The Haunting of Hattie Hastings Part Two by Audrey Davis

This is the second instalment in the Hattie Hastings series, and I would say it is as good as the first or even better. Comic and touching the story continues in the same style. Part one I reviewed a few weeks ago and I'm giving this 5 stars.

After reading the first part, I bought part two straight away. I just bought the third and last part just now. If I have one quibble with the book it’s that it is short. I hope the writer is thinking of releasing the series as a box set now part 3 has been released.

This book is great fun as we follow Hattie and her loved ones getting on with their lives. Finding new love for friends Hattie and Cat is not easy. Hattie is not willing to let deceased husband Gary go, understandable as he still drops in now and then. Cat seems to be on the path to true romance, but will one stupid decision spoil it all. Gary knows he is hanging about as there is still a mission to complete, but we don’t get much closer to finding out what it is.

Part three therefore has plenty more loose ends to be tied up and I can’t wait to get to the conclusion. Well written with plenty of humour, but also some touching moments.

Untitled by Pete Hartley

I don't think this will win any prizes for best book covers, but give it a chance as I did and you will be pleasantly surprised. 5 stars for plot and writing.
Click on the pic to take you to Amazon.

It’s an old cliché to say don’t judge a book by its cover. With the picture of a dark haired woman and untitled across the top, it looks a bit unfinished and could be the cover for anything. Nothing alludes to the rather clever and well worked out cold war thriller you will find inside. The reader is swept along by the mystery of an unnamed woman trying to trace her war time lover. But she knows virtually nothing about him. We learn of a rather sweet romance that could probably only have happened in war time, where fleeting moments were all important and couples rushed into engagements and marriage before the war would claim one of them. Gradually the plot turns more sinister as the woman now finds herself caught up in the dangerous world of cold war espionage.

The book is quite unusual both in its style and story line. The writer likes playing with various shades of grey and nothing is ever clear cut or seems as it appears. I enjoyed this and would recommend it to all lovers of spy thrillers, crime and something with a well thought out complex plot.

The Haunting of Hattie Hastings Part One: A ghostly, gloriously witty feel-good romance with a liberal dose of comedy by Audrey Davis

Firstly a Happy New Year to all my readers. 2018 seemed to have gone by in a blur. I didn't achieve much on either the writing or reading front. A more challenging job and a new hobby (Painting) has gotten in the way. Here to 2019 and a resolution to read more books.
So here is to the latest book review. A mild mannered and very British comedy. I gave it 4 stars mainly because it was only 90 long and I feel that the story barely got underway. I did buy part two already.

This is the first in a three book series and this darkly comedic story is certainly a good opener. Middle aged Hattie, her layabout adult son and soon to be deceased husband are all characters we can relate to. They are ordinary British people thrown into an unusual situation and dealing with it as best as they can and with a good bit of humour. It was a fun read and I’m keen to snap up part 2 and 3; as there are still a lot of things that are unresolved and I think the fun is just beginning.

Homebody: A Toni Credella Baltimore Mystery (Toni Credella Baltimore Mysteries Book 1) by Louise Titchener

As the year is nearing its end I realised that I completely missed my target of reading 52 books this year. I only managed to do a 'measly' 25, hopefully 26 before the year is out. I do have a good excuse; I've taken on a more challenging job and spend now most of my lunch hour catching up on emails etc. It is temporary so I hope to get some more reading and reviewing done in 2019.

This book I liked a lot and I had no hesitation giving it 5 stars. Here is the review.

Toni Credella is a great and complex heroine. Marrying too young for the wrong reasons, she finds herself in an abusive relationship. Fearing for her life she shoots her policeman husband. The book starts here as Toni tries to resume her life after being acquitted of murder.

What I like is Toni’s vulnerability and courage. She is determined not to be a victim again and that gives her a newfound drive and strength. She is not a gun-toting tough cookie, but a delicate woman that had to fight against prejudice (she is both of Italian and Korean heritage), Violence and naked hatred (her husband’s cop buddies and even her own family) She emerges bruised and still full of self-doubt, but getting stronger by the day.

This is a great little thriller that throws up a few surprises, but most of all it’s the depth of character of Toni that spoke to me the most and kept me reading. I would love to read the next instalment in this series. Very promising start.

Time for Surprises (The Solvik Series Book 4) by Mette Barfelt

I picked this book up as it was by a Norwegian writer set in Norway. I wasn't disappointed in the descriptions of the beautiful scenery or the characters in the book. But the whole book felt a bit disjointed and the romance and humour where in the wrong places. I think a lot went wrong in translation here. This is part 4 in a series, but it stands alone and not having read the other books was not a problem. I gave it 3 stars.

 

Time for surprises is a very apt title for this gentle romance set in Norway. It starts with a family inheriting a hotel from their father. Miranda our main character is set to run the operation as per her father’s wishes, as her husband, Vidar, gets the lowly job of janitor. The sisters Miranda, Isabel, Jasmine, brother Tony and recently revealed half-sister Celine are forced to work together. The fact that they are all very different characters adds to the tension. There is a lot to get on with and the disasters and mishaps follow quickly. There are good characters here and they are quite well developed. My issue was mostly with the tone of the book, the translation from Norwegian might be a factor. There was humour and romance there but at somewhat inappropriate moments; for instance a fat policeman having a rather slapstick moment before a rather grisly discovery. I would like to read more of this writer as her character development is good, maybe a more out and out romance would suit me better.