Three Bags Full - Leonie Swann

On a hillside near the quaint Irish village of Glennkill, the flock gathers around the dead body of their shepherd, George, who lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George cared deeply for the sheep, reading to them daily, and as a result they are far smarter than your average flock.

Led by Miss Maple, the sharpest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world), they set out to find George's killer. With an assortment of woolly investigators on the case, there are furtive missions into the village and a collection of two-legged suspects to chew over.

Dazzingly original, Three Bags Full introduces a band of detectives who are a breed apart.

What did I think?

As soon as I heard that Hugh Jackman was starring in Three Bags Full, a movie about sheep detectives, I just had to read the book that the film is based on and it is every bit as fun and unique as I thought it would be.

I do love a cast of characters in a book and Three Bags Full starts with a 'dramatis oves' to introduce the reader to all of the sheep characters in the book.  I loved this - it adds an element of fun to the book but also reminds us that animals have their own quirks and characteristics too.

The flock love George their shepherd, who reads to them every night and has promised them a trip to Europe, so they are completely distraught to find him dead one day.  There are lots of clues for them to follow to identify the murderer, starting with the spade that has been stuck in him and the hoofprint on his chest.  When the villagers gather round, they don't realise that the sheep are listening...

Oh I did enjoy this book, it is so much fun and I loved all of the sheep characters.  The sheep don't think like humans so I did sometimes struggle with what on earth they were talking about and I still don't know what 'the thing' is but I've had fun trying to work it out.  The mystery of George's death is very well plotted and I would never have worked it out in a million years, so well played Leonie Swann, well played indeed.

Highly original and impossible to predict, Three Bags Full is an unusual, fun and surprising murder mystery.  If you love cosy mysteries and you're looking for something different to read then I would highly recommend Three Bags Full.  I can't wait to see the movie now, even though I know whodunnit.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Read the book before you see the film and buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Secret Orchard - Sharon Gosling

Set in a small community on the Scottish coast, the new feel-good story about family, belonging and finding peace with the past from the author of The Lighthouse Bookshop and The Forgotten Garden.

 

Bette and Nina Crowdie have never been close – the ten-year age difference doesn’t help, and Bette’s rarely been home since she left for university at eighteen. When their father passes away and unexpectedly splits the family farm between them, Nina is furious and afraid. She’s been working at the farm for the past five years. It’s the only home her young son, Barnaby, has ever had, and she’s convinced that Bette will sell at the first chance she gets.

When they discover the huge debt their father has been hiding, Bette reluctantly agrees to help her sister. But that means they have to find a way to work together, and Bette must face up to the real reason she left all those years ago.

Could a long-forgotten diary and the discovery of a secret orchard on their land help save the farm – and the sisters’ relationship?

 

What did I think?

Oh this beautiful book has it all: romance, mystery, broken family relationships, a faithful hound and a young superhero, to name but a few.  I absolutely adored it and I wanted to read it again the moment I finished it to prolong my visit to the Crowdie farm.

Sisters Bette and Nina couldn't be more different; Bette is a successful solicitor in London and Nina is an emotionally and physically scarred single mother living and working at the family farm in Scotland.  When their father dies, both sisters expected Nina to inherit the farm but his final wish was to share it between them.  What they didn't expect to inherit was a mountain of debt.

It is completely heartbreaking to see how the two sisters are almost strangers to each other but now that they have a common goal to save the farm they gradually begin to build a relationship built on trust and love.  This is helped immensely by Nina's cute son Barnaby, aka superhero Best Barnaby Barnacle, and his dog Limpet.

There is a lot going on in the book and so many different strands of intrigue that kept me well and truly hooked.  That was even before the discovery of the mysterious secret orchard that was really the cherry (or the apple) on top.  

Heartwarming, compelling and uplifting, The Secret Orchard is beautifully written and evokes a wealth of emotions in the reader.  It's an easy five stars from me and I simply can't recommend it highly enough.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Return to Half Moon Farm - Holly Hepburn

Discover the beautiful, escapist new novel from beloved author, Holly Hepburn...

When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.  

But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no WiFi.

Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.

Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…

 

What did I think?

Return to Half Moon Farm is a truly gorgeous Holly Hepburn novel.  It's like a modern day fairy tale with a castle and an earl's brother instead of a prince and I absolutely loved it.

Divorcée Daisy and her twin boys are temporarily moving to the picturesque village of Mistlethorpe to look after her estranged mother.  The last thing Daisy is looking for is romance but there are two love interests vying for her attention: mistletoe farmer Drew and spare to the heir Kit.  Which one, if any, will win her heart?

There's also the mystery of a long standing family feud between the Moons of Half Moon Farm and the Devereauxs of Winterbourne Castle.  As Daisy gets to know Kit Devereaux she might just get to the bottom of why the two families fell out all those years ago.  I absolutely adored how this mystery was woven seamlessly into the storyline, even though my heart was breaking as the past was gradually revealed.

I love how Holly Hepburn writes magical romances that aren't just filled with moonlight and roses but also real life challenges.  Daisy is trying to rebuild her relationship with her mum whilst juggling the school run and work commitments.  The wonderfully relatable characters are far from perfect and I really enjoyed getting to know them during my virtual visit to Mistlethorpe.

Heartwarming and uplifting, Return to Half Moon Farm is a magical romance that swept me off my feet from the very first page.  It's perfect escapism and I highly recommend it.

I received an ARC for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Rendered Incapable (The Quirk Files Book 4) - A B Morgan

Peddyr and Connie Quirk head for the Isle of Man, hoping for a well-deserved break from their private investigation business. However, in an underhand move by Peddyr’s cousin Superintendent Eddie Cadogan, their hotel booking is changed, and they are redirected to Hodge Fell Farm with its farm shop, butchery, café, and quaint holiday cottages.

 

When they meet their hosts - including a certain Nick Popadopoulos - a relaxing holiday of bracing walks by the sea is quickly replaced by pigs, adultery, soap-making, drag queens, smoked sausages, scams and skulduggery. In their quest to work out what despicable scheme Nick has underway, Peddyr and Connie soon realise that not everyone is being honest with them. Time is not on their side, and they must rely on their wits to act before someone gets away with murder.

 

What did I think?

I started reading The Quirk Files at book 3 so Rendered Incapable is definitely a book you can read as a standalone and it's a thoroughly enjoyable one at that.  I love husband and wife private investigators Peddyr and Connie Quirk whose individual skills complement each other and they always get to the bottom of the mystery.

Set on the Isle of Man, where Peddyr is from, I really enjoyed my virtual exploration of the island but this wouldn't be a Quirk Files book without a mystery to solve.  The Quirks' holiday soon turns into an investigation when Peddyr's cousin convinces him to look into one of the local residents. Nick Popadopoulos.

The book begins with Nick in a bit of a predicament and if I felt sorry for him at the start, I certainly changed my mind pretty sharpish as the story unfolds.  Just what is he up to?  No good, that's what!  As if his wandering eye isn't bad enough, it's pretty scary to see what lengths he will go to in order to get what he wants.

Very intricately plotted and written with a lot of humour, Rendered Incapable is incredibly entertaining.  Even just Connie's version of Nick's surname is enough to still make me laugh when I think about it.  There's a lot going on in the book but it never gets confusing and I love how it all comes together at the end.  It's a cracking read and one I'm happy to recommend.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Hobeck Books

Amazon

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The Guardian of Lies - Kate Furnivall

1953, the South of France. The fragile peace between the West and Soviet Russia hangs on a knife edge. And one family has been torn apart by secrets and conflicting allegiances.

Eloïse Caussade is a courageous young Frenchwoman, raised on a bull farm near Arles in the Camargue. She idolises her older brother, André, and when he leaves to become an Intelligence Officer working for the CIA in Paris to help protect France, she soon follows him. Having exchanged the strict confines of her father's farm for a life of freedom in Paris, her world comes alive. 

But everything changes when André is injured - a direct result of Eloise's actions. Unable to work, André returns to his father’s farm, but Eloïse’s sense of guilt and responsibility for his injuries sets her on the trail of the person who attempted to kill him.

Eloïse finds her hometown in a state of unrest and conflict. Those who are angry at the construction of the American airbase nearby, with its lethal nuclear armaments, confront those who support it, and anger flares into violence, stirred up by Soviet agents. Throughout all this unrest, Eloïse is still relentlessly hunting down the man who betrayed her brother and his country, and she is learning to look at those she loves and at herself with different eyes. She no longer knows who she can trust. Who is working for Soviet Intelligence and who is not? And what side do her own family lie on?

What did I think?

I discovered Kate Furnivall through TBC on Facebook so joining that group is the best thing I ever did as I absolutely adore her books.  As a keen reader of historical fiction, I know how difficult it can be to bring an era to life but Kate Furnivall does this impeccably.  What an amazing talent to be able to transport the reader to miscellaneous locations and time periods; whether it's early 20th Century Egypt in Shadows on the Nile, war torn Italy in The Liberation or post-war France in The Guardian of Lies I feel as if I'm travelling the world through Kate Furnivall's wonderful books.

In The Guardian of Lies we launch straight into the action with Eloïse acting as a getaway driver for her brother André.  With a car chase that would rival James Bond, I had my heart in my mouth and was left breathless as the action unfolds.  The pacing doesn't give up there, even when Eloïse and André return to their father's farm in Arles; in fact it felt more dangerous in the idyllic countryside of The Camargue with civil unrest over an American airbase being built on their farmland.  With such a great opportunity to spy on the American airforce, Eloïse can't tell which side her family, friends and neighbours are on.  The question on my lips throughout the whole book was: who can she trust?

Oh my word, this is another outstanding novel by Kate Furnivall.  I almost managed to read it in one sitting, if only I didn't have to eat and sleep!  I really couldn't put it down and it's unusual for this to happen to me when reading historical fiction as sometimes it's quite fact-heavy and dry so I need to take regular breaks.  Kate Furnivall's writing is so multi-faceted that it awakens the senses as you see, hear and smell every sight, sound and action along with the characters.

I was a little concerned that the story might be confusing, as is often the case with Russian espionage, but I needn't have worried as the story is easy to follow and we aren't overrun with characters.  This proves yet again that Kate Furnivall is an exceptional storyteller.  I think of Kate Furnivall is a literary knitter; she spins such a good yarn.

The Guardian of Lies is an exceptional novel by one of the finest historical fiction authors I've ever come across; so grab your passport and pick up a copy to be transported to post-war France from the comfort of your armchair.  A highly recommended read and one I shall definitely be recommending for a long time to come.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Butcher (Rub-a-Dub-Dub Book 1) - Nathan Burrows

I have an amazing damppebbles blog tour for you today!  It's time for a bit of dark comedy courtesy of The Butcher by Nathan Burrows.  Scroll down to read my review as part of the blog tour.

She thought it was pork. She was wrong.

The first time hapless food inspector Emily Underwood meets butcher Frank Pinch, he’s not got much at all in his display counters. But what he does have is a rather unusual plan to restock his shelves. The next time they bump into each other, he’s won an award for his sausages but is running out of meat.

Can Frank keep up production of his unusually tasty sausages? Will Emily discover the source of Frank’s award-winning meat? And what will happen the next time she tries to inspect his butcher’s shop?

Book 1 in the Rub-a-Dub-Dub trilogy, this deliciously British dark comedy will change the way you look at sausages forever.

What did I think?

As a non-meat eater and much to the chagrin of my family and friends, I have always referred to sausages as being made of hooves and @rseholes and containing no meat at all, so I was really intrigued when I read the synopsis of The Butcher by Nathan Burrows.  It had me at 'She thought it was pork. She was wrong.'  That has to be the best strapline ever!

In a not too distant future, The Butcher is set in Norwich post-Brexit where we Brits can barely afford to eat as everything is so expensive.  The local butcher, Frank Pinch, and his farmer brother, Tom, are struggling to make a living until the pair stumble upon a recipe for some prize winning sausages.  Suddenly Frank goes from having half-empty shelves to having a queue out of the door; news of his amazing sausages spreads far and wide and he even gets a visit from a red-headed celebrity.  Frank and Tom also get a less welcome visit from recently qualified Food Standards Agency inspector, Emily.  Will they pass the inspection or will Emily find out what is really in Frank's sausages?

The humour is very dark and dry which had me laughing along as I read; I was over three quarters of the way through and just thinking that it wasn't laugh out loud funny when I had a huge laugh out loud moment and had to share what I was laughing at.  As much as it is funny, it's actually a very thought-provoking book as you can never really know exactly what you're eating and it always surprises me when people eat pies simply labelled as 'meat'.  What kind of meat is it?  Cow? Horse? Cat? Man?

With the most unlikely serial killers you will ever come across, The Butcher contains more humour than there is meat in a sausage to make a unique comedy crime novel.  If you have a sense of humour, you will LOVE this book; I can't wait to read book 2, The Baker, especially after the little teaser in the back of The Butcher.  I think this is going to be a brilliant trilogy.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it for only 99p/99c for a limited time from:
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About the author:

Nathan Burrows is a writer based in Norfolk in the United Kingdom. His debut novel, a legal thriller called 'Blind Justice', was published in March 2018.

He's also the author of a dark comedy trilogy set in Norfolk. The first in the series is 'The Butcher', a deliciously funny story about - amongst other things - sausages. The second in the series is 'The Baker', which features Norfolk's most useless cult. And finally, 'The Candlestick Maker' is about a fitness instructor with a difference.

The next book to be released will be 'Man Down', a return to more traditional thrillers. It's a military story set in Afghanistan which will be released in the Autumn, 2019. Also releasing later in the year is 'Finding Milly', which explores just how far a man will go to find his missing daughter.

Nathan's a keen reader as well as a writer. He occasionally runs marathons, has a Norwich City football club season ticket, and is the proud part-owner of a Daschund puppy called Bertie. 

For more information, visit www.nathanburrows.com


Find Nathan on Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathanBurrowsUK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NathanBurrowsUK/
Website: https://nathanburrows.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nathan-Burrows/e/B079KS96CQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

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Land of Plenty - Charlie Pye-Smith

Golden fields, ripening apples, lowing cattle: our idea of the landscape has been shaped by agriculture, as has the land itself. But in a fast-changing world, how does the great British countryside continue to provide the food we eat?

Most people living in Britain today must go back several generations before they find an ancestor who worked on the land. How much do we really know about those who are supplying us with the most essential things in life: our daily bread and butter, meat and fish, fruit and vegetables?

In Land of Plenty Charlie Pye-Smith travels the length and breadth of these isles to explore the little-understood world of British agriculture. From ultramodern indoor dairy units producing millions of litres of milk a year to small, old-fashioned farms making cheese with twenty or thirty cows, and from landowners whose families have farmed the same fields for centuries to tenants who have just joined the industry, Pye-Smith investigates the timeless connection between land and people in the twenty-first century.

Revealing the dairy industry in Somerset and Gloucestershire; beef in the Scottish Borders; sheep in North Yorkshire; pigs and poultry in East Anglia and Hampshire; vegetables in Norfolk; and fruit in Essex and the West Country, Land of Plenty is a colourful and rewarding travelogue that gets to the very heart of modern British life.

What did I think?

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did; it is so informative and interesting with clearly defined chapters focused on particular aspects of farming.  When I picked up Land of Plenty, I didn't know a lot about farming but I certainly know a bit more now!

I was reading Land of Plenty when I went on a trip to the Ouseburn Valley and the guide made a comment about animals from the far east being brought to graze on the banks of the Ouseburn before being sent to slaughter, like it was a little health farm for them.  Thanks to Charlie Pye-Smith I knew why the farmers did this...I'm not going to tell you as it will spoil the amazement you will experience when reading it for yourself.

As a long time vegetarian, I did shudder at the passages on slaughter for the Halal and Kosher markets but found that farmers also found this barbaric and shocking.  Farmers may slaughter animals too but they care about their stock and aim to be as humane as possible.  I actually enjoyed reading about the cows and there's even a photo of four cows awaiting slaughter, which made me smile with its similarity to any four girlfriends gathering together for a group photo.

Land of Plenty is very current with references to Brexit and what it means for UK farmers; perhaps not the doom and gloom that we are told in the news but rather that farmers must become better at what they do with improved quality being passed to the consumers along with closer links to the public as farmers open up their arms to embrace exciting entrepreneurial activities.

A book about UK farming is not complete without mentioning the foot and mouth horror of 2001, which I remember quite clearly.  It was so refreshing to see how some farmers coped with this by looking for alternative means of survival of their farm rather than closing up shop after the death of their herd.

Although I'm a beer drinker, I also really enjoyed the chapter about cider.  From beef to cider, you can see that this book really encompasses every single aspect of farming that you can imagine.  Each chapter is filled with interesting facts and personal stories that add to the human interest and give a wonderful insight into the life of a UK farm.

Concise and informative, Land of Plenty is a surprisingly riveting read and one of the best non-fiction books I have read for a long time.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Woolgrower's Companion - Joy Rhoades

Australia 1945. Until now Kate Dowd has led a sheltered life on her family's sprawling sheep station but, with her father's health in decline, the management of the farm is increasingly falling to her.

Kate is rising to the challenge when the arrival of two Italian POW labourers disrupts everything – especially when Kate finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Luca Canali.

Then she receives devastating news. The farm is near bankrupt and the bank is set to repossess. Given just eight weeks to pay the debt, Kate is now in a race to save everything she holds dear.

What did I think?

You could be forgiven for thinking that The Woolgrower's Companion would be what I call a 'Mammy's book' from looking at the cover but it has so much depth and emotion that it is far from the family saga I was initially expecting.  Each chapter starts with an extract from a sheep farmer's manual published in 1906: The Woolgrower's Companion; this is so authentic that I thought it was a real book and I was astonished to find that it was Joy Rhoades' very own creation.  

The story revolves around Kate: a woman in a man's world.  As her father becomes more and more incapable of running the farm, the responsibility falls to Kate but a lot of the men aren't willing to work for a sheila.  Some men don't have any choice, as they are Italian prisoners of war and have been shipped to Australia to work on the land until the war is over.

Unbeknown to Kate, her father has been running up debts with local traders and more importantly with the bank.  Now the bank are knocking at the door and demanding their money back.  Kate sells what little items of value that she has but she still falls short; there's only one thing of value left, a rare yellow sapphire, but Kate's father doesn't know where he has hidden it.  With time running out, Kate is set to lose more than the farm as she finds herself getting closer to Luca, one of the POWs.  With a husband she barely knows away at war, Kate could easily lose her heart to Luca if she's not careful.

This book is so beautifully written that it creeps into your heart so slowly at first but it very quickly takes root, culminating in an emotional explosion as events around Kate unfold.  I found the plight of the aborigines very moving and it's something I haven't thought about before but the way they were treated is shocking, after all, Australia was their country first.  I absolutely love learning something whilst I am reading fiction books and I found it fascinating that so many Italian prisoners of war were sent to Australia.  I suppose returning home after the war must have been daunting for the Italian soldiers, with many having no families left, so some Australians sponsored the Italians to return; it's so lovely to think that those who were once enemies became friends. 

What an exceptional debut from Joy Rhoades and an absolute joy to read.  The Woolgrower's Companion is a beautiful, authentic and multi-faceted historical novel that has more depth than the Pacific Ocean.  I am delighted that this is only the beginning of Kate's story and I am already looking forward to the sequel.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

About me? I grew up in a small town in the bush in Queensland, Australia. I spent my time with my head in a book, or outdoors – climbing trees, playing in dry creek beds, or fishing for yabbies in the railway dam under the big sky. Some of my favourite memories were visiting my grandmother’s sheep farm in rural New South Wales where my father had grown up. She was a fifth generation grazier, a lover of history, and a great and gentle teller of stories. My childhood gave me two passions: a love of the Australian landscape and a fascination with words and stories.

I left the bush at 13 when I went to boarding school in Brisbane. I stayed on there to study law and literature at the University of Queensland. After, my work as a lawyer took me first to Sydney and then all over the world, to London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and New York. But I always carried in my head a strong sense of my childhood: the people, the history, the light and the landscape. Those images have never left me and they would eventually become The Woolgrower’s Companion. It’s a story I’ve felt I had to tell.

I currently live in London with my husband and our two young children. But I miss the Australian sky.

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BLOG TOUR: Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves - Rachel Malik

When Rene Hargreaves is billeted to Starlight Farm as a Land Girl, far from the city where she grew up, she finds farmer Elsie Boston and her country ways strange at first. Yet over the days and months Rene and Elsie come to understand and depend on each other. Soon they can no longer imagine a life apart.

But a visitor from Rene's past threatens the life they have built together, a life that has always kept others at a careful distance. Soon they are involved in a war of their own that endangers everything and will finally expose them to the nation's press and the full force of the law.

What did I think?

Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves is a beautiful, gentle story with characters who were real people, in fact Miss Hargreaves is the author's maternal grandmother.  I love stories that have a nugget of truth in them, however small the nugget may be.  Rachel Malik came up with the idea for the book when she decided to find out more information about the elusive Miss Hargreaves, and what a beautiful story she has created from so very little information.  Aside from the few facts stated in the Historical Note, we are reminded that Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves is ultimately a work of fiction.

I found it a refreshing change to have a book set during World War II which shows us the war from the perspective of the farmers and the countryside.  There are no bombs and air raid shelters, although they might see a passing aircraft that has veered off course.  With the men away to war, help on the land arrived in the form of land girls.  Rene Hargreaves is allocated to Starlight Farm, owned by Elsie Boston.  The pair get on so well that they naturally become good friends, but Rene is weighed down by secrets that threaten her new life in the countryside.  We all know that secrets don't stay hidden for long in books, and Rene is about to see some devastating consequences when her past and present collide.

Like life in the country, the pacing is quite slow so it did take me a while to get into the book.  I think it really livened up when Ernest came to live with the ladies, although he was like a naughty child leaving his sticky fingerprints everywhere.  It did make me chuckle imagining him eating and drinking Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves out of house and home.

The whole story becomes more poignant when you read the Historical Note at the end as Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves evolve from 'characters' to 'people'.  I didn't know until I read this that it was based on real people and it certainly made me pause for thought at the turn of events in the book.  I think this would make a great book to ponder over with friends at book club; the quality of Rachel Malik's writing is very impressive, she has such an amazing attention to detail that enables her to draw beautiful pictures with her words.  Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves is a  beautiful, moving and impeccable debut.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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Point of No Return - Diana J. Febry

The significance of the noose left hanging outside James Palmer’s barn is obvious to everyone in the village. When threats turn to violence DCI Peter Hatherall has to unmask a master of disguise determined to have their revenge.

What did I think?

I have to say, I wouldn't have picked up this book if I had seen it on a bookshelf, mainly because I though it looked like it was about something to do with the circus.  Some people see a noose, I see trapeze artist!  Having the read the book, the cover now makes perfect sense so Point of No Return is a perfect example of the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover".

There's so much going on in this book that it can't help but be a page-turner.  With an eerie solitary farm in the countryside setting and a cast of characters who wouldn't look out of place in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I was completely captivated from the start.

James Palmer is not a well-liked resident in the area - not only is he labelled as the local ladies man but he has also been blamed for a past accident.  An accident that the town will never forget as its repercussions were felt far and wide.  It felt like any one of the villagers could have been out for revenge, but just how far they were willing to go was anybody's guess.  With a nail-biting showdown at the end I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish.

This is my first Diana J. Febry and I am keen to read the others.  Her writing is vivid, suspenseful and enthralling; Point of No Return kept me on my toes and held my interest throughout.  A top class murder mystery with a colourful, diverse bunch of characters - 5 stars all round.

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Holy Cow - David Duchovny

Elsie Bovary is a cow and a pretty happy one at that. Until one night, Elsie sneaks out of the pasture and finds herself drawn to the farmhouse. Through the window, she sees the farmer's family gathered around a bright Box God - and what the Box God reveals about something called an 'industrial meat farm' shakes Elsie's understanding of her world to its core.

The only solution? To escape to a better, safer world. And so a motley crew is formed: Elsie; Shalom, a grumpy pig who's recently converted to Judaism; and Tom, a suave turkey who can't fly, but can work an iPhone with his beak. Toting stolen passports and slapdash human disguises, they head for the airport ...

Elsie is a wise-cracking, slyly witty narrator; Tom dispenses psychiatric advice in a fake German accent; and Shalom ends up unexpectedly uniting Israelis and Palestinians. David Duchovny's charismatic creatures point the way toward a mutual understanding and acceptance the world desperately needs.

What did I think?

This was a really fun book with some crazy illustrations that made me smile.  Elsie is quite an impressive cow - after seeing animals being slaughtered on the TV, that she calls the Box God, she decides to make a run for it.  Where better for a cow to go than India, where cows are worshipped, not eaten.

Calling the TV a Box God was actually quite a sobering thought.  For those of you who worship at the altar of Sky Atlantic, perhaps you should read Holy Cow instead and learn from the animals who decided to break from the herd and be heard.

I really liked all of the characters but I think Tom was my favourite.  He wants to go to Turkey as he thinks that he will be safe in a country that is named after him.  The only problem is his fellow traveller and escapee Jerry is a pig and will not be welcomed in a muslim country.  Tom is a bird who can't fly but in this book nothing is impossible and Tom does fly!

This was a really quick read and David Duchovny really brought the characters to life through his narrative writing style.  It had a nice mix of humour but at the same time showing respect to different cultures.  I was pleasantly surprised.

I received this book from the publisher, Headline, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon