Phew, we made it to the Christmas holidays! It was a busy week and I enjoyed a (vegan, gluten free) Christmas dinner with my fellow exam invigilators and a friend’s 60th birthday night out (a candlelight concert at Reading Minster).
Of course the holidays didn’t start smoothly with Zach having an allergic reaction minutes before I collected him. Cue a frantic rush to get him treated and dosed up with antihistamines. We couldn’t identify the cause but I suspect that he had a reaction to the cold/virus that he is now poorly with…
Tog is desperate to join Santa’s elves. He makes fantastic toy lemurs for his family and friends but does he have what it takes to join Santa’s workshop…?
Diary of a Christmas Elf is a wonderfully festive children’s book.
Tog discovers that dreams and reality are often very different. His dream job working for Santa doesn’t go to plan and he finds himself in trouble. Christmas is also in danger so Tog needs to prove his own innocence and find some self belief while uncovering a mystery at the heart of Santa’s workshop.
I loved the diary and narrative style which worked well as an audiobook. The narration by Ben Miller is perfect. The tone is lighthearted and warm while conveying a festive mystery. I liked the characters and the insight into Tog’s experiences through the diary format.
Overall I was disappointed that the book is so short the audiobook is just an hour and a half but I loved the plot and characters so much I wanted more! However, I am not the target audience and this would probably match children’s attention span. The ending was a little abrupt but there are sequels which I intend to read in time for next Christmas.
Book blurb:
Discover the joy of gift giving and meet Santa himself in the perfect stocking filler from the million-copy selling actor, author and comedian, Ben Miller.
All Tog wants to do is work in Santa’s workshop and one wonderful day, the letter from Santa arrives: Tog has been selected as an apprentice elf! Making toys is a lot more technical and a lot less fun than Tog had imagined, and even though his new friend Holly tries to help him, he’s quickly relegated to cleaning out the reindeer stables. But someone has been stealing the presents from the workshop and a case of mistaken identity finds Tog accused of being the culprit! Can Tog use his special Christmas magic to discover the real thief and save all the presents before Christmas Eve is over?
A flood cause two bodies to be washed down from the caves. Cole and Abby died twelve years ago and were assumed to have run away together. The original investigation was lacklustre at best and Sheriff Jenna Alton is determined to find the killer as her predecessor should have done…
Tears On Her Grave is the 24th book in the Kane and Alton series of serial killer thrillers set in America. It would work as a stand alone novel but there have been plenty of personal and professional developments for the law enforcement team over this extensive series.
The book begins on Halloween 12 years ago with a group of young adults going to a party. Cole and Abby sneak off and come to a violent end courtesy of an axe. Now the terrible weather causes their mummified bodies to be washed out of their sandy grave in the caves. Jenna is appalled by the lack of investigation by the previous sheriff who supposed the pair had run away.
Most of the college friends are still in town so Jenna makes it her mission to uncover the truth. But the killer is also still around and determined to silence the weakest links in the group to preserve their heinous secret. There are some chapters that show the killer and victim perspectives and this increase the tension and mystery.
The majority of the book focuses on the law enforcement team, led by Jenna and Dave. The investigation is constrained a little by Jenna’s pregnancy and Dave’s over protectiveness but these do not stand in the way of getting to the truth. Some of the forensic and attack details are quite graphic and vividly described but this served to emphasise the danger.
Tears On Her Grave is a tense thriller in a prolific and confident series.
Stepping into the dark cave just a short distance from the safety of her college friends, the blonde-haired girl immediately senses danger. A tall figure steps out of the shadows, and she knows there’s no time to run…
When a heavy storm hits Black Rock Falls, it brings a trail of destruction. Sheriff Jenna Alton is more than prepared, but she never expects to find college sweethearts Abby Jaye and Cole Peters floating among the wreckage in the river. Missing for twelve years following an end-of-school party, no clues were ever found and the couple’s devastated parents gave up hope that their beloved children would ever come home. Could the fraternity pin clutched tightly in Abby’s hand be the key to finding out what really happened that night?
As Jenna and her deputy David Kane speak to the pair’s classmates, they’re struck by how startlingly similar their stories are. They all say that nothing suspicious happened that night—they describe the open fire, the cans of cheap beer and the way Abby and Cole seemed totally in love before they disappeared. Their accounts are word-for-word identical, Jenna suspects the friends are keeping a deadly secret, and she’s determined to find out what it is.
Days later, Marissa, who still lives in town with her husband and young children, is found dead at a remote farm miles from her cozy family home just hours after answering Jenna’s questions. Jenna’s pulse races as she realizes the killer could be one of the group, and so could their next victim…
As Jenna inspects the isolated barn, gun shots ring out nearby. Heart pounding, she receives a panicked phone call from the youngest member of her team. She races to the forest, praying that her friend is still alive. But with a deadly storm brewing overhead, and a twisted killer on the loose, will she make it in time to save another life from being taken?
If you love reading Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, you will be hooked by this absolutely gripping crime thriller from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author D.K. Hood.
**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone***
Author Bio
D.K. Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY and AMAZON bestselling author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series. Her spine chilling, fast-paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex-special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K.’s imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title “Queen of Suspense” by her reviewers, D.K.’s writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.
Ahhhh, it’s that time of the year when I realise I miscounted and then go back and find the missing day/week. This year I went off timetable very early on, jumping straight from week 5 to 7, doh!
Christmas is looming and the kids are getting into the festive spirit. Zach had an outdoor carol concert (brrr, it was very cold) and Matthew made gingerbread. Anya and I have been planning colour schemes for next year’s decorations.
The main event this week was Dad’s 70th birthday (and Chris’ on the same day). We had a lovely day together and it was great to have something to celebrate.
Gary has quite a mundane existence until an acquaintance turns up dead and he becomes involved in a murder investigation. His alibi is an elusive woman whose name he doesn’t even know…
The Satsuma Complex is a wonderfully funny novel which is also surprisingly deep emotionally. The audiobook is read by author Bob Mortimer and Sally Philips who are both sensational. The recording has breath sounds and feels like they are chatting directly to you, making the text seem realistic and authentic instead of fiction.
I have been a fan of Bob for years and love his apprearances on Would I Lie To You? This book feels very much like one of his tall tales which then turn out to be true! He is simply wonderful and the nuances of Gary’s existence are vividly brought to life. The tiny details are just divine, so natural and a tad crazy, just like all of us!
Book blurb:
My name is Gary. I’m a thirty-year-old legal assistant with a firm of solicitors in London. To describe me as anonymous would be unfair but to notice me other than in passing would be a rarity. I did make a good connection with a girl, but that blew up in my face and smacked my arse with a fish slice.
Gary Thorn goes for a pint with a work acquaintance called Brendan. When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub. He doesn’t catch her name, but falls for her anyway. When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember her by is the book she was reading: The Satsuma Complex. But when Brendan goes missing, Gary needs to track down the girl he now calls Satsuma to get some answers.
And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life…
A page-turning story with a cast of unforgettable characters, The Satsuma Complex is the brilliantly funny smash hit first novel by bestselling author and comedian Bob Mortimer.
