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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 is one hell of a start to a new series, it’s bitingly sharp and provocative while also empathetic and thoughtful, and I was hooked from the get-go. Seventeen years on from a tragedy where a bus full of children drowned in an accident, the sole survivor turned police officer, teams up with a transferee from the city to solve a murder in the Peak District. I love the way author Sarah Hilary writes, she has the ability to take you into exquisite detail while throwing open doors to new thoughts. She sits on my list of favourite ... View Full Review
I have fallen in love with this book and the individual dogs highlighted within. Author Andy Boot sets out the story of the police dog, and it surprised me to learn just how much of a recent addition formal dog units have been. The history is fascinating, from the somewhat haphazard beginnings through to the increasingly knowledgeable breeding kennels and schools. Certain forces triumphed in recognising the worth of dogs for their expert nose, and protective and willing nature. Of particular interest are the stories that follow individual animals, from renowned German Shepherd Rex to quirky determined Fox Terrier Zippy. ... View Full Review
Memorable and compelling, this novel quietly settles into thoughts and feelings even as it fiercely and passionately protects both its time and place. We are never told but it is likely to be 19th century Tasmania as the setting, nature is exquisitely described and both the transplanted puma and people who attempt to tame the land are out of place. The original inhabitants live side by side with nature, highlighting the interlopers. Twins Iris and Floyd twisted their way into my heart with their strength and fragility. Their decisions made out of a need to escape their past, and their ... View Full Review
Full of compassion and empathy, this uplifting novel highlights the strength of friendship as it calls for kindness to others and yourself. Pinewoods Retreat is in financial trouble, while the owners battle to keep it standing, a visitor hides her real reason for her visit, to scope out the business for a property developer. This novel links to the first in the series Garden of her Heart, while featuring a different main character, Georgie. I loved how the tale alternated between the two sides, and two characters, yet the flow of the story is maintained. Author Zoë Richards writes ... View Full Review
Thought-provoking and eloquent, intimate and far-reaching, this book charts the course of a year, as the author sets himself a mission to hear certain calls of the wild before his loss of hearing removes them from him. It is evident that there are two elements of the loss, the environmental threat of extinction for the animals and birds he encounters, as well as his own ability to hear. He charts his journey with frankness and a thoughtful inclusive love for nature. Much of this tale is about being in the right place at the right time, he understands the creatures ... View Full Review
This is such a necessary and significant story, the impact and consequences of coercive control are devastating to the victims, their family and friends. In The Unthinkable, David Challen tells the story of his family life, the years of abuse, how his mother Sally killed his father, was jailed for his murder, and how David, his brother James and others then campaigned for her release. David tells his tale with compassion, frankness, and also a sense of fairness. His openness is important, he speaks from his point of view, details his feelings and how he was affected. We see his ... View Full Review
Chilling and thought-provoking with dark flashes of humour peppering the pages, this novel reveals a possible future that is in fact, scary as heck. While the country believes the last zombie is dead, scientist Kesta is desperate to find a cure for her own husband turned zombie Tim, who is being kept chained up in her spare room. Author Leigh Radford has created a story that feels all too believable even as it ventures into the depths of horror with an attack of flesh-eating zombies. This tale blasts open the fear, grief, and devastation felt by those affected by a ... View Full Review
This insightful, gently powerful novel about death, grief, and understanding of self is both moving and charming. Following strict rules, Ayumi helps those who wish to meet with the dead, while arranging the meetings he begins to question his own life. I love reading stories from the realm of magic realism, particularly those from Japan. The addition of such a fascinating country and different culture adds an imaginative edge and author Mizuki Tsujimura wields a thoughtful pen. Translator Yuki Tejima does a wonderful job, I didn’t even consider the different language involved until I had finished which always ... View Full Review
I fell hook line and sinker for this gorgeously realised dark fairytale where women are raised to honour their ability to be fearful. The Saint of Fear shelters a village on the edge of a terrifying forrest, when the saint realises Isle cannot feel fear, it sends her into the forest to find it. Author Emily Cooper has created the most fabulous sense of place, the village and forest were perfectly placed in my minds eye. The two locations run in opposition to each other, yet the atmosphere fogs and blends and creates a simmering level of tension which exists ... View Full Review
What an adventure! Magical realism hits with intense energy as a society sworn to protect powerful items finds themselves in a battle against a murderous enemy. Magda Sparks begins to unravel secrets as she investigates the report of a newly discovered unknowable object. While delving into magic, this is not a ‘wave the wand’ to make everything better type of story. What we have here is dark, dangerous, and wild; mix that with friendship and courage, and you have the most thrilling quest on your hands. With a this-worldly setting, the UK, Kong Kong, and US are recognisably ... View Full Review
Another wonderfully warm and compassionate novel from author Eleanor Ray. I fell in love with her writing when I met her debut, Everything is Beautiful and adored her second novel The Art of Belonging. I think the reason I enjoy her books so much is while they are undoubtedly feel-good reads, they have an edge of darkness and reality to such an extent that it makes the story feel grounded, even as they envelop you in a lovely hug. In See the Stars, Alice returns home to Yorkshire after being forced to take some time off work, and finds ... View Full Review
A beautifully readable novel full of the perils and successes of friendship, family, and owning of self. I adore author Beth Morrey’s writing, she is witty and bright, with the most fabulous grasp of what it is to be a modern woman. She writes with compassion and empathy while still not being afraid to prod a stick beneath the surface of life and give it a blimmin good shake. All three of her prior books from her emotional debut Saving Missy through to the gorgeous Lucky Day, have been LoveReading Star Books, and her fourth joins them in ... View Full Review
