August 2024

Lisa Unger, The Stranger Inside, OK but forgettable thriller, B
Andrea Camilleri, The Snack Thief, very good, A-
Richard Armitage, Geneva – overrated and really not very good thriller, should stick to the acting, C
Willie Nelson, My Life: It’s A Long Story, enjoyable, B+
Jojo Moyes, Sheltering Rain – surprisingly good read, A,
Machado de Assis, The Wager – gentle paced Brazilian classic, B+
John Julius Norwich, Sicily: A Short History from the Ancient Greeks to Cosa Nostra, superb, A+
Elsie Oxenham, New Girls At Wood End, OK, B
Evelyn Anthony, The Tamarind Seed – OK spy thriller from c.1970, some interesting period detail, B
Graham McCann, Do You Think That’s Wise – very good bio, A
Debbie Young, Best Murder In Show, slight but pleasant, B
Neil Lancaster, Dead Man’s Grave, decent thriller, B
Penelope Fitzgerald, The Bookshop – beautifully written but ultimately bleak, A-
Jack Sheffield, School Days, B
Jane Dunn, A Scandalous Match – rather pedestrian writing and a bit of a Heyer knockoff, C+
Louise Candlish, Our Holiday, very poor, D
Tom Hindle, Murder on Lake Garda, good, A-
Natasha Pulley, The Bedlam Stacks, slow moving but magical, B+
Rosie Andrews, The Puzzle Wood, slow but atmospheric, and some awkward and annoying errors, B-
Agatha Christie, The Hollows, very competent mystery, A
Fiona Barton, Talking to Strangers – well written, B+
Joanna Cannan, They Bought Her A Pony – rather enjoyable, B+
Stephanie Austin, A Devon Midwinter’s Murder – OK, C