Book by my Bed – Wicked Witch's Blog

Sundays in bed with …….. The Maid

Sundays in bed with is a meme hosted by Midnight Book Girl but I came across it recently on Jill’s Book Blog. It is simply a chance to share the book that is by your bed at the moment (or that you wish was by your bed). This week my book is The Maid by Nita Prose

I’ve been looking forward to reading this for ages and it finally arrived in the library this week.

Blurb from the book cover :
Molly the maid is all alone in the world. A nobody.

She’s used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests passing through. She’s just a maid – why should anyone take notice?

But Molly is thrown into the spotlight when she discovers an infamous guest, Mr Black, very dead in his bed. This isn’t a mess that can easily be cleaned up. And as Molly becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth, following the clues whispering in the hallways, she discovers a power she never knew was there. She’s just a maid – but what can she see that others overlook?

This is an entertaining read so far and I’m enjoying the plot. However, Molly is irritating me slightly as she seems to be portrayed inconsistently. She doesn’t cope well with social situations and finds reading social cues difficult. In the past she has been helped through situations by her Grandmother who is now dead. That’s fine and is reminiscent of other characters such as Eleanor Oliphant. However, there are times in the book when Molly seems very able to read quite complex social cues so I’m not sure which one is the true character. Is she that socially inept or is she an unreliable narrator and is actually more than she is portraying herself to be? I’m interested to see how all of this is going turn out.

What’s by your bed this weekend?

Sundays in bed with …….. Give Unto Others

I’ve been reading Donna Leon’s venetian series featuring Commissario Brunetti for years. This is the 31st book and while I don’t think that they are quite as good as her earlier books, I still enjoy them and look forward to the yearly release. This year, I’m especially enjoying all the descriptions of Venice as we are hoping that our long delayed visit to Venice will finally go ahead next month. I’m beginning to get excited as it will be our first holiday abroad since visiting New York in 2019.

Blurb from the book cover :
“Elisabetta sighed deeply and said, I’m afraid he’s doing something bad!“

When Commissario Brunetti is visited by Elisabetta Foscarini at the Questura one morning, he barely recognises her. It has been years since Brunetti’s family lived in the apartment below hers, and yet, when she approaches him for a favour that she wants kept out of any official police reports, Brunetti agrees to help her against his better judgement.

Suspicious of her son-in=laws recent behaviour, Elisabetta pleads with Brunetti to examine his business dealings for fear that her daughter might be in danger. At first it seems that these are just the vague and anxious imaginings of an over-protective mother. But when a violent act of vandalism takes place in the middle of his investigation, Brunetti is forced to reconsider everything he thought he knew about the case and the people involved.

This book is set in the aftermath of the first Covid outbreak and Winter is approaching in a strangely deserted Venice. The tourists are completely absent and many of the shops and businesses that depended on them are closed and boarded up, As with all of the later Brunetti mysteries, there is an air of melancholy in the story. Brunetti is cynical and resigned about the constant corruption that seems to be a way of life but the absence of the tourists at least means that he is able to appreciate the beauty of his city again.

What’s by your bed this weekend?

Sundays in bed with …… The Locked Room

A new novel about the archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway is always something to look forward to. Elly Griffiths writes a book a year about Ruth and the previous two have both been published during lockdowns. It feels very strange to read this one though as it is set in 2020 at the time the UK went into its first lockdown. Reliving that time of fear and confusion brings back some uncomfortable memories.

Blurb :
Ruth and Nelson are on the hunt for a murderer when Covid-19 rears its ugly head. But can they find the killer despite lockdown?

Ruth is in London clearing out her mother’s belongings when she makes a surprising discovery: a photograph of her Norfolk cottage taken before Ruth lived there. Her mother always hated the cottage, so why does she have a picture of the place? As she died three years ago, Ruth can’t exactly ask her, and her father denies all knowledge of the picture. The only clue is written on the back of the photo: Dawn, 1969.

Ruth returns to Norfolk determined to solve the mystery, but then Covid-19 rears its ugly head. Ruth and her daughter are locked down in their cottage, attempting to continue with work and lessons, but, in reality, becoming lonely and frustrated. Happily the house next door is rented by a nice woman called Sally, who they become friendly with while standing on their doorstep clapping for carers.

Meanwhile, Nelson is on his own but has no time to be bored as he’s investigating a series of suicides that are looking increasingly suspicious.

I’m loving being reunited with the cast of characters that Elly Griffiths has created and the restrictions imposed on them because of the pandemic feel very familiar.

What’s by your bed this weekend?

Sundays in bed with …….. Age of Ash

Most people seem to know the author as the co-author of the Expanse Sci Fi book and TV series. However, he is one of my favourite fantasy authors and his series, The Dagger and the Coin is one of my favourite series with some brilliant, unforgettable characters. When I saw he had a new fantasy book out I was very excited and actually went out and bought the hardback which is something I don’t often do.

Blurb :
Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold.

This is Alys’s.

When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.

Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.

I really loved the idea of this novel; a whole novel set in a single city which is almost a character in itself and which takes place over a year. I have to say though, the characters aren’t engaging me as much as his previous creations. Alys and Sammish are OK but don’t have the interest that Cithrin, Geder and Marcus had in the previous series. I’m about half way in so maybe things will improve as I read on

What’s by your bed this weekend?

Sundays in bed with ………. An Impulse Purchase

I’ve never read a huge amount of romance but Veronica Henry is an author who is an automatic want to read when I see a new book.

Blurb from the book:
Sometimes you have to let your heart rule your head . . .

Cherry, Maggie and Rose are mother, daughter and granddaughter, each with their own hopes, dreams and even sorrows. They have always been close, so when, in a moment of impulse, Cherry buys a gorgeous but rundown pub in the village she grew up in, it soon becomes a family affair.

All three women uproot themselves and move to Rushbrook, deep in the heart of Somerset, to take over The Swan and restore it to its former glory. Cherry is at the helm, Maggie is in charge of the kitchen, and Rose tends the picturesque garden that leads down to the river.

Before long, the locals are delighted to find the beating heart of the village is back, bringing all kinds of surprises through the door.

Could Cherry’s impulse purchase change all their lives – and bring everyone the happiness they’re searching for?

I’m enjoying this so far although the characters haven’t gripped as much as the author’s characters sometimes do. The setting is lovely and it’s a nice bit of escapism for the weekend.

What’s by your bed this weekend?

Sundays in bed with …….. A Fatal Crossing

I’ve had quite a fantasy heavy week this week but I’m currently back to a crime novel this weekend and it’s brilliant.

Blurb from the book cover:
November 1924. The Endeavour sets sail from Southampton carrying 2,000 passengers and crew on a week-long voyage to New York.

When an elderly gentleman is found dead at the foot of a staircase, ship’s officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare it a tragic accident. But James Temple, a strong-minded Scotland Yard inspector, is certain there is more to this misfortune than meets the eye.

Birch agrees to investigate, and the trail quickly leads to the theft of a priceless painting. Its very existence is known only to its owner . . . and the dead man.

With just days remaining until they reach New York, and even Temple’s purpose on board the Endeavour proving increasingly suspicious, Birch’s search for the culprit is fraught with danger.

And all the while, the passengers continue to roam the ship with a killer in their midst . .

I love this book so far. The setting is brilliant and the character of the ship’s officer who is telling the story is interesting. He’s obvously still suffering the effects of WWI but there is also a mystery or tragedy concerning his wife and daughter which creates a good backstory for the murder investigation and art theft. I’m really looking forward to finding out how it all works out.

Sundays in bed with …… The Liar’s Knot

This week, the book by my bed is actually by my bed rather than being on the arm of the sofa. We’re currently on the Norfolk coast and thanks to storm Eunice, I’ve had a bit more time for reading than I had planned to this weekend.

Trust is the thread that binds us . . . and the rope that hangs us.

In Nadezra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city’s filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look.

Derossi Vargo has always known. He has sacrificed more than anyone imagines to carve himself a position of power among the nobility, hiding a will of steel behind a velvet smile. He’ll be damned if he lets anyone threaten what he’s built.

Grey Serrado knows all too well. Bent under the yoke of too many burdens, he fights to protect the city’s most vulnerable. Sooner or later, that fight will demand more than he can give.

And Ren, daughter of no clan, knows best of all. Caught in a knot of lies, torn between her heritage and her aristocratic masquerade, she relies on her gift for reading pattern to survive. And it shows her the web of corruption that traps her city.

But all three have yet to discover just how far that web stretches. And in the end, it will take more than knives to cut themselves free..

This is the second in the Fantasy series, The Rook and the Rose and is as intricately plotted as the first book. There are a lot of characters and political alliances to keep up with but it is a fun read.

Sundays in bed with ……. Anything Could Happen

I love Lucy Diamond’s novels and was excited to see that she had a new book out.

Blurb from the book cover:
A chance encounter in New York City. A great love story on the cusp of beginning. And then he was gone.

For Lara and her daughter Eliza, it has always been just the two of them. But when Eliza turns eighteen and wants to connect with her father, Lara is forced to admit a secret that she has been keeping from her daughter her whole life.

Eliza needs answers – and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store…

This is such a lovely book so far. I really like the characters of Lara and Eliza. It’s definitely bringing back memories of living with my teenage daughter and how strong minded and impulsive she could be.

Sundays in bed with ……. Something to hide

A new Lynley novel is always something to celebrate and I was very excited when the library phoned to say that the book was ready to collect.

Blurb from the book cover:
When Tani hears his domineering father negotiating for him to marry a girl in Nigeria, he is determined to defy him. But can he protect his little sister from something much worse? The conflict will spread beyond his own family and the tight-knit area of Northeast London where they live.

Acting Detective Superintendent Lynley meanwhile, is investigating the death of a fellow police officer with Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. The mystery of how the detective died will lead the team to her family and relationships, the complex layers of love, ambition, lies and self deception created by those closest to her. And then to the cases she was investigating for the special task force where she worked. Lynley encounters a world that is far from his experience, and a shockingly controversial cultural practice, which not everyone involved considers to be a crime.

I began this book straight away and am currently half way through its 622 pages. It’s certainly interesting reading this one after Ylinka, where’s your huzband last week as they are concerned with the same community but looking at it from very different viewpoints.

It’s always nice to be reunited with well loved characters from previous novels and although she doesn’t take centre stage here, DS Barbara Havers remains one of my favourite characters in any crime novel.

Sundays in Bed with ………Eeny Meeny

The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day in Leicestershire. It’s a lovely day too as we are having a family weekend with both my children and my brother who we haven’t seen for nearly 5 years all here for the weekend. That has meant a bit less time for reading but I still managed a bit of my new book so I have a post to write for Sundays in Bed with.

Blurb:
The girl emerged from the woods barely alive.
Her story was beyond belief But it was true.
Every single word of it.

Days later, another desperate escapee is found – and a pattern is emergin. Pairs of victims are being abducted, imprisoned then faced with a terrible choice: kill or be killed.
Would you rather lose your life or lose your mind?

Di Helen Grace has faced down her own demons on her rise to the top. As she leads the investigation to hunt down this unseen monster, she learns that it may be the survivors – living calling cards – who hold the key to the case.

And unless she succeeds, more innocents will die.

This crime novel is very dark. It starts off with the couple who have been imprisoned and then moves to an S & M session. It’s certainly a gripping start to a novel.