amothersmusings1's reviews
1913 reviews

The Ride of Her Life by Jennifer Dugan

4.0

This sapphic, fun love story is set in the gorgeous backdrop of an American horse barn business and I learned a lot about the up keep and financial side of looking after horses and making sure a profit can be made. It made sense to sell the farmland with Molly’s growing debt and her hopeful dream of starting her own business venture but when she starts forming a bond with the horses and the staff who have become her friends, it’s no wonder she starts to doubt her decision despite her family and friends back home, insisting it’s a bad idea to stay.  At the same time, Molly has her eyes set on the resident farrier Shani, an attractive but highly emotional cowgirl who is dead against the selling of the land to developers and certainly makes it plain to see that this is her staunch opinion. 

 

This was such a entertaining read, despite the love/hate relationship between Molly and Shani. The way they were thrown together in an emotional and slightly bewildering way explains how they get off on the wrong foot with each other. I do have to admit that the ‘will they or won’t they’ feeling was frustrating and had me nearly shouting at the book, telling them to get their act together 🤣 but it was all part of the relationship growing between the two women and the denouement is worth waiting for. 

 

Shani’s brother, added some appealing rodeo action and with all of the characters endearing and memorable, “The Ride of her Life” was certainly a rollercoaster ride of a story and I can happily recommend it. 

 

#TheRideOfHerLife - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

The Shame by Maureen Myant

5.0

A word of bookish advice - if you’re going to read a Maureen Myant novel, please allow yourself enough time, you really won’t be able to put it down as I’ve found out yet again, with this her third book in the ‘Glasgow Southside Crime’ series, “The Shame”. 

 

It’s too easy to say a story is intriguing but never was it more appropriate for this book, as the author literally keeps the reader in the dark on a secret until the final few pages. A secret I never guessed but one that leaves you with a moral dilemma to ponder on, whether it was right or wrong. I liked Edith Drummond, my heart bled for her, and the love and protection she showed for her primary school class was adorable. Olivia the head teacher was a menace and I enjoyed how Edith responded to her catty comments. 

 

When historic remains are found during excavation work on a house extension, DI Alex Scrimgeour assigns DS Mark Nicholson to track down the previous owners. However, once he starts digging into the past, a shameful story emerges and as his enquiries takes him to Edinburgh to interview Edith, he’s convinced she knows more than she admits. 

 

Although part of a series, this book can easily be read as a standalone, though as always, for character development the series is best read in order. Mark is still torn between two women and having bitten off more than he can chew, is struggling to keep either his wife or ex mistress happy, while he lives temporarily with Alex in his flat. Between Alex and his reunited daughter and Mark and his parenting woes, this forms an interesting side story to the investigation. 

 

I really enjoyed this gripping book, once again I was addicted to an absorbing and unique story. I felt a true affection for Edith and her past and with police detectives who I feel I now know personally, this produced a first class Scottish crime novel that was without doubt, a five star read for me. 

 

#TheShame - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Theatre of Glass and Shadows by Anne Corlett

3.5

“The Theatre of Glass and Shadows” is set in an alternative post war London and is a quirky, contemporary historical fantasy novel, written by Anne Corlett, author of ‘The Space Between the Stars’ which is about a plague ravished universe. 

 

The minute Juliet set foot in the ‘Theatre District’ I felt like I physically did too. For some reason I endeared to the place instantly, not sure whether it was the magic realism of the environment or the sinister feeling of mystery and suspense of the unknown. The author has a terrific imagination and at times, I felt I was either in a ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Charles Dickens’ or ‘Alice in Wonderland’ world. The district itself was built from ‘hopes and dreams, wishes and beliefs of everyone who ever walked through the gates and held the memory of everyone who performed there’. This in itself was an ingenious story but it also included the death of numerous young girls over the years and with a police investigation on the outside of the district but hampered by upper echelon restrictions, the reader was also privy to a crime element. 

 

The book is based on the real life atmospheric and innovative art of ‘immersive theatre’. This is where the audience participates and interacts in hugely detailed environments, together with free roaming rooms following the actors or discovering the action for themselves. This encourages the integral part of the performance ensuring the maximum enjoyment of this unusual, theatre experience.  As well as all members of audience being disguised with a theatrical mask, this adds to the mystery of the performance and similarly to the ‘followers’ in the story, the actors aren’t aware of who is actually watching the show. 

 

With a tense and fast paced denouement, this book was a very enjoyable read and if you’re open to a story set just that somewhere different and with wonderful and diverse characters, then “The Theatre of Glass and Mirrors” is for you. 

 

Her Charming Man by Rachel Sargeant

4.0

“Her Charming Man” by Rachel Sargeant is the second book in ‘The Gloucestershire crime series’ and since I enjoyed the first; “Her Charming Friend”, I knew this book would be just as entertaining, for which I wasn’t disappointed. 

 

DI Steph Lewis is a likeable and hardworking police officer and I really sympathised with her nigh on permanent migraine headaches. I was hoping to see a diagnosis in this book for her but understood her reluctance to pursue a brain scan.  I do feel there is a lot more to come regarding this storyline, which I hope sees some relief for Steph.  Her working relationship with the young DC Harriet Harris was intriguing and gave Steph a hard time with regards to her management skills towards the young woman, however the banter between all the department was good to read and the conversations with the forensics guy was at times quite funny. 

 

I was totally caught off guard with the conclusion, it wasn’t something I’d considered and a very clever move by the author, drawing the reader into the story and then dropping a bombshell of a denouement. 

 

Although the second in the series, this can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone, the author has included what is needed to know from the first book, especially regarding the father of Steph’s son Jake and I have high hopes again for book three. A great British police procedural, perfect for dedicated crime fiction fans and I’d happily recommend this series and the author. 

 

#HerCharmingMan - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

Hidden Depths by J.H. Mann

3.5

Set on the coastline of Cornwall and the stunning Isles of Scilly, “Hidden Depths” is a financial crime thriller which the author JH Mann, has succeeded in creating an evocative, atmospheric story with an intriguing premise. 

 

The depths of deceit, lies and guilt that Catherine kept hidden was astonishing. I can only imagine how it would play on your conscience, especially in front of your family and to find yourself getting deeper and deeper involved, must have been frightening. I can’t say I took to any of the characters themselves, they were naturally selfish and arrogant but they played their parts to the letter and came across as the villains they were. 

 

I liked how the author incorporated ocean swimming as the backdrop for the story and how pivotal it was to the main character’s defence system. Being a non swimmer myself, I envied Catherine the luxury of the freedom of the sea and understood the feeling of the cold fresh water soothing the soul, from wading in freezing Scottish lochs myself. 

 

The last few chapters were tense and fast paced with an ending that leaves it to the reader to decipher and with an interesting and intriguing plot line, this book made for an entertaining read. 

The Essential Taylor Swift by Caroline Young

5.0

Taylor Swift’s monumental rise to stardom is known widely around the world and nobody has escaped the recent announcement and gossip surrounding her new album. “The Essential….” book featuring Taylor Swift is beautifully presented with some outstanding, colourful photos of Taylor in concert along with photos from her early career and personal life. I found this factual book fascinating and I’m not a Taylor Swift ‘super-fan’ but for those that follow her avidly and this goes without saying - it really is a must read for those that adore all things Taylor Swift. I particularly enjoyed reading ‘The Early Years’ chapter and learning how the friendly, Christmas loving, down to earth girl took the huge decision to leave RCA to write and record her own songs. Each chapter features information on each of her albums with a final chapter on “The Era Tours” and the songs sang at them with photos and relevant information. Finally there is a dedicated page to each of her albums, with the tracks, recording details and notes, including the infamous “The Tortured Poets Department” everyone is currently talking about. 

 

Love or hate her, this book is an invaluable read to know all you can about Taylor Swift and her music, perfectly sized, appealingly presented and an ideal gift for any discerning fan! 

 

#TheEssentialTaylorSwift - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

The Nightingale's Castle: A Novel of Erzabeth Báthory by Sonia Velton

3.0

Sonia Velton is a terrific author who instantly engages her readers with well written, researched and intriguing stories. I thought her previous novel “The Image of Her” was one of the best books I’ve ever read, so I was truly looking forward to reading this; “The Nightingale’s Castle”.  An historical retelling of the infamous ‘Blood Countess’ set in Hungary in the early 1600’s and using the author’s vivid imagination, we see Erzsébet Báthory’s life through her various servants and ladies, in particular Boróka who has her own personal reason for protecting the countess.  Although I found it difficult to pronounce in my head, some of the names and places mentioned, I still thought the story flowed with passion and emotion and the thought of over 600 peasant girls being murdered, kept my attention till the end. 

 

I’ve always had an interest in ‘witches’ in history and their unlawful persecution and it broke my heart to read yet again how terrifying it must have been to be a woman centuries ago, who was comfortable with her herbs and remedies, yet deemed to be a witch because of it. 

 

The characters were strong and a credit to the female race, in particular little Marta who I particularly loved, she truly had a good heart and was often overlooked. As a compelling character driven story, woven with betrayal, suspense and incredibly rich details, this book ticked all the boxes for a historical fiction novel. 

 

The Little Gardener's Handbook by Michael Holland

5.0

This big book is aimed at young children and with the easy description and back to basics drawings and explanations of everything you need to know about in a garden, both what grows and how to grow it. There’s so much for children to explore in a garden and this book is a fantastic way to experience nature at its most basic. I’d have loved this book as a kid and I know whomever is given this book will love it too. Perfect for the school library too especially nursery age children who like to explore outside at break times and could be used as part of the school learning. 

I’d highly recommend this book, there’s nothing to not like and I for one would be pleased to give it as a gift. 

5 stars 

The Midnight Man by Julie Anderson

4.0

“The Midnight Man” is the first in the Clapham Trilogy crime series, written by Julie Anderson and is set in 1946 post war London at the South London Hospital, ran by and for, women only. 

 

A prologue can make or break the start of a book and the opening paragraphs in this story, of a trapped woman fearing for her life, really set the intrigue and instantly gripped my attention and interest. 

 

When Faye, manager of the staff canteen encounters a woman sitting forlorn and lost, she befriends her and offers her a job cleaning tables. They soon strike up a friendship and Ellie becomes part of the hospital staff family.  When a nurse goes missing and is later found dead, Ellie believes she heard her cries for help and selfishly ignored them. Together, Ellie and Faye start investigating who the murderer could be and whether they could be involved with the hospital. Faye likes solving puzzles and discovering things and found herself unable to stop her undercover snooping. 

 

The introduction of the NHS hasn’t taken place yet, although it has passed through parliament and the story has a backdrop of what it’s like for patients pre NHS, having to find the funds to pay for treatment, be it illness, accident or life threatening disease. 

 

Women were still discriminated against, even though the hospital had some very prestigious female medical staff and hardworking employees and it was good to read that these women could quite easily hold their own and do the jobs of men. However, once men returned from war and expected their jobs back, the women were frowned upon for continuing their jobs and the language and latter day disparaging terms showed the men’s unhappiness. What was interesting was the recruitment drive of women into the Met Police after the war, something Faye would be perfect for. 

 

This crime story could quite easily be set in modern day times, showing that the crimes committed in the 1946 sadly haven’t changed and the author captured the nature of the crimes realistically and together with some extensive research of the era, social economics and politics, made this a very readable and enjoyable story and I can’t wait for book two and three! 

 

#TheMidnightMan - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Taste Of Blood by Lynda La Plante

3.5

“Taste of Blood” is book nine in Lynda La Plante’s #Tennison series and is the penultimate before the final book in the series, which is published in July this year. 

 

Jane has become disillusioned with her career to date but receives a timely boost with a posting to a CID office closer to home, headed by a higher ranking female officer. Although at first Jane believes this could be the making of her career, she soon finds herself investigating a lowly crime, warring neighbours disputing boundaries. But Jane isn’t fooled and soon becomes convinced that there is more to the squabbling than is first suspected. Despite being told to stop further investigating, typical Jane is like a dog with a bone and unable to curb her gut instincts. Will she prove herself right or could this be the end of her career? 

 

Jane’s personal life takes a more back seat as compared to the previous book ‘Dark Rooms’, although there are still some major changes and events that affect her mental and physical state. I feel like I’ve come to know Jane personally and as the story escalates and she becomes the driving force in the interview room, we see her at her best and finally achieving the recognition she deserves. Some fantastic police work is contained in the last 100 pages or so and I was addicted to the ensuing denouement. 

 

Lynda La Plante has an exceedingly imaginative and creative mind and combined with being a brilliant writer, her books are always a pleasure to read. The ideas for the crimes she comes up with, continue to astound me and I personally feel that Jane Tennison is probably the best fictional female detective around. The crimes committed are realistic and often grisly and heart wrenching but with Jane usually at the core of the investigation, nothing gets past her and the villains are always caught. 

 

I can’t wait for ‘Whole Life Sentence’ to see what the author has in store for Jane now she’s older, wiser and wholly respected for the police detective she is.