mitad del cielo

«Deslumbra con su sacrificio; y eleva el ánimo con su heroísmo... Un importante y largamente esperado tributo a las valientes enfermeras que sirvieron en Vietnam».
Bonnie Garmus, autora de Lecciones de química

«Los fans de los libros históricos protagonizados por mujeres van a disfrutar esta magnética novela».
Publishers Weekly

Please This audiobook is in Spanish.]]> 471 Kristin Hannah 1250178630 Nikki 0 to-read 4.58 2024 The Women
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2024
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]]> Grave Talk 209496283 Time is a healer, but it helps to have a friend.

The last thing Alice expects to see at her husband’s graveside on his birthday is a giant, talking frog. On closer inspection, it’s a grown man dressed as Kermit.

Turns out Alice’s husband is buried next to Ben’s older brother Harry, who—as a parting practical joke in his will—insisted that Ben visit his grave each year, on this specific day, dressed in an as-yet-undisclosed pageant of embarrassing fancy dress.

With little but their grief and this one day in common, Alice and Ben form a very special, very strange friendship, meeting just once a same day, same time, same place—different silly costume. As the years pass and grief alters, can their unique bond help them cope with the hardest part of life?]]> 314 Nick Spalding 1662519990 Nikki 4 4.24 2024 Grave Talk
author: Nick Spalding
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Scions of Change (The Curse and the Crown, #4)]]> 219755188
Kaylina must learn about her heritage, and the father she never knew she had, so she can help Vlerion save the kingdom. If they fail, neither of them will survive.]]> 410 Lindsay Buroker Nikki 4 4.59 2024 Scions of Change (The Curse and the Crown, #4)
author: Lindsay Buroker
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/12/30
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]]> <![CDATA[In Service of Death (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #17)]]> 150214397
At their wits' end, three former British Army soldiers, now living in the Highlands of Scotland, have no choice but to turn to the police for help.

And that is when the killing starts.

Brought in to lead the case, Detective Chief Inspector Jack Logan finds himself locked in a battle of wits with a meticulously organised murderer.

A murderer who has been planning all this for a very long time...]]> 384 J.D. Kirk Nikki 0 4.66 2023 In Service of Death (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #17)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[A Dead Man Walking (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers #18)]]> 195059151 370 J.D. Kirk Nikki 0 4.34 2023 A Dead Man Walking (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers #18)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Where the Pieces Lie (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers Book 19)]]> 203993196 Experience the pulse-pounding new thriller from multi-million selling Scottish crime fiction author, JD Kirk.

Community service clean-up was supposed to be a tedious affair. But, when a young offender stumbles upon a bin bag filled with human remains, a quiet Highland village is thrown into chaos.

The investigation leads DCI Jack Logan to a remote and nightmarish cottage, where a forgotten freezer holds a disturbing a full set of human fingers.

As more body parts are uncovered, Logan and his team hunt for a killer with a gruesome obsession for collecting trophies.

Across the vast Highlands, where secrets run as deep as the lochs, the team must piece together a jigsaw puzzle of horror that's as fragmented as the remains they've found.

But how do you solve a jigsaw when you can’t see the picture on the box?

Where the Pieces Lie is the 19th explosive novel from number one bestselling Scottish crime author, JD Kirk, perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Chris Brookmyre, and Val McDermid.]]> 388 J.D. Kirk Nikki 0 4.59 Where the Pieces Lie (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers Book 19)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.59
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]]> <![CDATA[A Killer of Influence (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers #20)]]> 210891231 What price would you pay for fame?

Following a convention in the Scottish Highlands, eight social media influencers vanish without a trace, leaving their followers � and families � in a state of shock, and the police clueless as to their whereabouts.

And then, the livestreams begin.

Broadcast live from their squalid underground cells, the young influencers are forced into a sadistic battle for survival.

With each livestream, their captor pits them against each other in a twisted competition for likes. The influencer with the fewest positive reactions faces a gruesome end � live on camera.

As the likes increase and the death toll rises, DCI Jack Logan and his team must traverse both the Scottish wilderness and the darkest corners of the internet to try and save the remaining captives.

But how do you catch a killer who is always one click ahead?

A Killer of Influence is the 20th book in the multi-million selling DCI Jack Logan series from internationally bestselling Scottish crime author, JD Kirk.]]> 414 J.D. Kirk Nikki 0 4.68 A Killer of Influence (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers #20)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.68
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rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[One For the Ages (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #16)]]> 63264379
Until he leads them to his home, and to the mutilated remains of his late wife.

It is the first murder that the remote Highland village has ever seen. It will not be the last. Someone is targeting the elderly and vulnerable in their homes. Someone they know. Someone they trust.

Arriving to lead the manhunt, DCI Jack Logan finds a close-knit community closing ranks. Can Jack break down the wall of silence before more lives are lost? Or, in this twisted, sadistic killer, has Jack Logan finally met his match?]]> 392 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.61 2023 One For the Ages (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #16)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
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]]> <![CDATA[Here Lie the Dead (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #15)]]> 61032358
When the body of a teenager is discovered near Eilean Donan Castle several months after she disappeared, DCI Jack Logan and his team journey across the Highlands to investigate.

As they start to unpick the young woman’s life, the secrets and lies they expose soon threaten to tear the small, rural community apart.

But, when a second girl goes missing in similar circumstances, it isn’t just a murder investigation that Jack finds himself running.

It’s a race against time.]]> 445 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.57 2022 Here Lie the Dead (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #15)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
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]]> <![CDATA[City of Scars (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #14)]]> 60802671
Life has been slowly improving for DCI Jack Logan lately. Happily settled down with the woman of his dreams and a dog he begrudgingly tolerates, things are finally going Jack’s way.

But, could all that be about to change?

When a sadistic killer begins picking off victims on the streets of Inverness, Jack’s boss decides to bring in some outside help. But the new team member is an old flame from Jack’s past who isn’t quite ready to let him go.

And, as the dead bodies rack up, the Happily Ever After that Jack has been building for himself might just be the next victim to fall�

City of Scars is the 14th books in the multi-million selling DCI Logan Scottish crime fiction series. Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, LJ Ross, and Stuart MacBride.]]> 384 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.56 2022 City of Scars (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #14)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
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]]> <![CDATA[Come Hell or High Water (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #13)]]> 59777319
When a badly burned body is found near the remote Ardnamurchan Lighthouse on the west coast of Scotland, it feels like just another day on the job for DCI Jack Logan and his team.

But the victim’s list of enemies―including a diminutive loan shark and a powerful local politician―is far longer than Jack was prepared for.

And don’t even get him started on the magic psychic sex cult.

With political scandal brewing, conspiracy theories running wild, and a team member stuck inside a giant road safety squirrel costume, DCI Logan’s latest case might just be his most bizarre to date.

Come Hell or High Water is the thirteenth book in the multi-million selling DCI Logan Scottish Crime Fiction series. Packed with action, pathos, and dark humour, the series is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Stuart MacBride.]]> 365 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.51 2021 Come Hell or High Water (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #13)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2024/12/11
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]]> <![CDATA[Colder than the Grave (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #12)]]> 57932171
DCI Jack Logan should’ve known things were going too well. Genuinely happy for the first time in years, Jack has almost fooled himself into believing that the world is a decent place.

But, when the discovery of a mutilated body kicks off a series of grisly murders, Jack’s dream of a peaceful life rapidly begins to crumble around him.

With friends in danger, and enemies begging for his help, Jack must risk everything to protect the final would-be victim, and stop the most monstrous killer he’s ever faced.

And to do that, sacrifices will have to be made�

Colder than the Grave is the 12th novel in the #1 bestselling DCI Jack Logan series set in the Highlands of Scotland. Perfect for fans of Stuart Macbride, Chris Brookmyre, Ian Rankin, and LJ Ross.]]> 307 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.65 2021 Colder than the Grave (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #12)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2024/12/11
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]]> <![CDATA[An Isolated Incident (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #11)]]> 57046451
After a violent home invasion in the remote wilds of Glen Coe leaves a family of four dead, DCI Jack Logan and his team are brought in to lead the manhunt.

But, when one of the victims is revealed to be one half of legendary 1980s Glasgow-based comedy double act, ‘Neeps & Tatties�, Logan is forced to leave the Highlands and head back to his old stomping ground.

He may have spent his career dealing with the worst humanity has to offer, but to find out who killed Archie Tatties and his family, Logan will have to confront his most terrifying challenge yet - the seedy world of Scottish light entertainment.

An Isolated Incident is the eleventh book in JD Kirk’s internationally bestselling DCI Logan crime fiction series. Perfect for fans of Chris Brookmyre, Stuart Macbride, and Alex Smith.]]> 399 J.D. Kirk Nikki 5 4.55 2021 An Isolated Incident (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #11)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2021
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/12/10
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]]> <![CDATA[Ahead of the Game (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #10)]]> 56326926
Except this body is missing a very vital component, and given its location - The Well of Seven Heads - it seems like someone is trying to send a message. But why? And to whom?

With pressure mounting from his superiors, six hundred teenagers baying for blood, and the press sniffing around for a scandal, the only chance Jack has of cracking his latest case is if he finds a way to keep the heid, while all around are losing theirs.

Ahead of the Game is the tenth book from bestselling Scottish crime author, JD Kirk, and is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart Macbride, and Val McDermid.]]> 452 J.D. Kirk Nikki 4 4.55 2021 Ahead of the Game (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #10)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
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]]> <![CDATA[A Death Most Monumental (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #8)]]> 54901201
When the remains of a brutally murdered young woman are left hanging from the Glenfinnan Monument in the Highlands of Scotland, DCI Jack Logan and his Major Investigations Team are dispatched to investigate.

At first, the case appears to be fairly open and shut. But, as evidence mounts, Jack uncovers some shocking truths about the victim that risk turning the investigation into a potentially explosive international incident.

With a billionaire baying for his blood, a former FBI agent breathing down his neck, and half the world's press watching his every move, it isn't the murderer that Jack's afraid might be the end of him.

It's the stress.

And don't get him started on the bloody tourists...

A Death Most Monumental is the eighth book from internationally bestselling author, JD Kirk, and is perfect for fans of Stuart Macbride, Ian Rankin, Chris Brookmyre, and Val McDermid.]]> 360 J.D. Kirk Nikki 0 4.54 2020 A Death Most Monumental (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #8)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/05
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]]> <![CDATA[A Snowball's Chance in Hell (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #9)]]> 55516208
But, when a post mortem reveals something more sinister, Jack discovers he is dealing with a cold, calculating killer with a long line of victims, a talent for torture, and a perverse sense of justice.

Half a decade ago, the press dubbed him ‘The Iceman� - a twisted vigilante who successfully evaded capture for two years, before melting away into the night.

Now, The Iceman has come back. His naughty list is longer than ever.

And it contains some worryingly familiar names…]]> 371 J.D. Kirk Nikki 5 4.53 2020 A Snowball's Chance in Hell (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, #9)
author: J.D. Kirk
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2024/12/05
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]]> <![CDATA[A Tribute of Fire (The Eye of the Goddess, #1)]]> 208920886 The fate of a cursed nation depends on a princess who must outwit a mortal enemy and outlast the trials of a death-defying ritual in a thrilling adventure by USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson.

Lia is the princess of Locris, a dying desert nation cursed centuries ago by an earth goddess—one still worshipped by the thriving and adversarial nation of Ilion. Every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrifice: two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple. In a millennium, no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive. This year, Lia is one of the hunted.

An education in battle gives her a fighting chance, but the challenges are greater than she feared: Lia’s beloved but untrained sister Quynh has been put in the path of danger. The winding streets of Ilion itself have been transformed into a labyrinthine maze of countless choices and dead ends. And if the risks weren’t significant enough, Lia is reluctantly drawn to the commandingly attractive Jason, an Ilionian sailor she loathes to trust and desires like no man before.

The tribute game is on. It’s up to Lia to lift the goddess’s curse, restore Locris to its former glory, and change the fate of every young woman destined to follow in her path.]]> 524 Sariah Wilson 1662525133 Nikki 4 4.12 2024 A Tribute of Fire (The Eye of the Goddess, #1)
author: Sariah Wilson
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
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]]> <![CDATA[I Love Galesburg in the Springtime]]> 12906354 172 Jack Finney 0330020218 Nikki 2 3.33 1963 I Love Galesburg in the Springtime
author: Jack Finney
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.33
book published: 1963
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
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]]> <![CDATA[Lake of Sorrow (The Curse and the Crown, #2)]]> 213990631 definitely didn’t want to be accused of trying to poison the queen.

But a conniving competitor has framed her, and now the Kingdom Guard is hunting her down.

Vlerion wants to help, but a rebel faction has learned that he’s cursed to turn into a deadly beast when his emotions are aroused. They’re blaming numerous murders on him and demanding his death.

Caught in a city far more dangerous and chaotic than she expected, Kaylina must avoid capture while finding evidence to clear her name. If she can’t, she may lose Vlerion—and her own life.]]> 386 Lindsay Buroker Nikki 4 4.42 2024 Lake of Sorrow (The Curse and the Crown, #2)
author: Lindsay Buroker
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Sentinel of Time (The Curse and the Crown, #3)]]> 216546843
She has the support of Lord Vlerion, the ranger she’s developed feelings for, but he has problems of his own, and an insidious plot threatens to take him from her forever.]]> 344 Lindsay Buroker Nikki 4 4.48 2024 Sentinel of Time (The Curse and the Crown, #3)
author: Lindsay Buroker
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Shadows of Winter (The Curse and the Crown, #1)]]> 213783620
To remove suspicion from her name, Kaylina must work with him to stop the real danger to the crown.

But she soon learns that Vlerion suffers from a curse. When he experiences strong emotions, he turns into a deadly beast who can’t tell friend from foe.

Irking him would be a bad idea. Developing feelings for him would be even worse. Unfortunately, as Kaylina spends more time with Vlerion, she struggles with both.

If she can’t keep from rousing the beast, she won’t clear her name, fulfill her dream, or even survive the week.

~

Shadows of Winter is the first in a romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and enemies-to-lovers stories.]]> 386 Lindsay Buroker 1951367405 Nikki 0 3.89 2024 Shadows of Winter (The Curse and the Crown, #1)
author: Lindsay Buroker
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/22
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]]> The Briar Club 181110045 A haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, D.C. boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; police officer’s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.

Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst?]]> 432 Kate Quinn 0063244748 Nikki 0 to-read 4.26 2024 The Briar Club
author: Kate Quinn
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> There Are Rivers in the Sky 202468422 From the Booker Prize finalist author of The Island of Missing Trees, an enchanting new tale about three characters living along two rivers, all under the shadow of one of the greatest epic poems of all time.

In the ancient city of Nineveh, on the bank of the River Tigris, King Ashurbanipal of Mesopotamia, erudite but ruthless, built a great library that would crumble with the end of his reign. From its ruins, however, emerged a poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh, that would infuse the existence of two rivers and bind together three lives.

In 1840 London, Arthur is born beside the stinking, sewage-filled River Thames. With an abusive, alcoholic father and a mentally ill mother, Arthur’s only chance of escaping destitution is his brilliant memory. When his gift earns him a spot as an apprentice at a leading publisher, Arthur’s world opens up far beyond the slums, and one book in particular catches his interest: Nineveh and Its Remains.

In 2014 Turkey, Narin, a ten-year-old Yazidi girl, is diagnosed with a rare disorder that will soon cause her to go deaf. Before that happens, her grandmother is determined to baptize her in a sacred Iraqi temple. But with the rising presence of ISIS and the destruction of the family’s ancestral lands along the Tigris, Narin is running out of time.

In 2018 London, the newly divorced Zaleekah, a hydrologist, moves into a houseboat on the Thames to escape her husband. Orphaned and raised by her wealthy uncle, Zaleekah had made the decision to take her own life in one month, until a curious book about her homeland changes everything.

A dazzling feat of storytelling, There Are Rivers in the Sky entwines these outsiders with a single drop of water, a drop which remanifests across the centuries. Both a source of life and harbinger of death, rivers—the Tigris and the Thames—transcend history, transcend fate: “Water remembers. It is humans who forget.�]]> 464 Elif Shafak 0593801717 Nikki 0 to-read 4.38 2024 There Are Rivers in the Sky
author: Elif Shafak
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/14
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]]> <![CDATA[Tell Me Everything (Amgash, #5)]]> 204811915 People) of a novel about new friendships, old loves, and the very human desire to leave a mark on the world.

With her remarkable insight into the human condition and silences that contain multitudes, Elizabeth Strout returns to the town of Crosby, Maine, and to her beloved cast of characters—Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, Bob Burgess, and more—as they deal with a shocking crime in their midst, fall in love and yet choose to be apart, and grapple with the question, as Lucy Barton puts it, “What does anyone’s life mean?�

It’s autumn in Maine, and the town lawyer Bob Burgess has become enmeshed in an unfolding murder investigation, defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. He has also fallen into a deep and abiding friendship with the acclaimed writer Lucy Barton, who lives down the road in a house by the sea with her ex-husband, William. Together, Lucy and Bob go on walks and talk about their lives, their fears and regrets, and what might have been. Lucy, meanwhile, is finally introduced to the iconic Olive Kitteridge, now living in a retirement community on the edge of town. They spend afternoons together in Olive’s apartment, telling each other stories. Stories about people they have known—“unrecorded lives,� Olive calls them—reanimating them, and, in the process, imbuing their lives with meaning.

Brimming with empathy and pathos, Tell Me Everything is Elizabeth Strout operating at the height of her powers, illuminating the ways in which our relationships keep us afloat. As Lucy says, “Love comes in so many different forms, but it is always love.”]]> 326 Elizabeth Strout 0593446097 Nikki 0 to-read 3.98 2024 Tell Me Everything (Amgash, #5)
author: Elizabeth Strout
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> Lucy by the Sea (Amgash #4) 60657583
Rich with empathy and emotion, Lucy by the Sea vividly captures the fear and struggles that come with isolation, as well as the hope, peace, and possibilities that those long, quiet days can inspire. At the heart of this story are the deep human connections that unite us even when we're apart--the pain of a beloved daughter's suffering, the emptiness that comes from the death of a loved one, the promise of a new friendship, and the comfort of an old, enduring love.]]> 291 Elizabeth Strout 0593446062 Nikki 0 to-read 3.80 2022 Lucy by the Sea (Amgash #4)
author: Elizabeth Strout
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Anything Is Possible (Amgash, #2)]]> 32080126 Olive Kitteridge in its richness, structure, and complexity, Anything Is Possible explores the whole range of human emotion through the intimate dramas of people struggling to understand themselves and others.

Here are two sisters: One trades self-respect for a wealthy husband while the other finds in the pages of a book a kindred spirit who changes her life. The janitor at the local school has his faith tested in an encounter with an isolated man he has come to help; a grown daughter longs for mother love even as she comes to accept her mother’s happiness in a foreign country; and the adult Lucy Barton (the heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton, the author’s celebrated New York Times bestseller) returns to visit her siblings after seventeen years of absence.

Reverberating with the deep bonds of family, and the hope that comes with reconciliation, Anything Is Possible again underscores Elizabeth Strout’s place as one of America’s most respected and cherished authors.]]> 254 Elizabeth Strout 0812989406 Nikki 0 to-read 3.74 2017 Anything Is Possible (Amgash, #2)
author: Elizabeth Strout
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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]]> Oh William! (Amgash, #3) 56294820
So Lucy is both surprised and not surprised when William asks her to join him on a trip to investigate a recently uncovered family secret—one of those secrets that rearrange everything we think we know about the people closest to us. What happens next is nothing less than another example of what Hilary Mantel has called Elizabeth Strout’s “perfect attunement to the human condition.� There are fears and insecurities, simple joys and acts of tenderness, and revelations about affairs and other spouses, parents and their children. On every page of this exquisite novel we learn more about the quiet forces that hold us together—even after we’ve grown apart.

At the heart of this story is the indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who offers a profound, lasting reflection on the very nature of existence. “This is the way of life,� Lucy says: “the many things we do not know until it is too late.”]]> 240 Elizabeth Strout 0812989430 Nikki 0 to-read 3.79 2021 Oh William! (Amgash, #3)
author: Elizabeth Strout
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[My Name Is Lucy Barton (Amgash, #1)]]> 25893709 193 Elizabeth Strout 1400067693 Nikki 0 to-read 3.56 2016 My Name Is Lucy Barton (Amgash, #1)
author: Elizabeth Strout
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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]]> The Moonflowers 203689295 In a powerful and poignant novel, an artist unravels her mysterious family history and its generations of women who depended on each other to survive.

Tig Costello has arrived in Darren, Kentucky, commissioned to paint a portrait honoring her grandfather Benjamin. His contributions to the rural Appalachian town and his unimpeachable war service have made him a local hero. But to Tig, he’s a relative stranger. To find out more about him, Tig wants to talk to the person who knew her grandfather, Eloise Price, the woman who murdered him fifty years ago.

Still confined to a state institution, Eloise has a lifetime of stories to tell. She agrees to share them all—about herself, about Tig’s enigmatic grandmother, and about the other brave and desperate women who passed through Benjamin’s orbit. Most revealing of all is the truth about Whitmore Halls, the mansion on the hill that was home to triage, rescue, death, and one inevitable day that changed Eloise’s life forever.

As Tig begins to piece together the puzzle of her mysterious family tree, it sends her spiraling toward a confrontation with her own painful past—and a reconciliation with all its heartrending secrets.]]> 329 Abigail Rose-Marie 1662522983 Nikki 4 4.33 2024 The Moonflowers
author: Abigail Rose-Marie
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/12
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]]> <![CDATA[The Beasts of the City (Thomas Berrington Tudor Mystery Book 4)]]> 206340423
Amidst this chaos lies the allure of "The Beasts of the City," a mystifying tome of alchemy and prophecy. This elusive book promises immense wealth and power to those who can unearth it, yet perilous consequences shadow it.

Navigating the complex web of London's nascent printing industry, a blend of lawful and covert operations, Thomas enlists the expertise of two eminent figures destined for Thomas More and Thomas Linacre.

While entangled in this web, Thomas also grapples with a royal command from King Henry, concerning the contentious future of Catherine of Aragon. Concurrently, he is thrust into the heart of the macabre murders plaguing the city.

A fateful encounter with a noble associate of the King unveils a hidden realm of decadence and vice, steering Thomas closer to the malevolent force behind the slayings.

Joining forces with Will and Usaden, Thomas embarks on a perilous quest. They must unravel the enigma, tracing the sinister force luring unsuspecting victims to their doom. In a race against time, they strive to thwart further atrocities, even as their own lives hang in the balance.

"The Beasts of the City" marks the thrilling return of Thomas Berrington and his companions in an exhilarating new escapade, weaving through the shadowy streets of Tudor London.]]> 456 David Penny Nikki 2 4.51 The Beasts of the City (Thomas Berrington Tudor Mystery Book 4)
author: David Penny
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.51
book published:
rating: 2
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]]> <![CDATA[The Creek (Summer Suspense Mysteries, #2)]]> 60756411
Kate Irving arrives at her grandfather’s cottage at Frenchman’s Creek in the dead of night with her young son, a small suitcase and little else. Its scattered community of fishermen, farmers, artists and jetsetters barely bat an eyelid, because theirs is a rarefied world, tucked beneath the lush forest that lines the banks of the Helford Estuary, deep in the heart of Cornwall, where life is slow and people generally mind their own business. Unless, of course, your grandfather happens to be a pillar of the local community�

Kate’s left the past behind and guards her privacy and her son fiercely. She’s wary of accepting the friendship her new neighbours offer, but their kindness is too great to refuse and she begins to feel she has found her place in the world. That is, until tragedy strikes, and her new friends look to her for the answers�

Kate soon learns that the past always catches up with you, in the end—the question is, will she be able to face it, when it does?

Suspense is peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced mystery, set amidst the spectacular Cornish landscape.]]> 253 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.31 2022 The Creek (Summer Suspense Mysteries, #2)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2022
rating: 3
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date added: 2024/11/04
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]]> <![CDATA[The Bay (Summer Suspense Mysteries, #3)]]> 144091695
In the picturesque seaside town of St Ives, Detective Sergeant Sophie Keane is a pillar of the community. Between the occasional collar and lazy weekends spent on the beach, it seems a perfect life. But for Sophie, the golden sands and crystal waters hide a dark secret, one that’s lain buried for twenty years. When a body turns up on the opening night of a glittering new art gallery on the seafront, the town is left shaken—especially Sophie, who recognises the killer’s style but knows that what she fears just couldn’t be possible�

With a killer on the loose, everyone’s a suspect—especially newcomer Gabriel Rowe, who seems to have settled in far too quickly for her liking. For Sophie, he’s guilty until proven innocent�

Suspense is peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced mystery, set amidst the spectacular Cornish landscape.]]> 210 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.37 2023 The Bay (Summer Suspense Mysteries, #3)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/04
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]]> <![CDATA[The Haven (Summer Suspense Mysteries, #4)]]> 211180116 SOME LEGENDS NEVER DIE...

Irish newsreader Isolde Malone has a face many would recognise; in fact, she can’t walk through the streets of Dublin without bumping into a horde of fans, all of whom want their picture taken with the darling of broadcast journalism. She’s living a dream life and has never been happier�

Until the night everything changes.

Forced to take a sabbatical from her glittering career, Isolde needs a haven from ordinary life and the support of her only remaining family. So, when a gilt-edged invitation to attend one of her brother’s fundraising events drops through the post, it seems like the perfect opportunity. There’s just one problem�

She must cross the sea to Cornwall.

What promised to be the perfect escape soon turns into a nightmare when a body washes up at the foot of the legendary castle at Tintagel, and Isolde soon realises that the ghosts in that part of the world can be just as deadly as the ones she’s left behind in Ireland.

Trapped in a windswept country house hotel for the weekend, surrounded by suspects, Isolde hardly knows who to trust, but she knows it isn’t Tristan Williams—no matter what the old legend might say…Suspense is peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced mystery, set amidst the spectacular Cornish landscape.

“LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers��The Times

“A literary phenomenon��Evening Chronicle]]> 223 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.22 2024 The Haven (Summer Suspense Mysteries, #4)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/04
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]]> <![CDATA[Murder on the Train (DI Hillary Greene #21)]]> 211977898 Six passengers in a locked train carriage. One of them is dead. No one saw a thing.

Former Detective Hillary Greene is off on holiday. For a blissful two weeks, her life will be free of murder victims, murder suspects � and, best of all, no paperwork. She’s heading for the beautiful Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye, where she plans to spend her time browsing old bookshops and generally relaxing.

Hillary arrives at the picturesque Riverside Inn where the other guests are an eclectic a charming Irishman, a rich American and his spoilt daughter, a thrice-married Canadian influencer, a wealthy widow and a taciturn taxidermist.

The next day, Hillary and her fellow guests set off on a steam train ride through the stunning Cambrian Mountains. But when the train arrives at its final destination, not all the passengers get off.

One of them has been stabbed neatly and cleanly through the heart.

Which of the five passengers who shared the carriage is the killer? And how come no one saw a thing . . . ?]]> 261 Faith Martin 1835265448 Nikki 3 4.35 2024 Murder on the Train (DI Hillary Greene #21)
author: Faith Martin
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/04
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]]> <![CDATA[The Ciphers of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood, #2)]]> 25602169 From the moment she was banished by her father, the king, Princess Maia journeyed to seek sanctuary at Muirwood Abbey, the epicenter of magic and good in the land. Now safe for the first time since her cruel abandonment, Maia must foster uneasy friendships with other girls training to be Ciphers: women who learn to read and engrave tomes of ancient power, despite the laws forbidding them to do so.

As Maia tries to judge whom to trust, she makes a shocking discovery: her destiny is to open the Apse Veil and release trapped spirits from her world. Then she learns that her father is coming to Muirwood Abbey to celebrate the Whitsunday festival—and Maia’s estranged husband, whom she was forced to abandon, will join him. Torn between deadly political machinations and unstoppable spiritual forces, Maia must channel unknown powers within herself to save her friends, the abbey, and the entire kingdom of Muirwood.

]]> 402 Jeff Wheeler 150392114X Nikki 3 4.38 2015 The Ciphers of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood, #2)
author: Jeff Wheeler
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2015
rating: 3
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date added: 2024/10/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The Blight of Muirwood (Legends of Muirwood, #2)]]> 16202167 453 Jeff Wheeler 1612187013 Nikki 3 4.17 2011 The Blight of Muirwood (Legends of Muirwood, #2)
author: Jeff Wheeler
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[The Wretched of Muirwood (Legends of Muirwood, #1)]]> 15954540
All but doomed, her days are spent toiling away as a kitchen slave under the charge of the Aldermaston, the Abbey’s watchful overseer. But when an injured squire named Colvin is abandoned at the kitchen’s doorstep, an opportunity arises.

The nefarious Sheriff Almaguer soon starts a manhunt for Colvin, and Lia conspires to hide Colvin and change her fate. In the midst of a land torn by a treacherous war between a ruthless king and a rebel army, Lia finds herself on an ominous journey that will push her to wonder if her own hidden magic is enough to set things right.

At once captivating, mysterious, and magic-infused, The Wretched of Muirwood takes the classic fantasy adventure and paints it with a story instantly epic, and yet, all its own.]]> 302 Jeff Wheeler 1612187005 Nikki 4 4.00 2011 The Wretched of Muirwood (Legends of Muirwood, #1)
author: Jeff Wheeler
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Void of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood, #3)]]> 25563704
Realizing that Muirwood Abbey is once again her only hope for survival, Maia gathers her people there for protection. When she discovers an adversary greater than she’s ever known, she must use all the magic, strength, and wisdom gained from her life’s trials to prevent the Void that would bring destruction to herself, her true love, and the entire kingdom.]]> 432 Jeff Wheeler 150393716X Nikki 4 4.41 2015 The Void of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood, #3)
author: Jeff Wheeler
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2015
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/10/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The Banished of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood, #1)]]> 25071002 In a stand-alone series set in the world of Muirwood, eighteen-year-old Maia is the exiled princess of Comoros and heir to the throne. As a result of her father’s ceaseless need for authority, she was left disinherited and forced to live as a servant in her enemy’s home. When the king invites chaos into the land by expelling the magical order known as the Dochte Mandar, Maia finds herself on a perilous quest to save her people. To survive, she must use magic she has learned in secret—despite the fact that women are forbidden to control it. Hunted by enemies at every turn, Maia realizes that danger lurks within her, too. Her powers threaten to steal not only her consciousness but also her sense of right and wrong. Can she set herself free and save the realm she loves—even if that realm has forgotten her?

]]> 418 Jeff Wheeler 150390315X Nikki 3 4.19 2015 The Banished of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood, #1)
author: Jeff Wheeler
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2015
rating: 3
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date added: 2024/10/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The Cove (Summer Suspense Mysteries, #1)]]> 58200493
Gabrielle Adams has it all � brains, beauty, a handsome fiancé, and a dream job in publishing. Until, one day, everything changes.

The ‘Underground Killer� takes his victims when they least expect it: standing on the edge of a busy Tube platform, as they wait for a train to arrive through the murky underground tunnels of London.

Gabrielle soon learns that being a survivor is harder than being a victim, and she struggles to return to her old life. Desperate to break free from the endless nightmares, she snatches up an opportunity to run a tiny bookshop in a picturesque cove in rural Cornwall.

She thinks she’s found the perfect escape, but has she swapped one nightmare for another?

Suspense and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced thriller, set amidst the spectacular Cornish landscape.]]> 197 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.06 2021 The Cove (Summer Suspense Mysteries, #1)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Panic (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #5)]]> 212685636 The only way to catch a killer is to think like one...

When a senior Metropolitan Police officer and High Court judge die in quick succession, criminal profiler Doctor Alex Gregory is convinced their deaths are linked to the most shameful case of his the notorious wrongful conviction of Carl Deere, an innocent man found guilty of a series of heinous murders perpetrated by the ‘Soho Killer�. Four years later, released from prison and with his record wiped clean, Deere is an invisible spectre with a new name and a new face. But, as Gregory knows only too well, the past isn’t easily forgotten, and revenge can be a powerful motive—even for an innocent man�

With Scotland Yard determined to avoid any further scandal, Gregory and his friend and mentor, Professor Bill Douglas, are left to fend for themselves. With no real evidence and the body count racking up, they know it’s only a matter of time before their names are next on the killer’s list�

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the scenic landscapes of Cambridge and London.]]> 254 L.J. Ross Nikki 4 4.54 2024 Panic (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #5)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/24
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]]> <![CDATA[Mania (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #4)]]> 60276052
Back in London after a dramatic trip to North America, Doctor Alexander Gregory finds himself without an occupation while he awaits the all-important decision of the disciplinary panel at Southmoor Hospital. That is, until he witnesses the death of a famous actor, live on stage during the opening night of King Lear. When the police rule the death suspicious, they call upon the elite services of Gregory and his partner in criminal profiling, Bill Douglas.

Gregory is paired with attractive investigating officer DCI Hope and tensions arise—especially when an old foe resurfaces.

With bodies piling up and no new leads, Gregory and Hope realise they must look to the past to uncover the truth—before it’s too late. Immersed in the glamorous world of celebrity, Gregory soon learns that, beneath the surface, things are far murkier than they seem�

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst London’s vibrant Theatreland.]]> 270 L.J. Ross Nikki 4 4.36 2022 Mania (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #4)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/23
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Hysteria (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #2)]]> 48760299 In a beautiful world, murder is always ugly�

Recently returned from his last case in Ireland, elite forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr Alexander Gregory receives a call from the French police that he can’t ignore. It’s Paris fashion week and some of the world’s most beautiful women are turning up dead, their faces slashed in a series of frenzied attacks while the world’s press looks on.

Amidst the carnage, one victim has survived but she’s too traumatised to talk. Without her help, the police are powerless to stop the killer before he strikes again � can Gregory unlock the secrets of her mind, before it’s too late?

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Parisian landscape.]]> 232 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.18 2019 Hysteria (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #2)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/23
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Bedlam (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #3)]]> 53510813 In a world gone mad, who can you trust?

Fresh from a high-profile case in the Paris fashion world, elite forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr Alexander Gregory receives a call from the FBI. The wife of a notorious criminal has been admitted to a private psychiatric hospital and can no longer testify in his upcoming trial. Without her, their case will collapse but, amidst reports that the staff are as unpredictable as their patients, who can the police trust?

In desperation, they turn to an outsider and now Gregory must find the courage to step inside the fortified walls of Buchanan Hospital to uncover the truth. The question is, will he ever be the same again?

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Catskill Forest.]]> 291 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.36 2020 Bedlam (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #3)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/23
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
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]]> Half Broken Things 6626551 Half Broken Things is a novel that peers into the lives of three dangerously lost people…and the ominous haven they find when they find each other.

Jean is a house sitter at the end of a dreary career. Steph is nine months pregnant and on the run. And Michael is a thief. Through a mixture of deceit, good luck, and misfortune, these three damaged loners have come together at a secluded country home called Walden Manor. Now all three have found what they needed a new beginning, a little kindness, a little love. Living off the manor’s riches, tending its grounds and gardens, they leave the outside world far behind and build a happiness so long denied them. That is, until the first unexpected visitor arrives...igniting a chain reaction that is at once spellbinding and disastrous.

A stunning, thought-provoking crime novel of chilling moral complexity, Half Broken Things is a gripping, haunting exploration of love and our need for it, of the damage done when we go long without it, and the deeds we might be driven to in its name.


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 336 Morag Joss 0440335590 Nikki 0 to-read 3.82 2003 Half Broken Things
author: Morag Joss
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Impostor (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #1)]]> 51815833 There’s a killer inside all of us�

After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amidst a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed. Forensic psychologist Doctor Alexander Gregory has a reputation for being able to step inside the darkest minds to uncover whatever secrets lie hidden there and, soon enough, he finds himself drawn into the murky world of murder investigation.

In the beautiful hills of County Mayo, Ireland, a killer is on the loose. Panic has a stranglehold on its rural community and the Garda are running out of time. Gregory has sworn to follow a quiet life but, when the call comes, can he refuse to help their desperate search for justice?

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Irish landscape.]]> 311 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.29 2019 Impostor (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #1)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/20
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Rock (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #18)]]> 56757201
With one already dead and more human cargo missing from the wreckage, Ryan and his team race to find the remaining souls � before it’s too late, and their investigation turns to murder. As they uncover the seedy underbelly of Tyneside, cold and calculated opportunism clashes with the rock-hard arm of the Law, but there’s one thing that proves stronger than stone�


The human spirit.]]> 384 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.53 2021 The Rock (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #18)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bamburgh (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #19)]]> 60567811
Meanwhile, after a recent revelation about her sister, DC Melanie Yates� quest to avenge her death is becoming an obsession—much to the concern of those around her. With a new DCS to contend with and hundreds of cold case files to sift through, the chances of uncovering a dormant killer seem unlikely. But as Melanie delves deeper into the secrets of the past to uncover the truth, she soon realises it lies much closer to home�

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.]]> 312 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.47 2022 Bamburgh (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #19)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/18
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lady's Well (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #20)]]> 123162525
When the ancient waters of Lady’s Well in the rural village of Holystone begin to run red, it seems to be a nasty Hallowe’en prank and nothing more. But things take a sinister turn when the entire village suffers severe poisoning, and one old man turns up dead.

Accusations abound in the small, close-knit community, and ‘old� religions spar against ‘new� while fear runs like wildfire through the streets. With so many potential motives and countless opportunities, there’s only one man who can help solve this particular mystery�

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.]]> 311 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.42 2023 Lady's Well (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #20)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Death Rocks (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #21)]]> 210533162 THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A COINCIDENCE...

When the body of a talented photographer is found on the rocks beneath the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, DCI Ryan and his team of detectives immediately suspect the worst. But, since none of their potential suspects seems to have a motive, the case runs cold.

Then, when another body is found dead on a lonely stretch of road near Hadrian’s Wall and their only suspect has an airtight alibi, the team are faced with another crime without a perpetrator.

With the number of unexplained deaths in the area increasing rapidly and only a series of coincidences to work from, Ryan and his team must find the invisible link between them to crack the case—before it’s too late.

Can Ryan solve his most dangerous case yet?

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.]]> 234 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.62 2024 Death Rocks (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #21)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
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]]> This Way Out 58839774 It’s time everyone knew the truth, and what better way to announce you’re getting married (and gay) than on your family WhatsApp group?

Amar can’t wait to tell everyone his wonderful news: he’s found The One, and he’s getting married. But it turns out announcing his engagement on a group chat might not have been the best way to let his strict Muslim Bangladeshi family know that his happy-ever-after partner is a man—and a white man at that.

Amar expected a reaction from his four siblings, but his bombshell sends shockwaves throughout the community and begins to fracture their family unit, already fragile from the death of their mother. Suddenly Amar is questioning everything he once believed in: his faith, his culture, his family, his mother’s love—and even his relationship with Joshua. Amar was sure he knew what love meant, but was he just plain wrong?

He’s never thought of his relationship with Joshua as a love story—they just fit together, like two halves of a whole. But if they can reconcile their differences with Amar’s culture, could there be hope for his relationship with his family too? And could this whole disaster turn into a love story after all?]]> 268 Tufayel Ahmed 154203762X Nikki 4 4.03 2022 This Way Out
author: Tufayel Ahmed
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/18
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:

]]> Matterhorn (Mac Dekker, #1) 193772031
Robbie Steinhardt lives a peaceful life. A fixture of his small alpine village, he tends cattle, minds his own business, and doesn’t dwell on his former life and the family and lover he left behind—back when he was Mac Dekker, CIA.

But when he learns his son Will died following in his footsteps, he needs answers. What mission took Will up into the alpine heights, and why is Ilya Ivashka on the same trail? Ilya—his close friend, his rival in love. Ilya, who framed Mac for treason and sent him into hiding.

Wiping away the years, Mac returns to the field to find the secrets Will hid and finds himself facing the Herculean task of stopping a terrorist plot that threatens thousands. But in a field of double agents, who can he trust?]]> 344 Christopher Reich Nikki 4 4.24 2024 Matterhorn (Mac Dekker, #1)
author: Christopher Reich
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/18
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:

]]> Termination Shock 57094295 A visionary technothriller about climate change.

Neal Stephenson's sweeping, prescient new novel transports readers to a near-future world where the greenhouse effect has inexorably resulted in a whirling-dervish troposphere of superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, merciless heat waves, and virulent, deadly pandemics.

One man has a Big Idea for reversing global warming, a master plan perhaps best described as "elemental." But will it work? And just as important, what are the consequences for the planet and all of humanity should it be applied?

Ranging from the Texas heartland to the Dutch royal palace in the Hague, from the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas to the sunbaked Chihuahuan Desert, Termination Shock brings together a disparate group of characters from different cultures and continents who grapple with the real-life repercussions of global warming. Ultimately, it asks the question: Might the cure be worse than the disease?]]> 708 Neal Stephenson 0063028050 Nikki 3 3.68 2021 Termination Shock
author: Neal Stephenson
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/16
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)]]> 24485954 THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES HARDBACK BESTSELLER

Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew once more in the stunning climax to their epic tale, following A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES and SHADOW OF NIGHT.

A world of witches, daemons and vampires. A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. Diana and Matthew - the forbidden love at the heart of it.

After travelling through time in SHADOW OF NIGHT, the second book in Deborah Harkness's enchant�ing series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew's ancestral home in France they reunite with their families - with one heart-breaking exception. But the real threat to their future is yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on a terrifying urgency. Using ancient knowl�edge and modern science, from the palaces of Venice and beyond, Diana and Matthew will finally learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.]]> 637 Deborah Harkness 0755384792 Nikki 5 4.18 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2020/10/27
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves:
review:
I should probably take off half a star because I found the switch between first and third person narrator a little jarring at times, but other than that, I loved this book, and it provided a very fitting end to the trilogy.
]]> Hill of Secrets 199529242
Los Alamos, 1943. The US Army has gathered scientists to create the world’s first nuclear weapon. Their families, abruptly moved to the secret desert base with no explanation, have simple orders: Stand by. Make do. Above all, don’t ask questions.

Christine, forced to abandon her art restoration business in New York for her husband’s career, struggles to reinvent herself and cope with his increasing aloofness.

Gertie, the inquisitive teenage daughter of a German Jewish refugee physicist enlists Christine to help her unravel hidden truths and deal with parents haunted by their past.

Gertie’s father, Kurt, anguished by what the Nazis have done to his family and bent on defeating them, carries burdens he longs to share but cannot confide in his wife—leading him to find comfort elsewhere.

And Jimmy, a young army technician, falls for Gertie but is unsure if even her deep affection can overcome his agonizing self-doubts.

Will so much secrecy save them or destroy them?]]> 357 Galina Vromen Nikki 4 4.04 2024 Hill of Secrets
author: Galina Vromen
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves:
review:
I happened to be reading the Oppenheimer biography ‘American Prometheus� at the same time and had just reached the section set in Los Alamos, so this was serendipitous timing. A romantic story with some moral discussion of what was happening under the secrecy, and an insight into life for the non-scientists at Los Alamos.
]]> <![CDATA[The Virgin in the Ice (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #6)]]> 847860 202 Ellis Peters 0446404284 Nikki 4 4.13 1982 The Virgin in the Ice (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #6)
author: Ellis Peters
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1982
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Murder at the Monastery (Canon Clement, #3)]]> 199601881 399 Richard Coles 1474612733 Nikki 3 3.75 2024 Murder at the Monastery (Canon Clement, #3)
author: Richard Coles
name: Nikki
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/06
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cuthbert's Way (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #17)]]> 55836875
After the dramatic theft of a priceless artefact from Durham Cathedral, the rest of the world believes that DCI Ryan and his team were able to recover and return St. Cuthbert’s cross to its rightful home. But Ryan knows the cross he recovered was a fake—far from being over, their problems are only just beginning�

Just as Ryan and his team begin to unravel the truth behind the spate of mysterious thefts, something even more priceless is stolen—something that can never be replaced.

As the nationwide manhunt continues without success, Ryan is thrust into despair—until he realises the answer lies not in modern policing but in an age-old secret known only to a chosen few. To recover what’s been lost, he must first crack ‘Cuthbert’s Code�, following the trail of a long-dead saint across the wild, unpredictable hills and valleys of the borderlands.

Can Ryan find what he’s looking for, before it’s too late?

He’s going to need a miracle�

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.]]> 345 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.44 2020 Cuthbert's Way (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #17)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/30
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Shrine (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #16)]]> 52417037
After a long and eventful winter, DCI Ryan and his team are looking forward to the joys of spring. But, when one of their colleagues is shot dead on her own doorstep and the brass think it’s an inside job, Ryan finds himself drafted in to investigate.

He’s barely scratched the surface when reports flood in of a terror explosion at Durham Cathedral. Chaos descends on the sleepy, historic city and, when the smoke clears, they find a priceless artefact that once belonged to Saint Cuthbert is missing.

With tensions running at an all-time high, unable to trust the local police, can Ryan and his team bring a killer to justice � and restore Cuthbert’s cross to its natural resting place?

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular landscape of County Durham.]]> 236 L.J. Ross Nikki 0 4.28 2020 The Shrine (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #16)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Ryan's Christmas (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #15)]]> 49112524 Christmas can be murder�

After a busy year fighting crime, DCI Ryan and his team of murder detectives are enjoying a festive season of goodwill, mulled wine and, in the case of DS Phillips, a stottie cake or two—that is, until a freak snowstorm forces their car off the main road and into the remote heart of Northumberland. Their Christmas spirit is soon tested when they’re forced to find shelter inside England’s most haunted castle, where they’re the uninvited guests at a ‘Candlelit Ghost Hunt�. It’s all fun and games—until one of the guests is murdered. It seems no mortal hand could have committed the crime, so Ryan and Co. must face the spectres living inside the castle walls to uncover the grisly truth, before another ghost joins their number�

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

]]> 215 L.J. Ross Nikki 0 4.31 2019 Ryan's Christmas (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #15)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Penshaw (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #13)]]> 46208335 When you sell your soul, the devil gives no refunds...

When an old man is burned alive in a sleepy ex-mining village, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan is called in to investigate. He soon discovers that, beneath the facade of a close-knit community, the burn from decades-old betrayal still smoulders. When everyone had a motive, can he unravel the secrets of the past before the killer strikes again?


Meanwhile, back at Northumbria CID, trouble is brewing with rumours of a mole in Ryan’s department. With everyone under suspicion, can he count on anybody but himself?


Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

]]> 283 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.52 2019 Penshaw (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #13)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/29
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Borderlands (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #14)]]> 52210814 When the gods made man, they made a weapon...

After uncovering a fresh wave of corruption within the ranks of Northumbria CID, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan was looking forward to an uneventful summer. But, when a young woman is shot dead on the remote army ranges of the Northumberland National Park, Ryan is called in to investigate.

Meanwhile, violent crimes are being committed across sites of historic importance in the North East, the perpetrator leaving only a graffitied symbol as their calling card. As the body count rises, Ryan and his team must unravel the mystery behind its meaning � before it's too late...

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.]]> 249 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.33 2019 Borderlands (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #14)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/29
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Moor (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #12)]]> 44403033
When a ten-year-old girl turns up on DCI Ryan’s doorstep to tell him she’s witnessed a murder, he has no idea he’s about to step into his most spellbinding case yet. The circus has rolled into Newcastle upon Tyne, bringing with it a troupe of daring acrobats, magicians, jugglers—and one of them is a killer.

Ryan and his team must break through their closed ranks to uncover a secret which has lain buried for eight years, before the killer strikes again � this time, to silence the only living witness�

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.]]> 278 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.46 2019 The Moor (DCI Ryan Mysteries, #12)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/22
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Infirmary (DCI Ryan Mysteries series prequel)]]> 43398647 ** THE PREQUEL TO THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER HOLY ISLAND AND NOW A MAJOR NEW AUDIBLE ORIGINALS DRAMA STARRING TOM BATEMAN, KEVIN WHATELY, HERMIONE NORRIS AND ALUN ARMSTRONG **

No man is an island…�

In the stifling summer heat of 2014, a killer has been stalking the streets of Newcastle causing city-wide panic. When the officer in charge of the case turns up dead, it falls upon Detective Chief Inspector Ryan to take up the baton and find the person responsible.�

To the close-knit team of police in Northumbria CID, Ryan is still an outsider; aloof and uncompromising. He’s lived a charmed life and has an unbroken track record to match. But, as The Hacker’s death toll rises, Ryan realises this is one adversary he’ll never bring to justice on his own� �

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced crime thriller, set amidst the iconic North-Eastern landscape. �

“LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers� � The Times�
�
“A literary phenomenon� � Evening Chronicle�
�
“LJ Ross is the Queen of Kindle� � Sunday Telegraph�
�
The Audible Original Drama stars Tom Bateman (Murder on the Orient Express, Jekyll & Hyde, Snatched), Bertie Carvel (Doctor Foster, Les Misérables), Hermione Norris (Spooks, Cold Feet), Kevin Whately (Lewis, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) and Alun Armstrong (Get Carter, Patriot Games, New Tricks).]]> 291 L.J. Ross Nikki 3 4.44 2019 The Infirmary (DCI Ryan Mysteries series prequel)
author: L.J. Ross
name: Nikki
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/20
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves:
review:

]]>