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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=Kaye UmanskyTom Percival|title=Clover Twig and the Perilous PathThe Wrong Shoes|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=ThereWill's non-stop fun and action life is difficult, in this storya multitude of ways. Granny Dismal comes to warn Mrs Eckles that He is bullied because he has 'the Perilous Path wrong shoes', he has been spotted in the forestwrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn't have enough money for even the most basic of things like food, and this kicks off his dad can't work because he lost his job at the college, was working a cash-in-hand job on a funny story involving witches (both good and bad), trolls, missing little boys, clowns, imps building site and magic sweetieshad an accident. It's Throw into that mix the sequel to Clover Twig fact that his mum and the Incredible Flying Cottagedad are separated, but I donand Will't think I lost out too much for not having read that firsts life seems bleak in every direction. Everyone is generally so well describedAnd yet, and previous story arcs are quickly filled in if requiredhe still has a tiny amount of hope. This He is good at art, and clings to the sort moments of book I would have stayed up late reading under joy when he is drawing, that feel like a light at the covers with a torch when I was end of a little girl myselflong, and is now dark tunnel.|isbn=1398527122}}{{Frontpage|author=Sylvie Cathrall|title=A Letter to the sort of Luminous Deep|rating=5|genre=Science Fiction|summary= There are few greater joys than a book I would steal from my daughter's room late at night so I can keep reading it without waiting for which lives up to a chapter a night!compelling premise. And this is one of them.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408801876</amazonuk>0356522776
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=R A Scotti0008517061|title=The Lost Mona LisaDeath in a Lonely Place|author=Stig Abell|rating=4.5|genre=HistoryCrime|summary=One Former Metropolitan Police detective, Jake Johnson, has settled into his rustic life at Little Sky. There’s perhaps a little uncertainty about the future of the few things I remember from those writers' courses and advice books – his life with his vet girlfriend, Livia and I can hear from here you wished I remembered more of them – was the merit in being aware of anniversariesher daughter Diana, especially as moving in your area together would mean a lot of expertise, compromise: does Jake give up his off-grid and having relaxing life to move in with Livia or does Livia move to Little Sky despite her reservations about whether or not this is the ability to sell articles concerning historical events linked into centenaries, modern comparisons, future she wants for herself and so on. her daughter? Well, here is For the moment they’re enjoying life in the book equivalent, present and although it's early – it's looking back putting the future on the summer of 1911 – this stands as quality enough to deny any latecomers shelf roomback burner.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0553818309</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Greg Grandin1786482126|title=Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle CityJanus Stone (Dr Ruth Galloway)|author=Elly Griffiths
|rating=4.5
|genre=HistoryCrime|summary=In 1927, Builders were demolishing an old house in Norwich - the Ford Motor company bought a huge tract of land in Brazil, for site was going to hold seventy-five 'luxury' apartments - when they discovered the purpose bones of the company growing its own rubber for use in making its carsa child beneath a doorway. There was no skull. They planted rubber trees and built Was this a factory and housesritual killing or murder? Inevitably, Dr Ruth Galloway finds herself working with DCI Harry Nelson. It's difficult as Ruth knows, and but Nelson doesn't, that she is pregnant with his child as a number result of top managers from the company were posted one night they spent together some three months ago. Her condition will be obvious before long, not least because Ruth is prone to Fordlandia to run the operation. Huge amounts sudden bouts of money were pumped into Fordlandia, and Ford made great claims for their planssickness. However, the project was a spectacular failure, and it lasted less than twenty years.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848311478</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Aifric Campbell0008551324|title=The Loss AdjustorDevil You Know (D S Max Craigie)|author=Neil Lancaster
|rating=4.5
|genre=General FictionCrime|summary=CaroIt's job unusual for anyone from the Hardie family to approach the police. Neither side likes or has any respect for the other. But Davie Hardie is to 'adjust' peoplestruggling in prison and he's losses. Working for prepared to tell the police where the body of a large insurance company, she deals day to day with people grieving missing person is buried and who was responsible for their lost or stolen belongingsher death. Digital cameras with priceless honeymoon photos This person, he promises, laptops with work files is someone big and engagement ringsit will be worth the police doing what he wants. It's Caro's responsibility And what he wants is to be transferred to an open prison to assess serve the case remainder of his sentence and decide on whether to financially reimburse or notget an early parole date. But Caro knows well that sometimes Not much to ask, is it? The new Deputy Police Constable doesn't think so and she's not about even prepared to do the money. Her job requires emotional sensitivity other thing that Hardie demanded - make certain that DS Max Craigie and the sort of manner that invites people to open up to you. Her years of experience have made her an expert in dealing anyone who works with everyone elsehim is kept well away from what's loss. But not her ownhappening.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846687306</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Kresley Cole0008405026|title=Pleasure of a Dark PrinceA Stranger in the Family (Maeve Kerrigan 11)|author=Jane Casey|rating=3.5|genre=FantasyCrime|summary=Sexy half dressed hunk on cover? Check. Enticing title? Check. Sometimes thereIt's nothing nicer than curling up with a glass of wine (or two!), some cheese and crackers and lovely hunky man – even if he is the main character in a book! sixteen years since nine-year-old Rosalie Marshall disappeared from her bed one summer night. I've She was never read Kresley Cole before but I love fantasy, especially with a romantic element found and so I was looking forward the investigation ground to trying a new authorhalt.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849830363</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Ellie Bethel and Alexandra Colombo|title=Litterbug Doug (A Michael Recycle Adventure)|rating=4|genre=For Sharing|summary=Litterbug Doug lives on a hill Now, just outside a beautiful town. His home is an absolute dump, with rubbish strewn everywhereher mother, rats scurrying through the messHelena, and he won't tidy up his bloomin' bedroomher father are dead in their bed. It's disgusting. Utterly utterly disgusting. His mess spreads and spreads and spreads and spreads. Thankfully Initially, Michael Recycle is on hand to teach Doug the error of his ways.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1845394151<it looks like a straightforward murder/amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Sarah Singleton|title=The Island|rating=4|genre=Teens|summary=Otto has arrived in Goa a couple of days ahead of Charlotte and Jen, his gap year companions. It's typical of Otto to steal what should be shared thunder. He's a lovely lad, suicide but hethere's a tad selfish and he does like to be first for everything. Each something about the positioning of the three has a different reason for the trip: Otto wants to get some experience for a hoped-for career in photo-journalism; Charlie wants to volunteer bodies that makes DS Maeve Kerrigan and beef up her environmental credentials; Jen has dreamed of journeying boss DI Josh Derwent suspicious. What looked as though it was going to India for as long as she can remember. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847382967</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Lucy M George be an open-and Rachel Swirles|title=The Elves and the Shoemaker|rating=4|genre=For Sharing|summary=The shoemaker grows older and older-shut case is now a complex double murder. Where he once made Kerrigan is convinced that the finest shoes explanation lies in town, heRosalie's now struggling to make ends meet. With only enough money for the leather for one pair of shoes, hedisappearance: others (such as Derwent's on his last legs. He leaves the leather on the tableboss, ready to assemble the next morning, but when he comes down, the elves have made the most beautiful shoes everUna Burt) are less convinced.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1845394135</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Martin Bell0571379877|title=A Very British Revolution: The Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our Democracy|rating=4|genre=Politics and Society|summary=I've long thought it strange that of all the ills that have befallen the country over the last few years it was not really the bankers' follies or the swine flu that never really got off the ground but the venality of our MPs which caught the public's attention. Compared to the amounts required to bail out a bank the sums involved were minute, but moats, floating duck houses and flipping houses caught the imagination and our elected representatives became just a little wary of admitting what they did for a living.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848311281</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewKellerby Code|author=Kari-Lynn Winters and Christina Leist|title=On My WalkJonny Sweet
|rating=3.5
|genre=For SharingCrime|summary=A little girl Edward Jevons is going for a walk working-class young man, obsessed with her mummy his upper-class friends, Robert and her dogStanza. They hear Robert's a horse saying clippitytheatre director. He's also self-clop obsessed, demanding, handsome and a frog saying frippityentitled and uses Edward to run errands for him. Edward has been in love with Stanza since their university days -frop. They enjoy all the sights and sounds of the beautiful summerhe's day, until it starts drunkenly confided how he feels to rain, drippity-drop, drippity-dropRobert. Most men in Robert's position would stay away from Stanza or tell Edward that a relationship had begun between them but he's not like most men: Edward is left to stumble upon the two of them kissing in a dark passageway..|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1896580610</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jad AdamsJo Callaghan|title=Gandhi: Naked AmbitionLeave No Trace
|rating=4
|genre=BiographyCrime|summary=Until I read this bookWhen a man is found crucified on the top of a hill in Nuneaton, DCS Kat Frank finds herself assigned to the case alongside her sidekick, the AI detective Lock. It's their first live case together, Mohandas Karamchand (or Mahatma for short) Gandhi had always having previously been very successful with several cold cases. But when there is a second body found crucified a few days later, Kat is suddenly struggling with a potential serial killer and a very shadowy figurehigh profile case that draws a lot of unwanted attention to their AI Future Policing project. I was familiar with Will they be able to solve the picture of case in time, or will Kat find herself taken off the loincloth-clad man who fell victim to an assassin's bullet shortly after Indian independencecase and, potentially, but knew little more.out of a career?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1849162107</amazonuk>139851120X
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Susie Dent1399613073|title=How to Talk Like a Local: From Cockney to Geordie, a National CompanionMoral Injuries|author=Christie Watson
|rating=4.5
|genre=TriviaThrillers|summary=Meeting Olivia, Laura and Anjali met on the first day of medical school and their friendship would keep them inseparable for a grammersow in quarter of a netty century. Olivia is ruthlessly ambitious, which is more common than a bonus when you might think - I'd put my revits on itaim to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. Having Laura is a perfectionist and a neb around these pages I can find many different ways trauma doctor. Anjali is the free spirit of saying the above, as well - or should that be boco waysgroup and she becomes a GP. But before this review comes out as complete cagWhen we first meet them they're at a drug and alcohol-mag, Ifuelled party and it'd better say this book is just as yous going to end in tragedy. We don'd expect t know who suffered the tragedy or the consequences. Twenty- five years later there will be an amenableeerily similar event that will impact the three friends. This time, approachable but intelligent look at regional idiom and slang, in A-Z dictionary formit's their teenage children who are involved.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905211791</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Robert Edric0241636604|title=SalvageThe Trading Game: A Confession|author=Gary Stevenson|rating=4.5|genre=Science FictionAutobiography|summary=Some time about If you were to bring up an image of a hundred years hence city banker in your mind, you're unlikely to think of someone like Gary Stevenson. A hoodie and jeans replaces the predictions have come to passpin-stripe suit and his background is the East End, where he was familiar with violence, poverty and injustice. The sea levels have risen; There was no posh public school on his CV - but he had been to the Gulf Stream has shifted its pathLondon School of Economics. Climate change Stevenson is bright - extremely bright - and he has hit Britain a facility with a vengeance. Global Warming is the misnomer; numbers which most of course the temperatures are, on balance, warmerus can only envy. Snow is something He also realised that most rich people only hear or read aboutexpect poor people to be stupid. The real changeIt was his ability at what was, essentially, howevera card game which got him an internship with Citibank. Eventually, is the wetthis turned into permanent employment as a trader.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0385617623</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Bill Sheehy1035021803|title=The Argentine KidnappingAntique Hunter's Guide to Murder|author=C L Miller
|rating=3.5
|genre=General FictionCrime|summary=Son Cardonsky is It's twenty years since Freya Lockwood has been back to the type English country village where she grew up. She's back now because of guy that would make even a request for help from her beloved aunt, Carole. Freya's former mentor and Carole's close friend, Arthur Crockleford, is dead and the biggest of cowards want circumstances seem suspicious, to take on say the playground bully on their behalfleast. WhichArthur was the reason why Freya had not been back to the village: Arthur, funnily enoughshe feels, is how Bernie Gould acquires Son Cardonsky let her down badly. Even though they were in business together as his 'best-friend-forever'; at least, that isantique hunters, Son considers Bernie she has not felt able to be his best friend near the man or pursue the profession she loved. After the split, she worked in a cafe, met and married James (on the rebound from the worldlove of her life, even if Bernie can't quite see it the same waywho was murdered) and Freya and James have now divorced.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0709089945</amazonuk>
}}
{{Frontpage
|isbn=AllTomorrowsFutureCover
|title=All Tomorrow's Futures: Fictions that Disrupt
|author=Benjamin Greenaway and Stephen Oram (Editors)
|rating=5
|genre=Science Fiction
|summary=''Opening up new ways of thinking about the shape of things to come.''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David AbbottSunny Singh|title=The Upright Piano PlayerHotel Arcadia|rating=43.5|genre=General FictionThrillers |summary=The central characterHotel Arcadia is a luxury hotel in an unnamed city that has suddenly been violently taken over by a terrorist group. Hiding from the terrorists who are rampaging through, one Mr Henry Cage (he'd approve of the courteous form of address) killing everyone on site, there is whiteSam, middle-aged a wartime photographer and middle-classAbhi, the hotel manager. He appears As Abhi continues to have a perfect, enviable life. Reaping try to care remotely for the residents who are still alive in the substantial rewards of a successful businesshotel, he's acquired along the way forms a lovely London homebond with Sam who refuses to be cowed by events, a wife and a familykeeps on venturing out of her room to try to capture what's happened through her photography. All boxes tickedAlthough they only ever talk over the phone, you'd thinktheir 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.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1906694842</amazonuk>086154742X
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Amy Husband1529153298|title=Dear Miss|rating=4|genre=For Sharing|summary=It's Michael's first day back at school and he really doesn't fancy sitting through maths and double geography. He writes a letter to his teacher, explaining that the secret service have recruited him to rescue a missing explorer. Letter after letter The List of his adventures follow, until Miss counters with a letter of her own...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1845393732</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewSuspicious Things|author=Joanna Davies|title=FreshersJennie Godfrey|rating=3.5
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Going to Uni It's 1979 and Margaret Thatcher is meant to be one of the best times of your lifePrime Minister. (A woman? I mean, honestly...that first taste of freedom from your ) She's not what's worrying Miv's family, learning independence, meeting new friends and discovering who you arethough. Women have been disappearing. OhWell, and a little studying of course! they've been murdered, but to have 'disappeared' doesn't sound quite so frightening. This book charts Miv's upset because she's overheard that her father wants to move the first family 'fresherDown South' year of three students. When you're from Yorkshire, LoisDown South is a frightening, foreign place, Cerys and Hywel who are studying at Aberystwyth University during 1991/1992best avoided. I was interested because I did my first degree just a couple of years after thisFor Miv, the move would mean leaving her best friend, Sharon, and also I studied a post grad at Aberystwythshe'll do anything to prevent that. Turns out this wasnShe't exactly a nice happy trip down memory lane however..s not worried about the dangers or that her Mum's stopped talking - to anyone.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1906784140</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Trisha Ashley1398524085|title=Chocolate WishesHas Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?|author=Nicci French|rating=4.5|genre=Women's FictionCrime|summary=I know one should Charlotte Salter was expected at her husband's fiftieth birthday party but never judge a book by its coverturned up. Her children, sons Niall, Paul and Ollie and her daughter, Etty. are all worried but somehow I always do. So I was expecting some light-hearted chickstrangely -lit when I began this bookher husband, Alec, is not. I was a little startled to Shortly afterwards, Etty and Greg, find several mentions the body of tarot cardsGreg's father, Mayan charmsDuncan Ackerley, in the river. It was an easy assumption for the police to make that Duncan had murdered Charlie and guardian angels - a somewhat bizarre spiritual mixture - within then committed suicide when he couldn't stand the first pagesguilt. What, I wondered, had I got myself into?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847561144</amazonuk>The Salter children are not convinced but there's little else they can do but get on with their lives and wonder about what really happened.
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=R J Anderson1035906708|title=Rebel (Knife)Diva|author=Daisy Goodwin
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident ReadersGeneral Fiction|summary=Fifteen years after the events We tend to think of KnifeMaria Callas as Greek, the Queen of the Oakenwyld is dying of old agebut she was born to Greek parents in Manhattan, New York, in December 1923 and only moved to Athens when she was thirteen. She charges Knife Her original surname was Kalogeropoulos but her father changed it to 'Callas's daughter, Linden, with the task of finding other faeries out to make it more manageable in the worldStates. Knife is now living When she was back in Athens - supposedly so that she could get appropriate training for her voice - she was raised under the human world with Nazi occupation by a mother who mercilessly exploited her husband Paul, and made no secret of her preference for her mission to protect the Oak is put in jeopardy by the arrival of Paul's teenage cousinelder sister, TimothyJackie.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408307375</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Justin RichardsChristopher Edge|title=The Chamber of ShadowsBlack Hole Cinema Club
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=It's LondonLucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, 1886. A company building those new underground train tunnels finds a hidden vault at impossible depth - and seems to release into place that has the world nickname of 'The Lord of FliesBlack Hole'. A mysterious masked stage magician does the obviously impossible. All big movie fans, they're looking forward to lots of exciting films, and many, many snacks! A robotic killer stalks However, as the streetsmovie starts, they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very different, and a street gang of ruffians-on-the-they are swept up decides to solve the mysteryinto an adventure they couldn't even imagine. A man in charge of Fortean artefacts at But as they lurch from one film genre to the British Museum has a new employernext, asking something much more evil from him. Surely all of that cannot be connected in some waycan they figure out what on earth is going on? Surely one book can not have all those dark and mysterious elements we can probably all recogniseWill they ever get back to the cinema, and put them into one period thriller without coming over as a horrendous porridge of parodyto their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571237991</amazonuk>1839942738
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Margaret LeroyRachel Greenlaw|title=The Perfect MotherCompass and Blade
|rating=3.5
|genre=Women's FictionTeens|summary=Perfection pervades every corner of Catriona's life She has a beautiful home, a charming husband, a well-behaved stepdaughter, and a cherished daughter 'I can hear the song of her own, 8-year-old Daisythe sea. When Daisy is taken illThe call of the deep, Catriona does all a good mother would do to help her get betterthe answering beat in my heart. But as Daisy's condition deteriorates with no sign of improvement, Catriona seeks more and more medical intervention, until eventually she is accused of being responsible for her daughter's illness.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0778303527</amazonuk>}}
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Robin WassermanJames Sherwood Metts|title=CrashedPlanet Storyland
|rating=4.5
|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=Lia lives in Things have been a future where minds can be saved even if bodies can'tbit sticky for the Earthlings. After a fatal car crash, her brain has AI and automation have been scanned, mapped, savedproceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're paid to do and transferred into a machine designed other tasks that took time to look and feel humanaccomplish. She'll live forever. We last saw her with her new mech "life" in tatters after Auden's terrible accident Just as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and her family's rejection. She can't see a future for herself amongst the orgs any more and so she rejoins Jude and his group starting to think of adrenaline junkie mechs at Quinn's mansionother, new ways to spend time, along came an awful pandemic. It's a life of extreme thrill-seeking, backed up by Quinn's unlimited credit Life was pretty much shut down and Jude's shady contact at Bio Max, who supplies them along with dangerous and untestedit, but exciting and cutting edge mods and updatesall the many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847387659</amazonuk>1736128426
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David YellandMatthew Tree|title=The Truth About Leo|rating=4|genre=Teens|summary=Leo lives inside his own head for much of the time. You can't really blame him. He's always tired for a start. That's because he's often up early, tidying up the house after one of his father's rampages. His father drinks too much, you see, and sometimes he smashes up the house. Leo can't risk this being discovered because his father's the only person he's got since his mother died of cancer. He misses her like crazy, and he's afraid heWe'll be taken into care if anyone finds out about his dad's drinking. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141330031</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Dominique Lapierre|title=A Rainbow in the Night Never Know
|rating=4.5
|genre=Politics and SocietyLiterary Fiction|summary=A book integrating otherwise piecemeal news stories picked up over the past forty years into Timothy Wyndham wants nothing more than to be different from his father, a coherent explanation is always welcomedrunk and chronic underachiever whose dreams of being exceptional at any of his artistic passions all failed miserably and who had endless crises of self confidence. This book explores South Africa's history So Tim applied himself to his studies, cultivated his abilities rather than his daydreams and development, from the earliest Dutch arrivals in 1652 to the first racially integrated elections in 1994set himself high but achievable ambitions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0306818477</amazonuk>B0CVFXPGP8
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Doug StewartA G Slatter|title=The Boy Who Would Be ShakespeareBriar Book of the Dead
|rating=5
|genre=HistoryFantasy|summary=In the late 18th century, keen to impress the Shakespeare-obsessed father who paid him little attention, 19 year old William Henry Ireland forged a couple of Elizabethan documents to show him. With the older man completely taken in, his child then pretended he'd found ' There's a trunk full part of lost artefacts belonging me that wants to the Bard – love letters keep this just to Anne Hathaway, a declaration myself for however long I can. This secret magic of his Protestant faithmy own, the manuscript of King Learall mine, and even entirely new playsat last. Ireland fooled not only his father, but also many of the prominent Londoners of the time, including Robert Southey, James Boswell, and the future William IVI just want to enjoy it for a while.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0306818310</amazonuk>}}''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Sophie Hannah1529900360|title=A Room Swept WhiteThe Ghost Orchid|author=Jonathan Kellerman|rating=4.5
|genre=Crime
|summary=ThereIt hadn't been Lt Milo Sturgis's a classic Agatha Christie style hook at 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 difficult cases. His assertions that there were only open-and-shut cases which didn't need the start help of this storya psychologist only worked for a while. TV producer Fliss Benson receives a card with no message other than sixteen numbers arranged in four rows of fourFinally, it was Robin, Delaware's partner, who nudged Milo into asking for help again. On She knew that the involvement was something that the same day Fliss takes over work on a documentary about cot death mothers and miscarriages of justiceman she loved needed. SimultaneouslyThe next case did look simple, one though. Two lovers were murdered in the swimming pool of the mothers is found dead at her house with an identical numbered card a remote property in her pocketBel Air. Work out what He was the numbers mean heir to an Italian shoe empire and she is married to an extremely rich man and you will find it's not the killerItalian. But as this is a typically densely plotted Sophie Hannah story you will have to note every detail in every part which of them was the book to reach the right conclusion. The plot has more twists than a spiral staircase, though there are clues that could help you, including one rather cheeky feature - if you can spot it. Sadly, I didn't until I was writing this review…|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340980621</amazonuk>primary target?
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=James Kelman1529395224|title=If it is Your Letting the Cat Out of the Bag: The Secret Lifeof a Vet|author=Sion Rowlands|rating=3.5|genre=Short StoriesAnimals and Wildlife|summary=''If This Is Your Life'' is not so much Siôn Rowlands fell into veterinary science accidentally. His father was a collection of short stories as a collection of pieces of creative writing. Kelman doesnGP and Rowlands didn't really do 'stories'. In nineteen pieces of writing of varying length from just a single page want to more lengthy piecesfollow in his footsteps, such as particularly when he considered the story strain that gives its title to this collection, Kelman writes (mostly) about people being on-call put on his father's life. When he was seventeen he took the edge opportunity of societydoing work experience with a family friend who was a vet and was convinced this was the job for him. Before long, he was at Liverpool University. He addresses issues such It hadn't - as classwith so many students - been his dream since he was a child. If anything, politics, gender, age and ill healthhe'd wanted to be a professional footballer.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241142423</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Philip Augar0861541774|title=Reckless: The Rise and Fall A Nye of the CityPheasants|author=Steve Burrows
|rating=4
|genre=Business and FinanceCrime|summary=The CityDCI Domenic Jejeune's close friend and former colleague, Danny Maik, 1997. Many major institutions are struggling has taken a short holiday in the City, Singapore to meet up with high profile scandals taking down Barings and severely damaging the reputation of Morgan Grenfell. The Cityan old ally, 2007Guy Trueman. Less than Maik was involved in a fortnight before becoming Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, at the Mansion House Dinner, describes the current time as 'an era street brawl - he would later maintain that history will record as the beginning of he was facing a man armed with a knife - and he killed a new golden ageGhurka.' The City Initially, 8th October, 2008. Author Philip Augar states 'even the most conservative observer would have he faced a charge of manslaughter but evidence came to concede light that suggested that 8 October 2008 amounted he might have planned to a catastrophic failure of private-sector banking in murder the man. Now he could be facing the UKdeath penalty. Domenic Jejeune can do nothing to help as any interference from another police force could provoke a diplomatic incident and wouldn'|amazonuk=<amazonuk>009952404X</amazonuk>t help Danny at all.
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Richard DenningAlexander McCall Smith|title=Tomorrow's GuardianThe Perfect Passion Company
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident ReadersGeneral Fiction|summary=Eleven year old Tom Oakley thinks he's going mad when he seems to relive short periods of his life, and dreams about other people from different times. The reality Perfect Passion Company is far stranger – he's a Walkerdating agency in Edinburgh, with run by Ness and operating as an alternative to all the power to rescue those he dreamed aboutonline apps in providing a more personal, tailored service. Travelling to Ness has asked her younger cousin Katie if she could come and look after the battle of Isandlwanabusiness, the Great Fire as Ness is planning to take a trip to Canada to get away for a while. Katie is coming out of Londona break up with a bad boyfriend, and a German U-Boat, guided by so jumps at the mysterious Professorchance to come home to Edinburgh. And so begins this new story from Alexander McCall Smith, Tom saves the lives of soldier Edward, servant Marybringing us to an Edinburgh we already love, thanks to 44 Scotland Street and Able Seaman Charliethe Isabel Dalhousie novels, but with some new characters who also have powersquickly begin to charm. There are others Katie has no experience in running a business, howeveror in match-making, with similar powersbut Ness has full confidence in her abilities, who aren't as pleasant as Tomand there's new friends – always her very helpful (and the four of themrather handsome) neighbour, allied with the Professor and his roguish helper SeptimusWilliam, are pitched into to lend a battle to save the worlds. That's intentionally plural – there are two parallel universes at stake here.hand…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1445251388</amazonuk>1846976596
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Kate Griffin0811771741|title=The Midnight Mayor: A Matthew Swift Novel InstaKnits for Baby|author=Melissa Leapman|rating=54|genre=FantasyCrafts|summary=Melissa Leapman'A telephone rangs ''InstaKnits for Baby'' gives us a collection of knits from toys to blankets. I answered. After that… …it Some will be quick knits - others are of the 's complicated.long, cosy afternoons in front of the fire' Sorcerer Matthew Swift does not especially like dangervariety. In fact, after The projects are divided by the events that led time they'll take to him destroying the Tower and his former teachercomplete - less than five hours, Robert Bakkerfive to ten hours, he'd prefer it greatly if danger would leave him ten to mind his own businesstwenty hours and more than twenty hours. All the projects are attractive, thank you very muchmodern and useable. I perhaps show my age when I wonder about 'social-media-worthy projects' but that's me being picky.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1841497347</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jim KraneDean Koontz|title=Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest CityBad Weather Friend
|rating=4.5
|genre=HistoryParanormal|summary=In the 1950Benny is having a terrifically bad day. He loses his job, he loses his fiancee, and his house gets trashed. Oh, and someone has delivered a really weird, disturbing coffin-sized object to his home, and it'spossible that whoever or whatever was inside is the thing that has trashed his house! The thing is, Dubai contained just Benny is the very last person to deserve all this bad luck. He is a few thousand inhabitants scraping a livingnice person. A really nice person. By 1985, So fortunately for Benny it had grown, but Sheikh Mohammed was still laughed at when he said turns out that he wanted the delivery to make it his house is a new friend, a popular destination bad weather friend called Spike, who has been sent to help him since Benny is clearly under attack from nefarious forces for touristsbeing a good person. With the addition Spike is going to take care of artificial islands, the world's tallest building, an indoor ski slopeBenny, and much more, it's now one will certainly take care of the worldBenny's foremost cities - but as headlines showed last yearenemies, the stellar growth may have been extremely costly, in terms of financesif he, environmental problemsBenny, and the quality of life for some of its inhabitantsHarper (a waitress slash Private Investigator who finds herself roped into Benny's wild adventure) can figure out who exactly they are.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848870094</amazonuk>1662500491
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sue ShephardAdam Stower|title=The Surprising Life of Constance SpryMurray and Bun
|rating=4.5
|genre=BiographyConfident Readers |summary=The very mention 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 name Constance Spry conjures up thoughts of flower arranging and books of recipes from a bygone eratwo. Perhaps it was her misfortune that she died just before television could have made But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a celebrity of herhyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, as it did of not into the likes regular back garden, but into a world of Fanny Cradock frightening adventure and Nigella Lawson, to name but twowhiffs. Even soThis time round it drops them into a Viking land, she enjoyed where a remarkably successful careertroll hunter is expected – well, and the woman behind the public face one much bigger than Murray was no ordinary career woman, to be honest, but quite an unconventional personality.he's turned up and he'll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0230741819</amazonuk>0008561249
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{{Frontpage
|isbn=B0C47LV1PC
|title=Fragility
|author=Mosby Woods
|rating=4
|genre=Literary Fiction
|summary= Can you make a ''Yo birthing person'' joke? And if you could, is the 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=Susan Fletcher1529431735|title=Corrag|rating=5|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=A small and dirty woman sits in a prison cell. With her bare feet and her matted hair and her damp, filthy clothes, she doesn't wonder at the word ''witch''. She has been called it all her life. Her mother called her ''witch'' before she named her. Her given name Corrag – was a corruption: for Cora (her mother) and Hag (which she'd get as used to as Cora had). She sits through the snow of the winter, knowing that the sound she hears outside is the dragging of the logs for her pyre. She was told, though, that a man would come. So she waits for him.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007321597</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewThe Winter Visitor|author=Martin Stratford|title=Double JeopardyJames Henry|rating=2.54
|genre=Crime
|summary=Celebrating her release from 18 months under cover busting a drugs gangIt's February 1991 and Essex is bitingly cold, Detective Sergeant Julie Cooper meets her cherished Aunt Jo for dinnerwhich made Bruce Hopkins' return all the more surprising. Just across from He'd been exiled on the restaurant, in Costa del Sol as a dark alley, wanted drug smuggler for a man stands watching. As the two women leave the restaurant, a motorcycle rounds the corner – not travelling at excess speed or in any other way destined to attract attention – shots ring outdecade. Two bodies hit the ground.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0709089651</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=D J Taylor|title=Ask Alice|rating=4|genre=General Fiction|summary=The central character Alice, return has come about because he's had a humble start in life but ' ... the silence of the Kansas flat ... and the distant murmur of the freight trains ' is not for her. She dreams of the bright lights of the big cities and although she is naive and unworldlyletter from his ex-wife, fancies herself as an actress. Painful and difficult decisions are made as saying that she reaches for her goal. Her talent 's ill and resourcefulness see her through; give her a modest roof above her head in this precarious profession.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099531984</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Christopher Golden (Editor)|title=Zombie: An Anthology of the Undead|rating=5|genre=Horror|summary=Anyone who enjoys a good horror story and likes zombie films will love this book, which is a collection of nineteen short stories by a variety of authors. I have to admit that I have only heard of one of the authors before - [[:Category:Mike Carey|Mike Carey]], who writes the [[The Naming of the Beasts (Felix Castor) by Mike Carey|Felix Castor]] novels - but I am not an avid reader of the genre and donhasn't doubt that the authors will be known long to readers more familiar with itlive. Despite this unfamiliarity, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the stories, with just one or two seemingly not up It's hard to scratch.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0749952539</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Richard Denning|title=The Amber Treasure|rating=3.5|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=Cerdic feel any sympathy when Hopkins is the younger son of a minor lord living in a quiet Anglo Saxon village in sixth century Northumbria. His people are settled and the Welsh (Romano-Britons) seem contained behind the Pennines. Cedric fully expects to live out his live as a gentleman farmerabducted, hopefully with the beautiful Aidith by his side. But as he listens stripped to the tales told by Lilla the bard, he can't help but dream of following after his uncle, the great warrior Cynric, underwear and finding glory in battle. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849140235</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Abby Lee|title=Girl With a One Track Mind: Exposed: Further Revelations of a Sex Blogger |rating=5|genre=Autobiography|summary=Abby Lee is back with a brand new book that's sure to bring her readers closer sent to her than they've ever been before. For those who missed the media spectacle that surrounded her first book, 'Girl With a One Track Mind' followed twelve months watery grave in the life boot of 'Abby Lee', a film runner who became an internet sensation after starting stolen Ford Sierra. Is it a warning from a blog in 2004 detailing her sexual exploits and thoughts. The book became an immediate success with men and women alike and earned Abby Spanish gang or a couple of thousand more hits on her blog ever day.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0330509691</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Katherine Howe|title=The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane|rating=3|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=Connie is doing postgraduate research on witchcraft. Although she is initially rather wary of being asked problem closer to clear out her grandmother’s old house, the project turns out to lead to lots of exciting possibilities, including romance and perhaps original sources for her studies.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141047550</amazonuk>}}home?