In my book blog, I review my favourite fiction genres: comedy, community, crime. I enjoy all three equally, but I’m always delighted when I find new books where they overlap.
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In Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg’s so-called ‘problem area’, an American couple is found brutally murdered in a derelict house. Prosecutor Chastity Riley is assigned the case and quickly finds herself waist-deep in a murky tangle of city planners, shady investors and vanishing officials. The gentrification machine is rolling on, and someone is sending a very clear message.
Read MoreWhen semi-retired Irish nun Sister Agatha Murphy meets Avtar Mehta round the back of his historic Delhi hotel, they form an instant bond over a sneaky smoke and good gossip. Then a street robbery outside the hotel, a dead body inside it, and the disappearance of a pilgrim guest bring the local police to the hotel, determined to close their cases quickly, and with them the Delhi Haveli Hotel.
Read MoreMairéad is single, child-free and head of a successful influencer talent agency. The young people at work may be mean to her, she hasn’t seen her only sister for nine years and she’s one bad date away from giving up on men completely but other than that, she’s got life sorted. Until Sunshine shows up.
Read MoreWhen Chloe Adams embarked on the publicity tour for her new book, she didn’t expect to appear on a live radio interview alongside Joe Harris promoting his memoir on the same subject. Relationships. They had last met fifteen years ago when Chloe abruptly ended theirs. Now a successful journalist, she is married to an equally ambitious film director, while comedian Joe, still single, has struggled to move on.
Read MoreWhen a woman is found unconscious on a ping-pong table in Warwick Gardens in Peckham, South East London, it looks like a case of mistaken identity. Why would anyone want to injure this popular local mum of six? But Jim Domino, ex-CID detective turned private eye, keeps asking questions.
Read MoreTV reality show host and former journalist Jessica Sinclair quits her job after receiving a death threat and is scratching a living as a private investigator when she discovers the body of her former best friend, Marianne Hughes. Accused of her murder by a police chief with a grudge and devastated that she never got to put her relationship right with Marianne, Jessica sets out to find her killer.
Read MoreHelen Lederer’s face and wry, witty perspectives are unforgettable. A regular on the stand-up circuit and new wave sketch shows that launched the careers of today’s comedy national treasures.
Read MoreSophia is determined to grow old disgracefully and refuses to be invisible. She craves fiery passion and steamy romance, not targeted ads for funeral plans. After a heart-shattering breakup, she ditches love to date a new man each week for a year.
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All Clara has ever wanted is Christmas surrounded by loved ones, full of warmth and delicious food. So, when her new boyfriend asks her to move to Switzerland, she can't help but say yes! After all, what could be more perfect than Christmas in the Alps?
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The Portrait Girl thrusts its bereaved and beleaguered heroine, jewellery designer Freya Wetherby, into an astonishing world of re-enacted Victorian art salons and the devious machinations of modern art theft.
Read MoreA tightly plotted thriller that is chock full of humour. It is set in Washington DC and northern Iceland, both highly exotic locations. A mentally challenged hero, described with empathy and psychological tact, is faced with two murders and the threat of more to come.
Read MoreTrish’s self-esteem is at rock bottom in A Novel Solution, Sue Clark’s witty, satirical second novel. Her husband is unfaithful, her adult daughters are selfish and her boss underrates her. When Trish finds herself alone and out of a job, she decides to repair her shattered confidence by writing a best-selling book. As she has no idea how to go about this, she signs up for individual writing lessons.
Read MoreIt was supposed to be a romantic getaway to New York City. Breanna's new boyfriend, Ty, took care of everything – the train tickets, the sightseeing itinerary, the four-story Jersey City rowhouse with the gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline.But then Bree wakes up one morning and discovers recently missing dog-walker Janelle Beckett dead in the foyer. Ty is gone, vanished without a trace.
Read MoreA novel about the richness and adventures of one woman’s life - a joyful, brave, unconventional life, brimming with love and loss in all their forms.
Read MoreFrom tales of a narcoleptic biscuit lover, con artists with a twist, and the accidental death of a hamster; to consequences of accidental gluing, the imagined world of extreme shopping, and the delightfully surreal world of canine dating, these 15 boldly imaginative stories range across a multitude of genres and themes.
Read MoreThis article by a professional publicist makes interesting points about the role of book bloggers in publishing.
Read MoreEx-soldier Michael approaches journalist and single parent Julia with secret information about a hidden war crime. When Michael is assassinated, it strengthens Julia’s resolve to discover the truth behind his allegations. But before she can expose the shadowy figures behind the crime, she and her detective sidekick Joe must follow a long and dangerous path. Meanwhile, Julia has to deal with crises at the school gate.
Read MoreKim Jacobs believes that she is happily married, until her husband tells her he is leaving her. Forced to re-evaluate her life on the same day that her son leaves for university, Kim is shocked to find herself sleeping in the spare room of his college flat share.
Read MoreA Death in Custody is a crime novel providing an insider’s view of the operation of the legal system in relation to the deaths of prisoners in police custody, written by an author with experience in the Crown Prosecution Service.
Read MoreIn 2019 Thompson uncovered the true story of a forgotten Underground library, built along the tracks of Bethnal Green Tube tunnel during the Blitz. In her podcast she talks to international bestselling authors and some remarkable wartime women. This is her way of celebrating and documenting the remarkable stories she has found whilst researching her books.
Read MoreThe reader can learn a lot from Bonnie Garmus’ brilliant debut novel - and not only about chemistry. The story of Elizabeth Zott, scientist, tells us how ambitious women in America struggled to make their voices heard in the 1950s and 60s.
