In Naples in 1610, the artist Caravaggio paints a portrait of St John the Baptist, one of several the artist creates.
In 1997, art dealer Jude Adler vIn Naples in 1610, the artist Caravaggio paints a portrait of St John the Baptist, one of several the artist creates.
In 1997, art dealer Jude Adler visits the family home of Beatrice Fremont, whose dying mother Maddalena is about to leave Beatrice with huge debts. Her deceased father Luca’s photographic collection may help ease the situation but it’s a small painting that catches Jude‘s eye. Could it be a Caravaggio? Could her parents safety deposit box in Rome revealed the remaining portions of the painting? It seems that Maddalena has left a genuine mystery as well as unsound finances� Maybe the 1940s timeline where Maddalena meets Luca will supply the answers to the puzzle? Maddalena arrives from Sicily to be a cook at the Villa Velare, the home of wealthy Luca, Conte Montefalco just before Mussolini takes Italy into war.
How marvellous to return to the vitality of Rome with the author genuinely making me feel as if I’m there again because of the lively descriptions. I love the Caravaggio art mystery element which is interesting from the start but becomes increasingly so as the story develops. Wartime Rome is depicted extremely well with all the drama and danger of Il Duce and the Fascists. The threat of approaching war feels real and the reality of actual war is conveyed well. All this inevitably affects the Montefalco household in various ways especially with its connections to the Vatican.
All the central characters are very likeable but even the ones that are less easy to like, or in one case heartily dislike, are portrayed well. I want things to work out for Beatrice and for Jude to get back on his feet after a costly purchase which sadly for him proves to be a forgery. He is the seeker of lost works and he cannot fail Beatrice but his reticence is very understandable.
What Beatrice learns explains much about her parents and I enjoy how the story unfolds and its conclusion. Both timelines are good but the wartime one is probably the more interesting of the two.
Overall, this is a very well written, compelling and engaging read with a basis of fact which gives it an authentic feel. Recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
The narrator, who is a writer, is finally back in New York, a city she has spent several years avoiding as well as the former friends t3.5 rounded up
The narrator, who is a writer, is finally back in New York, a city she has spent several years avoiding as well as the former friends that inhabit it. She has no plans to see anyone but one morning while pacing up and down the Bowery and surrounding streets, she bumps into Eugene. She doesn’t tell him she returned weeks ago, she doesn’t tell him she has no plans to reconnect with anyone from her old life, instead she tells him she’s only just returned. He invites her to attend a little dinner next evening to be held in honour of an actress she’s never heard of. He informs her of her friend Rebecca‘s death, a fact she already knows but gives him the satisfaction of being the one to break the awful news. Against her better judgement she accepts and on the night in question she watches all this arty crowd from the corner whilst systematically destroying them in her head. They all believe they’re clever and original thinkers, but they’re superior as well as stylish and artistic but with the benefit of the previous distance from them, she sees them for what they really are and berates herself for attending. Eventually, the “star of the show� arrives and we’re a hairs breath away from the wheels of the evening crashing off the tracks and reaching a finale of deliciously delivered truths, accompanied by a divine meal and fine wines.
This is not an easy read by any means as there are streams and streams of consciousness, no paragraphs, no chapters et cetera just pages and pages of internal thoughts which are often vicious and vitriolic but frequently entertaining. It’s very smart, astute and acutely observed and so I cannot deny that it is anything but very well written. It conveys her life, that of Rebecca, Eugene and his partner Nicole and writer Alexander in such a way that it enables us to see their lives for what they are as she destroys their pretensions and intellectual pretentiousness. In all honesty, I’m not sure at times exactly what the narrator is talking about but I definitely get the gist. However, it’s worth sticking with it for the take down which is incisive, cutting, destructive, brutal and bang on point. These are not likeable people and so richly deserve it! A round of applause please!
The ending is fantastic as she wishes all happiness and love with bouts of something else!! So good.
Apparently this is based on Thomas Bernhard’s The Woodcutter which is referenced several times but since I’ve not read it, it means nothing to me.
Overall, it’s very different and if you can get past the style it’s written in, it’s well worth reading.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Random House, Transworld/Doubleday for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
A tale of two Hollys. A good Holly and a bad Holly which is which? TBH even though I’ve read it I’m not sAmazon Prime First Read - June 2025
2.5 stars
A tale of two Hollys. A good Holly and a bad Holly which is which? TBH even though I’ve read it I’m not sure! Oh, it’s also about mosquitoes. Yes, mosquitoes. It’s VERY repetitive on that pesky little blood sucker subject. I grasped the metaphor the first time but oh boy, is it ever hammered home. I’m sure you’ve guessed it too. I’m also not sure why we’re told several times that one of the Hollys lived in a very nice end terrace in Camden. You know - the good end. If you don’t mind a gazillion mosquito dagger references then you’ll probably like this. And twists that are very out there. Also a book that goes on and on. Oh well, next??? ...more
This one has divided the crowd - it’s a love or loathe and sadly, I fall into the latter category. It was so boring. I nearly DNF’d but rare2.5 stars
This one has divided the crowd - it’s a love or loathe and sadly, I fall into the latter category. It was so boring. I nearly DNF’d but rarely do that, always hoping it’ll improve. It didn’t. I usually like this author but not this time. Not for me. ...more
Art lecturer Martin Gilmour is forced to attend therapy sessions for his inadvertent use of a word deemed unacceptable by one of his students. He’s noArt lecturer Martin Gilmour is forced to attend therapy sessions for his inadvertent use of a word deemed unacceptable by one of his students. He’s not happy about it and makes that abundantly clear, in fact, he’s a bubbling cauldron of fury, resentment, jealousy � you name it. Some of Martin’s many issues emanate from Ben Fitzmaurice, an old school friend for whom he does a massive favour years ago and then is unceremoniously dropped from the inner sanctum at Ben’s 40th birthday party. To his great surprise, seven years on, he receives an invitation from the Fitzmaurice clan which may provide an opportunity for revenge, to put a spoke in the wheel of Ben’s meteoric rise through the political ranks. Then there’s aristocratic Serena, Ben‘s wife, who is slipping into the menopause with increasing disillusion about pretty much everything. Their eldest daughter, 17 year old Cosima is an environmental activist with which her troubled Aunt Fliss sympathises but her parents less so. Finally, there’s disgraced MP Richard Take whose desire/need for a comeback takes him into less than salubrious territory but it’s fair to say he requires a reinvention. Their stories intertwine as their lives dramatically unravel as buried secrets come to the surface while ‘flexible truths� reveal their actual truth. Each story blends and melds seamlessly. It’s a day of reckoning with multiple onlookers.
Witty, hilarious, juicy, salacious, delicious, ambitious, obnoxious, treacherous and perhaps forgiveness? I just love the tone that Elizabeth Day strikes in her novels and it’s just so cleverly simple. The insertion of maybe a couple of words and you have irony, humour, devastating wit or perception but frequently humour and it’s the sending up kind with nails hit firmly on heads. The end result is highly entertaining with a frequent chuckle or a nod in agreement.
This is a novel about privilege, the “ruling classes�, it’s about power and greed and what that can mean and lead to, it’s about climbing the greasy pole of politics and about betrayal and revenge. It’s impressive and powerful, fantastically observed with pinpoint characterisation though few are likeable. Martin is a complex man and hard to weigh up, is he a yes man or an avenging angel? I grow to like him and also Cosima whose heart is in the right place even if her tactics aren’t. It’s perfectly pitched and paced, extremely insightful and with moments of tension. I really like the ending as everything comes at a price.
Overall, it’s a highly entertaining read from beginning to end and one I can recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to 4th Estate for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
It’s social media influencer, Elly and James� sixth month anniversary and she’s going to prepare a nice surprise for him, only she’s the one that 4.5
It’s social media influencer, Elly and James� sixth month anniversary and she’s going to prepare a nice surprise for him, only she’s the one that gets a surprise. A nasty one with millions watching the betrayal. Two weeks ago everything is perfect and her 5 million and counting audience know it, because she trends partly because of #RAK (Random Acts of Kindness). Two weeks later she helps someone struggling in New York’s Grand Central Station, a random act of kindness that plunges her into a nightmare. Cue Eddie Flynn to the rescue, cape and all. The novel is told from several points of view which works extremely well.
A new Eddie Flynn is a cause for a celebratory happy dance and inevitably, exhilarating reading. Right from the start it’s very entertaining as Eddie goes into bat for the “little guy� about to lose it all. You’ve gotta love Eddie and the team � Kate Brooks, Bloch, Gabriel Lake, Harry Ford (not forgetting Clarence, his dog) and Denise. As ever it’s action packed, at times it’s dark but with humour sprinkled throughout which is a great combination leading to an addictive read.
It captures Elly’s fears perfectly (though her blog teeters into nauseatingly saccharine!), Eddie’s confidence and trickery, Kate’s trepidation, the steadfastness of Harry and the ready for anything of Bloch and Lake. They’re up against quite an adversary this time, a shadowy one step ahead opponent and they’re really up against it. This is a “never rains but it pours � read as manipulative pressure piles on pressure.
There aren’t as many zingy courtroom exchanges this time, Kate is definitely not at the top of her game and there aren’t many Eddie tricks, flicks and shenanigans. However, it’s still very good and thoroughly enjoyable, and I like how the storylines intertwine. There are one or two fortuitous occurrences but hey, it’s fiction and there’s an excellent final twist. Well played sir.
Overall, I’ll happily read another and another Eddie Flynn, what higher praise can you give than that?
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
Jimmy lives in Orkney with his partner and � kind of boss� Willow Reeves, who is pregnant with their second child. He receives 3.5 stars Jimmy Perez #9
Jimmy lives in Orkney with his partner and � kind of boss� Willow Reeves, who is pregnant with their second child. He receives a call that his close friend Archie Stout is missing. Jimmy makes his way to. Westray and sadly, finds Archie’s body and it’s clear he’s been murdered. His body lies close to a former archaeological dig and an ancient Westray Story Stone, stolen from a nearby heritage centre, is the murder weapon. Therefore, it’s clear that Archie’s murder has been an act of pre-meditation. Who hated Archie enough to kill him? Jimmy learns things about his old pal but he maybe didn’t know and he’s clearly stepped into a storm for which the Northern Isles are famed. Although close to her due date, Willow takes a full part in the subsequent and ever deepening investigation.
This is one of those “plus and minus� reads for me. First of all, it’s absolutely brilliant to be on Orkney and as it’s heading towards Christmas with hit and miss weather, it enables the author to create a good atmosphere. I like the inclusion of Orkney’s tremendous heritage and traditions in the storytelling, the Story Stones and so on and much as I am interested in it, it seems that Ann Cleeves is trying to cram it all in and it does get repetitive. I need stamina to wade through it all and in my opinion it slows the pace down. In addition, there are a lot of characters to get your head around and that does get a bit confusing.
However, it does improve as it goes along, reigniting my interest and there are inevitably plenty of twists, turns and red herrings is for which the author is well known. I really enjoy the Jimmy/Willow dynamics. Despite being a somewhat dour chap, Jimmy is a favourite character of mine and with Willow in #9 seeming to take the edge off his tendency to the bleak.
There’s another however to come!!However, then we get to the big reveal of the identity of the perpetrator and that seems to me to be very left field, coming out of nowhere. Although there’s a decent explanation in the police interview, I still think a hint or two would’ve been much appreciated.
Of course, I’ll read anything that Ann Cleeves writes but this isn’t a favourite of mine.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan Macmillan for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
This is the follow-up to The Lollipop Man, a novel which I enjoy. It’s October 1995 and the location is Leeds where we follow the progress and investiThis is the follow-up to The Lollipop Man, a novel which I enjoy. It’s October 1995 and the location is Leeds where we follow the progress and investigations of renowned TV host of Yorkshire. CrimeTime and journalist at the Yorkshire Press, Sheila Hargreaves and university student Adrian Brown. Sheila‘s co- host Tony Tranter, with whom she has a rocky relationship, has gone missing. Meanwhile, Adrian is struggling with the events of the Lollipop Man investigation and is also finding navigating the gay scene a difficult experience. A violent encounter following a night out understandably totally shakes him up. Could there be a link to the murder of 21 year old Craig Salter and other attacks on gay men?
A bit like my experience with the start of the previous novel, I’m a bit bamboozled and confused at the start as there’s so much to take in. However, once the scenes are set, it becomes easier to follow the dark storyline. There are shocks in store, not just for Sheila, but for Adrian too. There are a few lulls in the storytelling, there’s a lot of dialogue but the storyline is gritty and chilling and I like how the darker side of the city of Leeds is used in the plot. The 90s timeline is a good one too and you get a real sense of the period of time. The central characters are likeable as are some of the secondary ones but there are a lot of characters to get your head around and some are undeveloped as a consequence.
Overall, it’s a decent thriller but I’m not sure I’ll wish to continue with the series.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Allison and Busby for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
4-5 stars What a good .99p’s worth! Thoroughly enjoyed it and really like the way the author built the sense of mystery and suspense. Good and believa4-5 stars What a good .99p’s worth! Thoroughly enjoyed it and really like the way the author built the sense of mystery and suspense. Good and believable plot twists. ...more
Amazon Prime First Reads - June 2025, a bonus short story.
I’ve enjoyed this authors books over the years so was delighted with this bonus offering. IAmazon Prime First Reads - June 2025, a bonus short story.
I’ve enjoyed this authors books over the years so was delighted with this bonus offering. It’s well worth an hour of your time as it packs a lot in. Don’t think I’ll look at a beach hut quite the same but that’s not to say I don’t covet one!!! ...more
Our local libraries are wonderful places and this is where Hattie, Avril, Stuart and the librarian Will meet. Initially, for Hattie and Avril it’s a pOur local libraries are wonderful places and this is where Hattie, Avril, Stuart and the librarian Will meet. Initially, for Hattie and Avril it’s a place of retreat but it becomes so much more - way more. Hattie is trying to find something she’s lost whereas Avril is hoping to secure a happier future, whilst recently retired Stuart is looking for something to occupy his time. They come together in order to enter a writing competition.
This is a lovely, well written and welcome change from my usual genre which takes me on a wonderful journey. This is a novel about connections, losses, moving forward and unlikely friendships which has a heartwarming end result. It’s a story (or stories) within a story which works really well and I enjoy the creativity. The characters are really likeable and each has an interesting past and present to follow. It’s very easy to read with the added bonus of some chuckles, usually courtesy of Hattie. I love the growing bond and trust that grows between them, they help each other in many ways and in addition, cooperate to produce their story which centres around Eliza.
It ends on a positive note, clearly demonstrating the power of unlikely friendships and whatever your age, coming to terms with the past and moving forwards. I like all the characters but Hattie grows to occupy a special place in my heart. A feel good read and one I can recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, One More Chapter for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
Well, I thought I’d give Freida another chance since it’s a short story. Nope. She cannot write for toffee and I’m utterly staggered she’s so popular-Well, I thought I’d give Freida another chance since it’s a short story. Nope. She cannot write for toffee and I’m utterly staggered she’s so popular- her books are garbage. This is too stupid for words and I’m sorry I wasted my time. Rant over. It’s got the Alibi series off to a cracking start ...more
There’s a killer watching and lurking deep within the shadows in Edinburgh. A body is found and surgeon, Beth Waterfall and her team do their best to There’s a killer watching and lurking deep within the shadows in Edinburgh. A body is found and surgeon, Beth Waterfall and her team do their best to save him to no avail. There’s a second discovered at Jupiter Artland and this one is unrecognisable � soon there will be more. Who is The Watcher stalking grieving Beth? Her much loved daughter Molly fell victim to someone who ruins her life a year ago and it seems that Beth herself will become a victim if DS Christie Salter, DS Sam Lively, forensic profiler Dr Connie Woodwine and ex-met officer Brodie Baarda cannot find the killer in time. It’s a race, who will get to the end first?
There’s always a whoop whoop from me at the anticipation of a new Helen Fields and this series is excellent with a terrific Edinburgh background. The two central characters of Connie and Brodie are so good, I like the contrasting personalities, their razor sharp minds and insights, their fascinating relationship and the lively banter between them. I also like the addition of DS Sam Lively, he’s very likeable in a grumpy sort of way and witnessing him changing is a light in among the darkness. Beth Waterfall’s daughter Mollys situation is described heartbreakingly well and poor Beth’s feelings are relatable.
The story is told via alternating chapters of the investigation with the perspective of that of The Watcher which is chillingly powerful. This really builds the tension and suspense often sky high. It’s tightly plotted, it’s hard hitting, fast paced, there is never a dull moment and the usual rollercoaster read that I’ve come to expect from Helen Fields. There’s plenty of emotion as well as shocks and as the author rarely holds back, I know what I’m in for and definitely not disappointed. There’s a strong sense of impending doom as the reader waits for something awful to happen but praying that your worst fears aren’t realised. At times the tension is off the scale, there are some absolute cracker scenes with chapter endings that result in the odd expletive from me, that is after I’ve picked my jaw up off the floor! The author really is on fire!
As for the much debated ending, well, I like it. A lot. It’s creative and original so what more can you ask for? I look forward to reading what the authors fertile imagination conjures up next � I’m assuming it’ll be Luke and Ava. Three cheers!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Avon books for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
Gloucestershire, 1932. Robert Bardsley arrives at Anderby Hall with a firm resolve to be a better man. The ancient door is opened by American GwendolinGloucestershire, 1932. Robert Bardsley arrives at Anderby Hall with a firm resolve to be a better man. The ancient door is opened by American Gwendoline Fitzgerald, a vision in green silk with her glorious vibrant auburn hair giving her the air of an artist’s muse. The house is clearly neglected and is as icy as the exterior and as for the gardens, which will be Roberts job, there’s much to do especially reviving the famous roses. Anderby is now a home and retreat for artists and idealists, a kind of Bohemian Utopia. The novel is told from several perspectives including Robert, his colourful neighbour Trudie, famed for her lethal cocktail combinations, Daniel, whose recovery from the Great War is understandably slow and school teacher Faye, with whom Robert has a tricky relationship. Just as Robert believes he’s settling in, the news arrives at the Orchard has been sold to make way for an estate of Tudor inspired bungalows. Indeed. Will this put everything that Anderby and the nearby village of Greenfields stands for in jeopardy. What will this tight knit community do? It’s a violation of somewhere they hold as precious, a link between the past and the present. Anderby ancestors will be spinning in their graves.
It takes me a little while to get into this, to sort the characters out but once I do, I really love this beautifully written historical novel. It’s a wonderful snapshot of an idealistic community and how they respond to inevitable change as it’s an inescapable fact that Britain needs more homes. The language at times is almost lyrical which means that scenes and characters spring to life as vividly as the appearance and personalities of this eclectic bunch of individuals. It captures the times in society, the language used and contextually depicting the increasingly darker times abroad as authoritarianism bites hard. The author really does create a strong sense of community and their palpable shock at what may happen to a place that they’re both invested in and love. It’s very atmospheric with a strong sense of place.
I love the idea of very likeable Robert rescuing, reviving and re-creating the old garden designs that date back hundreds of years and the roses which are of Tudor origin. It mirrors the efforts of post Great War recovery and these are some of the strongest sections of the book.
Amongst the wit, humour and excellent dialogue there’s betrayal, treachery and manipulation which comes as a shock to most but not to a few and there’s an impending sense of devastation and doom. However, fear not, these are people with strength and backbone and it builds to a very heartwarming ending.
This is a must read for fans of Historical Fiction and ensure to read the authors fascinating afterword.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review....more
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