Our latest book club pick was The Coach Trip by Jo Lyons. It’s a light-hearted, feel‑good rom‑com centred around Nell, whose life goes from shaky to shambolic in record time. Nell is passed over for a long-held promotion. That’s bad enough. But when it goes to Ava, her younger, prettier, more popular but highly inexperienced […]
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Imagine battling the elements for survival on a remote Scottish archipelago. Your entire world consists of the struggles and successes of a small close-knit crofting community way out in the Atlantic Ocean. For over two thousand years people lived on St Kilda. But in 1930 the islanders’ wish to be evacuated was granted and, after
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The Last Hill Walker by John D. Burns is the author’s personal story of falling in and out of love with the hills. It’s the debut book by this best-selling author, but I read the highly entertaining follow-up (Bothy Tales) first. In my humble opinion, you don’t need to read them in order. In The
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Happy New Year. I hope you’ve all had a great festive season. Did you have a good 2025? Like most of us, I was having a look back over the last twelve months to see if I’d actually managed to accomplish any of my goals! For me, the dream remains to be a bestselling author.
As an indie author in the early stages of their career I’m a long way from being a household name (except in my own). One way I’m raising my profile is at artisan markets. Meeting lots of lovely book lovers and chatting about my little slices of sunshine with secrets is wonderful. I’m always incredibly
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The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a classic whodunit with a twist. It’s set on the rugged, bleak and peat-bog landscape of a recently reinhabited island off the coast of Connemara. The guests have assembled for the celebrity wedding of the year (Will Slater and Julia Keegan). But someone intends to spoil the party.
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The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is part coming-of-age and part gothic mystery. This atmospheric novel is set in post Spanish Civil War Barcelona and starts off when ten-year-old Daniel is taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his bookshop owner father. A book that will change his life For his
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A Little Bird Told Me by Rachael Gray is a cosy crime mystery where Laurel Nightingale moves to a pretty Yorkshire village and on her first day discovers a body. What is A Little Bird Told Me about? Criminal psychologist Dr Nightingale has moved ‘Up North’ to start again. But things don’t start out too
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Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico (translated by Sophie Hughes) follows the story of millennial expat couple Tom and Anna’s pursuit of the perfectly styled Berlin life. What is Perfection about? Let me first say that Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico isn’t my usual read. Fairly or unfairly, the phrase ‘shortlisted for the International Booker Prize’ takes me
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The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas is the most recent psychological thriller by this best-selling author and is the latest Crawcrook Book Club read. What’s the story about? In this novel we find ourselves in Bristol with forty-something Lena who is struggling with big changes. Her marriage has floundered. Her teenage son will soon fly
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