I used to do a regular round-up of the books I finished every month, but I’ve really fallen out of the habit of writing/ blogging over the past 18 months. But I am back!
Without further ado, these are the books I finished in July 2019:
The Forgotten Village by Lorna Cook
I bought this as a Kindle cheapie (at the time of writing this it’s 99p on Kindle or £2 for the paperback) because I fancied reading something easy which didn’t need much thought. The premise looked interesting – the mystery at the heart of a village requisitioned by the Army during World War Two, and the modern woman who decides to solve it – and I was glad I downloaded it on a whim. The present-day heroine, Melissa, was very likeable and I was really rooting for her relationship with Guy. In fact I found myself far more invested in the story than I expected and ended up reading up about real-life requisitioned villages. The resolution was suitably satisfying and I’d give it a solid four stars.
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
Another Kindle bargain, but this one wasn’t a gamble because I’m already a huge fan of Elly Griffiths and her Ruth Galloway series. The Stranger Diaries is a standalone thriller with well-observed characters, multiple narrators and plenty of red herrings along the way. I thought I’d cracked whodunit but at the denouement the real villain of the piece came rather out of left field and didn’t strike me as believable. Maybe I need to read it again forearmed with the knowledge. It’s a very atmospheric book and would probably suit a dark and stormy winter night more than a summer read. Recommended!
I came across this one in a charity shop and picked it up somewhat against my better judgement – I either love or hate Jodi Picoult’s books (see Books I Finished in January 2017 for one I REALLY loved). This book had lots of twists and turns as it tackled rumours, lies, rape and witchcraft, and you aren’t always sure who you should be sympathising with. I guzzled it down but somehow it hasn’t really made that big an impact on me. Warning: don’t do what I did and read the last page early. Big mistake!
Also on the go (I have a terrible habit of reading too many books at once):
- Candlenight by Phil Rickman
- The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
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