What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner treats its customers to wonderfully extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason to stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are capable of recreating a dish from their customers’ pasts – dishes that may well hold the keys to unlocking forgotten memories and future happiness.

From the widower looking for a specific noodle dish that his wife used to cook, to a first love’s beef stew, the restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to the past – and a way to a more contented future.

My Thoughts:

What a lovely and surprisingly good read, I was not expecting much but was pleasantly delighted by this uplifting read. Father and daughter duo run a restaurant where they serve delicious sounding food, my tummy was rumbling reading about all the delicious dishes they serve. Everyone knows them and their food but on the side the duo run the food detectives where they recreate a dish from the customers past. It is such a lovely story and I loved seeing the father and daughter relationship, and how lovely it was to see how well they worked together and what they were doing for people. It really warmed my heart reading this story. It is one I will always remember.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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The countdown to the millennium has begun, and people are losing their heads. A so-called Y2K expert gives a presentation to Scotland’s eccentric Tech Laird T.S. Mole’s entourage in Edinburgh, and soon long hours, days, weeks and months fill with seemingly chaotic and frantic work on the ‘bug problem’. Soon enough it’ll be just minutes and seconds to go to midnight. Is the world about to end, or will everyone just wake up the next day with the same old New Year’s Day hangover? A book about what we know and don’t know, about how we communicate and fail to, My Book of Revelations moves from historical revelations to the personal, and climaxes in the bang and flare of fireworks, exploding myths and offering a glimpse of a scandal that will rock Scotland into the twenty-first century. As embers fall silently to earth, all that is left to say is: Are we working in the early days of a better nation?

My Thoughts:

I loved the sound of this book, and it is a really thought provoker. When its just minutes to go before midnight on the millennium what is going to happen when the clock strikes midnight? what if the world was going to end? what would you do if you had minutes left of your life? It was a really interesting and eye opening story that will get your pulse racing and your blood pumping. It is so much more than just a story, it has myths and other things to entertain you.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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You should never talk to strangers

With his flight delayed, Ted Severson meets Lily Kintner, a magnetic stranger, in an airport bar. In the netherworld of international travel and too many martinis, he confesses his darkest secrets, about his wife’s infidelity and how he wishes her dead. Without missing a beat Lily offers to help him carry out the task.

My Thoughts:

Peter is a new author to me, I really do not know why I have never picked up one of his books because this one was absolutely fantastic. It grabbed my attention from the first page and I felt drawn into the story. Perfect escapism from the big wide world. Ted meets Lily at an airport bar when his flight is delayed after too many drinks he confesses a secret to her that he has never told anyone else. But Lily is determined to help him carry out this task, but who really is Lily? It is a story about lies, deceit and betrayal that makes it on the edge of the seat reading. The story really centres on Lily and how she is out to seek revenge on those that have wronged her in the past, but it is well worth a read. I loved it and cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I knew this book would be good but I didn’t realise how good it was.

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A listless aristocrat, Lord Jones, finds himself in London during the Blitz, attending to insurance matters. A zebra and her foal, having escaped from the London Zoo during a bombing, cross his path, and he decides to take them back to his estate in Pembrokeshire. Little loved by his fascist-sympathiser parents, something in Lord Jones softens, and he realises he is lost, just like these zebras. The arrival of the zebras sparks a new lease of life on the Pembrokeshire estate, and it is not only Lord Jones but the families his dynasty has displaced that benefit from the transformation. Full of heart and mischief, The Zebra and Lord Jones is a hopeful exploration of class, wealth and privilege, grief, colonialism, the landscape, the wars that men make, the families we find for ourselves, and why one lonely man stole a zebra in September 1940 – or perhaps why she stole him.

My Thoughts:

This is the story about Lord Jones and whilst out attending to some business, comes across a Zebra and her foal. Whilst at the time of the Blitz in London, Lord Jones wants to help these two. He takes them back to his estate and looks after them. I love seeing their journey and their life together. As the reader I found it was full of grief and love. I loved the sound of the story line and it was such a quirky story but I really enjoyed reading it and seeing the magic between human and animal. It is a wonderful read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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When Jess accepts an offer to caretake a luxury property in the Australian outback, the isolated, all-inclusive solo trip is just what she needs.

But Jess isn’t as alone as she thinks.

As bushfires rage in the distance, strangers start showing up to seek refuge. And as the fires start closing in, tensions in the group begin to rise.

Then, the phones stop working. All exits are cut off. There’s no way out.

Quickly, Jess’s guests begin to panic. And when the first person goes missing, she realises that someone in the house isn’t who they say they are.

The danger is already inside . . .

My Thoughts:

When a friend tells Jess about a two month caretaking job looking after a isolated property in Australia, Jess cannot believe her luck how luxurious the place is. She is on a break from her job at the moment so this seems the perfect escapism, how hard can it be to look after and tend to the house. You can almost taste the wealth as Jess takes us around the beautiful sounding house, but if Jess expects peace and quiet she would soon interrupted by someone knocking on the door but who is this man and what does he want? Jess cannot believe what is happening around her, maybe next time don’t jump at an opportunity if it seems too good to be true. An interesting bunch of characters really intrigued me, it was a good pace for a thriller and held my attention through out. I was tense when I started a new chapter wondering what was going to happen next. You can feel everything Jess feels when she meets the strangers, it made my skin prickle thinking what has she done. I really enjoyed this read and the ending was fantastic. An author I will definitely be keeping on my radar.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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TWO MISSING BACKPACKERS. ONE VAST OUTBACK.

DS Lucas Walker is on leave in his hometown, Caloodie, taking care of his dying grandmother. When two young German backpackers, Berndt and Rita, vanish from the area, he finds himself unofficially on the case.

But why all the interest from the Federal Police when they have probably just ditched the heat and dust of the outback for the coast? Working in the organised crime unit has opened Walker’s eyes to the growing drug trade in Australia’s remote interior – and he becomes convinced there is more at play.

As the number of days since the couple’s disappearance climbs, Walker is joined by Rita’s older sister. A detective herself with Berlin CID, she has flown to Australia – desperate to find her sister.

Their search becomes ever more urgent as temperatures soar. Even if Walker does find the young couple, will it be too late?

My Thoughts:

I love getting into a new crime series and this one really hit the mark. Bearing in mind this was a debut, I could not fault it and am excited to read the next book in the DS Walker Series. It is set in Australia and is about two backpackers that go missing in the outback. When DS Walker finds himself on the case to find the two and piece together what has happened to them. As a family member who is also a detective, seeks out DS Walker and the two of them go on the search for the two backpackers but is there more than meets the eye? and will they ever be found? From the first page I thought wow I am going to enjoy this read and I really did. It was tense and interesting and I managed to read the whole book in a day, I found the story so consuming and wanted to know what the outcome would be. There are twists and turns that I could never imagine happening. When reading this book you can imagine the heat burning down on your back and the dryness of the outback, making you want a drink of water. The characters were all brilliant even the villain. What a incredible read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Fate drew them together . . . but will their dreams tear them apart?

Colby Mills once felt destined for a musical career, but tragedy grounded his dreams. Now the dust has settled, he spontaneously takes a gig playing at a bar in Florida, seeking a rare break from his duties at home.

But when he meets Morgan Lee, his world is turned upside-down, and Colby can’t help but wonder if the responsibilities he has shouldered need dictate his life forever. Morgan is on her way to Nashville with plans to become a star and she wants Colby to come with her.

While they are falling headlong in love, Beverly is on a heart-pounding journey of another kind. Fleeing an abusive husband with her six-year-old son, she is trying to piece together a new life in a small town far off the beaten track. Danger is never far and her money is fast running out.

In the course of a single unforgettable week, three very different people will have their own ideas of love put to the test. As fate draws them together, they will each be forced to question whether the dream of a better life can ever overcome the weight of the past.

My Thoughts:

This was another great read by Nicholas, Colby dreamed of a music career but had to put it on the back burner because of something that happened but now he is free to reignite that passion for music so when he Morgan Lee he realises she is more than meets the eye, but can Colby shirk his responsibilities once an for all and become who he has always wanted to be but with Morgan Lee by his side? also running alongside this story is Beverly’s story who is on a journey to but one that broke my heart ,alongside her and her son, they are trying to get away from a abusive husband but she has put herself in danger two many times now, will her and her son ever be safe again? It was such a heart breaking story, my heart went out to Beverly and her son, I shed a few tears for her and was hoping she would find somewhere safe. It was heart stopping stuff at one point, I literally felt sick for her. It was a engaging read where you really hope the outcome will be good but you never really know until the last page. Such a good read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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In search of a new life, seventeen-year-old Adriana Clark’s family moves to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. Then she goes missing. Faced with hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to private investigator Sadie Levesque.

Sadie is the best at what she does. But when she finds Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave, a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows she’s dealing with something she’s never encountered before.

The deeper she digs into the island’s secrets, the closer danger creeps – and the more urgent her quest to find the killer grows. Because what if Adriana is not the last girl to die?

My Thoughts:

I am a big fan of Helen’s books, and I couldn’t wait to read this one. The story is set on the Isle of Mull and is about a girl that goes missing there, her family and her have just moved there and next thing she vanishes. But is it as plain as a seventeen year old girl going off on her own? when tragedy strikes the family call in a private investigator called Sadie and she digs deep to uncover the truth on what happened that fateful day. Sadie has a bit of beef with the police so decides to go it alone and work it all out herself. It is a tense and twisty thriller, that has a great pace to it, it kept me on tenterhooks the whole way through and I was trying to work alongside Sadie to uncover the truth. The characters were all great though I did find everyone suspicious and a few were suspects in my eyes. But the ending was so good. It was a great read and I look forward to Helen’s next book.

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It’s the 1970s, and Sarah has spent a lifetime trying to bury memories of her childhood: the constant fear, the horror of her school days, and Fane, the vast, crumbling house that was the sole obsession of her mother, Iris, a woman as beautiful as she was cruel. Sarah’s solace has been her cello and the music that allowed her to dream, transporting her from the bleakness of those early years to her new life with her husband Daniel in their safe, if slightly chaotic, Hampstead home and with a concert career that has brought her fame and restored a sense of self.

The past, though, has a habit of creeping into the present, and as long as Sarah tries to escape, it seems the pull of her mother, Fane Hall and the secrets hidden there cannot be suppressed, threatening to unravel the fragile happiness she enjoys now. Sarah will need to travel back to Fane to confront her childhood, and search for the true meaning of home.

My Thoughts:

The cover of this book is absolutely stunning and magical. The story is set in the 1970’s where Sarah has many memories of her childhood, the only consolation now as an adult is her cello and her husband. But when she has to return to her childhood home, will the past come back to haunt her? can she ever lay her mind to rest? I found it a dark story but woven in between the darkness was hope. It is all about how when darkness can involve you, trying to find a way out and there is hope. I thought the twists were good and the story held my attention. The characters were all good in my mind too. I liked it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Every morning Janet Brown goes to work cleaning offices. It calms her, cleanliness, neatness. All the things she’s unable to do with her soul can be achieved with a damp cloth and a splash of bleach. However, the guilt she still carries about a devastating loss that happened eleven years ago, cannot be erased.

Then, Janet finds herself involved in a train crash and, recognizing the chance to do what she couldn’t all those years ago, she makes a decision. As news spreads of Janet’s actions, her story inspires everyone around her, and for the first time her life has purpose and the future is filled with hope.

But Janet’s story isn’t quite what it seems, and as events spiral out of control, she soon discovers that coming clean isn’t an option. Because if Janet washes away the lies, what long-buried truths will she finally have to face.

My Thoughts:

Janet is a cleaner and the only way that makes her feel calm is running a cloth around but she carries guilt about something devastating that happened in the past. Her husband is a right pig and I couldn’t stand him from the get go. After an accident forces Janet to make a life changing decision but should she go for it? will she ever be able to feel free from the guilt? This is my first book by Charlotte and I really enjoyed how each chapter was a layer of Janet and once we keep unpeeling we see more sides and her story. I really felt for Janet, at times I wanted to cry for her and other times I was smiling and encouraging her. This is a story about loss, grief and a twisted relationship.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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