March in Books

Second Life (S.J. Watson, 2015)

After their mother's death, Julia took on the responsibility for her younger sister, Kate, a role she continues to play many years later, having adopted Kate's son Connor when she was unable to cope with him. Julia, a recovering alcoholic, has a few shadows in her past but now lives a happy life, working as a photographer, with the now teenage Connor and her husband, a surgeon, Hugh. But then Kate is murdered. And, struggling to cope, Julia decides to set up an account on the same sex-site which Kate used before she was killed. At first Julia convinces herself that she is doing it to try and get to the truth behind Kate's death, but after a while she isn't so sure.

Three stars. The problem with this type of thriller is that the protagonist is usually at least mildly annoying, and their actions implausible. And so it was with Second Life. However, for the majority of the book, Julia makes some stupid decisions but she isn't blind to her actions, and Watson does an excellent job in creating her character so that the reader feels as if they understood Julia, and especially her motivations. However, for me the ending got a bit too out of hand, and the resolution of the book, even outside of Julia's actions, was a little too implausible.

Recommended for:
Fans of thrillers and/or romantic suspense, who don't mind sexual content

Book recommendations if you enjoyed Second Life:
My Husband's Son (Deborah O'Connor, 2016)
I Can See You (Karen Rose, 2009)


The Road (Cormac McCarthy, 2006)

A man and his son walk through post-apocalyptic America, heading for the south. They have a pistol and two bullets, an old map preserved in torn fragments, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food, and each other.

Four stars. McCarthy has a beautifully terse style of writing which gives little away, not even the names of his characters. This is a dark and powerful tale of life, love, and hope, which will keep you reading until you reluctantly, and uneasily, turn out of the light and dream of it.

Recommended for:
Anyone who enjoys so-called modern classics, dark fiction, and a distinctive style of writing

Book recommendations if you enjoyed The Road:
The Girl with All the Gifts (M.R. Carey, 2014)
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler, 1939)


The 24-Hour Wine Expert (Jancis Robinson, 2016)

Respected wine critic Jancis Robinson gives the reader a whistle-stop tour of wines, in all their varieties and uses, to help them become a "24-hour wine expert".

Four stars. Makes for a very interesting first read-through, and an ideal one to keep and use as a reference book when needed (especially when it has such a beautiful front cover). It covers all the basics, and points you in the right direction for further information, and Robinson's style of writing is concise and conversational without being patronising.

Recommended for:
Anyone who likes to drink wine, but wishes they knew more about it

Book recommendations if you enjoyed The 24-Hour Wine Expert:
The Oxford Companion to Wine (Jancis Robinson, 1994)
Wine Grapes: A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours (Jancis Robinson, 2012)


Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe (Sarah Gristwood, 2016)

Sixteenth-century Europe saw an explosion of female rule—whether they were on the throne or behind the scenes, women held unprecedented power for more than a hundred years. From the rise of this age of queens to its eventual collapse, one thing was certain: Europe would never be the same.

Five stars. Gristwood smoothly navigates the reader through the individual lives of the women who made sixteenth-century Europe, and their impact on one another and Europe as a whole. She presents the facts clearly and concisely, speculating to interesting effect where necessary. It is a testament to her style of writing (with a little help from small chapters) that such a heavily factual book is such an easy read.

Recommended for:
Everyone, unless of course you are already an expert in this area, or just genuinely hate non-fiction and/or history

Book recommendations if you enjoyed Game of Queens:
A History of Britain in 21 Women (Jenni Murray, 2016)
Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England (Thomas Penn, 2011)


Evil Games (Angela Marsons, 2015)

Kim Stone is a Detective Inspector in the West Midlands Police. She listens to classical music, drives a Golf GTI, rides a 600cc Kawasaki Ninja, is building a 1954 BSA Gold Star, is haunted by her past, and has dark brown eyes which could bore through steel. And in Evil Games she is up against a highly intelligent and dangerous psychopath, whose cat and mouse game could have fatal consequences for Kim as it forces her to face up to her past.

Five stars. D.I. Kim Stone is now one of my all-time favourite characters. In fact, I think I have a slight crush on her. I hadn't read the first book in the series, but Evil Games works perfectly well as a standalone, especially since it reveals so much about Kim's past. I now intend to read the series, past and future, in its entirety.

Recommended for:
Anyone with the slightest interest in crime fiction, especially when it's character-driven, or anyone looking for a new favourite character

Book recommendations if you enjoyed Evil Games:
Naked in Death (J.D. Robb, 1995)
Kill the Father (Sandrone Dazieri, 2017)


Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell, Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia. (Janet Wallach, 1996)

Turning away from the privileged world of the "eminent Victorians," Gertrude Bell (1868—1926) explored, mapped, and excavated the world of the Arabs. Recruited by British intelligence during World War I, she played a crucial role in obtaining the loyalty of Arab leaders, and her connections and information provided the brains to match T. E. Lawrence's brawn. After the war, she played a major role in creating the modern Middle East and was, at the time, considered the most powerful woman in the British Empire.

I'm still reading this one, so watch this space!