Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

'A large, dark shape materialised to his right, as though plunging through a thick cloud. The drumming faster, relentless'. I read my first Ross Greenwood novel, earlier this year and loved it, so of course I was going to read this one. Another day and another Norfolk murder! This one reminded me of a Dick Francis book. If you don't know, Dick was a former jockey, turned author and many of his books were set in the horse racing world and featured a murder or two! As Ross was writing about the stable yards, and the beauty and grace that comes with the horses who reside there, I could smell the wood shavings and the gorgeous horsey smell. I could sense the love the people who worked there, had for their charges, and I dropped myself right into the middle of it all, as I set about trying to solve the murder(s) along with DI Ashley Knight. A perfectly written police procedural. Ross kept me guessing most of the way through, and my choice of murderer changed from one chapter to ...

'He felt that Seaspray was simply waiting for someone to come along, hack through the thorns like the prince in Sleeping Beauty and save it from eternal slumber.' I loved reading Phillipa's new book. It was full of sunshine and happiness, beautiful sand art and the promise of a gorgeous garden - reminding me of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  Tammy and Ruan have a really sweet meet-cute, as he sits on the seawall, watching her create her amazing art on the beach, and you just know that they're going to end up together. Of course there are some obstacles which pop up along the way, secrets that they keep to themselves for just a little bit too long and Tammy's inability to trust someone with her heart. But of course it all comes good in the end, as all great romance reads do.  We nearly moved to Cornwall a few years ago, but opted for Norfolk instead, so I relish a book where I can lose myself in the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, with the drama...

“If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed.” The Bell Jar was the book we chose to read for #classiclitbookclub in August 2024, and I have finally managed to find the time to write a review. I listened to this one, narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal and I loved it. It's semi-autobiographical and so, so sad, as Esther takes the reader (or listener) through her inner turmoil, whilst her friends and family, are seemingly living a happy and perfect life. As it becomes apparent that she suffers severely with mental health issues, I found myself wondering if she had been born into today's society. Would she have perhaps been diagnosed with ADHD and received the help she needed, earlier than she did.  This is another book that I would be happy to revisit at another time, to see if I take anything more away from it, now I know the story.  Sadly, Sylvia took her own life, aged just thirty, but her writings live on and have been translated into many languages throughout ...

“No-one would mess with a detective that looked like a pi$$ed-off Shrek ” I read The Crucifix Killer back in August for ##bookstabritsbookclub - now known as #thatindiebookclub, and wow! I thought I'd hate it, I was put off by the genre 'horror', but as I've mentioned recently, I think the horror genre is subjective. In my opinion, if the subject is about something that can happen in real life, then it's more of a dark thriller than a horror. This was horrific, and so, so descriptive. I cringed, I hid behind virtual curtains and wondered whatever was going to come next as Chris continued to type those words. It did make me wonder what gruesome scenes the author had seen, read or heard about in his career as a criminal psychologist.  I loved both Robert Hunter, the LAPD detective and his rookie sidekick, Carlos Garcia. They brought a touch of humour and lightheartedness to their difficult days. I can't wait to go back and read the next in the series.  The Crucifi...

'..If we killed women for their tongues all men would be murderers.' Back in 2024 I listened to My Cousin Rachel for the September read for #classiclitbookclub and as always, Daphne's writing just blew me away. A storyteller like no other, she kept me enthralled for the entire book. Just as with Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, the gothic atmosphere shines through and once again, there are some really, really dark turns of events.  Philip is naive and immature and just doesn't seem to understand why Rachel doesn't want to be with him - she's just lost her husband for goodness’ sake, give the woman some space! I didn't like Philip at all, I'm not sure whether Daphne du Maurier's intention was for us to feel sorry for him or get annoyed with him. He was just a namby-pamby who had been molly-coddled his entire life and hadn't a clue how to live in the real world.  Ambrose, in my opinion, expected far too much of Philip as he asks him to take over the runnin...

'The sing song of conversation was punctuated by cups clinking in saucers and plates being passed around. A Mad Hatter's tea party of sorts - with less hats and perhaps slightly more madness'. 'It's beginning to feel like all roads lead to Polkerran Point.' In this visit to Polkerran Point, we are with Kate, who has made the move to Polkerran to get away from her ass of an ex-husband, and brought along her teenage daughter Mollie. I predicted that the love-interest this time around would be Dev, and I was right!  Once again, Cass has brought me sunshine and joy with her book, as I excuse myself from real life and disappear into the gorgeous community that makes up Polkerran. I love that Cass can pick me up and deposit me around Anna's kitchen table, as I mingle with the batty locals. Or sit me on Kate's terrace with a glass of wine, listening to the sea in the distance and contemplating life.  The 'Friends' reference at the beginning of each chap...

'A dragon will always catch you when you fall.' This is such an incredible sequel to the first book, and if it was possible, I adored it even more. Opal, Farris and Edmym - I did not see that coming! 🌶️ But they handled the whole situation with maturity and even a little bit of humour! As our adventurers are tasked with their missions, the amazing Jenny Grimes does an awesome job of taking us along for the ride - quite literally in some cases! Who doesn't want to be able to pop into a hole and transport to another realm, or even just get somewhere that little bit faster - it definitely beats catching the bus! I loved Nell and that's all I'm going to say about her, you need to read this for yourself and continue along with Nell on the High Shaedes journey, as they encounter wizards, sarcastic dragons, and make some difficult decisions.  If you haven't read Shaedes of Power, then read that first. If you love Fourth Wing and ACOTAR then I guarantee you will lov...