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Fire on the Fens by Joy Ellis

 

Fire on the Fens Joy Ellis

By the time I get to book nine in a series, I am usually starting to flag.  Characters have become too familiar, storylines too predictable, and the “wow” factor I had when I picked up the first book has long since gone.

It’s why I’m always slightly anxious when I pick up a new book by a favourite author featuring a character I love.  I’m never sure if this will be a book that leaves me wanting more or leaves me cold.

I am pleased to say that the former applies when it comes to Fire on the Fens.  Once again, Joy Ellis has left me with a feeling of total satisfaction.  This is a great story, one with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing but not enough to stretch my credulity.

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Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza

Deadly Secret Robert BryndzaThere is something so nice about picking up a new book by a favourite author featuring a favourite character.  A sense of anticipation.  And also a sense of fear.  What, you wonder, if it’s no good?  Expectations are high, and it’s much easier to be let down as a result.

All of these apply to me and Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza.  His Erika Foster series is one of my favourites in recent years.  Each one has been interesting and exciting and has left me wanting more.  With every book, I wonder if he’ll manage to make me happy again.

I am very pleased to say (especially given my recent mixed reading experience) that I have not been disappointed at all with this, the sixth book in the series.  

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Come and Find Me by Sarah Hilary

come and find meDI Marnie Rome is back and, for me, it couldn’t come a moment too soon as I was in need of a book in my favourite genre that left me feeling completely satisfied and a lot less grumpy that I been with recent reads.

I love Marnie because, whilst she’s go baggage, she’s also normal.  Her past bothers her, colours her present, but isn’t all consuming.  She still manages to have normal relationships with her partner and her team and she doesn’t go running off on her own every two seconds to prove something to herself.  

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Monthly update: November, 2017

Month in review

So this is it, the final countdown to Christmas is one day away – time to dig out the advent calendars and start shopping earnest!  I am officially getting excited (it helps that it has snowed here today, and I love snow).  I’m not sure what the season will do to my reading and blogging but I imagine for a lot of us it will start to slow down as we focus on other things.  November, though was a good reading month (bar a mini-slump half way through).  Here’s what I liked, loved and just weren’t for me this month…

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Thieves on the Fens by Joy Ellis

Thieves on the fens

DI Nikki Galena is back and I couldn’t be happier as she is one of my favourite female detectives and the “on the Fens” series, one of my favourites too.

There are some many things to love, including that they all start with a bang, something to make you want to keep reading on.  Here, it’s a call to Nikki from a mysterious man speaking in thieves’ cant, an old fashioned secret code (think cockney rhyming slang).  People, he says are going to die – and he is going to be the one doing the killing.

It all seems linked to a series of burglaries that the team are already working on, though it’s not clear how or what this mysterious man’ (who they nickname Mad Tom) ultimate aim is, other than teach Nikki a lesson.  

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Little Boy Blue by M. J. Arlidge

Little Boy BlueI had one word to say after finishing Little Boy Blue – “Wow!”  I’m a huge fan of the series staring Detective Helen Grace anyway but this, for me, has been the best book yet.

Why?  It started off with the murder of a recurring character in a pretty horrific way (not graphic in the blood and guts way but just in a way which must have been terrifying).

He’s someone Helen knows, though the rest of the team aren’t aware, and she does her best to keep it secret.  With a dogged reporter on her case, it’s not that easy though, and it sets her on edge – effecting her relationship with her team (a relationship that tends to be tense anyway as Helen is not the easiest person to work with).

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Cold Blood by Robert Bryndza

35789068The observant amongst you will have noticed I haven’t been posting on the blog this last week.  Cold Blood was one of the reasons.  I needed to read it, and didn’t want anything getting in the way of my reuniting with Erika Foster, a favourite detective from a favourite series.

Those self-same observant people may have also noticed that I haven’t started this post out the way I normally do, with the goodreads book blurb right next to the title.  It’s still here for those who want to read it – but at the end because I was worried it would give too much away for a book that holds a lot of twists, turns and surprises.  This is too good a story for spoilers (in my humble opinion!).

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Favourite female detectives

Female detective with magnifying glassSo it’s no secret I love a good detective story.  I read them a lot.  And favourite amongst them are probably ones with strong female leads.  I can’t resist a feisty woman with plenty to say who isn’t afraid to say it or stand by her words.

Not that I would want the histories a lot of these women have but I do admire their guts and, occasionally, wouldn’t mind being them.  Then I remember I am a big old scaredy cat who doesn’t like guns, violence, blood or guts unless it’s on the page.

Anyways, in honor of the fictional females that are a lot braver than me, I thought I would share a few of my favourites today…