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<metadesc>Book review siteExpert, with books full book reviews from the many most walks of literary life - ; fiction, biography, crime, cookery and anything else that takes our fancy. There are also lots of author interviews and top tens.</metadesc>Hello from The Bookbag, a book review site, featuring books from all the many walks of literary life non- [[:Category:Fiction|fiction]], [[:Category:Biography|biography]], [[:Category:Crime|crime]], [[:Category:Cookery|cookery]] and anything else that takes our fancy. At Bookbag Towers the bookbag sits at the side of the desk. Itchildren's the bag we take to the library and the bookshop. Sometimes it holds the latest releases, but at other times there'll be old favourites, books for the children, & self-published books for the home. They're sometimes our own books or books from the local library. They're often books sent to us by publishers and we promise to tell you exactly what we think about them. You might not want to read through a full review, so we'll give you a quick review which summarises what we felt about the book and tells you whether or not we think you should buy or borrow it. There are also lots of [[:Category:Interviews|plus author interviews]], and all sorts of [[:Category:Lists|& top tens]] - all of which you can find on our [[features]] page. If you're stuck for something to read, check out the [[Book Recommendations|recommendations]] page.</metadesc>
'''Read [[Forthcoming Publications|reviews of books about to be published]].{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Victoria ForesterTom Percival|title=The Girl Who Could FlyWrong Shoes|rating=45
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could fly? Will's life is difficult, in a multitude of ways. It would be such a wonderful sensationHe is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', soaring through he has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn't have enough money for even the airmost basic of things like food, looping and his dad can't work because he lost his job at the loopcollege, swooping down over your house was working a cash-in-hand job on a building site and gardenhad an accident. But have you also stopped to think what other people might think if they saw Throw into that mix the fact that you could fly whilst no one else could? his mum and dad are separated, and Will's life seems bleak in every direction. Would children And yet, he still want to be your friend? What would your family think? The little girl in this story, Piper McCloud, can flyhas a tiny amount of hope. She lives on her parents farm and was always a little, well, unusualHe is good at art, and after her mum found her floating in clings to the air one day moments of joy when she was he is drawing, that feel like a baby she decided to home school Piper, rather than expose her to the gossips in the village. But one day, light at the village picnicend of a long, Piper flies during dark tunnel.|isbn=1398527122}}{{Frontpage|author=Sylvie Cathrall|title=A Letter to the baseball match as she tries Luminous Deep|rating=5|genre=Science Fiction|summary= There are few greater joys than a book which lives up to catch the ball, and suddenly her whole life a compelling premise. And this is turned upside down..one of them.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0330512536</amazonuk>0356522776
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=P C Cast0008517061|title=Divine by Mistake (Goddess of Partholon)Death in a Lonely Place|author=Stig Abell|rating=3.54|genre=FantasyCrime|summary=Shannon ParkerFormer Metropolitan Police detective, broke Oklahoma English teacherJake Johnson, likes a good bargain hunt has settled into his rustic life at an auctionLittle Sky. But she gets more than her money's worth when she buys There’s perhaps a vase little uncertainty about the future of his life with his vet girlfriend, Livia and her likeness painted on it. Somehow transported to the magical world of Partholondaughter Diana, Shannon finds herself as moving in the shoes together would mean a lot of Rhiannon, compromise: does Jake give up his off-grid and relaxing life to move in with Livia or does Livia move to Little Sky despite her mirror double. Along with Rhiannon's station as Goddess Incarnate, Shannon finds reservations about whether or not this is the future she wants for herself landed with and her double's less than enviable reputation daughter? For the moment they’re enjoying life in the present and a Centaur husbandputting the future on the back burner.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0778303578</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jon Mayhew1786482126|title=MortlockThe Janus Stone (Dr Ruth Galloway)|author=Elly Griffiths
|rating=4.5
|genre=TeensCrime|summary=Abyssinia, 1820. Three Englishment search for Builders were demolishing an old house in Norwich - the site was going to hold seventy-five 'luxury' apartments - when they discovered the Amarant, bones of a mythical flower with the power over life and death, in child beneath a strange desert oasisdoorway. There was no skull. On finding the flower surrounded by decaying faces Was this a ritual killing or murder? Inevitably, they realize that it is cursed, and take a blood oath never to remove itDr Ruth Galloway finds herself working with DCI Harry Nelson. London It's difficult as Ruth knows, 1854. 13 year old knife thrower Josie performs with her guardian the Great Cardamombut Nelson doesn't, an especially gifted magician who we quickly learn that she is Chrimes, the coward pregnant with his child as a result of the original one night they spent together some three Englishmenmonths ago. Their relatively peaceful existence Her condition will be obvious before long, not least because Ruth is shattered when three macabre Aunts (note the capital letter, never a good sign…) descend on them, and Cardamom instructs Josie, with his dying breath, prone to find the twin brother he'd never told her about and destroy the Amarantsudden bouts of sickness.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408803925</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Sian Williams0008551324|title=Struggle or StarveThe Devil You Know (D S Max Craigie)|author=Neil Lancaster
|rating=4.5
|genre=AutobiographyCrime|summary=Struggle It's unusual for anyone from the Hardie family to approach the police. Neither side likes or Starve has any respect for the other. But Davie Hardie is a collection of autobiographical writings about girls' struggling in prison and womenhe's lives in South Wales between prepared to tell the police where the warsbody of a missing person is buried and who was responsible for her death. This person, he promises, is a new edition someone big and it will be worth the police doing what he wants. And what he wants is to be transferred to an open prison to serve the remainder of a book first published in 1998 by Honnohis sentence and to get an early parole date. Not much to ask, an independent publisher set up is it? The new Deputy Police Constable doesn't think so and she's even prepared to encourage Welsh women writers. Most of do the contributors in this book came other thing that Hardie demanded - make certain that DS Max Craigie and anyone who works with him is kept well away from minerswhat' families and grew up in real poverty and economic insecuritys happening.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1906784094</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Julia Green0008405026|title=Drawing with LightA Stranger in the Family (Maeve Kerrigan 11)|author=Jane Casey
|rating=5
|genre=TeensCrime|summary=Emily doesnIt't remember s sixteen years since nine-year-old Rosalie Marshall disappeared from her biological motherbed one summer night. She ran away with another man when Emily was just twonever found and the investigation ground to a halt. Now, her older sister Katmother, Helena, and her fatherare dead in their bed. Initially, and her stepmother Cassy make up the family unit and Emily thinks itlooks like a straightforward murder/suicide but there's just fine something about the positioning of the bodies that way. She doesn't need a mother who didn't want makes DS Maeve Kerrigan and her and has never even tried to get in touchboss DI Josh Derwent suspicious. But then Kat goes off What looked as though it was going to university, her father buys be an open-and-shut case is now a rundown house complex double murder. Kerrigan is convinced that the explanation lies in the middle of nowhere and moves them into a caravan while itRosalie's disappearance: others (such as Derwent's being renovatedboss, and Cassy gets pregnantUna Burt) are less convinced. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408802732</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Sarah Dessen0571379877|title=Along for the RideThe Kellerby Code|author=Jonny Sweet|rating=43.5|genre=TeensCrime|summary=Auden has always felt like the odd one out amongst her peers. Her parents Edward Jevons is a working- now divorced class young man, obsessed with his upper- are both academics and high achieversclass friends, Robert and theyStanza. Robert's a theatre director. He's also self-obsessed, especially her motherdemanding, want the same handsome and entitled and uses Edward to run errands for Audenhim. Auden Edward has been in love with Stanza since their university days - and he's older brother is the rebel and so Auden drunkenly confided how he feels as though she needs to be the one who satisfies her motherRobert. Most men in Robert's ambition. So she works hard and never lets her diligence position would stay away from Stanza or conscientiousness slip for even tell Edward that a moment. But sherelationship had begun between them but he's socially awkward and lacking not like most men: Edward is left to stumble upon the two of them kissing in experience. She's never had a boyfriend, hates the colour pink and can't even ride a bikedark passageway. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141327480</amazonuk>
}}
|rating=4
|genre=Crime
|summary=As When a man is found crucified on the internet grows and technology advancestop of a hill in Nuneaton, DCS Kat Frank finds herself assigned to the case alongside her sidekick, itthe AI detective Lock. It's seems their first live case together, having previously been very successful with several cold cases. But when there is nothing you can't do. Recent innovations mean you can operate appliances in your own home from another continent a second body found crucified a few days later, Kat is suddenly struggling with a potential serial killer and cars are more automated than evera very high profile case that draws a lot of unwanted attention to their AI Future Policing project. Huge online games allow users worldwide Will they be able to interact and play against each other solve the case in huge arenas. Thanks to social networkingtime, or will Kat find herself taken off the internet can be addictive case and, yespotentially, I'm aware out of the irony in writing that here.a career?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847249612</amazonuk>139851120X
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Erica Bauermeister 1399613073|title=The Monday Night Cooking SchoolMoral Injuries|author=Christie Watson
|rating=4.5
|genre=Women's FictionThrillers|summary=The Monday Night Cooking School is Olivia, Laura and Anjali met on the first novel written by American writer Erica Bauermeister day of medical school and it really is their friendship would keep them inseparable for a quarter of a delicious read in every sensecentury. The novel tells of eight very diverse people who attend Olivia is ruthlessly ambitious, which is a cooking class once bonus when you aim to be a month at Lillian's restaurantcardiothoracic surgeon. Each has Laura is a different reason for being there perfectionist and each has his or her own story to tella trauma doctor. However, over Anjali is the months that free spirit of the course is run, group and she becomes a GP. When we first meet them they start to bond through the learning experience 're at a drug and alcohol-fuelled party and their love of food. Itit's not the sort of novel where much happens but if you are interested going to end in people and you love food, I am sure you will enjoy this booktragedy. Having said that though, I We don't think know who suffered the tragedy or the consequences. Twenty-five years later there will be an eerily similar event that will impact the three friends. This time, it is a book that should be read if you 's their teenage children who are trying to diet because you can virtually smell the food as you turn the pages!|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141038837</amazonuk>involved.
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Marcus Sedgwick0241636604|title=Lunatics and Luck (Raven Mysteries)The Trading Game: A Confession|author=Gary Stevenson
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident ReadersAutobiography|summary=ItIf you were to bring up an image of a city banker in your mind, you's obvious reallyre unlikely to think of someone like Gary Stevenson. When an earthquake hits Castle Otherhand, Valevine, A hoodie and jeans replaces the head of pin-stripe suit and his background is the householdEast End, decides what the place needs is a machine to predict the futurewhere he was familiar with violence, poverty and a new tutor for his two oldest childreninjustice. And why not? There are only those children, was no posh public school on his CV - but he had been to the suicidal baby twins, Valevine's dreadful failed inventions and experiments, Edgar the raven that narrates this series London School of books, Economics. Stevenson is bright - extremely bright - and he has a monkeyfacility with numbers which most of us can only envy. He also realised that most rich people expect poor people to be stupid. With bells onIt was his ability at what was, essentially, a card game which got him an internship with Citibank. Clearly there is not enough weirdness there already to go aroundEventually, this turned into permanent employment as a trader.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842556959</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett1035021803|title=The Spirit Level: Why Equality Is Better For Everyone |rating=4.5|genre=Politics and Society|summary=If you asked people why it is (or might be) a good idea Antique Hunter's Guide to reduce inequality in a society, many people would assume that reducing inequality works by making the life of the poorest better: that the poor are the ones who benefit from reduction of inequality.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141032367</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewMurder|author=Ken Bruen|title=The Killing of the TinkersC L Miller|rating=43.5
|genre=Crime
|summary=Jack Taylor returns It's twenty years since Freya Lockwood has been back to his native Ireland with his tail between his legsthe English country village where she grew up. HeShe's been lying low 'over the water' in Londonback now because of a request for help from her beloved aunt, licking his woundsCarole. Jack (IFreya'm slightly surprised that Bruen didns former mentor and Carole't give him a more Irish name) s close friend, Arthur Crockleford, is a middle-ageddead and the circumstances seem suspicious, to say the least. Arthur was the reason why Freya had not been back to the village: Arthur, washed-upshe feels, disgraced ex-coplet her down badly. As if that wasn't bad enoughEven though they were in business together as antique hunters, he also she has a lot of very bad habitsnot felt able to be near the man or pursue the profession she loved. He acknowledges however that 'After the new world is designed for non-smokers.' He also admits quite freely split, she worked in a cafe, met and openly that 'An alcoholic has dreams to rival that married James (on the rebound from the love of any Vietnam vether life, who was murdered) and Freya and James have now divorced.'|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0863224113</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Dave ZeltsermanAllTomorrowsFutureCover|title=KillerAll Tomorrow's Futures: Fictions that Disrupt|author=Benjamin Greenaway and Stephen Oram (Editors)
|rating=5
|genre=CrimeScience Fiction|summary=Here at the Bookbag, we've been very impressed with Dave Zeltserman's work thus far. He uses a wonderful noirish narrative that takes you straight to Opening up new ways of thinking about the heart shape of the story. His story telling is very straightforward, not weighing down the story with too much style, but sticking things to the substance and delivering a hard-hitting work every timecome. With ''Killer'', he has done the same again.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184668644X</amazonuk>}}
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-ReesSunny Singh|title=Jolly Olly OctopusHotel Arcadia
|rating=3.5
|genre=For SharingThrillers |summary=Jolly Olly Octopus The Hotel Arcadia is giggling underneath a luxury hotel in an unnamed city that has suddenly been violently taken over by a terrorist group. Hiding from the seaterrorists who are rampaging through, killing everyone on site, there is Sam, a wartime photographer and Abhi, the hotel manager. He's soon joined As Abhi continues to try to care remotely for the residents who are still alive in the hotel, he forms a bond with Sam who refuses to be cowed by two tickly turtles, three smiley seahorsesevents, and so keeps on venturing out of her room to try to capture what's happened through her photography. Although they only ever talk over the numbersphone, their friendship grows as Abhi tries to help her keep safe and they both wait to see if they will be rescued before they are discovered by the terrorists. |isbn=086154742X}}{{Frontpage|isbn=1529153298|title=The large cast List of underwater animals are having a jolly olSuspicious Things|author=Jennie Godfrey|rating=5|genre=General Fiction|summary=It's 1979 and Margaret Thatcher is Prime Minister. (A woman? I mean, honestly...) She's not what's worrying Miv's family, though. Women have been disappearing. Well, they've been murdered, but to have 'disappeared' doesn't sound quite so frightening. Miv's upset because she's overheard that her father wants to move the family 'Down South'. When you' timere from Yorkshire, until Down South is a shark appearsfrightening, foreign place, best avoided. For Miv, the move would mean leaving her best friend, Sharon, and she'll do anything to prevent that. She's not worried about the dangers or that her Mum's stopped talking - to anyone.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846166861</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1398524085|title=Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?|author=Mo SmithNicci French|rating=5|titlegenre=Crime|summary=Charlotte Salter was expected at her husband's fiftieth birthday party but never turned up. Her children, sons Niall, Paul and Ollie and her daughter, Etty. are all worried but - strangely - her husband, Alec, is not. Shortly afterwards, Etty and Greg, find the body of Greg's father, Duncan Ackerley, in the river. It was an easy assumption for the police to make that Duncan had murdered Charlie and then committed suicide when he couldn't stand the guilt. The Lazy CookSalter children are not convinced but there's Family Favouriteslittle else they can do but get on with their lives and wonder about what really happened.}}{{Frontpage|isbn=1035906708|title=Diva|author=Daisy Goodwin
|rating=4.5
|genre=CookeryGeneral Fiction|summary=These days I get very nervous when I hear about books for 'lazy' cooksWe tend to think of Maria Callas as Greek, but she was born to Greek parents in Manhattan, New York, or how in December 1923 and only moved to cheat Athens when preparing mealsshe was thirteen. ThereHer original surname was Kalogeropoulos but her father changed it to 's a very simple reason for this: good food, prepared using seasonal ingredients which donCallas't break to make it more manageable in the budget needs skill and knowledge and neither are the prerogative of the lazyStates. Mo Smith might like us to think When she was back in Athens - supposedly so that she's lazy, but take my word could get appropriate training for it – her voice - she isn't. She might have learned was raised under the Nazi occupation by a few tricks for making good food quickly, but she's a woman mother who knows mercilessly exploited her onions and all sorts made no secret of other foodher preference for her elder sister, Jackie.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0749007826</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Adam BladeChristopher Edge|title=Creta the Winged Terror (Beast Quest)Black Hole Cinema Club
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Our hero, TomLucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, is finding his fishing trip with his father bugged - literally - by a plague place that has the nickname of sickening cockroach things'The Black Hole'. WhatAll big movie fans, they's morere looking forward to lots of exciting films, and many, many snacks! However, as the whole land of Avantia movie starts, they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is suffering some form of horrid heatwavevery different, and they are swept up into an adventure they couldn't even imagine. Can Tom, recognising yet another threat But as they lurch from one film genre to his country from the evil Malvelnext, defeat his nemesis yet again - especially as said baddie has as a new weapon of darkness a massive host of can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the roachescinema, swarming as one giant monsterand to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408307359</amazonuk>1839942738
}}
{{Frontpage
|author=Rachel Greenlaw
|title=Compass and Blade
|rating=3.5
|genre=Teens
|summary=''I can hear the song of the sea. The call of the deep, the answering beat in my heart.''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Fraser's AutographsJames Sherwood Metts|title=Collect Autographs: An Illustrated Guide to Collecting and Investing in AutographsPlanet Storyland
|rating=4.5
|genre=Business and FinanceConfident Readers|summary=There must be many of us who Things have at one time had an autograph book or something of been a bit sticky for the kind as children Earthlings. AI and asked friendsautomation have been proceeding apace, relations or even celebrities often replacing jobs they're paid to 'do something', written and other tasks that took time to accomplish. Just as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to celebrities in the hope think of obtaining a personally signed pictureother, or even waited patiently at a stage door after a play or concert eagerly clutching a theatre programmenew ways to spend time, record or CD sleeve along came an awful pandemic. Life was pretty much shut down and pen in hand, along with it, all the many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0852597525</amazonuk>1736128426
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Derrick NiedermanMatthew Tree|title=Number Freak: A Mathematical Compendium from 1 to 200We'll Never Know
|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular ScienceLiterary Fiction|summary=This is a book that definitely does what it says on the tin. Our author has the capacity Timothy Wyndham wants nothing more than to grab each number between one and two hundredbe different from his father, a drunk and wring it for chronic underachiever whose dreams of being exceptional at any of his artistic passions all its worth - all the special status it might have in our culture (more easy with seven than, say, 187), all the special properties it might possess (perfect, triangular, prime), failed miserably and as many other things mathematicians and so on would find who had endless crises of interestself confidence. Luckily there is enough here So Tim applied himself to make the book well worth a browse for us who would not deem themselves number buffshis studies, cultivated his abilities rather than his daydreams and set himself high but achievable ambitions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>071563710X</amazonuk>B0CVFXPGP8
}}
{{Frontpage
|author=A G Slatter
|title=The Briar Book of the Dead
|rating=5
|genre=Fantasy
|summary='' There's a part of me that wants to keep this just to myself for however long I can. This secret magic of my own, all mine, at last. I just want to enjoy it for a while.''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Stephen Hunter1529900360|title=I, SniperThe Ghost Orchid|author=Jonathan Kellerman
|rating=4
|genre=Crime
|summary=You donIt hadn't often find novels or films based been Lt Milo Sturgis's fault that Alex Delaware had been badly injured but he felt responsible and even after Alex recovered, Sturgis was reluctant to ask for his help on the art of the sniperdifficult cases. Hiding out for hours motionless His assertions that there were only open-and then killing someone unseen from hundreds of yards away doesn-shut cases which didn't make need the help of a psychologist only worked for as interesting a story as a face to face shoot outwhile. But with Finally, it was Robin, Delaware'Is partner, Sniper'who nudged Milo into asking for help again. She knew that the involvement was something that the man she loved needed. The next case did look simple, Stephen Hunter has managed to combine though. Two lovers were murdered in the art swimming pool of a remote property in Bel Air. He was the sniper with heir to an Italian shoe empire and she is married to an extremely rich man and it's not the art Italian. But which of them was the crime thriller in a decent read.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847377777</amazonuk>primary target?
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Lucy Coats and Anthony Lewis1529395224|title=Letting the Cat Out of the Bag: The Beasts in the Jar (Greek Beasts and Heroes)Secret Life of a Vet|author=Sion Rowlands|rating=43.5|genre=Confident ReadersAnimals and Wildlife|summary=Atticus the sandalmaker is heading Siôn Rowlands fell into veterinary science accidentally. His father was a GP and Rowlands didn't want to the great storytelling competition follow in Troy. On his wayfootsteps, particularly when he meets considered the strain that being on-call put on his father's life. When he was seventeen he took the opportunity of doing work experience with a family friend who was a number of people vet andwas convinced this was the job for him. Before long, always eager for an opportunity to hone he was at Liverpool University. It hadn't - as with so many students - been his skillsdream since he was a child. If anything, relates he'd wanted to them tales from Ancient Greek myths and legends. The beasts in the jar of the title? Pandora released them from what we mistakenly call her boxbe a professional footballer.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444000659</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jed Mercurio0861541774|title=American AdultererA Nye of Pheasants|author=Steve Burrows
|rating=4
|genre=General FictionCrime|summary=IDCI Domenic Jejeune've often wondered how history s close friend and former colleague, Danny Maik, has taken a short holiday in Singapore to meet up with an old ally, Guy Trueman. Maik was involved in a street brawl - he would have viewed Jack Kennedy if later maintain that he was facing a man armed with a knife - and he'd died killed a natural death rather than by an assassin's bulletGhurka. As an extension Initially, he faced a charge of manslaughter but evidence came to light that I've also thought suggested that he might not have lived that much longer had nature been allowed planned to take its coursemurder the man. He's one of Now he could be facing the most-written-about Presidents of all time death penalty. Domenic Jejeune can do nothing to help as any interference from another police force could provoke a diplomatic incident and finding a new angle – even a fictional one – is not easy, but Jed Mercurio has looked wouldn't help Danny at Kennedy's adult life through the prism of his sexual peccadilloes and his healthall.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099515873</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Joe TreasureAlexander McCall Smith|title=BesottedThe Perfect Passion Company|rating=4|genre=Literary Fiction|summary=It is late August 1982, the day when O level results come out. Michael Cartwright already knows he has failed his exams and is dreading his parents finding out. He, his twin brother Kieran (who has done very well) and their younger sisters are on the family holiday, staying with their mother's parents in Kilross, County Cork. To escape boredom and his parents' anger, he wanders round the village, where he meets Fergal Noonan, training to be a priest, and lively Peggy O'Connor. He has his first kiss and a bit more with Peggy. The family soon goes home to Cheltenham, but their brief visit to Ireland will have far reaching significance.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0330511726</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Tim Pears|title=Landed|rating=45
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=I have hesitated The Perfect Passion Company is a dating agency in Edinburgh, run by Ness and operating as an alternative to write this review because, truthfully, I am not ''entirely'' sure that I know what happened at the end. I read it all. I actually read the end several timesonline apps in providing a more personal, tailored service. And then I skipped back to Ness has asked her younger cousin Katie if she could come and look after the middlebusiness, just as Ness is planning to check something, before trying the end again. I have decided take a trip to just believe in what I ''think'' happened, and since I don't want Canada to spoil it get away for other readers then I don't have to make a complete fool of myself writing down what it is I think! while. And actually, that mysteriousness Katie is part coming out of the charm of the story. So, slight confusion aside, I still gave this book four starsa break up with a bad boyfriend, and this is why...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0434020079</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Jeff Somers|title=The Eternal Prison|rating=3.5|genre=Science Fiction|summary=This book stands out in the high-energy, hard-edged sci-fi adventure/thriller genre, in that it covers two stories so jumps at the same timechance to come home to Edinburgh. In one chapter And so begins this new story from Alexander McCall Smith, bringing us to an Edinburgh we have Avery Cates, practically the best gun-for-hire in his post-apocalyptic North Americaalready love, being told thanks to kill one of the most protected 44 Scotland Street and important people left in the worldIsabel Dalhousie novels, by other, almost as important people, in the cruel mix of powerplays that make up the current politicsbut with some new characters who quickly begin to charm. In the other corner is CatesKatie has no experience in running a business, being thrown or in prison match- one of those basicmaking, hell-on-earthbut Ness has full confidence in her abilities, surrounded by miles of desertand there's always her very helpful (and rather handsome) neighbour, prisons. HereWilliam, too, he will be told to do jobs for other people...lend a hand…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1841497053</amazonuk>1846976596
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=A.Roger Ekirch 0811771741|title=Birthright: The True Story That Inspired KidnappedInstaKnits for Baby|author=Melissa Leapman
|rating=4
|genre=HistoryCrafts|summary=They say truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, and it is not unusual Melissa Leapman's ''InstaKnits for novels Baby'' gives us a collection of knits from toys to be based partly on factblankets. So it was in Some will be quick knits - others are of the case of Robert Louis Stevenson's ''Kidnapped''long, Sir Walter Scott's ''Guy Manneringcosy afternoons in front of the fire'variety. The projects are divided by the time they'll take to complete - less than five hours, and at least three othersfive to ten hours, all of which can point ten to twenty hours and more than twenty hours. All the saga of James Annesley for inspirationprojects are attractive, modern and useable. I perhaps show my age when I wonder about 'social-media-worthy projects' but that's me being picky.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0393066150</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Laila Lalami Dean Koontz|title=Secret SonThe Bad Weather Friend|rating=34.5|genre=General FictionParanormal|summary=''Secret Son'' Benny is the story of Youssef El-Mekki, the slum-dwelling teenage son of single mother Rachidahaving a terrifically bad day. Youssef has always been told that He loses his father is deadjob, so when he finds out loses his fiancee, and his mother house gets trashed. Oh, and someone has lied delivered a really weird, disturbing coffin-sized object to conceal his home, and it's possible that whoever or whatever was inside is the fact thing that he was born out of wedlockhas trashed his house! The thing is, he plunges headlong into an identity crisisBenny is the very last person to deserve all this bad luck. He tracks down is a nice person. A really nice person. So fortunately for Benny it turns out that the delivery to his real fatherhouse is a new friend, a wealthy businessman bad weather friend called Nabil Amrani Spike, who has been sent to help him since Benny is clearly under attack from nefarious forces for being a good person. Spike is surprisingly enthusiastic about his illegitimate songoing to take care of Benny, and will certainly take care of Benny's arrival. Nabil has recently fallen out with his daughter enemies, if he, Benny, and he seizes this opportunity to mould Youssef Harper (a waitress slash Private Investigator who finds herself roped into the obedient son he has always wantedBenny's wild adventure) can figure out who exactly they are.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0670918296</amazonuk>1662500491
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Bonnie Hearn HillAdam Stower|title=Star Crossed: Aries RisingMurray and Bun
|rating=4.5
|genre=TeensConfident Readers |summary=Ordinary teen Logan McRae discovers an old book called Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. But he'Fearless Astrologys a bad magician'. Can the book help her s cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and her friends get the boys catflap they wantboth use can chuck them out, catch not into the vandals who are shocking their school with pranksregular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and win her the approval of cantankerous English teacher Mr 'Frankenstein' Franklin? whiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is a novel written for teens expected – of course it can.well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0762436700</amazonuk>0008561249
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Gabrielle LordB0C47LV1PC|title=January (Conspiracy 365)Fragility|author=Mosby Woods
|rating=4
|genre=TeensLiterary Fiction|summary=Callum is wandering along home on New YearCan you make a 's Eve when crazed itinerant accosts him. 'Yo birthing person'They killed your father! They'll kill joke? And if you! You must survive could, is the next 365 days!''question should you make it? Or is the question if you did, would it land? The catch is that the answer for both could well be.... no.
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Steve Feasey1529431735|title=Changeling: Blood WolfThe Winter Visitor|author=James Henry
|rating=4
|genre=Crime
|summary=In 1992It's February 1991 and Essex is bitingly cold, Sarah Finchwhich made Bruce Hopkins' return all the more surprising. He'd been exiled on the Costa del Sol as a wanted drug smuggler for a decade. The return has come about because he's twelve year old brother Charlie says to her had a letter from his ex-wife, saying that she's ill and hasn'Tell mum I'll be back soont long to live. It'' Sixteen years laters hard to feel any sympathy when Hopkins is abducted, stripped to his family are still waiting underwear and sent to find out what happened to him. Now a watery grave in her twenties, Sarah is teaching at the boot of a local private school while looking after her uncaring mother, who since Charlie's disappearance has slid into alcoholismstolen Ford Sierra.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0091935997</amazonuk>}} Is it a warning from a Spanish gang or a problem closer to home?