Mimosa in Portugal photographed by my husband.

Late again with reviews but the excuse this time is that our internet was down due to the heatwave. We have switched ISPs which seems to have solved the problem! Fingers crossed!

Viewing

The superb:

The Capture ***** iPlayer.  Excellent political thriller – use of AI etc. to carry out policies. We assume another season is planned.

Conclave*****. I watched it on Amazon Prime but it was leaving the site a few days later. Wonderful filming and acting. Surprisingly gripping plot (choosing a new pope) with some interesting twists. Highly recommended.

Secret Service ***** itvx. Good spy thriller by newscaster Tom Bradby who wrote the book and the screenplay. Adding himself and other ITV presenters into the cast gave it an air of reality.

The very good:

Gone **** itvx. Good, but a bit slow. A headmaster’s wife is missing.

Hidden Assets **** iPlayer. Irish CAB has to liaise with Belgian and Spanish police to find assets. 3 seasons and all quite gripping.

Big Eden**** Plex. An mm romcom with nice country music and an unusually happy ending. (Recced in a book by Alexa Milne.)

Believe me **** itvx. True crime. Gripping and watchable account of the eventual conviction of John Worboys, the London black cab rapist, and the aftermath for the victims.

It’s a sin **** Ch4. Powerful but very depressing account of young people who gravitate to London at the start of the AIDS epidemic.

Panda **** Ch 4. Season 2 of the amusing French cop show set in the Camargue.

Black Snow **** iPlayer.  Australian crime show: cold case detection. Second case ended satisfactorily in S2 but detective’s story didn’t. S3 coming in September, thank goodness.

Deadloch **** Amazon. Season 2 of the amusing Australian detective story, this time in Northern Territories instead of Tasmania. Both lead detectives left the force at the end for various reasons so sadly there probably won’t be another season. Brilliant acting.

Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis **** iPlayer. Harrowing look at the way women’s health issues are dealt with.

Reading

The excellent:

Shifting Sands by Joy Lynn Fielding***** Fourth in the Strength of the Pack series. The council are made aware of the argent. Bryce meets Tom. Riding the Whirlwind **** (book 4) was less to my taste because of the focus on fight scenes, but the story and the exploration of the relationship were interesting and it makes a valuable addition to the series. Sad because there’s only one more to go! Lone Wolf *****. It didn’t disappoint except for leaving me wanting a lot more. I feel as if this pack are real people and I want to follow their lives.

Mean Spirit by Phil Rickman***** Follows The Cold Calling. I think I’d read anything by this author and am sad he died recently. He creates wonderfully creepy atmospheres leaving room for disbelief.

The (most unusual) haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parish.***** Edgar and his sister can see ghosts. Jamie, who is trans, designs and builds haunted houses in New Orleans. A fascinating story with lots of twists and turns as Edgar and Jamie get together.

The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire***** Tybalt pov for the period October is in the tower, unaware of reality. Another favourite author.

The Warwick Shield by Claire Robyns***** Excellent story in the Curse Breaker Witches series. Maddie is faced with an ancient spell she can’t break and is part of a group locked in a dungeon with a murderer at large.

Ghost Ridden by EJ Russell***** Interesting paranormal mystery with a side helping of mm romance. I will definitely be getting the sequel. Maz, a ghost writer, inherits a possibly haunted house in the town of Ghost. Sequel Ghostlighted ***** is just as good.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles***** An mm Regency romance set in the Romney marshes among smugglers and their friends.

And the very good:

Blowing off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding**** Endearing characters including Bess the steam train.

The Meaning of You by Jay Hogan **** Good start to a series – book conservator and forensic accountant are drawn into serious problems. More danger arises in The Question of Us**** The Promise of Together ends the trilogy**** Nick reconnects with his mother who turns out to be in danger.

Real Trouble by Elle Keaton **** Pleasant and well written mm romance – a good guy from a criminal family catches up with an ex who is a police officer.  A murder and two arson attacks provide drama and let the guys get together again.

Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisher**** Intriguing retelling of the Snow White story, narrated by Anja, a healer/poison expert who is called in to cure Snow of apparent poisoning. The story centres round the use of mirrors and a mirror world. There is a slow burn mf romance but it is not the central theme.

Secrets of the Hidden Heritage by Heather Harris **** continues the Cornish saga – familiars are going missing – and leaves plenty of things open for further volumes.

The Camboy of Cavendish Hall by Jem Wendel**** Intriguing story – Kai inherits an earldom and serious debts. Jason, one of his gardeners, helps him sort out the future.

Ben by NR Walker. **** mm version of Pretty Woman with more twists.  Very readable.

Of Dungarees, Wellies and Wedding Dresses by Alexa Milne**** Nice ff romance between farmer and wedding dress shop owner.

A Sky Full of Stars also by Alexa Milne**** Another well written and pleasant mm romance set in the Hebrides. Some drama because Murdo is the head of the primary school and not all parents accept him being gay.

Don’t’ date a DILF by DJ Jamison**** Nice mm romance, well written and pleasant. Lacks drama but if you like ‘cosy’ stories this is for you.

Virgin Flyer by Lucy Lennox**** An mm romance with plenty of angst and drama.

Murder on Thames by Alex Henry**** Book 4 in the Leon Peterson series. Enjoyable crime story with a cast that is now familiar and interesting. Leon and Jas are seconded to Windsor.

The Only Farang in Town by Greg Lindeblom**** (ARC for Scott). Chris takes a sabbatical in Bangkok and meets First, an actor in a BL series. The fans and the production company are not pleased, but First’s family is supportive. Interesting both for the problems caused for the relationship and for the look at Thai culture and the local sights.

A Night of Opposites by Jackson Marsh**** Good addition to The Delamere Files. Jack attends a dinner by the Thirteen Club, dedicated to making fun of superstition. Then one of the board is beset by strange events in a locked house.

The Pink by Marshall Thornton**** Evokes the period and place (1930s Chicago) well. Possible mm romance for a new Pinkerton’s agent.

Babys got blue eyes by LM Krier.**** Competent police procedural set in Stockport.

Living Dead by Jordan Castillo Price**** Volume 15 in the Psycops series. Victor and Jacob are as engaging as ever, dealing with a newly discovered medium, a woman who has lost one of her ‘subtle bodies’ and a researcher from ‘National’.

The lost art of seducing a mage warrior by Ellie Ash**** Very sweet mm fantasy romance with some drama and I shall read the sequel.