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Liz Robinson - Editorial Expert
Liz has been an Editorial Expert writing reviews for LoveReading since 2014. Reading has always played a huge part in her life and she happily describes herself as a fully fledged bookworm. By day she works for a charity, and at every other free moment devours books of all genres. She video interviews authors for LoveReading and has previously judged the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Gold Dagger and Crime Fiction in Translation Awards, the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award, the Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival Short Story Competition, and the LoveReading Very Short Story Award. It’s simply all about sharing the book love!
This gentle and absolutely charming novel from the 44 Scotland Street series could actually be read as a standalone as its moment-in-time humour and observations of humanity do not need to be read in sequence. If you’ve not yet partaken though, then in order to enjoy these books as fully as possible I would recommend starting with 44 Scotland Street itself. This particular corner of Edinburgh while absolutely of its place and people, could also slot, with its human day-to-day activities, issues, and quirks, anywhere in the world. So its appeal lies with its appreciation of the processes of decision ... View Full Review
This historical novel centres around the story of two people, of a love that takes root just before the Second World War, and yet the couple spend the vast majority of the novel apart, separated by being on opposing sides in the conflict. With dual points of view, hearing from both Missie who is involved in intelligence, and Conrad who fights in the Luftwaffe, this is also very much a novel about the nature and cost of war. I think its important to note that debut author Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton spent 20 years in the British Army, it is undoubtedly this knowledge ... View Full Review
This thrilling murder mystery filled with dark humour, scouring heat, and abundance of attitude is set in Mumbai, India. Do step this way if you love multiple points of view and feel that main characters who aren’t necessarily likeable, add vibrancy and interest. Former Hollywood actor George Abercrombie wakes up after a drunken night to find his wife, Bollywood sweetheart Sweety Sahota, has been murdered in their apartment. George’s servant disappears, Sweety’s PA is being blackmailed, and George himself knows that suspicion for the murder will soon fall on him. Author Abir Mukherjee is ... View Full Review
This warm and generous book welcomes all, and would particularly suit those who are interested in becoming aware of and connecting with or further with, the energy field that links us all. Everything about this physical book feels significant, it’s a hardback with an interesting layout that includes plenty of illustrations and yet it’s the size of a paperback novel, so is easy to pick up and read. Its colours match those of the aura, hues of orange and purple feature more prominently, and you will learn more about these colours as you read. Author Sushma ... View Full Review
This captivating historical mystery novel crosses genres as a coming-of-age tale of self-awareness and a heartfelt relationship story also slip between the pages. Maisie Marlow moves to Chicago from England in 1914 aged ten and grows up to run an amusement park, while Laurent Bisset’s need to make his name and solve the disappearances of several who have ridden a beautiful carousel sends him from his home in Paris to the US. The dazzling carousel itself joins the story in 1900, and is a main feature throughout, adding a touch of whimsy and charm that sits at odds against the ... View Full Review
If you are looking for a quietly amusing gift-wrapped package of beautiful writing, evocative setting, delightfully unique characters, and the most gentle of mysteries then allow yourself the pleasure of a visit to Villa Coco. Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer apparently set out to write a ‘charm novel’ and what better location than Tuscany and a wide-age-gap burgeoning friendship in which to settle the charm. Our young archivist narrator tells of his time in Italy at some point after the Second World War, with the beautifully eccentric and aging Lisabetta, otherwise known as Coco. His initial expectations ... View Full Review
Slow-burning and character-driven this simply told fantasy focuses on three women, different time frames, court politics, and a country that sacrifices young women to a dragon. Returning to the same lands as her lovely debut Spellbound which was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, here we see a feminist recreation of the George and the Dragon myth. The maiden sacrifice to the Great Dragon has continued for centuries however no-one has questioned its necessity. Cressyda and Alinore come of age within this story, from young girls to young adults they navigate the politics of court from a privileged yet precarious position. ... View Full Review
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This fast-paced crime thriller would be perfect for those who love exploring the world of police procedurals yet are looking for something that stands out from the crowd. Author Charlie Gallagher, as a former police officer, takes you into the secretive high-pressured world of the source handler. This is the second in the Abigail Morton Thriller series, it was my first outing, and while it read really well as a standalone, I’d also love to take a step back and read the first in the series. The first three chapters hit with huge impact, I ... View Full Review
Available from Amazon.
Thought-provoking and emotional, this novel concentrates on the lives of three women from their childhood as they navigate being thrust together just before the Second World War through to their older years. Margarete aged 12, helps 4-year-old Isle, as they leave Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport for England where both are taken in by the Kingfisher family which includes 9-year-old Judith. This is the first book I’ve read by author Jan Casey, she has concentrated on the Second World War in her writing, fascinated by ordinary people living in extraordinary times. I really appreciated how she ... View Full Review
This swaggering stylish historical thriller set in Hitchcock’s Hollywood merges fact and fiction as writer Bobby Burgoyne is hired by Alfred Hitchcock to solve some issues on the set of his new film. Author Robert J. Harris is adept at bringing history to vibrant life, as with his A Study In Crimson which moves Sherlock Holmes into the setting of the Second World War. Here, in Crescendo, the author has found the perfect location in history in which to insert this fictional tale, when in 1959 Hitchcock abandoned a film project. He has obviously thoroughly researched Hitchcock who appears ... View Full Review
Step this way if you particularly enjoy feeling the warm compassionate embrace of a book filled with a knowing soul and gentle storyline. Problem-solving, moral dilemmas, and the importance of kindness are reoccurring themes within the Isabel Dalhousie series. There is no one quite like Alexander McCall Smith, and it’s no secret that I love reading his novels. Award-winning and best selling, he’s written over 150 books and is a master of his craft. Hopeful, encouraging, and gently provocative, his character-led novels embrace life and encourage thoughtful contemplation. If you’ve not yet read them, as ... View Full Review
I can recommend An Unlikely Visitor with my heart and soul and although I wept, a variety of emotions also kept me company until by the end I was left with hope-filled heart. As Margaret experiences the grief of her husband’s death, she is still desperate to know what happened to her daughter who disappeared as a child years before. I absolutely adore Joanna Cannon’s writing, she has the ability to dig deeply into painful emotions with the lightest yet most devastating of touches. I feel as though she is the only one who could balance ... View Full Review
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