REVIEW: Death in Provence by Serena Kent

 

Blurb

When Penelope Kite swaps her humdrum life in Surrey for a picturesque farmhouse in the south of France, she imagines a simple life of long lunches and chilled rosé . . . What she doesn’t imagine is the dead body floating in her swimming pool.

Convinced that the victim suffered more than a drunken accident, Penelope plunges headlong into local intrigue and long-simmering resentments to uncover the truth.

But with a meddling estate agent, an unfriendly Chief of Police, a suspiciously charming Mayor, and the endless temptation of that second pain au chocolat, life in the delightful village of St Merlot is certainly never simple.

 

Review

I so enjoyed Death in Provence.

Although I’m still to visit Provence, I’ve always loved the locale, the colours, and the lavender. This story brings them all out and I loved it.

It’s a light-hearted murder mystery, filled with intrigue and laughs. A loved the characters. The main character, Penelope Kite is a wonderful, older woman, clever, and determined to discover why there was a body in her swimming pool. Not what she expected when she bought a home in the small village of St Merlot.

This is a perfect holiday read. Escape to the sunshine. I highly recommend it.

 

 

 

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REVIEW TIME: The Daughters of the Oak by Becky Wright

 

Daughters of the Oak
The blurb of this extended edition of The Manningtree Account.

“A supernatural thriller, weaving witches, and ghosts, together, in one spine-tingling tale.”

1646 – The English Civil War. The Royalists of King Charles I, and Cromwell’s Parliamentarians, battle, both eager to lay claim to a tattered country, where life has become cheap and death trivial.

Though, for the lowly commoner, a greater, far more devious, war rages. It threatens the souls of the weak, timid and needy. Seeking refuge in the Lord’s word, God fearing folk employ the skills of one man, the Witchfinder. His success speaks of his talent, to seek out, punish and rid the countryside of Witches, the Devil’s Whores.

2016 – A paranormal team are called to investigate, as poltergeist activity brings terror to one family. Under the cover of darkness, in silent suburbia, an endless night of battle against evil ensues, until finally, a new day dawns.

Lies, secrets, and treachery, it seems, are never forgotten.
Welcome to Manningtree…

After reading The Manningtree Account, I was interested to read this extended version. Becky Wright has combined history with chilling imagination to craft this dark, paranormal tale of witchcraft. Of course, Matthew Hopkins, The Witchfinder General, isn’t a fictional character. Women who were branded witches had no hope of escaping his brand of terror.

Becky Wright seamlessly merges the story in the 1600s with the characters in 2016.

I found Daughters of the Oak dark and disturbing.

The ending has quite an unexpected twist that is quite chilling.

If you like a dark tale, then this is for you.

 

Review: My Year of Stories by Abigail Shepherd

This is a delightful book that follows the journey of Abigail Shepherd from unpublished writer to debut novelist, with the release of her YA book Victoria’s Victorian Victory.

In My Year of Stories, we follow Abigail’s journey with twelve stories to represent each month, preceded by an excerpt from her journal. I like the addition of this diary extract as it gives the reader an idea how each story was created and when.

This is a book you can read in one sitting or go to when you want to read another story for the first time or as a reread. You’ll find you’ll want to do that. I read the first story, The Dandelion Clock when it was first published in Whim online magazine but I enjoyed reading it again as January’s story in this book. There is also a prequel to Victoria’s Victorian Victory.

The stories are each different, some sweet and moving, others humorous and some a little dark.

I highly recommend My Year of Stories. You’ll enjoy the read.

REVIEW: CHAINS OF GAIA – 5 STARS

 

Chains of Gaia by James Fahy

(Book Three of The Changeling Series.)

With each book, I love returning to Erkling and the Netherworlde, to catch up with Robin, Henry, Karya, Woad and the other Erklingers.

This time, Robin and his friends have to retrieve the Shard of Earth from the heart of the Everhart Forest. A scourge lies over the great forest, as a rampaging beast lays waste to it, and to villages that border it.

Their journey is fraught with danger as they encounter centaurs, a minotaur in an ancient labyrinth, and let’s not forget the Grimms and Redcaps.

We meet new characters including Ffoulkes (with his affectations), a population of gentle green Dryads and a new Fae.

It’s wonderful to see Robin maturing and learning to be his true self. Henry and Karya are also growing up and there’s a lot more to learn yet about them, I’m certain. Woad keeps being Woad, which is just what I hoped.

James Fahy creates a very believable fantasy world. His writing is concise and his imagery is magical. I felt totally immersed in it. The characters are all well written and well rounded. The author’s wit shines through them.

I feel like I want to say more and more. The book has such depth but moved along at a cracking pace. I thoroughly enjoyed Chains of Gaia and can’t wait for the next instalment.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.

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REVIEW: THE DROWNED TOMB by James Fahy

 

This is a fantastic second book in The Changeling Series. I loved the Isle of Winds, the first book, and I wasn’t disappointed with The Drowned Tomb.

I was excited to get back to Erkling Hall and the Netherworlde to meet favourite characters once again. Robin is as amazing as ever. Henry is a real favourite of mine, with his humour and easy-going manner, as is Woad and his new pet. Karya retains her aura of mystery but we are teased with some hints about her past. 

New characters are added seamlessly into the story. Some intriguing, some evil, some filled with menace. New and old, all are brilliantly written, well-rounded and believable, even the antiheroes.

The development of the story and the world building are superb. When I think of The Drowned Tomb, I think of Lords of the Rings, Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia. Like these timeless favourites, The Changeling Series is for all ages.

James Fahy’s writing is witty, sincere, and concise, with a narrative that takes you on a fast and exciting ride, while at other times immerses you in scenes of beauty and magical wonder.

If you haven’t read it yet, I’d highly recommend you plunge into The Drowned Tomb soon, ready for Fahy’s third book, which is to be released on 12th June.

 

 

REVIEW: LIFESONG

Lifesong by Julia Blake

Lifesong is a mixture of fantasy and science fiction, carrying with it an ecological message and a gentle love story.

It’s a beautiful story about a young woman who has an amazing ability to seek out the lifesong of others. This leads her to a wonderfully happy time in her life but it isn’t long before she finds that, after crossing the universe, she is trapped on our world. But what kind of a world is it that has no lifesong, and that seems determined on its own destruction?

Julia Blake’s thought-provoking and heart-warming story is perfect as a novella. The story is concise and fast flowing. It has a lyrical quality to it and is beautifully written.

I highly recommended Lifesong.

It’s a story you will want to read more than once.