Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

“The idea of writing a murder mystery called to her. Her fingers touched the keyboard and began to move.” Everybody is a Liar is a very quick listen at just three and a half hours, and an entertaining story. I was a little bit disturbed by some of the sound effects that appeared in my ears. For example, the clickety-clack of the keyboard as Julie is writing. It's just weird when you're not expecting it! 😂 The title is very apt. Everybody is indeed a liar! Although I did work out what was going on pretty early on, I was gripped by the story and there were quite a few WTF moments, for me as well as for Liza, the therapist. It was difficult to work out where her loyalties should lie, and she was probably the character I liked the most. Barrie Kreinik is currently one of my favourite narrators, so I was thrilled to see she was one of the narrators for this book. 🎧 If you haven't heard her and you love an audiobook, go and find something she's narrated. You won't be di...

"I'm no expert but I don't think a ghoul can wield knives." 🔪👻 Let's Split Up was the September read for the Chiller Shelf for #thatbonkersbookclub and I really enjoyed it! 📚 It's very much a Young Adult story with Enid Blyton's Famous Five vibes, albeit a more adult and darker version. A group of kids who defy all the adults and head off to solve a mystery, but with a lot more death and destruction than Enid Blyton ever wrote about! 😂 All the kids have something going on at home and, as they throw themselves into the mystery, I liked how it allowed them to forget about their own problems for a while and focus on identifying the murderer. The final reveal was a complete shock to me. I didn't see it coming and I was so far off guessing correctly! Who was the wrong-un? Well, it certainly wasn't who I thought it was! 😲 You need to read this for what it is. Don't go in expecting an adult thriller; it's very much written for teens, and it...

"The world's ending in seven hours." 🌍💥 This is officially one of my top reads of 2026. I bloody loved it! ❤️ I skipped between reading and listening to the iconic tones of Derek Jacobi and the inimitable style of Joe Jameson. So, so good! It's not really my usual genre, but I've already got the second one lined up and ready to go. 🙌 Miss Decima Stockingham and Stephen Pike are awesome sleuths and make a brilliant team as they set out to solve the locked-room murder at Tithe Hall in 1910. 🕵️‍♀️🔎 The book gave me Downton Abbey vibes with a dose of Daisy Darker thrown in. It made me laugh out loud and spit out my PG Tips more than once! ☕😂 And I was absolutely in awe of Miss Decima and her octogenarian wit. What a woman! With the world about to end and a murder to solve, what on earth can go wrong?! 🤣 Thank you to Viking Books UK and Penguin Books Ltd for the gifted copies of  The Murder at World's End  by Ross Montgomery. All thoughts are entirely my ow...

"We were better off here, even though we were making do with less than we'd ever had before." Luck is book number 4 in Natalie's Eventing series, and honestly, it's the best equestrian series I've read since I was a pre-teen devouring pony books! 🥰🐴 Luck is definitely something Jules and Pete need right now. They have nowhere to live, and there's a very real possibility that they'll have to give up their horses and their dreams if things don't work out. My heart was breaking for them so many times while listening to this book, and I genuinely couldn't see how they were going to turn things around. 💔 But Jules is a fighter, and as she starts teaching teenagers and passing on everything she knows, she begins to find strength and a new sense of purpose. Sometimes it's other people who help us see things differently, and I loved watching Jules start to look at her future in a new light. ❤️ I'm already looking forward to listening to the ...

“They don't deserve your protection or allegiance. They deserve nothing from you.” 📚 Britannia Hunts is the third book in the  Britannia  series and, although it's not my usual genre, I've really enjoyed this series! Yes, it's complicated, and there are a lot (and I mean a lot) of characters, but as soon as I started reading, I soon remembered them all – well, mostly! 😂 Each location brings its own set of characters and seemingly separate stories, but when you start to read between the lines, you realise that everyone has their own agenda, which ultimately leads to a much bigger picture. 🕵️‍♀️ ⚡ Fast-paced, as we jump from England to Nepal, Italy to America and beyond, this alternate, parallel world to our own could be frighteningly accurate, considering the way the world is right now. 🌍 The story is political, violent, intriguing and addictive. Russell's writing is exceptional and, even when I got lost in the plot, his skill at putting words on the page just ke...

"This wasn't a yacht; it was a floating palace.". I'm hanging my head in shame that it's taken me over five years to read this gorgeous debut novel, an ARC of which I received back in 2021! 🙈 Carol's sense of humour and personality have stayed with me since I used to listen to her on Radio 1 and 2 while driving to work, and when I saw she'd written a book, I knew I needed to read it. 💕 I loved it, from start to finish. Young Shauna, older Shauna, the beautiful Greek setting, the cocktails, the food and the romanticism. 🇬🇷🍹 I devoured it all! There was mystery and secrets, heartache and passion, and the unbridled closeness that only best friends can know. ❤️ I read this during the summer heatwave of 2026, but it would have been much more pleasant to be on the beaches of a secluded Greek island, with my toes digging into the sand and a delicious cocktail in my hand. ☀️🏖️🍹 In the time it's taken me to read Carol's debut novel, she's written...

“I’m done hating myself for something I can’t change” 💔 📚  Light Wielder  was August’s read for the sequel shelf for #thatbonkersbookclub, and although it didn’t wow me as much as the first book in the series, I still really enjoyed it! We pick up four years after  Metal Slinger  ended, which did feel kinda strange. Didn’t anything happen in those four years?! 🤔 Aside from that, it was good. The characters we loved in  Metal Slinger  are back. Some are just as obnoxious and annoying as we remember them, while others maybe garnered a little more sympathy from me. However, one thing I will say is that all the bad stuff, the conflict, the war… it’s all brought on by themselves and their inability to coexist. But they’re dragging innocent people into it too. Not good! 😬 The relationships were addictive! ❤️ When Irina and Jovie had to travel together in the carriage, that was pure genius 😂 And ultimately, teamwork won the day! 🙌 I loved the Messer twist, a...