[Book Review] The Girl From Bletchley Park by Kathleen McGurl

Front cover

Genre – Historical fiction, Dual timeline (part historical, part contemporary)

Publication date – 3 November 2021

Publisher – HQ Digital

Length – 326 pages

Purchase link – https://www.amazon.in/Girl-Bletchley-Park-Heartbreaking-historical-ebook/dp/B09F92Q8KP

Goodreads – https://bit.ly/3DHjMYJ

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Blurb

A country at war. A heartbreaking betrayal.

1942. Three years into the war, Pam turns down her hard-won place at Oxford University to become a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. There, she meets two young men, both keen to impress her, and Pam finds herself falling hard for one of them. But as the country’s future becomes more uncertain by the day, a tragic turn of events casts doubt on her choice – and Pam’s loyalty is pushed to its limits…

Present-day. Julia is struggling to juggle her career, two children and a husband increasingly jealous of her success. Her brother presents her with the perfect distraction: forgotten photos of their grandmother as a young woman at Bletchley Park. Why did her grandmother never speak of her time there? The search for answers leads Julia to an incredible tale of betrayal and bravery – one that inspires some huge decisions of her own…

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My Review of The Girl From Bletchley Park

The Girl From Bletchley Park is a riveting story about the strength and achievements of two women in the face of danger and heartbreak. Two timelines – 1942 and the present – run in parallel to tell a story of determination, dedication, sacrifice, and hardships.

Julia, an entrepreneur juggling a jealous husband and two children, discovers her grandmother’s (Pam) role at Bletchley Park through some old photographs and a memoir written by Pam’s friend. As she pieces together the fascinating story of Pam’s contribution to WWII, she also fixes her increasingly off-kilter marriage in the process.

The author has researched her story well. The technical details of code-breaking machines used during WWII are fascinating yet simple to understand. The idea that women aren’t good at mathematics or STEM subjects or cannot have a successful career is blown to smithereens.

The men attempt to use the women to further their own goals but are surprised to find that they cannot be as easily manipulated as they thought.

I loved all aspects of this book – the intimate look inside the workings of Bletchley Park, the tug-of-war between people, and the triumph of love and loyalty over greed and deceit.

(I received an ecopy from Rachel at Rachel’s Random’s Resources with a request for an honest review.)

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About Kathleen McGurl

Kathleen McGurl lives near the coast in Christchurch, England. She writes dual timeline novels in which a historical mystery is uncovered and resolved in the present day. She is married to an Irishman and has two adult sons. She enjoys travelling, especially in her motorhome around Europe.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/KathleenMcGurl

Tweets by KathMcGurl

https://kathleenmcgurl.com/

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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with VoxBox.

[Book Review] Murder At The House On The Hill by Victoria Walters

Front cover

Blurb

Once Upon A Crime…

Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens…

That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in twenty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party.

While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short when beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade.

But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why?

Nancy and Jane decide to investigate – after all, not only do they own a crime themed bookshop, they were also both named after famous literary detectives – but soon wonder if they’ve taken on more than they can handle. Especially when it seems the killer has worked out that they’re hot on their heels…

Can they catch the murderer before the murderer catches up with them? Or will there be a deadly ending to this story?

Join the unlikeliest detective duo for the killer opener of The Dedley End Mysteries series, by a major voice in women’s fiction.

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My Review

Murder at the House on the Hill is an engrossing cosy mystery with a cast of realistic characters and set in the lovely-sounding village, Dedley End.

The whole story has a literary theme with Nancy and her grandmother Jane (the amateur detectives) running a bookshop selling crime, mystery, and thriller books.

When there’s a death in the Roth Lodge, Nancy tries to get inside information by offering to catalogue and refresh the Roth library. And an Agatha Christie book gives Nancy a clue about the murderer.

The story has a steady pace and takes its time to establish each character and scene before moving on.

There’s plenty of tea drinking–something I enjoyed reading about–and the village community have a cosy, warm, and inviting feel about them.

The author writes masterfully, weaving clues into the narrative such that my head was spinning thinking about who the murderer could be and what were the secret(s) of the Roth family.

I also loved the side story with Nancy and an ex-boyfriend, which gives many insights into how a relationship should (and shouldn’t be).

Murder at the House on the Hill is the perfect book for an afternoon curled up on the sofa with tea and biscuits for company.

(I received an e-copy of the book from Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources with a request for an honest review.)

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Purchase Links

AMZ: https://amzn.to/3yJqSKk

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2SzAN4h

Apple: https://apple.co/3yJGkWE

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About Victoria Walters

Victoria Walters

Victoria Walters writes up-lifting and inspiring stories. She’s the author of the bestselling GLENDALE HALL series, which continues with its third book HOPEFUL HEARTS at GLENDALE HALL in September, as well as two other standalone novels – SUMMER at the KINDNESS CAFE, and THE SECOND LOVE of my LIFE. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent and shortlisted for two RNA awards. Victoria was also picked as an Amazon Rising Star, and her books have won wide reader acclaim.

Victoria is a full-time author. She lives in Surrey with her cat Harry, and loves books, clothes, music, going out for tea and cake, and posting photos on Instagram.
Find out more about Victoria by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on Twitter at @Vicky_Walters or by visiting her blog at:https://victoria-writes.com/.

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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with VoxBox and Journery Matters.

[Book Review] Stalker Stalked by Lee Matthew Goldberg

Publisher: All Due Respect, an imprint of Down & Out Books

Publication date: 17 September 2021

Length: 286 pages

Buy – https://www.amazon.in/Stalker-Stalked-Lee-Matthew-Goldberg-ebook/dp/B099P1W3BW

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Blurb

Lexi Mazur is a depressed, alcoholic, pill-popper whose only joy has become her reality TV shows, often fantasizing that the people on TV are a part of her world. After her boyfriend Steve leaves her, she fixates on the show Socialites and its star Magnolia Artois, following every facet of the girl’s life on social media in the hopes of befriending and becoming more like her.

But stalking isn’t new to Lexi. She ultimately won over her ex Steve by following and manipulating every minute detail about him so he’d fall for her. In fact, she landed her other ex-boyfriend Jeremy in the same way. Being a pharma rep, she’s used to manipulation to get doctors to buy her drugs, along with the perk of saving pills for herself.

But what happens when the stalker gets stalked?

Recently, Lexi has felt someone watching her: in her apartment in Queens, at her job. At first, she thinks her mind’s playing tricks, but the watcher is behaving just like she would. And soon they begin leaving threatening clues like she starts to do to Magnolia once her obsession grows more dangerous. Is it one of her exes out for revenge? Her only real friend from childhood who she’s always had an unhealthy rivalry? A detective who may have figured her out? The reality star Magnolia trying to turn the tables? Or even someone she might not know?

Lexi learns the only way to beat her stalker is to use her own stalking prowess to outsmart them at their own game. But has she finally met her match?

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My Review of Stalker Stalked

I had a single thought after I finished reading Lexi’s story — “Wow! What was that?!”

Stalker Stalked is a twisted tale of drug and alcohol addiction leading to losing touch with reality. Lexi is an addict who has had a broken, abusive childhood. She copes with her trauma in the present by abusing pills and alcohol. Her addiction causes her to lose touch with reality and she begins to believe she is a part of a “reality” TV show.

Lexi stalks the main character of the show, but things take a bizarre turn when she realizes that someone is stalking her, too.

The author describes the unraveling of Lexi’s mind and its ripple effect on her relationships in such canny detail. He may have gone a bit overboard with the detail in a few scenes where he describes Lexi’s craziness, but perhaps that is the appeal of this book.

I loved the author’s previous book, The Ancestor, even though it required the reader to suspend disbelief. But it was such a novel plot and the writing style was exquisite.

Stalker Stalked is completely different from The Ancestor but the writing is amazing. Nevertheless, it felt like the twist where Lexi the stalker gets stalked did not work well. The explanation is ludicrous even though I saw the connection with Lexi and her state of mind.

It was difficult to read accounts of Lexi’s abusive childhood. We carry the scars of past trauma throughout our lives, no matter how good or happy we may be in the present.

Stalker Stalked ends unexpectedly and no attempt has been made to give it a happy ending. I liked the fact that the ending was rooted in reality because the entire story deals with Lexi’s flights of fancy.

Stalker Stalked is a bizarre yet chillingly accurate depiction of addiction and child abuse. It will shock you and entertain you (if you’re into gruesome stuff) in equal measure.

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(I received an e-copy of the book from Blackthorn Book Tours with a request for an honest review.)

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[Book Review] Death Comes to Bishops Well by Anna Legat

Genre: Cosy mystery

Publication Date:  26th August 2021

Publisher: Headline Accent

Standalone First Book in The Shires Mysteries series

Estimated Page Count – 240

When Sam Dee moves to the beautiful Wiltshire village of Bishops Well, he expects a quiet life of country walks and pub lunches. OK, so his new neighbour, Maggie Kaye, is a little peculiar, but she’s very nice – and his old pal Richard Ruta lives just down the road.

But when Richard throws one of his famous parties, things take a sinister turn. Sam, Maggie and the rest of the guests are dumbfounded when Richard falls down dead. A horrible tragedy – or a cunningly planned murder?

With a village full of suspects – and plenty of dark secrets – just who exactly would want to bump off their host? Is there a connection to another mysterious death, nearly twenty years before?

Armed with her local knowledge, Maggie – with Sam’s reluctant but indispensable help – is soon on the case. But when the body count starts to rise, will sleepy Bishops Well ever be the same again?

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Comes-Bishops-Well-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B093XV385N

US – https://www.amazon.com/Death-Comes-Bishops-Well-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B093XV385N

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My Review of Death Comes to Bishops Well

Death Comes to Bishops Well is an entertaining mystery novel that takes an unusual turn at the end in the form of a foreign flavour. As can be expected from a cosy mystery, Bishops Well is a tiny village with a close-knit community where everybody knows everybody else’s business. Even so, its inhabitants have been able to keep damning secrets that are now threatening to spill out because someone is dead.

Sam, a retired lawyer, and his strange neighbour, Maggie, narrate the story alternately and give us a glimpse into the same scene from different viewpoints. Maggie is a delightful character – inquisitive and gossipy – who makes it her business to find out who is putting fear and mistrust into the hearts of people at Bishops Well. She often drags the unwilling Sam into her scrapes. She has a special gift that gives rise to many “oops” moments for her.

The story moves along at a steady pace and has many humorous moments until it takes a sorrowful, dark turn. The final few chapters speak of pain, abandonment, and tragedy. I was taken aback at the change in tone and setting.

Usually, the author hides the murderer in plain sight and sprinkles clues along the way. I admit I could not figure out any clues in this story. When the murderer was revealed, I was unprepared for it. I can’t help but say that I found it bit underwhelming, too.

I’ve read Anna Legat’s books previously and have always enjoyed her tightly-knit scenes and subtle humor. Death Comes to Bishops Well does have these qualities but I felt the way the story ended did not quite justify the tension built up in the beginning.

(I received an e-copy from Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources with a request for an honest review.)

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About Anna Legat

Anna Legat is a Wiltshire-based author, best known for her DI Gillian Marsh murder mystery series. Murder isn’t the only thing on her mind. She dabbles in a wide variety of genres, ranging from dark humorous comedy, through magic realism to dystopian. A globe-trotter and Jack-of-all-trades, Anna has been an attorney, legal adviser, a silver-service waitress, a school teacher and a librarian. She has lived in far-flung places all over the world where she delighted in people-watching and collecting precious life experiences for her stories. Anna writes, reads, lives and breathes books and can no longer tell the difference between fact and fiction.

Social Media Links –

Anna’s News, Rumours and Scandalous Revelations at https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j6b7k1
To find out more: https://annalegat.com/
Follow Anna on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LegatWriter
Join Anna on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnnaLegatAuthor/

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Death Comes to Bishops Well Blog Tour Schedule

[Book Review] A Mystery at Lili Villa by Arathi Menon

Title: A Mystery at Lili Villa
Author: Arathi Menon
Genre: Mystery, middle grade
Publisher: Yali Books
Preorder: https://yalibooks.com/store/books/a-mystery-at-lili-villa/

Pub date: July 31st, 2021

Cousins Arj, Tam, and Mira are spending their summer vacation in Elathoor, a little village in Kerala when their family home, Lili Villa, is broken into and some jewelry is stolen. The Terrific Three set out to solve the mystery but soon discover that there is no shortage of suspects. Is it Pinching Kodavis or Dumdumchecchi, the milking lady? Is it the mean fisherwoman who starves the cat or the retired nurse who owns a luxury car? Or is it Mani with his upside-down Russian secret? Who could the thief possibly be? In a throwback to unscheduled summer vacations, this cozy mystery will charm young readers with plenty of sibling sparring, some intrepid sleuthing, and an endless parade of mouth-watering snacks.

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My Review of A Mystery of Lili Villa

Put Enid Blyton’s Five Find-Outers and Dog in Kerala and the result is A Mystery of Lili Villa!

I love the fact that we have something comparable for children in India with people, places, and situations they can easily relate to. Summer vacations are a time of fun, adventure, meeting cousins, eating delicious food, and generally running wild.

Little moments like Tam asking her mother why she got to eat only one curry in Bengaluru, whereas Arj and Mira ate five curries for lunch at Elathoor describe the difference in lifestyles in urban and rural areas.

When a story is narrated from the point of view of children, we get to see unique perspectives that escape us as adults. Based on how the children view the people in their life, they give them fun names – Dumdumchechi (milkmaid), Fan Fixer Faekku (electrician), DoubleMean (fisherwoman), Well-Cleaner Mani (well maintenance guy), Pitamma (cook), Kodavis (driver), and so on.

The dynamics between a mixed group of children has been captured well. The eldest become leaders, grabbing the plum tasks for themselves and handing over the boring jobs to the youngest ones. Or leaving the younger ones out of exciting “adventures.”

The innocence of the children, their inquisitiveness, the way they stayed clear of the elders, and the way they see everything from a childish lens — the author is adept at conveying all of it.

Most children love to play detective and the children at Lili Villa are no different. Interestingly, the parents have removed access to gadgets and screens for the summer holidays. This forces the children to rely on their deductive powers to solve the mystery. It reminded me of simpler times when children spent summer afternoons making up games and activities to kill boredom.

The flavor of Kerala is present in every page — through the mouth-watering descriptions of food, the outfits, the way people address each other, the marketplace, and a fishing scene.

Pitamma, the cook, whips up one hot feast after the other – kadala-puttu, appams, dosas, pazhampori, natholi, unnakkai, vadas. Even the snacks she makes sound so appetizing.

I enjoyed this short yet immersive book immensely. It made me so nostalgic that even I felt a bit sad when the “summer vacation” ended and Tam had to return to Bengaluru.

(I received an e-copy of the book from Lonely Pages Book Tours with a request for an honest review.)

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About Arathi Menon

Arathi Menon is an author and a columnist, currently based in London. In She published her first book Leaving Home With Half A Fridge in 2015. She has received a highly commendable mention at the 2018 FAB Awards and was a part of a group exhibit at the Tate Modern, London in 2019 and 2020. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. She loves a good story, all animals, and pink tuck.

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A Mystery at Lili Villa Tour Schedule

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(This post is also part of Blogchatter Half Marathon Aug ’21.)