🎄 Festive Review ~ A Lively Midwinter Murder by Katy Watson

 

Constable

November 2024

Three Dahlias Mystery #4

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

First comes love... and then comes murder.

A high society Christmas Eve wedding at a secluded Scottish castle sounds like the perfect winter getaway for the three Dahlias - until a dead body wearing a wedding dress and a stolen diamond necklace turns up in the snow outside the family chapel, and the bride and groom are suddenly the prime suspects in a murder case...

🎄 My Review…

I have to own up and say that haven’t read the previous three books in this Three Dahlia’s cosy crime series so it took me a little while to get to know who was who and where they all connected, however, once I got the dynamics of the characters settled in my head, I began to gel more with the story and who doesn’t love a good fictional murder at Christmas. 

Rosalind King, Caro Hooper and Posy Starling are the trio of amateur sleuths who make up the Three Dahlias and who are attending the wedding of their friend Libby who is marrying into the family who own the magnificent Dunwick Castle in Scotland. With this high society wedding taking place at the castle and with guests arriving to enjoy the celebrations the last thing anyone needs is a dead body but never daunted by a crime scene the three Dahlias soon get cracking on trying to solve the murder/ mystery.

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read with enough twists, turns and red herrings in the plot to keep me guessing and with interesting characters who each add a sense of mystery to the proceedings. The setting is wonderfully festive, I mean who can resist a Scottish castle at Christmas, and with more than a nod towards the golden age of crime writing, the author brings the whole thing together in a satisfying way.

A Lively Midwinter Murder is a cosy Christmas read which, I’m sure, fans of this series will love as much as the previous three books.

About the Author

Katy Watson grew up in North Wales, as part of a family of folk singers, storytellers and murder mystery addicts. An avid reader and notebook collector, her dream was to combine the two hobbies by becoming an author and, after spending her teenage years reading paperback Christies on rainy Welsh caravan holidays, it seemed inevitable that one day she'd try writing her own crime novel. It took her eight years of writing professionally - and over forty-five non-murderous books for children, teens and adults - to write her first murder mystery, The Three Dahlias, and now she's started she never wants to stop! A Lively Midwinter Murder is also publishing this Christmas in hardback.

Social Media

X @KWatsonAuthor #AVeryLivelyMurder

X @LittleBrownUK

🎄 Festive Book Review ~ The Village Christmas Party by Sue Roberts

Bookouture
October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

The smell of mulled wine fills the air as the villagers listen to carollers singing. Everyone in town is ready for the big day. But Lauren only has hours to get the community Christmas party back on track…

Thirty-four-year-old Lauren has a list for everything, especially Christmas. With her presents bought months in advance, the last thing on her checklist is the charity party she runs every year. It has to be perfect – she has seen how much the event means to the older villagers who would be alone for the holidays otherwise.

Everything is going smoothly as the local church bells ring. Until handsome Kian walks in, claiming he has the little village hall booked for his young daughter’s birthday party. Lauren nearly falls off the ladder she is using to hang fairy lights. There’s no way this is happening. Not when she’d triple-checked every detail…

As Lauren frantically tries to find another option, Kian’s insistence that she should just “relax” isn’t helping her stay merry and bright. There’s only one way to make this a festive party to remember. She has to try and work with Kian.

They clash over every detail, but as their helpers arrive, Kian’s kind and welcoming nature soothes Lauren’s shaken nerves. And his gorgeous blue eyes make her wish she’d put the mistletoe out. Until Kian mysteriously disappears.

And Lauren is left alone to keep the excitable children from running into the flaming Christmas pudding the older guests love every year. Will Kian’s chilled approach cool the celebrations? Or can Lauren and Kian put aside their differences and save the day once more?

🎄My Review..

Lauren is the type of person who you want on your side, she always gets things organised and every year she arranges the annual Christmas charity party for the older people in the village where she lives. Lauren dislikes unpredictably, she thrives on getting things done well in advance however, this year she discovers, to her dismay, that someone else has also booked the village hall for a birthday party. With her well ordered plans in disarray, Lauren must learn to compromise but that’s not going to be easy especially when she realises just who has booked the village hall.

This is great, feel-good festive read, with some lovely characters, I especially enjoyed getting to know Kian and his delightful daughter, Bella, who help to bring a heartwarming feel to the story. There’s also a strong sense of community and although there are a few ups and downs which test Lauren’s natural inclination to organise everything to the nth degree, I enjoyed watching how she copes with change and in doing so allows a little happiness into her well ordered life.

The Village Christmas Party is a light and easy read, filled with fun, friendship and a smattering of romance, it’s a great read for a quiet afternoon in the run up to Christmas. 

About the Author

Sue was born in Liverpool and moved to Lancashire as a teenager where she has lived ever since. When not busy writing, Sue spends her time with her ever growing family. She enjoys walking, cinema and travelling.

X @ SueRobertsautho #TheVillageChristmasParty

X@bookouture

Festive Review ~ Christmas Music: Ten Poems of Comfort and Joy from Candlestick Press

 

Candlestick Press
 September 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this pamphlet

Whether it’s ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ or ‘Away in a Manger’ we all have a song, carol or tune that heralds the arrival of the festive season. Music seems to offer a miraculous short-cut to memories of happy times.

The selection takes us on a magical journey from “frosty voices of December stars” to a band of carol-singers “with weary limb” longing to find someone who will open the door and listen. We find voices lifted at the darkest time of the year, offering their own particular light:

“After long silence, there is music again,

thin lip of moon and again bright stars,

the weeds, safe now in their coffins of ice,

in singing weather.”

from ‘In Singing Weather’ by Maggie Anderson

We hope these poems will fill your Christmas with just the right amount of comfort and joy.

Poems by Maggie Anderson, Hayden Carruth, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Frances Ridley Havergal, Oliver Herford, Lorraine Mariner, Adrian Mitchell, Edwin Morgan, Christina Rossetti and Marjorie Wilson.

Cover illustration by Niki Bowers.

Donation to Our Dementia Choir.

 🎄My Review

Christmas music is so evocative, whether it be the cheery sound of 1970s pop classics being blasted out in shops or the quiet majesty of choral classics there is something really special about hearing those first few notes which herald the start of the Christmas season. When my children were small it was hearing them sing Away in  Manger in their school nativity concerts which brought a lump to my throat, now it's hearing the first ethereal sound of Kings College Choir sing Once in Royal David's City in their Christmas Eve broadcast which makes me appreciate the calming effect of Christmas music.

These ten lovely poems remind us to take time out to appreciate the joy music brings us.

From Fairytale of New York - The Pogues featuring Kirsty Macoll by Lorraine Mariner

"The only Christmas song I can listen to

Any day of the year, and when I do

I think about my father and the tin whistle

he bought for me one half-birthday

from the music shop near his office.."

From Sunshine and Shadow by Paul Laurence Dunbar

"The heigho for the flying snow!

Over the whitened roads we go

With pulses that tingle

And sleigh-bells-a-jingle

For a winter's white birds here's a cheery, heighho!"

 And my favourite Victorian poet Christina Rossetti gives us this beautiful verse:

Christmas Eve

"Christmas hath a darkness

Brighter than a blazing noon,

Christmas hath a chillness

Warmer than the heat of June

Christmas hath a beauty

Lovelier than the world can show:

For Christmas bringeth Jesus

Brought for us so low"

This magical anthology  of Christmas Music: Ten Poems of Comfort and Joy is something quite special and is a lovely 'instead of a card' keepsake which reminds us that Christmas music in all its forms brings us joy of the season. 

About the Publisher

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle

Website

📖 Book Review ~ The Secret Photographs by Jacquie Bloese

Hodder & Stoughton
Paperback - 3 October 2024

My thanks to the publisher and Graeme Williams for my copy of this book

 

England, 1895: In the bustling seaside town of Brighton, photography is all the rage. Ellen Harper assists her twin brother running one of the city's seafront studios, where fashionable ladies and gentlemen pose in their finery to have their likeness captured forever in a silver frame.

But behind the façade of a respectable business, the siblings have something to hide. After the studio closes for the day, secret photographs are taken in the back room. There is money to be made from this underground trade, but if exposed to the light of day, these photographs would destroy them...

When newly married Clementine comes to sit for a portrait, Ellen learns she is looking for a lady's companion. Longing for a life of her own choosing and freedom from the deals her brother has made, Ellen accepts the post. The new position transports her to a sweeping white-fronted townhouse on one of Brighton's most prestigious crescents, full of every luxury imaginable.

But Clementine's gilded world hides as much darkness as Ellen hoped to escape... What will happen when the secrets Ellen has left behind finally catch up to her…

📖 My Review..

Despite its elegant facade the seaside resort of Brighton has its seedier side and in the dark and gloomy back room of a respectable portrait studio photographs are being taken of a rather more risqué nature. The Victorian penchant for erotic photographs comes to life as we follow the fortunes of twins Ellen and Reynold Harper who, like the working girls they photograph, do what they must in order to survive poverty and hardship. Ellen’s association both with the wealthy Clementine Brouwer and the poverty stricken Lily March could not be more different and yet this trio of women will take you by the hand into the underbelly of Victorian England.

Beautifully written with vivid descriptions not just about the growing demand for pornography but also of the hypocrisy and double standards of Victorian gentlemen whose clandestine purchases of increasingly explicit photographs kept this trade alive. The story has its dark moments which bring the brooding alleyways and seedy salons to life in such a vivid way that I often felt like a voyeur brushing away the cigar smoke and quietly observing as the scenes unfolded. Ellen, Clementine and Lily each have a powerful story to tell and their voices lends credence as we observe the constraints on women of all social classes, rich or poor they were all the mercy of unscrupulous men. It’s a story of intimate female relationships, of a series of wrongdoings being made right and of a desperately sad tragedy which seemed to take on its own inevitable momentum.

The Secret Photographs, from its exquisite book cover, to the strength of its narrative, there is never a moment when the story doesn’t draw you into a dark and dangerous world where female friendships were forged and strengthened by what they had each endured.

* Previously published as The Golden Hour in hardback.

 About the Author

Jacquie Bloese is a writer of historical book group fiction, originally from the Channel Island of Guernsey. She draws her inspiration from atmospheric locations with intriguing histories, and people - both real and imaginary - whose stories are calling out to be told.

Her first novel THE FRENCH HOUSE, set during the German Occupation of Guernsey in the second World War, was a Richard and Judy Winter 2022 book club pick, and a finalist in the Mslexia Novel Award. Her second novel THE GOLDEN HOUR is inspired by the seaside town of Brighton, where Jacquie currently lives, and tells the story of three women from different classes who become caught up in the underground world of erotic photography in 1890s Victorian England.

Website

Twitter /X @novelthesecond #TheSecretPhotographs

Twitter / X @HodderBooks

Blue Sky @jacquiebloese.bsky.social

Blue Sky @hodderfiction.bsky.social

🎄 Festive Book Review ~ A Christmas Wish on Arran by Ellie Henderson

 

Joffe Books
22 October 2024

Scottish Romance #4

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book 

When Beth Ferguson’s dream of a career in journalism in London ends in tatters, she’s offered a new start as the local reporter on the Isle of Arran.

The only problem? Returning to the place she first met Callum. Her first love. And the man who broke her heart.

It’s been 25 years since ‘that day’. Surely he’s no longer there.

But Callum is still in Arran. Still gorgeous. Still making Beth’s heart flutter.

Despite the time apart, the more they try to ignore their chemistry, the more it reignites the flame between them.

As the close-knit island prepares for Christmas, Beth reconnects with Arran’s magic. But it’s Callum who pulls at her heartstrings. And when tragedy strikes, it’s Callum who shows Beth that time and distance can’t change what the heart really wants.

🎄 My Review..

I hadn’t realised when I picked up this book that it was part of a series of stories set on the Scottish Isle of Arran but whilst I suspect that there are reappearing characters in each of the books, not knowing much about their back story didn’t detract from the delight of spending time on Arran with Beth and Callum.

Beth is newly returned to Scotland after spending much of her adult life in London. Her arrival on Arran as the new reporter on the local newspaper allows her to take stock of her life, leaving her troubles behind and starting afresh in a place which is familiar as she spent some of her teenage years on the island, working and falling in love. When Beth accidentally bumps into Callum, now a grown up version of the boy she loved twenty-five years ago. However, Beth is torn between guarding her secrets or allowing life to offer her and Callum a second chance at happiness. This is such a lovely story as not only does the beautiful Isle of Arran comes alive but we also get to spend time with a lovely array of characters who bring a real heartwarming empathy to this delightful will they, won’t they story. The coziness of living in a small town comes to life and shows how supportive small communities can be when people need help.

Wonderfully festive, with oodles of charm, and a heartwarming love story at its heart, A Christmas Wish on Arran had everything I wanted from a festive read. It’s as comforting as a delicious hot chocolate sprinkled with cream and marshmallows and is perfect escapism from the Christmas rush.

About the Author

Ellie Henderson lives near the sea on the east coast of Scotland and is a regular visitor to the Isle of Arran on the west coast of Scotland. When she's not writing she runs creative workshops in the community.

Twitter / X @EllieHbooks #AChristmasWishOnArran

Twitter / X @JoffeBooks

🎄 Book Review ~ A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft

 

Avon Books Uk
7 November 2024
Skye Sisters #2

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Under the winter stars, anything is possible…

Ezzie Wynter can’t wait for Christmas on the beautiful Isle of Skye. Her island home sparkles at this time of year thanks to the snow-capped mountains and frosty winter walks, topped off with family gatherings with those she loves the most.

But her peaceful Christmas idyll is upended when she hears that the Larson family – the owners of Rothach Hall – are flying in from Sweden for the festivities. As Manager of their grand Scottish manor house, Ezzie suddenly has decorations to hang, food to source and itineraries to organise.

Life only becomes more difficult when Mats Larson turns up. The owners’ handsome, self-assured son is used to doing things his own way – and he is only another headache to add to her overflowing list.

Yet when unexpected visitors arrive looking for Ezzie, nothing else matters as she is left questioning everything she ever knew about herself. But amidst the Christmas chaos, she might also discover that, when all is lost, it’s sometimes those we least expect who come to our aid...

🎄My Review…

This wonderfully festive story gets my Christmas reads off to a fine start as returning to the beautiful Isle of Skye in this second novel of the Skye Sisters trilogy has been a real delight.  

This novel focuses on Ezzie Wynter who is the newly appointed manager of Rothach Hall and together with her sister, Thea, the head gardener, we get a glimpse into the running of this delightful Scottish manor. When Ezzie receives the news that the Larsons, the Swedish owners of the property, are arriving earlier than expected for Christmas Ezzie is determined to prove to them just how efficiently she is managing everything but with the family’s arrival comes a set of problems for Ezzie and also the arrival of some unexpected visitors causes Ezzie to reconsider events from her past.

Whilst it would be perfectly possible to read this second book as a standalone, it does make sense to read Thea’s story in the first book as that way you get to understand the Wynter sisters and discover more about the owners of Rothach Hall and their place within the story. This one introduces us to Mats Larson, the eldest son of the family who, newly divorced, seems to have quite a lot going on in his personal life, which is in danger of spilling over into his time at Rothach Hall. There’s a nice blend of family time spent with the Larsons, along with delightful visits to places on the island and yet it is the burgeoning romantic relationship at its heart which makes this into something rather special. 

Both heartwarming, and heartfelt, A Skye Full of Stars is such a lovely read that I was quite disappointed when the story ended as I would have quite liked to have stayed at Rothach Hall for a wonderfully festive holiday. However, there is the tantalising delight of the third book in the trilogy to look forward to, when we will discover more about Valentina, the third of the Wynter sisters, who will definitely have another fascinating story to tell us. Can’t wait to read it…

About the Author

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author, and her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada and Italy. She writes two books a year for publishing giant HarperCollins and has won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, a HOLT Medallion and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

🎄 Featured Book of the Month ~ Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Harper Collins
21 November 2021

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

December, 1952

As a young Queen Elizabeth II prepares to deliver her first Christmas speech, staff work behind the scenes to get ready for the festivities at Sandringham Estate. Among them are Jack and Olive – old friends who are surprised to be reunited after seven years apart.

While Olive works for the BBC reporting on the royal family, and Jack is employed in the queen’s kitchens, their bond deepens – until a secret threatens to tear them apart. When the truth comes to light, it could change Olive and Jack's lives forever.

But maybe Christmas has one last gift to deliver…

🎄My Review..

As I start this month of festive reads I can think of no better story to have as my featured book of the month in December than Christmas with the Queen. Right from the very start of this lovely story, which covers the years 1952-1957, I was taken back in time to the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, watching her grow in confidence as she takes on the daunting task of broadcasting her first Christmas speech to the nation and commonwealth.

Not only is this a fascinating look at how the Queen’s Christmas Day broadcasts developed, but it also gives us the chance get to know the two lovely lead characters who hold the story together in such a special way. Olive Carter is a fledgling journalist working at the BBC and hoping to become a royal correspondent and American, Jack Devereux, a talented chef, who gets the opportunity to work in the royal kitchens at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral. Told in individual chapter we learn more about Olive and Jack, and also about Queen Elizabeth herself which makes for a fascinating glimpse into this royal world. However, running alongside is the story of Jack and Olive’s friendship which began in 1945 at the end of WWII and of a secret which, once discovered, will test Olive and Jack’s will they, won’t they relationship to the limit.

Beautifully written, with such a heartwarming message, Christmas with the Queen captured my imagination from the start. It sweeps you from post war London, to the elegant beauty of the Royal estate at Sandringham and gives a tantalising glimpse into life there however,  it is with Olive and Jack where the heart of the story lies, and it is their story running alongside that of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip which makes this into such a special festive read.

About the Authors

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author know fir her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining moments of the 20th century. A recipient of the 2015 RNA Historical novel of the year award. Hazel’s wotk has been translated into twenty languages and is published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family.

Heather Webb is the award winning and bestselling author of ten historical novels. To date her books have been translated into eighteen languages. She lives in Connecticut with her family and two mischievous cats.

Hazel and Heather’s co-written historical novels include:

Last Christmas in Paris

Meet me in Monaco 

Three Words for Goodbye 

Christmas with the Queen

Social Media

Hazel’s Website

X @HazelGaynor #ChristmasWithTheQueen

Blue Sky @hazelgaynor.bsky.social

Heather’s Website

X@msheatherwebb

Blue Sky @msheatherwebb.bsky.social

X @HarperCollinsUK

BlueSky @harpercollins.bsky.social