The October Man - A Rivers of London Novella Set In Germany

The October Man, by Ben Aaronovitch, is a Rivers of London novella (officially 6.2 in the series). Set in Germany, this follows investigator Tobias Winter (the equivalent of the Peter Grant character in the London-based books) as he investigates the mysterious death of a man whose body is covered in a fungal rot ... the same fungal rot that gives the local Trier wine its distinctive character. He is helped by an enthusiastic local police officer, Vanessa Sommer, but instead of handling this as quietly as possible and with the minimum of paperwork, it soon becomes apparent that they are dealing with a series of linked deaths - all middle-aged men. While we are set in the same magical world as the main series, and there are references to their counterparts in the UK, this is a standalone work. (There's even an added bonus for fans giving further hints as to what happened during the World War II Battle of Ettenborg which weighs heavy on Peter's boss, Nightingale.) Slowly but surely, Tobias and Vanessa realise that the victims have unwittingly reignited a conflict from a previous century. Can they solve the case before the rot spreads further and lay to rest one of the unsavoury outcomes of the city's secret magical history? I enjoyed the familiarity of this world, but with totally new characters, and seeing how they deal with the world of river gods and magic. As always, there is drama, humour and fantasy mixed in with the day-to-day work of the police. This is a well written and entertaining book which I found to be an easy read, especially the audio edition, which I used while recovering from eye surgery. It's definitely made me eager to dive back into the main series, though I've only got one left!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 192 print pages.

Price I paid: £3.99

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Wintersmith - wintry witchy fun

Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett is part of the Discworld series (number 35 in the series), and is the third book to feature Tiffany Aching - a witch very much in training. When Tiffany accidentally dances with Winter himself, things start to become very strange, as Winter believes Tiffany is Summer, and falls in love with her. He is determined to win her at all costs, even to try and become a human in order to do so. But in doing so, Winter is wreaking havoc on the world and is in danger of creating an everlasting winter, with deadly consequences. With the help of members of the witch community (all of whom are a little quirky to say the least), plus her friends from the Wee Free Men (Rob Anybody, Daft Wullie and the rest), Tiffany must try not to succumb to Winter's overtures (like creating snowflakes in her image) if she is to save herself and the world. This is such a fun book, full of wild characters, some of whom will be familiar to anyone who has read the books in this amazing series. I laughed out loud several times at the daftness on show, particularly from the Wee Free Men. The story takes Tiffany and her friends on an adventure into what should be scary places (hello The Ferryman and indeed Death himself!), but in the company of these amazing characters, there isn't much to be scared of. If you like irreverence for pretty much anything serious, then this could be for you! Over the course of the book, Tiffany definitely matures into a witch who knows her business - and she seems to be the most normal of all the witches featured! I am such a fan of the Discworld series and it always brightens my day. I used the audio edition which was narrated by Indira Varma, Steven Cree, Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Nighy - excellent all round!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 400 print pages.

Price I paid: £4.50.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

My Father's House - Excellent Start to the Year!

My Father's House, by Joseph O'Connor starts with a seriously ill man being driven through the streets of Rome in the back of a Daimler by Delia, the wife of a diplomat. Also in the car is an Irish Priest, Fr Hugh O'Flaherty. They get the man safely to hospital, and it then unfolds that all three are part of the resistance battling against the Nazi occupation of their city during the second world war. Fr Hugh is instrumental in running The Escape Line - which helps allied soldiers and Jews escape the clutches of the Nazis. His "Choir" meets regularly in the Vatican (a neutral state) and this is where they sing (which helps deflect suspicion), but also plan each "Rendimento" (mission). The ill man is Sam Derry, who usually runs the missions - but he is laid up and the next Rendimento is imminent. Fr Hugh steps in to take a more active role. This proves extremely dangerous as he is already under suspicion from SS Officer Paul Hauptmann, who is terrorising the city and is determined to break The Escape Line. The book takes us through the countdown to the mission, using a mixture of narrative and interviews with, and memoirs by, the participants. The tension is palpable throughout, and it is a nail biting thriller ... even more so as it is based on a true story. The face to face interactions between Fr Hugh and his SS adversary are chilling, and it becomes almost impossible to believe that The Choir will be successful this time. The detailed descriptions of the places, as well as how rounded the characters are makes for a very satisfying read. This is definitely a page-turner and an excellent start to my reading year. Highly recommended for anyone interested in this period of history, or indeed anyone who enjoys a good thriller!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 399 print pages.

Price I paid: Free, was a gift.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Well, here we are in a brand spanking new year ... yes, 2026 has arrived and has left me wondering where my reading adventures will take me!

Last year I focused on reading those books that had been gifted to me but, through no fault of their own, had been left languishing on the shelf. For the most part, I have whittled that pile down to just 4 books - 1 of which I've almost finished. However, 2 of the ones left are rather chunky fellows! So, I'm going to dive into those ones this year and get them done before I tackle the still outstanding piles of books lurking under the bed that I haven't been able to part with ... yes, they are still there! 

I didn't quite manage to block out time to read during the day, so am going to have another go at that to see if I can get through more amazing books than I did during 2025. 

So, onwards we go ... Happy New Reading Year to you all!

The Redeemer - Confusing But Impelling!

The Redeemer, by Jo Nesbo is the sixth in the Harry Hole series, which takes the Oslo Police Department's best investigator on the hunt for the killer of a Salvation Army singer who was shot in the street on the run up to Christmas. But there seems to be no obvious suspect, no weapon and no motive. However, we, the reader, know that there is a Croatian assassin on the loose and heading home thinking his work is done. But, it turns out, he has shot the wrong person! With little to work on, and trying to stay sober, Harry finds his way to the former Yugoslavia to hunt for clues ... and the temptation of the bottle hits hard once again. He returns to Oslo, battling his own demons but trying to become the redeemer for the victim, an injured colleague and a new love interest who may not be all that they seem. This is a confusing book, with many characters who are similar and I found it hard to get my head around who was who on quite a few occasions. Despite this irritation, Harry Hole os a compellingly flawed character, who you cannot help but root for despite his shortcomings! The plot is twisty and intriguing and introduced me to new concepts - like hyperplasticity - which makes facial recognition tricky ... ideal for an assassin! The lines between good and bad, and indeed, what makes a redeemer are explored. You are also left guessing as to what's going to happen until the very end, which is always satisfying in a thriller! Recommended, but maybe using the print or ebook, as when you use the audio edition - though fantastically narrated by Sean Barrett - it's tricky to "flick back" to check who each particular character is and how they relate to the plot!

My STAR rating: FOUR

Length: 397 print pages.

Price I paid: £3.99

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Booth - Interesting Take on History

Booth, by Karen Joy Fowler, recounts the story of the Booth family - an American theatrical dynasty that produced Abraham Lincoln's assassin. In 1822, Englishman Junius Booth, an unstable, but  charming, celebrated Shakespearian actor, moves into a remote cabin outside Baltimore with his wife, who bears him 10 children. The life of this family, of whom only 6 children survive, is told primarily through the eyes of several of the siblings, which is a great device to give differing viewpoints on the same set of circumstances and relationships. We see how their father flits in and out of their lives between tours, and how his sons all want to follow in his footsteps to tread the boards. One, Edwin, becomes as renowned an actor as his father, but, then we also have John Wilkes who, despite having the same upbringing, doesn't have the same acting chops as his brother, but does become radicalised, ending with him killing the president of the United States. How this much loved, but hot tempered middle child becomes the man who changed the course of history is explored through the years of his youth and American Civil War, though at a distance. We don't hear directly from him for much of the time, and he only really takes centre stage towards the back end of the book. What's more interesting perhaps is how does a family, so deeply affected by love, hate, success, failure, addiction and, of course, slavery, even begin to function after one of their own commits such a heinous act? There are some indications of this right at then end, but I would have loved to see more - though perhaps there isn't further information to be found on that score! Widely researched and easy to read, I found this an interesting take on a period of history whose ripples can still be felt in the world today, and can completely understand why it was long listed for the Booker Prize in 2022. I used the audio edition, which is excellently narrated by January LaVoy.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 496 print pages.

Price I paid: £2.98

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Tom Lake - Warmly Intimate

Tom Lake, by Ann Enright, is set on a cherry farm in Michigan where Lara and her husband live with their three grown up daughters during the pandemic of 2020. As they harvest the cherries, the daughters beg their mother to tell them the story of her love affair with a famous actor - Peter Duke. And so the narrative switches between the present and the past, as Lara goes back over her youth and early adulthood when she ends up acting in a production of Our Town almost by accident, and finds out that she is really rather good at this acting lark. She ends up in Hollywood for a short time and then goes to Tom Lake as a last minute replacement for the part she knows so well, Emily, in Our Town. It is here she meets the up-and- coming star that is Peter Duke. She falls under his spell and they begin a breathless love affair. During this time, they take a trip to a cherry orchard run by the parents of the director (Joe), and Lara senses the magic of the place. Back at Tom Lake, however, Peter's predilection for drink takes over, and he ends up sleeping with Lara's friend (who is also an actress), and things fall apart, not helped by Lara having an accident that leaves her unable to perform. She gives up acting and somehow finds her way back to that cherry orchard... The characters are well drawn, though the daughters can be a little irritating - especially the eldest who is convinced that Peter Duke is her father! This tale of fame, family and love, in all its forms, is beautifully told, and I found myself rooting for Lara despite her youthful follies. Whilst Lara reveals much of her past, it is really pleasing that some details she just shares with us, the reader, rather than her needy children! This helped give the novel a feeling of intimacy. I used the audio edition which was fantastically narrated by Meryl Streep. Definitely can recommend this to almost anyone, and I will be searching out more by the author.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 336 print pages.

Price I paid: £7.99.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.