#WWWWednesday – 20th March 2024

Posted on by whatcathyreadnext

WWWWednesdays

Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, this meme is all about the three Ws:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Why not join in too?  Leave a comment with your link at Taking on a World of Words and then go blog hopping!

Currently reading

The Book of SecretsThe Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola (eARC, Orion via NetGalley)

Months after the plague ravaged Rome, men are still dying in unnatural numbers, and rumour has it that their corpses do not decay. The Papal authorities commission lieutenant governor Stefano Bracchi to investigate as subtly as he can.

Meanwhile, to the north of the city, Anna Maria Aldobrandini, Duchess of Cesi, is trapped in an abusive relationship with a much older man she was made to marry when she was only a girl. Her friend, Sulpizia Vitelleschi, is in a similar position, but there is no prospect of divorce or escape. To the south, Cecilia Verzellina fears that, once her jealous son-in-law is released from prison, he will kill her beautiful daughter.

Bracci’s investigation at the Tor di Nona will introduce him to horror, magic and an unthinkable discovery. And he begins to wonder: should certain deeds should remain forever unpunished…

Mrs Quinn's Rise to FameMrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford (ARC, Michael Joseph)

Mrs Quinn is the unlikely star of Britain’s favourite baking show, but could her newfound stardom cause her biggest secret to unravel?

Jennifer Quinn has a secret. Her love of baking has just won her a spot as a contestant on a primetime TV show. It’s only the second time in fifty-nine years that she’s kept something from her beloved husband Bernard.

She’s about to be whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras, timed challenges and celebrity judges. She could be in with a chance of being crowned the best baker in Britain.

But, as Mrs Quinn’s quiet ambitions turn into unexpected stardom, the other secret she’s been keeping is in danger of resurfacing. It was supposed to stay hidden forever.

Will Mrs Quinn rise to the challenge? Or, will her success become a recipe for disaster?

Recently finished

Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein (Bloomsbury)

What Cathy Will Read Next

Death on the ThamesDeath on the Thames by Alan Johnson (eARC, Wildfire via NetGalley)

1999. A young Detective Constable Louise Mangan crosses the Thames one misty morning in pursuit of a killer. She finds a tranquil community on a leafy island close to Hampton Court Palace, but soon realises that all is not as it seems. There is something evil at play in this quiet suburb, and this junior detective’s questions seem only to scratch the surface.

Twenty years later, a horrific fire brings Detective Chief Superintendent Mangan back to that same island. Soon, she discovers that murder was just a drop in these dark waters.

The river runs deep, and the tide is rising at last. Will the truth rise with it?

11 thoughts on “#WWWWednesday – 20th March 2024”

  3. What is your pick for the Walter Scott prize? How many of the longlist have you read? It looks like a pretty solid longlist. I wonder if Zadie Smith’s is the one favored.

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    1. It’s a difficult one as I’ve only read four so far. I loved The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng and he has won before. The New Life, although not my favourite of the ones I’ve read, is getting a lot of praise. Then again, the judges sometimes go for something more ‘adventurous’ in style. Ben Myers won previously with The Gallows Pole which fitted that description and his current one, Cuddy, looks similarly inventive (although I haven’t read it yet). I haven’t really given you an answer, have I? Ask me again in a month’s time!

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