The mysterious universe of books

  “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”                                                Stephen King

  The Raging Storm By Ann Cleeves  When Jem Rosco – sailor, adventurer and local legend – blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. The residents think nothing of it when Rosco disappears again; that’s the sort of man he is. Until the lifeboat is launched to a hoax call-out during a raging storm and his body is found in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own. This is an uncomfortable case for DI Matthew Venn. He came to the remote village as a child, its community populated by the Barum Brethren that he parted ways with, so when superstition and rumour mix and another body is found in the cove, Matthew soon finds his judgement clouded. As the stormy winds howl and the village is cut off, Venn and his team start their investigation, little realizing their own lives might be in danger . . . Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves is an absolute thriller of a book.

  A young duke declared mad. His nurse masquerading as a lady. One social season in which to marry him off. What could possibly go wrong? When foundling Maggie takes a job caring for Edward, she knows him only as a young man declared mad and kept privately under the care of a physician to avoid any scandal for his family. But Edward is the heir to the Duke of Buckingham and when his father dies his family is determined to marry him off to secure the title and the estate. Edward insists that Maggie stay by his side, so she must be passed off as a lady for one social season, during which time a marriage can be arranged. When a midnight carriage comes for Maggie, is she ready for the makeover of a lifetime? Can she remember all the rules, keep the secrets of Atherton Park… and above all, avoid falling in love? A delightful Regency romance, full of historical detail and emotional choices, as two downtrodden characters come to know their true worth and what they mean to each other. The Seas

  I Opened a Book By  Julia Donaldson “I opened a book and in I strode. Now nobody can find me. I’ve left my chair, my house, my road, My town and my world behind me. I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring, I’ve swallowed the magic potion. I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king And dived in a bottomless ocean. I opened a book and made some friends. I shared their tears and laughter And followed their road with its bumps and bends To the happily ever after. I finished my book and out I came. The cloak can no longer hide me. My chair and my house are just the same, But I have a book inside me.”

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book had me up all night. The book is an exceptional crime novel that takes place in a highly realistic historical backdrop. The story takes place in Inverness, a few years after the Battle of Culloden. Iain McGillivray survived Culloden and now he has opened a bookshop. He aspires for a quiet life, but that changes when a heinous crime is committed just outside his store. This book truly has everything - an amazing plot and wonderful characters. This author has impressed me so much that I’ll be reading more of her books for sure. This book is available on  Amazon  in the following formats: Kindle, paperback, hardback and audio. Shona (S.G.) MacLean was born in Inverness and brought up in the Scottish Highlands. She obtained an MA and PH.D. in History from Aberdeen University. She began to write fiction while bringing up her four children (and Labrador) on the Banffshire coast. She has now returned to live in the Highlands. Her first book, 'The Redemption of Alexander

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Poetic Justice (The Publius Ovidius Mysteries Book 1) is a truly gripping book which I read well into the early hours. The story is utterly mesmerising, and the characters jump off the page. By Chapter two I was throughly invested in this book. I thought the historical detailing was fabulous and it really felt like I had stepped back in time. This is the kind of book that would make a fabulous film / series. Absolutely brilliant from beginning to end.