It’s June, but it’s not summer. It’s cold and wet and grey. The perfect weather to spend an afternoon in the cinema watching ’Disclosure Day’, admiring the acting and the camera work and remembering the 80s, when this stuff was innovative.
Fortunately, it’s been a better week for books than films. Here’s what I read this week, what I bought and what’s up next.
This week’s reading went a little off-plan. I set one book aside by the end of the first chapter, what was meant to be one Elizabeth Moon book became two, and I caught up with a book I’d meant to read the week before. It seems that no reading plan survives first contact with the novels. Still, three of the four books kept me entertained during a week of bleak weather.
Heris Serrano – formerly a commander in the Regular Space Service – must take whatever job she can get after her resignation under a cloud. What she can get is the captaincy of a rich old lady’s space yacht…a rich old horsewoman, who has little liking for the military, and whose spoiled nephew Ronnie (and his equally spoiled friends) have been foisted on her after his folly embarrassed the family.
Lady Cecelia’s only apparent interest is horses – she intends to go fox hunting on the private pleasure planet of a friend of hers, Lord Thornbuckle. But events conspire to make it far more than a fox hunt.
Elizabeth Moon’s ‘Hunting Party’ (1993) was a fine start to an unusual Space Opera series. Engaging characters, well-sustained suspense, Odd juxtapositions of spaceships, space stations, advanced weaponry, neo-Edwardian societal structure, and, weirdest of all, fox hunting. Add protagonists ranging from their late teens to their early eighties, a truly wicked baddie, moments of extreme peril and the uplifting feeling of knowing the good guys will win in the end, and you have the foundations for a unique series.
My review is HERE
Meet Happy Doll.
Hap to his friends. He’s a LA private detective living a quiet life along with his beloved half-Chihuahua, half-terrier, George.
He’s getting by just fine.
When he’s not walking George or sipping tequila, Hap works nights at the Thai Miracle Spa, protecting the women who work there from clients who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
Until he kills a man.
Usually Doll avoids trouble by following his two basic rules: bark loudly, and act first. But after a deadly fight with a customer, even he finds himself wildly out of his depth….
‘A Man Named Dolll’ (2021) was a misbuy. I didn’t get very far into it before Noir became Nah and I set it aside mostly because I had no patience with the apparently mismamed Happy, a dope-smoking, tequila-drinking, I-have-so-many-burdens-to-bear, tough-guy ex-cop PI in LA. I felt I’d met him before, and I wished I hadn’t bumped into him again.
My review is HERE
Three former friends. One last request. The journey of a lifetime!
Bridget isn’t the adventurous type. But somehow she finds herself attending a memorial for her oldest friend, dressed in the bright woolly jumper he once knitted her – at his request. To her dismay, she’s not the only one. There’s glamorous Gloria and quiet Derek too, each wearing their own knitwear gifts.
The three former colleagues haven’t been in the same room for years, something Bridget has been perfectly happy with. But when they’re asked to grant their friend’s final wish – to scatter his ashes in the Shetland Islands – Bridget finds herself swept into an adventure she never planned.
Crammed into a battered minivan, armed with far too much yarn and not nearly enough patience, the unlikely trio head north. As the ferry pulls away and storm clouds gather, Bridget begins to wonder if this whole idea was a mistake. But sometimes, the most unexpected journeys can lead to the best discoveries – about friendship, forgiveness, and how it’s never too late to start a new chapter…
‘The Last Laugh Club’ (2025) was a gentle, mostly uplifting book that was heading for a four-star rating until I reached the saccharine epilogue. Up until then, I thought it was a nice balance of grief, regret, adventure and forgiveness. I liked the setting, mostly believed in the characters, and enjoyed the quiet chaos of the plot. It helped that Patricia Gallimore’s narration was excellent.
After narrowly escaping from a twisted cabal that organized hunting parties using human prey, ex-Regular Space Service officer Heris Serrano and her wealthy employer Lady Cecelia must transport a special passenger home.
He is Prince Gerel—first in line to the throne. Unfortunately, he was also a somewhat unknowing participant in the “hunt,” and his family is quite eager to avoid a scandal. But Lady Cecelia notices that Gerel is not himself. In fact, he seems mentally impaired, as if he’s been drugged, but the prince’s possible poisoning is only the beginning.
When Heris and Cecelia arrive at the royal stronghold of Rockhouse Major, they are pulled into a political conspiracy rooted in pettiness and desires for revenge. As outside agents make moves to unseat the throne, Cecelia is incapacitated by a bitter enemy from her past
Without the protection of her benefactor, Heris and her skeleton crew must navigate the perilous halls of power to rescue Cecelia, the prince, and possibly the universe…
‘Sporting Chance’ (1994) was a fun read. The action rolled straight on from the events of ‘Hunting Party’. This was a darker and more political book than its predecessor. The focus is split between dealing with the very bad things that are being done to Lady Cecelia and the trouble that seems to follow Heris Serrano wherever she goes. I liked that this story made full use of the ensemble cast from the last book while introducing a new baddy and deepening the worldbuilding. I’ll be reading the third book next week.
I bought thirteen novels this week. That may sound profligate, but actually, I was just being economical. The four audiobooks were bought using Audible credits I already had, and the five ebooks were on sale at £0.99 each, and one of them was a bundle of five novels.
OK, I know what that sounds like. Let me start again.
I bought thirteen novels this week, and I’m happy with that. I’ll be even happier when I find the time to read them.
I bought the first in a new comedy spy series, the third book in Mick Herron’s Oxford investigation series, two recently published mainstream novels, a five-book omnibus edition of the Forbidden Iceland series, books 4-6 of the Mercy Kilpatrick series and a Sci Fi novel with the irresistible title of ‘Who Nuked Silicon Valley?’
It’s the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.
She only knows three things for certain:
1. She has a splitting headache.
2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.
And, oh yeah . . .
3. People keep trying to kill her.
She doesn’t know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there’s only one explanation: obviously . . . she’s a spy! Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she’s not. She’s a spy’s identical twin sister.
Too bad the only person who knows she’s not the woman they’re looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear. Which is easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught.
Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they’re lying their way across Europe – dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister’s name.
But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can’t remember or the mysterious man she can’t let herself forget . .
When Zoë Boehm agrees to track down the gang who robbed Sweeney’s jewellery shop, she’s just hoping to break even in time for tax season. She certainly doesn’t expect to wind up in a coffin.
But she’s about to become entangled with a strange collection of characters, starting with suicidal Tim Whitby, who’s dedicating what’s left of his life to protecting Katrina Blake from her late husband’s sociopathic brothers, Arkle and Trent.
Unfortunately for Zoë, Arkle has a crossbow, Tim has nothing left to lose, and even Katrina has her secrets. And death, like taxes, can’t be avoided forever.
Seven months after Dandelion’s death, Poppy resurrects her sister’s phone and finds a message from a man on a dating app. Jake.
Dandelion delighted in bad behaviour. She pushed Poppy to be daring. So, on what would have been her 40th birthday, Poppy decides to do something her sister would love, and – for one night only – she goes on a date as Dandelion.
Only when Poppy meets Jake, they have unexpected chemistry. Thrillingly hot, confusing chemistry. They become tangled in deceit while discovering something shockingly real. What happens when you fall in love with a lie?
When Daphne notices an older gentleman following her around the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, she doesn’t expect it to be Eddie – her former stepfather.
Married to her mother for a short time when Daphne was nine, she hasn’t seen Eddie for many years; not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives.
Meeting again now, Daphne and Eddie feel that time has fallen away. Their earlier relationship was brief but had a profound impact on both of them. Together, they consider not only their past, but the joys of the present and their commitment to face the future together.
The Creak on the Stairs (book 1)
A woman’s body at a lighthouse sends Elma digging into decades-old abuse and cover-ups that some would kill to keep buried.
Girls Who Lie (book 2)
A single mother disappears, then turns up dead on the lava fields. As Elma investigates, secrets about motherhood and manipulation surface with devastating impact.
Night Shadows (book 3)
A fatal house fire proves deliberate, a young au pair’s dream post spirals into nightmare, and Elma’s search for the arsonist puts her own life at risk.
You Can’t See Me (book 4)
A powerful Icelandic family gathers at an isolated hotel; when a guest vanishes in a storm, hidden resentments and deadly motives erupt behind locked doors.
Boys Who Hurt (book 5)
A frenzied cottage killing and a boy’s long-lost diary connect past to the present, as Elma is pulled into a tangle of small-town secrets, with a murderer too close to home.
A Merciful Silence (book 4)
A rainstorm has uncovered the remains of five people—a reprise of the distinctive slaughter of two families twenty years ago. Except the convicted killer is in prison. Is this the case of a sick copycat, or is the wrong man behind bars? One person might have the answer. The lone survivor of the decades-old crimes has returned to town still claiming that she can’t remember a thing about the night she was left for dead.
A Merciful Fate (book 5)
Thirty years ago, an armored-car robbery turned deadly. The mastermind was captured. Four conspirators vanished with a fortune. One of them, it appears, never made it out of the woods alive. For Mercy and her fiancé, Police Chief Truman Daly, their investigation opens old wounds in Eagle’s Nest that cut deeper than they imagined. Especially when a reckless tabloid reporter draws fresh blood. It’s clear to Mercy that somebody in this close-knit community is not who they seem to be.
A Merciful Promise (book 6)
The job: infiltrate a militia amassing illegal firearms in an isolated forest community. FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick is the ideal candidate. She knows Oregon. She’s near the compound. And having been raised among survivalists, Mercy understands the mind-set of fanatics. Lay low, follow rules, do nothing to sound an alarm, and relinquish all contact with the outside world. She’s ready to blend in
This week, I’m going to join the LitRPG party (albeit as a rather late joiner) and try out the first Dungeon Crawler Carl book. I’m also continuing with Elizabeth Moon’s Serrano Legacy space opera series and Melinda Leigh’s Bree Taggert crime series.
As captain of the astral pleasure yacht Sweet Delight, Heris Seranno has performed more unlikely heroics than she ever did as an officer in the Regular Space Service. Now, she is joining her feisty noble employer and friend, Lady Cecelia, on what should be a well-deserved relaxing trip to the remote world of Xavier.
Unfortunately, Xavier is also the starting point for an invasion of Familias territory by the bordering Benignity of the Compassionate Hand—a predatory criminal empire. Their name happens to be the only thing remotely merciful about them.
Heris is the only one who can lead her rag-tag fleet in a desperate fight against a seemingly unstoppable enemy. But if she is to save the Familias Regnant, she will first need to uncover an enemy hiding within her own ranks…
It looks like the third book in this series is heading for hardcore military Sci Fi territory, but with Elizabeth Moon, there’s bound to be a twist.
I love that the evil criminal empire calls itself The Benignity of the Compassionate Hand.
The apocalypse will be televised!
You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.
Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.
Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.
Even though I love Science Fiction and Fantasy, I’ve never enjoyed Role-Playing Games. The old roll-a-dice ones bored me, and my hand-eye coordination is so poor that I never make it past Level One in the digital versions.
Which, together with the incredibly ugly cover design and the cheesy title, explains why I ignored ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ when it came out in 2020.
Since then, many reviewers whom I trust have sung its praises, another seven Dungeon Crawler Carl books have been published, and LitRPG has become a best-selling sub-genre. So, I’m going to dive in and hope I have another seven great books to look forward to.
Called to an isolated farm to check on an elderly widow, Sheriff Bree Taggert finds a brutal double homicide. One of the victims is Eugene Oscar, the bitter and corrupt former deputy she recently forced out of the department.
Working with criminal investigator Matt Flynn, Bree discovers that she isn’t the only one who had a troubling history with Eugene. But someone doesn’t want Bree digging up the past. She becomes the target of a stranger’s sick and devious campaign calculated to destroy her reputation, career, family, and new relationship with Matt. To make matters worse, she’s the prime suspect in Eugene’s murder.
When her chief deputy goes missing while investigating the case, Bree refuses to back down. She won’t let him become the next victim. His life and her future depend on finding a killer nursing a vengeful rage.
The Bree Taggert books are a comfort read for me. I know exactly what I’m going to get. Melinda Leigh writes to a formula, but it’s a formula that works for me as long as I leave some space between books,
Mike Finn's Fiction 