Janet Gordon is married, retired, obsessed with her Westlake Terrier, Rollo – and books are her passion. She reads multiple books a week across all genres and reviews them for Rest Less.
This month’s round-up features Identity Unknown, The Trade Off, Killing Time, Hot (Not Bothered), Nobody’s Hero, and Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency.
Note: Prices can change often, so you may notice some variations on the providers’ websites. Prices and availability are accurate as of the 29th of October, 2024.
Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell (Amazon £16.99, Kindle £9.99, Little Brown £22)
Does Patricia Cornwell really need an introduction? Identity Unknown is the 28th book in the Scarpetta thriller series. And, yes, I’ve read and loved them all!
Actually, that’s not quite true. A couple of reads back I was starting to feel that perhaps Cornwell had lost her way, but I’m delighted to say that her latest novel is completely back on top form.
We meet Kay Scarpetta when she’s called out to autopsy the body of a close friend with whom she’d had an intensive love affair right at the beginning of her career. Her ex-lover (and now dear friend) was a renowned astrophysicist and it seems as though his body has been dropped from a great height by a UFO.
We get far more insight into Kay’s feelings and life in Identity Unknown compared with previous books in the series where she was completely buttoned up (although we did know that she loves her husband Benton). As usual, there’s loads of conspiracy talk, lots of brilliant high-tech gadgets, and insight into how the FBI works. Expect this one to hit the bestseller lists right away.
The Trade Off by Samantha Greene Woodruff (Amazon £6.99, Kindle £2.49, Lake Union Publishing £6.99)
I’ve spent quite a lot of time researching my family history. I always knew that my surname wasn’t the real family name, but nobody had any idea what it was originally. When my grandparents escaped from the pogroms in Russia, most of the family ended up in the Lower East Side in New York, whilst my branch ended up in London’s East End.
My grandfather died long before I was born, and my grandmother didn’t speak any English and died when I was quite young. I so regret not talking to my Dad about our family history. However, having discovered my American relatives, I now know what my birth name should’ve been. But I still don’t know why the family split up, I can only think it might be because my grandfather escaped from the Russian Army.
This brings me to an American novel I’ve just finished and absolutely loved. Bea Abramovitz is a mathematical genius. Her parents, immigrants from Eastern Europe, have managed to make themselves a relatively comfortable life in New York’s Lower East Side, with her father selling fresh fruit and vegetables. Bea’s twin brother, Jake, is the golden child and is supposed to restore the family fortunes which were lost when they fled the pogroms.
Blessed with an almost photographic memory for numbers and figures, Bea’s ambition is to be a stockbroker on Wall Street. But, this is the 1920s a few years before the Wall Street crash and women just didn’t do that – they weren’t even allowed to try.
Bea is studying at a free college in New York, but isn’t able to break into the stockbroking world; she doesn’t know anyone of influence and her name proves that she’s ‘not the right sort of person’. But, a happy break gives her a slight start…
While Bea steadily works to increase her tiny nest egg, Jake disappears to California, intent on making his fortune with the oil boom. However, the oil boom investments that Jake is a genius at selling turn out to be a Ponzi scheme. Can Bea, who has an absolute gift for interpreting the ups and downs of the stock market, secure the family’s future?
This is an absolutely spellbinding story that I read in one sitting. And, even better, it’s available on Kindle Unlimited!
Killing Time: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green (Amazon £16.97, Kindle £9.99, Constable £20)
Killing Time is the 35th book in the Agatha Raisin series – which I love. I find it’s cheapest to pick them up in-store at The Works.
The wonderful Agatha lives in a sleepy village in the Cotswolds and runs a private detective agency. I’ve always pictured Agatha as a grey-haired, elderly lady (probably based on Miss Marple!), but nothing could be further from the truth. Agatha is extremely glam, blonde, and hoping for a full-on love life.
Agatha is attempting to solve a series of burglaries when, unfortunately, one of her friends is murdered during a burglary of his antique shop. She’s also extremely busy helping to stage a flashy event at Sir Charles Fraith’s stately home, Barfield House.
When high-profile Agatha begins receiving death threats, she feels she’s better off lying low in Majorca for a while. Here, she bumps into John, a past lover and former police officer. He’s now working as a dance instructor and seems to be very close to his stage partner.
Hot (Not Bothered) by Harper Ford (Amazon £6, Kindle £0.99, Avon £9.99)
Menopause used to be a forbidden subject but, thankfully, surrounding attitudes have changed and its become a far more openly discussed topic in workplaces and at home.
I’ll be honest, I had a hysterectomy at about 28 and was plunged into menopause. Luckily, I was given hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Though, it didn’t suit me very well, and it took a good few years before I found a brand that worked for me. Eventually, this stopped working too so I spent many years without being able to take anything, consequently discovering I had osteoporosis when I badly broke my right wrist.
In Hot (Not Bothered), Heidi has suddenly found herself thrust into perimenopause.
Already struggling with a stressful job, two mouthy children, an ex-husband, and zero sex drive, an email is sent around from management, allowing staff to buy a £400 fan to help cope with hot flushes.
Another symptom that Heidi is suffering from is overwhelming rage. Having read this supremely patronising email, she drafts a reply with a torrent of beautifully worded language, telling the CEO exactly what she thinks of his email.
Secure in the knowledge that in the end she hadn’t actually sent her reply, Heidi turns up for work, only to be called into the CEO’s office. Unbeknownst to her, her nine-year-old daughter, Ada, had borrowed her laptop and accidentally sent the email. And, of course, she’d clicked ‘reply all’.
Oh dear…I’m not going to tell you how Heidi saves her job, but suffice it to say that she becomes the new face for menopausal women at the company. This book is hilarious! If half the embarrassing things that happen to Heidi happened in real life, it’s a wonder we women put up with it, though I have a horrible feeling that many of us do.
I just loved this. It’s a real reminder to reach out to your doctor if you’re struggling with menopause and do something about your symptoms rather than suffering in silence.
Nobody’s Hero by M.W. Craven (Amazon £17.57, Kindle £9.99, Constable £16.99)
Author Mike Craven is definitely a hero of mine. He’s behind the wonderful Washington Poe series – one of my favourites!
In Nobody’s Hero, we meet Ben Koenig; he’s a mix of Jack Reacher, Ethan Hunt, and James Bond with a wonderfully slobby taste in clothes. Due to an extremely rare medical condition, he knows no fear and he’s trained undercover with every conceivable fighting force in the world, learning 20 impossible things every day before dinner.
Naturally, the story starts with a murder, and rapidly progresses to more inventive murders, intriguing plots, and improbable situations.
Because Ben’s undercover, he’s remotely followed by his handler, Jen Drape, who hates him. They keep in touch via an email account where Koenig pops a message into the drafts folder. But, when accosted by a lady in an internet café, Koenig accidentally sends the email, thereby triggering the ‘Acacia Avenue protocol’.
What follows is an insight into the workings of the FBI, CIA, and other secretive law enforcement agencies. There’s blood and gore, murders upon murders, and inventive plots. What an absolutely fantastic read! This would make a spectacular film series…
Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency by Josie Lloyd (Amazon £13.99, Kindle £7.99, HQ £15.99)
Richard Osman has a lot to answer for – he started the cosy crime genre and it’s now a real and growing thing.
One of the best of this genre is Josie Lloyd’s new book, Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency. Not only is it a great Christmas murder mystery, but it has some fabulous recipes throughout too.
Alice Beeton, granddaughter to the original Mrs Beeton, is a little over 50, childless, and single – a situation she never imagined for herself. She’s been running her Good Household Management Agency for years, supplying the highest-class staff to high-net-worth individuals for their London and country homes.
Alice knows everybody worth knowing. Along with her best friend Jinx, they work from tiny offices in the best part of town.
It’s approaching Christmas when a crisis occurs; one of her favourite families is in urgent need of a housekeeper and there’s not a single soul on the agency books who’s free. And then – as if sent by magic – in walks Erica. She’s a housekeeper with wonderful references who’s looking for a new position. And Alice, despite a gut feeling that this housekeeper is too good to be true, places her in the position.
All is well until a few days later when Erica is found dead – and foul play is very much suspected.
Plus, there’s a wonderfully clever little dog named Agatha! Why Agatha? Well, that’s because Alice is crazy about Agatha Christie novels – she has the whole set safely on her bookshelves. Oh, and I almost forgot, there’s a rather gentle romance throughout too.
I absolutely adored this novel and now, courtesy of HQ, two readers have the chance to win a copy for themselves…
Win!
To win one of two copies of Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency, please answer the following question…
What relation is Alice to the original Mrs Beeton?
a) Her sister
b) Her granddaughter
c) Her mother
Terms and conditions
The giveaway will close at 11.59pm on 14th November 2024 and the winners will be chosen at random in a prize draw on 15th November 2024. Winners will be connected with Janet via email for the fulfilment of their prize.
For more reading inspiration, head over to the books, literature, and writing section of our website. Or, for further book and literature discussions, you might be interested in joining the thriving book club or short story club over on Rest Less Events.
Have you read any of these books? Or have you added any of them to your reading list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!