The Little Library Project

  Whilst you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, I definitely picked this one up purely because of its gorgeous dust-jacket. I knew nothing about it other than the fact it looks dark.   Was I prepared for a dark-academia mystery/thriller? Definitely not. Do I regret it? Not one bit.   Ann is working at The Cloisters, part of The Met in New York and is assigned to work with an esteemed curator who is looking to publish evidence that Tarot has always been, and can be used for fortune telling.   Given the authors background, its no surprise that there were quite a few references that went over my head, but with a love of Tarot, I enjoyed it all the same.   The drive of the characters for not just finding the answers, but being recognised for them was extremely well thought out and I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity of the final few chapters.     If you have an interest in Tarot or divination, I’d highly recommend this book. It’ll ins...

  There's something about an alternative Second World War or a "What If?" that intrigues me. After my somewhat disappointing experience with The Man In The High Castle a few weeks ago - I was hesitant that this would also miss the mark slightly but thankfully - it hit all the right spots.  A few months after the end of the War, Tom Wilde is back from his OSS placement and is settling back into academia at Cambridge. But a visit to a sick friend lands him in the midst of a biological attack on British Soil and he's called up on by his previous colleague to investigate.  I really enjoyed this story. I didn't realise that it was part of a series of novels based on the central character, Tom Wilde but that didn't stop my grasp of what was going on. The departments and fractions of military were easy to pick up though there are a likely a few backstories that would have been useful to piece things together quicker.  My only criticism is that Clements' writing s...

I finished this book 10 minutes before writing this... and I've been left with a feeling of - what on earth did I just read? So excuse the haphazard nature of my thoughts! Firstly, the cover and the description of this book do NOT give a true idea as to what this book is about in my opinion.  I quite fancied a 20's murder mystery set in a hotel. The blurb literally says: But when a terrible snow storm isolates the hotel – and its guests – from the outside world, the lines between nightmare and reality begin to blur and Nora will find herself face to face with a past she thought she had long left behind... But what we get instead is an almost horror story.  Trigger warnings: this book has dismemberment and cannibalism. I am not exactly feint-hearted but I know what I like and I do not like either of these things. Had they been included, I would have been able to make a judgement call early on.  I was also quite surprised that when I tried to find out what a Hyring was - I ...

  TW: Suicide As a teen, I was really taken with the film, The Virgin Suicides with Kirsten Dunst. I remember watching it so much (an honour held by very few films) but everytime - it completely devastated me. I don't think I was quite mature enough to understand beyond; these beautiful young people couldn't take it anymore so they ended their lives.  Fast forward and I bought the book last year. I had to wait until I was emotionally ready to read it knowing that there was a very strong chance I'd be left a mess.  A few confessions: Knowing the story as I do, I am confident in saying that I probably rushed through this book I didn't allow myself to emotionally connect to it But I don't regret it.  I think I will re-read this one another time; I don't think I was as ready as I thought otherwise I would have digested the story slower and with more care.  What I didn't anticipate was how stunning the writing is. Written from the perspective of one of the witnes...

  After an incident leaves Ibrahim in hospital, the gang is on a quest to ensure that justice is dealt to the teenager who hurt him. At the same time, Elizabeth has an unexpected visitor to the retirement village, on the run after an MI5 job didn't go to plan.  Once again, Joyce, Rob, Ibrahim and Elizabeth are joined by Chris and Donna on a mystery that will keep them all on their toes, getting them into trouble and proving that sometimes the oldest tricks in the book are the best. I cannot tell you how lovely it felt to curl back up with The Thursday Murder Club. I read Richard Osman's first book back in 2021 and devoured it in a single sitting.  I think we need to rename this genre Cosy Thriller - because it keeps your guessing, there's definitely some dark undertones but thanks to Osman's quintessentially British writing, it feels like harmless fun with the grandparents.  I can't wait to reach The Bullet That Missed when it comes out in paperback later this year....

Fresh in the midst of Valentines, I started reading Don't Swipe Right on Valentines day. Not only was it topical but the book is set on the lead up to Gwen's best friends wedding on February 14th. Following a fairly recent break up, Gwen is dipping her toe in the dating pool using online apps to meet new people. She is quickly realising that it's slim pickings. But the biggest shock comes when one of her dates, Rob is found dead in the local park.  After finding messages on the dating app from Gwen, the police want to speak her as she may have been one of the last people to speak to him alive. But then Freddie - her date from the following night is found dead too.. In my opinion this book is extremely plot driven - I enjoyed the characters but they were relatively flat with only the barest of back story.  As a thriller, this definitely meets he whodunnit criteria - I was kept guessing all the way through!

Kate Morton is an auto-read for both me and my mum. Since discovering The House At Riverton many years ago, we've both enjoyed her unique style of storytelling - twisting historical fiction and mystery expertly time and time again.  So when I saw Homecoming available through NetGalley - I of course opted straight away to grab an ARC.  It's Christmas 1959 and Percy Summers takes a detour through the Australian country to a waterhole to allow his horse to bathe and cool down. Noticing a family of their local town asleep by the waterside, he moves to make a neighbourly greeting to discover that they're not asleep at all and something awful has befallen then.  In London 2018, Jess finds out her Grandmother, Nora, has taken a fall back in Australia. Arriving back "home" after the long journey, she finds out that Nora has been acting strange for a while and Jess cannot work out why. Whilst Homecoming didn't incite the same emotions as some of her other books, the st...

Hot off the back of some intense historical fiction and fantasy reads, I thought I'd delve into a thriller courtesy of Paula Hawkins! I loved The Girl On The Train and it completely grabbed me from the start.  A Slow Fire Burning is based once again in London, and focusses on the death of Daniel and those who are implicated in his murder. A complex web of family history is revealed, with young Laura finding herself caught up in it all.  There were plenty of twists in this one and I had no idea who was going to come out as the murderer until the very end.  A Slow Fire Burning has a brilliant plot - did it grip me as much as The Girl on the Train? No. But it's still a must-read for easy thriller fans. 

The Betrayals has been sat on my bookshelf for a little while now. I read The Binding by Bridget Collins a couple of years ago and loved it. But it was one of those books that really got under my skin. The storytelling was fantastic but it gave me such an almighty book-hangover that I didn't want to willingly set myself up again.  Leo has resigned from his job as Minister of Culture and sent back to the monastery where he spent his time learning, mastering and perfecting the grand jeu. Being back at Montverre brings about the memories of his time there, including his reluctant friendship with his rival.  I will admit that I had to look up a few things whilst I was reading it - especially in the first 100 or so pages because I just couldn't get my head around what a "grand jeu" was, where the book was set, or what time period the book was based in. And by the time I finished there were still so many unanswered questions. A few speculations:  I like think that the book ...

  After an intense few weeks of romance and fantasy, I wanted to break things up with a something a little darker. The Sanatorium has been sat on my bookshelf and TBR for a little while now so I figured now would be as good a time as any to jump right in.  Elin is on leave from the police force following a case that left her emotionally, physically and mentally scarred. Invited to her brothers engagement celebrations at a new hotel in the Swiss Alps, she and her boyfriend Will take the trip to the middle of nowhere in the midst of one of the worst storms the area has seen in decades.  As well as the complex family history that Elin has to overcome, the threat of evacuation due to the weather is made that much more urgent when her soon-to-be sister in law goes missing.  What I loved most about this story wasn't the "thriller" aspect surprisingly, though it was done very well. It was the history of the building itself. The way the medical practises were described and t...

  Whilst grieving the deaths of her brother and fiancé during the First World War, Grace is shocked to find out that her families lodger, Elizabeth has also passed away. The police have ruled it to be suicide but Grace fears there’s more to the tragedy. A beautiful and poignant description of post-War London, this mystery wove a tale that didn’t help but pull at my heart strings. No tears were shed, but the feelings of grief were portrayed subtly and effectively.   Grace is a truly likeable character, seeing good in the world and a thirst for truth. Her determination and awareness was quite refreshing, especially when set in a time where womens rights were being pushed for and understood. The twist was good, a surprise but not unbelievable. An enjoyable read.  

​Started: Saturday 2nd July 2022 Finished: Saturday 2nd July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ On Saturday I travelled up to London to see Beauty and The Beast at the London Palladium and with a four hours on a train, I wanted something I could really get stuck into. I need a book small enough to fit in my bang, fast paced enough to lose myself in and lighthearted enough not to impact my mood and Murder On The Orient Express was perfect. My second delve into the Agatha Christie catalogue, I’ve already labelled her books as “filler” books - perfect for one sitting and clever enough to keep me guessing without the dreaded Book Hangover. Murder On The Orient Express sees the infamous Monsieur Hercule Poirot have an urgent recall to England, cutting his leisure time short. But oddly, the sleeper train is full, a strange and unexplained circumstance given the time of year. Through his years of connections, a temporary cabin is found to be shared with McQueen - the travel companion for Ratchett; and ...

​ Started: Sunday 26th June 2022 Finished: Wednesday 29th June 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "It takes a certain sort to withstand being locked up. Loneliness. Isolation. Monotony. Nothing for miles except sea and sea and sea. No friends. No women. Just the other two, day in, day out, unable to get away from them, it could drive you stark mad." I picked up The Lamplighters on a whim when I visited Waterstones at the weekend. The premise of the book is one I'm familiar with: In 1900, three lighthouse keepers disappeared from a Lighthouse off the coast of Scotland.  The story has been adapted into a film with Gerrard Butler called The Vanishing.  In this adaptation, three Lighthouse keepers disappear in 1972, leaving behind their three wives and plenty of speculation as to why and how these three vanished without a trace.  Through flashbacks and articles, we understand not only the mindset of the six main characters that this story circles, but also their secrets, their sto...