It's not all that long ago that I first discovered Alexandra Raife. Her novels are mostly set in Scotland, combining warm characters with gentle plots. So I'm slowly collecting the set of her books, and finding them very enjoyable, at least so far.
'The way home' is the latest one which I read, and I thought it a wonderful book. It features three very different sisters who jointly inherit their family home, after the death of their stepmother.
Elizabeth, the eldest, is a motherly and warm. She's a good cook, an excellent organiser, and likes to keep things tidy. She's responsible and anxious - almost a caricature of an oldest sister, yet I found her very believable. Jamie, the middle sister, has worked as an entrepreneur in America for some years. She's outgoing and easily bored, with a streak of bossiness about her.
Then there's Philida, the youngest. She's overweight and a bit clumsy, and not at all academic. She's the dreamer - the procrastinator, yet she has a wisdom deep inside her which her older sisters simply don't appreciate.
Each of the three sisters harbours a secret, and these are all gradually revealed. Problems are slowly solved alongside the revelations.
I found all the characters easy to believe in. The various subplots intertwined effortlessly, and the overall effect of the book was warm and very interesting. It was difficult to put down at times.
The ending was a bit predictable, but I found it pleasant and satisfying nonetheless.
Highly recommended.
Kathleen Rowntree is a writer whose books had a spate of popularity during the 1980s. I have gradually acquired all her novels, mostly second-hand, after reading one recommended by a friend.
'Mr Brightly's Evening Off' is about a man called Richard Brightly. He is an accountant, and also a lay reader in his church. He is much loved by the elderly Mrs Parminster, whom he visits regularly, and also by Cressida, a young mother with a disabled son. He helps Cressida frequently, and becomes friendly with her. He even helps people with their finances, trying to encourage them to make the best possible investments.
Richard Brightly also seems to cope well with a demanding, materialistic wife. Unfortunately, one of his financial schemes gets him into unexpected trouble. The novel charts the problems he has in paying the penalty... and in doing so, how he re-discovers the joy of living, and finds out who his real friends are.
Very enjoyable; highly recommended. Unfortunately now out of print, but readily available second hand.
Having enjoyed Georgette Heyer's historical romances for many years, I've been very pleased to find another set of books that she wrote - albeit not many - in the crime fiction genre. I read 'Why Shoot a Butler?' aloud to my teenage sons, and we all enjoyed it so much that we decided to try another of Heyer's crime novels.
'Death in the Stocks' is about a wealthy young man who is found murdered, with his body, bizarrely, in some traditional village stocks. His relatives don't seem all that bothered...
There are some very well-written strong characters in this book, and a plot that kept us guessing almost until the end. Some dry humour too, that works all the better for being read aloud. There is even a hint of romance.
Recommended for anyone who likes the Agatha Christie style of crime fiction.
I only recently started reading books by Barbara Taylor Bradford - mainly because a relative of mine recommended them. I enjoyed the first one I read - Everything to Gain - so decided to try another, which I found second-hand.
'Act of Will' opens with a scene of crisis. Christine and her daughter Kyle are at loggerheads over Kyle's future. After some argument, Christine's mother Audra is called in to attempt to mediate between the two of them.
Then there's a lengthy flashback, which takes us to Audra's unhappy childhood, followed, as she grows up, by the struggles she goes through to give her daughter a future.
Then there's an account of Christine's decision to be a fashion designer and to make a lot of money, fighting against the poverty of her childhood.
In the conclusion of the book, all is resolved amicably, and we see that life has come full circle: Kyle fulfills what Audra had wanted of Christine.
The novel was fast-paced and very readable, although I felt that difficult situations got resolved rather too quickly. By the time I got to the end, it was obvious what was going to happen - but still, a good light read.
Recommended.
Despite having thoroughly enjoyed Georgette Heyer's light historical romance novels for many years, it's only recently that I discovered that she also wrote some crime fiction - nowhere near as many, and not so easy to find in second-hand shops.
But I found a few of them a couple of months ago. I read 'Envious Casca' and thought it excellent. In a way it was a bit like Agatha Christie. It wasn't as brilliantly plotted, but had far better characterisation.
So, wanting something to read aloud to my teenage sons, I decided to embark on another Heyer crime novel.
'Why shoot a butler?' begins, not surprisingly, with a butler who is shot on a lonely road, late at night.
The plot is perhaps not very original, but the characters were delightful. we particularly appreciated the dry Mr Amberley who sets out to investigate the crime.
It was cleverly written, and kept us guessing until the end. Recommended.
