This is a monthly feature where I highlight just a few of the great reads coming out in the UK in the following month.
Some of them, such as Elizabeth Chadwick and Janet Evanovich, are established and popular authors and some of them, such as Ransom Riggs are not as well known.
I hope you enjoy looking through them and if you would like me to put your link next to the book please leave me a comment or email me at purplecards (at) gmail.com.
Published: 2 June 2011 - UK and USA
As the shadows lengthen over the June grass, all England is heading for Epsom Downs – high life and low life, society beauties and Whitechapel street girls, bookmakers and gypsies, hawkers and acrobats, punters and thieves. Whole families stream along the Surrey back-roads, towards the greatest race of the year. Hopes are high, nerves are taut, hats are tossed in the air – this is Derby Day.
For months people have been waiting and plotting for this day. Even in dark November, when the wind whistles through the foggy London courts, the alehouses and gentlemen’s clubs echo to the sound of disputed odds.
In Belgrave Square old Mr Gresham is baffled by his tigerish daughter Rebecca, whose intentions he cannot fathom. In the clubs of St James’s rakish Mr Happerton plays billiards with his crony Captain Raff, while in darkest Lincolnshire sad Mr Davenant broods over his financial embarrassments and waits for his daughter’s new governess. Across the channel the veteran burglar Mr Pardew is packing his bags to return, to the consternation of the stalwart detective Captain McTurk. Everywhere money jingles and plans are laid. Uniting them all is the champion horse Tiberius, on whose performance half a dozen destinies depend.
In this rich and exuberant novel, rife with the idioms of Victorian England, the mysteries pile high, propelling us towards the day of the great race, and we wait with bated breath as the story gallops to a finish that no one expects.
For more on DJ Taylor and this book see here
I love the cover, love the story, this is definitely one for my wish list!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smokin’ Seventeen (Stephanie Plum, book 17) by Janet Evanovich
Published: 21 June 2011 - UK & USA
Where there's smoke there's fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. The bail bonds office has burned to the ground, and bodies are turning up in the empty construction lot. To make matters worse, Stephanie is working out of a motor home she shares with a dancing bear, and Joe Morelli's old world grandmother has declared a vendetta against her. And just when Stephanie decides it might be time to choose between the two men in her life, Morelli and Ranger, a third man from Stephanie's past moves back to Trenton...
Break out a cold drink and slap on some sunscreen, this summer is sure to be a scorcher with Smokin' Seventeen.
Janet Evanovich’s website is here
I love this series! I’ve read the first five in the series and Stephanie Plum is one of my favourite heroines in literature. The stories are so funny, especially Stephanie’s wonderful and outrageously eccentric Grandma Mazur.
Published: 21 June 2011 - UK & USA
Where there's smoke there's fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. The bail bonds office has burned to the ground, and bodies are turning up in the empty construction lot. To make matters worse, Stephanie is working out of a motor home she shares with a dancing bear, and Joe Morelli's old world grandmother has declared a vendetta against her. And just when Stephanie decides it might be time to choose between the two men in her life, Morelli and Ranger, a third man from Stephanie's past moves back to Trenton...
Break out a cold drink and slap on some sunscreen, this summer is sure to be a scorcher with Smokin' Seventeen.
Janet Evanovich’s website is here
I love this series! I’ve read the first five in the series and Stephanie Plum is one of my favourite heroines in literature. The stories are so funny, especially Stephanie’s wonderful and outrageously eccentric Grandma Mazur.
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Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick
Published: 2 June 2011 - UK ….. 1 Sept 2011 - USA
Two very different women are linked by destiny and the struggle for the English crown. Matilda, daughter of Henry I, returns to England when her husband, the Emperor of Germany, dies. Her father promises her that she will succeed him, but at the same time marginalises her by marrying her to Geoffrey, the adolescent count of Anjou, more than ten years her junior. Despite her nightmare second marriage, Matilda remains unbowed and when her father dies, she is determined to win back her crown from her cousin Stephen who has usurped it. Adeliza, Henry's widowed queen and Matilda's stepmother, has become a good friend. Having been widowed, she now now marries William D'Albini, one of Stephen’s staunchest supporters. Both Adeliza and Matilda are strong in their own way, and prepared to stand firm for what they know is right. But in a world where a man's word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda, the rightful queen? And for Matilda pride comes before a fall ...What price for a crown? What does it cost to be 'Lady of the English'?
Elizabeth Chadwick’s excellent website can be found here
I haven’t read any of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books but I have read some good reviews of them. I’m sure I’ll read one of them some day!
In this book I am familiar with Matilda from reading Ken Follett’s excellent novel The Pillars of the Earth.
Published: 2 June 2011 - UK ….. 1 Sept 2011 - USA
Two very different women are linked by destiny and the struggle for the English crown. Matilda, daughter of Henry I, returns to England when her husband, the Emperor of Germany, dies. Her father promises her that she will succeed him, but at the same time marginalises her by marrying her to Geoffrey, the adolescent count of Anjou, more than ten years her junior. Despite her nightmare second marriage, Matilda remains unbowed and when her father dies, she is determined to win back her crown from her cousin Stephen who has usurped it. Adeliza, Henry's widowed queen and Matilda's stepmother, has become a good friend. Having been widowed, she now now marries William D'Albini, one of Stephen’s staunchest supporters. Both Adeliza and Matilda are strong in their own way, and prepared to stand firm for what they know is right. But in a world where a man's word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda, the rightful queen? And for Matilda pride comes before a fall ...What price for a crown? What does it cost to be 'Lady of the English'?
Elizabeth Chadwick’s excellent website can be found here
I haven’t read any of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books but I have read some good reviews of them. I’m sure I’ll read one of them some day!
In this book I am familiar with Matilda from reading Ken Follett’s excellent novel The Pillars of the Earth.
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Blue Monday (Frieda Klein, Book 1) by Nicci French
Published: 23 June 2011 - UK
Monday, the lowest point of the week. A day of dark impulses. A day to snatch a child from the streets …
The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, psychotherapist Frieda Klein is left troubled: one of her patients has been relating dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew.
Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson doesn't take Frieda's concerns seriously until a link emerges with an unsolved abduction twenty years ago and he summons Frieda to interview the victim's sister, hoping she can stir hidden memories. Before long, Frieda is at the centre of the race to track the kidnapper. But her race isn't physical. She must chase down the darkest paths of a psychopath's mind to find the answers to Matthew Farraday's whereabouts. And sometimes the mind is the deadliest place to lose yourself.
This best selling husband and wife’s website is here.
They are running a great competition just now …. if you post a review of one of their books you could win a signed paperback!
I’ve read, and quite enjoyed, a couple of Nicci French novels and this sounds intriguing. I love the cover too!
Published: 23 June 2011 - UK
Monday, the lowest point of the week. A day of dark impulses. A day to snatch a child from the streets …
The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, psychotherapist Frieda Klein is left troubled: one of her patients has been relating dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew.
Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson doesn't take Frieda's concerns seriously until a link emerges with an unsolved abduction twenty years ago and he summons Frieda to interview the victim's sister, hoping she can stir hidden memories. Before long, Frieda is at the centre of the race to track the kidnapper. But her race isn't physical. She must chase down the darkest paths of a psychopath's mind to find the answers to Matthew Farraday's whereabouts. And sometimes the mind is the deadliest place to lose yourself.
This best selling husband and wife’s website is here.
They are running a great competition just now …. if you post a review of one of their books you could win a signed paperback!
I’ve read, and quite enjoyed, a couple of Nicci French novels and this sounds intriguing. I love the cover too!
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About Last Night by Adele Parks
Published: 23 June 2011 - UK & USA
For thirty years, best friends Stephanie and Philippa have been practically inseparable. There's nothing they would not do for one another. Until a few simple words change everything.
'I need you to say that I was with you.'
Steph, eternally solid, considerate and dependable, is begging her best friend to lie to the police as she's desperately trying to conceal two shocking secrets to protect her family. Pip, self-consigned to the role of scatty, frivolous hot-head is overwhelmed; she's normally the one asking for help in a crisis although never anything as catastrophic as this. Both women have always believed that friendship is built on mutual selflessness, compromise and trust. Are those beliefs now to be tested beyond endurance?
Published: 23 June 2011 - UK & USA
For thirty years, best friends Stephanie and Philippa have been practically inseparable. There's nothing they would not do for one another. Until a few simple words change everything.
'I need you to say that I was with you.'
Steph, eternally solid, considerate and dependable, is begging her best friend to lie to the police as she's desperately trying to conceal two shocking secrets to protect her family. Pip, self-consigned to the role of scatty, frivolous hot-head is overwhelmed; she's normally the one asking for help in a crisis although never anything as catastrophic as this. Both women have always believed that friendship is built on mutual selflessness, compromise and trust. Are those beliefs now to be tested beyond endurance?
Click here to read Adele Parks website
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Lady Lightfingers by Janet Woods
Published: 30 June 2011 - UK …..... 1 Oct 2011 - USA
A novel of Victorian England - Raised in the slums in 1850s London, Celia Laws is a rarity, an educated young woman whose creative skills have attracted notice. But with family to care for, circumstances have driven her to pickpocketing. In Celia’s harsh world, it’s a small step from picking pockets to prostitution. When a young man offers her a fortune to spend a week with him, she takes the money and runs. But Celia’s conscious can’t allow her to forget the money she stole, and she is soon brought face-to-face with her past . . .
Janet Woods very interesting and informative blog is here
Published: 30 June 2011 - UK …..... 1 Oct 2011 - USA
A novel of Victorian England - Raised in the slums in 1850s London, Celia Laws is a rarity, an educated young woman whose creative skills have attracted notice. But with family to care for, circumstances have driven her to pickpocketing. In Celia’s harsh world, it’s a small step from picking pockets to prostitution. When a young man offers her a fortune to spend a week with him, she takes the money and runs. But Celia’s conscious can’t allow her to forget the money she stole, and she is soon brought face-to-face with her past . . .
Janet Woods very interesting and informative blog is here
This sounds just like my kind of book! Have added it to my wishlist. Don't you just love that cover.
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Blue Horizon by JL Hammer
Published: 13 June 2011 - UK …....... 27 June 2011 - USA & Canada
Part of a secret government project, Elena Davidson's life is placed in serious jeopardy when she is kidnapped by terrorists. Safeguarding 'Blue Horizon' isn't just a mission to Elena. She knows that if its purpose is revealed and if it is put into the wrong hands, it could be dangerous for the entire world . . . As prisoners, Elena and a colleague both endure torture while risking their own safety in order to protect 'Blue Horizon'.
Published: 13 June 2011 - UK …....... 27 June 2011 - USA & Canada
Part of a secret government project, Elena Davidson's life is placed in serious jeopardy when she is kidnapped by terrorists. Safeguarding 'Blue Horizon' isn't just a mission to Elena. She knows that if its purpose is revealed and if it is put into the wrong hands, it could be dangerous for the entire world . . . As prisoners, Elena and a colleague both endure torture while risking their own safety in order to protect 'Blue Horizon'.
Beckham Connor has a simple mission: the retrieval of Elena Davidson, no matter the cost. He has orders to rescue Elena from her captors and to send her home to America, or kill her, if necessary. Whatever happens, Elena cannot be left alive on Iranian soil.Forced into a whirlwind adventure, Elena can depend on no one, but herself. She knows the information she has could be a death sentence, and Elena knows that her presumed savior could also end her life. She wants to trust Beckham, but her increasing attraction to him blinds her to the threat.
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Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (YA)
Published: 7 June 2011 - UK & USA
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
Here is Ransom Riggs’ website, where you’ll see that his next book is about random photos that he’s been collecting and is to be called Talking Pictures. This sounds really interesting to someone who’s incredibly nosey like me!
Nikki-ann at Notes of Life has recently read this book - take a look at her brilliant review here
I've also discovered another review here at bookgazing.blogspot.com
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Snapshot by Craig Robertson
Published: 9 June 2011 - UK & USA
A series of high-profile shootings by a lone sniper leaves Glasgow terrorised and police photographer Tony Winter - a man with a tragic hidden past - mystified. Who is behind the executions of some of the most notorious drug lords in the city? As more shootings occur - including those of police officers - the authorities realise they have a vigilante on their hands. Meanwhile, Tony investigates a link between the victims and a schoolboy who has been badly beaten. Seemingly unconnected, they share a strange link. As Tony delves deeper, his quest for the truth and his search for the killer lead him down dark and dangerous paths.
To learn more about Craig Robertson please click here
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The Philosopher’s Kiss by Peter Prange
Published: 23 June 2011 - UK …......... 5 April 2011 - USA
TRUTH - BETRAYAL - INTRIGUE - REVOLUTION - AND LOVE
Paris, 1747. Betrayed by God and humanity, Sophie moves to the seething capital of the kingdom. To survive, she works at Café Procope, the meeting place for freethinkers and revolutionaries.
Against her will she falls deeply in love with one of the regular customers: Denis Diderot, the famed philosopher and a married man. He and his colleagues are planning the most dangerous book in the world since the appearance of the Bible: an encyclopedia. Even more explosive are the covert references in the Encyclopedia that threaten to undermine both the monarchy and the church. But Sophie soon realizes that the stakes are even higher for her personally. At risk are her right to freedom, love, and happiness.
To read about Peter Prange please click here
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Published: 7 June 2011 - UK & USA
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
Here is Ransom Riggs’ website, where you’ll see that his next book is about random photos that he’s been collecting and is to be called Talking Pictures. This sounds really interesting to someone who’s incredibly nosey like me!
Nikki-ann at Notes of Life has recently read this book - take a look at her brilliant review here
I've also discovered another review here at bookgazing.blogspot.com
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Published: 9 June 2011 - UK & USA
A series of high-profile shootings by a lone sniper leaves Glasgow terrorised and police photographer Tony Winter - a man with a tragic hidden past - mystified. Who is behind the executions of some of the most notorious drug lords in the city? As more shootings occur - including those of police officers - the authorities realise they have a vigilante on their hands. Meanwhile, Tony investigates a link between the victims and a schoolboy who has been badly beaten. Seemingly unconnected, they share a strange link. As Tony delves deeper, his quest for the truth and his search for the killer lead him down dark and dangerous paths.
To learn more about Craig Robertson please click here
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Published: 23 June 2011 - UK …......... 5 April 2011 - USA
TRUTH - BETRAYAL - INTRIGUE - REVOLUTION - AND LOVE
Paris, 1747. Betrayed by God and humanity, Sophie moves to the seething capital of the kingdom. To survive, she works at Café Procope, the meeting place for freethinkers and revolutionaries.
Against her will she falls deeply in love with one of the regular customers: Denis Diderot, the famed philosopher and a married man. He and his colleagues are planning the most dangerous book in the world since the appearance of the Bible: an encyclopedia. Even more explosive are the covert references in the Encyclopedia that threaten to undermine both the monarchy and the church. But Sophie soon realizes that the stakes are even higher for her personally. At risk are her right to freedom, love, and happiness.
To read about Peter Prange please click here
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To be honest, when I first started reading "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" I expected a haunting thriller, full of horror and danger. That is not what this book is. Instead, this book is fantasy/adventure combined with a very unique style of photography, which made the book better than I ever thought it would be.
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