I have no idea where I found this image but I like it.

So this is about a month late. Two reasons – 1. I’ve been out of action (see previous post) and 2. I’ve been waiting for my FB problems to resolve themselves but have just about given up and will create a new account. Meanwhile I’ll just crosspost to Dreamwidth and LiveJournal as usual.  

Viewing

The excellent:

The One that got away***** BBC Welsh crime drama starring Richard Harrington who was also the lead detective in Hinterland. This was better.

Panda Season 1 ***** Ch4 Entertaining French comic cop drama. Looking forward to the sequel.

Dept Q ***** Netflix Quirky and exciting. Brilliantly filmed.

Arctic Circle***** Ch 4 Excellent Finnish noir

The very good:

The Black Forest Murders**** BBC German police procedural that is very realistic in the use of a huge team and a lot of detailed work over a long period. Original title in German is Spuren (Traces).

Why Cities Flood**** BBC Chilling… mostly centred on the Spanish disaster earlier this year.

Glastonbury BBC and YouTube.**** Mixed, of course, because it all depends on your tastes. I liked Lewis Capaldi and Olivia Rodrigo. I enjoyed Rod Stewart’s songs but felt faintly embarrassed watching him and Ronny Wood cavorting like teenagers even though Rod’s voice has deserted him.

I Robot**** Again.

Memento Mori.****  Ch4 Spanish noir. Grisly but gripping. Confusing end.  

Freezing Embrace**** Ch 4 Good Finnish noir

Reading

The excellent:

This is not a love story by Suki Fleet***** Amazing writing. Reader catapulted into the head of someone ‘other’ – mute Russian immigrant street boy. Not sure about reading the sequel/prequel ones. I enjoyed Wild Summer***** but was not so keen on This is not the beginning of a love story**** which I felt would have been better as the first book in the trilogy.

Anywhere but here by Nicola Kelly***** A journalist follows various migrants. Chilling and gripping although I didn’t actually learn much. However, I don’t think I was the target audience.

The Ward Witch by Sarah Painter***** Excellent paranormal set on Unholy Island which is a mirror for Holy Island off the coast of Northumberland. I shall get the sequel because I need to know whether Luke and Esme get together.

Mr Collins in Love by Lee Welch ***** (ARC for Scott) Fanfic style novella based on characters from Pride and Prejudice. Delightful.

To Defend a Damaged Duke by Fearne Hill***** (ARC for Scott) Action packed mm Regency romance. I must look for the rest of the Rossingley series.

The Past in the Present by KM Avery***** In the Beyond the Veil series. (Bk9)Seth’s mother has died. Was it murder?

The very good:

KC Wells, RJ Scott and KJ Charles are FB friends who get honourable mentions but I can’t tag them on FB so if anyone knows them, tell them!

The Cold Calling by Phil Rickman**** Intriguing plot but it lacked a main character for reader identification.

In his sights by KC Wells**** Good competent mm detective story with a profiler brought in to help. Will definitely read next in series. In plain sight **** Another case for the detective/psychic duo (mm). A body is found in a tunnel collapse and the local mafia may be involved. Dan and Gary are now a cold case team, and Dan is making progress re the murder of Gary’s brother so long ago.

Beach Hut 512 by Dorothy Koomson**** Surprisingly good short story with a crime at the centre. An Amazon first read – I didn’t expect so much of it!

Fire on the Island by Timothy Jay Smith**** (ARC for Scott )Not as good as Istanbul Crossing but deals with current affairs in the eastern Mediterranean competently in an intriguing arson mystery.

The First Death by Kendra Elliot**** Columbia River 4. Kidnappers like to exert control. Rowan, a search and rescue dog handler, still seeks her brother who did not escape.

Dragon School by Sarah KL Wilson Vols 11-15 **** More terror and flight for the lightbringers and purple dragons. Amel attracts trouble as usual. Should be irritating but the characters are interesting and the writing is good.  Must get the final box set.

Murder in Shades of Wood and Stone by Ripley Hayes**** Nice sequel with DC Rees still with Tom and investigating murders in a hotel car park.

Vengeance on a slow boil by Chloe Garner**** Another good spinoff from the main Stasia books. Someone is threatening the Rat King’s wife.

The Dark Hiss of Magic by Helen Harper**** Good second book about the cat shifting ex assassin.

Wizard of most wicked ways by Charlie N Holmberg**** Eagerly awaited fourth in series set on an island off NE USA.

Holding Hans by Tara Lain**** Another twisted modern fairy tale, this time based on Hansel and Gretel.

Magic Collapse by TJ Nichols**** Another in the mytho series. Pan ends up on earth without his usual magic.

Dark Horse by Kate Sherwood.**** Exciting horse training mm romance. I might even follow the sequels.

Team Orders by RJ Scott**** Well written mm romance in the F1 world of motor racing.

CopperScript by KJ Charles**** Edwardian policing meets graphology in an mm romance with hints of the fantastic. Exciting and well written.