SPARKS

Alex Robertson · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2025 1:05 am Post subject:

Exposè by Hannah Dennison…nope I’ve tried to get through this, however it is one of those rare books I’m not going to finish.
Nothing is engaging, the protagonist, the characters…I don’t even care about the dead woman (spoiler…I don’t think she is dead…I’ll never know but won’t lose sleep over it!)
The “hilarious” plot, I don’t find even slightly funny, nothing draws the reader ( well this one anyway) into any empathy, suspense or indeed humour.
Not for me, perhaps I’m not the target readership. I’ve read a lot of books where the protagonist is a “sassy” woman but this is beyond parody!!!

Alex Robertson · Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2025 10:47 am Post subject:

A Clock Stopped Dead by J. M. Hall
This is better an old fashioned mystery, three ladies not in great places in their lives, friendships being tested but still sorting out the whys and wherefore of a disappearing shop which has led to the death of a widow!
They’ve got their own problems to sort out and still get to the bottom of this strange situation.
Yes you’ll guess the “wrong-un” and you’ll see the murderer a mile off…but this story is set to entertain, not to baffle!
I enjoyed it a lot!

Alex Robertson · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2025 5:48 am Post subject:

The Subtle Serpent(A Celtic Mystery) by Peter Tremayne
Sister Boniface meets Cadfael in the form of Sister Fidelma in 7th century Ireland…I’ll be looking out more in this series a gratifying read with a complex mystery…well written with enough touches of “old words” (Latin and Celtic Irish) and their meanings to enhance the storytelling without bordering on being an impediment to the story!

J. Prufrock · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2025 11:20 am Post subject:

The Endless Skies (Shannon Price, 2021) is a fantasy/coming-of-age story centered on a young warrior whose induction into the military is delayed by a plague. As her slightly older friends get assigned to an expedition in search of a cure, she and other recruits are told to stay and help out in their city-state. You can guess what she actually does, and you may have also guessed that two official members of the expedition are love interests who she takes most of the book to choose between. A pleasant enough story, though there's not much originality here other than all the people of the city-state being able to shapeshift into winged lions and ordinary humans (with more advanced tech than in most fantasy novels) introduced as the antagonists.

Crabby · Sub-Deity Joined: 26 Feb 2024 Posts: 803 Location: Belfast

Just finished..."My Name is Why" Lemn Sissay's autobiography.
An inspiring book written by a person who l consider noble in every respect and a wonderful poet.....
I'd recommend it to ......everybody!

Alex Robertson · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2025 5:56 am Post subject:

Dying In The Wool by Francis Brady, set after WW1, possibly widowed Kate Shackleton takes on her first professional investigation, as an old friend asks her to find her missing father. A pleasant read with all the social and misogynistic prejudices of the day…but she is one of those “ plucky sorts” who carries out her detective work with a dogged determination!

Alex Robertson · Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 1:58 pm Post subject:

Fugitive From The Grave by Edward Marston, this one is set in the early 19 th century and is 4th in the series of “The Bow Street Rivals” mysteries! ( I’ll need to find others in the series)
As ever with Marston he brings whichever era he sets his stories in, to a vivid reality.
Library needs a visit but the bank holiday means it won’t be tomorrow!

J. Prufrock · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2025 7:26 pm Post subject:

The Magician of Tiger Castle (Louis Sachar, 2025), fantasy in a semi-historical setting - the protagonist is an alchemist and physician of such skill that his 16th century contemporaries call him a 'magician,' though his royal patron initially holds him in low regard for having failed to turn sand into gold and his situation worsens when different members of the royal family ask him to perform conflicting tasks in advance of a long-arranged royal wedding. Good fun, especially for anyone who enjoyed the book and/or film 'The Princess Bride' - this has very little kissing or fighting, but plenty of problem-solving using brains rather than brawn. Also, this is the first book I've seen with a copyright notice including Please note that no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. though I won't be surprised if that becomes a common part of copyright notices.

Alex Robertson · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 3:59 pm Post subject:

Auntie Poldi And The Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano
This was a simply wonderful little find…the kind of story that keeps you engrossed all the way through…trawlerloads of red herrings throwing you off balance at every turn!
One of the most pleasant reads in a long time.

J. Prufrock · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2025 6:54 pm Post subject:

Lone Women (Victor LaValle, 2023) is a Western with a touch of horror, starting with the protagonist burning down her family's house as she prepares to move to Montana to claim a homestead - now there's an opening!

Why she did so and several other mysteries are gradually revealed over the course of 275 pages; I don't often go for Westerns, but I enjoyed the genre blend and quality writing.