I honestly don’t know where the days and weeks go to!  It has been very busy with work and with Eldest’s work too and I am not complaining at all but some days I get up in the morning and then it seems I am going to bed, and my feet do not seem to have touched the floor!  

I have almost, with DH’s help, finished the Spring Cleaning and only have our kitchen, laundy and downstairs bathroom to do.  We have another three day weekend at the end of this month so am aiming to get it finished then along with a couple of other cleaning jobs which I need DH to help with.  The garden is starting to look good and my other cleaning job is to pressure wash our patio so we are able to get the outdoor furniture out.  The weather has been a bit up and down over the last few weeks and it has been quite cool but at the end of next week it is due to be warm.

Sorry the Friday Book Club is late, again, because of work but I have been keeping up with my reading!  SO here are May’s books so far.

“The Snow Killer” by Ross Greenwood  *****

This is another D.I. Barton book and in fact the first in the series of nine by Ross Greenwood.  As you will see if you follow my Book Club Fridays, this is the fourth of the D.I. Barton series I have read and they really are very good..

A family is killed and their bodies lay in the snow and the killer leaves however one of the children survives.  Three years later this child gets revenge on the killer by killing him on the first snowfall of the year and The Snow Killer is born.  After this the killings stop and Police think he went silent or is dead or in prison.  Fifty years later D.I. Barton is called to a murder scene on the first snowfall of the year but no one knows why the murder happened.  Then another body appears and with some investigation they find the pattern with the old murders.  Had the killer decided to start murdering again or is it someone new?

I enjoyed the book and gave it five stars and although this was the first book in the series it has all the writing of the latest ones I have read.

******

“The Late Show” by Michael Connelly  ***

I have read a few of Michael Connelly’s books and this, again, is the first book in the series introducing Detective Renée Ballard.  

Renée Ballard was a Detective in another district and was tipped for big things until she filed a sexual harrassment claim against her supervisor.  She lost and as punishment was moved to her new division but on the night shift or as it is known in the department The Late Show.  She and her new partner go out to crime scenes and take the details, witness statements and then pass it on the next morning to the relevant departments.  Thus not investigating or finishing any investigations.  This goes against everything Renée has been trained for and wants to do more but her partner says no that is not their job.

They get called to the hospital to take the statement of a prostitute who has been beaten up, when they arrive she is in a coma and they take her belongings into evidence but Renée wants to find out who did it.  They then get called over to a shooting at a club where several people have been killed, again they help with collecting evidence and one of the dead is a young waitress.  Renée wants to help find the killer.  Two young lives one barely alive and one dead and she is determined to find out who did it.

This is the Book that introduced Renee Ballard to the World and it was to say the least slow! The story plodded through her history and how she comes to be working “The Late Show”as no one wanted her on their squad she is put on the nightshift as the only place she will fit.  Ballard is not happy about this as the shift only go out and prepare any incidents for the main squads to take over during the day and she is an Investigator, a Detective dam it!!!! And that is the premise of the whole book.

I have read a few of Michael Connelly’s books but this one was by far the most boring. We get to the end of the book and the two cases she is involved in, despite being told not to be, concludes in a rush and you are left at the end with a oh, that’s it then all done!  Hence the three stars.

*****

“Betrayal” by Tom Bower ****

I don’t think I have ever read a book where I have rolled my eyes so much of the many, many things which have been written about in this book! To say that Harry & Meghan are in their forty’s they behave like a pair of teenagers who cannot get their own way!

A lot of people will probably say that this book is biased against them and is written to incite hatred against the Sussex’s but I believe that there is too much detail in here for it not to be true. Some of the revelations and things that have been in the press the book goes further and gives you the back story and I believe that it definitely happened as it has been written.

Harry & Meghan come across as bitter and lie about incidents to get the sympathy they crave especially when telling “their truths” which really is made up! I believe that Meghan thought her position as Duchess of Sussex was going to be the same level as the now Queen and the Princess of Wales and did not appreciate the role at all. Harry is just resentful of his whole life and instead of making something for himself, like The Princess Royal has done, is just determined to blame everyone and everything instead of himself.

Their dogged pursuit of money before they left and since is just appalling and towards the end of the book it says that they, in 2026, are at a point where they are quickly running out of money and with no way to finance themselves further without returning to the UK. I am in the UK and to be honest really do not want them back. I think the King would be willing for a reconciliation but the Prince of Wales not at all. After everything which has been said by the pair trust would have to be earned and I am not sure they would be able to get over all that has been said.

The book was well written and again the facts were put out without the Author, Tom Bower, putting his spin on it.

*****

“Whistle” by Linwood Barclay ***

This book has a quote by Stephen King which says “Terrific”! One of the things referenced in the book is “Needful Things” by Stephen King. This was the first book of Mr. King’s I ever read and loved it. Now you may wonder why I am mentioning this, well “Whistle” is “Needful Things” but with trains so I am not sure how Linwood Barclay has got away with this.

Annie is living her best life with her husband and young son, Charlie, in New York. She has succeeded in her goal of being a children’s book author, however one of her stories which was written to inspire children to strive to be their best made a very young boy die which Annie is heartbroken at. Then her husband dies in an accident and she and Charlie are devastated. To get away for the summer her Agent books them a house in upstate New York and he hopes that this will draw Annie back to her work.

They arrive at this fabulous house and settle in and Charlie finds an old train set and is allowed to set it up. Once he does strange things begin to happen a lone train whistle can be heard at night but with no active train lines near. Annie starts to feel like they need to go home but something keeps stopping them leaving.

I think the thing I was most conscious of reading this book was how similar it was to Needful Things. We get to the end of the book with an ending which is appropriate and a little like Stephen King’s books but I still could not get past how alike the two books are. Hence the three stars! I have read a few of Mr Linwood’s books now and this was not one of his good ones!

*****

“With A Vengence” by Riley Sager

I am currently reading this and about half way through.  

Ann Matheson’s family and their business was destroyed twelve years ago by six people and now she has them all on a train, with no one else on board and she is going to make them pay for what they did to her entire family who are all now dead.  However someone else has their plans too and as her victims start to die Ann is now going to have to find out who the murderer is and save the lives of the people she hates so she can get her revenge!

So far I am enjoying it!  I will let you know how I get on next month and what I rated it.

*****

I forgot to do a separate post of Jayne’s and my Cosy Girls Book Club Books that we have read in the last few months so here they are:

“Death At Castle Cove” by Mary Grand (Also Printed as “A Seaside Murder”) **

Susan loves living on the Isle of Wight with her dog.  However she is getting divorced and making a new life for herself too and decides to take in a lodger to help her out with the bills etc.  Collette comes to stay with her, with her dog too, and they get along well and Susan introduces her to the dog walking group which meet every day at Castle Cove to walk their dogs and catch up with the local news.  Over the years these people have become Susan’s friends and she likes that they accept Collette into their little group.

One evening Collette does not come back from work and she is found at Castle Cove dead and Susan then learns that the other members of the dog walking group were the last to see her, did one of them do it and if so who?

I have been conscious of the fact that I have been giving a lot of Five Stars to books but then looking at other people’s reviews even if they did enjoy the book they rate it lower!  This book was good although it was very slow!  Jayne also agreed.  It is definitely in the “cosy mystery” section of the book shop/library and the story was okay but I could have done with it moving faster.  Hence my Two Stars!

*****

“Love At First Knight” by Megan Clawson *****

So here we are back to Five Stars again!!!  This book is more of the romance which for those that follow know that I only read a few of, if at all, as I prefer the murder and mayhem!!!!

Daisy Hastings loves her job working with her Dad in his emporium.  She is the eldest of three siblings and should have gone to University but couldn’t.  The family also spend their weekends re-enacting battles and Daisy is only truly happy when doing this and feels she was definitely born in the wrong era.  Then her Dad sees an ad for summer work at The Tower of London at “Knight School” teaching chilldren all about the Knights of old and signs Daisy up for it!  At first she is horrified but decides if she ever wants to stand on her own two feet she needs to do this.

Theodore “Teddy” Fairfax is a minor member of The Royal Family, and has been in one too many scrapes and as “punishment” for his latest stunt he is sent to The Tower of London, not as a prisoner but to help with “Knight School”.  However he treats this as a laugh and does everything to make life difficult for the people in charge and the other members including Daisy!  In fact he is doing such a good job of being an “arse” he almost gets others sacked Daisy being one of them.  How is she going to survive the next three months and not be sacked?

It is a love story and it does follow similar patterns to other love stories but it is not full of sugar and spice and all things nice and that made a refreshing change from some of the romance books I have read.  It is funny and also moving and there is a good ending, hence the Five Stars!

*****

“The Couple Next Door” by Shari Lapena

This is our May book for Jayne and I to read, Jayne’s choice, and I have just started it and am enjoying it.  I have seen quite a few of Shari Lapena’s books recommended on Bookstagram so I am interested to see how this goes.  Again I will let you know next month how we get on.  

*****

I hope you have enjoyed these books and I am working on getting a few more off my TBR shelf read this next month and planning already what I will be taking away with me on our vacation in August.  That is definitely a more important job than packing clothes.  I need to carefully consider what books to take as I am such a mood reader and so this will not really be sorted until the night before we go and I have even been known to be changing books or throwing others in as DH is taking my book box out to the truck!!!!  I will let you have a little peak when I have got them sorted, sort of!!!

Have a terrific week coming up and don’t forget to make time to read something! 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Despite it being very busy recently I have been continuing with my Aim for this year and still reading more.  Here are my Books so far for April 2026 :

“The Santa Killer” by Ross Greenwood – *****

I have now read quite a few of Ross Greenwood’s books and this is Number 6 in the D.I. Barton Series. 

Barton is sent to investigage the brutal attack on a local women, just two weeks to go before Christmas.  She did not know her attacker and does not have in her history any reason for the attack.  If it is a random attack it is going to be very hard to find the person who did it.  A few days later the woman’s daughter draws a picture of the attacker and it is Santa Claus.  At first Barton is unsure of her accuracy of her seeing the attacker as she has learning difficulties but she insists that was who attacked her Mom.  She calls him “Bad Santa”!  “He’s got a list, it is quite precise and it won’t matter even if you’re nice!”

I love these books.  They do not have blood, guts and gore in them just D.I. Barton and his team working to find out who is doing this terrible crime just before the Christmas holidays.  They are not quite cosy crimes but they read well and have a good outcome.  I gave it Five Stars.

“The Crucifix Killer” By Chris Carter – *****

Again I have read several of Christ Carter’s books out of sequence but this one is the first of the Robert Hunter Series.  

The body of a young woman has been found in an abandoned cottage in LA and Robert is tasked with finding out who did it.  However on the back of her neck is a double cross and when Robert sees this his blood runs cold.  This was the sign of the Crucifix Killer who Robert caught and two years ago was executed.  Is this a copycat killer or did they in fact arrest and convict the wrong person?  Robert and his new rookie partner, Garcia, must try and find out the answers and stop the killer before more bodies are found.

I like Chris Carter’s writing but here is a trigger warning he does write graphically so if you don’t like that sort of thing, this book is not for you.  I gave it Five Stars.

“She Started It” by Sian Gilbert – ***

I picked this book up as I liked the premise.  Poppy Greer is getting married and she has asked four of her old school friends to be her Bridesmaids.  In the invitation to her Hen Party there is a first class airplane ticket to whisk them off to a secluded Caribbean island for a long weekend!  The four friends are stunned, over the years their friendships have drifted and they have all gone off in different directions, one married, two in high flying jobs  and one who is making a splash as an Internet Influencer.  The Island is stunning although once there they cannot leave until the boat which takes them there comes and gets them on the fourth day.  The day begins well with drinks on the stunning patio and Poppy is there and much changed since their school days.  However Poppy was always on the outside of the group looking in, which is why they don’t know why she has asked them to be her Bridesmaids?  As the hours go by secrets start to be revealed and by the fourth day only two of them will be left alive!

This was a book with, as I said, a good idea but half way through I did not like any of the women and there was a lot of filling rather than getting on with the story.  The twist at the end was good but you can see it coming.  It was okay but that is why I only gave it Three Stars.

*****

“The Weekend” by T.M. Logan – *****

I first found T.M. Logan as Jayne picked one of his books for our Cosy Girl Book Club.  I loved his writing and as he lives in Nottingham, my Home Town, and sets a few of his books there I was hooked. 

Six friends are spending a long weekend together in a fabulous cottage in the Yorkshire Dales for New Year’s Eve, something they have done every year.  Over the years their children have come with them but now they are all older and so it is just the friends now.  Whilst out for a hike on the moors on New Year’s Eve the weather closes in and they seek shelter in a cave.  Whilst they are waiting out the storm they find an old, dirty backpack hidden in a crevice and when they open it find it is full of money.  They discus it when they get back to the cottage and agree to hand it in at the Police Station when they return home to York. 

That night another tradition after dinner is to play Poker and for the fun of it decide to use the money from the backpack rather than the chips.  After the game a discussion ensues as to whether they should keep the money instead of handing it in and although all six were agreed earlier in the day, the alcohol has now made three of them change their minds!  Thus begins a long and very slippery slope downwards and secrets and lies begin to come out and then the real owner of the bag finds them.  All six are caught up in a nightmare and there appears to be no way out!

Yes this got Five Stars from me!

“It’s Not What You Think” by Clare Mackintosh – *****

Wow never heard of this author before but this book was sooooo Good!  Well crafted and the twist you sort of know is coming but then when it does arrive you won’t believe it!

Nadeeka is sure that her Partner, Jamie, is having an affair.  This happened to her before with her ex-husband and she does not want a repeat of that.  She is rushing to get home to try and confront him when the Police stop her for speeding.  She manages to persuade them she needs to get home but when she does, she finds the Police outside her home and a crime scene inside!  Jamie is dead on the living room floor and the Police don’t know why.  The Policeman in charge takes her to her ex-mother-in-law’s home where her two girls are and gives her his card and says he will be in touch later in the week. 

Nadeeka is living a nightmare but knows that she is going to have to sort things out, including getting back into their home.  The Policeman meets her at the house and they go in and everything has been cleaned, the only thing slightly out of place is her sofa.  He explains that the cleaning crew have been in and it is a relief that she can come home, but can she?  He goes through some more details with her and then leaves.  Later that week she rings the station as she has some more questions and the Duty Officer says that no such Policeman works there or anywhere in the area?  She goes to the Police Station and speaks to another Detective and the mystery begins to build.  They cannot find Jamie’s body either, it is not in the Morgue where it is supposed to be.  Nadeeka has no idea what is happening but her nightmare is only just beginning.

Not gory just lots of good twists and turns until the end.  Best book I have read this year!

“When I Kill You” by B.A. Paris – ***

I have read a few of B.A. Paris books so far and was looking forward to this one, but….

Nell Masters has a job working for a charity just outside London and has a wonderful mews house near the centre which was left to her by her Great Aunt.  She also has a great new Boyfriend, Alex, the only problem being that he spends two weeks in London and two weeks in Washington DC.  She is happy.  She has a few friends and gets on well with them but this is because fourteen years previously she was not Nell but Elle and she witnessed an abduction of a young girl from her flat window.  Later that young girl was found dead and then in a bar Elle thought she saw the man who drove the young woman off.  Thus begins months of Elle stalking him trying to prove that he is the killer until one day he starts to chase her and gets himself killed in the road.  The Police do not blame Elle for it but she is partly to blame for watching him again so she tells the Police she is going abroad but doesn’t.  She changes her name, goes to live in her Great Aunt’s home which was left to her and gets a new job.  

However someone has found out who she really is and she senses that she is being followed but by who?   Is it the wife or the son of the man she hounded or is it someone else?  Then her home is broken into, nothing taken just a bunch of dead flowers left for her!

I did finish the book and it was okay but It did not have the wow factor and I got to the end of the book and thought hmm bit of a waste of time!!!!  Hence the Three Stars.

*********

“The Mother” by T.M. Logan – *****

Do you, when you find an Author and like that first book, then go and get all their other books?  I do!  So this is another T.M. Logan book and I think I only have one more of his books to get!

Heather is getting her Boys ready for bed and waiting for her MP husband, Liam, to return from his office in London.  He gets home but has more work to do and takes a drink into his study, leaving Heather with her wine on the sofa.  She goes up to bed and takes a sleeping pill.  The next morning she finds the Police actually in her home, her Boys are not there but Liam is, dead on the floor in his study.  She is accused of his murder and found guilty at trial and sentenced to eighteen years in prison.  She is released on bail after nine years determined to find out who actually did kill Liam because it was not her!  Despite her Bail conditions being she must stay away from Liam’s family and particularly her Boys she begins to dig into that night and suddenly finds she is being stalked, are they the killers or is it the Police or someone else trying to stop her finding the truth.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the book and quite a few red herrings and the final reveal is a good one.  Not too much blood, guts and gore but it is a clever plot hence my Five Stars.

“Entitled” by Andrew Lownie – ****

I finished this at the weekend.  I do read other books and non-fiction occasionly, although crime and thrillers are my go to.  We all know the press version of these two and obviously all the information that has come out from the Epstein files which lead to the once Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, having all their Titles taken away and now being called plain old Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Ms Sarah Fergusson!

The book goes into depth about Andrew’s life from birth and Sarah’s as well and how they met, married and divorced.  Mr Lownie has managed to get access to a lot of people who have either worked for the Yorks, as they were, or who have had dealings with them through charities or their money making schemes!  It also looks at their two Daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their working lives.  

Alot of the information you will already know but it is enhanced by the dicsussions Mr Lownie has had and he does not put his own opinions forward about them until the very end.  You cannot believe how stuipid Andrew & Sarah are and the messes they managed to get themselves in both politically, financially and with The Royal Family!

My Opinion of this is that we will be reading the same book in twenty five years time about Harry & Meghan.  Not the Epstein bits of course, but certainly about their dogged pursuit of money just like Andrew & Sarah especially after the latest faux Royal tour in Australia!  These four are really birds of a feather.

I did actually listen to this on audio, whilst cleaning (!) and it is narrated by Mr Lownie himself and I did enjoy the book very much.  **** Stars

********************************

I hope you have found a book or two that you might like out of this collection.  I will show you the two books Jayne and I have had for our Cosy Girl’s Book Club next week.  Have a wonderful weekend. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco