Category Archives: Audio

June 10, 2026 · 1:34 pm

All the Devils are Here (Gamache #16) – Louise Penny

All the Devils are Here – Louise Penny

I love Gamache novels. I am restricting myself so I don’t run out.

Here’s the blurb for this one …

On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather as a family for a bistro dinner with Armand’s godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. Walking home together after the meal, they watch in horror as Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Gamache knows is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on the elderly man’s life. 

When a strange key is found in Stephen’s possession it sends Armand, his wife Reine-Marie, and his former second-in-command at the S ret , Jean-Guy Beauvoir, from the top of the Tour d’Eiffel, to the bowels of the Paris Archives, from luxury hotels to odd, coded, works of art. 

It sends them deep into the secrets Armand’s godfather has kept for decades. 

A gruesome discovery in Stephen’s Paris apartment makes it clear the secrets are more rancid, the danger far greater and more imminent, than they realized. 

Soon the whole family is caught up in a web of lies and deceit. In order to find the truth, Gamache will have to decide whether he can trust his friends, his colleagues, his instincts, his own past. His own family. 

For even the City of Light casts long shadows. And in that darkness devils hide.

I wondered, after I finished the last book, how things would progress with Jean-Guy and Annie in Paris. But I didn’t need to worry because the action moved to Paris!

This book has a lot going on – conspiracy theorists would be in seventh heaven, but, as per usual, I liked the relationships (particularly between Armand and Daniel), not to mention the Paris scenery. The crime is complicated and many people are involved in solving it – it gets very tense at times. Who can be trusted? And why does Stephen have two nickels glued together? And how can Daniel afford a new appartement and to send his girls to an elite Parisian private school?

It’s so good! And now I need to pause before reading/listening to the next one.

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May 30, 2026 · 4:40 pm

Yesteryear – Caro Claire Burke

Yesteryear – Caro Claire Burke

This novel is apparently all the rage at the moment. Anne Hathaway has bought the film rights and I believe it is a TikTok sensation. I listened to it.

Here’s the blurb …

A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible. 

I am fascinated by the traditional wife movement. Does it exist anywhere outside of the United States? And I have often thought that those perfect online lives must hide mess and mayhem.

Natalie is not a sympathetic character and a very unreliable narrator. Just like her posts on social media she is telling us a different story. She moves from an amateur doing everything herself to having two nannies, a producer, and multiple farm workers (all kept hidden from the cameras). All appears well in her world until her husband has an affair with the producer. There is an altercation – she can bring them down with her knowledge of behind the scenes.

Natalie then finds her self back in 1855 and finds life without hidden modern conveniences is very unpleasant. How does she end up back in 1855? Is it time travel?, a reality TV show, is she mad?, in a coma? From this point the narrative shifts backwards and forwards between the past and present day Yesteryear Ranch. How it is resolved is very good – in my opinion, no spoilers.

There is a great review at The Guardian

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May 22, 2026 · 3:15 pm

The Society of Literary Marauders – Sasha Wasley

The Society of Literary Marauders – Sasha Wasley

Miss A and I saw this at Boundless Books. And we were sold at ‘Austen for our times’!

I ended up listening to it – it was beautifully narrated by Eleanor Howell.

Here’s the blurb …

At Oxford University, 1928, four young women make a secret pledge: ‘I hereby undertake to take and read any book kept away from nice young ladies.’

They’ve come from unlikely corners of the British Empire: brickworker’s daughter Annie, wealthy flapper Ridley, refined Parsi aristocrat Dorelia and disheartened schoolteacher Norma. They call themselves the Society of Literary Marauders and the price of entry is having stolen a book.

Their illicit meetings rapidly become a lifeline in a world where knowledge is power, and women are fed lies and half-truths. They start with small misdemeanours – getting their hands on banned books, stealing back historical records claimed by the men’s colleges. But over time, they become aware of a true literary injustice – and they slowly formulate a plan to put this historical wrong to right…

This was very enjoyable. I loved all of the Oxford references, and all of the Western Australian references. The letters to Annie from her mum and Alf were hilarious. And Kit? What a fabulous character.

I have to admit that I thought Annie’s dislike of Kit went on a bit long (here I am talking about the characters like real people).

It was clearly well-researched, but that was just background to a good story.

Here is an interview with Sasha Wasley

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May 14, 2026 · 2:09 pm

Holding – Graham Norton

Holding – Graham Norton

I started listening to this one on a road trip and finished it later at home. It’s narrated by Graham Norton! This is the second of his novels that I have read – I have also listened to A Keeper.

Here’s the blurb …

From Graham Norton—the BAFTA-award-winning and hugely popular BBC America television host—comes a charming debut novel set in an idyllic Irish village where a bumbling investigator has to sort through decades of gossip and secrets to solve a mysterious crime. “With its tale of provincial life, gimlet-eyed spinsters, and thwarted love…it feels almost like a Miss Marple mystery written by Colm Tóibín” (New York Times).

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama, and yet its inhabitants are troubled: Sergeant P.J. Collins hasn’t always been this overweight; Brid Riordan, a mother of two, hasn’t always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn’t always felt that her life was a total waste.

So when human remains—suspected to be those of Tommy Burke, a former lover of both Brid and Evelyn—are discovered on an old farm, the village’s dark past begins to unravel. As a frustrated P.J. struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his professional life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regrets.

Darkly comic, at times profoundly sad, and “especially inviting because of its tongue-in-cheek wit” (Kirkus Reviews), Holding is a masterful debut. Graham Norton employs his acerbic humor to breathe life into a host of lovable characters, and explore—with searing honesty—the complexities and contradictions that make us human.

This was great – witty and moving with a lot of insightful observations about small towns, relationships, etc.

How is it possible for people to be so talented in a number of fields? His talk show is fabulous and now he is a wonderful author. Although, I suspect his ability to engage with people makes him good at both.

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May 8, 2026 · 2:13 pm

A Better Man (Gamache #15) – Louise Penny

A Better Man – Louise Penny

I really like these Gamache novels – I think there is 21 altogether, so I am catching up.

Here’s the blurb …

Catastrophic spring flooding, blistering attacks in the media, and a mysterious disappearance greet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he returns to the S ret du Qu bec in the latest novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny. 

It’s Gamache’s first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter. 

As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father. 

Increasingly hounded by the question, how would you feel…, he resumes the search. 

As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueler, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made. 

In the next novel in this “constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves” (New York Times Book Review), Gamache must face a horrific possibility, and a burning question. 

What would you do if your child’s killer walked free?

As usual, this was beautifully written, with literary references and a few surprises. I cried when Jean-Guy and Annie headed off to Paris – I am intrigued as to how that will all be handled in the next book.

The solution to the crime(s) was intriguing, particularly after the ‘poisoned fruit’ made them start investigating again. This was also a love letter to the Armand Jean-Guy relationship.

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April 18, 2026 · 5:27 pm

The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoevsky

I thought it was time to tackle another Russian classic (after War and Peace and Anna Karenina). I listened to this one, which, I think, is my preferred way of reading these long classics.

Here’s the description

The murder of brutal landowner Fyodor Karamazov changes the lives of his sons irrevocably: Mitya, the sensualist, whose bitter rivalry with his father immediately places him under suspicion for parricide; Ivan, the intellectual, driven to breakdown; the spiritual Alyosha, who tries to heal the family’s rifts; and the shadowy figure of their bastard half-brother, Smerdyakov. Dostoyevsky’s dark masterwork evokes a world where the lines between innocence and corruption, good and evil, blur and everyone’s faith in humanity is tested.

As you can imagine, this was long with lengthy philosophical/religious tracts. It took a long time to get to what I think of as the ‘meat’ of the novel – the murder, trial, etc.

Here is the Wikipedia article

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March 9, 2026 · 11:53 am

Bad Actors – Mick Herron

Bad Actors – Mick Herron

As you know, I like a Mick Herron spy novel. As I was reading this one, I couldn’t understand why River wasn’t in it – and then I released I have skipped Slough House, but I finished this one anyone.

Here’s the blurb …

In London’s MI5 headquarters a scandal is brewing that could disgrace the entire intelligence community. The Downing Street superforecaster–a specialist who advises the Prime Minister’s office on how policy is likely to be received by the electorate–has disappeared without a trace. Claude Whelan, who was once head of MI5, has been tasked with tracking her down. But the trail leads him straight back to Regent’s Park itself, with First Desk Diana Taverner as chief suspect. Has Taverner overplayed her hand at last? Meanwhile, her Russian counterpart, Moscow intelligence’s First Desk, has cheekily showed up in London and shaken off his escort. Are the two unfortunate events connected?

I love the writing, particularly the descriptions, there is a sly wit to it all. The scenarios are terrifying do the intelligence services really spend all of their time manipulating each other? There is mayhem and violence (Shirley Dander is on the loose), Lady Di is fighting for her spy life, and Lamb, disgusting as ever, seems to be the only one who knows what is going on.

A review.

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March 3, 2026 · 7:52 am

The Sign of Four – Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sign of Four – Arthur Conan Doyle

I have continued my Sherlock Holmes adventure with number two. Also read by Stephen Fry.

Here’s the blurb …

Sherlock Holmes is bored and case-less, and relieving his boredom by alternating morphine and cocaine. Enter the charming Miss Mary Morstan, with whom Watson is instantly smitten. She requests the assistance of Holmes and Watson to solve the mysterious disappearance of her father, and the subsequent invitation to ‘have justice’ by an anonymous letter writer.

Holmes and Watson happily accompany her to see the anonymous letter writer; only to become deeply embroiled in a mystery concerning treasure, murders, India, escaped convicts and small savages with poisoned blowpipes. 

I enjoyed this – the interesting locations; India, and the Andaman Islands, there is treasure, a man with a wooden leg, an Indian uprising, and a murder in a locked room.

It had the same structure as number one – first half solving the crime and the second half from the criminal’s perspective. Is this the standard Sherlock Holmes’ structure?

Dr Watson meets Mary! What happens now? How can he continue to live with Sherlock?

I am having a bit of a pause while I listen to Bad Actors by Mick Herron (I always like a Slough House novel).

Wikipedia The Sign of the Four

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February 27, 2026 · 9:09 am

A Study in Scarlet (#1 Sherlock Holmes)- Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet – Arthur Conan Doyle

I read the Anthony Horowitz’s The House of Silk, which is a Sherlock Holmes’ novel written by Horowitz with approval from the estate, and I enjoyed it so I thought I would tackle the real thing. I remember a friend telling me to read them years ago – sorry Jacq I am finally onto it!

This is the first in the series, here is the blurb …

Dr. John Watson, discharged from military service after suffering severe wounds, is at a loose end until a chance encounter leads him to take rooms with a remarkable young man. The arrogant, irascible Sherlock Holmes is a master chemist, a talented musician and an expert on all aspects of crime. And when Watson is drawn into the investigation of a bizarre murder in which Holmes is involved, he is unaware that it is the beginning of the most famous partnership in the history of criminal detection. 

First, Stephen Fry is a fabulous narrator.

In this first novel we get most of the characteristics that Sherlock is known for – amazing detection skills, cocaine taker, musician, weird experiments (he was beating a corpse to see if bruises can happen after death) etc. This novel is written in two parts (and possibly they all are?). In the first part, we get to the point where we know the murderer and then in the second part we get his back story – in this case set amongst the mormans in Utah!

I love how they are written – a bit Dickensian, with gentlemen, street urchins, and young ladies who require protection.

Here’s the wikipedia entry.

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February 23, 2026 · 3:08 pm

The Kingdome of the Blind (Gamache #14)- Louise Penny

The Kingdom of the Blind – Louise Penny

I really like Gamache novels – I think there is 21 at the moment, and I don’t want them to end.

Here’s the blurb …

Lured to a remote farmhouse in rural Québec, Armand Gamache finds himself the beneficiary of an unknown woman’s will. When a body is discovered, he must confront events that led to his suspension from the police force, and the dark secrets in his past.

This was great – beautiful writing, scenery, a bit of history and lovely characters. It also seems to mark a bit of an ending (I don’t want to give away spoilers, but maybe Gamache will have a different team next time?).

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