en-US Sat, 12 Apr 2025 03:11:24 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 222894146 384 Isabelle Monod-Fontaine 224684116X Christine 0 currently-reading 0.0
author: Isabelle Monod-Fontaine
name: Christine
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/12
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 222104481 1854, Edinburgh.
Respectable public faces hide sordid private sins.

Apprentice Sarah Fisher is helping to fund Dr Will Raven’s emerging medical practice in exchange for being secretly trained as a medic, should the rules barring women ever change. Sarah needs no instruction in the inequalities that beset her gender, but even she has her eyes opened to a darker reality when a relative seeks her help in searching for her missing daughter. Annabelle Banks was promised a situation in a prestigious household, but there has been no word from her since she left home, and the agency that arranged her position says she never appeared.

Sarah’s inquiries lead her to reforming campaigners trying to publicise the plight of the hundreds of girls ensnared in Edinburgh’s houses of assignation. Sarah learns how young women are lured, deceived, trafficked and raped, leaving them ruined in the eyes of a society obsessed with moral purity, and where virginity is prized as a lucrative commodity.

Drawing upon real historical events, The Death of Shame takes Raven and Sarah into a treacherous labyrinth of exploitation, corruption, high-level complicity and Victorian-style revenge porn.]]> Ambrose Parry 1837263442 Christine 5 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.75 2025
author: Ambrose Parry
name: Christine
average rating: 4.75
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:
A straight 5* novel from me! I love Ambrose Parry's novels because they always closely follow historical facts, people and social conditions! This novel is no exception focusing on women's place in society, either as wives, independent minds or striving to learn and live professionally. Unfortunately, as we know women did not have easy, particularly if we look into women resourcing to prostitution. With its thrilling , angering and brilliant plot, based on actual facts and people here as well, this novel takes the reader to a dark Edinburgh when a few dead people have a lot to say but do not dare... I loved it and highly recommended it.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 219299091 WINNER OF THE 2024 STREGA PRIZE��
WINNER OF THE 2024 YOUTH STREGA PRIZE��

Acclaimed Italian author Donatella Di Pietrantonio’s best-selling novel to date, The Brittle Age is a powerful mother and daughter story and a profound exploration of human fragility and the haunting shadows of the past��

In the 1990s, deep in the Maiella mountains of Central Italy, a brutal crime shatters the peace of the local community. Two young women are murdered, a third left for dead. Lucia is twenty years old back, and the only survivor is her best friend.   ��

Now, Lucia is a physiotherapist, separating from her husband, her daughter Amanda studying in Milan.�� When the pandemic forces Amanda to return to the family’s home near Pescara, Lucia’s memories are reawakened, and with them the impact of past trauma. ��

Set against the backdrop of the rugged Apennine mountains, this gripping psychological family drama weaves Lucia and Amanda’s personal struggles with the mystery of the tragedy that marked their familial land decades earlier.  ��

Inspired by true events, The Brittle Age is a tale of individual resilience, and a commentary on the indelible impact of historical events on personal lives and the broader community.   ��]]> Donatella Di Pietrantonio Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 3.40 2023
author: Donatella Di Pietrantonio
name: Christine
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves:
review:
The novel was good, but not special in its telling about trauma and how it may impact on different personalities. I must admit that after reading the blurb, I expected more from the novel: more subtlety and depths.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 215363242 Brimming with unpredictable twists and scandals, the latest Depression-era Alabama novel from award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe tells of a mistreated wife who finally finds the love she's longed for—only to be plunged into deceit, betrayal, and murder . . .

As a young woman, Naomi Simmons grabbed her one chance to escape the overwhelming demands of her selfish family by marrying devout older man Jacob Purcell. But it only landed her with a controlling, unfaithful husband who delights in hurling insults at her and their troubled now-teenage daughter, Ethel Mae. So, Naomi is amazed and touched when Homer Clark sees her for the vibrant, intelligent woman she truly is. Believing the handsome, worldly widower is her love of a lifetime, Naomi plans to leave with Homer and start fresh in the big city . . .
��
Then Jacob suffers a debilitating stroke, and Naomi can't bring herself to abandon him. Unfortunately, Homer refuses to listen—or understand.�� Relieved when he leaves town and disappears, Naomi dedicates herself to the now-grateful Jacob’s care. And she feels truly delighted and blessed when Ethel Mae finally gets her life on track away from home—and comes back with good news . . .
��
But Ethel Mae’s surprise will shock Naomi to her core and threaten everything and everyone she holds most precious. With no one who can help her—or believe her—Naomi battles increasingly insidious mind games even as her world starts falling apart. Can she defeat what appears to be a twisted scheme against her?�� Or will she be forced into a devastating showdown that will leave no one undamaged—or standing?
��]]> 288 Mary Monroe 1496743180 Christine 5 I received an audio version of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.12
author: Mary Monroe
name: Christine
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves:
review:
I listened to this story and I just loved it! The narrator was very good and I really got attached to Naomi. I loved her way of thinking, even if her integrity can be put in question when she enjoys her lover. However, I can't be angry with her, on the opposite, she is right to bring a little light in her daily life when she has to face her husband. She remains nevertheless selfless when it really gets morally important. That's why I like her so much. Naomi is someone I would have liked to meet. Highly recommended!
I received an audio version of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 230309940 Power is never given �� it is taken.

In a court where loyalty is a fragile illusion and betrayal lurks behind every corner, a prince must survive the father who seeks to break him, the enemies who conspire to erase him, and the past that haunts him. When Kings Fall Silent is a sweeping tale of ambition and resilience, weaving history and fiction into the untold story of Frederick the Great of Prussia. From the prisons of his father’s kingdom to the ruthless battle for his own destiny, this is the journey of a man who must learn that silence is not surrender—but the beginning of power.

Prince Frederick has been raised in the shadow of a ruthless king—a father who values discipline above all else and sees defiance as weakness. Trapped in a court where loyalty is a dangerous currency and every move is watched, he must navigate a world that demands silence, submission, and sacrifice. But some lessons are learned in chains, and some futures are forged in defiance.

Set in the heart of the 18th Century Prussian Kingdom on the brink of change, When Kings Fall Silent is a sweeping tale of power, duty, and the hidden battles that shape history. With a cast of rulers, courtiers, and conspirators, this is a story of family and betrayal, love and loss, and the cost of ambition in a world where nothing is freely given.

For readers who love richly detailed historical fiction, court intrigue, and complex characters, When Kings Fall Silent offers an immersive fictional journey into the making of a real life legend of the Prussian dynasty.]]> 302 Jim Bloor 1068418338 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from BookSirens and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.67
author: Jim Bloor
name: Christine
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves:
review:
The novel was interesting: indeed, both Frederick and the Soldier-king Frederick William I were both fascinating personalities. Their relationship being no less intriguing. I intend to read more about these two men. As far as the novel is concerned, the writing style disturbed me: many repetions, too long and repetitive explanations about the same thing; the verb "to be" constantly used in the same sentence: "this was...this was not" or vice versa. This occurs so frequently I found it made the reading arduous. Shame.
I received a digital copy of this novel from BookSirens and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 228131303 An enthralling and taut dual-timeline WWII mystery based on the true story of the massacre in a small town in Italy in July of 1945.

“A gripping saga that roots excruciating betrayals in a nation’s tragic history.�� ��Kirkus Reviews

In the winter of 1942, an Italian army of young men vanishes in the icefields of the Eastern Front. In the summer of 1945, a massacre in Schio, northeastern Italy, where families grieve the dead, makes international headlines.

In present-day Veneto, an ordinary man is about to stumble onto a horrifying secret.

Alex Lago is a jaded journalist whose career is fading as fast as his marriage. When he discovers an aged World War II photo in his dying father’s home, and innocently posts it to a Facebook group, he gets an urgent Take it down. NOW.

Alex finds himself digging into a past that needs to stay hidden. What he's about to uncover is a secret that can topple a political dynasty buried under seventy years of rubble. Suddenly entangled in a deadly legacy, he encounters the one person who can offer him redemption, for an unimaginable price.

Told from three alternating points of view, Martini’s World War II tale of intrigue, war, and heartbreak pulls the Iron Curtain back to reveal a country nursing its wounds after horrific defeat, an army of boys forever frozen at the gates of Stalingrad, British spies scheming to reshape Italy’s future, and the stinging unsolved murder of a partisan hero.

Ciao, Amore, Ciao is a gripping story of the most heroic, untold battle of the Second World War, and a brilliantly woven novel that brings the deceits of the past and the reckoning of the present together.

“Balances action, suspense, and emotional depth to deliver a truly immersive, thought-provoking read with an unflinching look at the sins of the past and the lengths to which the powerful will go to keep them buried.�� ��Sublime Book Review]]> 426 Sandro Martini Christine 3 This novel deals with strong feelings: anger when vengeance merges into justice or is it the other way round? And so many dead people. Based on real events, this story will make you think twice about the concept of justice.
The language used is more than colourful, but somehow fits the plot. Not a novel for me, but the main topics remain essential: trauma after the war, how does one deal with it, at a time when violence (even after the war) appeared the answer to many...
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.00
author: Sandro Martini
name: Christine
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves:
review:
Powerful novel but way too complicated plot! Graphic descriptions of violence during WWII while fleeing on the murdering snow of the Russian steppe. Those descriptions are not easy too digest. True, the horror experienced has directly to do with the main topic of the book. However, if I had known I would not have read the book. (I did skip some passages!)
This novel deals with strong feelings: anger when vengeance merges into justice or is it the other way round? And so many dead people. Based on real events, this story will make you think twice about the concept of justice.
The language used is more than colourful, but somehow fits the plot. Not a novel for me, but the main topics remain essential: trauma after the war, how does one deal with it, at a time when violence (even after the war) appeared the answer to many...
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 219838797 A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 2025 HOT SUMMER READ: "Irresistible.��

Set in Hollywood and Carmel-by-the-Sea, an unforgettable story of the unlikely friendship between an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and a young actress hoping to be Alfred Hitchcock's new star �� from the internationally bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris and The Last Train to London,

1957. Isabella Giori is ten months into a standard seven-year studio contract when she auditions with Hitchcock. Just weeks later, she is sequestered by the studio’s “fixer�� in a tiny Carmel cottage.

Léon Chazan, next door, is annoyed as hell when Iz interrupts his work on yet another screenplay he won’t be able to sell, because he’s been blacklisted. But soon, they’re in his roadster, speeding down the fog-shrouded Big Sur coast.

2018. Twenty-six-year-old screenwriter Gemma Chazan, in Carmel to sell her grandfather’s cottage, finds a hidden safe full of secrets—raising questions about who the screenwriter known simply as Chazan really was, and whether she can live up to his name.

In graceful prose and with an intimate understanding of human nature, Meg Waite Clayton captures the joys and frustrations of being a writer, being a woman, being a star, and being in love. Typewriter Beach is the story of two women separated by generations—a tale of ideas and ideals, passion and persistence, creativity, politics, and family.]]> 320 Meg Waite Clayton 006342214X Christine 0 to-read 4.47
author: Meg Waite Clayton
name: Christine
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 224138576
When a possible link emerges to the disappearance of Lea Høgh, 10, six years ago, DI Henrik Jungersen is thrown back into the nightmare that almost finished his career. Desperate for redemption, but barred from reopening the old case, Henrik turns to his estranged lover, Dagbladet chief crime reporter Jensen, for help. In denial about a big change approaching in her personal life, Jensen throws herself into an investigation reaching deep into Denmark’s underworld.

Will Henrik, Jensen and her troubled teenage apprentice Gustav manage to escape the darkness that threatens to engulf them, in time to solve the mystery?

What really happened to Lea? And where is Matilde?]]> Heidi Amsinck 1068684410 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.25
author: Heidi Amsinck
name: Christine
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves:
review:
Very good, entertaining and a lot of action! I also like the characters, particularly Gustav and Fie. I enjoyed roaming the streets of Copenhagen, a city I love! For me, this is the best Jensen thriller because it kept me on the edge of my seat all through my reading!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 176443690
Against the rugged backdrop of this faraway spot beyond Shetland, Carys Davies's intimate drama unfolds with tension and tenderness: a touching and crystalline study of ordinary people buffeted by history and a powerful exploration of the distances and connections between us. Perfectly structured and surprising at every turn, Clear is a marvel of storytelling, an exquisite short novel by a master of the form.]]> 196 Carys Davies 1668030667 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 3.85
author: Carys Davies
name: Christine
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
A powerful novel because of its incredible descriptions of how nature can weave into human nature, whether through its language richness or by what the eye sees, the skin feels ... I loved how solitude was portrayed, its relation to the environment. I loved how through this solitude, one could feel the need for human connection without being aware of it until it does happen. A beautiful and thought provoking novel about life, human connection. Highly recommended.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 229103802 March 1938, Vienna, Austria

Without a single shot fired, Hitler seizes Austria.

In the Jewish district of Leopoldstadt, Felix Wolff watches his beloved city transform into a nightmare. As people are rounded up and sent to destinations whispered in terror, Felix’s world shatters when his father is bound for Dachau. Determined to save his father, Felix makes a fateful decision that places him directly in the Gestapo’s sights, forever altering his destiny.

Karl Vogt is a rising star in the Sicherheitsdienst. Known for his ruthless efficiency, he is entrusted with solving the Third Reich’s growing Jewish problem. As his zeal catapults him further up the Nazi hierarchy, Karl unknowingly helps lay the groundwork for one of history’s greatest atrocities.

In Prague, Adela Beran works as a translator for the foreign ministry, watching Hitler’s shadow creep closer to her homeland. Feeling powerless to protect her country and loved ones, she seizes a dangerous opportunity to resist. The cost of failure is certain death, but success could mean freedom for those she holds dear.

As war looms, their fates collide in a treacherous game of survival, resistance, and betrayal. In a world consumed by fear and betrayal, no one—not the oppressed, the oppressors, or those who dare to defy them—is truly safe.

A gripping tale of courage, sacrifice, and the choices that define us, this novel is perfect for fans of The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlet Sky. ]]> 443 Michael Reit 9083536300 Christine 4
I have received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.44
author: Michael Reit
name: Christine
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves:
review:
This novel was a startling experience! Whereas most WWII novels deal with the actual war, this book is about what actually led to the conflict and very importantly here , how it all happened. This is extremely interesting: how subtle and with good psychological knowledge, many events were orchestrated ! Through some ordinary people in Vienna and Prague, we follow the development of this enormous strategic organisation step by step... The reader clearly understands how the pre-war situation affected the general population and somehow how it all came to what we know about the Second World War. A cleverly structured plot! I will impatiently for book 2 in the series.

I have received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 187991984 332 Catherine Evans 1739630556 Christine 0 to-read 4.40
author: Catherine Evans
name: Christine
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222376164 A gripping historical novel about a daring escape from Nazi Germany

The responsibility weighs heavily on the shoulders of twelve-year-old Holger. Ever since their Jewish parents were deported, it has been up to him to hide his younger siblings from the Gestapo.

Countess Sophie finally wants to do more than just talk and joins a resistance network. Her first to take three children to a safe place.

But nowhere in Berlin is safe from danger.

When a bomb hits the hiding place, the members of the network hatch a daring plan to help them escape from the Reich.

The courage of the siblings and their helpers is put to the test as they risk everything to escape the horrors of war.

Will the plan succeed, or will they be discovered before they manage to cross the border into freedom?

Based on the true historical events of the Mission Swedish Furniture.]]> 248 Marion Kummerow Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.38
author: Marion Kummerow
name: Christine
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves:
review:
I enjoyed it very much!! I love it when historical fiction deals with real people and events! Here, I learned something about Sweden during WWII, how the Swedish parish survived in Berlin at the time as well as what they did to help refuges. The novel is full of tension to be released only at the end. Very well done! This is my second novel by Marion Kummerow, and I will definitely read through all that she has written! I highly recommend this novel as well as the author.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 228807691 The warm sea breeze ruffles the pages of my notebook as I meet the bright eyes of the elderly lady sat opposite me on the porch. Sofia has been keeping a devastating secret for over sixty years. Why did she fake her own death during the war? And why is she back now to finally tell her story?

Writer Lily Christie is at rock bottom when she’s tasked with the job of a lifetime writing the memoir of Sofia Castello �� once world-famous in the war years for singing across Europe, until her tragic death in 1941. So Lily is shocked to hear Sofia is actually in her eighties, living in secret, in a blue-tiled cottage on the Portuguese coast.

Lily listens in fascination as the feisty woman spins an unbelievable tale of fear-filled days spent caring for a young orphaned German girl, and nights performing to crowds of Gestapo until she risked it all, using her fame to help the Allies. Then a tragic betrayal changed the course of her life forever��

But as Lily starts to open up to Sofia about her own private heartache, she realises that Sofia is not being entirely honest with her. And when Sofia refuses to say why she really hired Lily, her fears start to grow. Sofia’s remote beach home, accessed only by a bumpy dirt track, is miles away from anyone. She is clearly still hiding from someone, but who? And could Lily now be in danger too?

What is the final secret haunting Sofia? And can Lily uncover the devastating truth, before her time with Sofia runs out?

A totally gripping and emotional tale of lost love, tragedy and secrets hidden for decades. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Lorna Cook and The Letter will adore it.

Read what everyone’s saying about Siobhan

��Wow!�� I cannot rave enough about how much I enjoyed this novel�� Page after page I was on the edge of my seat�� I will never forget it�� A must-read�� 5 brilliant stars.�� Cindy L. Spear, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

��The best book I have read�� From the moment I started this book until I finished it, I was hooked. Tears streamed down my face�� A must read for everyone!�� Will stay in my heart forever.�� ŷ������ reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

��Heart-wrenching�� Oh my goodness this book nearly broke me�� Had to stop a number of times to blink the tears away�� Heartbreaking.�� leona.omahony, ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

��Heartbreaking�� An absolute page-turner�� I loved this, I could not put it down!�� I would give this book 6 stars if I could!�� NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

��Phenomenal�� I loved everything about this�� Had me flying through the pages unable to put this down�� Amazing�� An emotional read from tears to making my heart happy, it hit all the feels.�� Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

��Had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time�� My hea]]> 439 Siobhan Curham 1835256317 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.57
author: Siobhan Curham
name: Christine
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:
A nice story told in a dual timeline. The older one set during WWII is more interesting than the modern one (2000). Unfortunately, the modern part breaks the little tension there is in the part telling Sofia's story life. You will find in this novel what you usually find in a dual time story: romance and secrets. With a few red herrings (that was good), this story is light-hearted. I like Sofia's no nonsense temperament, while Lilly annoyed me a bit with her personality being rather weak and not much will to fight. Overall, a story for the heart, rather than about a world of spying!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 70124097
Genevieve Sturbridge was never meant for a quiet life in the English countryside. Once an artist in the heart of London, now she spends her days in restless solitude, longing for the passion and purpose she once knew. But when a familiar figure from her past arrives with an urgent request, she is thrust into a perilous world of spies and a formula that could shift the balance of power between France and England.

The thrill of the chase is intoxicating—the cryptic clues hidden in plain sight, the challenge of ferreting secrets from dangerous opponents, the undeniable rush of being needed again. But with every step deeper into the mystery, the danger grows. Someone is watching. Someone is hunting. And the more she uncovers, the more she wonders: has she walked willingly into a trap?

Torn between exhilaration and fear, Genevieve must decide—was this the life she was always meant for, or has she risked everything for a mission that will consume her completely?

Years ago, protecting this secret nearly cost Genevieve her life.

Now someone could be willing to kill for it once more.

* * * * *

"Nancy Bilyeau's 'Versailles Formula' is the continuing compelling adventure of whip-smart and determined heroine Genevieve Planché. It’s replete with spies, political intrigue, gorgeous gothic manor houses, romance, impeccably researched history—and the shocking history of the color blue. "
—Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series]]> 345 Nancy Bilyeau Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.70 2025
author: Nancy Bilyeau
name: Christine
average rating: 4.70
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:
Not only this novel is very entertaining, it is also very interesting. The topic evolves about art, particularly painting and above all the colour blue. I enjoyed this part very much. What I did not really like is the touch of romance which I found too predictable in its development. Otherwise, I loved the story. This book is the third one in the series, but can be read as a standalone as well. The previous two books were excellent. I would recommend to read them as well. I have read all novels written by the author which I have tremendously enjoyed.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 220160172 In 18th-century England, a widowed confectioner is drawn into a web of love, betrayal, and intrigue and a battle of wits in this masterful historical novel from the author of the USA TODAY bestseller The Square of Sevens.

Following the murder of her husband in what looks like a violent street robbery, Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her head above water. Her confectionary shop on Piccadilly is barely turning a profit, her suppliers conspiring to put her out of business because they don’t like women in trade. Henry Fielding, the famous author-turned-magistrate, is threatening to confiscate the money in her husband’s bank account because he believes it might have been illicitly acquired. And even those who claim to be Hannah’s friends have darker intent.

Only William Devereux seems different. A friend of her late husband, Devereux helps Hannah unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his death. He also tells her about an Italian delicacy called iced cream, an innovation she is convinced will transform the fortunes of her shop. But their friendship opens Hannah to speculation and gossip and draws Henry Fielding’s attention her way, locking her into a battle of wits more devastating than anything she can imagine.]]> 304 Laura Shepherd-Robinson 1668083094 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.47
author: Laura Shepherd-Robinson
name: Christine
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
review:
It is a good novel with a few nice surprises. However, I found that too many descriptions about how they dealt with their lies felt rather flat and too predictable. The conclusion was intriguing and fitted ...
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 219178061 'Kate Foster is an exceptional writer and masterful storyteller' �� Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

Inspired by an infamous real-life case, The Mourning Necklace is an unforgettable historical novel from the Women's Prize-longlisted author of The Maiden, Kate Foster.

They said I would swing for the crime and I did. I wear the rope-bruise like a necklace.

1724. In a tavern just outside Edinburgh, Maggie Dickson’s family drown their sorrows, mourning her death yet relieved she is gone. Shame haunts them. Hanged for the murder of her newborn child, passers-by avert their eyes from her cheap coffin on its rickety cart.

But as her family pray her soul rests in peace, a figure appears at the door.

It is Maggie. She is alive.

Bruised and dazed, Maggie has little time for her family’s questions. All that matters to her is answering this will they hang her twice?

Praise for Kate

'Exceptional �� a tense, thrilling investigation, with a decidedly feminist slant' �� Daily Mail on The Maiden

'Riveting . . . the tension persists until the last page�� �� The Times on The Maiden

'Enthralling, compelling and at times chilling . . . An utterly timely tale' �� D. V. Bishop, prize-winning author of Ritual of Fire, on The King's Witches]]> Kate Foster 1035052083 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.78
author: Kate Foster
name: Christine
average rating: 4.78
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves:
review:
Really interesting and entertaining! I loved how the author used the real facts woven in a story full of surprises! Indeed, I didn't see a few things coming... I enjoyed the characters and felt a lot for Maggie. I was much annoyed about her parents as well as her sister. However, even though I do not condone their behaviour, one has to put the situation in at the time of the conflict.... Social and psychological concepts were so very different in the 17th century. I enjoyed this novel also reflecting the social context.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 17166872 This is the story of what might have been. The story of those who witnessed the promise of the 'Sixties and then saw it evaporate in the heat of a sectarian war.]]> 207 John Simpson Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.62 2012
author: John Simpson
name: Christine
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:
Such an emotional story! It felt like an autobiographical piece of work. A vivid and very pleasant way of writing which gives the feeling you are listening to Thomas as opposed to reading. It was thought provoking: about identity through politics, religion, traditions and family. How can a teenager fully understand what the fight (violent or not) really involves? I liked Thomas's personality very much and I really could understand his way of thinking and his wishes... His psychological development felt very realistic. One can only feel emotional, angry at much injustice and poor chances at a better life in these Troubles days... A difficult period to understand (with so many sub /new groups) as well as to grow up in. A great and important read!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 60574039
Vera Bark flyr hals över huvud från sin möhippa i det lilla samhället Hampetorp utanför Örebro. I fem års tid vandrar sedan hennes far, kriminalinspektör Kristoffer Bark, längs Hjälmarens strand, mil efter mil, i sökandet efter sin dotter. Man befarar att hon drunknat. Ovissheten tär på honom och på Veras mor som är på väg att gå under i sin förtvivlan.

Tre år efter Veras möhippa försvinner en undersköterska från samma plats. Utredningen läggs ner också i detta fall, men Kristoffer Bark får den öppnad igen som ett cold case. Den saknade kvinnan påminner på många sätt om hans dotter. Snart inser han att det finns fler samband än han först anat.

Dotter saknad är den första delen i deckarserien Bergslagens blå. Det är en berättelse om en förälders värsta mardröm. Det är också en berättelse om vad som kan ske med ett försummat barn när verkligheten blivit outhärdlig, och om vanföreställningar som får livsfarliga konsekvenser.]]> 497 Anna Jansson 3641263646 Christine 4 3.91 2019
author: Anna Jansson
name: Christine
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves:
review:
Ich habe diese Geschichte as Hörbuch gelesen. Es hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Ich konnte nur sehr spät erraten, wer vielleicht doch der/die Schuldige war... Sehr gut gemacht!
]]> 222739608 384 Cristina Cassar Scalia 2809851212 Christine 4 J' ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley en échange d'une critique honnête.]]> 4.00
author: Cristina Cassar Scalia
name: Christine
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves:
review:
Une bonne enquête policière pleine de rebondissements ! J'aime beaucoup Vanina qui paraît une personne bien réelle , bien réaliste avec ses habitudes de santé non-modernes (elle fume, elle mange mal). Elle a bien les pieds sur terre, ce qui la rend également fort sympathique ! Une nouvelle série pour moi que je recommande.
J' ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley en échange d'une critique honnête.
]]> 213750386 "It's an enigma, wrapped in a blanket of secrecy, bound with a web of deceit."In the summer of 1939, Jessie Fordham graduates from Cambridge University with a mind buzzing with academic achievements but a heart burdened by family strife. Jessie is travelling to her parents' summer house, le lac de minuit, the midnight lake, nestled in the tranquil French Ardennes. Yet, Jessie dreads the impending months, haunted by memories of a fractured childhood spent evading confrontations with her father, Albert, and stepmother, Armel. Suspicions of their clandestine affair during her mother's illness linger, casting a shadow over family bonds.

As tensions simmer beneath the idyllic facade of midnight lake, the Fordham family reunites against the backdrop of looming war. With the spectre of conflict hanging heavy in the air, Jessie's world is upended when Germany's invasion of France in May 1940 thrusts her father, Albert, into the heart of diplomatic turmoil as Britain's Military Attaché to France.

Summoned to the British Embassy in Paris, Albert entrusts Jessie with a perilous safeguarding a crucial secret and delivering it to British intelligence in London. Charged with the safety of her siblings and household staff, Jessie finds herself entangled in a desperate gambit to navigate the treacherous landscape of wartime Europe.

With Dunkirk as their beacon of hope amidst the chaos, Jessie must summon every ounce of wit and courage to protect her charges and safeguard her father's clandestine mission. From the dense foliage of the Ardennes Forest to the battered streets of Dunkirk, Jessie's journey is a testament to resilience in the face of adversity, where loyalty, sacrifice, and the bonds of family are tested to the limit, amidst the tumult of war.]]> 418 Tom Kane Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from BookSirens and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.03
author: Tom Kane
name: Christine
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves:
review:
2,5* rounded up to 3*. I really had problems to get into this novel. I found the structure rather abrupt: too many short chapters about different people. I could not get interested in the characters at all: I could not relate to any of their personalities. They did not sound realistic at all. Where was the suspense?
I received a digital copy of this novel from BookSirens and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 220545168 A young Bosnian-Jewish boy escapes transport to a WWII death camp, joining Tito’s Partisans to fight the Nazi and Axis powers, and faces what no child should ever have to.

This biographical fiction based on the early adolescence of Moris Albahari dives into the little-known events in the former Yugoslavia during World War II. Moris’s harrowing story takes him from the small city of Drvar, Bosnia, escaping transport to a Croatian death camp, and eventually joining Tito’s Partisans. Now, he must face the onslaught of the Nazis and their collaborators.

As a Partisan, Moris hides his Jewish identity fearing reprisals. This adds a layer to the hardships he endures as a liberation fighter in a country that has many factions fighting each other, while trying to defeat the fascist invaders. All the while, he doesn’t know if his family is alive. He feels alone within his fighting unit, except for a few trusted friends. His is a story of loneliness, grief, heartache, inner conflict, and ultimately the jagged edges of resilience.

Moris’s traumatic wartime experience will touch you with its heart-wrenching saga during the most heinous event in human history in a region steeped in its own long-standing history of conflict.]]> 276 Jordan Steven Sher 9493322939 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from BookSiren and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.20
author: Jordan Steven Sher
name: Christine
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:
A very interesting novel as far as Moric and his unbelievable resilience and courage are concerned. I always enjoy reading about people whose strength of survival is a lesson of life for everyone else. However, I feel this story should have been written as a biography. Indeed, the dialogues did not feel right somehow, to me they were clumsily expressed. When the narrative was about facts, it felt much better as if the author felt more at ease in this particular writing style as opposed to novel writing.
I received a digital copy of this novel from BookSiren and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 36419989 "Middlemarch", der berühmteste Roman von Mary Ann Evans, die unter dem männlichen Pseudonym George Eliot auftrat, um als schreibende Frau wahrgenommen zu werden, gilt bis heute zu Recht als Höhepunkt englischer Romankunst des 19. Jahrhunderts; seine Mischung aus Realismus, farbiger Personenzeichnung, psychologischer Einfühlung, naturwissenschaftlichem und philosophischem Interesse und historischem und sozialgeschichtlichem Bewusstsein ist unerreicht. Das Buch zeichnet ein lebhaftes Gemälde von den Skurrilitäten der englischen Provinz und ihrer Bewohner. Es ist mit scheinbar leichter Hand geschrieben, in einem Stil, den eine verhaltene, doch stets präsente elegante Ironie prägt, wie sie ähnlich vollendet in der englischen Literatur vielleicht am ehesten Jane Austen ein halbes Jahrhundert vor George Eliot zu Gebote stand. Für Virginia Woolf war es „das herrliche Buch" schlechthin.





Taking place in the years leading up to the First Reform Bill of 1832, Middlemarch explores nearly every subject of concern to modern life: art, religion, science, politics, self, society, human relationships. Among her characters are some of the most remarkable portraits in English literature: Dorothea Brooke, the heroine, idealistic but naive; Rosamond Vincy, beautiful and egoistic: Edward Casaubon, the dry-as-dust scholar: Tertius Lydgate, the brilliant but morally-flawed physician: the passionate artist Will Ladislaw: and Fred Vincey and Mary Garth, childhood sweethearts whose charming courtship is one of the many humorous elements in the novel's rich comic vein.]]> George Eliot Christine 5 4.17 1872
author: George Eliot
name: Christine
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1872
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 211160426 Der neue Roman der Bestsellerautorin widmet sich den berühmt-berüchtigten Mitford-Schwestern. Im Mittelpunkt stehen die tapferen Bemühungen der Schriftstellerin Nancy Mitford, die Nazis daran zu hindern, Großbritannien einzunehmen. Sie muss sich entscheiden, was ihr wichtiger ihre eigene Familie oder das Weltgeschehen?

Zwischen den Weltkriegen dominieren die sechs Mitford-Schwestern die politische, literarische und gesellschaftliche Szene Englands �� eine schöner, brillanter und exzentrischer als die andere. Als Diana sich von ihrem wohlhabenden Ehemann scheiden lässt, um einen faschistischen Führer zu heiraten, und ihre Schwester Unity ihr bis nach München folgt, gerät das Familiengerüst ins Wanken. Es geht das Gerücht um, dass Unity Mitford Hitlers Geliebte sei.

Während die Nazis an Macht gewinnen, wird die Schriftstellerin Nancy Mitford misstrauisch gegenüber den ständigen Besuchen ihrer Schwestern in Deutschland. Als sie beunruhigende Gespräche belauscht und verräterische Dokumente entdeckt, muss Nancy eine schwere Entscheidung treffen, während Großbritannien in den Krieg gegen Deutschland zieht.]]> 0 Marie Benedict 3462311441 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 3.94 2023
author: Marie Benedict
name: Christine
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:
I have found this novel highly interesting, particularly on an ethical point of view. Loyalty is a quality, family loyalty is a quality above many others. However, when does one reach the point of deciding against family loyalty in favour of the country politics? The answer might seem easy, but one way or the other, one has to confront lasting feelings of guilt, the ever recurring question of whether one has made the right decision. This novel based on real characters has shown this dilemma very clearly. Nancy has witnessed two of her sisters frankly favouring Hitler and fascism. How did it come to that extreme and frightening ideal? Does psychology play a role (being acknowledged, being famous), not that any is a good excuse to reach for that level of political belief! Thought provoking, honestly written, this novel made me scringe, made me angry and also frightened me many times over at the family Mitford... Well worth reading!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 222255950 'Matthew Plampin should rank with the best' Sunday Times

'Plampin is heartbreakingly good' The Times

'Gripping, immersive, at times very funny and beautifully written, this is historical fiction of the highest quality' Elizabeth Fremantle

Rome, 1650.

The streets are teeming as thousands of pilgrims flood in for the Holy Jubilee, but behind the gilded façade of the Vatican, power is unravelling.

Donna Olimpia Maidalchini has long kept Pope Innocent X under her thumb, but as loyalties shift, her enemies close in. And her most dangerous opponents may be those she deems too weak to matter.

Two destitute nuns arrive, fleeing the ruined city of Castro and each carrying secrets that could destroy them.

Meanwhile, the assistant to the famed Spanish artist Diego Velázquez is drawn into a perilous conspiracy �� one that could bring Italy to its knees, and against which his own desperate ambitions seem to count for nothing.

As the sweltering summer heat rises, survival, not salvation, becomes the ultimate goal �� and in this world of sin, saints almost never survive.]]> Matthew Plampin 0008163677 Christine 5 Based on real characters, such as Velasquez, Pope Innocent X and the machiavellic Donna Olimpia, this novel shows a malefic world within the Church. I am always amazed to read the corruption which seemed inane to those times in Rome. Fascinating! I highly recommend this novel for its richness of artistic detail thanks to Velasquez's genius and naturally thanks to the author's picturesque descriptions.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 5.00
author: Matthew Plampin
name: Christine
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves:
review:
Excellent! A very impressive novel, cleverly written. Rome around 1650 was a world not only reeking of intrigues but also full of loneliness. Yes, loneliness: even though noone was ever alone, rich or poor in those Jubelee celebrations, loneliness seemed to prevail. Indeed, they were only looking out for themselves: either wanting even more money and power, or looking for means of surviving. Very sad and very dangerous! Cruelty, betrayal at all levels! Only one person ended up being herself.....
Based on real characters, such as Velasquez, Pope Innocent X and the machiavellic Donna Olimpia, this novel shows a malefic world within the Church. I am always amazed to read the corruption which seemed inane to those times in Rome. Fascinating! I highly recommend this novel for its richness of artistic detail thanks to Velasquez's genius and naturally thanks to the author's picturesque descriptions.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 59045505 From the author of Whirligig: Longlisted for the CWA JOHN CREASEY NEW BLOOD DAGGER AWARD 2020 and shortlisted for the 2020 BLOODY SCOTLAND MCILVANNEY PRIZE comes the second in the series, The Devil’s Cut.

When a distillery owner’s body is discovered on top of a remote Scottish mountain, forensics confirm that he died of natural causes. DI Corstophine’s concerns are raised, however when the dead man’s eccentric sister receives a message, apparently from beyond the grave.

The police are dismissive until it appears the devil himself is intent on attacking other family members. Why is his daughter kept locked and sedated in her room in the baronial mansion? Who or what is stalking his son as he scatters his father’s ashes on lonely summits? And what insanity is behind the horrific attacks in their small Highland town?

DI Corstophine and his team don’t know what they’re really facing until it’s too late.

The Devil’s Cut is an exploration of what constitutes sanity and how delicate that state really is; how such a perfect emotion as love can completely destroy a man.]]> 320 Andrew James Greig 1912280485 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.27
author: Andrew James Greig
name: Christine
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves:
review:
Even better than book 1 in the series! Apart from the gruesome details of the murders, this was excellent! The plot was complex with a few unexpected turns, and until I did not have a clue about what happened and why. I enjoyed the descriptions of the hiking trails enmeshed with the weather... The police team is very relatable, not spending much time over their own problems, which keeps the reader fully immersed in the investigation. Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 228532989 The young oak tree with freshly budding leaves seemed unremarkable until his eyes travelled down to the wooden plaque set into the ground. The words sent an icy chill through his They shall remember you.

In the Scottish Highlands where secrets settle like mist in the glens, Detective Inspector James Corstorphine is summoned to a macabre scene �� a gamekeeper hanging from an ancient oak, ensnared by an intricate trap of wire and bone. Still grieving his wife’s death, Corstorphine finds himself hunting a killer who crafts elaborate deathtraps from human remains �� clockwork mechanisms that deliver murder with chilling precision.

When the victim’s pregnant girlfriend Margo �� her face a map of bruises �� shares a reporter’s notebook found among her boyfriend’s possessions, Corstorphine discovers a connection to a journalist who died at the same hanging tree twenty years earlier. But Margo guards secrets of her own, and speaking the truth in this Highland community carries a deadly price.

As the deaths mount, Corstorphine must confront his own ghosts while racing to uncover what links the victims. His investigation leads to a devastating the killer isn’t just taking lives �� they’re delivering retribution decades in the making.

The first in the DI Corstorphine Scottish crime series, from a CWA New Blood Dagger Longlist author and McIlvanney Best Scottish Crime Novel Finalist will have you reading late into the night. The perfect page-turner for fans of LJ Ross, Ann Cleeves, and Val McDermid.

Previously published as Whirligig. ]]> 325 Andrew James Greig 180508982X Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.42
author: Andrew James Greig
name: Christine
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves:
review:
Wow!!! This was really good!! A riveting plot, a well accomplished police team , a lot of tension, and a very satisfying conclusion! I read it in two goes as I couldn't put the book down. I can't wait for the next investigation!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 223207412 They said women were a liability in war. They were wrong.

An intriguing invitation��

Hampered by a controlling father and overlooked by everyone she knows, Serenity Ashworth (Wren to her friends) is determined to do her duty for the war effort and take advantage of the new opportunities for young women like her. So, when a mysterious letter from a Major Belinda Stapleton arrives, Wren is intrigued.

A secret army of women��

Major Stapleton invites Wren to join her Secret Army �� a select group of women operating undercover to combat enemy agents. It’s an opportunity to play a critical role in the British Resistance should Hitler ever invade Britain’s shores. Eager to sign up, Wren must first complete a tough training program and, if she succeeds, will enter a world of secrets and spies where the only people she can rely on are the other girls she's trained with.

A daring and deadly mission

Unable to share her secret with anyone, Wren must be ever alert. But when her twin brother Tommy is reported missing in action, Wren is devastated, and even more determined to hit back at the enemy any way she can. When an unexpected opportunity arises to save Tommy, Wren must overcome all self-doubt and take a chance to save those she loves - even if she pays the ultimate price...

A gripping new saga series filled with courage and bravery inspired by the true-life stories of The Women's Secret Army.

Perfect for fans of Fenella J. Miller, Lizzie lane and Rosie Clarke.]]> 322 Alice G. May 1837035059 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.35
author: Alice G. May
name: Christine
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves:
review:
A good, easy read. Although the novel deals with a serious topics, undercover women during WWII in England, the author managed to write a light felt story where romance plays a big role. Not much tension but heartwarming.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 221112474 From the bestselling author of��Three Ordinary Girls,��the gripping, remarkably little-known true story of how the people of Denmark banded together during WWII to rescue nearly all of their Jewish citizens from Nazi persecution by ferrying them just a few at a time to sanctuary in Sweden.
�� August 25, 1943.��A lone bicyclist transports a cache of explosives, hidden in a beer crate, to a Copenhagen hall being readied to house German troops. In a violent blast, the would-be barracks is reduced to rubble. It’s the boldest act yet of Holger Danske and the growing Danish resistance combating the oppressiveness of Hitler’s Reich.

����������In 1940, on its way to conquering Western Europe, Germany coerced the Danish government into a “cooperative�� agreement that lasted three long years until the increasing brazenness of the Resistance movement prompted a crackdown. Denmark’s nearly 8000 Jews, who had so far been spared Hitler’s wrath, now became the focus of his rage. A roundup was ordered to begin on October 1st, 1943, the first day of the Jewish New Year.

����������The only passage to safety was across the Oresund to Sweden. But no group existed to organize an escape. Until the last moment, Sweden didn’t agree to allow the refugees into the country; and the strait between the two nations was swarming with Gestapo.��

����������What happened next was a miracle.

����������95% of Denmark’s Jews survived the Holocaust, the highest percentage in Europe. Here are the riveting true accounts of ordinary Danes who, using their modest resources, wiles, remarkable courage, and camaraderie, quietly orchestrated their escape.��

����������Among them were Jorgen Kieler and his siblings, student activists galvanized by their sense that their government hadn’t done enough to prevent the German takeover . . . Henny Sinding, the legendary “Girl in the Red Hat�� . . . David Sampolinsky, an Orthodox Jew who teamed with a Lutheran school teacher to escort hundreds to safety . . . Niels Bohr, the world-famous nuclear physicist being rushed to help Oppenheimer build the bomb at Los Alamos, who paused on his way to safety to implore the King of Sweden to allow Danish refugees into his country.

����������A work of World War II history that reads like a thriller, this inspiring chronicle examines why, unlike the rest of Western Europe, these accomplishments were so uniquely managed by the Danish people, even in the face of Nazi occupation and Hitler’s growing fixation on the Final Solution.]]> Tim Brady 0806543442 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.25
author: Tim Brady
name: Christine
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:
This non fiction book is extremely interesting! I have not read much about Denmark during WWII. This is a great shame. Indeed, I don't know many countries whose majority actively helped Jewish people flee and succeded in most part! Very impressive indeed. Definitely a great country known for its democratic values which the Germans were aware of. This helped the Danes's situation a great deal. Knowing that Denmark has so few inhabitants and that such a great percentage resisted, helped the resistants one way or the other is frankly impressive and should be more often told! An important and necessary read!
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 210908303
Guy Attwood is heir to a fortune, but prefers his quiet passion for rare-apple hunting on behalf of Royal Kew Gardens to building the family’s business empire. He sets out to find a critically endangered apple species that he dreams of gifting and re-naming for his friend, the soon-to-be coronated George V.

When the paths of these people from two very different worlds collide, Jane begins to hope for a different future, but their new friendship is shattered by jealousy, misunderstanding, duty and treachery. A young boy will inspire Jane to defy the powers working against her and prove she is no woman to be outcast.

Set in the picturesque English countryside, in a forgotten orchard and beneath the ancient spire of Salisbury Cathedral, this is a heart-wrenching story about a woman who finds that in her darkest hour she can harness her greatest strength.]]> 448 Fiona McIntosh 1761049313 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.24
author: Fiona McIntosh
name: Christine
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves:
review:
A well written novel. Romance is the main theme with its secrets, lies and intrigues. Unfortunately (for me), the storyline, the plot as well as the conclusion are predictable. Overall, a nice and easy story which warms the heart.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 224110558
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROMANTIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD 2015

In 1913, Irish emigrée Eva Downey receives a bequest from an elderly suffragette to attend a finishing school. There she finds friendship and, eventually, love. But when war looms and he refuses to enlist, Eva is under family and social pressure to give the man she loves a white feather of cowardice. The decision she eventually makes will have lasting consequences for her and everyone around her.

Journey with Eva as she battles through a hostile social order and endeavours to resist it at every turn.]]> 396 Susan Lanigan Christine 5 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.60 2014
author: Susan Lanigan
name: Christine
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves:
review:
An incredibly beautiful novel! I am not one to read romantic novels (apart from the classic ones such as Cyrano de Bergerac or Wuthering Heights), but if I know Susan Lanigan wrote one, it must be good. And it is. The brillance lies in her characters, their dialogues and the relationships between them which are so vividly real! Not only one sees them, but also one hears them. They have a demanding, deep and wonderfully human presence (I loved Sybil and Lucia whom I remembered from the author's novel "Lucia's War"). The storyline is tearfully emotional reflecting the social hypocrisy of the times. The reader lives the plot along its characters, fully immersed. A beautiful novel which I highly recommend.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 228004481 Emily Ray. Josie Vance. Danica Hansen. Three girls with one thing in they were all seven years old when they were abducted.

When young Josie Vance vanishes from Cove Park, California leaving behind her light-up sneakers, Special Agent Emily Ray leads the investigation to find her. She is the very best at finding abducted children. Twenty-eight years ago she was one of them.

As she leads the hunt, the kidnapper sends a drawing. It depicts a little girl in pink leggings, standing before a brick house, clutching silver balloons. The address scrawled in the background is identical to where Emily was held captive.

Along with a hair clip and a faded children's book, the clues spark a chilling realization: Her abductor may still be alive.

To find the missing girl, Emily must unearth the past she buried. But with every step, she fears the case is not just about saving one child, but confronting the man who's returned to destroy the life she's painstakingly rebuilt from the ashes.

Are you ready for your next keep-you-up-all-night page-turning thriller? Be prepared to find yourself utterly addicted to the Special Agent Emily Ray series. Perfect for fans of Noelle W. Ihli, A.J. Rivers and Jess Lourey.]]> 279 Michele Domínguez Greene 1805088092 Christine 5 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.42
author: Michele Domínguez Greene
name: Christine
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves:
review:
Excellent!! Creepy, thrilling and full of surprises! I read it in one go, could not put the book down till I knew what happened! I really enjoyed the first book of this new series and will definitely read the following books.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 219223020 The Crime Writers' Association Historical Dagger Winning Author

'Full of dash and atmosphere' - The Times

Venice. Winter, 1539.

When Cesare Aldo learns of a conspiracy to assassinate Duke Cosimo de�� Medici, he is hired to protect the ruler of Florence �� with his life, if necessary. The deadly attack that follows leads to bodies, bloodshed . . . and something far more dangerous.

Those behind the plot obtain a journal of the duke’s containing explosive secrets that �� in the wrong hands �� could destroy all of Florence. Aldo must hunt down those responsible and reclaim the journal, or face banishment from the city and everyone he loves.

The trail leads him towards the one place Aldo has sworn to never return, a city of masks and lies where he has no allies and far too many Venice.

The fate of a dynasty rests on his shoulders �� if he can make it out alive . . .

Carnival of Lies is the fifth Cesare Aldo mystery by D. V. Bishop, preceded by A Divine Fury, City of Vengeance, The Darkest Sin and Ritual of Fire.

'A brilliantly entertaining historical thriller that twists and turns like the very calli and canali of Venice itself' - Philip Gwynne Jones, author of the Nathan Sutherland Venice mysteries]]> D.V. Bishop 1035041979 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.30
author: D.V. Bishop
name: Christine
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves:
review:
I really enjoy Aldo's world of intrigue, lies and secrets! His new adventure(s!) in this novel enabled me to fully get immersed into a journey paved with action, murder and betrayals. I like Aldo's character, his sense of justice and his simply being human with weaknesses and strengths. A great plot leaving me often riveting and wondering whom should Aldo trust ??? I loved reading about Venice and its palazzi as well as getting some idea of what Carnival felt like in the XVIth century! A great series!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 222024208 Wie weit würdest du gehen, um deine dunkelsten Geheimnisse zu schützen?

Als die Schülerin Sadie Winter vom Dach ihrer Schule springt, wird ihr Tod als Suizid eingestuft �� die letzte Handlung eines verzweifelten Teenagers. Wenig später stirbt ein Junge auf dieselbe Weise, und für Detective Kim Stone ist damit klar, dass es sich nicht um einen tragischen Unfall handelt.

Niemand traut sich, etwas zu sagen, bis sich eine Lehrerin bereit erklärt, ihr Schweigen zu brechen. Doch bevor Kim sie befragen kann, findet man auch sie tot auf.

Während die Ungereimtheiten sich häufen, muss Kim das Undenkbare in Betracht ziehen �� könnte einer der Mitschüler für die Morde verantwortlich sein? Bei ihren Ermittlungen trifft sie dabei ausgerechnet auf Dr. Alex Thorne �� eine Soziopathin, die es sich zur Aufgabe gemacht hat, Kims Leben zu zerstören.

Endlich stößt das Team auf etwas, das die Toten miteinander eine Aufnahmeprüfung, die es vor Jahrzehnten an der Schule gab. Kim ist fest entschlossen, den Mörder zu finden. Doch die Schüler zu schützen, hat einen Preis �� und jemand aus ihrem Team wird ihn zahlen müssen.

Der süchtige machende neue Krimi von der Bestsellerautorin Angela Marsons wird bis zum schockierenden Finale in Atem halten.]]> Angela Marsons 183618686X Christine 4 Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.]]> 4.67 2018
author: Angela Marsons
name: Christine
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:
Sehr sehr spannend bis zur letzten Seite!!! Bis zum Ende konnte ich kaum was erraten. Genau das erwarte ich bei einem Thriller. Tolle Hauptfiguren (Polizei Team), die einen sehr komplex Fall ermitteln müssen. Das war das erste Buch von der Autorin, das ich gelesen habe, und ich freue mich schon, auf die ganze Serie!
Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.
]]> 215359186
Jeanne learns from an early age to dodge her father’s abuse, but her mother and sister resign themselves to his brutality. One day when she is eight he attacks her viciously, angered by her self-assurance. Convinced that the village doctor will put an end to their nightmare, she is shocked by his silence.

From then on, Jeanne’s hatred of her father and her disgust at the doctor’s cowardice drive her on. At boarding school she experiences five years of respite, but is then triggered by an unbearable replica of the violence that started it all. Moving to Lausanne, unable to come to terms with her past and to engage fully with life, she nevertheless finds solace in the arms of lovers and in the waters of Lake Geneva, while further tragedy fuels her rage.

My Favourite is a powerful novel about departure and return, of love, guilt and shame, and the paralysing effects of trauma. Sarah JollienFardel forcefully describes the price to be paid for Jeanne’s hard-won emancipation, as history inexorably repeats itself.]]> 205 Sarah Jollien-Fardel 1911648705 Christine 3 What disturbed me a bit was the idea of homosexuality as a consequence to her disastrous childhood. This is definitely not necessarily true.
An interesting storyline which could have been a bit more subtle.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 3.83
author: Sarah Jollien-Fardel
name: Christine
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves:
review:
An emotional reading. I was keen on reading this novel as I was interested in discovering how Jeanne would develop psychologically. I was a bit disappointed in most of the characters. They followed a rather cliché pattern making the storyline not that really convincing. What I will remember about this book is the concept of forgiveness: what does that actually mean? Can one forgive or rather accept what happened and try to survive? What about saying sorry? Isn't it a bit too easy, do you do it for yourself or for the victim? However, I really enjoyed the last encounter between Jeanne and her father, but not everyone might agree...
What disturbed me a bit was the idea of homosexuality as a consequence to her disastrous childhood. This is definitely not necessarily true.
An interesting storyline which could have been a bit more subtle.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 215359218
That moment of joy was destined to be short-lived however, as Bronte died just nine months into their marriage. Her genius, and the aura of mystery surrounding her, meant she'd been mythologised even within her own lifetime - a process which only intensified after her death. Observed through the eyes of Mary Nicholls - who encountered Charlotte on that fateful journey to Ireland, and who went on to wed her widower Arthur - Charlotte is a story of three lives irrevocably intertwined. Bound by passion and obsession, friendship and loss, loyalty and deception - this a story of Bronte's short but pivotal time in Ireland as never before told.

Martina Devlin's enthralling new novel Charlotte weaves back and forth through Charlotte's life, reflecting on the myths built around her by those who knew her, those who thought they knew her, and those who longed to know her. Above all, this is a story of who creates it, who lives it, who owns it.]]> 340 Martina Devlin 1843519046 Christine 4 Also, the concept of collecting for a museum really raises questions and I found this topic rather thought provoking. Indeed, I really loved visiting the museum, looking, imagining Charlotte (with her family) living there. Mary thought differently. She felt that exposing such personal objects lead to the unhealthy sensation of voyeurism. An interesting thought....
A beautifully written novel about a genial writer.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 3.78
author: Martina Devlin
name: Christine
average rating: 3.78
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves:
review:
As I have loved all the novels written by the Brontë sisters (I also visited the Haworth museum and village), I was eager to read this novel. I enjoyed it very much. However, I found the part only evoking Charlotte through memories, objects, letters and belongings, extremely fascinating and masterfully done. I could feel Charlotte's ghost roaming through Arthur's and Mary's psyche.
Also, the concept of collecting for a museum really raises questions and I found this topic rather thought provoking. Indeed, I really loved visiting the museum, looking, imagining Charlotte (with her family) living there. Mary thought differently. She felt that exposing such personal objects lead to the unhealthy sensation of voyeurism. An interesting thought....
A beautifully written novel about a genial writer.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 221739728 An historical novel inspired by the experiences of the author’s own family after the Holocaust, a sweeping saga about survival, loss, love, and the reverberating effects of war

In 2018, Zoe Rosenzweig is reeling after the loss of her beloved grandfather, a Holocaust survivor. She becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to her family during the war.

Vienna, 1946: Chana Rosenzweig has endured the horrors of war to find herself, her mother, and her younger brother finally free in Vienna. But freedom doesn’t look like they’d imagined it would, as they struggle to make a living and stay safe.

Despite the danger, Chana sneaks out most nights to return to the hotel kitchen where she works as a dishwasher, using the quiet nighttime hours to bake her late father’s recipes. Soon, Chana finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle, torn between the black-market dealer who has offered marriage and protection, and the apprentice baker who shares her passions. How will Chana balance her love of baking against her family’s need for security?

The Lost Baker of Vienna affirms the unbreakable bonds of family, shining a light on the courageous spirit of WWII refugees as they battle to survive the overwhelming hardships of a world torn apart.]]> Sharon Kurtzman 0593830873 Christine 4 The plot was well done even though one could guess the outcome. However, what I will remember about this novel is the social context in Vienna after WWII. That was really fascinating though angering and harsh!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.53
author: Sharon Kurtzman
name: Christine
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves:
review:
A great novel! I found it particularly interesting to read the situation of Jewish people after WWII. Unfortunately, I was amazed (again) at the fact that antisemitism still prevailed !! In Vienna where the family tries to build up a new life awaiting visas for the USA, they confront not only racism but also other physical dangers: women (any woman, young or old) are not safe as far as Russian soldiers are concerned. Rivalries between black market leaders don't help either.
The plot was well done even though one could guess the outcome. However, what I will remember about this novel is the social context in Vienna after WWII. That was really fascinating though angering and harsh!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 228212744
. . . But perhaps he can create a new one.

In 1956, more than a decade after the end of World War II, Hans Becker is finally released from a Soviet POW camp and returns to Germany. The reunion is disheartening—his beloved Dresden is largely blackened rubble, and his feelings of disorientation and melancholy hinder his attempt to revive the life—and love—he left behind.

Elise, the once delicate teenager whose memory Hans carried in his heart, has, through unspeakable trauma, transformed into a strong, independent woman skeptical of love. Yet just as she and Hans can spot traces of splendor in the ruins and oppression of Iron Curtain–era Dresden, they each can see flashes of what attracted them to their long-ago sweetheart. But they—and their world—have changed so much. Are they willing to risk everything to seek a new beginning?]]> 344 Mark Splitstone Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.22
author: Mark Splitstone
name: Christine
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves:
review:
An interesting novel with a realistic insight to trauma. The descriptions of Dresden before and after the bombings are very well researched. The characters were all rather cliché (the typical Nazi, Stasi, social status differences) and lacked depth. What really annoyed me though was that nearly 50% of the novel focused on how Hans and Elise, two teenagers, met before the war. This was quite boring for me and left me wondering whether the novel had been written for young adults. No need to say that only the second half of the book got my attention. Shame.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 216610273 A brand new crime series from the award-winning author of the Harry McCoy books

'Great storytelling . . . I loved it' Peter James, #1 bestselling author of the Roy Grace series

'Great stuff . . . a vivid sense of place and time and what a main character!' Ian Rankin, #1 bestselling author of the Rebus series

March 1941. Joseph Gunner is back on the streets of Glasgow after being wounded on the front lines in France.

Keeping the pain in his leg at bay with the help of morphine, Gunner, a former detective, is hoping to keep his head down as the Luftwaffe begins bombing Glasgow.

But when he runs into his old boss Drummond, he is persuaded to help examine a body found in the wreckage. When the body turns out to be that of a German, mutilated to disguise his identity, Gunner reluctantly agrees to investigate.

As Gunner begins to hunt for the truth he runs into old flames and bitter enemies, before finding himself embroiled in a high-level conspiracy that reaches far beyond his hometown of Glasgow.

Partly inspired by the true story of Rudolph Hess's secret mission to broker appeasement with Britain during the Second World War, Gunner is an atmospheric and addictive new thriller from one of Britain's best-loved writers.]]> Alan Parks 1399819690 Christine 4 I loved it!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.17
author: Alan Parks
name: Christine
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves:
review:
A new author for me, and I am glad I read his suspenseful new novel, part of a new series! I enjoyed all the action interwoven with events of the Second World War in Scotland. I liked Joe, the wounded soldier who did not choose to be a policeman again but ended up investigating intriguing murders anyway. The convincing and scary plot held my attention all through. Really good! I will definitely read his earlier novels!
I loved it!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 212346585
One organisation has been swept away, but the other group operating in the county manage to fade from sight and reappear almost like their nickname, the Vampires. Blood is spilled, people vanish, lives are shattered, but intel is scarce. When they do catch the criminals, nobody talks. Tracking the ringleaders down in this vacuum is exhausting and morale is plummeting.

A teenage couple go missing in Suffolk, a body is found near a lighthouse and when two girls disappear from Norwich’s Golden Triangle, Hector makes a connection which chills Ashley to the bone. When another victim is found at Horsey Mere, the link to the ruthless criminals is obvious. Can Ashley solve the case, or will the mysterious Typhon prove to be an unstoppable force?]]> 424 Ross Greenwood 1805497340 Christine 5 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.56 2025
author: Ross Greenwood
name: Christine
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves:
review:
This was so good! A thrilling plot which captured my attention straight away up to the very end! A lot of action as well as twists and turns raised my blood pressure! What I also particularly like in the series lies in the characterisation: the investigating team is made up of ordinary people with ordinary problems and not overwhelmed by traumatic pasts as in so many other series. They are a likeable bunch whom I would be ready to meet ! I enjoyed the lovely descriptions of the author's beloved Cromer situated at the seaside. A highly entertaining investigation!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 220514593 Der große Erfolgsroman aus Top-Ten-Bestseller, preisgekrönt, begeisterte Kritik.

Florenz im 16. Jahrhundert. Der Maler Jacopo da Pontormo wird tot aufgefunden, mit einer Schere erstochen liegt er zu Füßen seines unvollendeten Freskos in der Kapelle San Lorenzo. Seit elf Jahren hat er daran gearbeitet, keiner durfte es sehen, außer Michelangelo, der Pontormo als großen Künstler verehrt. Seltsamerweise wurden Teile des Freskos übermalt �� warum und von wem? Hinzu kommt der Diebstahl des Gemäldes��Venus und Cupido, oftmals kopiert, so auch von Pontormo. Es war im Besitz des Herzogs von Florenz, Cosimo de' Medici, und der Kopf der nackten Göttin ist eindeutig als derjenige der Herzogstochter Maria zu identifizieren. Aufruhr im kriegsgeschüttelten Florenz, Briefe schwirren umher, jeder schreibt jedem über den sensationellen Fall. Wer hat Pontormo getötet, und wo ist das skandalöse Gemälde geblieben?


«Die große Stärke dieses Buches liegt darin, dass es eine comédie humaine ist. Eine mitreißende und sehr bereichernde Lektüre.» ������é�����پ��Dz�

«Ein ausgezeichnetes Buch!»�� Le Monde

«Die große Stärke dieses Buches liegt darin, dass es eine comédie humaine��ist. Eine vergnügliche und sehr bereichernde Lektüre.» ��������é�����پ��Dz�

«In einer klassischen, lebendigen Sprache geschrieben, hochaktuell, ohne anbiedernd zu sein. Das kommt in diesem Jahr nicht häufig vor.» Figaro ]]> 293 Laurent Binet 3644019746 Christine 4 Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.]]> 4.14 2023
author: Laurent Binet
name: Christine
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves:
review:
Ich habe diesen originell geschrieben Roman sehr genossen! Die Briefe waren einfach sehr lebendig und passten wunderbar zu der Handlung. Man hatte dadurch eine mehr persönliche Eindruck der Charaktere. Sehr spannend und auch sehr interessant!
Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.
]]> 227899870 THE LAST PATIENT is a sweeping historical novel that captures one family’s struggle for love, survival, and identity under the grip of Communism in Romania. Spanning fifty years of political upheaval, this saga explores how ordinary lives are shaped—and sometimes shattered—by extraordinary times.

Kostea and Clara meet and fall in love shortly before World War II. As they get married, build careers, and raise a son, the world around them changes rapidly—and often violently. From the two-bedroom apartment they are “patriotically�� forced to share with another family, to Bucharest’s rampant food shortages, Romania’s Cold War history plays out in their day-to-day lives.

Kostea, a charming yet domineering surgeon, craves control in a place where party loyalists hold the reins of power. His pursuit of respect and authority threatens his promising medical career and his relationships at home, risking Clara’s love. While the temptation to break through the Iron Curtain is omnipresent, defection to the West comes with its own uncertainties. Ultimately, The Last Patient is a poignant exploration of the eternal tension between personal aspirations and love.]]> 377 Tudor Alexander 1633378853 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.57
author: Tudor Alexander
name: Christine
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves:
review:
Though immensely interesting as to living conditions in Romania behind the Iron Curtain, this novel focuses on family relationships. This overwhelmed the storyline because of Kostea's powerful personality. I really disliked this egocentric, selfish and know-it-all man! His behaviour was totally unacceptable and it greatly saddened and angered me to see all the damage he caused his family in the name of love. I found it interesting to read about the social conditions (though Kostea's family had money, so it probably didn't reflect the general population). I never knew about bribery being the expected currency (what happened if you didn't have money and needed medical care?). I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the Romanian countryside. It did sound lovely. A good novel about family dynamics.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 210202761
Auch Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts ist das Leben der Bauern am Romsdalsfjord noch karg und hart. Knut Hansen Nesje �� Edvard Hoems Urgroßvater �� schwingt die Sense, seit er ein kleiner Junge war. Über vier Jahrzehnte ist er der Erste unter den Heumachern, jener, der das Tempo der Arbeit bestimmt. Er träumt davon, ein kleines Stück Land zu erwerben und an einen seiner Söhne weiterzugeben, wie seine Mutter, die Hebamme, es getan hat. Seine junge Schwägerin Gjertine, die zweite Hauptfigur des Romans, will nach Amerika auswandern und verwirklicht diesen Traum voller Zuversicht und Abenteuerlust. Ob sie der Plackerei und ungewissen Zukunft im gelobten Land tatsächlich entfliehen kann?

Edvard Hoem gelingt eine berührende Geschichte in der Balance zwischen zwei Hauptfiguren mit unterschiedlichen Lebensentwürfen. In ruhigem Erzählton schildert er das Universum seiner Charaktere und entwirft einen weiten, leuchtenden Himmel über den engen Bahnen ihres rauen Alltags.]]> 332 Edvard Hoem 3825162680 Christine 5 Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und ich habe freiwillig eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.]]> 4.00 2014
author: Edvard Hoem
name: Christine
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/18
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves:
review:
Was für ein wunderbares Buch! Reine literarische Sprache, anschauliche Beschreibung von Norwegen und Minnesota. Was mir besonders gut gefallen hat, ist die Art und Weise, wie die Menschen dargestellt werden. Die Charaktere sind sehr fein gezeichnet. Ich könnte sie mir wirklich vorstellen, mit ihnen diskutieren ... Ich war fasziniert von Nesjes Charakter, seiner Liebe, seiner (inneren und körperlichen) Stärke für seine sehr harte Arbeit. Wunderschön geschrieben! In diesem Roman geht es um das harte Leben (egal wo), familiäre Bindungen, den Wunsch, höher zu kommen, es besser zu machen, Religion (oder keine)! Dies ist kein Actionroman, sondern eine ruhige (wenn auch tiefgründige) Geschichte über ein paar Familien, die nach einer besseren Zukunft streben, aber auch die Gegenwart voll und ganz leben. Ein ausgezeichneter Roman!
Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und ich habe freiwillig eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.
]]> 214370343 CAROL MCGRATH

'An enthralling insight into the Wars of the Roses seen through the eyes of two powerful women. A superb read' CLARE MARCHANT

'A fascinating story of two powerful women on opposing sides of the War of the Roses. Told with assurance and knowledge of the period' ELIZABETH CHADWICK


KEEP THY FRIENDS CLOSE,
THY ENEMIES CLOSER...

England 1450s

Queen Margaret knows she must protect the crown - and her son Prince Edward's claim to it - at all costs. With her husband, King Henry, increasingly frail, it is up to Margaret to fight for their inheritance. And as the Wars of the Roses rage on, her enemies and their wives lurk close, threatening to unravel everything she is trying to protect.

Anne, Countess of Warwick has long striven to be a loyal and accomplished wife to the Earl of Warwick. But when she develops an unlikely alliance with the Lancastrian Queen Margaret, her husband's adversary, she wonders how much power now lies in her hands to determine the course of history.

Crossing enemy lines, the pair strike up a thorny friendship - yet in the midst of treachery and the turmoil of battle, can the two women trust each other?

Or is it only a matter of time before war drives a sword between them...

***

Your favourite authors love Anne O'

'It kept me riveted until the last page' BARBARA ERSKINE
'Tremendous and engrossing' NICOLA CORNICK
'Be it's incredibly addictive' TRACY BORMAN
'Anne O'Brien gets right inside the heads of her medieval characters' JOANNA HICKSON]]> 446 Anne O'Brien 1398711276 Christine 4 The Queen and the Countess are powerful, yes, but they will learn that power is relative. First, because they are "simply" women, second because of their absolute desire to remain in power despite many odds and whi holds the reins right now. One might find both women despicable: don't they have any feelings, integrity? Their upbringing was not based on emotional bonding, but rather on political bonding. They can't trust anyone because they can't be trusted.... Could both women become friends? Definitely not in our modern definition, I would say! However, they do need a friend!!

I found this novel very interesting and compelling even though I knew about that part of history. I have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed all books by the author.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.03
author: Anne O'Brien
name: Christine
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:
A great novel! I think it was a very good idea to write this story through two powerful women! This way, the reader is more intimately linked to their lives as to their hopes, feelings and wants. This was fascinating as nowadays we definitely don't perceive life-planning the same way...
The Queen and the Countess are powerful, yes, but they will learn that power is relative. First, because they are "simply" women, second because of their absolute desire to remain in power despite many odds and whi holds the reins right now. One might find both women despicable: don't they have any feelings, integrity? Their upbringing was not based on emotional bonding, but rather on political bonding. They can't trust anyone because they can't be trusted.... Could both women become friends? Definitely not in our modern definition, I would say! However, they do need a friend!!

I found this novel very interesting and compelling even though I knew about that part of history. I have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed all books by the author.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 217003183 Le grand roman noir du passé nazi de la Finlande


Ukraine, 1941. Deux SS tiennent entre leurs mains la vie d’une mère et de son enfant. Au dernier moment, ils décident de leur épargner la fureur de leurs hommes.


Finlande, 2019. Deux hommes s’acharnent sur le corps d’un vieillard et le laissent pour mort. La victime était un ancien combattant méritant et médaillé.


Entre ces deux événements, c’est tout le passé de la Finlande, jamais exhumé, qui se révèle. Celui de jeunes volontaires engagés au sein des Waffen-SS pour lutter, sous les ordres de l’Allemagne nazie, contre l’ennemi bolchévique.


Âpre et puissant comme peuvent l’être Ron Rash ou Dennis Lehane, Arttu Tuominen met à nu la plus grande fracture de l’histoire de la Finlande, dans ce nouveau roman de la série policière Delta noir, déjà couronné des plus grands prix.


Traduit du finnois par Claire Saint-Germain


Né en Finlande en 1981, Arttu Tuominen est ingénieur environnemental et écrivain. Le Serment, son premier roman, a reçu le Grand Prix finlandais du meilleur roman policier 2020, été finaliste du Prix Clé de verre 2021 du meilleur roman policier scandinave et, en France, du Prix du polar Européen du Point. La Revanche a reçu le Prix Palle Rosenkrantz du meilleur roman noir, prix qui récompense les plus grands auteurs internationaux : James Ellroy, Don Winslow, Jo Nesbø ou Ragnar Jónasson.


À propos d'Arttu Tuominen :


« Le génie de la Finlande mélancolique » Le Point


« Le talent d’un grand écrivain » France Inter


« Remarquable » Télérama]]> 401 Arttu Tuominen Christine 5 J'ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley en échange d'une critique honnête de sa lecture.]]> 4.30 2021
author: Arttu Tuominen
name: Christine
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/08
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:
Un auteur que je ne connaissais pas; des événements choquants de l'histoire de la Finlande; des éléments choquants de la psyché humaine. Un roman qui touche, perturbe et pousse à réfléchir sur l'homme dit civilisé, la rédemption, la justice. Je n' oublierai pas cette histoire infernale du passé qui se mêle au présent, qui fait part entière de l'enquête policière. Passant d'une époque à l' autre (1941; 2019), la structure du roman est subtile: les années couvrant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, est écrite au présent (on ne purrait exprimer mieux ce passé qui vit encore), alors que l'époque actuelle est décrite au passé... Pour moi , ce roman est une œuvre littéraire impressionnante à lire que je recommande vivement !
J'ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley en échange d'une critique honnête de sa lecture.
]]> 227787049 310 Susan Coventry 1646036328 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.00
author: Susan Coventry
name: Christine
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:
Highly interesting and emotional novel as well! I enjoyed the writing with original quotes from articles or letters at the beginning of each chapter. It reminds the reader how real it all was! I found it fascinating to read about how surgery progressed through exceptional hands. Brilliant minds and fingers were at work, friends as well... The novel clearly shows how drug addiction was extremely difficult to heal at the time particularly. Indeed what started as experimentation led to more knowledge than one might have wanted to have and feel... I was impressed by all these medical people (not only William) who furthered the art of surgery . I really enjoyed this biographical novel!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 201804234 What did the disintegration of the Soviet Union feel like for the people who lived through it? Award-winning writer Sasha Salzmann tells this story in a remarkable novel about two women in extraordinary times

__________

As a child, Lena longs to pick hazelnuts in the woods with her grandmother but is raised as a good sent to Pioneer summer camps where she's taught to worship Lenin, and sing songs in praise of the glorious Soviet Union. But perestroika is coming, her corner of the USSR is now called Ukraine, and corruption and patronage are now the only ways to get ahead - to secure a place at university, an apartment, treatment for a sick baby.

For Tatjana, the shock of the new means the first McDonalds in the Soviet Union and certified foreign whisky, but no food in the shops; it means terrible choices about who to love. Eventually both women must decide whether to stay or to emigrate, but the trauma they carry is handed down to their daughters, struggling to make sense of their own identities.

In a story that spans generations, Salzmann creates a vivid depiction of how the collapse of the Soviet Union reverberated through the lives of ordinary people. Engrossing and wide-reaching, rich in detail and unforgettable characters, Glorious People is a vivid feat of storytelling from a powerful talent.]]> 328 Sasha Salzmann 1782279490 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 3.05 2021
author: Sasha Salzmann
name: Christine
average rating: 3.05
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:
A rather sad novel showing how important it is to know where you come from and what you are made up of to allow the feelings of belonging, of identity. In the characters' lives of this novel, the parents having moved to Germany for a better future for their children did not really leave their country nor their past. This is understandable, however while wanting the best for their children they themselves were too much involved with their own problems linked to their past. A past which had not been available to the children whether by their own experiences nor by the telling of it.... Interesting but still, sad.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 208026842 Une terre glacée, balayée par les vents, inaccessible sur la majeure partie de son territoire. Et qui recèle pourtant les histoire les plus sombres.

C'est au travers du destin d'une femme que tout se joue. Elle porte en elle les déchirures et la soif de vengeance d'un pays. Elle est l'Inuite. Face à elle, deux flics, l'un groenlandais, l'autre danois, mènent chacun leur enquête : les meurtres récents d'un grand-père et de sa petite-fille sur une île isolée; et un scandale d'État qui remonte aux années 1950. En quoi ces affaire sont-elles liées ? Et surtout : jusqu'où ira l'Inuite ?

« Mo Malø n’a pas fini de séduire les lecteurs français avides de dépaysement et de sensations » Pierrick Fay, Les Échos

Mo Malø est l’auteur de la série à succès des enquêtes de Qaanaaq Adriensen, traduite dans de nombreux pays et saluée par plusieurs récompenses : Prix Point par Points, Prix Découverte des Mines Noires, finaliste des Prix du meilleur polar des lecteurs de Points et du Prix Michel Lebrun. S’inspirant d’une affaire réelle qui a marqué l’histoire du Groenland �� l’expérience menée sur vingt-deux enfants inuit arrachés à leur famille pour devenir l’élite danophone du pays ��, il livre sans doute son meilleur roman.]]> 399 Mo Malø Christine 4 J' ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley et c'est volontairement que j'ai écrit une critique.]]> 4.20
author: Mo Malø
name: Christine
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/10
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:
Encore une fois, l'auteur s'est révélé excellent écrivain! Comme par les livres précédents dont les histoires se déroulent au Groenland, la trame de l'histoire m'a captivée! Bien qu'un peu déçue de l'absence de Quanaaq, cette histoire basée sur des faits historiques réels, est passionnante, perturbante et oblige à la réflexion. En effet, la rééducation d'enfants venant du Groenland et envoyés au Danemark afin de les rendre plus danois a résulté en un bien tragique échec. L'auteur l'a magistralement démontré dans cette série de meurtres (revanche?) en évoquant la culture inuite de façon convaincante.
J' ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley et c'est volontairement que j'ai écrit une critique.
]]> 219865475 THE PAST CAN FIND YOU ANYWHERE

Paul Brightman is a man on the run, living under an assumed name in a small New England town with a million-dollar bounty on his head. When his security is breached, Paul is forced to flee into the New Hampshire wilderness to evade Russian operatives who can seemingly predict his every move.

Six years ago, Paul was a rising star on Wall Street who fell in love with a beautiful photographer named Tatyana �� unaware that her father was a Russian oligarch and the object of considerable interest from several US intelligence agencies. Now, to save his own life, Paul must unravel a decades-old conspiracy that extends to the highest reaches of the government.

Rivalling the classic spy novels of the Cold War, this is a breakneck thriller built for the frightening world we live in now.]]> 543 Joseph Finder 1838930566 Christine 0 to-read 4.12 2025
author: Joseph Finder
name: Christine
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220970571 London hunts the Ripper. A widow hunts her husband's killer.

London, 1888. While Jack the Ripper's reign of terror grips the city, Emma Langley's world shatters when her husband is found murdered in Whitechapel. But grief is quickly overshadowed by a startling William Langley was not the man she thought she knew.

As panic fills London's streets, Emma delves into her husband's secret life, uncovering a web of lies that stretches from glittering society drawing rooms to the seedy gambling dens of the East End. Aided by Penny Green, a former reporter with a nose for trouble, Emma follows a trail of blackmail and corruption.

But exposing her husband's killer could make her the next victim and in the shadows of gaslit streets, a murderer waits, ready to strike again��

From the bestselling author of Penny Green comes a spellbinding new Victorian mystery series introducing Emma Langley.]]> 414 Emily Organ 1805088785 Christine 4 I received a digital copy from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.18
author: Emily Organ
name: Christine
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves:
review:
This was really good! I loved the powerful and intriguing beginning and the evolving events... I enjoyed the characters who were relatable and rather modern in their thinking, particularly Penny. The foggy descriptions of darkness lurking in Whitechapel were thrilling as well as creepy! On top of that, you can feel that meticulous historical research has been done by the author! An entertaining and compulsive read!
I received a digital copy from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 219301734 Long before Dorothy visits Oz, her aunt, Emily Gale, sets off on her own grand adventure, leaving gritty Chicago behind for Kansas and a life that will utterly change her, in this transporting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor.

Chicago, 1924: Emily Gale and her new husband, Henry, yearn to leave the bustle of Chicago behind for the promise of their own American dream. But leaving the city means leaving Emily’s beloved sister, Annie, who was once closer to her than anyone in the world.

Kansas, 1932: Emily and Henry have made a life in the warmth of the community of Liberal, Kansas, and among the harsh beauty of the prairie. Their lives hold a precarious and hopeful purpose, until tragedy strikes and their orphaned niece, Dorothy, lands on their doorstep.

The wide-eyed child isn’t the only thing to disrupt Emily’s world. Drought and devastating dust storms threaten to destroy everything, and their much-loved home becomes a place of uncertainty and danger. When the past catches up with the present and old secrets are exposed, Emily fears she will lose the most cherished thing of Dorothy.

Bursting with courage and heart, Before Dorothy tells the story of the woman who raised a beloved heroine, and ponders the what is the true meaning of home?]]> 368 Hazel Gaynor 0593440331 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.57
author: Hazel Gaynor
name: Christine
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
A brilliant story, beautifully written! Even though I found the beginning a bit slow, the rest of the novel was captivating! I loved the descriptions of the prairie (its sounds, views, smells). Daily life is portrayed in such a realistic way that you get the feeling you sit at their table! Cleverly using quotations from The Wizard of Oz, and Emily's diaries, you do end up believing they were all real people. Very convincing characterisation! Another successful novel by Hazel Gaynor! I loved it!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 228081525
J.D. Salinger ist einer der großen Unbekannten der Literatur, über sein Leben hat er selbst nicht viel preisgegeben und absichtlich falsche Fährten gelegt. Piet de Moor nähert sich ihm in seinem Roman, indem er ihn selbst zu Wort kommen und von seinem Leben erzählen lässt. An der Grenze zwischen Fiktion und faktischer Biographie treibt Piet de Moor ein virtuoses Spiel.
Im Zentrum dieses Lebensberichts steht vor allem Salingers Zeit während des Zweiten Weltkriegs und kurz danach. Als junger Mann nahm er an der Landung der Alliierten in der Normandie teil, nach der Schlacht am Hürtgenwald und der deutschen Kapitulation kam er als Geheimdienstoffizier ins fränkische Gunzenhausen. Neben dem Nachdenken über sein bisheriges Leben, über seine Liebschaften, berichtet dieser fiktive Salinger auch von seinem Leben in der Kleinstadt, von den Deutschen und ihren Ausflüchten in den Verhören, vermittelt über Treffen mit Victor Klemperer, Erich Kästner oder Stefan Heym und »Papa Hemingway« über den Stand der Kultur in dieser Stunde Null �� ein lebhaftes Bild einer deutschen Kleinstadt in dieser Zeit. Sein eigenes Manuskript, das später der »Fänger im Roggen« werden sollte, hat Salinger auch im Gepäck, ebenso wie seine Schreibmaschine. Angetrieben vom Wunsch, zu überleben, versucht er, seinen Roman zu vollenden.
Ein Roman voller Energie, mit viel Witz geschrieben �� der aber auch zeigt, wie die Grausamkeiten, die Menschen sich gegenseitig antun können, noch Jahrzehnte später widerhallen.]]> 342 Piet de Moor 3835388290 Christine 5 Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.]]> 5.00
author: Piet de Moor
name: Christine
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:
Ein großartiger Roman! Ich fand das Leben und die Gedanken von Salinger hoch interessant. Das Schreiben ist wunderschön, der Übersetzer hat sehr gute Arbeit geleistet. Der Roman, geschrieben in der ersten Person, ist sehr lebendig und man kann sich sehr gut vorstellen, dass Salinger ein imponierender Schriftteller war. Shade, dass er nicht viel öffentlich geschrieben hat. Sehr empfehlenswert!
Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.
]]> 220484535 248 Fernando Aramburu 3644022682 Christine 4 Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.]]> 4.20 2024
author: Fernando Aramburu
name: Christine
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:
Ein interessanter Roman mit originellem Aufbau. Eine sehr traurige, tragische Geschichte, da sie vom Leben nach dem inakzeptablen Tod eines Kindes erzählt. Für mich ein zu düsterer Roman, vollgestopft mit Verzweiflung, die mich das ganze Buch über nicht losließ. So kann ich mich vorstellen, wie es ist, ein Kind zu verlieren. Ein ergreifender Roman, der mir im Gedächtnis bleiben wird.
Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.
]]> 222099377 500 Tanja Kinkel 3455019269 Christine 4 Ich habe diesen Roman sehr genossen. Ich fand die Hauptfiguren spannend und sehr menschlich. Sehr empfehlenswert!
Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.]]> 4.08
author: Tanja Kinkel
name: Christine
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves:
review:
Ein hoch interessanter Roman über ein faszinierenden Teil Deutschlands Geschichte. Durch zwei sehr unterschiedliche Frauen und ihre Wünsche als Mensch und Frau erleben wir verschiedene Definitionen von Freiheit. Hat dieser Konzept überhaupt eine Bedeutung für jeden? Kan man sich diesen Gedanken überhaupt leisten, wenn man überlegt, dass das Überleben die Priorität ist?
Ich habe diesen Roman sehr genossen. Ich fand die Hauptfiguren spannend und sehr menschlich. Sehr empfehlenswert!
Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.
]]> 222220678
Quand le corps d’un homme est retrouvé dans une petite maison de la vallée de Skorradalur, à l’ouest de l’Islande, l’inspectrice Elma sent que l’enquête va l’entraîner bien plus loin qu’elle ne le souhaiterait. Elle connaît la propriétaire du chalet. Les rares indices font ressurgir l’ombre d’une tragédie survenue vingt-cinq ans plus tôt : la noyade inexpliquée d’un enfant lors d’un camp de vacances. Entre non-dits et quête de rédemption, les silences se fissurent au sein de la petite communauté locale. La vérité que cherche à faire émerger Elma pourrait bien leur coûter plus cher que les crimes endormis.]]> 400 Eva Björg Ægisdóttir Christine 4 J'ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley en échange d'une critique honnête.]]> 3.96 2022
author: Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
name: Christine
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:
J'ai adoré le suspense de l'enquête, ses entrevêchements , ses surprises et son déroulement final! Comme dans les livres précédents de la série, j'ai apprécié l'équipe qui enquête. J'ai particulièrement aimé le fait que le lecteur a des informations sur leur vie privée, mais pas aux dépens de la tension et du suspense du roman. La conclusion est la fin de l' enquête, mais elle pose d'autres questions intrigantes!!!! J'ai hâte de lire le prochain livre!
J'ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley en échange d'une critique honnête.
]]> 221826605 They double-crossed him and left him for dead. Now they're going to wish they made sure ...Solomon Church is a ghost. An ex-SAS trooper living in self-imposed exile, his fragile existence relies on one that everyone thinks he's dead.

Ten years ago, a mission to take out a tyrannical warlord in the DRC went sideways and his own brothers-in-arms turned on him. Now, the past has come calling, and the events that transpired in the African town of Maroua are echoing all the way to number 10 Downing Street. The man responsible for countless deaths and heinous crimes against the people of Maroua is making a play for the PM's office. And Solomon Church may be the only one willing �� and capable �� of stopping him from taking it.

The public may not know who he is, but Church does. And he'll do anything to stop him from seizing power. Because he knows that if this man gets it �� he'll never let it go.

***

From the bestselling author of the Jamie Johansson series, The Exile is a brutal story of revenge and redemption perfect for fans of Vince Flynn, Robert Enright, and Lee Child. Solomon Church is your new favourite hero dealing his own brand of justice to those who deserve it most.]]> 412 Morgan Greene Christine 4 Thank you so much, Morgan, for sending me an ARC of your new thriller.]]> 4.52
author: Morgan Greene
name: Christine
average rating: 4.52
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:
A fast paced thriller with a (personal) sense of justice... The novel is so full of tension building up with each page that I could only relax at the very end! Indeed, no unnecessary chit chat. The novel is entirely focused on the storyline and plot which is brilliant. I enjoyed it a lot even though there was a bit too much killing for me! I like Church's integrity and his keen sense of justice, though. I also found it fascinating to read about all the strategies, planning involved in the attacks as well as the discipline. A powerful first book about Church I thoroughly enjoyed! Highly recommended!
Thank you so much, Morgan, for sending me an ARC of your new thriller.
]]> 219526786 'Hello Niklas Sockenberg. We hope you have been satisfied with our services during this time, which has now reached its end. You have 14 days, 1 hour and 12 minutes left to live'

It is December in Stockholm and Sweden's Minister of Justice is under threat. An anonymous note has told him he has four days left to live. At the same time, a human skeleton is found in the Stockholm subway, belonging to a high-ranking financier.

Police inspector Mina Dabiri's team, still recovering from the traumatic incident last summer that ended in the death of a colleague, calls in mentalist Vincent Walder to help with the case. For Vincent, it feels as if the world is increasingly closing in on him.

When another pile of bones is found underground, the group is once again put to the test �� what is going on in the tunnels deep under Stockholm? And who taunting the minister?]]> 558 Camilla Läckberg 0008464308 Christine 5 The characters also contributed to the atmosphere of the novel... I found them absolutely brilliant! Even though some of them had some mental issues, I still found them very relatable as well as likeable. I have not read the first two books and I will do so. This third book was no problem to read as a standalone. However, I am more than eager to know what happened in the first books. Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.33
author: Camilla Läckberg
name: Christine
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:
Definitely one of the best crime thrillers I have ever read!!! The plot was so thrilling while getting creepier the more I was into the book!
The characters also contributed to the atmosphere of the novel... I found them absolutely brilliant! Even though some of them had some mental issues, I still found them very relatable as well as likeable. I have not read the first two books and I will do so. This third book was no problem to read as a standalone. However, I am more than eager to know what happened in the first books. Highly recommended!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 227766865 unknown author 3423284358 Christine 4 Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.]]> 4.00
author: unknown author
name: Christine
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves:
review:
Das war eine tolle Lektüre! Ich fand die Charaktere mit ihrem sachlichen Verhalten und der Art, miteinander zu reden, ziemlich erfrischend. Ich genoss den historischen Kontext, lernte im Rhythmus von Verena etwas über Anatomie und welche Lehrmitteln sie benutzten. Die religiöse Seite darf nicht vergessen werden, denn es war definitiv keine leichte Aufgabe zu sagen/entdecken, dass Gott nicht alles erschaffen hat, wie es in der Bibel steht. Die Inquisitoren sind nie weit weg ... Ich hätte mir einen anderen Abschluss gewünscht, aber er ist in Ordnung. Vielleicht wird eine Fortsetzung geschrieben. Mir hat dieser unterhaltsame und informative Roman sehr gefallen.
Ich habe eine digitale Kopie dieses Romans von NetGalley bekommen und freiwillig habe ich eine ehrliche Rezension geschrieben.
]]> 216544518 'Tightly plotted, meticulously researched, and written with wonderful panache. Death of an Officer is an excellent entry in a truly remarkable historical mystery series' TOM MEAD

London. Spring 1943. While Europe continues to suffer under the iron fist of Nazi occupation, Britain remains battered but unbowed.

DCI Frank Merlin, already contending with a booming wartime crime wave in the capital, is confronted with a baffling the brutal murder of a respected doctor.

Following a puzzling trail that leads him into the hidden corners of clubland - and which appears to be linked to the disappearance of both British and American officers - Merlin must untangle a dark web of shocking secrets.

Praise for Mark

'This is to my shame the first Mark Ellis book I've read. If the others evoke a vanished London so impressively, are graced with such complex plots and deep characterisation, and, above all, are written so well I shall have to read them all.' THE TIMES

'Masterly . . . compelling . . . one of the most attractive characters to emerge in recent detective-thriller fiction' ANDREW ROBERTS, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

'Against the backdrop of Blitz-hit London, this stylish thriller sees Scotland Yard's Frank Merlin investigate a tangled conspiracy' SUNDAY MIRROR

'An atmospheric, compelling evocation of war-torn London in the wake of the Blitz, where DCI Frank Merlin fights against a tidal wave of crime' GEOFFREY WANSELL, Crime and Thriller Reviewer, DAILY MAIL

'Unputdownable' ROBERT LYMAN

'Mark Ellis delivers diamonds - an intriguing, masterly juggling of an intricate plot and an enviable command of detail.' JOHN LAWTON

'Extraordinarily atmospheric and compelling, DEAD IN THE WATER is a wonderfully intelligent and complex story' CHRIS LLOYD, HWA Gold Crown Award winner.

'...historical noir at its best. Mark Ellis's talents as a writer are many; finely embroidered plotting, a meticulously researched historical context and place, and rounded characters whose lives and capers become real for a reader' GARY DONNELLY

'A very satisfying puzzle, expertly crafted' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY ]]> 368 Mark Ellis 103542701X Christine 5 I have received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.33
author: Mark Ellis
name: Christine
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves:
review:
This is a really entertaining series! I enjoyed reading about police procedures at an earlier time (WWII) , where no handies were available, no fast cars (when available anyway because of the war restrictions!), no computers. I find it really fascinating to read about forensics of the time with their limited means. Very atmospheric indeed! The police team is relatable with a pleasant work team. The plot remains complex with an interesting sense of justice... I loved it! A great read I highly recommend!
I have received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 214268979 From the New York Times��bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones, an unforgettable story of hardship and hope, courage and resilience, that follows one young woman’s journey through war-torn Italy

1940, Emilia Romagna. Lili and Esti have been best friends since meeting at the University of Ferrara; when Esti’s son Theo is born, they become as close as sisters. There is a war being fought across borders, and in Italy, Mussolini’s Racial Laws have deemed Lili and Esti descendants of an ‘inferior�� Jewish race, but life somehow goes on—until Germany invades northern Italy, and the friends find themselves in occupied territory

Esti, older and fiercely self-assured, convinces Lili to flee first to a villa in the countryside to help hide a group of young war orphans, then to a convent in Florence, where they pose as nuns and forge false identification papers for the Underground. When disaster strikes at the convent, a critically wounded Esti asks Lili to take a much bigger step: To go on the run with Theo. Protect him while Esti can’t.

Terrified to travel on her own, Lili sets out on an epic journey south toward Allied territory, through Nazi-occupied villages and bombed-out cities, doing everything she can to keep Theo safe.

A remarkable tale of friendship, motherhood, and survival,One Good Thing is a tender reminder that love for another person, even amidst darkness and uncertainty, can be reason to keep going.]]> 432 Georgia Hunter 1984880934 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.28 2025
author: Georgia Hunter
name: Christine
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves:
review:
This was very good indeed! The plot was thrilling: Lilli's fear was so palpable that I could feel it as well! I also learned quite a lot about Italy during the Second World War which I found interesting and in some parts surprising as I had not much idea about it. The characters' psychological development was good while thought provoking. I enjoyed the realistic conclusion. My second novel by the author and I hope she will write more historical fiction.This story will definitely stay with me!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 90541569 Marie, jeune paysanne au pied des Pyrénées, voit son village et sa famille ruinés par l'épizootie. Tous l'accusent d'être à l'origine de la cruelle malédiction. Car Marie est une femme savante : elle lit, elle rompt l'ordre des choses, comme toutes ces nouvelles sorcières que les philosophes des Lumières encouragent. Pire ! elle a péché.
Contre elle, pour exorciser le mal qui ravage son petit pays, des Visitadors sont lancés à ses trousses. Le retour de l'obscurantisme partout menace.
Dans sa fuite, Marie découvre peu à peu que, derrière l'épidémie, se cache une machination visant à déstabiliser le jeune roi.]]> 367 Michel Clos Christine 3 Une histoire aux rebondissements palpitants mais dont la fin, abrupte, est plutôt décevante. Elle mène à se demander si un second livre poursuivra le chemin de Marie.
J' ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley en échange d'une chronique honnête.]]> 3.00
author: Michel Clos
name: Christine
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves:
review:
Une partie de l'histoire de France est révélée à travers les misfortunes de Marie, tombée enceinte... Fille-mère, elle est envoyée dans un couvent avant l'accouchement. Marie comprendra très vite que d'autres raisons ont apparemment poussé son père à l' envoyer là-bas. Marie, malgré son jeune âge (16 ans) sait lire, est intelligente . Elle n'hésitera pas à chercher des explications à toutes ces intrigues politiques qui vont la submerger... Reverra -t-elle le père de son enfant ? Qui est-il vraiment ?
Une histoire aux rebondissements palpitants mais dont la fin, abrupte, est plutôt décevante. Elle mène à se demander si un second livre poursuivra le chemin de Marie.
J' ai reçu une copie digitale de ce roman de NetGalley en échange d'une chronique honnête.
]]> 223923190 A wartime nurse risks everything to protect mothers and babies in Nazi-occupied Guernsey. Decades later, a hidden record reveals a devastating family truth. Based on a remarkable true story of one woman’s extraordinary courage.

Guernsey, 1943. As German forces tighten their grip on the Channel Islands, nurse Evelyn Nightingale guards a dangerous secret. Within the walls of the Emergency Hospital, she's hidden three babies from the enemy �� children who would otherwise face a terrible fate. When a traumatized French woman arrives to give birth, Evelyn must risk everything �� with consequences that will echo through the generations.

Dublin, 2018. Still reeling from her mother’s death, Kitty White is struggling to keep her family’s antique shop afloat when a desperate woman arrives with an old violin to sell. Hidden in its dusty case, Kitty discovers a mysterious list of names that shatters her father's composure. Her search for answers leads her to Guernsey, where she is about to uncover a long-buried secret about her family��

Inspired by true historical events, this heart-wrenching tale will stay with you long after the last page. If you were gripped by The Nightingale, The Alice Network and The Paris Library, you must read The Book of Lost Children.]]> 366 Jenny O'Brien 1805088939 Christine 4 I have read many of the author's crime books which I also enjoyed a lot. Still, this novel was a brilliant change and I hope she writes more historical novels beside her crime books.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.40
author: Jenny O'Brien
name: Christine
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves:
review:
I have tremendously enjoyed this story! Knowing that it is based on the life of a real woman makes the novel even more interesting and captivating. The plot was full of tension, and the two timelines worked very well. The only detail I found totally unnecessary is Kitty's burgeoning romance . To me, it did not bring anything to the story and rather disturbed the smoothness of the plot.
I have read many of the author's crime books which I also enjoyed a lot. Still, this novel was a brilliant change and I hope she writes more historical novels beside her crime books.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 219604131 His past is coming back with a vengeance��

Ex-intelligence agent James Ryker has done many things in the past he’d prefer to forget. The last time he saw Gregor Minko - son to one of Ukraine’s most dangerous and politically influential arms dealers �� Gregor was a scared 6-year-old boy in need of protection. But Ryker had to walk away. The boy wasn’t the mission.

Twenty years on Ryker is approached by two strangers in Antibes, France, asking for his help in finding Gregor �� now going by the name of Gregor Rebrov. With a back catalogue of ‘crimes against the Russian state��, Gregor has escaped from a gulag in Siberia and is now in the wind.

Fuelled by old demons and painful memories of his own brutal actions in the past, Ryker finds himself once again in the thick of a complicated race against time and who knows how many of the world’s secret services, to find Gregor and get some answers.

As answers turn into more questions, they lead Ryker closer to home�� and he can’t shake the feeling that he may be to blame.

A brand new high-stakes thriller. Perfect for fans of Lee Child and Robert Ludlum.]]> 391 Rob Sinclair 1835618367 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]]> 4.36
author: Rob Sinclair
name: Christine
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
My first thriller by Rob Sinclair, and I will not forget it!! It was absolutely riveting ! The novel is full of twists and turns and many many dead people... Scary , indeed, but I have to admit I could not put the book down! I will definitely read more of James Ryker's adventures (or whoever he is...).
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
]]> 222195931 'Immersive, thrilling and with characters that feel incredibly real. I loved every moment' - Louise Hare

When the world is burning, how much is there to lose?

London, 1941.

As the city thrums with Blitz bombers, lonely air raid warden Ruby is drawn into the unfamiliar world of the India Forum, where a group of Londoners are working tirelessly to free India from British rule.

Ruby has her own secret motives for joining the fight, but when she meets Satyajit, charming, aloof, and potentially dangerous, she finds herself torn between head and heart.

Lawyer Kitty is helping Indian men in Britain challenge conscription. Having left her family behind in Bombay to marry the man she loves, now she risks losing him as well.

As Kitty and Ruby’s lives collide, the threat of violence closes in. Just how far are they willing to go for the people they love?

A story of sacrifice and betrayal, belonging and loss, A Thread of Light is the stunning second novel by Neema Shah, author of Kololo Hill.

Readers are loving A Thread of Light:

'An extraordinary novel that captured my heart and mind from the very first page'
'This is a fascinating and compelling read'
'An unforgettable, heart-wrenching tale of love and sacrifice . . . I cannot recommend this book highly enough' ]]> Neema Shah 1529030587 Christine 4 With the Second World War as the background in London, I was surprised to learn that many efforts were being done towards the independence of India at that time. This novel shows all kinds of means striving to gind a way to Independence whether they were pacifist or violent according to the individual. I found this fascinating ! I felt though that a date of year at the beginning of each chapter would have given a better idea of what happened.
A great read that brings the reader to reflect. I highly recommend it.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 3.90
author: Neema Shah
name: Christine
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves:
review:
This was a very interesting read about identity, particularly if you were part of the British Empire, even if you had the British nationality. Not everyone was considered British... In the case of this novel, being Indian shows different variations of the concept of identity. Not only for the Indians among themselves (and that was particularly interesting!), but also for the British people at large as well as the law.....
With the Second World War as the background in London, I was surprised to learn that many efforts were being done towards the independence of India at that time. This novel shows all kinds of means striving to gind a way to Independence whether they were pacifist or violent according to the individual. I found this fascinating ! I felt though that a date of year at the beginning of each chapter would have given a better idea of what happened.
A great read that brings the reader to reflect. I highly recommend it.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 219389240 England, 1941: Heartbroken villager Winnie has only just lost her husband when she’s asked to house an evacuee from the city. Will these two lonely souls heal each other’s broken hearts? An inspiring and emotional story of love, loss and hope in the darkest of days.

After her husband died fighting for their country, Winnie is heartbroken, reeling, and suddenly solely responsible for the struggling family pub. With nothing else to focus on, she pours her heart and soul into her work, trying desperately to keep afloat.

When news arrives of a ten-year-old girl who lost her mother and siblings in the Blitz, Winnie is unsure if she can help. She knows little Francine is alone and in need of a home, but she doesn’t know how much love she has to offer. But there is nowhere else for Francine to go, and Winnie can’t bear to think of her without a family��

Caring for a little girl as the war rages and resources run low takes all of Winnie’s energy. But little Francine is full of ideas to help keep the pub open, and as her cheeky sense of humour and infectious giggle breathe life back into Winnie’s world, Winnie’s heart opens to the possibility of love. That is, until the Canadian pilot she’s fallen for has to return home, and asks Winnie to go with him �� just as Francine’s relatives appear to try and claim her.

Winnie can’t bear the thought of losing the family she and Francine have become, but is it safer for Francine to let her go or hold her close? And can they leave the past behind and find the happy ending they both deserve?

A heart-wrenching yet totally uplifting historical novel set in World War Two that is impossible to put down and will have you reaching for the tissues. Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Shirley Dickson and Sandy Taylor.]]> 453 Lizzie Page 1836181523 Christine 5 Lizzie Page masterfully writes heartwarming novels. The storyline pulls at your heart, the plot is lively and entertaining, and the characters are more than likeable. Wit also colours this novel (as well as in her other novels!). What I also enjoyed in this novel, is that I learned quite a bit about public house regulations during WWII which I was not aware of. This was interesting!
I highly recommend this novel that brings (warming and cosy) light into a dark period of time.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.48
author: Lizzie Page
name: Christine
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves:
review:
Such a delightful read ! I have loved this novel. The characters are brilliantly defined, their community is so warm and pulls you to The Castle (without the h) pub. I felt I was there with them all and it felt good!
Lizzie Page masterfully writes heartwarming novels. The storyline pulls at your heart, the plot is lively and entertaining, and the characters are more than likeable. Wit also colours this novel (as well as in her other novels!). What I also enjoyed in this novel, is that I learned quite a bit about public house regulations during WWII which I was not aware of. This was interesting!
I highly recommend this novel that brings (warming and cosy) light into a dark period of time.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 44138954 La anodina vida de Sofía y Daniel cambia radicalmente cuando él recibe una carta anónima en la que se le dice que Sagrario, a la que venera, no es su verdadera madre y que si quiere conocer la verdad de su origen debe ir a París esa misma noche. Intrigado, pregunta a su padre por esta cuestión y él le recomienda que lo deje pasar, que no remueva el pasado. Sin embargo, hay preguntas que necesitan una respuesta y esta búsqueda desencadenará una sucesión de terribles acontecimientos y encuentros inesperados de infortunado desenlace que trastocará su vida y la de su mujer, Sofía, para siempre. Madrid, París y su mayo del 68, el muro de Berlín, la Stasi y la KGB, los servicios de contraespionaje en la España tardofranquista y tres personajes en busca de su identidad son las claves de esta fantástica novela con el inconfundible sello de Paloma Sánchez-Garnica.

]]> 725 Paloma Sánchez-Garnica 8408207695 Christine 4 4.32 2019
author: Paloma Sánchez-Garnica
name: Christine
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:
Qué historia tan cautivadora! ¡Tuve grandes momentos de sorpresas y acción! La historia se cuenta con gran detalle sobre hechos históricos. Fue muy interesante pero también conmovedor y aterrador... Continuaré leyendo las novelas de este autor.
]]> 25365667
Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall from war, looking forward to a joyful homecoming with his family and his beloved Elizabeth. But instead, he discovers that his father has died, his home is overrun by livestock and drunken servants, and Elizabeth, having believed Ross dead, is now engaged to his cousin. Ross must start over, building a completely new path for his life, one that takes him in exciting and unexpected directions....

Thus begins an intricately plotted story spanning loves, lives, and generations. The Poldark series is the masterwork of Winston Graham, who evoked the period and people like only he could, and created a world of rich and poor, loss and love, that listeners will not soon forget.]]> 379 Winston Graham 1492622079 Christine 3 4.03 1945
author: Winston Graham
name: Christine
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1945
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves:
review:
I listened to this story which I have enjoyed. However, even though the narrator was good, I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the book as opposed to listening to it.
]]> 210624017
Jensen og Henrik får endnu engang brug for hinanden for at afsløre sandheden - en, der er farligere, end de kunne have forestillet sig.]]> 360 Heidi Amsinck 1739123867 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.]]> 4.32 2024
author: Heidi Amsinck
name: Christine
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/17
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves:
review:
A good story overall. I think the plot would have been much better though if not so much had been written about the main characters' lives and their states of mind. It took away much of the tension of the thrilling plot. I was also a bit surprised at Jensen's new boyfriend. Somehow it did not fit with her character. I had enjoyed the previous books and still want to read the next one.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.
]]> 211000001
Just as hope begins to glimmer on the horizon, love blossoms anew with a wealthy widower. Yet fate deals a cruel hand, snatching her newfound happiness away. As the shadows of the First World War stretch across Europe, a desperate Florence is ensnared in a deadly game of espionage, coerced into spying for the Germans.

Bound by love, torn by duty, and haunted by the ghosts of choices past, Florence must navigate the treacherous waters of a world at war, where trust is a luxury and survival is a constant battle.

Will she emerge unscathed, or will the sacrifices demanded by her clandestine role shatter the fragile hope she's clung to? Dive into the heart of an era where war rages not just across battlefields but within the very souls of those caught in its grasp.]]> 336 Patricia Clough 1998076989 Christine 3 I was very astounded to hear how spies were recruited during WWI ! How, they convinced them to betray their country for money (which some people really needed as was Florence's case!)...
Overall an interesting novel but the writing left me cold: no emotion, more telling rather than showing. It did reflect Flo's character. It felt more like reading the news .
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.33
author: Patricia Clough
name: Christine
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves:
review:
What a story! To know that it is based on real characters, it makes it even more irritating! This Florence was not only a despicable mother, but also a faithless and self-centred woman. She traumatized her children and I am not talking about WWI ! Nevertheless, I do appreciate the honesty of the novel's writer. It couldn't have been easy to learn about Florence and what she had done to her family.
I was very astounded to hear how spies were recruited during WWI ! How, they convinced them to betray their country for money (which some people really needed as was Florence's case!)...
Overall an interesting novel but the writing left me cold: no emotion, more telling rather than showing. It did reflect Flo's character. It felt more like reading the news .
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 215548766 'A striking debut, filled with folkloric mystery and yearning. Read it, then read it again' Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures

'A muddy, pastoral fable written with an equal measure of beauty and morbidity. Completely enthralling.' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

'An extraordinary sense of place and time, written by an exciting new voice' Radio Times (Best Books 2025)


Who will cast the first stone?
1915, the Cabrach, Aberdeenshire. An isolated Scottish community is disturbed by a strange discovery: a body in a peat bog, perfectly preserved. Two people haul the body from the ground: Lizzie, the wife of a wealthy local landowner, and Johnny, a nomadic singer and farm hand. At hearthside and inn, people whisper: what have we unearthed?

One unveiling brings others. For Lizzie, tenacious but trapped, the discovery reveals unanswered questions about her past while for Johnny, it threatens to uncover a history he’s trying to outrun.
As their stories entwine, a series of unsettling events befalls the isolated ruinous weather, a damaged soldier, strange occurrences that cannot be explained. Against the echoes of distant war, and with the boundaries blurring between right and wrong, everyone is looking for someone to blame��
]]> 324 Gabrielle Griffiths 1529929091 Christine 4 A fascinating way of telling a story.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.00
author: Gabrielle Griffiths
name: Christine
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:
A very lively story woven with a dark and mysterious thread... Superstitions, eerie traditions fill the storyline enhancing some intriguing secrets. The richness of the characters and the beauty of the language are compelling and make this novel very special.
A fascinating way of telling a story.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 56687771
California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers, and having lost her family she treasures her pregnancy as the chance for a future one. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place far worse than anything she could have imagined.

Austria, 1947—After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler’s brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to “different children”—Helen Calvert, Truman's sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother’s peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser’s daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.]]> 400 Susan Meissner 0593332830 Christine 4 4.42 2023
author: Susan Meissner
name: Christine
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves:
review:
A story for the heart I couldn't stop reading even if I had an idea of how it would end. I found interesting that the story set in California was told parallelly to what was going on in Austria in 1941 under the Nazi government.... A fascinating novel that everyone should read.
]]> 39149
Now a fugitive running for his life, Sebastian calls upon his skill as an agent during the war to catch the killer and prove his own innocence. In the process, he accumulates a band of unlikely allies, including the enigmatic beauty Kat Boleyn, who broke Sebastian's heart years ago. In Sebastian's world of intrigue and espionage, nothing is as it seems, yet the truth may hold the key to the future of the British monarchy, as well as to Sebastian's own salvation....]]> 410 C.S. Harris Christine 5 3.89 2005
author: C.S. Harris
name: Christine
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves:
review:
I did not know this series!!! Such a shame, it is soooo good! Very entertaining with much action! The main character, Devlin is definitely excellent and very convincing. The historical details about the pre-Regency period is also extremely interesting as to all the intrigues within the political world. I have already bought book 2, and I think I will have to buy all (20?) books of the series. Highly recommended.
]]> 216516608 A thrilling adventure at the court of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII! For fans of S J Parris, Andrew Taylor, S W Perry and Andrew Swanston.

The Tudor Court is in turmoil��

1536, London

Thief Gwynnie Wightham has a new master in Elric Tombstone. She may follow his word, but she has little loyalty for him, and there is even less friendship between them.

She has agreed to assist him to make sure he keeps his word to never go hunting for her mother. For if Emlyn is ever found, she will be tried not just for being a jewel thief, but for murder.

Tombstone’s task for Gwynnie is to investigate Captain Daundelyon, for there has been a tipoff that the Dandy Lyon, as he's nicknamed, is a French spy, come to ingratiate himself with the king.

Gwynnie follows Captain Daundelyon around, noticing he's a common thief, almost as skilled as her in her deception, but she finds no hint of his spy work.

But the Tudor court is cracking into factions �� a great rift has swelled between King Henry and Queen Anne Boleyn, and what she does find is that Daundelyon’s presence is inextricably linked with Queen Anne's downfall.

What is Daundelyon’s relationship to Anne Boleyn? Is he plotting against the king?

And can Gwynnie prove her worth and find a way to clear her mother’s name��?

DEATH AT THE TOWER is the second book in the Shadow Cutpurses Tudor Thriller Series. It is a thrilling historical espionage adventure during King Henry VIII’s reign in England with a feisty female lead.

THE SHADOW CUTPURSES TUDOR THRILLER
Book Murder At Greenwich Palace
Book Death At The Tower

]]> 229 Adele Jordan 0854955267 Christine 2 4.37
author: Adele Jordan
name: Christine
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:
I did not enjoy this novel at all. The characters are, to me, not believable. The plot is mostly based on coincidences making the story not realistic. I had read the first book, it was ok. I will not read further books in this series. Shame, because some ideas were not bad and could have been better developed.
]]> 222824426 1940, Clementine Churchill is standing alone on a rooftop in London as bombs rain down on the city when a nearby explosion almost knocks her off her feet. Shaking, she rushes homewards to 10 Downing Street and breathes a sigh of relief when she sees the famous building is still there. It means the Prime Minister �� her husband �� is still alive.

Stepping into Winston’s reassuring arms, she hears his steady heartbeat. She knew from the day they married thirty years ago that he wanted to lead the country. Since then, they’ve been a partnership in love and in politics. Tragedy once almost tore them apart�� but now, Winston is Prime Minister, just as he always dreamed. Except, with the war against Hitler, it’s a much bigger responsibility than either of them ever expected. The world needs Winston, and Winston needs her.

While Winston co-ordinates battles across Europe, Clementine finds herself in the spotlight for the first time. Her husband’s name may be on the lips of every soldier and politician but she knows as she visits hospitals and campaigns for better conditions in air raid shelters, that the ordinary people speak her name just as much. She realises she has the potential to make a difference �� not as Winston’s shadow in the background but as Clementine Churchill.

One evening, as she looks into Winston’s dear face, Clementine can tell his bravery comes at a cost. But can she overcome the heartbreaking loss in her past to help the man she loves succeed? And, together, can they finish the fight for freedom?

This is a fictional novel inspired by the remarkable life of Clementine Churchill. It is a story of the power of love and courage. It is the story of how a husband and wife saved the world. It is a story like no other��]]> 394 Anna Stuart 1836186746 Christine 5
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.30
author: Anna Stuart
name: Christine
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:
I was so enthralled by Clementine's personality in this novel that I will read more about this imposing Lady! She was not described as perfect, showing that the writer strove to depict an honest picture of Clementine. That makes her real! This novel focuses on her relationship with Winston and their special relationship. It can't have been easy for Clementine even though she seemed to really have supported her husband for love. I also enjoyed reading about other women, whoever they were, who did show their abilities and important work in a men's world. Indeed, a war is not only fought with killing weapons! This novel is heartwarming, offering the reader a beautiful and strong love story in the midst of the war. I would now love to read a novel from Winston's point of view... That would be most interesting! Highly recommended! For me, the best novel by Anna Stuart. I loved it.

I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 59430811 Finalista Premio Planeta 2021.

Cuando Yuri Santacruz asistió al nombramiento como canciller de Adolf Hitler, no podía imaginar lo mucho que cambiaría su vida en Berlín. Había llegado allí unos meses atrás, después de haber huido, junto con parte de su familia, de San Petersburgo, asfixiados por una revolución que los había dejado sin nada. A Yuri también lo privó de su madre y su hermano pequeño, a quienes las autoridades rusas no permitieron la salida del país.

Ya en Berlín, su sentido de la justicia lo impulsará a defender a un joven comunista agredido por las tropas de asalto de Hitler. Ese día, además, conocerá a su gran amor, Claudia. Su vida dará un giro inesperado, y la que hasta entonces había sido su máxima prioridad, buscar a su madre y a su hermano, será sustituida por otra más urgente en esos tiempos convulsos: seguir con vida.

Una gran historia de amor y guerra, de lucha y supervivencia. Una delicia narrativa.

Cuando el amor y la esperanza son más poderosos que el odio y la furia.]]> 648 Paloma Sánchez-Garnica 8408249851 Christine 4 4.46 2021
author: Paloma Sánchez-Garnica
name: Christine
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves:
review:
¡Qué historia tan impresionante y conmovedora! La vida en Berlín y Rusia antes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial está meticulosamente documentada. A través de la vida de Yuri, su familia y amigos, el lector es transportado a este período confuso. Yuri (hispano-ruso)es un personaje íntegro que no incumplirá ninguna promesa a pesar de su búsqueda de reunir a su familia que tuvo que abandonar Rusia cuando llegaron los bolcheviques. Una novela que me impactó mucho.
]]> 61238888
1679. A year has passed since the sensational attempt to murder King Charles II. London is still inflamed by fears of Catholic plots. Harry Hunt—estranged from his mentor Robert Hooke and no longer employed by the Royal Society—meets Sir Jonas Moore, the King’s Surveyor-General of the Board of Ordnance, in the remote and windswept marshes of Norfolk. There, workers draining the fenland have uncovered a skeleton.

Accompanied by his friend Colonel Fields, an old soldier for Parliament, and Hooke’s niece, Grace, Harry confirms Sir Jonas’s suspicion: the body is that of a dwarf, Captain Jeffrey Hudson, once famously given to Queen Henrietta Maria in a pie. During the Civil Wars, Hudson accompanied the Queen to France to sell the Royal Jewels to fund her husband’s army. He was sent home in disgrace after shooting a man in a duel.

But nobody knew Hudson was dead. Another man, working as a spy, has lived as him since his murder. Now, this impostor has disappeared, taking vital information with him. Sir Jonas orders Harry to find him.

With the help of clues left in a book, a flying man, and a crossdressing swordswoman, Harry’s search takes him to Paris, another city bedeviled by conspiracies and intrigues. He navigates its salons and libraries, and learns of a terrible plot against the current Queen of England, Catherine of Bragança, and her gathering of Catholics in London. Assassins plan to poison them all.

The Poison Machine is a nail-biting and brilliantly imagined historical thriller that will delight readers of its critically acclaimed predecessor The Bloodless Boy.]]> 464 Robert J. Lloyd 1612199755 Christine 5 (The only negative point lies in the numerous mistakes in French. I am French and can't help noticing.)]]> 3.85
author: Robert J. Lloyd
name: Christine
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves:
review:
Brilliant! This novel is entertaining, informative , thrilling and sometimes creepy! I loved the fact that the investigator was a Natural Philosopher: it is fascinating to read about their experiments, their New ideas about how the world actually works at a time when religion supposedly answered questions. The descriptions of London, the Fens and Paris (as well as the crossing of the Channel!) are vivid and atmospheric. The plot made my blood pressure go up all throughout! I enjoyed the fact that the author has used actual historical events in his novel. A great read I highly recommend!
(The only negative point lies in the numerous mistakes in French. I am French and can't help noticing.)
]]> 61686012 “Now and then, language would thrust its way into her sleep like a skewer through meat, startling her awake several times a night.��

In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight.

Soon the two discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it’s the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence.

Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish—the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to each other. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity—their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to breath and expression.

Greek Lessons is the story of the unlikely bond between this pair and a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection—a novel to awaken the senses, one that vividly conjures the essence of what it means to be alive.]]> 192 Han Kang 0593595270 Christine 4 The two main characters meet in a Greek class: the teacher who is losing his sight, and a student, a woman who lost her voice. Both have difficulties in adapting to their life situations in more than one way. How can these two lonely people communicate in this class of Ancient Greek lessons? How can they connect?
Anyway, I will not forget this short novel with its fundamental thought provoking questions which go well over countries' borders... This short novel has left an impact on me.]]> 3.54 2011
author: Han Kang
name: Christine
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:
Very intense novel! I had just finished Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout, and I thought, well, what does Han Kang have to say about similar topics: trauma, loneliness and also identity. Whereas I loved Elizabeth Strout's novel, I found it very difficult to keep on reading this short book. It is brilliant, no doubt , the writing is exceptional. However, it is so sad !!! Of course, Elizabeth has a deeply different culture, her characters seek help and talk whereas in Greek Lessons, silence prevails... American heritage vs Korean heritage . Different ways of dealing with loneliness and life experience.
The two main characters meet in a Greek class: the teacher who is losing his sight, and a student, a woman who lost her voice. Both have difficulties in adapting to their life situations in more than one way. How can these two lonely people communicate in this class of Ancient Greek lessons? How can they connect?
Anyway, I will not forget this short novel with its fundamental thought provoking questions which go well over countries' borders... This short novel has left an impact on me.
]]> 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 Christine 5 "Of course."
Two lines with such a deep meaning....

I adored this novel as I have adored all of the author's novels that I have read! I love the way she tales about people, about their loneliness and their various ways of dealing with it. The meaning of life, the aim of it are fundamental questions she masterfully deals with. The author definitely has a deep psychological and human touch as to emotions and feelings. I loved all the characters each with their own trauma, weaknesses and strengths. The writing is wonderful, one gets the feeling one is hearing the characters with whom I could have discussed! A brilliant novel about friendship and how to deal with loneliness due to either a traumatic past or simply life experience......]]> 3.99 2024
author: Elizabeth Strout
name: Christine
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:
"Thank you."
"Of course."
Two lines with such a deep meaning....

I adored this novel as I have adored all of the author's novels that I have read! I love the way she tales about people, about their loneliness and their various ways of dealing with it. The meaning of life, the aim of it are fundamental questions she masterfully deals with. The author definitely has a deep psychological and human touch as to emotions and feelings. I loved all the characters each with their own trauma, weaknesses and strengths. The writing is wonderful, one gets the feeling one is hearing the characters with whom I could have discussed! A brilliant novel about friendship and how to deal with loneliness due to either a traumatic past or simply life experience......
]]> 220265997 Sunday Times bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Wolf Hall and the Shardlake series.]]> 376 S.J. Parris 000859581X Christine 5 I received a digital advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.42
author: S.J. Parris
name: Christine
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:
A straight 5* for me! As her previous novels featuring Bruno Giordano, this new series is of the same quality as regards the plot as well as the characters. This time a woman is the central figure, a spy (who had known Bruno!) now working for Cecil. Sophie is a complex character with many secrets surrounding her life... Quite a bit of action involving The Earl of Essex and many others. The theatre world is in the background with William Shakespeare making a couple of appearances. I love historical fiction mixed with real people. It gives the novel a familiar touch and arouses my interest even more! A very compelling novel I highly recommend!
I received a digital advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 208580945 The romance of Casablanca meets the spy world of Ian Fleming in this WWII love story for the ages.In a glittering city of secrets and shadows, love is the most perilous gamble of all. Lisbon 1943. As two American librarians are drawn into a city of dangerous subterfuge and unexpected love affairs, they are forced to choose between their missions and the men they love. Brimming with evocative writing and meticulous research, award-winning author Suzanne Nelson spins a web of secret aliases, sweeping romance, and great sacrifice. Inspired by real historical figures, this is the captivating story of two remarkable young women, their bravery and heartache, and a friendship that withstands the ravages of war.

With World War II raging across Europe, best friends Selene Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan are enlisted by the U.S. Intelligence Office and sent to Lisbon—a sparkling city and hotbed of trouble, harboring exiled royalty, hunted refugees, and spies trading double-edged secrets in seductively dark corners. In official capacity, librarians Selene and Bea have been recruited to catalog the vast mountain of information gathered by the Allies, but by night, both women are undercover agents tasked with infiltrating the Axis spy network.

Where Selene is confident and brash, Bea is bookish and careful. Selene longs to escape her family’s impossible expectations and embrace her independence, while all Bea wants is to heal from heartbreak and keep impulsive Selene out of trouble. But soon, both librarians are caught up in treacherous games of deception alongside two of Lisbon’s most notorious men—the outcast Portuguese baron, Luca Caldeira, and the lethal double-agent, Gable. As Selene charms her way through lavish ballrooms and fêtes with Luca, Bea is plunged into Gable’s shadowy underworld of informants.

Victory depends upon the joint success of their missions, but when an unexpected betrayal throws a carefully spun web of lies into chaos, everything they’ve sacrificed is put at risk. As Selene and Bea are pushed to their breaking points can their friendship, and their hearts, survive the cost of war?]]> 352 Suzanne Nelson 1638931658 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 3.92
author: Suzanne Nelson
name: Christine
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/14
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves:
review:
3,5* rounded up to 4*. I loved the suspense of this novel! I found the setting in Portugal interesting. Indeed, I did not know so much about what was going on in this country during WWII. A nest of spies, whom.to trust, whom to avoid? The plot was full of tension all throughout the novel. What irritated me however was Selene and Bea's immaturity as far as romance in this world of spies. Their training was definitely lacking in this respect as well as their psychological development. I still enjoyed this novel very much, but I could have done without the extent of the romance.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 210481096
«�� J’étais triste de voir la fin de Sean Duffy, imaginez ma joie�� : McKinty lui a offert un quatrième tome�� »
Sun Herald

«�� Un mélange d’intelligence caustique et de violence gratuite, imprévisible, qui rend compte de manière très vivante d’une époque troublée. McKinty maîtrise complètement la langue, la trame et le cadre de son récit�� »
Library Journal

Adrian McKinty est né et a grandi à Carrickfergus en Irlande du Nord. Après des études de philosophie, il s’installe aux États-Unis et se lance comme écrivain. Les romans de la série «�� Sean Duffy�� » ont reçu le titre de «�� Meilleur polar de l’année�� » par le Times, le Daily Mail, le Boston Globes et le Irish Times. Après un détour dans le monde du thriller (�հ������é�� et La chaîne aux éditions Mazarine), il nous offre une nouvelle aventure du flic catholique le plus apprécié d’Irlande du Nord.

Traduit de l’anglais (Irlande du Nord) par Pierre Reignier]]> 440 Adrian McKinty 2213728720 Christine 4 J'ai reçu une copie digitale de ce livre de NetGalley et c'est volontiers que j' en écris une chronique.]]> 3.33 2015
author: Adrian McKinty
name: Christine
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/29
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves:
review:
Je suis une fan de cet auteur (dont j'ai lu les livres en version originale) et de Duffy, au caractère mélancolique, et ses divers intérêts (musique, littérature). Je trouve ses romans policiers très intéressants et doublement emprunts de suspense! En effet, la situation terroriste de Belfast en 1985 combinée à celle de l'enquête criminelle peut mener à des moments explosifs.....
J'ai reçu une copie digitale de ce livre de NetGalley et c'est volontiers que j' en écris une chronique.
]]> 220078321 She looks hardly more than a child, sleeping, her lashes long and thick as they rest against her rounded cheeks. But in the flickering gaslight, she is unnaturally still��

For Inspector Sebastian Bell and nurse Gemma Tate, a night at the theater becomes a deadly spectacle when the two lead actors are found dead on the stage, murdered before a stunned audience. Drawn into a shadowy backstage world, they encounter a cast of suspects, each with desperate secrets to hide��

Sebastian is determined to get justice, and to keep Gemma safe from the dangerous killer circling the cobbled streets of Covent Garden. But she is already too deeply involved, and, in a world where everyone wears a mask, could she have trusted the wrong person��?

Be drawn into a heart-pounding Victorian mystery. With its richly drawn characters and simmering romance, this thrilling tale of murder and redemption is perfect for fans of Andrea Penrose, the Lady Sherlock mysteries and Miss Scarlet and the Duke.]]> 330 Irina Shapiro 1805086626 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.37
author: Irina Shapiro
name: Christine
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves:
review:
A great series! I have enjoyed the intricate plot that leaves you with no clue whatsoever! I also like Gemma and Sebastian and their burgeoning love à la Victorian fashion. A suspenseful mystery novel hard to put down!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 221283660 Silent waters hide the deepest secrets

A wildlife photographer plummets to his death above Fingal’s Cave. A young fisherman vanishes without trace. The body of a marine scientist is pulled from the sea, his last recording a haunting piece of evidence. Three seemingly unconnected events on the Isle of Mull draw Private Investigator Teàrlach Paterson back to his childhood home.

Hired by the photographer’s widow to investigate her husband’s death, Teàrlach quickly unravels a tangled web of family feuds, forbidden love and deep betrayals. The photographer’s death was no accident and with the missing fisherman's father dying in hospital, Teàrlach must find his son before it’s too late.

But as a violent storm closes in, Teàrlach discovers that some will do anything to keep their darkest secrets buried��

From a CWA New Blood Dagger Longlist author and McIlvanney Best Scottish Crime Novel Finalist comes an atmospheric murder mystery. Fans of LJ Ross, Ann Cleeves, and Val McDermid will be mesmerised by The Graveyard Bell.]]> 354 Andrew James Greig 1805084828 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.40
author: Andrew James Greig
name: Christine
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves:
review:
A good read which would have been much better (for me) if a third of the novel at least was not about the past of the three PIs. All three have traumatic pasts which take too much room in an investigation to bring much tension to the overall story. That's a shame.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 51003607

This is the age of Jane Austen and the Romantic poets; the paintings of John Constable and the gardens of Humphry Repton; the sartorial elegance of Beau Brummell and the poetic licence of Lord Byron; Britain's military triumphs at Trafalgar and Waterloo; the threat of revolution and the Peterloo massacre. In the latest volume of his celebrated series of Time Traveller's Guides, Ian Mortimer turns to what is arguably the most-loved period in British history - the Regency, or Georgian England.

A time of exuberance, thrills, frills and unchecked bad behaviour, it was perhaps the last age of true freedom before the arrival of the stifling world of Victorian morality. At the same time, it was a period of transition that reflected unprecedented social, economic and political change. And like all periods in history, it was an age of many contradictions - where Beethoven's thundering Fifth Symphony could premier in the same year that saw Jane Austen craft the delicate sensitivities of Persuasion .

Once more, Ian Mortimer takes us on a thrilling journey to the past, revealing what people ate, drank and wore; where they shopped and how they amused themselves; what they believed in and what they were afraid of. Conveying the sights, sounds and smells of the Regency period, this is history at its most exciting, physical, visceral - the past not as something to be studied but as lived experience.]]> 432 Ian Mortimer 1847924565 Christine 5 4.25 2022
author: Ian Mortimer
name: Christine
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves:
review:
A fascinating account of the Regency time period! Very lively, this book gives so many interesting details of everything that makes up the life of a person, male, female, poor or rich, living in cities or in rural areas. The reader feels involved in the narrative. Obviously, very well researched and accessible to all readers.
]]> 212351512 An incredible story of courage, peril, secrecy and resistance.

'You know you can change your mind, don't you? Even now. Even when you are halfway across the English Channel. Any time before you jump.'
'Yes, I know,' I quickly reassured her, 'and I won't.'

In June 1940, a covert new force - the Special Operations Executive (SOE) - was set up to wage a secret war. Its agents were tasked with sabotage and subversion behind enemy lines, and over the course of the next five years, 470 special agents would be sent into France. Only 25 female SOE agents would return. None before have told their story in their own words.

This is the astounding true story of Phyliis "Pippa" Latour, one of the last female SOE agents to get out of France alive after its liberation in WWII. Born in 1921, Pippa's was an unusual childhood, followed by an even more extraordinary early adult life as she was parachuted into France aged 23. Incredibly brave, she travelled around the rural French countryside, concealing her codes in a hair tie and her Morse key underneath her bicycle seat, and sending crucial information back to Britain in the lead-up to D-Day. More than once she came frighteningly close to being discovered.

For decades, Pippa told no one - not even her family - of her incredible feats. Now for the first time, her story can be told in full.]]> 267 Pippa Latour 1800962800 Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.64 2024
author: Pippa Latour
name: Christine
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves:
review:
This is really good!! Nicely written, I had the feeling I could hear Pippa tell her life. She becomes a real person straight away, and then a friend because of the honesty in her telling the story of her life. Pippa was an interesting personality with a fascinating background which might explain her courage and her conscience. Very pleasant to read! Highly recommended.
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 218558986 Death takes centre stage. Does the killer lie in the wings?

An undercover assignment for the Bow Street magistrate sees Lizzie Hardwicke trade Mrs Farley's Bawdy House in Soho for life as a seamstress at a theatre on Drury Lane. Once there, she quickly realises that what goes on in the wings is much more intriguing than the theatrics being played out onstage...

When a high-profile investor is brutally hanged at centre stage, Lizzie discovers the body and is once again thrown together with William Davenport, the magistrate's assistant with whom she is growing ever closer. The suspect list rivals any casting call, and Lizzie must use every trick hidden up her sleeve to see through all the performance and bring the culprit into the spotlight.

The second instalment of the gripping and vividly imagined historical mystery series set in 18th century London, from the author of acclaimed historical novel The Dazzle of the Light. Perfect for fans of The Household by Stacey Halls and Daughters of the Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, as well as readers of Laura Purcell, Sarah Waters and Diana Gabaldon.

'A wild ride through the seedy side of 1750s London... Lizzie Hardwicke is razor sharp and brilliantly original. I couldn't put it down' - JOE HEAP, author of When the Music Stops

'This novel is a refreshing add to the historical mystery genre. Atmospheric and full of authentic details... Brava to this new, engaging voice and her strong woman protagonist!' - KAREN ODDEN, author of A Lady in the Smoke

'A gripping page-turner with a sassy and fabulously original heroine in the form of Lizzie Hardwicke �� I loved it!' - ANNIE LYONS, author of Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You]]> Georgina Clarke Christine 5 I have received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.60
author: Georgina Clarke
name: Christine
average rating: 4.60
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves:
review:
I adore this series, I adore Lizzie ! Her wit and her way of thinking is like a bit of fresh air! The intricate plot is not only suspenseful but also interesting. The author has a solid knowledge of the social times in which I am fully immersed while reading. In this novel, the world of theater life is the main theme (apart from murder!). This was definitely fascinating to see how the people working there, either as actors, seamstresses or as other workers were organised and what it all involved. Really good! I have already pre-ordered the third book and hopefully it will not be the last one!
I have received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 221549180 Maggie’s hands tremble as she lowers her camera, unable to bear the little girl’s haunted eyes pleading at her from behind the gates. This camp is hell on earth. And this roll of film is enough for the Nazis to kill her. But she won’t rest until the world knows the truth��

Germany, 1944: Nazi banners blowing in the wind, Maggie Sullivan takes her first steps into enemy territory. Armed only with a camera and a US press pass, Maggie never backs down from danger. But close to her heart is a secret; one that she can never share. Maggie was born in Germany. Years ago, she and her mother were forced to flee Berlin, leaving her siblings behind. The US Army are Maggie’s protectors for now, but she wakes each night in a cold sweat what will they do if they discover her past?

Every day Maggie works tirelessly to prove the horrifying truth about what Nazis are doing in the camps. But inching closer to the barbed wire, an inscription on an officer’s report grips her with an ice-like fear. Her family’s name. She’s desperate to know more, but it would risk her entire mission. She must save the innocents, even if it means letting the secrets of her own past slip through her fingers��

Then the unthinkable happens. Just as she snaps her first shot of the camp, Maggie feels rough hands snatch the camera from her grip. Someone knows about her secret, and if she’s captured, her photos will never leave Germany. As Maggie fights to prove her innocence, will her story be lost forever? Can she survive long enough to help free the prisoners in the camp and heal the trauma of her past?]]> 315 Ellie Midwood 183618333X Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.35
author: Ellie Midwood
name: Christine
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:
A heartbreaking story written with a heartfelt pen! This novel about sexual abuse of children and its life long consequences is sometimes difficult to read. However, the author has shown much sensitivity in her writing making it possible to read the story up to the end. As in all Ellie Midwood's novels, I found it fascinating to read about resilience that seems to take hold in many people, the courage that goes with it, driven by the need to find solace in striving for justice . Will Maggie manage to finally find some inner peace? At what costs will she fight?? A great novel with WWII as the background.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 222710754 ‘My dearest Gaetano, if this letter reaches you, know that my heart remains under the Sicilian stars where we made our promise...��

Sicily, 1939. Seventeen-year-old Concetta has just received life-changing her family is leaving their sun-drenched Sicilian village and moving to America. Desperate to stay with her secret love Gaetano—a fisherman’s son her father would never accept—Concetta spends one last night with him beneath a blanket of stars. There, among the citrus-scented air and cricket song, he hands her a leaving a fountain pen, with a promise to keep their love alive through letters �� and return to each other one day.

In America, Concetta refuses to let go of her dream of returning to Sicily, even as she struggles to navigate a strange new world of factory work and prejudice. Her letters to Gaetano become her lifeline, each one carrying fragments of her heart across the ocean. But when Italy declares war on the United States, Gaetano’s letters suddenly stop. As Concetta faces pressure to let go of her past and accept her new American life, she yearns to discover Gaetano’s fate—even if it means crossing a war-torn ocean to find him.

From the terraced hills of Sicily to the brewing tensions of wartime America, this richly-woven tale of forbidden love and impossible choices will break your heart and put it back together again. Perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer, Rhys Bowen, and Angela Petch, The Last Letter from Sicily asks just how far you would go to keep a promise made beneath the stars.]]> 371 Lindsay Marie Morris 1805088491 Christine 3 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.02
author: Lindsay Marie Morris
name: Christine
average rating: 4.02
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:
A nice love story based on the author's grandparents. Quite interesting in some places as to historical details, this novel was written in a somewhat clumsy way: it often felt rushed in passages from one event to another, thus preventing depth in the overall storyline and character development.The dialogues were a bit artificial as well. Anyway a lovely story.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 57071863 Part Name of the Rose, part Silence of the Lambs, a rip-snorting new thriller set in Restoration London that introduces two new investigators, Hooke and Hunt of the Royal Society

The City of London, 1678. New Year's Day. Twelve years have passed since the Great Fire ripped through the City. Eighteen since the fall of Oliver Cromwell's Republic and the restoration of a King. London is gripped by hysteria, where rumors of Catholic plots and sinister foreign assassins abound.

The body of a young boy, drained of his blood and with a sequence of numbers inscribed on his skin, is discovered on the snowy bank of the Fleet River.

Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey, the powerful Justice of Peace for Westminster, is certain of Catholic guilt in the crime. He enlists Robert Hooke, the Curator of Experiments of the Royal Society, and his assistant, Harry Hunt, to help his enquiry. Demanding discretion from them, he also entrusts to them to preserve the body, which they store inside Hooke's Air-pump. Sir Edmund confides to Hooke that the bloodless boy is not the first to have been discovered. He also presents Hooke with a cipher that was left on the body.

That same morning Henry Oldenburg, the Secretary of the Royal Society, blows his brains out. A disgraced Earl is released from the Tower of London, bent on revenge against the King, Charles II.

Wary of the political hornet's nest they are walking into - and using evidence rather than paranoia in their pursuit of truth - Hooke and Hunt must discover why the boy was murdered, and why his blood was taken. Moreover, what does the cipher mean?

Harry, wanting to prove himself as a natural philosopher and to break free from the shadow of Hooke's brilliance, takes the lead in investigating the death of the boy. He is pulled into the darkest corners of Restoration London, where the Court and the underworld seem to merge.

Harry has to face the terrible consequences of experiments done in the name of Science, but also reckon with a sinister tale with its roots in the traumas of the Civil Wars.

The Bloodless Boy is a beguiling thriller that introduces two new indelible heroes to mystery fiction. It is also a powerfully atmospheric recreation of Restoration London.]]> 416 Robert J. Lloyd 1612199399 Christine 4 3.26 2014
author: Robert J. Lloyd
name: Christine
average rating: 3.26
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves:
review:
I loved it! The plot was really thrilling and rather creepy but also so interesting! I found the Royal Society for Improving Natural Knowledge a fascinating read: trying to find explanations by experimenting, observing etc. as opposed to answers delivered by the Church. The author has shown a deep knowledge of the political and social times. Highly recommended!
]]> 198530985 320 Alan Murrin 0063336529 Christine 3 3.89 2024
author: Alan Murrin
name: Christine
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves:
review:
I actually had problems getting into the story. It does reflect well the times when divorce was not allowed, however I found the characters not likable and also rather predictable in their actions. I wish they had more depth and a bit more finely defined. Shame as I am usually fond of Irish novels.
]]> 214391012 An acquaintance with death

Haunted by the unsolved murder of her family fifteen years ago, Leonora Spencer has always been familiar with death. And now, as an assistant to her uncle in his London morgue, she uses her photographic memory to catalogue details for his coroner’s reports. When a thief steals a seemingly worthless locket off a young woman’s corpse but leaves valuable jewels behind, Leo is determined to understand why—even if it means going against Detective Inspector Jasper Reid’s express orders to keep her nose out of it.

A closely guarded past

Born and bred on the streets, Jasper Reid’s recent promotion to the detective’s branch at Scotland Yard is a long step up from his murky past, and he’s resolved to prove he earned his chance fair and square. The last thing he needs is a convoluted case concerning the well-known eccentric Leo Spencer. And to make matters worse—the criminals he once associated with as a lad may also be involved.

A murderer closing in

When the missing locket and a handful of suspicious deaths point to a mysterious buried object that could ruin a prominent figure, Jasper grudgingly accepts Leo’s help to locate it. But after another break-in at the morgue, they realize someone is watching them, and the more they uncover about a deadly blackmail plot, the closer Leo and Jasper get to becoming the killer’s next targets.

Shadow at the Morgue is the first book in Cara Devlin’s new Spencer & Reid historical mystery series. ]]> 284 Cara Devlin Christine 4 I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley, and I have voluntarily written an honest review.]]> 4.53
author: Cara Devlin
name: Christine
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed this fast paced novel!! Even though I sometimes resented Leo's recklessness as I found it rather stupid, I liked the way she goes on about her work in the morgue. I also liked the strong sense of family irradiating from Leo and Jasper. I found a positive point that the novel mostly focuses on the mystery to be solved rather than romance. I will definitely read book two!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley, and I have voluntarily written an honest review.
]]> 61421772
Un valioso reloj es el guardián de un secreto familiar que ha marcado el destino de las hermanas Robles desde antes incluso de nacer.

UNA GUERRA CIVIL CONVERTIDA EN EL MAYOR DESAFÍO

Cuando los bombardeos enemigos hacen temblar Alicante, Aurora Robles renuncia a sus estudios de matrona para salvar a los heridos en la Casa de Socorro mientras que, decidida a impedir que el miedo triunfe, arriesga su vida escondiendo refugiados en la última ciudad española que resiste al avance del Ejército Nacional.

Con ayuda de una viuda afectuosa y un doctor comprometido, las tres jóvenes hermanas se enfrentan al temor de perder el taller de relojería que tanto amó su padre, a la traición de un oficial falangista sin corazón y a un misterio largo tiempo dormido que amenaza con despertar.

UNA INOLVIDABLE HISTORIA DE MUJERES LUCHADORAS

Solo cuando todo parezca perdido, Aurora descubrirá que el amor en tiempos de guerra puede ser más desgarrador que el propio dolor... Pero también su única esperanza.]]> 580 Bianca Aparicio Vinsonneau 8418945362 Christine 5 4.27
author: Bianca Aparicio Vinsonneau
name: Christine
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:
¡Qué novela tan conmovedora y conmovedora! La historia de estas tres hermanas me conquistó desde la primera página. A través de ellos sentí el horror de la Guerra Civil Española, su derrota y sus consecuencias. Sin embargo, la historia de estas tres hermanas comienza mucho antes de su nacimiento. El pasado de sus padres jugará un papel crucial en el futuro, pero no como ella pensaba que imaginaban, especialmente para la hermana mayor... El amor también es un tema importante. Pero la integridad de esta fuerte emoción no tiene la misma definición para todos. Me gustó mucho esta novela. La recomiendo!
]]> 51231247
England, forty years later. When Karen Cartwright is unexpectedly called home to nurse her ailing father, she goes with a heavy heart. The house she grew up in feels haunted by the memory of her father’s closely guarded secrets about her beautiful mother Elizabeth’s tragic death years before.

As she packs up the house, Karen discovers an old photograph and a stranger’s tattered love letter to her mother postmarked from Germany after the war.

During her life, Karen struggled to understand her shy, fearful mother, but now she is realising there was so much more to Elizabeth than she knew. For one thing, her name wasn’t even Elizabeth, and her harrowing story begins long before Karen was born.

It’s 1941 in Berlin, and a young woman called Liese is being forced to wear a yellow star…]]> 386 Catherine Hokin 1838881824 Christine 4 4.31 2020
author: Catherine Hokin
name: Christine
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 4510262 Une peinture de Femme de l’après-guerre face à des déchirements familiaux et au devoir de protéger les siens contre la division et les dangers.]]> 497 Françoise Bourdin 2266119001 Christine 3 3.68 2001
author: Françoise Bourdin
name: Christine
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/02
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves:
review:
C'était ok. J'ai trouvé ce roman un peu trop léger et la conclusion prédictible. Je ne pense pas lire la suite.
]]> 1368580 254 Dorothy West 0385471467 Christine 0 currently-reading 4.19 1995
author: Dorothy West
name: Christine
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 195430687 Three estranged siblings return to their family home in New York after their beloved sister's death in this unforgettable story of grief, identity, and the complexities of family.

The three Blue sisters are exceptional—and exceptionally different. Avery, the eldest and a recovering heroin addict turned strait-laced lawyer, lives with her wife in London; Bonnie, a former boxer, works as a bouncer in Los Angeles following a devastating defeat; and Lucky, the youngest, models in Paris while trying to outrun her hard-partying ways. They also had a fourth sister, Nicky, whose unexpected death left Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky reeling. A year later, as they each navigate grief, addiction, and ambition, they find they must return to New York to stop the sale of the apartment they were raised in.

But coming home is never as easy as it seems. As the sisters reckon with the disappointments of their childhood and the loss of the only person who held them together, they realize the greatest secrets they've been keeping might not have been from each other, but from themselves.]]> 342 Coco Mellors 0593723767 Christine 4 3.94 2024
author: Coco Mellors
name: Christine
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves:
review:
I greatly enjoyed this novel! The dynamics within four siblings and then three felt very realistic indeed. Having grown up in a family where love did not play a big role, with a mother more interested in working and a drunkard for a father, their life did not start with much affection. However, the girls were there for one another, the eldest one looking after the younger ones, feeling responsible for them. Even when they were all adults... Then came the death of one of them. Their grief will have dire consequences on their own psyche. While all three remaining sisters had been highly functioning in their lives, the grief will show up to what extent their own problems had been actually put away.... I found this novel conveying so many raw emotions very convincingly through its brilliant characterisation. A great read!
]]> 123136728 207 Samantha Harvey 0802161545 Christine 2 3.56 2023
author: Samantha Harvey
name: Christine
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:
I read this book as it was given to me as a present. I finished it because it had been a present. I did not like it at all, always wondering about what the author actually means! Time, timelessness, values of living? No idea. I found a bit strange to read so much about Russia, and so much less about the other countries. The poor characterisation did not help me appreciate the novel. At least, it was short.
]]> 63241104 In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.]]> 309 Ann Patchett 006332752X Christine 5 3.92 2023
author: Ann Patchett
name: Christine
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:
A great novel! I loved the slow pace well reflecting the life at that time ( Covid) when everything felt slower. A perfect time to reflect on one's past. What is better than to delve into your own mother's past? The novel is very well written, smoothly alternating between 2020 and 1985. I loved all the descriptions about the farm , I could smell the cherries, feel the rain... No action, just a quiet story revealing a rich past and what made this family and its values. Highly recommended!
]]> 54120408
In Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?]]> 340 Kazuo Ishiguro 059331817X Christine 3 3.71 2021
author: Kazuo Ishiguro
name: Christine
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves:
review:
Though I was very intrigued at the beginning of the novel, I quickly lost interest. I found the story rather dull and predictable. Maybe young readers are targeted? The focus on loneliness, traditional customs are too easily dealt with. I probably did not understand much of it. The characters are not convincing for me either. I had been extremely impressed by Never Let Me Go, even though dystopian novels are not my style. After reading Klara (it was a present), I don't think I will read any other books by the author. Shame.
]]> 199798201
A house is a precious thing...

It is 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel knows her life is as it should be—led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis brings his graceless new girlfriend Eva, leaving her at Isabel’s doorstep as a guest, to stay for the season.

Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: she sleeps late, walks loudly through the house, and touches things she shouldn’t. In response, Isabel develops a fury-fueled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house—a spoon, a knife, a bowl—Isabel’s suspicions begin to spiral. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to infatuation—leading to a discovery that unravels all Isabel has ever known. The war might not be well and truly over after all, and neither Eva—nor the house in which they live—are what they seem.

Mysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, The Safekeep is a brilliantly plotted and provocative debut novel you won’t soon forget.]]> 272 Yael van der Wouden 1668034344 Christine 4 4.05 2024
author: Yael van der Wouden
name: Christine
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves:
review:
A terrific beginning which left me intrigued about how it would all develop! I loved the fine characterisation making all characters genuine and convincing. I also found the novel very compelling because of so much being evoked and not told. Unfortunately this subtle style made a big contrast with the long and rather explicit sexy scenes which actually did not fit nor brought anything to the novel and its plot. That's a shame because both the storyline and the plot were excellent. Hence a 4* review and not a 5*.
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