Tag: Five Favourite

I read nine books in October, two more than the previous month. Here are the five I liked best. Links from each title will take you to my full review.

You can find a list of all the books I’ve read so far in 2023 here.  If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

My thanks to Head of Zeus, Bloomsbury, Lume Books and Swift Press for providing me with review copies, including via NetGalley.

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The Murder Wheel by Tom Mead (Head of Zeus) – A skilfully crafted and very entertaining historical mystery for fans of ‘Golden Age’ crime fiction

Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones (Head of Zeus) – The continuing adventures of Loveday and his comrades in this gripping and action-packed sequel to Essex Dogs

The Socialite Spy by Sarah Sigal (Lume Books) – An entertaining mystery set in pre-WW2 London but with a nugget of something more weighty at its heart, like a luxury Charbonnel et Walker chocolate with a praline centre

Held by Anne Michaels (Bloomsbury) – Lyrical and enigmatic generation-spanning story about love, loss and memory (review to follow)

Run to the Western Shore by Tim Pears (Swift Press) – Set in 1st century Britain a supremely well-crafted story involving two young people that is also a love letter to the natural world

What were the best books you read last month? Have you read any of my picks?

September was a slow reading month for me. I only read seven books making it hard to select the five. I liked best. On the plus side, two of them are in the running to be included in my books of the year. Links from each title will take you to my full review.

You can find a list of all the books I’ve read so far in 2023 here.  If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

My thanks to Head of Zeus (three times over), Penguin UK and John Murray for providing me with review copies, including via NetGalley.

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Adama by Lavie Tidhar (Head of Zeus) – The powerful, gripping and moving story of four generations of a Jewish family (5*)

The Mystery of Yew Tree House by Lesley Thomson (Head of Zeus) – A skilfully plotted dual time crime novel with plenty of twists and turns, false trails and surprise reveals

The Traitor by Ava Glass (Penguin) – An entertaining, escapist thriller, ideal for reading on the beach or, dare I say it, the deck of a luxury yacht

North Woods by Daniel Mason (John Murray) – A brilliantly imaginative set of interlinked stories (5*)

A Day of Reckoning by Matthew Harffy (Head of Zeus) – The action-packed, enthralling and pacy third book in the ‘A Time for Swords’ trilogy, set in 8th century Spain.

What were the best books you read last month? Have you read any of my picks?