#WWWWednesday – 21st December 2022

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 Girl From Simon's BayThe Girl From Simon’s Bay by Barbara Mutch (Allison & Busby)

Simon’s Town is a vibrant seafaring community in a picturesque part of the Union of South Africa. Louise Ahrendts, daughter of a local shipbuilder, nurtures the dream of becoming a nurse amid the unwritten, unspoken rules about colour that might hold her back.

As the port becomes a hub of activity following the outbreak of the Second World War, Louise crosses paths with man she is determined to be with – despite all the obstacles that life and war can throw in their way.

But when a new troubled moment of history dawns, can they find their way back to each other?

Along with several others, this was a book on my list for the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge that I didn’t get to. I’m trying to polish a few more off the list before the end of the year.  

ResurrectionResurrection by David Gilman (eARC, Head of Zeus via NetGalley)

Somewhere in the Sahara, on the desolate border between Sudan and Chad, a P51 Mustang with long-range drop tanks slowly emerges from the dunes. Inside, the skeletalized remains of a man missing for three decades. His flying jacket bears no insignia, a worn leather attaché case lies by his side, held securely by a manacle around his left wrist. Inside a document men will kill for. Die for.

The sands of time have shifted, and whoever finds that aircraft finds information that could expose the most valuable spy the UK intelligence service has ever known.

The British, the French, and the Russians are on the trail. And so is Raglan.

I loved the previous two books in the series – The Englishman and Betrayal – and I’ve been looking forward to this latest instalment, especially as I have a bit of a crush on Dan Raglan, ex-Foreign Legionnaire. One for fans of action-packed international thrillers. 


Recently finished

Skelton’s Guide to Blazing Corpses by David Stafford (Allison & Busby)

Devils and Saints by Jean-Baptiste, trans. by Sam Taylor (Gallic Books)


What Cathy (will) Read Next

BellatrixBellatrix (Legion XXII #2) by Simon Turney (ARC, Head of Zeus)

Titus Cervianus is no ordinary soldier. And the Twenty Second is no ordinary legion…

Egypt. 25 BC. Titus Cervianus marches into the unknown as he and the Twenty Second Legion contend with the armies of the Bellatrix: the Warrior Queen of Kush.

The Kushites and the Egyptians have united against the Roman presence in their lands – but there are complex political and military forces at work. Marching deep into the deserts of north-eastern Africa, Cervianus and his comrades must contend with the perils of unknown territories, ever wary, as they brace themselves for a furious onslaught.

Under blazing skies, Cervanius and the rest of the legion approach their destiny as they prepare to take on the might of the Bellatrix. Will the alliance against the armies of Rome prevail, and will the men of the Twenty Second survive – or perish in a distant land? 

My Week in Books – 18th December 2022

MyWeekinBooksOn What Cathy Read Next last week

Tuesday – IThis week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic was Books on My Winter 2022/2023 To-Read List.

Wednesday – As always WWW Wednesday is a weekly opportunity to share what I’ve just read, what I’m currently reading and what I plan to read next… and to take a peek at what others are reading. 

Thursday – I published my review of The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually by Helen Cullen.

Friday – I shared my review of The Darlings of the Asylum by Noel OReilly.


New arrivals

The Spy Across the WaterThe Spy Across the Water by James Naughtie (eARC, Head of Zeus via NetGalley)

We live with our history, but it can kill us.

Faces from the past appear from nowhere at a family funeral, and Will Flemyng, spy-turned-ambassador, is drawn into twin mysteries that threaten everything he holds dear.

From Washington, he’s pitched back into the Troubles in Northern Ireland and an explosive secret hidden deep in the most dangerous but fulfilling friendship he has known.

And while he confronts shadowy adversaries in American streets, and looks for solace at home in the Scottish Highlands, he discovers that his government’s most precious Cold War agent is in mortal danger and needs his help to survive.

In an electric story of courage and betrayal, Flemyng learns the truth that his life has left him a man with many friends, but still alone.

A Gift of PoisonA Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis (eARC, Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley)

Haworth 1847 – Anne and Emily Brontë have had their books accepted for publication, while Charlotte’s has been rejected everywhere, creating a strained atmosphere at the parsonage.

At the same time, a shocking court case has recently concluded, acquitting a workhouse master of murdering his wife by poison. Everyone thinks this famously odious and abusive man is guilty. However, he insists he is many bad things but not a murderer. When an attempt is made on his life, he believes it to be the same person who killed his wife and applies to the detecting sisters for their help.

Despite reservations, they decide that perhaps, as before, it is only they who can get to the truth and prove him innocent – or guilty – without a shadow of doubt. 


On What Cathy Read Next this week

Currently reading

Planned posts

  • Book Review: Devils and Saints by Jean-Baptiste Andrea
  • Book Review: Skelton’s Guide to Blazing Corpses by David Stafford 
  • Book REview: My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor