Review: Fool Me Once

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maya knows her husband is dead. So how did he appear on her nanny cam? As Maya tries to work out how her dead husband could be captured on the nanny cam, as a former helicopter pilot in the US armed forces, she is also struggling with events in the past which led to her discharge.

Digging into her husband's murder leads her to her delving into his past and working out how the events of his past link to not only his murder but that of Maya's sister Claire. But it doesn't stop there. As Maya gets closer to finding the truth about her husband's past, the more danger she finds herself in.

Another good thriller from Coben although I'm not sure the ending was entirely plausible.

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Review: Before the Fall

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the middle of the night a private jet crashes into the sea near Martha's Vineyard off the North East coast of the USA. Of the 11 passengers on board, only 2 survive. The 4 year old son of the wealthy TV mogul who chartered the plane and Scott Burroughs, an artist who had been offered a lift back to New York by the boy's mother.

At first Scott is hailed as a hero for saving the boy's life but as the investigation into how the crash happened gets underway questions start to be asked. Who is Scott Burroughs? Why was he on the plane?

Character by character we are given background on who the people on board were, including the cabin crew and gradually we are led to the conclusion of the book and why the plane crashed.

I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read and it's as much about the lives of the characters as the event that left so many of them dead. It's also as much about why dunnit as who dunnit?

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Wednesday Hodgepodge 26/7/17

Wednesday's Hodgepodge is brought to us courtesy of Joyce at

From this side of the pond

Pop over there to see other posts and if you want to join in add the link to your Hodgepodge blog post to the Linky List at the end of Joyce's post and don’t forget to visit at least your neighbours on the list.

1. We've reached edition number 315 here in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. So tell us, what were you doing at 3:15 yesterday? Is that typical? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being low and 10 being high) what's your energy level usually like at 3:15 PM?

I was ironing which is not typical every day but when I do iron it’s usually in the afternoon.

My energy level is probably quite low at that time of the day although I do often make myself go for a walk in the afternoon.
2. A frisbee, a tantrum, a towel, a party, a punch, or a curveball...which have you most recently thrown or had thrown at/for you? Elaborate.

The only one that really fits is curveball as in when our Grandson decided to put in a very early appearance.  However his progress has been great.

Day 1 - 31st March

23rd July

 
3. What are three things that would help you right now? Tell us how or why.

I was struggling with this question as I’m fortunate to be happy with my lot but then I thought willpower.  I’d like to lose some weight which would probably help with the problem I’m having with my knee but I’m not very good at resisting fattening foods so willpower would be good.
4. Do you think you're strong? Why or why not? What makes you strong?

I do think I’m strong.  I’ve had several challenging situations to deal with during my life and I’ve managed to rise to the challenge.  I’m not sure what makes me strong – determination I suppose and maybe a streak of stubbornness?
5. Do you enjoy reading historical fiction? What's your favourite book set sometime in the past?

Well I consulted my Goodreads site for this.  I had 6 books listed as historical fiction some of which although set in the past were not particularly historical.  Of the two that could be considered historical, both were book club choices which I didn’t particularly enjoy.  Of course I have also read some classics which are also historical but several of these I have read as part of a challenge rather than for sheer enjoyment.  Anyway I’m choosing The Help as one that I did enjoy and that’s set in the past.
6. Insert your own random thought here.

Phew that last answer was a bit of a waffle!  Saying prayers at the moment for my son and DIL.  They are waiting for their passports to come back from the Home Office – DIL had to renew her visa.  They know it’s been approved but they need the passports by Saturday as they are scheduled to fly to the US to visit DIL’s family and attend a friend’s wedding!

Review: The Riverman

The Riverman by Alex Gray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another in the DCI Lorimer Detective series by Alex Gray. This case starts with the death of a bookmaker and continues with a death and a disappearance from his firm of accountants.

Another death follows and DCI Lorimer must work out the connections between the events and who is behind them. Centred around the river Clyde, two of the bodies are pulled out of the Clyde by the Riverman, the man called when anyone needs rescuing or retrieving from the river. One death is initially believed to be accidental but as the case progresses Lorimer begins to understand how the deaths are linked and that there is nothing accidental taking place.

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Review: Shadows of Sounds

Shadows of Sounds by Alex Gray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you like realistic crime thrillers featuring a consistent detective then there is not much to dislike in the DCI Lorimer series. set in Glasgow and written by Alex Gray.

Shadows of Sounds centres on the murder of notorious Orchestra Leader George Millar.. Lorimer has to unravel the many relationships George was involved in and work out who murdered him and why. No big surprises but an easy satisfying read.

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Wednesday Hodgepodge 19/7/17

Wednesday's Hodgepodge is brought to us courtesy of Joyce at

From this side of the pond

Pop over there to see other posts and if you want to join in add the link to your Hodgepodge blog post to the Linky List at the end of Joyce's post and don’t forget to visit at least your neighbours on the list.

1. Growing up, were you close to your grandparents? Tell us one or two specific things you remember about them.

I only knew my Mum’s parents and they lived close by so I saw a lot of them when I was little.  I remember the dog they had which was quite a handful.  I also remember them having rabbits and being horrified when I discovered they weren’t keeping them as pets! My Grandmother also had quite a stubborn streak and could be quite selfish.  She would always cook her main meal at lunchtime and eat it alone and then my Grandfather had his reheated when he got home from work at the end of the day.
2. What's an item you were attached to as a child? What happened to it?

I had a teddy bear that I was very attached to .  Regrettably it became rather threadbare and I’m not sure where it is now.
3. When you look out your window, do you see the forest or the trees (literally and figuratively)? Explain.
I see trees but not a forest in reality and I think figuratively.  I can usually get to the point of things and be decisive when I have to.
4. Do you like sour candies? Which of the 'sour' foods listed below would you say is your favorite?

grapefruit, Greek yogurt, tart cherries, lemons, limes, sauerkraut, buttermilk, or kumquats 

No, no and nooooo.  I’m a sweet person.

Have you ever eaten a kumquat? What's your favorite dish containing one of the sour foods on the list?

A lemon citron tart or Key Lime pie.  (But I’d much prefer Tiramisu or Banoffee pie!)
5. July 1st marked the mid point of 2017. In fifteen words or less, tell us how it's going so far.

Started poorly but improving every day as our Grandson grows stronger.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Our year is definitely improving as this little one gets bigger.

 He'll be 16 weeks on Friday so that's 5 weeks corrected.  He's more alert and just starting to get the hang of smiling.  Which is probably a good thing as he's still not giving his Mummies much sleep!

Review: The Bat

The Bat by Jo Nesbø
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is the first book featuring Harry Hole, the Norwegian detective. It's an ok read. It kept me turning the pages and I didn't figure out who was behind the killings until late on but having read later books by Jo Nesbo it's easy to see that his later books have improved.

This book didn't feel very polished. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was the setting of Australia or that the characters didn't feel very 3 dimensional at times. It just didn't gel together for me.

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An update

So this is my latest fashion accessory!

Pretty isn't it and black goes with everything, right?

The good news is that my tendon is intact and although my knee is not great the immediate reaction to the scan report from my physio was to persevere with exercises and not  to try anything more invasive, yet.

The knee is now taped for support and I have more exercises to do.  The biggest problem I still have is going up and down stairs or kneeling and then getting up from a kneeling position.  Walking, thankfully, is fine.  But most of you will know, my house has a lot of stairs!  I think I will have to set myself up a reward system for completing the exercises.  Although my favoured rewards would probably be chocolate and one of the things I also need to do is lose some weight.  Not easy when your exercising ability is limited.

I'm not looking forward to changing the tape, although one online recommendation was to soak it in baby oil first.  Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Friday's Fave Five 14/7/17

 
AWOL again last week so trying to get this done early today.  Fridays are a time to look back on the week and share our blessings.
If you want to join in or check out the other participants pop over to our host Suzanne's blog at Living to Tell the Story

Here are mine for the week: 

1) Lovely in-laws!  I've always been made to feel part of Hubby's family and I've spend quite a bit of time with my various sister-in-laws and extended families this week. 

2)  Good weather.  Of course it's summer so hopefully the weather should be good but last Saturday was the annual Garden Party at our social club.  Over 200 people attended and yes we were able to sit in the garden.  The weather wasn't as good as it had been earlier this month but it that was actually a good thing as there is little shade in the garden.  If it had rained it would have been a disaster as it would have been hard to accommodate everyone inside and prepare and serve a 3 course meal.  It was a busy day as some of our family members are the main planners and organisers of the event so lots of us get roped in to help on the day.  Thankfully they had paid help to do the washing up!

3) Catching up with old friends.  One of our friends has just become Mayor of her town and last Sunday we attended a church service and reception in her honour.  We hadn't seen her or her husband for a while so it was good to catch up, especially for a quiet chat back at their house after the celebrations were over.

4)  Time with Nathan.  I managed to see him last Friday and on Tuesday this week.  He is becoming more alert and is now heavy enough to sit in his little bouncy chair.  (Although I'm not sure he's quite big enough lol)

5)  Making time for the things I enjoy - I've done more reading this week than in recent weeks and I'm making progress on the edging for Nathan's blanket.  I've also spent time in the garden - I'm trying to cultivate herbs, and the bees love my lavender.  I'm also hoping to get some home grown tomatoes.

  Have a good weekend all.