Blogging April A to Z Reflections Post

The BLOGGING APRIL A-Z has now finished. I decided to take a few days to think about this year’s challenge, before publishing my reflections post. As usual, I loved the challenge, even though it does make for a busy month. This year was my sixth year participating, but not all were on this blog.. Including 2020, I have participated twice on this blog, and three times on my blog, Tracking Down The Family and twice on my other blog, Next Phase In Fitness & Life The reason the numbers don’t add up is that in 2017, I participated on two blogs in the one year.

What I Am Happy About

I had made a long term plan and had read all books by January

By the time the challenge website opened, I had written rough drafts for most posts

Almost all posts were written and ready to go before the challenge started, even though there was usually a final edit needed.

I visited many great blogs on a huge variety of topics and themes

There were many comments made on my blog and there were comments from bloggers other than book bloggers.

I loved that bloggers told me about their favourite books.

A relationship developed with a few bloggers that I hope will continue

Facts

Star Rating on books reviewed:  5 Star – three books, 4.5 star – six books,  4 star – nine books, 3.5 star – 7 books, 3 star – one book . My star rating is based on enjoyment, not literary merit, so, happily, most of the books I reviewed were enjoyable to read

My favourite book reviewed was Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.

Ten books reviewed were written by Aussie authors

Multiple books written by one author: There were two books written by Stephen King and two books written by Dervla McTiernan. Two books were written by James Patterson, but they were co-authored by different authors.

Eighteen books were fiction and eight were non-fiction

Twelve books were written by female authors, with sixteen written by males. One of James Patterson’s books was co-authored by a female author.

The Challenges

The posts that weren’t written by the start of the challenge were left until the last minute. Those posts were for W X Y Z

We had no phone or internet and patchy mobile service, for the first two weeks of April

As usual, the time I had to read, comment and reply to posts was limited. I intend to do more of this over the next two weeks.

Challenge Future

All being well in my life, I will be back for A to Z in 2021. I have decided that next year I will participate in the challenge on Tracking Down The Family, my family history blog. Just for a change, I don’t need to spend a whole year trying to come up with a theme for 2021 as I already have settled on one. But that’s a story for another day…..

A-Z Challenge 2020 List of books reviewed 

©2020 copyright. All rights reserved jonesfamilyhistory.wordpress.com

A-Z Challenge 2020 List

The April A-Z Blogging Challenge is now over. My theme was book reviews and I posted a  review here every day in April. Here is the complete list of reviews. Hopefully you will find something interesting to read in the list.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Burke and Wills by Peter Fitzsimons

Charlotte Pass by Lee Christine

The Dry by Jane Harper

Erebus by Michael Palin

Forgotten Rebels of Eureka by Clare Wright

Good Dogs Don’t Make it to the South Pole by Hans-Olav Thyvold

Half the World in Winter by Maggie Joel 

The Inn by James Patterson & Candice Fox

Journey from Venice by Ruth Cracknell

Kin by Nick Brodie

The Lost Boys by Paul Byrnes

The Memory by Lucy Dawson

Needful Things by Stephen King

On Writing by Stephen King

Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho

Quick by Steve Worland

The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan

The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Unsolved by James Patterson and David Ellis

Vengeance by Sue Grafton

The Wife and the Widow by Christian White

The Ex by Alafair Burke

.Yes My Accent Is Real and Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You by Kunal Nayyari

Zodiac by Sam Wilson

 

 

 

Zodiac by Sam Wilson #atozchallenge #audiobook

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted.

Zodiac by Sam Wilson
Audiobook Read By John Chancer

In a corrupt and volatile society where people are divided and defined by zodiac signs, status is cast at birth and binding forever. The line between a life of luxury and an existence of poverty can be determined by the stroke of midnight.
When a series of uniquely brutal murders targets victims of totally different signs, is it a misguided revolution or the work of a serial killer?
All eyes are on Detective Jerome Burton and Profiler, Lindi Childs. They may disagree over whether the answers are written in the stars, but they are united by their belief that a grand plan is being executed  –
Goodreads

A thrilling debut in a society divided along Zodiac lines, status is cast at birth – and binding for life. Who you are can be determined by a matter of days, hours, or even minutes – borrowbox, audiobook

My Thoughts

I wasn’t sure of this story, when I first started listening to the audio book, but it didn’t take me long to get into what was happening, and from then on I was hooked into the story. The premise of the story is unbelievably original. Actually I would never have thought of a storyline where people are judged by their star sign, and the date and time of their birth. Their race or colour doesn’t matter at all.

Zodiac is a debut novel for this author, and I really look forward to reading his next book. This is the most clever and original thriller that I have read. As I got further into the story, it didn’t seem at all strange that people were judged on their star sign. It felt totally normal even though at times it does challenge your thinking. And then, there is the action packed ending. But enough of that. No spoilers. I recommend you do read this book.

Recommendations

‘A brilliant, original and gripping thriller. I’m struggling to think of a reader who won’t love this’ – Sarah Lotz, author of The Three

A bold storyteller with an amazing mind’ – Lauren Huxley

‘Impeccable storytelling. Undoubtedly a book which works both on the level of it’s ibntriguing high concept and sheer narrative nous’ – Barry Forshaw

Published 2016 by Penguin
Audiobook: Duration 11 hours, 36 minutes – unabridged.

My Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

About the Author

Sam Wilson

Sam Wilson is a writer and TV director working in Cape Town.

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email address in the box on the sidebar. This will ensure you are notified of updates.

All books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library, unless otherwise stated.

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads .

You can find my other blogs here:
Next Phase In Fitness & Life
and Tracking Down The Family

© 2020 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

 

Yes My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven’t Told you by Kunal Nayyari

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted.

Summary

Of all the charming misfits on television, there’s no doubt Raj from The Big Bang Theory — the sincere yet incurably geeky Indian-American astrophysicist — ranks among the misfittingest. Now, we meet the actor who is every bit as loveable as the character he plays on TV. In this revealing collection of essays written in his irreverent, hilarious, and self-deprecating voice, Kunal Nayyar traces his journey from a little boy in New Delhi who mistakes, an awkward first kiss for a sacred commitment, gets nosebleeds chugging Coca-Cola to impress other students, and excels in the sport of badminton, to the confident, successful actor on the set of TV’s most-watched sitcom since Friends.

Going behind the scenes of The Big Bang Theory and into his personal experiences, Kunal introduces readers to the people who helped him grow, such as his James Bond-loving, mustachioed father who taught him the most important lessons in life: Treat a beggar as you would a king. There are two sides to every story. A smile goes a long way. And, when in doubt, use a spreadsheet.

Kunal also walks us through his college years in Portland, where he takes his first sips of alcohol, and learns to let loose with his French, 6’8” gentle-giant roommate, works his first-ever job for the university’s housekeeping department cleaning toilets for minimum wage, and begins a series of romantic exploits that go just about as well as they would for Raj. (That is, until he meets and marries a former Miss India in an elaborate seven-day event that we get to experience in a chapter titled “My Big Fat Indian Wedding.”)

Full of heart, but never taking itself too seriously, this witty and often inspiring collection of underdog tales follows a young man as he traverses two continents in search of a dream, along the way transcending culture and language (and many, many embarrassing incidents) to somehow miraculously land the role – Goodreads

My Thoughts

I was searching for a book to read for a review for the letter ‘Y’ when I came across this book written by the star of my favourite TV series, The Big Bang Theory.  I would usually shy away from autobiographies written by celebrities but thought I’d give this one a go, as I was keen on reviewing a book of genre I usually don’t review.

I didn’t have huge expectations but it wasn’t long before I was hooked. Kunal and Raj sound as though they are the same person, but that is possibly, because he has brought himself to the role.

. He writes with a self deprecating humour that is very funny to read, while coming across as being very genuine, as he talks about how appreciative he is of his fans.  I laughed and laughed, when I read about his Big Bang audition. And then laughed more, while reading about his marriage to Miss India.

I would describe Kunal’s book as being very sweet, very charming, very funny, but most of all very well written. I enjoyed this book much more than I expected and was sorry when it came to an end.

Yes, My Accent Is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven't Told You

Published in 2015 by Atria Books, 245 pages

Quotes

“Because words are powerful; they can hurt and wound, and one word can lead to a thousand horrors. So don’t forget to be impeccable with your words.”

“Sometimes people ask me, ‘Why are you writing a memoir? You’re only thirty-four.’
This is not a memoir. I’m not a president, or an astronaut, or a Kardashian.
This is a collection of stories from my life.”

My Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email address in the box on the sidebar. This will ensure you are notified of updates.

All books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library, unless otherwise stated.

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads .

You can find my other blogs here:
Next Phase In Fitness & Life
and Tracking Down The Family

© 2020 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

The Ex by Alafair Burke #atozchallenge

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted.

Summary

In the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on a Train comes this novel. After agreeing to defend her ex-fiance when he is arrested for a triple homicide, top criminal lawyer, Olivia Randall begins to have doubts as the evidence mounts against him. Twenty years ago she ruined his life. Now she has the chance to save it.

My Thoughts

I struggled with this book. Firstly I picked the murderer right away. I’m rarely that clever. The main reason I chose to read this book was the title. In trying to find a book for the letter X, Ex was the closest I could get. I loved the cover so chose to go ahead with it. If not for the A to Z Challenge, I probably wouldn’t have continued with it, so find it difficult to recommend it as a good read. At first, I struggled with posting this review but I have committed to reviewing every book I read, no matter what. Another reader might enjoy what I don’t enjoy.

Published in January 2016 by Harper, 304 pages

Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

About the Author

Alafair Burke

Alafair Burke is the New York Times bestselling author of “two power house series” (Sun-Sentinel) that have earned her a reputation for creating strong, believable, and eminently likable female characters, such as NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and Portland Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid. Alafair’s novels grow out of her experience as a prosecutor in America’s police precincts and criminal courtrooms, and have been featured by The Today Show, People Magazine, The New York Times, MSNBC, The Washington Post, USA Today, and The Chicago Sun-Times. According to Entertainment Weekly, Alafair “is a terrific web spinner” who “knows when and how to drop clues to keep readers at her mercy.- Goodreads

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email address in the box on the sidebar. This will ensure you are notified of updates.

All books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library, unless otherwise stated.

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads .

Links to my other blogs: Next Phase In Fitness & Life and Tracking Down The Family

© 2020 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

The Wife and the Widow by Christianwhite #atozchallenge

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted.

The Wife Between Us by Christian White

Summary

Set against gainst the backdrop of an eerie island town in the dead of winter, The Wife and the Widow is a mystery/thriller told from two perspectives: Kate, a widow whose grief is compounded by what she learns about her dead husband’s secret life; and Abby, an island local whose world is turned upside down when she’s forced to confront the evidence that her husband is a murderer. But nothing on this island is quite as it seems, and only when these women come together can they discover the whole story about the men in their lives.

Brilliant and beguiling, The Wife and the Widow takes you to a cliff edge and asks the question: how well do we really know the people we love? – Goodreads

51896004. sx318 sy475

My Thoughts

I felt The Wife and the Widow started slowly. At first I was hesitant to keep going with it. I really enjoyed Christian White’s first book, Nowhere Child which is the reason I stuck with this book. And I’m really pleased I did. When my eyes were finally opened to what was really going on in the story, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. No spoilers here at all. You have to read this book for the twist.

Published September 2019 by Affirm Press
Softcover, 384 pages

Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

About the Author

Christian White

Christian White is an Australian author and screenwriter. The Nowhere Child is his first book. An early draft of this novel won the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, and rights were quickly sold into fifteen countries. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and their adopted greyhound, Issy. – Goodreads

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email address in the box on the sidebar. This will ensure you are notified of updates.

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads

2020 Aussie Author Challenge

© 2020 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

 

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton #atozchallenge

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge  is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted.

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Summary

Another in Sue Grafton’s series of novels that are named after each letter of the alphabet. Investigator Kinsey Milhone, known by regular readers of this author, is based in a fictional city in Los Angeles and ready to solve the latest mystery.

In Las Vegas, a young college graduate is murdered when he is unable to pay back a loan funded by nororious criminal Lorenzo Dante.

Two years later, private investigator, Kinsey Millhone, finds herself assisting to apprehend a shoplifter – Audrey Vance. Events take a much darker turn when Audrey’s body is discovered beneath the Cold Spring bridge, a local suicide spot. Unable to believe she took her own life, Audrey’s fiance, Marvin Striker hires Kinsey to investigate. It soon emerges that the shoplifter had become caught up in a much larger operation. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Dante, has begun to grow weary of his life in organized crime, and is ftustrated with his violent and impulsive younger brother Cappi. While the police net begins to close in on him, Dante meets the beautiful Nora, who exerts a powerful pull over the gangster.

As Kinsey’s inquireies reach a dramatic head, it becomes clear that she and Dante have one thing in common – they must be careful who they trust…. – from the blurb

My Thoughts

I’ve only read one previous book in this epic series, and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first. Kinsey Milhone is an easy to like character who always seems to get her man. The story is written to a winning formula, however, I found it very enjoyable. This book is a very quick and easy read but with a ‘who dunnit’ storyline that had me turning the page.

I can’t help wondering how this series endures, for those fans who have read all books. I’m not so sure that I could read an alphabet of stories about one character.

Recommendations

“Sue Grafton’s mysteries are so consistently enjoyable you have to wonder what her secret is” – New York Times

“As the master of suspense continues to demonstrate in superb mystery after superb mystery, there are more ugly twists in the human heart that there are letters in the alphabet.” – Entertainment Weekly

Star Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

About the Author

Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton was a number One international bestselling and very prolific author of mystery and detective novels. Her books have been published in many languages and have appeared on The New York Times Bestseller lists many times and for many weeks each time. She passed away in 2017 before Z for Zero was published and so the alphabet series ends at Y.

Published in 2011 by Mantle, Pan McMillan
Paperback, 437 pages

© 2020 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

Unsolved by James Patterson and David Ellis #AtoZChallenge

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted

Unsolved – Invisible #2 by James Patterson and David Ellis

Summary

A chilling and shocking follow-up to Sunday Times bestseller Invisible by James Patterson.

FBI researcher, Emma Dockery is back with a vengeance. Obsessed with finding a link between a string of deaths across several different states, she is convinced that there’s a pattern. And where there’s a pattern, there’s a serial killer to put a stop to. When detectives working on some of the cases start turning up dead, Emma knows that she’s onto something. These deaths are murders, and she’s going to be the one to prove it.

The closer she gets to finding the killer, the more Emma feels like she’s being watched. Is she setting a trap for this depraved killer? Or with every step she takes, is she falling further into his web, with the death count rising, Emma must act fast to catch this killer, before she becomes the next name on the hit list. – from the blurb

Unsolved (Invisible, #2)

My Thoughts

I didn’t read Invisible 1, but it’s not necessary to read it before Unsolved. In fact, I didn’t realise this was a second book in a series until after I’d finished it. I have enjoyed the James Patterson collaborations that I’ve read so far, and this novel was no different. A fast paced, detective mystery with a great story line and a few twists along the way.

Of course, as with most James Patterson books, it’s obviously written to a formula which is quite cliche – the FBI agent who goes against protocol, but because she has great results she gets away with it.

 I enjoyed it this novel. It was a quick read with an interesting plot and unexpected twists.However, there is one thing that I didn’t like about this book and that was the ending. It just didn’t feel right to me, and left me disappointed at the end.

Star Rating: 3.5 star

About the Authors:

James Patterson

James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author and most trusted storyteller. He has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today, with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. He has sold over 380 million books worldwide and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers. In addition to writing the thriller novels for which he is best known, among them The President Is Missing with President Bill Clinton, Patterson also writes fiction for young readers of all ages, including the Max Einstein series, produced in partnership with the Albert Einstein Estate. He is also the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on the New York Times adult and children’s bestseller lists. – Goodreads

David Ellis

 

David Ellis is a lawyer and the Edgar Allan Poe Award winner for Best First Novel for Line of Vision. Ellis attended Northwestern Law School and began his legal career in private practice in Chicago in 1993. He served as the House Prosecutor who tried and convicted Illinois Governor Blagojevich in the Impeachment Trial before the Illinois Senate. He was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2014 and took office December 1, 2014. Ellis currently lives outside Chicago with his wife and three children.

Published 2019 by Little, Brown and Company
Audio book published by Bolinda Audio

You can find my other blogs here:
Next Phase In Fitness & Life
and Tracking Down The Family

© 2020Copyright all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

T: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger #atozchallenge

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted

Summary

This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty six, and were married when Clare was twenty two and Henry was thirty. Impossible, but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force, that they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Clare’s struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely forgettable. – blurb

The Time Traveler's Wife

My Thoughts

When I read that first sentence in the summary, I couldn’t wait to get my head into this story. I read this book when it was first released in 2005. This debut novel is so good and unputdownable, even on the second reading. I’m not a lover of romance, but the author has written this book to be romantic and sentimental, but definitely not mushy or sugar sweet. 

The story does jump around a bit, between narrations and time frames, but I still found it to be an easy to read and not at all annoying, as some books can be that have changes in dates in their storyline. 

Even though, the premise of The Time Travellers Wife is unbelievable, and even absurd, I found the book to be totally believable. At first I found it difficult to get into the story, but as soon as I worked it what was happening, I couldn’t put the book down. I was convinced that it was possible for the events to occur. The love story was beautiful and tragic all at the same time.

The themes of love, passion, destiny and fate were all thrown in together to create this beautiful and unforgettable story.

Recommendations

“At it’s core, The Time Traveler’s Wife, is an old-fashioned love story. A terrific book…..startlingly original.’ – Observer

“Niffenegger exploits the possibilities of her fantasy scenario with immense skill: no wonder this novel has spent weeks on the bestseller lists. This is one of those books that makes you want to eat it up from start to finish”

“Pick up Niffenegger’s book, and you’ll experience the visceral thrill, that only a few novels provide. An elegy to love and loss” – Independent on Sunday

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

About the author

Audrey Niffenegger

Audrey Niffenegger (born June 13, 1963 in South Haven, Michigan) is a writer and artist. She is also a professor in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Columbia College Chicago. Niffenegger’s debut novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife (2003), was a national bestseller.

Her Fearful Symmetry (2009), Niffenegger’s second novel, is set in London’s Highgate Cemetery where, during research for the book, Niffenegger acted as a tour guide.

Niffenegger has also published graphic and illustrated novels including: The Adventuress (2006), The Three Incestuous Sisters (2005), The Night Bookmobile (2009), and Raven Girl (2013). Raven Girl was adapted into a ballet by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and the Royal Opera House Ballet (London) in 2013.

A mid-career retrospective entitled “Awake in the Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger,” was presented by the National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington D.C.) in 2013. An accompanying exhibition catalogue examines several themes in Niffenegger’s visual art including her explorations of life, mortality, and magic.

Published 2004 by Vintage Books
Softcover, 539 pages

Have you read The Time Traveler’s Wife?  If so, I’d love to hear if you enjoyed it as much as I did. I love it when we have a conversation and promise to reply to all comments.

© 2020 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com

S: The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan #atozchallenge

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is for bloggers who wish to participate by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been posted

The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan – Cormac Reilly #2

When Dr. Emma Sweeney stumbles across the victim of a hit and run, outside Galway University, late one evening, she calls her partner, Detective Cormac Reilly, bringing him to the scene of a murder that would otherwise never have been assigned to him.

A security card in the dead woman’s pocket identifies her as Carline Darcy, a gifted student and heir apparent to Irish pharmaceutical giant Darcy Therapeutics. The multi billion dollar company, founded by her grandfather, sponsors university research facilities and has funded Emma’s own ground breaking work. The inpuiry into Carline’s death promised to be high profile and high pressure.

As Cormac investigates, evidence mounts that the death is linked to a Darcy laboratory and, increasingly to Emma herself. Cormac’s running of the case comes under scrutiny, and he is forced to question his own objectivity. Could his loyalty to Emma have led him to overlook evidence? Has it made him a liability? – blurb

My Thoughts

This is the second book in the Cormac Reilly series. I really enjoyed the first book, The Ruin, so was looking forward to reading the this book. It did not disappoint at all. There was always enough happening in this story, to keeping me turning the page. There were many unexpected twists and turns. The characters were believable, even the unlikeable ones.  In my opinion, many crime novels have one dimensional characters, but not so in this novel.

I read this book before I read the first in the series and it does stand alone. The events in the first novel are explained well so as not to lead to confusion.  There is no need to start with the first book, though I have gone back and read it. I couldn’t not after reading The Scholar. I had to know more about the main characters who had really interesting back stories.

Recommendations

“Taut, tense and darkly addictive, The Scholar is a treat for lovers of fine crime writing.” – Candice Fox

“Atmospheric and beautifully paced, with nuanced characters and a gripping plot – the Scholar has it all.” – Chris Hammer, author of Scrublands

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

About the Author

Dervla McTiernan

Dervla McTiernan is the author of The Ruin, The Scholar and The Good Turn. The Ruin was published in 2018 and is the first in the detective Cormac Reilly series. The Ruin was a top ten bestseller and an Amazon Best Book of July 2018. Dervla was a New Blood Panellist at Harrogate Festival. The Scholar was published in 2019 and was a top five bestseller. The Good Turn will be published in 2020. The Ruin has been optioned for TV by Hopscotch Features

Published in 2019 by Harper Collins Publishers
Paperbook, 377 pages.

To keep up with the latest book reviews, please pop your email address in the box on the sidebar. This will ensure you are notified of updates.

Find me here: Facebook and Instagram and Goodreads

Images and author information: Goodreads

© 2020 Copyright. all rights reserved: bestbookishblog.com