Monthly Archives: April 2017

“Sewing the shadows together” by Alison Baillie

Posted on April 30, 2017 by

An excellent debut mystery with an atmospheric Edinburgh setting! It was the setting that first attracted me to this debut mystery.  It has been on my NetGalley TBR for some time, and I’m so happy that I finally got around … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, debut novels, Mystery fiction, NetGalley, Tartan noir | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Julie Parsons is back!

Posted on April 29, 2017 by

I was just getting ready to compose a blog post for Part II of “Where are they now?” since the author in question hasn’t had a book out since 2007.  But… low and behold, I read in a blogger news … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Psychological thrillers, Suspense, Where are they now? | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Book blurbs – what words will put me OFF?

Posted on April 27, 2017 by

As a bookblogger/bookreviewer and a retired public library fiction cataloguer, I have read countless ‘blurbs‘ on novels.  Some I read avidly, while others I drop like ‘hot potatoes’! Why would I dismiss a book so readily you ask?  Well, the blurb … Continue reading →

Posted in Choosing what to read next, Fiction, ramblings & miscellanea | Tagged , | 39 Comments

“The yellow house” by Jeroen Blokhuis

Posted on April 26, 2017 by

Dutch author, Jeroen Blokhuis tells Vincent van Gogh’s story as the artist would have told it. The novel depicts van Gogh’s life when he lived in his beloved ‘yellow house’ in Arles, France between August 1888 and December 1889. “it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in biographical fiction, Book Reviews, debut novels, Historical fiction, novels in translation | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

“The killings on Kersivay” by Angus MacVicar

Posted on April 25, 2017 by

Once more my reading travels have taken me to the Scottish isles.  I LOVE this setting! When I ponder why, I realize that like all settings that are located on islands, the setting makes the story akin to a ‘locked … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Mystery fiction, NetGalley | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cover Love: part 23 – Yellow coats

Posted on April 23, 2017 by

They say you can never have a second chance to make a good first impression. A book’s cover does just that – gives a first impression. A good cover can make a reader pick up a book. A bad cover can … Continue reading →

Posted in Cover Love series, Dustjackets | Tagged | 18 Comments

“All things cease to appear” by Elizabeth Brundage

Posted on April 22, 2017 by

“A novel that combines noir and the gothic in a story about two families entwined in their own unhappiness, with, at its heart, a gruesome and unsolved murder.” The old farmhouse in upstate New York has seen more than its … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Edelweiss, ghost stories, gothic fiction, Literary fiction, Suspense | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

“ough” x 9 pronunciations

Posted on April 20, 2017 by

Early this month I wrote a blog post called “Glorious, complicated, perverse English language“.  It was fun to write and I enjoyed reading the many comments on the post. One comment though was a challenge!  The comment stated that there are … Continue reading →

Posted in ramblings & miscellanea | Tagged | 24 Comments

Series to Savour 7 – Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway mysteries

Posted on April 18, 2017 by

This morning, as I peruse my lovely bookshelves I spy one of my all-time favorite series and realize that I have not yet posted about it on my “Series to Savour” blog series. Well, that must be remedied immediately!  I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, award winners, Favorite books, Mystery fiction, Series order, series to savour | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Canadian “Authors for Indies Day” is almost here!

Posted on April 17, 2017 by

Why do Canadians love their neighbourhood independent bookstores? Indie bookstores build community, make for great spots to hang out, celebrate literary diversity and serve as that place where anyone can go and experience the stories of our lives as Canadians. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bookstores, Canadian fiction | Tagged | 5 Comments

“Lillian Boxfish takes a walk” by Kathleen Rooneyn – Book Review

Posted on April 15, 2017 by

It is New Year’s Eve and Lillian Boxfish, age 85, leaves her cat Phoebe, and her apartment in Murray Hill to dine alone at one of her favorite restaurants.  She is early so she decides to go for a walk. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Historical fiction, Literary fiction, NetGalley, Women's fiction | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Fictionophile’s ‘philes’

Posted on April 13, 2017 by

Adding ‘phile‘ to the end of a word denotes ‘lover of‘ When I began this blog I was going to use Fiction-phile, but after some thought decided that Fiction-o-phile sounded cooler.  It sort of goes with Bibliophile. Anyway, just for … Continue reading →

Posted in ramblings & miscellanea | Tagged | 13 Comments

“I see you” by Clare Mackintosh

Posted on April 12, 2017 by

Last year my #1 thriller read was “I let you go” by Clare Mackintosh.  It was a debut novel and I couldn’t imagine that she could possibly retain that caliber in a second novel. She did! “I see you” has … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Favorite books, NetGalley, Page turners, Psychological thrillers, Suspense | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Cover Love: part 22 – Water on glass

Posted on April 11, 2017 by

The covers of novels entice the reader to enter a different world. Covers are, after all, the way the publisher ‘hooks’ the reader into choosing one book over countless others. In this, my twenty-second installment of ‘Cover Love‘, I’d like to show you books that … Continue reading →

Posted in Cover Love series, Dustjackets, Fiction | Tagged | 14 Comments

“The goldfish bowl” by Laurence Gough

Posted on April 10, 2017 by

“The Goldfish Bowl“, winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel from the Crime Writers of Canada is the first of thirteen police procedural novels featuring Detectives Willows and Parker. It was originally published in 1987. The blurb: An elusive … Continue reading →

Posted in 1st in series, award winners, Canadian fiction, Mystery fiction, NetGalley | Tagged , , | 8 Comments