This is the 3rd book in the Maisie Dobbs series. She has become an old friend of mine in a short period of time.
When my life seems too busy and a little out of control, I know I can always relax into the soothing embrace of Maisie and her world. Secure in the knowledge that I will get a great story simply told, a gentle mystery to solve and plenty of satisfied 'ohhh's and ahhh's' in every chapter.
Maisie is a private investigator in London 1929. She is a poor girl, sent into service, befriended by the well-to-do, offered a place in Girton school, trained as a nurse before heading off to WW1 France to do her bit, returned traumatised and heart-broken to finish her training with her mentor/psychologist/detective friend Maurice Blanche.
Pardonable Lies sees Maisie return to France to help solve 2 cases of missing presumed dead soldiers. The case becomes dangerous as she uinknowingly gets too close to matters that the secret service would rather nobody knows about.
In some ways the mystery is the cover story in all the Maisie Dobbs books. They're simply a way of getting to know Maisie, her world and her times much better.
I love them whole heartedly and without reservation. One is not enough...which is why I've just started Maisie Dobbs #4 Messenger of Truth.
Winspear also has a great blog full of information about this particular period in history and her progress as she writes each novel.
This is adult fiction but any mature teen reader who loves historical fiction and gentle crimes would love this too.
A lovely new series with spunky, adventurous girls, a little bit of magic and fast-paced action.
The series is set during Arthurian times but the dialogue and relationships have a very contemporary feel.
In Book 1 we're introduced to 11 year Guinevere and her cousin Flora. They stumble across the magical island of Avalon where the lady of the lake gives them a mission. The evil Morgana le Fey has trapped 8 magical sisters and taken their powers from them. Unless they are freed, the magic of Avalon will gradually fade and die.
In book 2, Sophia has already been freed by the girls, but now the forest is dying and they must rescue Lily the Forest Sister from her entrapment.
Click here to go to the publishers page where you can find colouring in sheets, wordfinds and other activities to download for free.
This is a well-written, enjoyable series from Simon & Schuster for young readers due for release in Australia in April.
This is obviously the summer of the light teen romance, because here is another one!
It's 1996 and Emma gets a new computer from her Dad complete with Windows 95. Her neighbour and best friend, Josh gives her a CD-Rom for free online access.
But when she sets up her email account and logs on...Emma ends up on this weird page where everyone is leaving random personal status reports...including herself. It's 15 years in the future and she has checked into her facebook page.
The problem is, Emma doesn't like what she sees there. (Although Josh is delighted to find out that he is married to the hottest girl in school!)
And so begins a light-hearted romp through teen angst and the idea that each small event in our lives has unforeseen effects that ripple into the future.
There are some mild sexual references and 'Wayne's World' quotes to beware!
This is an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it book.
A virus suddenly takes hold on an island population. They're quickly cut off from the mainland and left to fend for themselves as one by one they die, go hungry and become desperate.
Only 6 people survive the virus. One of them is Kaelyn and this is her story.
She tells us the story via her journal that she is writing to her best friend Leo, who left the island a few weeks before the virus began. This is the only part that doesn't really work for me. The Leo storyline seems contrived and Crewe keeps trying to make it significant right up to the very end.
But the rest is pure apocalyptic drama. It races along. People die by the truck-load. We see the best and worst of human nature.
Update: The end of the world is getting closer!Megan Crewe is now infecting us all with her virus!!
Check out her blog to be in with a chance of winning a great giveaway pack of her books.
The only cure is to stay inside with a good book for company - and here is an excerpt of The way We Fall to get you started.
Although I was delighted to be given a copy of this book, I did think that it might be a bit - well - blokey for me - a boys' own adventure!
Obviously any story about the life and times of Henry VIII is going to be full of jousts, bloodshed and treachery. However, Castor has also taken the time to delve deeply into the psyche of this fascinating king to try and resolve the many contradictions surrounding his life.
We see his early childhood as the "unimportant" second son, ignored by his father and older brother and coddled by his mother. He suffers beatings and humiliations. He has bad dreams and is haunted by the ghosts of family past. He is prone to superstitious beliefs and dabbles in prophecies.
Castor has written a rich, gripping tale of power and madness.
Highly recommended for lovers of good historical fiction - it makes me want to read Just A Girl and Wolf Hall again!
Are you lying on the beach wondering what to read next?
Are you on a long, boring flight to somewhere exciting, but need something to kill the time?
Then this is your answer - a quick, easy summer romance for teens.
The title & front cover tells you all you need to know really.
It's a lovely, light, frothy tale of holiday romance. It's a wedding and a funeral. It's a clash of cultures. It's about family and love.
The couple are likeable. Their dialogue is snappy and believable.
It's a feelgood summer fling.
Whatever the question: the answer is always love, love, love.
