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Jul 15, 2025

Royal Gambit, Daniel O'Malley

If Torchwood, Monty Python and Doctor Who had a love child it would be this series. 

The long awaited (by me anyway) fourth book in the Checquy saga starts with a royal assassination which puts Pawn Alix Mondegreen in a bit of a pickle. Alix grew up around the monarchy, her supernatural ability both a cash cow for her venal parents and a boon for the Checquy Alix is foisted onto heir to the throne and former school friend Princess Louise as a lady in waiting to protect her whilst simultaneously working the investigation to track down Louise's brothers killer. Her loyalties will be tested to destruction and her social media profile makes her instantly recognizable- not the best asset for a century’s old secret organization.

If you only watched the TV series it honestly didn't do book one justice. Revisit 'The Rook' which segues straight into 'Stiletto'. 'Blitz' is a WWII/Present Day mashup but read it before Royal Gambit because some characters from Blitz are referenced or appear in the new book. 

Jul 9, 2025

Amazon=Goliath (2025 Edition)

 This still holds true (it's a post from 2014) Skip Prime Day and order from the closest indie bookstore to you - their E-commerce has come on a long way in just over a decade. You can even order from Blackwells in the U.K. They have reasonable prices and the shipping is pretty affordable too.



OK this is a weird title and normally I read the op eds and maybe comment on the side of the indies. This however is a whole different ball game. Hard ball. For those of you who are fans of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series you will know who Goliath are and feel free to skip to the next paragraph. Goliath (in Fforde's books) is the global behemoth that has taken over the UK, they control everything they run a puppet government, they make TV shows, (in the books they aren't above killing people but hey that's fiction for you) When I think of Amazon, Goliath comes to mind so Fforde was going for a global monopoly a Walmart, or an Amazon or some other tech giant that wants to take over the world! (pause for maniacal laugh)

And we're back with everyone else. I speak as a recovering addict, twenty odd years ago I used Amazon for everything and then we moved to the US and I started working in a bookstore and writing a novel and everything changed. First I had access to the trades, the blogs and newsletters that booksellers and librarians use and I didn't like what I was seeing. Also Amazon moved from being just a supplier to a publisher (Create space) self publishing was exploding and they wanted some of that action. They also publish books under the Thomas and Mercer imprint. And the fact that they don't pay sales tax and bricks and mortar stores do, that turned the tide for me. The thing that made me kick my Amazon habit completely was an article. Amazon uses books as 'loss leaders' it makes no profit whatsoever on books, it actually loses money. It makes money on all the other things you can buy on that site. Then came the e reader, where you 'rent' books from Amazon, yes I did say rent and that is because even though you have purchased the title if Amazon chooses to, they can take it off your e reader without your permission. Don't believe me? hop onto Google and search 'Amazon 1984 kindle' (yes the George Orwell title, pause for irony) oh and while you're there look up the definition of a 'monopsony' because that is what is happening in the publishing world right now. Amazon is now so powerful that it thinks it can dictate terms to publishers to drive down the price of books even more. If Hachette falls, then Penguin Random, and S&S etc aren't going to be far behind. In the short term consumers get cheap books but what happens when there is no competition left? Think about that for a minute. Amazon breakfast cereal, Amazon pants, Amazon furniture, Amazon smart phones (I'm extrapolating from where we are now.)

Now the cynics among you will be saying, 'she's jealous of the competition' nothing could be further from the truth. My passion is books, bookselling is in my DNA, it took me a long time to realize that I am a born book seller. I read voraciously, I get behind authors you've never heard of because I love what they write, their inventiveness. Authors are like rock stars to me, and I get to interact with book lovers like myself every time I go to work ( which has changed to every time I go into the bookstore to drop off an arc or buy books or put my recommend cards in new releases.) Our dining room table is (still) covered in books. Do you know how long it takes to write a book? For some it can take years, each book, each writer is unique in their style of writing, in their plots, in the times and places they write. Their ideas can inspire new authors, change lives, there is no way to put words in a blender and come up with a book, one size is never going to fit all. I ended up writing seven - so far.

Just one last question before I pack up my soap box. Today, how many of you have commented on 'Goodreads', shopped on 'Zappos' bought second hand books from 'Abebooks', used 'IMDb' to look up a movie or tv show, purchased audiobooks from 'Audible.com' used 'Zyna', 'Netflix' ('LoveFilm' in the UK) 'Foursquare' or 'Dropbox'? In our 2025 edition lets add AWS. Then you have wittingly or unwittingly had an Amazon experience today. Do we really want a world where everything comes from or goes through Amazon? Bez-topia? Bor-ing!

Please note that this article has been researched and written by me, my opinions may not match yours but isn't that what debate is all about?

Stone & Sky, Ben Aaronovitch

The Aaronoverse expands yet again as the Isaacs go on a busman’s holiday - to Aberdeen.

An old friend of Dr. Whalid asks his advice on a big cat sighting and before you can say werelight he’s got a house full. DS Peter Grant concentrates on murder most drunken Scottish, Abigail and Indigo are hunting a huntress - with local assistance. River goddess Bev wrangles the twins and probes the locals myths of merfolk and selkies  all under the watchful gaze of Nightingale. Expect the usual combination of ‘weird bollocks’, laughs, thrills and spills as ancient north sea alliances clash with foreign wizards and hi-tech oily-garchy with the 'polis' and the Isaacs caught in the middle.

Jul 8, 2025

How to Survive A Horror Story, Mallory Arnold

Horror legend Mortimer Queen has passed away and left a rather unusual bequest. To get their share of his loot; seven writers are invited to his ancestral home for a weekend of fine food, good conversation and the reading of Queen's will. Queen may be dead, but his thirst for revenge - and his house - are still very much alive.

Will anyone survive this particular horror story?

May 20, 2025

We Live Here Now, Sarah Pinborough

If you thought ‘Behind Her Eyes’ was bonkers, let me introduce you to Emily and Freddie. Six months ago, Emily suffered a fall that put her into a coma. Her recovery has been both miraculous and slooow and now she and a guilt-ridden Freddie have left London for the wilds of Devon. Their marriage was shaky before Emily lost more than just her footing, but can it survive the gothic secrets of Larkin Lodge?

Side note, Behind Her Eyes contained such a killer twist (and if you haven't read it go get it) that I didn't think Sarah could top it. In 'We Live Here Now' the twist bar has been raised and you will not see it coming until it smacks you right between the eyes. When it hits, feel free to gasp, I know I did.

May 13, 2025

Language of the Birds, K.A. Merson

Arizona and her mom and Mojo the dog are scattering Arizona's dads ashes in Bodie State Park, when her mom vanishes, kidnapped by the same people who say they killed her father. Now Arizona must decrypt a series of ciphers that will lead a bunch of 'believers' to an alchemical secret so powerful it was hidden for the good of mankind, encoded in the legacy of a long dead president. Can Arizona get over her people allergy, outwit the kidnappers and save her mom?

Part national treasure style hunt, part coming of age story with so many kinds of ciphers thrown in that it may rekindle your interest in cryptography.


May 6, 2025

The Tennant, Freida McFadden

Blake Porter is in over his head he just doesn’t know it yet and the answer to his sudden money troubles is renting out a room in his and fiancĂ©e’ Krista's NY brownstone to Whitney Cross.

Yes, that Whitney Cross, the one who, oh you'll find out soon enough and so will Blake. Poor, poor, Blake...