#Review By Lou of Vanished By Lynda La Plante @LaPlanteLynda @BonnierBooks_UK #DCJackWarr #CrimeFiction #Vanished #CompulsiveReaders #BlogTour

Vanished
By Lynda La Plante

Review by Louise Cannon – (Lou) – Bookmarks and Stages

Vanished is the 3rd book in the Jack Warr series. I am pleased to be on the blogathon/blog tour for this entire series. Even more excitedly, there is a brand new 5th book in this excellent series, coming soon. Today I have a review on Vanished below.

Blurb

When an eccentric elderly widow claims she is being stalked, Detective Jack Warr is the only person willing to dig into the truth behind her wild claims.

Jack soon finds himself embroiled in an international drugs operation, art theft – and a murder investigation. On the back foot throughout, he is forced to play second fiddle to the Drug Squad, confront an old adversary, and even fight off accusations of assault.

But Jack believes that every aspect of this multi-faceted case is simply a distraction from the one person who lies at the heart of it all – the widow’s elusive stalker. Find him, and the truth will come out…

Review

The quality of the writing is excellent. As soon as you open the first page, you start to get to know who Avril is. She’s an intriguing person with more than just being eccentric going on, but it has meant that people haven’t always believed her claims at what’s going on, until Detective Jack Warr’s involvement…
It’s entertaining and interesting reading about Avril. There’s quite a feistiness about her and evolving and developing eccentricities, which draws you in and she grows on Jack.

The book gets off to a fast-paced start with trepidation and high-stake danger, instantly hooking you in.

Things get rather nasty and Jack Warr becomes determined to solve, what becomes a rather more complex case than you’d initially think, with the murder, a drugs operation and an art theft. Amongst it all, personal life also goes on, which creates such a rounded view of everyone, there’s even a wedding…

There’s much to read about in this thriller. It’s all written succinctly, making each part easy to follow and be gripped by.

Detective Jack Warr is one to follow. His story is a gripping one and the cases he gets involved in are thrillers that are very compelling to read.

#Review by Lou of #NowThatsWhatICallAMusical @TheNowMusical – A nostalgic, fun, poignant 5 star #Musical starring @Nina_Wadia @toyahofficial @SamBaileyREAL Directed and Choreographed by @CraigRevHorwood #ATGTheatres

Now That’s What I Call A Musical
Directed and Choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood

Review written by Louise Cannon (Lou) – Bookmarks and Stages

“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” right? This is the perfect musical to escape all your worries and once more be carefree, just for a bit as you re-live your youth, but also reflect on adulthood a bit too.

Set in Birmingham, the time seamlessly flips between 1989 and 2009. This is a nostalgic musical that joins a school reunion at a bar. There are friendships, betrayals, old adversaries and so much more in this upbeat musical with poignancy and positivity. Every scene is perfectly formed, easy to follow and is highly compelling.

The plot deftly portrays the carefree youthfulness of the 80’s, the pop culture, the cassettes, VHS and more… Gemma and April are friends, portrayed by Nikita Johal and Maia Hawkins in their youth and Nina Wadia and Sam Bailey in their adulthood. It’s interesting and fun following their life stories and see how they progress and what becomes of them.
All in all, it’s a strong cast with everyone involved playing their part very well.

Each location has a guest star, in this case it was Toyah Wilcox. It’s a rather fun way of doing things. There are fantastic big songs from the times throughout. The hits just keep coming and all fit well into the story-telling.

The stand-out cast were Nina Wadia and her very memorable performance of how her character turned out. Her performance was outstanding as she portrayed the highs with fun and the lows of how tough some aspects of life became with so much emotion and poignancy. Her character is also very relatable. Nina Wadia makes you feel all the emotions. Her performance and portrayal of her character, Gemma, isn’t one you’d forget in a hurry.

Toyah Wilcox was the guest star when I saw it and, let’s put it this way, she’s still got it. She sang 2 of her most famous hits and gave a lot of energy and positivity to her performance. This was also memorable and won’t leave me for a long time too.

The cast were all great and highly watchable, bringing life to their characters, from portraying the carefree times of youth to the realities of how complex life can become.

This is an outstanding and very special jukebox musical and one I highly recommend.

Follow the tour here: Now That’s What I Call A Musical UK Tour

#Review of The Dead Will Rise – A Simon Westow Mystery By Chris Nickson #ChrisNickson2 #SevernPress #HistoricalCrimeFiction #TheDeadWillRise

The Dead Will Rise
By Chris Nickson

The Dead Will Rise in an unexpected way. This is a Simon Westow mystery that will transport you to a time in history to the grim, dark streets of Leeds, where crimes need solving by the unlikeliest of duos. Check out the blurb and my review below to find out more…

Blurb

Thief-taker Simon Westow is used to finding stolen goods, not stolen bodies . . . Can he hunt down those committing crimes against the dead in Leeds?

Leeds. April, 1824. Wealthy engineer Joseph Clark employs thief-taker Simon Westow to find the men who stole the buried corpse of Catherine Jordan, his employee’s daughter.

Simon is stunned and horrified to realize there’s a gang of body snatchers in Leeds. He needs to discover who bought Catherine’s body and where it is now. As he hunts for answers, he learns that a number of corpses have vanished from graveyards in the town. Can Simon and his assistant Jane bring the brutal, violent Resurrection men who are selling the dead to medical schools to justice and give some peace to the bereft families?

Review

The cover isn’t the only evocative part of this book. The descriptions of the streets is too and is for the senses as he describes the sites and smells in a way that transports your mind to 1824, Leeds. It sounds almost an idyll, but lurking around is quite the opposite. There’s a rather brutal mystery to be solved. Bodies are being resurrected in the name of medical science. The subject seems well-researched with a time in history and fictional plot weaving succinctly together.

Simon Westow is aware of body snatchers (the infamous Burk and Hare in Edinburgh come to mind), but had never seen anything like that in Leeds, until now…

Simon and Jane make a formidable team. After a bit of complication, they take on the case. It, however puts extra pressure and strain on their relationship as time goes on. There’s been a lot of trust between them, but now its fragile and is hanging in the balance.

The Dead Will Rise is full of twists and history that will have readers turning the pages to see what’s coming next and how it ends.

#Review of The Healing Season Of Pottery By Yeon Somin @PenguinRandom #YeonSomin #TheHealingSeasonOfPottery #Healing #Pottery #UpliftingFiction #Book

The Healing Season of Pottery
By Yeon Somin

When I first saw The Healing Season of Pottery, it felt like it would capture warmth and peace to flood the heart and soul. It also sounded rather interesting in our fast moving world to slow it down a bit. I’ve not read anything by a Korean author before, so I thought I’d give it a go. After the blurb, you’ll find out what I thought in my review.

Blurb

‘She rubbed the spoiled clay with her fingertips. Like a wound as it heals, the traces faded, and had soon vanished completely, as if they’d never been there at all.’

—

Burnt out by her newswriting job, Jungmin abruptly quits; she’s worked tirelessly for years and she needs to make a change.

Now, after months of hibernation, it’s time to put her life back together. Venturing out into the streets near Seoul, she stumbles upon the Soyo pottery workshop. Drawn in by its light and warmth, and the smell of clay and coffee, Jungmin feels something unfurl within her . . .

Here, everyone has a story to share, and as the seasons change, Jungmin returns to herself. Pot by pot, plate by plate, Jungmin discovers that as her hands become busier, her mind becomes calmer, and her heart opens up like never before.

From a rising talent, this is a heartwarming story of new friends and old practices, of finding community, and of what happens when you finally slow down in this fast-paced world.

Review

In a fast-paced world that wants the next big thing, to get to a destination quicker than ever before, this, although a fictional novel, reminds us just how unnecessary this is, to live at speed all the time, how tiring to the extent of burnout even it becomes. This reminds us to slow down and make some changes.

Winter is coming to an end and with spring just around the corner, everything is coming to life and emerging from as near hibernation as people can get. It’s also a period of time to reflect on what we want out of the year. Jungmin has decided to quit her job. She’s done in and near burnout from her work and has decided its time for change, one in which she can allow herself to heal. She comes across a pottery group and decides to get creative. As she creates pots and mugs, she rediscovers her spark and also some friends and a bit of romance along the way. Her mind quietens and makes space for new people to enter her life and for creativity and imagination to once again be allowed room to once again flourish.

It’s a heart-warming, quiet read. It’s nicely paced. Nothing dramatic happens, but it does have interesting characters and a plot to think about. It is also great escapism to nourish the soul.

#Review By Lou of The Suspect By Rob Rinder @RobbieRinder @PenguinRandom #CourtroomDrama #TheSuspect #CrimeFiction

The Suspect
By Rob Rinder

A worthy second book, Rob Rinder has done it again and written an entertaining courtroom drama.

**THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BEST SELLER! THE GRIPPING SECOND NOVEL FROM ROB RINDER AND FOLLOW-UP TO NO. 1 BESTSELLER THE TRIAL**

When the UK’s favourite breakfast TV presenter dies live on air in front of millions of viewers, the nation is left devastated.

More devastated still when it becomes clear that her death was not an accident.

The evidence points to one culprit: celebrity chef Sebastian Brooks. But junior barrister Adam Green is about to discover that the case is not as open-and-shut as it first seemed.

And although her angelic persona would suggest otherwise, she was not short of enemies in the glittery TV world . . .

Can Adam uncover the truth?

Review

It was good being reunited with Adam Green. He’s now passed his pupilage and is a junior barrister. So, he’s climbing up the ranks as it were. It’s interesting to see his life moving onwards and upwards and what he has to deal with and investigate at each stage.
This time Adam is wrapped up in a mysterious case involving a murder mixed with the world of tv in the form of pointing the finger at celebrity chef. Sebastian Brooks.

Whilst being an entertaining book, it also takes you into the world of tv and the courtrooms, which is interesting.

The pace is good. I would say it probably is better to read The Trial by Rob Rinder first because of the way the books flow into each other. The books are a compelling read.

#Review By Lou of Sisters Making Mischief By Maddie Please @MaddiePlease1 @BoldwoodBooks #SistersMakingMischief #readingcommunity #writingcommunity #booktoread #bookrecommendation

Sisters Making Mischief
By Maddie Please

The old girls just want to have fun. I really like these books showing people having fun and being full of life and spirit as they get older. It gives hope and pure escapism. I have enjoyed books by Maddie Please before, so I am pleased to be able to review another.

Blurb

Don’t miss the hilarious novel from the #1 bestselling author, Maddie Please, author of the brilliantly funny, Old Girls on Deck!

A fresh start with a French twist!

Joy Chandler had one simple wish: a nice, drama-free family reunion. But instead? Daughter Sara announces she’s getting divorced and seems determined to drown her sorrows in wine, while son John and his perfect wife Vanessa casually drop the bombshell that they’re moving to New York—without so much as making her a cup of tea!

So, with her patience gone, Joy packs her bags and heads to France to visit her free-spirited sister Isabel. Isabel’s potato farm might be rustic chaos but the sisters soon find themselves sloshing red wine, rediscovering their wild sides, and laughing until their sides hurt.

Before long, Joy has a new job, a new man, and a life that’s looking très magnifique. Turns out, drama isn’t so bad…when it comes with red wine and a side of sisterly mischief! Because these golden girls just want to have fun!

A glorious uplifting and hilarious story about living life to the full and always, always having fun! Perfect for fans of Judy Leigh and Dee Macdonald.

Review

Life is changing, there’s a divorce and a surprise move to New York.
There’s hope for those moving onto different stages in life, even though family isn’t always appreciative. There’s adventure and fun to be gained.

Sister’s Making Mischief brings wonderful escapism and light as we age. I am not quite middle-aged at time of writing this but I sure am enjoying the storytelling that depicts middle-aged people. Maddie Please’s writing is in a style that is easy to relax into and lose yourself in the story of other people’s lives.

In this particular book, there’s humour and charm that is uplifting.
It’s a book I recommend to ease the weight of the day.