50 Books Challenge - 2nd Thread.

Book 55
Sunburn - Laura Lippman
I bought this when some of you were reading it, a new author for me, and I’ll definitely be reading more.

Polly and Adam meet in a small town bar, a town they are both passing through. But unbeknown to Polly, this isn’t a coincidence.

It’s full of twists, hard to know who or what to believe, in a way I found the ending disappointing, I expected one last twist.

But I really enjoyed the small town feeling of this book, the diner where much of the action takes place. Polly and Adam were both enigmatic characters, even at the end I’m not sure I believe Pollys version of things

112-Murder Before Evensong-The Reverend Richard Coles
I've been watching this on TV so when a friend lent me the book I thought I'd read it alongside. I was disappointed to find I didn't like the style of writing, so after 60 pages I gave up. But I shall continue watching the series, as I am curious about the story's ending.

111-The Little Vineyard in Provence-Ruth Kelly
When Ava's husband leaves her for another woman, she can see no way forward with her life, as he has run up a mountain of debts. Then she is told that her grandfather has died and left her his vineyard in Provence. She goes to France to sell it, but is there another solution to her problems?

Book 54
The Go-Between - L P Hartley
I was expecting to enjoy this, but for some reason I couldn’t really get into it.

The very long, hot summer of 1900, young Leo is invited to spend some of the school holidays with his school chum, Marcus, at Brandham Hall, on a par with Downtown Abbey I would think.

Leo, obviously from a fairly middle class home, is clearly out of his depth, but he strikes up friendships with several of the adults, and is especially singled out, and made a fuss of by the daughter of the house, Marion.

But Marion has an ulterior motive, she recruits Leo as a go-between, carrying messages to her lover, local farmer Ted Burgess.

The story is quite interesting, but I found the style of writing quite dull, and the characters very wooden, the two boys Leo and Marcus were unlike any twelve year old boys I have ever known, so silly and juvenile.

It’s described as a masterpiece, maybe it is, but not for me.

Confidence by Denise Mina.
A missing film maker, a stolen antique,someone will kill to stop them being found.

59. Frankie, Graham Norton

Damon is a carer sent by his agency to work with Frankie, an elderly Irish lady with a very interesting life history, revealed to him as they get to know each other. I enjoy Graham’s books and find them easy to read, if a little formulaic at times. This one’s like a big comfort blanket, AIDS and adultery notwithstanding. 😊 I must say though that Frankie is unbelievably naive on occasions and could do with a good shake - she’s very likeable though.

Sara1954 I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It's a book that will stay with me.

Sparklefizz, I really like the sound of that, I will add it to my list

#82. Blood On The Tongue by Stephen Booth.

#59 Ripeness by Sarah Moss

It's the 1960s and Edith has just finished her A Levels before going to university when her eccentric mother sends her to rural Italy with strict instructions to support her ballet dancer sister, Lydia, through the last weeks of her pregnancy, and the birth.

Decades later, happily divorced, Edith now lives contentedly in Ireland when her friend receives a call from an American man claiming to be her brother following DNA matches. Edith finds herself plunged back into her own past in the weeks in Italy with her sister, and the story of the baby she once knew and loved.

Ripeness is an extraordinary novel about familial love and the communities we create, about new beginnings and belonging. I found it enjoyable but slow to begin with, but later I couldn't put it down and it was very moving. I cried.
I would give it 10/10.

70 Not Quite Dead Yet Holly Jackson

The setting is Halloween Night in Vermont for this quite unusual murder mystery, where the main protagonist, 27 year old Jet Mason, is attacked with a hammer from behind, right at the beginning of the book. Although she is to survive that, just. So severe are her head injuries, doctors give her a prognosis of only 7 days to live before she will suffer a fatal aneurysm. She decides that she will spend that final week of her life endeavouring to solve her own murder with the aid of her childhood friend Billy. Thereafter, with a deadline to meet, often referring to herself in the past tense "as when I was murdered". the suspects are numerous including members of her own family. Every minute of every day counts as she digs deeper, with the clock ticking against her. She is to uncover long hidden family secrets, betrayals and cover ups relating to the family business as the book draws to its conclusion when the inevitable resolution is to occur. Original, reasonably good, but not a 10 out of 10 for me, maybe a 7.

110-Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop-Rebecca Raisin
Rosie has a swanky job as a Michelin-Starred Sous Chef, but when her husband leaves her for another woman she decides to make some startling changes to her life. She buys a camper van and sets off around the country making gorgeous comfort food and crafted teas at festivals and events. The people she meets along her travels help her recover and adapt to a new outlook.

Three books finished since my update:
#58 was Deadly Remains by Kate Ellis. This is the latest outing for DI Wesley Peterson and just as enjoyable as all the others in the series, which is set in Devon. There is a always an archaeological plot with a long ago murder mystery alongside the present day mystery. This time it is set around a Special Operations aeroplane crash from WW2. I can thoroughly recommend it l.
#59 was The Carousel by Rosamunde Pilcher, which l bought from a charity shop. It is a short book, written over forty years ago and on the glorious Cornish coast. It was a long time since I had read any of Rosamunde Pilcher's books and I had forgotten how well-written her books are and how captivating her stories are. I enjoyed this one.
#60 was The Family at No. 23 by Kathryn Sharman, which came up as a Kindle Unlimited suggestion. I found it fairly enjoyable but the plot was somewhat improbable and none of the characters were terribly likeable. 2½ stars.

69 What a Shame Abigail Bergstrom

I picked this up at the library when I saw it, on the back of a very recent one I'd enjoyed by the writer, Selfish Girls, her second book, this one is her debut novel. It was mooted as being even better by some of the reviews I read for the previous one. I couldn't agree, whilst it's only just over 250 pages long, I found it somewhat boring, what is it with books that are reasonably brief but conversely seem ever so long when they don't grab us? I had reader's envy as my husband was cracking on with The Hallmarked Man at 900 pages intermittently telling me how good that is. In this, the main character, Malthilda, a 30 something, is reeling from a recent break up and grieving for the death of her father, who she was somewhat at odds with. She is flat sharing in London with some good friends who push her to try some unorthodox remedies to assuage her grief and lack of direction. There are a number of big topics that arise, but apart from an interlude in which she befriends and enjoys a rewarding friendship with Constance, an elderly lady through Age UK, which I did enjoy, the book on the whole wasn't really for me, just too much introspection which can become tedious after a while. Glad I read her second book, Selfish Girls, first because if that had been the other way round, this one wouldn't have given me the impetus to read that.

109-Threepenny Dreams-Anna Jacobs
The last of the trilogy, though more of a stand-alone story. This one set in Lancashire 1863, and an eye opener at what can only be described as a feudal village saga. I'm amazed that only 160 years ago the rich landowners had such a strong rule over their tenants, causing dreadful poverty. I would hate to think that my ancestors had to suffer in this way, but no doubt AJ had done her research and this story has more than a dash of truth. A great read.

58. Career of Evil, Robert Galbraith

Robin is handed a heavy parcel by a motorcycle courier as she opens up the office. The contents spark off a hunt for a crazed killer with possible links to Strike’s checkered past. A very enjoyable romp, ending with Strike just making it to the church in time to hear Robin give her wedding vows to Matthew…

I think I’ve filled the gaps in my Strike reading now, and I’m looking forward very much to starting the latest release, The Hallmarked Man, already mentioned on the thread. It’s available from my library’s audiobook service right now, but I’m going to resist downloading it. I think it sounds a bit complicated plot-wise and I might follow it better when reading instead of listening!

#58 Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
I'm continuing with reading (or re-reading) books by PL. The writing is always beautiful with excellent characterisation.

Moon Tiger tells the story of Claudia Hampton from her childhood in the First World War through the Second World War and beyond.

Claudia's life is entwined with her brother, Gordon, her on-off lover, Jasper (father of her daughter, Lisa), and Tom - the big love of her life.

PL's descriptions of places are so evocative that I really do feel I am there. I have never been to Egypt but this book took me there.

This is a haunting story of loss and desire, one of those books you think about long after you've finished it. 10/10

Book 53
Echo Burning - Lee Child
Once started, impossible to put down.
Jack Reacher is given a lift by a beautiful young Mexican woman, but she manages to involve him in her desperate situation.

There follows frantic journeys across the unbearable Texas heat, chasing bad guys, and being chased.

So well plotted, very cleverly written, Jack isn’t all muscle, he’s smart and intuitive, an all around super hero.

#62 Killers of a Certain age by Deanna Raybourn
OH read this a couple of years ago, loved it, but passed it on before I got a chance to read it. A copy finally appeared in my local charity bookshop.
A group of 4 ladies of a certain age, retiring from their long careers as international assassins (only bad guys though), are sent on a luxury cruise as a retirement gift. They quickly realise there is a contract out on them and they need to flee and find a way to clear their names. This was great fun, very readable and enjoyable. 8/10

#63 The Favourite by S.V. Berlin
Siblings Edward and Isobel live on opposite sides of the Atlantic and haven’t spoken for years. When their mother dies suddenly, they are thrown together to sort out and clear the family home. Edward’s quiet, mousy, girlfriend Julie works alongside them and all three struggle in their own ways with their relationships, the disagreements of the past and the potential for the future. Julie is perhaps not the little mouse that she originally appears to be.
There are host of characters, some a bit sad, some thoroughly unpleasant, but all pretty well developed and very real. It’s 460 pages long and probably about 100 pages too long. However, I enjoyed it and couldn’t see where it was going to go, it was a bit of a surprise in the end. 7/10

#64 The Last Bloody Straw by J D Kirk. I am really enjoying this series of DCI Logan books set in the Scottish Highlands .
NittWitt it’s good to see you enjoyed one of them too.
This one involves the murder of a woman on a very small Scottish island with a population of about 45. DCI Jack Logan and DC Tyler Neish are taken to the island by helicopter to investigate during a storm that lasts for days and has prevented anyone from leaving or arriving on the island for several days.
Thoroughly enjoyed it. 8/10

57. Prophet Song, Paul Lynch

I thought I’d up my game with this, the 2023 Booker prize winner. I was actually reluctant to start it, written as it is with a lot of missing punctuation and stream of consciousness sentences. But boy, it’s good. Set in what seems to be present day Ireland, but for reasons not given it’s a totalitarian state, where people disappear without warning, 16 year olds are conscripted to the nationalist cause, neighbours and colleagues spy and inform on each other, and the world looks on and mentions it in passing in news headlines. It’s totally gripping, powerful and very, very scary. This is definitely one that will live with me.

68 The Safekeep Yael Van Der Wouden

Winner of the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction and short listed for the Booker prize this is a debut novel, not particularly long at around 260 pages, The setting is post war Netherlands, early '60s, Isabel the main character is a reclusive mid 30s woman, pretty restrained and solitary, living out an uneventful life in a family house bequeathed to her brother by their uncle. Brother Louis, doesn't live at the house but is prone to turn up there with numerous girlfriends, the latest Eva, who Isabel takes an intense dislike to in spite of Eva doing all she can to ingratiate herself to Isabel, Isabel's only attachment is to the family house rather than personal relationships those she tends to shun. When Louis goes away on business leaving Eva at the house for the summer, what unfolds is an intense affair between the two women. The sub plot is far more complex and involves the fate of the Dutch Jews with flashbacks to the 1940s and their transportation to concentration camps, survivors on returning to find the confiscation of their property which is very pivotal in this story, in particular the house which for Isabel is a place of all her childhood memories and where her mother died. For Eva there also lies a long held familial attachment. Two inter-entwined family histories, the writer has no doubt drawn on her own Dutch/Jewish family backstory. The book has been widely lauded, obviously the writing is very good, but overall I can't say I particularly enjoyed it, in spite of reviews, which so often raise high expectations, often to fall flat, but then you never know whether or not that's going to be the case with any book.

108-Twopenny Rainbows-Anna Jacobs
The second in the 'Michaels Family' trilogy. The 3 sisters are now all living in Oz but they have been split up and are desperate to find one another.

The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen
I like this author but am disappointed that she has written a plot that is in danger of becoming a hackneyed old chestnut. A bunch of retired spies is tempted out of their book club existence to meddle in a girl's disappearance. The blurb even calls it the Thursday Murder Club on steroids. However, I have started it so I will finish and, to be fair, she is a very good writer.

107-A Pennyworth of Sunshine-Anna Jacobs
The first of a trilogy. A romance between a maid and her landowner boss. I thought this had a slow start but realise it was giving the background facts of all the characters involved. Set in 1859, this story shows what life was like in rural Lancashire, and tells of the bravery of those who chose to seek a new life in the New World of Australia. The 2nd book shows signs of being just as fascinating as this one.

67 The Water Babies Charles Kingsley BBC Sounds

There was a thread about this, so I had an interlude from the insufferable Yorks to to listen to my favourite childhood book, what a joy it was too.