Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Book Review - Toes on the Dash

 

AI Creation
Sometimes life just calls for a "Cozy Mystery".  When I need a book to just relax and chill out I find one of these light novels fits the bill.  I was recently introduced to a cozy mystery writer that I really like.  Karen Whalen writes delightful cozy mysteries that I really enjoy.  The first one I read introduced me to a delightful character named Delaney.

Character Summary

Delaney Morran is a young woman (28) who, after a short career as a social worker is trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life.  Meanwhile she is helping out part time in her friend's coffee shop. 

When Delaney's estranged father dies in an accident, she is surprised to find that he has left her his tow truck and his towing business.   Now Delaney is a real girly girl who loves wearing a different pair of shoes with each outfit and is quite fond of spikey high heels.  This image doesn't quite seem to fit with a tow truck driver and Delaney has no idea what she is getting into, but she is up for the challenge.  Her somewhat nagging mother, however, thinks she should sell the tow truck.  Delaney has a lot to learn but she is a strong woman and feels she can make it as a tow truck driver and owner.

The book is full of twist and turns as Delaney finds her way in the business and gets the help from a fellow tow truck driver to learn how to operate her vehicle.  The book, which is set in Colorado, is full of laughter and a bit of romance as Delaney sizes up the young tow truck driver and the cute cop.  It also ends up with a murder mystery when a dead body is found in the trunk of her first tow.


 

I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.  You can find out more about her books on her website www.karencwhalen.com .

This book was recommended to me by author Teri M Brown.  You  can read a review I posted on one of Teri's book at An Enemy Like Me .









Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Saturday, June 3, 2023

The Haunting of Josie – a Book Review

Murder, ghosts, and the most dangerous seduction of all....


A 1994 novel by Kay Hooper



Kay Hooper wrote in a note to her readers in the front of this book that she always did love mystery, romance, and just a touch of the supernatural.  


In The Haunting of Josie she gives us Josie Douglas, who rents an isolated house called Westbrook. Josie has taken a year off from teaching to solve a mystery that has cast a shadow over much of her life.  As the story evolves, we learn about the mystery, but also find a bit of romance with the property's owner, Marc Westbrook, and that touch of the supernatural in the form of a special cat named Pendragon and a restless spirit who has an important message to pass on.


Synopsis


As Josie is unloading her car to move into her rental house, she meets first a large & friendly black cat with a name tag reading 'Pendragon'. A short time later she meets the owner of the house who is living in the cottage at the back of the property. 


Josie is instantly startled by her immediate positive impression of Marc Westbrook.  It must have something to do with the fact that he is “drop-dead gorgeous”. 


Marc explains that the house is named 'Westbrook' because an ancestor built the house back in the thirties and it's been in the family ever since.  As Marc & Josie get acquainted, she learns that the house  had not been lived in for a long time, since the death of his uncle, Luke Westbrook, 50 years ago, a well-known mystery writer who supposedly committed suicide. The house has recently been renovated and updated. 


On Josie's second night in the house, as she is walking from her bedroom to the bath, she is shocked by finding a man standing in the hallway. Her first thought was for how he could have possibly entered the locked house. Her next thought was that he wasn't really there; that he didn't look substantial at all. Pendragon also appeared to see this 'spirit' who reached out a hand to her, then vanished! 


With Marc's help with background on his 'uncle', a mysterious brass key that keeps appearing in different places, and enigmatic hints from the cat, Pendragon, they eventually figure out through strange coincidences that the ghostly visitor has a message that will explain this 'Haunting of Josie'. 


Summary


I have been a reading fan of author Kay Hooper for many years and own most of her books. Therefore, I know that 'Pendragon' appears several more times in a series of books by Hooper known as The Bishop Files. He is a very unique and special cat indeed. 


It was charming and a great deal of fun to discover Pendragon in this early novel by Kay Hooper, author of more than 60 books in both the Romance genre and the Mystery and Paranormal genres. And The Haunting of Josie was a fascinating way to discover Hooper's writing talents in both the romantic and the mystery, with a touch of the paranormal. Most definitely well worth reading! 


*Book Review of The Haunting of Josie, written by Wednesday Elf

+Images from Amazon and Pixabay


 The Haunting of Josie: A NovelCheck Price The Haunting of Josie - AudiobookCheck Price

 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent ~ A Book Review

 Strange Sally Diamond is set to be the talk of the book world when it is published on July 18, 2023!

I love to read and I'm generally drawn to Historical Fiction and Cozy Mysteries.  But once in a while I like to stretch my boundaries and search for something completely new!  

Strange Sally Diamond caught my eye as a book that might interest me mainly because of the title.  We just found out that one of our grandchildren is on the Autism Spectrum, she can be a little strange sometimes and I thought I might learn something when reading this book.  Well, I did learn something for sure, but nothing that I had expected!  This book was a real eye-opener for me.


Well, it has nothing at all to do with Autism per se, but rather what happens when someone is so damaged early in life (by circumstances imposed on them) and how the human spirit helps (or hinders) the very fragile psyche of the individual in the outer world.

Strange Sally Diamond is that girl.  She has a horrific childhood that she cannot remember.  At the tender age of 7 she is adopted by the very people who "found" her.  So damaged was her mind, that no one was considered capable of caring for this youngster.  So the psychologist and the medical doctor (The Diamonds) who were working with her, were granted guardianship of this young girl and adopted her.

Sally is a reclusive person, by nature of where she has come from and what she has been through, and encouraged to be so by her "new family".  Much media attention followed her for many years after she was first rescued.  In order to help her the Diamonds decide to live in the country away from media attention while Sally grows up.

She has a loving relationship (in her mind) with her new mom and dad as they don't make too many demands on her personally.   She is home schooled and doesn't have too many friends.  Sally's problems begin when she tries to incinerate her father after his death in their home. He left instructions for her and she followed them to the letter!   Media frenzy ensues as Sally is arrested for this "crime" and she's no longer protected by the confines of the family home.  She only has a couple of really good family friends who have been with her from the time of her arrival on the family 's farm.  



Stepping out into the world for the first time Sally must learn to navigate a world she does not know or understand and really has not been a part of for most of her life.  Her new mom and dad had sheltered her completely.  After mom's death, dad kept her even more isolated from the "outside world".  But then he died too.......

The twists and turns in this book are enough to keep you turning the pages.  What is "normal"  and how do you help someone who is NOT part of that very narrow definition?

Sally has some help, but she also has a lot to learn both about the present, the past and the future.

You can pre-oder this book through Amazon and it will be published July 18 of this year.  It is a page turner and if you enjoy mind bending books, this one will keep you totally captivated.

I'm going back to re-read it once again, it is that good.  Mark your calendar or pre-order the choice is yours, but you will not regret reading this book!





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Book Review - Lost Roses

 

AI Image
In this exciting prequel to Martha Hall Kelly's best-selling Lilac Girls, we follow the lives of Eliza (Caroline Ferriday's mother) and her two friends from Russia-Sofya and Luba Streshnayva.  Sofya and Luba are cousins of Tsar Nicholas II and although all three women have grown up in privilege, they all have a strong desire to help others.

Background

Like Caroline Ferriday from Lilac Girls the characters in Lost Roses are real people from history.  Martha Hall Kelly did meticulous research to make sure her facts were correct and then built a wonderful work of historical fiction around events from history.  This second book in the Lilac Girls series takes place in 1914 in the days leading up to and during the Bolshevik Revolution.



Plot Summary

The book begins as Eliza Ferriday from New York City is going to visit her good friend Sofya in St. Petersburg, Russia.  They had met years before in Paris and become good friends.  Even though it is 1914 and the world would seem to be on the brink of war, Eliza is excited for her trip and a visit with her good friend.  She arrives safely and all seems to be going well till there is word that they must flee the city because of the revolutionaries are nearby and are trying to overturn all the wealthy ruling class.  Eliza sails home to New York and Sofya and her family escape to their summer home in the countryside.

While they are in their summer home they hire a local fortuneteller's daughter, Varinka, to work in their household.  This turns out to be a very bad decision. As time goes on the revolutionaries kidnap the family and keep them captive in an outbuilding of the family's luxurious summer home.  The storyline continues and keeps us on edge as we wonder how the family will survive and will they escape to Paris as they hope.

As the story continues, we see the ways both Eliza and Sofya work in these troubled times to help those in need.

I found this book to be very interesting.  Martha Hall Kelly has a way of making her characters come to life and I found myself reading into the night to find out what would happen next.

Book One of the Series

The first book in the series, actually chronologically comes after Lost Roses.  It is set in a World War II time frame and features Eliza's daughter Caroline.  It too was a very compelling story that I had a hard time putting down.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Saturday, May 20, 2023

All That We Are - A Book Review

 All That We Are is the third book in the Wyndham Beach Series. With this book, author Mariah Stewart concludes this trilogy of lighthearted tales of love and reinvention.




Readers of books one and two in this trilogy have met the three older heroines whose lives have intersected since grade school in the charming small town of Wyndham Beach, Massachusetts. Now in their fifties, married, then divorced or widowed, they have become mothers, and now grandmothers.


Book One featured Maggie Lloyd in An Invincible Summer

Book Two featured Liddy Bryant in Goodbye Again

Now in Book Three, All That We Are, the star of the story is Emma Dean.


Synopsis


Emma Dean is the widow of Harry who died a decade ago and mother of Chris, a charming young man who pursued his dream, followed his music and today is a famous rock star.  


At this stage in her life, Emma has found fulfillment in running the Art Center in town and has been busy finalizing plans for the artist colony the Art Center will host this summer. She enjoys her peaceful and organized life in her hometown and the friendship of the two women she grew up with. Plus, she has recently been seeing a charming businessman. 


Then two surprises interrupt her life. First she accidentally finds evidence in some old papers of her husband's longtime affair she knew nothing about.


And the biggest surprise of all turns her life completely upside down when she opens her front door to discover a small, thin, 8-year-old girl with pig tails standing there. The little girl ~ Winnie ~ states that her granny in Georgia sent her on the bus to Emma “cause she said it's 'bout time you took your turn.”

The letter Winnie hands Emma states that her son, Chris Dean, is listed as the father on the child's birth certificate. Could Emma, unknown to her (and apparently to her son, Chris), be this child's grandmother? 


As Emma struggles between what was and what is, she discovers that the life she really wants may be unexpected, but is hers if she is willing to fight for it. 


Summary


Image Source: Pixabay

The story is filled with a wealth of subplots, including the artists in residence at the art center, the charming businessman who has eyes only for Emma, a beach wedding, Chris Dean's relationship with Maggie's daughter and now the possibility that Chris has a daughter he knew nothing about. 


A story of friendships, forgetting and moving forward. An enjoyable read about love, loss, and second chances. 


For More Book Reviews, check out ReviewThisBooks.com


*All That We Are was reviewed by Wednesday Elf




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Monday, May 15, 2023

Book Review: You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham

I recently finished reading You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham and am still thinking about the characters and setting. Beloved grandmother Rozenn passes away quietly and while knowing that she is leaving a will that she could not explain to her two precious granddaughters. Rozenn leaves her beautiful home on the Helord estuary in Cornwall to Gwen and it appears nothing is left to Morane. Why would their grandmother, who clearly adored them both, drive this wedge between them?



"It's not the first time Rozenn has torn her family apart. Something heavy and round presses into her palm. The silver compass. Her guide through the next leg of her voyage? A mist lowers over her eyes. For the last time she looks out of the window at the water - green, grey and blue all at once, glittering in the sunlight."

The story begins with Rozenn quietly passing in her home Vue Claire. Then the story line alternates between Morane's life in the present and Rozenn's life in the 1940s. Both voices are strong and take us into their world.

Morane struggles mightily with her current situation - a broken relationship, starting over, and trying to salvage her business. Her career. Then adding to that the heartbreak of her grandmother's passing with all the second-guessing that might come from being left out of a will. Morane tries her best to be strong and to accept her grandmother's wishes. But it weighs on her and she wants to understand what caused her grandmother to make this decision.

Rozenn's story starts in Paris with her parents, brother, and eventually her twin sister joins the family. Her father is a doctor and they live in financial comfort and privilege. 

"Maman was in the salon with a magazine, distracting herself with photographs of clothes, one of many Parisiennes trying to persuade themselves that early June in Paris was just as it had always been."

Paris was occupied by Germany at that time and things were changing for everyone. Resources were becoming scarce. Young men were forced into labor and Jewish families were taken away. Rozenn's family relocates to Brittany, trying to hide her brother Yann from the Germans. 



I LOVED this story. The stress of the occupation, the sadness of a grandmother's passing, and the difficulties caused by family secrets were present but somehow lightened by the descriptions of the settings and the love family members had for one another. Sometimes dual storylines can become confusing. But in this case Ms. Graham pulled me in to each setting so completely that I swore I could smell the water and hear the waves crashing in that coastal village. And feel the peaceful setting of Vu Claire - designed by an adult Rozenn. 

FYI for Book Lovers - Readers Coffeehouse on Facebook

I had won this book during one of the Great Big Giveaways at Readers Coffeehouse. Readers Coffeehouse is a Facebook group page for people who love reading. The page organizers enforce a "positive" atmosphere where readers are encourage to share what they currently are reading or recommend. Negative reviews are highly discouraged (frankly, I don't see that they are allowed at all).

Some authors choose to give copies of their books away on this page. However, once a year there is an enormous book giveaway. For the day, authors make a post about their book and members leave a comment. The winner for each book is chosen from the comments. Hundreds of books are given away in this manner.  It is in this way that I won a copy of You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham.

If you use Facebook and would enjoy an upbeat place to see what others are reading, I encourage you to check out Readers Coffeehouse.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Saturday, May 6, 2023

I Will Find You – A Book Review

The latest suspense thriller by Harlan Coben




Storyline


As the story begins, David Burroughs is in his fifth year of a life sentence for murdering his three-year-old son, Matthew. Only one problem; he didn't do it. 


David was alone with his child that night, as his physician wife was working a night shift.  He knew he got drunk the night it happened and apparently slept through the whole thing. He woke up to discover that Matthew had been murdered. Since there was no evidence pointing to anyone else, and since David had no real alibi, he was convicted and sent to prison. 


Half a decade later, his wife Cheryl has divorced him and remarried. David has had no visitors all this time. Then, Cheryl's younger sister, Rachel, comes to see David to show him a strange photograph taken by friends of Rachel's on vacation at an amusement park. In the background is a boy who bears an eerie resemblence to David's son. It doesn't seem possible; it just can't be, yet David just knows.  Matthew is still alive. 


Somehow David has to get out of prison, search for his son and discover what really happened. To do so, he plans and successfully accomplishes a daring prison escape. 


Now David's life is on the line and the FBI is following his every move. Can David evade capture long enough to discover what really happened, save his son and clear his name? The shocking truth will be revealed in the final moments of the story. 


Summary


Another thriller by this master of suspense. I Will Find You is Harlan Coben's most recent (March 2023) novel. 


Quick Links to more reviews of Harlan Coben:



*Book Review written by Wednesday Elf



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Goodbye Again by Mariah Stewart – Book Review

Goodbye Again is Book Two in the Wyndham Beach contemporary romance series.





Synopsis 


In Book 1 (An Invincible Summer reviewed here on ReviewThisReviews!) we met Maggie Lloyd as she moved back to the small town community of Wyndham Beach, Massachusetts. Her best friends since high school, Emma Harper and Lydia (Libby) Bryant helped her adjust to all the changes her widowhood and then her reuniting with her first love from high school, have brought.


In Goodbye Again, it is time to learn more about Libby Bryant, whose husband left her after the suicide of their daughter. 


Libby desperately needs to move on and make some positive changes in her life.  When she discovers that the long-standing bookstore in town has closed due to the elderly owner's Alzheimer condition and is for sale, Libby decides to buy the neglected bookstore and bring both herself and the shop back on track.


With a little help from her friends, she is well on her way with new paint and new ideas for the new and improved bookshop. One friend Libby has known forever, local contractor Tuck Shelby, begins to make himself indispensable. Not just in the rehab of Libby's shop, but in her life. Tuck now wants to be more than just a 'friend'. But then her ex-husband, Jim, returns with a long overdue apology, hoping for forgiveness and a chance to start over.


Summary


The book shop has rejuvenated Libby, along with the attention of two charming men.


When the shocking truth of her daughter's unexplained suicide comes out, Libby suddenly has a life-changing choice to make.


Moving on doesn't mean leaving everything behind.


Related Links:



+Note: The third book in the Wyndham Beach Series, All That We Are will be reviewed soon. This book features the third friend of the three women the series is about ~ Emma Dean


For more book reviews, check out ReviewThisBooks.com



*Goodbye Again Book Review is written by Wednesday Elf






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Book Review - A Girl Called Samson

 

A Girl Named Samson (photo created in AI)


I love reading historical fiction, and although I have read lots of books from the World War II era, I had not read any from the American Revolutionary War period.  The title on this book is what first intrigued me to download this book.  What an amazing story!  It kept me interested from page 1 and now I feel I know a lot more from that period of history.
 




The Story

Deborah Samson was born in 1760 in Massachusetts.  When she was quite young her father abandoned her family, and her mother was unable to provide for Deborah and her siblings.  Deborah ended up being bound out to be an indentured servant at age 5.  She stayed with various people in her early years, but when she was 10, she was indentured to a young farmers family that had 10 boys.  It was Deborah's duties to help look after the boys.

The family was very kind to Deborah and from them she was able to learn a lot.  Although she didn't go to school herself, she had a thirst for knowledge and was able to learn from the boys as they were growing up.  She had a friend and mentor in the Reverend Conant and when she was 15, he gave her a journal for her birthday.  In this journal she would discover her longings through her writings.  The Reverend also put her in touch with his niece Elizabeth, who became Deborah's pen pal. Elizabeth was older and married and provided Deborah with advice and someone to share her ideas.

When the American Colonies were gearing up for war, each of the 10 boys in turn ended up enlisting in the Continental Army.  Deborah yearned for a life of freedom and equal rights for women.  She had learned much from the boys and could shoot a rifle with the best of them.  

When Deborah turned 18, she was free from her bounds and could go out on her own.  The family welcomed her to stay on with them, but Deborah wanted adventure.  She ended up dressing up as a young man and enlisting in the Continental Army.

The story now gets really interesting as Deborah works hard to maintain the secret of who she really is.  Eventually she falls in love in a surprising twist to the story.  

My Recommendation

I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in historical fiction.  This story is loosely based on a young woman from history named Deborah Samson.  It is a great testament to the power of a young woman daring to chart her own way despite the circumstances.













Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Saturday, April 15, 2023

An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart – A Book Review

 An Invincible Summer is the first book in the Wyndham Beach Series. This contemporary women romantic fiction series revolves around three best friends since high school ~ Maggie Lloyd, Lydia Bryant and Emma Harper. The main character in Book 1 is Maggie




Synopsis


In An Invincible Summer, recently widowed Maggie Lloyd returns to her hometown of Wyndham Beach on the Massachusetts coast for her fortieth high school reunion. Even though it seems to have been a lifetime ago that she was there, she picks right up with her two dear friends, Lydia and Emma. The friends have a wonderful time catching up, until the night of the reunion dinner where she comes face to face with Brett Crawford and deep emotions are once again stirred.


Brett and Maggie were the town's golden couple seemingly destined for one another. But a shattering secret drove them apart those 40 years ago. 


Lydia and Emma, having left their beach community for college, returned  to Wyndham Beach where they married and each had a child.  Maggie left, married someone other then Brett, and raised two daughters in Pennsylvania. 


Just before leaving Wyndham Beach for her home in Philadelphia, Maggie learns that the home she grew up in, sold years ago after her parents were gone, is now for sale.  A few weeks later, realizing how much she has missed her Wyndham Beach community, Maggie decides it's time to put sad memories behind her by selling the Philadelphia house and buying  her old family home in Wyndham Beach. Her oldest daughter goes with her to try and forget the nasty divorce she just went through. 


Summary


Even though it is wonderful to be back in the home she grew up in, with the friends who meant so much to her, and having a chance to start over, returning home also means facing her rekindled feelings for her first love. Can Maggie and Brett get past the terrible secret that has been buried all these years and open their hearts to the future? 


An Invincible Summer is a story of timeless friendship and endless love.


Available on Amazon

For More Book Reviews on ReviewThisReviews

Click on ReviewThisBooks.com



*Book Review of 'An Invincible Summer' written by Wednesday Elf






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Thursday, April 6, 2023

CRIME FICTION DETECTIVES

Three police detectives from three crime fiction series. Who did I like the best? Chief Inspector Armand Gamache,  Commissario Guido Brunetti or Detective Inspector John Rebus??

I recently read three crime fiction books from three separate authors and series that I love. I am systematically working my way through each of these series. Ordinarily, I do not read them back-to-back but this time I did and it made me realize that while I love all three, they are definitely very different and that it is not necessarily good to read one after the other. Learn a bit more here as I review the three crime detectives from these books.

CHIEF INSPECTOR ARMAND GAMACHE


Canadian author Louise Penny has written 18 crime novels set in the Eastern Townships of Quebec that feature Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Gamache is with the Sûreté du Québec, the provincial police force for that Canadian province. Penny’s books not only feature the solving of mysteries but they are also quite character-driven exploring as they do relationships between the various characters who live in or near the fictional town of Three Pines. While Gamache does solve mysteries, his character and these books are definitely kinder and gentler crime novels that feature love and friendship, belonging and hope and kindness.

Find Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache here on Amazon.

COMMISSARIO GUIDO BRUNETTI 


American and Swiss author Donna Leon has written 32 crime novels set in Venice, Italy, that feature Commissario (Detective Superintendent) Guido Brunetti, a member of the Italian State Police. Brunetti reminds me of Chief Inspector Gamache. He is also neat and tidy and educated. He values his home life, trying to be home for dinner and to be with his family as much as he can be. Definitely not what you might not expect in the pages of a detective novel.

Find Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti here on Amazon.

DETECTIVE INSPECTOR JOHN REBUS


Scottish author Ian Rankin has written 29 crime novels mostly set in Edinburgh, Scotland that feature Detective Inspector John Rebus. Rebus is a member of the Lothian and Borders Police force in Edinburgh. Rankin’s books are darker and, accordingly, Rebus is not so likeable. He is definitely not neat and tidy and his life usually seems to be in shambles. He fits the stereotype of what you might expect to find in a noir-style, crime fiction novel. That is, he is a disorganized, hard-drinking, over-worked policeman. 

Find Ian Rankin's Detective Inspector John Rebus here on Amazon.  

WHICH DETECTIVE DO I LIKE BEST?


The first two detectives obviously share somewhat similar styles but the third, Detective Inspector Rebus, has a style that is vastly different and therefore, the whole feeling of Rankins’ books is different. I like all three of the detectives and I stand by my previous recommendations to read each of these series but I don’t recommend reading them together or even back-to-back. Detective Inspector Rebus’ and his whole world are much, much darker and grittier than the other two and it is, therefore, very hard to like him after you have just finished solving mysteries with the very likeable Chief Inspector Gamache and Commissario Brunetti.

See you
At the library!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Louise Penny's Still Life Reviewed


CRIME FICTION DETECTIVES: Chief Inspector Gamache, Commissario Guido Brunetti and Detective Inspector John Rebus. Which is best? 







Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Fit to Die: A Thriller by Daniel Kalla ~ A Book Review

How far would you go to get the "Diet" results that seem to be eluding you?  It is a known fact that we are obsessed with our own individual perceived short comings!  We are hard on ourselves in so many ways and because of this predisposed condition, we fall for so many "quick fixes".

In this novel by Daniel Kalla,  hones in on this shortcoming many of us have and weaves a story around those people who are determined to the be the fittest, slimmest, most beautiful people in the world.  


Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Just imagine if you will, an elite athlete, after a competition hears someone comment that if they were just a couple of pounds lighter, the results of the race would have been so much different!  As an athlete little things like a couple of pounds can be the difference between winning and loosing!  Could that be true?  Would that comment stick with you?   If you were the person being spoken about, what would you do?  

Enter the shady world of "Diet Pills" and online "doctors" who are always pedaling their overpriced and often unreliable and useless products to a population looking for a quick fix.  All of us with our insecurities, are the prey these advertisements are geared towards.  That's one of the reasons the "diet" industry is thriving.

Fit to Die follows the death of a young man (Owen) who is in his prime, a great student and a successful athlete.  He ends up dead with symptoms that no Emergency Room doctor can figure out.    Multiple organ failure and super high body temperatures that are causing seizures and ultimately his death.  Yet there are no signs of drug use, steriods or anything else, even though he is in the typical age range for these problems!  What has cause this death?  His mother a US Senator in California wants answers!  

Then there is another suspicious death in Vancouver.  A young beauitful and very popular singer and media influencer  dies with the same symptoms.  What the heck is happening and what is the connection between these two seemingly unrelated deaths?  Could there be a connection?




Image by Anna Mikkelgaard from Pixabay


Detective Chen from Vancouver and Detective Cari Garcia from LA must  put their heads together to find out what is going on before it becomes an epidemic and more lives are lost!

You will have to read this book in order to find out the who, what, where, when and why of all the mystery!  

This book had me reading well into the night and I know that this scenario is quite possible in our day, given our "need" to be perfect or as near perfect as possible.  Who hasn't wanted a quick fix after dieting for months only to have the last 10 pounds hang on forever?

Dr. Daniel Kalla is not only a gifted writer, but he is also an Emergency Physician in the Greater Vancouver area.  He has written 13 published novels and had a few of them optioned for film and a TV series.  Keep your eyes open for this novel that is sure to keep you turning pages.  You can preorder it on Amazon!  Due out after May 9th of this year.

I was given a copy of this book for my honest review by Goodreads, Simon & Schuster Canada!  

You can order yours here or you can read for free with your Audible account!
:


   



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

A Review Of Geoff Hamiltons Cottage Gardens Book

 



Here is my review of Geoff Hamilton's book "Cottage Gardens".  Geoff Hamilton was my inspiration and education where gardening was concerned and I have learned an incredible amount from his books, TV series and his gardens.

In this book at approximately 250 pages of text and photographs, he specifically concentrates on Cottage gardens. This happens to be my most loved style of gardening so I was always going to buy and treasure this book. 

In fact, I am rapidly buying up every Geoff Hamilton book I can as I am concerned his books will start to get more difficult to find. He sadly died 4th August 1996 at the age of 59 and of course now there are many other good gardeners on the scene and many other books.

However, for me, Geoff's enthusiasm, knowledge and style of gardening will never go out of fashion. I feel in tune with his methods. His writing seems to speak directly to me as if he were teaching me and I need his ongoing guidance to improve my own gardening. 

 I have written about my admiration and joy when visiting Geoff Hamiltons Barnsdale Gardens near Oakham in UK in A Personal Review Of The Inspirational Gardener Geoff Hamilton

If you are looking for a down to earth, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and practical gardening guide to "Cottage Gardens" please take a look at this book. 

The photos included here are all of my own photographs taken either at Barnsdale Gardens or in my own garden at home. 



Section One History Of The Cottage Garden 

 Section one covers a fascinating history of the cottage garden and the people who tended them. 

Cottage gardens have been in existence in some form since the Middle Ages in UK and the premise for all cottage gardens is that they are there to be used. These gardens were used primarily for food, herbs and some medicinal purposes, plus some flowers to lift the spirits. 

Geoff takes us through the Cottage garden in the UK and how it its use changes and evolves through the Middle Ages ( 500- 1400) to the enlightened era of the  Elizabethan age (1533- 1603) onto the Victorians and beyond and into the twentieth century. 

It includes discussions of gardens and the role of people who were the labouring classes, the craftspeople and the wealthier people.

It discusses the role of medieval medicine and primitive gardening techniques and how over time improvement in living conditions meant more vegetables and fruits were consumed and how gardening developed. 




He highlights certain influential gardeners over time such as Capability Brown, Humprey Repton and William Robinson. 

 The role of topiary and model villages is discussed along with the effect of social divisions, revolts, reforms and philanthropic movements. He covers the role of Allotments and the evolution of the Cottage Garden into the more modern age. 




Section Two Creating A Cottage Garden 

Section two instructs us on how to create a Cottage Garden and covers two different styles. 

The first is very much a working garden to feed us and be as productive as possible. 

This is the affordable Artisans garden, which is built specifically with low cost and reclaimed or second hand materials in mind. More is handmade and plants grown and raised from young.

This style of garden is much more like the original cottage gardens built and tended by working people, would have looked.  

Entrance to Artisan Cottage Garden Barnsdale. Photo by Raintree Annie


The second garden is more stylized, an idea rather than the reality of the rustic garden, with far more comforts and romance. 

Vegetables would be grown, but were not essential to the gardener for food for the family. 

This is the more expensive Gentleman's garden, where cost is not really an issue. It is altogether more elaborate and uses more costly materials. 

Gentlemans Cottage Garden Barnsdale UK. Photo by Raintree Annie 

I had the pleasure of seeing both these gardens in Barnsdale gardens designed and built by Geoff Hamilton, they have stood the test of time and look fantastic. 

Interesting Geoff said that he enjoyed making the more affordable Artisan garden more than the more expensive Gentleman's garden. When you understand more of the man and gardener he was this is not surprising. 

He believed there is creative pleasure in making items, raising plants, developing a personal garden and saving money.

He understood that people can and do buy some ready-made items and grown plants for the garden, but his hope was that gardeners would take ideas from both types of gardens and using our creativity, make them our own. 

So we learn about building these two gardens from principles to the layout. Which important aspects to include, how to consider designing it, what sort of boundaries to consider and what materials to use.

He includes information on arbours and benches, herb tables and love seats, paving, compost bins, containers and cold frames. He details what to consider, how to build and design and gives a very comprehensive overview of both gardens. The photographs and pictures are lovely and bring it all to life.   


Artisan Cottage Garden Barnsdale. Photo By Raintree Annie

Plants In The Cottage Garden

Then the book goes into more detail about the plants to use at the back, middle and front of the border to provide those layers of use and interest in the garden. 

This section includes propagation techniques so we can make more plants for free! This is always a very useful and easy skill to learn for anyone who has a large garden to a window box. 

Geoff's love of plants and trees comes through and he details how to choose and look after trees, climbers, ramblers, border plants, shrubs, herbaceous plants, bulbs, annuals, biannuals and topiary. It details a wealth of plants that we can include according to our situation and needs.


Section Three A Cottage Economy

Section Three covers "A Cottage Economy" and teaches us how to grow and tend a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, tree fruit and soft fruit.

He includes cultivation methods and how to grow vegetables in borders. It is a very useful, practical and interesting guide to growing and tending these plants.

The way Geoff Hamilton approaches the information, it all seems totally achievable and straightforward to learn. 


Cottage Garden Plants Through History. 

Finally the book discusses Cottage Garden Plants Through History where he gives a snapshot of plants that would have been grown through the ages. Although a short section this is quite fascinating to learn what was grown in different eras in history. 


I bought this book in the UK as a hardback copy but it is available via Amazon in hardback and paperback and I imagine it is the same book. 

If you have the smallest interest in gardening or even garden history in terms of cottage gardens and the way people lived with them and how they evolved, this book is very interesting and a worthwhile read.

If you love gardening and want to learn more from a true master I do not hesitate to recommend it.   


Geoff Hamilton died many years ago now but even today, or perhaps more so today, many people grow vegetables and fruit in gardens or allotments to supplement the weekly shop.

With shortages and prices of vegetables, salad and herbs rocketing in the shops, growing food ourselves can make it more accessible and affordable to us. 

I wonder if gardening may again become something we need to know how to do and an essential life skill to pass on to the next generation as it used to be. So maybe the story or history of the Cottage Garden is not yet over. 


More Gardening Articles





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


FOLLOW US ON:
Review This Reviews Quick View Home Page

The Review This Reviews Contributors



Cynthia SylvestermouseDawn Rae BMary Beth - mbgphotoBrite-IdeasWednesday ElfOlivia MorrisRenaissanceWomanThe Savvy AgeMargaret SchindelRaintree AnnieTreasures by BrendaSam MonacoTracey BoyerLou16BarbRadBev OwensBuckHawkDecoratingforEventsHeather426Coletta TeskeMissMerFaeryMickie_G

 

Review This is Dedicated to the
Memory of Our Beloved Friend and Fellow Contributor

Susan DeppnerSusan Deppner


We may be apart, but
You Are Not Forgotten





“As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from purchases.” Disclosure Statement

X