My book list for September

 After a month of reading a variety of genres, this month I found one and stuck with it!  I started the month with a book which is the second in a series

I really enjoyed this book. As I had read book one in the series I needed no introduction to the main characters and already knew that I was going to easily become engrossed in the storyline. Philly Barker is an antiques specialist whose knowledge and skills make her a valuable companion to a local police officer who is close to retirement, Inspector Robbie Dawkins, and we sense the beginnings of a ‘more than friends’ relationship forming by the end of the book. 

In my mind's eye I can visualise the Yorkshire village where this story is set. I can feel the atmosphere of the local pub, and almost taste the delicious offerings in the cafe. An added, and welcome, bonus is the inclusion of several recipes at the end of the book! 

There has been a spate of burglaries in the homes of the elderly residents of the village, and also a mysterious estate agent visiting them in their isolated farms to suggest it may be time to put their homes on the market and move to safer, sheltered accommodation. The local police force seems to be happy to log the missing items but look no further into a possible pattern emerging. Robbie feels there is more to this and wants to solve the mystery as his last case before retirement.

However, once a murder victim is discovered at one of the farms, the police have to agree with Robbie that serious crimes are being committed.

I do hope there is a book three! I like the partnership between Philly and Robbie and the style of writing is interesting and easy to read ‘just one more chapter’! 

As I'd decided that this was an author whose books I enjoy, I decided to try another.  Although I was pleased to see that there is a 3rd Philly Barker book, I chose a different character, in a different continent.

It didn't take long to decide that I liked Clementine Carter, and that although I have never been to that part of the world, I felt like I could really imagine life in Whale Bay, Queensland.  Clementine has returned to Whale Bay following the death of a loving Aunt who has died in what appears to be a terrible accident.  But Clem is not convinced that is was an accident and sets about investigating the facts.  Having been the sole inheritor of her aunt Rose's home and shop, Clem has to decide whether or not to sell the properties.  There are people anxious to get their hands on both properties with a view to redeveloping the land who naturally fall under suspicion.  

Of course there is a gorgeous, loveable man on the scene which makes Clem question whether or not she should stay with the man she has left behind, who just so happens to be very keen for Clem to sell up and return home.

There seem to be a lot of people who may have benefited by Rose dying and Clem selling up her home and shop and it was interesting to see how this panned out with the true culprit being revealed at the end.  

I really enjoyed this book, it was a perfect easy, relaxing read after quite a few extra days of childcare while our grandchildren are on summer school holidays!  

So this month really is a Joanne Tracey month as I decided to follow up with the second in the Clementine Carter books!

Clem has now moved to Whale Bay and things have definitely moved on with her relationship with Finn.  She's scared to say things are pretty perfect as that will always tempt fate to step in and pull the rug from under her feet.  Sure enough, in the first chapter we hear that a feasibility study is being proposed for the nearby mangrove swamps which rings alarm bells in case the area is being considered for development.  Probably a bigger surprise though, is the fact that Finn receives a phone call from his wife.  Clem knew that he had been married and had assumed that he was divorced.

Harry offers to take Clem out in his boat to see the mangrove swamps for herself but on arriving they find a dead body in the water.  Things take a turn for the worse when the body turns out to be that of Finn's wife and both Finn becomes the prime suspect.

There are moments when Clem wonders just how well she knows Finn, and her emotional state is not helped by the reappearance of Nick, her former boyfriend.

Several suspects, a few twists and turns, and another enjoyable book by Joanne Tracey!