Saturday, 7 June 2025

A couple of quick reviews

 

So we've had 'No-mow May' here in the UK and that's my excuse for one of my lawns looking like this. In actuality my gardener, who cuts the grass, couldn't do it last week as it was raining too hard. And if I'm honest, I absolutely love how cheerful this looks and how many insects and birds it attracts. These are not dandelions, as some people think, but something called Catsear (Hyphochaeris radicata) and they're what happens when you don't keep a perfect lawn. I have lots of lovely clover too and the bees 'really' love that! Important to keep them happy these days. 

Anyway, this is a book blog not a horticultural, 'Monty Don' fangirl page. :-)

My first book for June (started in May in fact) was A Book of Bones by John Connolly. Anyone who's been reading this blog for any length of time knows how much I adore this series. This is book 17 and my interest is not flagging at all. 

So this is basically a continuation of book 16, The Woman in the Woods, which I see I did not review properly. In that, an individual named Quayle wreaked havoc all over the US, but ultimately in Maine, looking for the missing pages to an Atlas which, when complete, will alter the world - and not in a good way. Quayle returns to London after these events and it's there that Parker, Louis and Angel head after a stop-over in The Netherlands to gather information. In the UK, the body of a woman has been found in an abandoned village near Hadrian's Wall, connected to The Familists from book 16. The police are investigating and realise that there's a connection to other bodies discovered all over England. When Parker arrives in the UK is he going to be a help or a hindrance to their enquiries? This was 675 pages long but as usual with John Connolly, it didn't feel like it at all: I whipped through it. It's different to others in the series in that it's half police procedural as Connolly concentrates a lot on the Northumberland police trying to trace the woman's killer. There are also little 'weird' stories inserted into the text, from the past. This worked very well for me and added to the mystery of what The Fractured Atlas is. What Parker actually is - and Louis and Angel - is also known to readers of this series, oddly one of the police officers actually put her finger right on it but was joking when she said it. That was a bit of an 'Oh' moment. I've just discovered that there's more about the history of this 'Atlas' in Connolly's second book of short stories, Night Music, which I own but haven't read. I shall be doing that thing very soon. I must add that this is not a series for people who don't want to read about people dying in nasty ways. And Connolly does not mind who he kills. It's not quite Game of Thrones, but not everyone survives! Just sayin'. I plan to try and catch up with this series this year, I have five left to read as book 22 came out last month. 

Next, Death Rites by Sarah Ward. I thought the author was new to me but when I checked I realised I'd read In Bitter Chill, the first of her Peak District series about DC Childs. Death Rites is the first book in her 'Carla James' series, set in New England. 

Carla James is an English archaeologist from Oxford. She lost her husband recently and is looking for a change of scenery to take her mind off her loss. She gets a position at an elite university in the town of Jericho, 'somewhere' in New England. The body of a woman is found in a country area outside the town. It's surrounded by various objects or artifacts and Carla is called in for her opinion on these. None of it makes a lot of sense to her but she can't resist continuing to look into the murder, and that's when she starts to find connections with a handful of other killings and suicides that have happened over the last few years: the connections could lean towards the occult. The police actively try to dissuade her from investigating but their antipathy does nothing but spur her on. But who, on the university campus can she trust? And why won't the police listen to her? So this was very well written and pacey - a pageturner so I read it quickly. I think I saw the series mentioned by a blogging friend but I'm afraid I can't remember who. I found Carla a bit annoying at first, possibly too pushy and overstepping the mark at times. Then I saw how obstructive the police were being and I started to get annoyed that they couldn't see what was in front of them... and it didn't help that they were not pleasant people. At one stage Carla does not know who to turn to for help and I have to confess to thinking, 'Call Charlie Parker!' The setting of a New England university town felt realistic, we drove through a few when we were over there at various times. But I do wish the author had said which state it was in. There is apparently a Jericho in Vermont and it looks lovely, but too small to have a uni. Anyway, an interesting start to a new series. Will I read more? I'm not sure. It was good enough but I have a 'lot' of books on my tbr mountain, so we'll see. 

So now I have to choose a new book... think about me at this difficult time.

19 comments:

Sue in Suffolk said...

A friend who has problems choosing what to read next has to put them in a bag, shut eyes and pull one out at random!
I have the library deadline which makes it a bit easier - any out of the heap will do but the one with the longest waiting list preferably so I can get them back into circulation soon as poss.

Reading Matters said...

Nice reviews Cath and I would like to try out John Connolly. I'm thinking a collection of his short stories is the way to go. The picture of your garden is very cheerful with the yellow plants.

Lark said...

I like your lawn. It looks cheerful with all those yellow flowers in it. My lawn is spotted with brown patches and not cheerful looking at all. Love your short reviews. I'm far away from reading that 17th Charlie Parker mystery, but am making progress in the series; I just finished the 2nd book (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and have the 3rd book in hold at my library. Good luck choosing your next book! :D

Margot Kinberg said...

I love it that your lawn is attracting birds and insects, Cath. That's so good for the environment! And it does look cheery, doesn't it? I'm happy to see that you enjoyed Sarah Ward's book. She's a highly talented writer, and I must, must, must do a spotlight on one of her books. Thanks for the reminder.

Kay said...

I too think your flowers are lovely! So pretty and bright! I know I've told you that I want to read a book or two of John Connolly's. I might have tried the first book by Sarah Ward, but I'm not sure. Good luck with choosing your next book. You'll get there - ha!!

Cath said...

Sue, putting them in a bag sounds like a brilliant idea, I would however need a jolly big bag!

Cath said...

Kathy, Connolly's first collection of short stories, Nocturnes, is very good indeed. Then you could judge whether or not you actually like his writing. Thank you re my garden. Sadly, the gardener will cut the grass on Tuesday and the flowers will be gone.

Cath said...

Lark: Thank you, it does look very cheerful and the birds love wandering around it, I suppose it offers protection. You live in a hot part of the US so I'm guessing lawns are hard to maintain. Well done on finishing book 2 of the CP series! Those first books were so good. New book chosen, a sci-fi this time.

Cath said...

Margot, yes I tend to be very aware of impact of my garden so try to keep a wildlife friendly garden. Not too tidy. :-) A spotlight on Sarah Ward's books would be good. I'm about halfway through the video you put up of the FB author's group. Enjoying it very much.

Cath said...

Thank you, Kay! They're weeds but resemble a wildflower meadow quite nicely. Sadly. the gardener will be here on Tuesday and they will be gone. I'm sure they'll return though. I didn't think I'd read anything by Sarah Ward but it turned out I had. Maybe, as an author, she flies under the radar a bit. Thank you... new book chosen.

Harvee said...

I'd love the catsear to take over my lawn, which is often overgrown. I love a meadow look for the back yard.

CLM said...

I am a big Sarah Ward fan!

Cath said...

The meadow look is becoming quite popular now in the UK. And I didn't even plan it that way!

Cath said...

Then you're probably where I read about this series, Constance. I think I will read the next book, I want to see where Carla goes from here, after annoying just about everyone in the town.

TracyK said...

I think your lawn looks lovely. I had never heard of catsear. We had lots of clover in our yard in Alabama when I was a child, and I did get stung by bees that I stepped on accidentally from time to time.

I have read three of the four books in Sarah Ward's 1st series, the DC Childs series, and I liked those very much. I have not read any of her two more recent series. I read a book that she wrote as Rhiannon Ward, The Quickening. It is a a suspense novel with gothic elements, spooky and sort of creepy, and it did not really suit me, but you might like it more than I did.

Cath said...

Tracy: Thank you re my lawn. It's now been cut and while it looks nice and tidy, it's not as pretty to look at and I feel for the birds and insects, although there is some clover left. Funnily enough my gardener was saying that one of his other clients had told him that he keeps getting stung by bees on the clover when he's walking on the grass, barefoot.

I've read one of the DC Childs' books but the library didn't have more so I left the series there. I didn't know she wrote books under another name. I'll look into that as I'm probably more into spooky elements than you I think.

Cassie @ The Bibliollama said...

If I had a garden, it would absolutely look like that - and probably on purposes. I'd be all wilding and wild flowers, for the colour and for the bees

Cath said...

Cassie, I'm not into perfect lawns either. It's been cut now but it still has loads of clover which is covered in insects. Plus, I have a big garden and there're loads of nooks and crannies for wildlife. Loads of different birds and I saw a fox the other day. He looked right at me and then just wandered on. :-)

Lux G. said...

I'd like to read both even though they're not my usual genre.