Roberta Reads

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Stephanie Baudet My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed the illustrated adaptation of Sherlock Holmes: The Empty House that I read from this series, so I decided to try The Hound of the Baskervilles too. I wasn’t disappointed. This book was a really enjoyable read. The plot was interesting, and didn’t feel dumbed down (though obviously it was simplified). I think Stephanie Baudet has done an excellent job of adapting this story, and the fun illustrations by Adrianna Bellucci really bring it to life. I particularly like the way Holmes and Watson are portrayed. Overall, this was an enjoyable adaptation, suitable for children, and anyone else who wants a quick to read version. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews

The Summer Seekers: from the Sunday Times best seller of One More for Christmas comes her latest brand new romantic feel good novel of 2021 by Sarah Morgan My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have been a fan of Sarah Morgan’s books for many years now, so naturally I requested The Summer Seekers when it appeared on NetGalley. This is a tale of three women who have lost their way a little, and how they find it again. Kathleen is 80 and fears she is going to lose her independence, Liza (her daughter) has submerged herself in becoming the perfect mother and wife, and Martha is recovering from an unfortunate marriage and critical family. I loved this book. I loved the way that Kathleen and Martha’s personalities interacted. I loved the character development of all three women. I loved the summery atmosphere. I loved the gentle humour. I love the fact that the characters are women of different ages. Reading a Sarah Morgan book is like receiving a warm hug, and this ...

Chasing the Italian Dream by Jo Thomas My rating: 3 of 5 stars Having really enjoyed Jo Thomas’ previous books Finding Love at the Christmas Market, and Escape to the French Farmhouse, I decided to give Chasing the Italian Dream a whirl. I found this book was an absorbing read. The atmosphere of the location really came through, and I loved Nonno’s especially. I loved the warmth and love that went into all the food in this book. I warn you though, this story will make you crave pizza! I thought Lucia’s Nonna was also a great character, and the network of women was a wonderful touch. The one thing that frustrated me about this story is the lack of communication between Lucia and Giacomo. By 75% of the way through, they still haven’t talked properly about their past, or their future. I’m also not a huge fan of the competition and sabotage storyline, I found it stressful. I think it was well written in this case though, and an important part of the plot...

Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black My rating: 4 of 5 stars TW: rape, child abuse, murder, torture, and house fire cases mentioned (as you’d expect). I have not read Sue Black’s previous book, All That Remains (though it’s been on my TBR list for a while), but I have always been interested in anatomy in general. This book is a fascinating journey through the human skeleton from a forensic anthropologist’s point of view. Each part of the structure is discussed, how it functions, and examples of how it has been useful in court cases given. The result is, for the most part, easy to read. It is well written, and the mentions of criminal cases talked about in a matter of fact way. I did find one or two of them to be difficult to read, distressing accounts of child abuse and other violence. However, these are brief, and it is very interesting to read how marks left on the bone allow experts to work out what has happened to ...

Family Secrets at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have very much enjoyed the previous two books in this series (Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow and New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow), so I was really pleased to receive an ARC of Family Secrets at Hedgehog Hollow. The writing flows really well, and it’s so easy to read. I was soon caught up in the story. The various POVs (and times) are clearly labelled at the top of each chapter, and I didn’t feel at all confused. I loved seeing things from Chloe’s perspective. She’s always come across as a selfish, erratic, drama-creating, sort of person, so it’s really interesting to see what’s actually going on inside her head. I think Jessica Redland does an excellent job of writing three-dimensional, realistic characters. I have loved Chloe’s character arc particularly. There’s so much more to her than appears in the first two books. Although this story (and series) contains more drama...

Death in Daylesford by Kerry Greenwood My rating: 5 of 5 stars Phryne Fisher is one of my favourite characters, and I love both the book and the TV series. I was therefore really excited when I received and ARC of Death in Daylesford. I love Phryne so much, I love her unabashed enjoyment of men, I love her capacity for love, I love the way she gathers an alternative family around herself, I love how self possessed she is, and I love her determination to see justice done. In this story, Phryne and Dot travel to Daylesford. Here they investigate several rather entangled mysteries, in a very satisfying way. I enjoyed this immensely. So much so, that I can’t really find the words to express it (rather a fault in a book reviewer!). I also loved the subplot of Hugh, Jane, Ruth, and Tinker investigating the death of a girl whilst Jack (and Phryne) are away. I particularly enjoyed Tinker’s character development as a result. All the mysteries are satisfactori...

Under the Italian Sun by Sue Moorcroft My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve been enjoying Sue Moorcroft books for a number of years now, so I was really pleased to receive a review copy of Under the Italian Sun. I really enjoy the sense of location in Sue’s books, and I could feel the Italian sun beaming down on me for most of this one. The characters were excellent as always, three dimensional, with flaws as well as being lovable. I particularly liked Zia, though I found it hard to understand why she’s still taking her ex’s calls when he’s being so awful. I’d have blocked him before the beginning of the book! I got really attached to the characters in this story, and as it has slightly more drama than I prefer, I got rather upset when things started to go wrong! That just demonstrates the quality of the writing, and of course I knew I was safe with this author, and the lovely happy ending came soon enough. If you fancy a lovely, sunny trip to a vineyard in I...

Summer at Sandcastle Cottage by Christina Jones My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have been a Christina Jones fan for a long, long time. So I was really excited about a this new book! I was thrilled to receive a review copy of Summer at Sandcastle Cottage, and I have reread Christmas at Sandcastle Cottage in preparation. I really enjoyed this book. It continues the tale of the housemates we met in Christmas at Sandcastle Cottage. The pace is lovely and relaxing, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters and setting better. I really liked Kitty, and it was so pleasing to see her gradually gaining courage and eventually seizing her opportunities. I loved Apollo and Jemini’s stories too. But of course I loved Honey and Zorro the best. If you’re looking for a lovely story of friendship and romance, pick this one. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own. View all my reviews

The Haunted House by Annabelle Sami My rating: 5 of 5 stars I absolutely love this series of books, so I was really pleased to receive an ARC of Agent Zaiba Investigates: The Haunted House. I was not disappointed! This book somehow manages to exceed my high expectations. I Zaiba so much, she’s smart, kind, and always tries to include everyone. Her family and friends are great, and by this point I feel like I know them pretty well. I particularly love the mystery in this story. It’s full of secret passages, hidden rooms, and intriguing clues. The selection of suspects is interesting, and all of them seem suspicious at one point or another. The illustrations that pepper the book are of the always excellent quality. They really bring the story to life, and come across well on my kindle. Overall, this is a fun and entertaining mystery, enjoyable for children and adults alike. I highly recommend it. I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my...

The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds by T.E. Kinsey My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have very much enjoyed the Lady Hardcastle series by T E Kinsey (and plan to do so many times more), so when I saw The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds available on Amazon First Reads, I thought I’d give it a try. I had no idea what to expect, as the blurb doesn’t really give much away. I enjoyed the 1920s setting, and the mystery was interesting. I found it a little slow moving occasionally, and it’s less in my wheelhouse (light, frothy, and silly) than the Lady Hardcastle books. However, there is still humour and banter, and the story is not heavy or dark. I really liked the characters (and, yes, there are links to the Lady Hardcastle series), and enjoyed solving the mystery, so I’ll definitely be continuing with the series. View all my reviews