Straight onto my all-time favourites shelf this goes! I shouldn't have expected anything less from Brooks. Truth be told, I'd had this on my shelf for a long time and had completely forgotten about it. But you know what? I'm so glad I did, because that meant instead of reading it when I first bought it, I've now had the pleasure of reading this post-Covid.
Well, this was absolutely delightful. I was a little uncertain if this was going to live up to expectations based on the first few chapters, but I soon got into the rhythm of the writing and was swept away on what quickly became a wonderful adventure.
This was a very interesting book to read and I've had to have a long think after finishing it to work out how to sum up my thoughts. The short of it, is that this is extremely talented writing and very captivating tale, but one that has quite a soft ending.
This was in some ways everything that I expected, and in other ways, something of a let down. I was really excited for some dark and mysterious vampires written by Schwab. She certainly delivered on the vampire front and with some exceptional writing that lifted the characters off the page. But this book had a meandering plot, that was hardcore on the "meh" side of things.
This was certainly an interesting read, and a great one for provoking some good discussions. It's also a hard one to review while keeping spoiler free, so I'm going to be somewhat vague. Ultimately, this was a gripping read – almost like a mystery – that had you hating the protagonist in a good way, and feeling desperate to understand what is going on. This book really keeps you in the dark, even when you think you might have figured out what's what.
I really shouldn't be at all surprised that yet another Matthew Reilly has crept onto my favourites list. I adored this, sordid moments and all. This is an atmospheric delight as we romp through history in the midst of a thrilling mystery.
My main takeaway from going through all the July releases is that July is cosy crime month! There were so many fun and quirky mysteries abound (and plenty more that didn't make my list).
This is a hard book to describe in detail – it's sat with me for some time since I finished it, and I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience. But to put my finger on what exactly made this so good, is difficult. The book has a quiet, complex atmosphere – it's a sophisticated novel of family ties, the plight of women and the scandalousness of witchcraft.
This was what it said on the tin: a cute, fun, Golden Age cosy crime. Set in 1941 in London and surrounds, this follows two main characters who are unhappily lumped together to puzzle out a case. This was the perfect curl-up-on-the-couch-with-a-cuppa sort of book.
This was a lot of fun! Apart from having a stunning cover, I was totally drawn in by the fact that it's set in 16th-century Florence and following a cast of characters who are attempting to pull off an epic heist. Historical fiction + impossible heist? Yes please!
Upside-Down Books 