Archives

Coming Home To Wishington Bay by Maxine Morrey

May6

Love Shines Through

Coming Home To Wishington Bay by Maxine Morrey is the most delightful contemporary tale about love, loss and new beginnings.

Loss can hit hard. “I’d wanted her back so, so much.” The pain of loss radiates outwards. The deeper we love, the harder the loss. Guilt often runs hand in hand with loss. “Why hadn’t I come down here more?” Regrets and guilt need to be put aside in favour of warm memories.

Within the novel the house is not just a house but a home. “The walls… were infused with all the happy memories and laughter and love.” It is as though the house takes on the personality of its owner.

Continue reading →

The Death Beat by Fiona Veitch Smith

May4

The Underworld Of New York

The Death Beat by Fiona Veitch Smith is a marvelous cosmopolitan historical novel set in 1921. It is the third book in the Poppy Denby Investigates series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Once more the reader is enthralled by the bravery of Poppy Denby as she goes to great lengths to solve crimes, fighting the injustices of the day.

Continue reading →

The Kill Fee by Fiona Veitch Smith

May4

Following Your Nose

The Kill Fee by Fiona Veitch Smith is a fabulous historical novel where amateur sleuthing is the order of the day. It is the second book in the Poppy Denby Investigates but can be read as a stand-alone. It does immediately follow on from book one with the action being set in 1920.

This book surrounds the Russian revolution of 1917 and the killing of Czar Nicholas and his family. There are spies and double agents, thieves and murderers, whose worlds collide with that of Poppy Denby.

Continue reading →

The Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith

May3

Light-Hearted Amateur Sleuthing

The Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith is a marvellous historical novel and the first book in the Poppy Denby Investigates series. It is set in 1920 as Britain is recovering from WWI and then a flu epidemic. The 1920’s promises to be a glorious new decade but for some there are old crimes to solve.

With her heart set on being a reporter, Poppy Denby seems to just fall into amateur sleuthing. Her reporter’s nose spots when things are not quite right. She sets her sights on righting the wrongs of the past. The Jazz Files is very reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple.

The theme of the story surrounds the suffragettes. They were treated abominably and still seem to be being pursued. Historical details merge with fiction to produce a cracking story.

Continue reading →