Books read in April

I actually read a few books this month! Six in fact, which is more than any other month this year so it's a win as far as I'm concerned. Plus, I enjoyed them all to a greater or lesser extent.

I started the month with Night and Day by John Connolly, author of the Charlie Parker series, set in Maine. 

 

This is the author's third book in his anthology series entitled Nocturnes. I only gave it three stars on Goodreads, which is unusual for me for a John Connolly book, but it was odd. Half the book consisted of some good short stories but the other half was rather a rambling essay on an obscure horror movie. I did read it - many on Goodreads did not - but it wasn't all that rivetting. The short stories were quite good, particularly the two (or three) concerning the Caxton Library where characters in books come alive and arrive to live in the library. I wonder if Connolly will one day collate all of these stories into one volume?

Next was a reread, Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer.

 

I've read this one several times and it never disappoints. Miles Calverleigh is back from India after being banished there because of a scandal over an elopement. He is confronted by Abigail Wendover who wants him to call off his good for nothing nephew who is laying seige to her heiress neice. Shenanigans ensue of course, there's a wonderful Bath setting, lots of humour, I loved it. 5 stars

After that, I read two books in Damien Boyd's excellent 'Nick Dixon' crime series, Heads or Tails and Dead Lock. 

 

 Heads or Tails begins with Nick Dixon on a beach in the Bristol Channel trying to save a man who's been handcuffed to his steering wheel, in a van, with the tide coming in and about to drown him. Edge of the seat stuff. Nick ends up going to Manchester to investiagte 1990s gangland killings. Dead Lock concerns a ten year old girl going missing, followed by another who is the grand-daughter of the team's forensic expert. This one is full of twists and turns and more Somerset based than the previous one. I gave both of these 5 stars as they were excellent. I'm trying to catch up with this series this year as I'm rather behind; it's no hardship as it's so good. I do think knowing the area where it's set helps but even so, they are superb books. Damien Boyd is such a good writer. 

Next another book of short stories, Beware of the Trains by Edmund Crispin.

 

I didn't write about any of the stories as I went along so can't give details 'but' they were mostly centred on Crispin's sleuth, Gervase Fen. This was an absolutely excellent collection, pretty much every story was clever, funny and had nice twists. It is of its time, with corresponding language, particularly in one story, but it's well worth reading if you like these kinds of vintage tales. And just look at that cover! 

My last books for this month was one I've been reading for a while and which I saw on Lark's blog, The Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford Jr. 

 

This is a non-fiction account of the life of the author who was a Navajo Ranger in the Navajo Nation for many years. He talks of UFOs, skin walkers, Bigfoot and hauntings and, being very open minded about such things, I found it absolutely fascinating. 

So, that was my reading for April, an interesting mix and all good books, which is all you can ask for really.

I'm currently reading two books. The first is a reread from about 55 years ago. 

 

It's The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein of course, first read when I was about sixteen or seventeen. And I don't believe I've read it since. The reason I'm not sure is because I've seen the films so many times that I'm confusing them in my mind with the books. I know I've read The Hobbit several times, but The Lord of the Rings, I'm not sure. Anyway, really enjoying this.

The other book is a non-fiction I'm reading slowly, through the year is, The Country Commonplace Book by Miranda Mills. 

The author has a very successful channel on YouTube where she talks mainly about books, but also other things as well. Her first book is full of seasonal quotes from various classics, old and new, and poetry appropriate to the seasons. It really is a beautifully presented book.

I hope you're all keeping well and enjoying the spring if you live in the northern hemisphere, autumn if you're south of The Equator. I hope too that you're finding lots of good books to read. 

Catching up

Well, I didn't expect or plan to take three months away from blogging about books but somehow or other ended up doing so. Partly the reason is that I haven't read heaps of books this year, but also I've had other stuff going on with family and so forth and this month the death of a close American friend has thrown me a bit. Plus, as soon as the sun came out here and the rain stopped, I went down with a nasty cold, which I'm still fighting off. 

I thought I would just do a post mentioning a few books I've enjoyed this year, the first has more detail because I wrote it back in January, fully intending to post it before the end of March!

I finished off 2025 and started 2026 with a rather nice contemporary fiction story. The Cornish Cream Tea Christmas by Cressida McLaughlin.

 

I would say that this has 'Christmas' plastered all over the title but it's really more of a 'run-up' to Christmas tale. It also turns out to be book 3 in a series but the other books feature different characters (some of whom turn up in this one) so the book can easily be read as a standalone. The heroine, Hannah Swan, is sent from her home in Scotland to a Cornish fishing village near Newquay to advise on how a hotel can be more eco-friendly. She's joined by a feelancer from Mousehole (further down in the county), Noah, who is at first a bit frosty. Naturally he doesn't stay frosty as Hannah slowly breaks down his defenses and works out the reasons for them. There's also a supernatural element to the story but that's fun and doesn't overwhelm the plot at all. I wasn't expecting a lot from this other than a fluffy Christmassy romance but actually the Cornish setting is 'spot-on', the author knows her Cornwall. So, in point of fact, I really enjoyed it. So there you go, surprise, surprise.

My first book of 2026 was Death in Ambush by Susan Gilruth a BLCC book, first published in 1952.

Coincidently, this also is a 'run-up to Christmas' story. Liane Crauford goes to stay with the Metcalfe family, they're Lord and Lady Metcalfe, him being a retired judge, so that's the kind of social strata we're talking. He dies, supposedly of a stroke, but is it? I loved this country house, country village murder yarn by an author not previously known to me. Gilruth was a good writer but her books are nigh on impossible to find now, which is a crying shame. Perhaps the BL will reissue more as this was top rate.

A Case of Life and Limb is book two in Sally Smith's new 'Gabriel Ward' series. (I read book one, A Case of Mice and Murder, in November, review HERE.) KC, Gabriel, is once again a reluctant investigator as Lincoln's Inn is shaken by mysterious parcels being delivered to various worthies, the parcels have rather macabre contents... and then there's a murder.  Gabriel is once again ably assisted by Constable Wright. I can't over-emphasize how much I love this series, and this book was every bit as good as the first instalment. Tragically, book three will not be out until next January.

A Body at a Boarding School by Benedict Brown is the second outing for the retired detective, Lord Edgington and his grandson, Christopher.

 

This is what it says on the tin, a boarding school tale of a dead, unpopular teacher and who knocked him off. In the running are other teachers of course, but also prefects, pupils and lord knows who else. I enjoyed this as I like a school based murder mystery and this series is fun with likeable investigators.

A quick mention of The Arctic Cruise, a contemporary romance with older protagonists by Caroline James.  This was a Norway Fjords cruise yarn, I liked the older characters very much, secrets and so forth abound, but all of the cruise detail was too much really, and did not make me want to jump on a ship and go cruising. Which I fancy was not the intention...

My first book of March was Sky High by a favourite vintage crime writer, Michael Gilbert.

This crime yarn from 1955 has a village setting (I seem to like those) and involves a house being blown up and the occupant killed. Was it an accident or was he knocked off by persons unknown? Choir leader and motorcyclist, Liz, her son, whose occupation seems to be a bit hush-hush, and a retired army general take the investigation on. I loved this. Michael Gilbert was such a classy writer, loads of dry humour in all of his books, I've read quite a few now and have loved them all. Can't recommend this highly enough. 

Richard Osman needs no introduction from me, We Solve Murders is the first book in his new series of the same name. 

Steve Wheeler is a retired police detective, his daughter-in-law, Amy, is a private security type. Her life is suddenly in danger, she's in South Carolina protecting a mad author, and she has to go on the run. Steve hates leaving his village and the weekly quiz team but would do anything for Amy, so off he goes travelling the world to save her. I enjoyed this but with reservations. It was fun, I liked the international spy thriller flavour of it, but Steve and Amy did not really gel with me. The mad female author though, Rosie D'Antonio, I thought she was great. So I probably 'will' read the next book when it comes out. We'll see. 

My latest book was The Furies, book 20 in the Charlie Parker series by my favourite author, John Connolly.  This was two creepy novellas in one book, not his best, in my opinion, but he can't write a bad book so I still gave it four stars on Goodreads. I only have two books to go now and I will be caught up with this amazing series. 

So that's a few of the books I've enjoyed this year so far. As I said, I haven't read heaps but those I have read, mainly murder mysteries, have all been excellent. 

I will try to catch up with a few posts over the next few days, and also, be around a bit more. Hope everyone has had a good start to 2026 and are keeping well?