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Wednesday, July 30, 2025

The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James

 



Anthea has done what she had dreamed about for years. Governessing had been hard but she and sister Selena had stuck it out and now opened their school for girls. The Manor was spacious and ideal for the purpose but what they did not take into account was its history. The previous owners sister was charged with the murder of her husband and was hanged for it. When just weeks into her ownership, a young housemaid was found drowned in a nearby river, the gossip and insinuations started that the house was doomed and the success of the school and getting more pupils was low.

Despite warnings to the contrary Anthea was determined to get to both mysteries. Why and who would want to murder an inconsequential house maid unless she had valuable information that she could use as blackmail, and who hated Caroline Vernon so much that she got implicated in the murder of her husband. 

Anthea finds herself in a dangerous position of not knowing whom she can trust, because all of them have plenty of secrets to hide.

The ending was surprising and unexpected. Always a nice surprise. This Victorian setting gothic themed read was a good one.

Sent by Dragonblade Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Monday, July 28, 2025

A Botanists Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari

 



Saffron is returning home to Ellington after a long time and mainly to check on her grandfather who has had a heart attack. There are several strands in the story which have to be handled separately. The enigmatic Doctor treating her grandfather is no doctor and his presence means he is looking for something. Her late father’s research papers are the key but they seem to have disappeared. Her mother seems distanced and vague when asked anything about her father. The spiritual medium who is now in the neighbour hood preying on families who have lost loved ones in the War, adds to the problems in the house. Saffron has also brought her partner Alexander with her, and that is not proving acceptable to the family. All told very tense, and very fractured relationships.

The final outcome of healing the relationships within the family were good to read but the unfinished business with the Doctor is I think left for another book.

Historical detail is ever present in the story and the botanical highlights is interwoven throughout the story and this is what sets it apart.

Sent by Crooked Lane Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Saturday, July 26, 2025

Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko

 



Three women of different ages caught in a stuck elevator in a time travel episode is the main theme of the story.

All three women tell a story of one life - the teenager, the middle aged woman who seems to be the narrator and the older woman wanting to be closer to her estranged daughter. A journey of self discovery for all three and for each to try and turn the negative into the positive after this experience.

The story will make the reader self examine a little more closely than before. Were there things we could have handled better in the past and is there a way to be better in the future to avoid pitfalls as shown in this broken down elevator.

A story that will get you questioning yourself which is not a bad premise.


Sent by Regal House Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.



Friday, July 25, 2025

Question of Guilt by Sally Rigby

 



When Daryl approached Seb and Birdie, private investigators regarding a decades old case - her mothers murder, her fathers incarceration till he died in prison, there was little hope that anything new could be discovered. To the contrary, what turned up was a slew of missed interviews of people relevant to the case, corrupt cops and a carelessness which was planned and callous to pin the murder on the husband.

The slow unraveling of a case decades old was different. Files had been destroyed, many of the key people from police to witnesses were dead, there was shoddy paper work and just to get the timeline right took a lot of work.

Despite the time lapse, it was obvious that powers that be were uneasy at the pace of the investigation, and Seb and Birdie had to be cautious that they wouldn’t be the next victims.

The story telling was excellent and I did like the way the procedurals were followed in the investigation.

Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Off Menu by Amy Rosen

 


Hilarious most of the time, Ruthie pines for Dean whom she had a fling with in Thailand. She can’t get him out of her head but also thinks of looking at her future as a chef and registers for culinary school courtesy of grandma’s legacy. 

Interspersed with wonderful cooking lessons and mouth watering food is another romance, someone who breaks Ruthie’s heart, scams her out of her money and disappears. Ruthie has to concentrate very hard to get her priorities right and focus on what is important.

Lots of young fun, delicious food and a simple story which caught my interest.


Sent by ECW Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.




Sunday, July 20, 2025

The Lights of Shantinagar by Nidhi Arora

 


A fresh look at joint family life in a small town where everyone purportedly knows everyone else’s business. Joint family living has never been easy, not then not now and in this story there is a easy going mother in law and father in law ( half the battle won), a well established elder sister in law who has no wish to loosen the reins and the newest daughter in law, who is wise enough to compromise on many things. The men are harmless, non interfering. Very unusual in itself.

The happenings in one house are linked with their neighbours and so examinations, entrance to colleges, marriage proposals are all very much a communal issue. How lives get micro managed by everyone in their circuit, the inevitability of it all is highlighted. It is not callous and uncaring or harsh. Far from it. Everyone believes one is acting for the common good and the betterment of the unit.

I liked the story very much but for those who need personal space, this would be a bit of an eye opener. Reminiscent of what happens even today (maybe with a few tweaks here and there) this was a very good story.

Sent by Unbound for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.







Saturday, July 19, 2025

Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot

 


Noelle Marshall is a detective in the sheriffs office. Thirteen years ago she was the fashionable stay at home wife of Derrick Bell, Assemblyman. Derrick Bell was found brutally bashed to death and Noelle was left for dead. The case was not solved, despite thorough investigation.

Now the cold case is being reviewed and though Noelle never got her memory of the incident back she has made a life for herself, far away from her toxic in laws who tried their best to make her out as being in cahoots with the murderer. 

Noelle has secrets of her own and Derrick himself turned into a manipulative, narcissistic being totally different to the man Noelle fell in love with. As the case is being reopened, questions are being asked from both families as the detectives feel that the answer lies there. When a series of incidents take place culminating in a bomb attack on Noelle’s car, the detectives realise that they are getting closer to the truth than ever before.

The final revelations are totally out of the blue, and this is what made this a fabulous, intriguing read.

Sent by Montlake for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.