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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nFirst a quick explanation!<\/strong><\/p>\n Due to some severe health issues over the last few years, and a lingering chronic condition, my planned review schedule went right out of the window and I have been scrabbling ever since to get it back on track.<\/strong><\/p>\n In an attempt to try to regain some lost ground, I have been scrunching some of my (overdue) NetGalley reviews together into one or two posts each week: shorter reviews, but still covering all of the points I intended to.<\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s the plan anyway, <\/strong>so let\u2019s see if any of my latest reads take your fancy for a sunny summer read!<\/strong><\/p>\n Title:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Wizard of Most Wicked Ways<\/em><\/strong> Blurb: \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>When dead enemies rise, grave matters of the heart, mind, and body clash in the fantastical fourth Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and\u00a0Wall Street Journal<\/em>\u00a0bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.<\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who\u2019s an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it\u2019s something wicked.<\/em><\/p>\n The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back\u2014after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn\u2019t strong enough to fend off Silas, seeks Cora\u2019s help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein\u2019s defense.<\/em><\/p>\n As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging\u2014literally\u2014for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn\u2019t want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what\u2019s necessary to protect those he loves. One way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein\u2019s third dead body.<\/em><\/p>\n Review:<\/strong>\u00a0I can\u2019t tell you how excited I was to get my hands on this book!<\/p>\n All of the familiar Whimbrel House crew are back \u2013 Hilde and Merritt, Beth and Baptiste, and Owein. Unfortunately, Silas Hogwood is back too and more terrifying than ever in his latest incarnation.<\/p>\n The older couples are all now parents, as time has passed since we last saw them, and so their focus and responsibilities have changed accordingly and the main focus of the plot has passed fully to Owein as the first representative of the younger generation (despite actually being a centuries old child, reaching adulthood for the first time in a human body). <\/p>\n Cora keeps in touch with him as BFFs and penpals in their years spent apart and he is caught in a waiting pattern as her decision about their engagement looms closer. Meanwhile, druid shapeshifter Fallon has been his constant companion and its obvious she wants to be more, so he will have to choose between honouring his long-distance betrothal or his real-life spirit animal girl-friend.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not all teen romance \u2013 Silas seems absolutely undefeatable this time around, even with the forces of England\u2019s League of Magicians on our heroes\u2019 side. And Owein has already died twice, so it\u2019s not looking good for his third attempt at keeping body and soul together. Especially as Silas is literally insane with the need to revenge himself on everyone Owein holds dear, at any cost.<\/p>\n Thrilling, touching, sometimes funny (although less humorous and more serious in tone than the previous novels), this fourth book in the series had me riveted from first to last page. You definitely need to read Books 1-3 first, as it doesn\u2019t stand alone, but personally I am counting down until the next release and will use that as an excuse to re-read them all again!<\/p>\n Title:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Playing Dead<\/strong><\/em> Blurb: \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Members of the Detection Club, the most prestigious group of crime writers in the world, celebrate the eightieth birthday of their former president \u2013 the original king of cozy crime, Simon Brett \u2013 with this stunning collection of all-new short stories.<\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n A long-married crime-writing couple plot murder most horrid, with a jaw-dropping twist . . . A group of school friends dig up a long-buried dark secret . . . A widower joins a local amdram society, with surprisingly dramatic results . . . A deranged fan stalks a celebrated TV personality . . . An online romance turns sour . . . and much, much more.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n From police procedurals to the sharpest satire, from historical mystery to dark and twisted chillers, these twenty-two original tales, written by some of Britain\u2019s most remarkable bestselling authors, are essential reading for crime and mystery fans.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n With stories by\u00a0Abir Mukherjee<\/strong>,\u00a0Aline Templeton<\/strong>,\u00a0Alison Joseph<\/strong>,\u00a0Andrew Taylor<\/strong>,\u00a0Ann Cleeves<\/strong>,\u00a0Catherine Aird<\/strong>,\u00a0Christopher Fowler<\/strong>,\u00a0David Stuart Davies<\/strong>,\u00a0Elly Griffiths<\/strong>,\u00a0Frances Brody<\/strong>,\u00a0John Harvey<\/strong>,\u00a0Kate Ellis<\/strong>,\u00a0L.C. Tyler<\/strong>,\u00a0Liza Cody<\/strong>,\u00a0Lynne Truss<\/strong>,\u00a0Martin Edwards<\/strong>,\u00a0Michael Jecks<\/strong>,\u00a0Michael Ridpath<\/strong>,\u00a0Michael Z. Lewin<\/strong>,\u00a0Peter Lovesey<\/strong>,\u00a0Ruth Dudley Edwards<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 and last, but very much not least,\u00a0Simon Brett<\/strong>, who\u2019s brought back his much-loved amateur sleuth, washed-up actor Charles Paris, to tread the boards once again.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Review:<\/strong>\u00a0I love mystery stories and I enjoy short stories, so this collection of 22 stories all in one of my favourite genres was a treat for me from start to finish.<\/p>\n Collected in honour of Simon Brett from members of the Detection Club, there are some obvious recurring themes \u2013 radio and theatre productions, for example \u2013 and some brief cameos and in-jokes. Still, despite those similarities, there is a nice range of varying styles, tone and content to enjoy here.<\/p>\n The book includes every kind of crime story you can think of, from cosy to thriller, historical to modern, realistic to satirical. Obviously that means that not every story will suit every reader, but I thoroughly enjoyed every single one, couldn\u2019t point to a single bad\/weak story among them, and would wholeheartedly recommend this collection to other crime and\/or short story fans, or anyone looking for a taster sample of the authors included.<\/p>\n Title: Murder Below Deck<\/em><\/strong> Blurb: \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Worse things happen at sea\u2026<\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n Paul Delamare has been roped into accompanying his old friend on a luxury cruise aboard the magnificent superyacht\u00a0Maldemer<\/em>. It\u2019s all plain sailing until his friend\u2019s priceless necklace is stolen, and everyone falls under suspicion.<\/em><\/p>\n As Paul races to catch the thief, the ship begins to drift off-course, veering into the storm-lashed mid-Atlantic. Then one of the passengers is found dead in mysterious circumstances, in a pool of coffee and surrounded by cake crumbs.<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s all hands on deck to catch the killer, but Paul soon discovers guests and crew are harbouring deadly secrets. And if he can\u2019t get to the bottom of the mystery soon, he\u2019ll be sleeping with the fishes.<\/em><\/p>\n Review:<\/strong>\u00a0I think I enjoyed this book even more than the first, although you don\u2019t need to have read one to follow the other.<\/p>\n Paul Delamere, ex-chef and the main character, reminds me of Anthony Horowitz\u2019s self-insert in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series: self-deprecating and a very sympathetic character, if not the greatest investigator, with a tendency to leap buoyantly to all the wrong conclusions.<\/p>\n In this outing, Paul tries to uncover who killed his dear friend, whilst being treated as first staff, then skivvy, then as everyone\u2019s main target. He really does have a hard time here and I suffered knots of anxiety throughout that he might actually not make it out of this one! I have become very attached to Paul in the course of reading his trials and want to follow him on further sleuthing adventures while fearing greatly for his health and happiness with the way things are progressing.<\/p>\n As before, the recipes make for a lovely, story-related bonus at the end, so if you enjoy cooking up fictional treats, being kept guessing, a crew of very quirky suspects and some quite thrilling action, then this is a cruise you\u2019ll want to be on.<\/p>\n Title: Everyone in the Group Chat Dies<\/em><\/strong> Blurb: \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Don\u2019t miss the new laugh-out-loud thriller from L.M. Chilton,\u00a0<\/strong>Everyone in the Group Chat Dies<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 a murder mystery that fuses the flatmate comedy of\u00a0Friends\u00a0<\/em>with the serial-killer thrills of\u00a0I Know What You Did Last Summer<\/em>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Kirby Cornell needs a break from\u00a0everything:<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 Her crumbling flat in the sleepy town of Crowhurst (famous for its award-winning sausage rolls and a second-rate serial killer from the 90s).<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 Her dead-end job.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 Her sleazy landlord.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 Her slobbish housemates.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 And, most of all, the terrible thing they all did.<\/em><\/p>\n Luckily, that hasn\u2019t caught up with her just yet. Until a new message on their old group chat pops up:<\/em><\/p>\n Everyone in the group chat will die.<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s the first text her ex-flatmate and social-media sleuth Esme has sent for ages, but that\u2019s not the really weird thing.<\/em><\/p>\n The\u00a0really\u00a0<\/em>weird thing is, Esme died twelve months ago\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Review:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m a bit torn on this one. Because on the one hand, I really enjoyed the Deadbeats, their unlikely friendships and the flashbacks we got of their time as roommates, but the mystery plot in the current-day timeline that alternates with and frames said flashbacks feels so rushed and abrupt that it doesn\u2019t really do the characters or plot hook justice.<\/p>\n Kirby, Seema, Dylan and Dave are supposed to be in their thirties but they read far more like they are in their late teens or very early twenties \u2013 the vibe feels totally authentic but just far less mature than they should be. Kirby in particular comes across as immature and quite annoying, especially when it comes to her very-obviously-requited-but-both-oblivious romantic interest. That\u2019s not to sat that I didn\u2019t like the characters however \u2013 their banter, casual support of each other and self-doubts all felt totally authentic (if mis-aged) and the feeling of recognition endeared the whole Deadbeat group to me.<\/p>\n What did really work for me was the folkloric, almost folk-horror, elements introduced with the Crow Fayre and Jack Daw, and this would honestly have been a full five star read for me if we\u2019d had more focus on that mystery plot, the roommates in their current day lives, the deaths and the investigation of the deaths. Instead, the focus of the mystery spends a lot of time on Esme\u2019s disappearance (reasonable) and on Kirby\u2019s will-they-won\u2019t-they flashbacks (meh).<\/p>\n For me, this book had a great premise, set-up and characters, but I would have loved to have had more build-up to and around the \u2018modern day\u2019 killings, to really build the suspense and excitement in the run up to the final showdown (which could have possibly involved fewer coincidences). It was still a very entertaining read though, and I love the exploration of the intersection between true crime and influencers making content based on it, so I would definitely read more from this author in the future.<\/p>\n Title: A Brush with Death<\/em><\/strong> Blurb: \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Retired schoolteachers and amateur sleuths Liz, Pat and Thelma have a brand-new mystery to solve in this wonderfully witty cosy mystery.<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Retired schoolteachers Pat, Liz and Thelma don\u2019t know what to think. The death of Neville Hilton is not a crime. Just your standard, if tragic, heart attack. At least that\u2019s what the autopsy shows.<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n But his ex-wife isn\u2019t convinced. She\u2019s sure the current Mrs Hilton is involved \u2013 maybe she\u00a0wasn\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0at some horse event, as she told police.<\/em><\/p>\n And so the three friends step away from their slices of cake to investigate.<\/em><\/p>\n As the trio delve into the village\u2019s secrets, they uncover more than they bargained for \u2013 angry residents with old grudges and the echoes of a damning report that ruined lives all those years ago\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Can these unlikely sleuths untangle the web of lies and uncover the truth before anybody else dies?<\/em><\/p>\n The brand-new totally addictive and page-turning cosy mystery featuring these very unlikely sleuths. Fans of Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Author: \u00a0Charlie N. Holmberg<\/strong>
Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a047North<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nPurchase Link: Wizard of Most Wicked Ways<\/em>\u00a0on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Author: \u00a0Various, ed. Martin Edwards<\/strong>
Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Severn House<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nPurchase Link:\u00a0<\/strong>Playing Dead<\/em>\u00a0on Amazon<\/a><\/h3>\n
Author: \u00a0Orlando Murrin<\/strong>
Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nPurchase Link:\u00a0Murder Below Deck<\/em>\u00a0on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Author: \u00a0L.M. Chilton<\/strong>
Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Head of Zeus | Aries Fiction<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nPurchase Link:\u00a0Everyone in the Group Chat Dies<\/em>\u00a0on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Author: \u00a0J.M. Hall<\/strong>
Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Avon Books UK<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n