Book Review: The Black Cats Bookshop by Piergiorgio Pulixi

The Black Cats Bookshop is an international mystery bestseller written by Piergiorgio Pulixi and translated from Italian to English by Antony Shuggar. Set in Sardinia the focus of the novel is The Black Cats Bookshop, the grumpy proprietor Marzio Montecristo and his two black cats who reside in the book shop, Poirot and Miss Marple. Marzio runs a weekly crime fiction book club which has attracted an eclectic and eccentric group of amateur sleuths who refer to themselves as the Tuesday Detectives. Each detective has their own special trope or genre of interest. Maina, a goth who has a fascination with murder, Brother Raimondo a friar from the Capuchin Order and Camilla Solinas, a widow who has been married three times, all her husbands died mysteriously in their sleep. 

When a masked serial killer appears to be killing mercilessly and frequently, DI Angela Dimase of the Calgari Mobile Police Squad asks the book club sleuths to help catch the serial killer. The bookshop detectives use the tropes they have read about and discussed in their book club meetings to see if they can be applied to real life crimes in order to catch the killer. Whilst the Black Cat Bookshop Detectives are using their skills in the real murky world of serial killers, will they be next or will the capture him in time?  

This novel manages to combine cute cat centric quips: “Miss Marple and Poirot two felines who had taken up residence in the shop and eventually taken uncontested ownership of the place” for example with some dark crimes, abuse and unrequited love. The author doesn’t waste words/ time setting the scene but jumps in with the first murder in the introductory chapter. A fabulous read but Im not sure I will reread it as although the book are beautifully paced and translated,  some chapters are hard to read due to the themes and content. 

I received this book via Netgalley and Pan MacMillan  in exchange for a honest review.  #netgalley #gifted

Book Review: Unlocking Her Boss's Heart by Christy McKellen

Unlocking Her Boss’s Heart is a slow burning Harlequin/ Mills and Boon romance written by Christy McKellen. Cara Winstone is the heroine. A happy go lucky, ever chipper Personal Assistant to her new boss, Max Firebrace, who is the complete opposite. He is still grieving the loss of his wife who died 18 months ago. 

Cara turns up on Max’s door step begging for a job or she will lose her flat, leave London and go home to her parents and admit her London dream is over. After losing her last PA job Cara is desperate and begs Max takes her on. He reluctantly does but remains closed off to Cara. Slowly her chirpy demeanour chips away at his dourness and the  pair grow closer will they get their HEA?

First published in 2016 this is an enjoyable read. Both the main characters are relatable and realistic. Grief can change a person but Cara was determined to help him find himself again. This book is shorter than your average romance but it didn’t affect the pacing of the book. I will probably reread in the future and read some more of the author’s books as I enjoyed her style of writing. 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Second Competition to Win £100 or currency equivalent Amazon Voucher

I posted in the last £100 Amazon Voucher competition that if I got over 100 entries I would hold a second prize draw for the same amount. Over 100 people have entered so here it is!! Of course you can enter both and I wish you all could win!!

Win £100 (or currency equivalent) Amazon Voucher

Win £100 Amazon Voucher or Equivalent

 

Win £100 Amazon, PayPal  transfer or equivalent in your own currency just in time for Christmas. Enter by completing the Gleam entry form. If more than 100 people enter I will add another competition later this month! Good luck. Competition is open worldwide, closing date 30 November. 

IMPORTANT: for the third comment on a post option just choose one of the selection. I tried to change them to be relevant to the question but it didn’t work. 

Win £100 Amazon Voicher

Pet Guardianship Schemes

 

Death and what happens afterwards seems to a subject that seems to gauge very little interest or discussion. People will write a will, maybe plan their funeral but what happens to an important part of your family, your pets? Pets are classed as property in England so cannot be beneficiaries in a will. Money must be left in a Trust for them and as most of us haven’t got Karl Largfeld and his cat Choupette’s level of riches this is way beyond our means (although i would love to be able to provide my 4 cats with a full time carer so they could stay in their own home. 

Several animal charities have set up pet guardianship schemes whereby the owner registers the animal with that particular charity and you must a clause in your will stating that the charity is going to rehome your pet. When the time comes the executor of your will informs the charity and volunteers from a local branch will come and collect the animal, take it to the local branch and rehome him/her, The charities dont require payment but I have left a donation in my will to cover the costs for my cats and all the other cats that need rehoming. I have only included the details of national charities but do check to see if any of your local rescues offer this service. 

I have a degenerative spinal condition and various other health issues and what would happen to my beloved pets was a huge issue weighing me down. I was so relieved when I realised there is help available to rehome pets and make sure that they are safe during an upsetting and unsettling time for them, their slave/carer/human has gone, they need food, shelter and stability whilst someone finds them a new home. 

Dogs Trust: Canine Care Card. Rehome dogs:

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/get-help/canine-care-card

Cats Protection: cat guardianship scheme. Rehome cats:

https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/catguardians

Blue Cross: Pets Peace of Mind, covers rehomes all small animals.

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-peace-of-mind

The Cinnamon Trust: helps people over 65 or terminally ill care for or rehome their pets. 

https://cinnamon.org.uk/support-for-you-and-your-pet/

Potential Christmas prizes

 So I am trying to get my blog reindexed by google and get my X permanent suspension for supposedly being a bot - I retweeted too many find my pet/ animal rescue posts! Lifted.

I want to choose some great Christmas prizes for those who have either stuck by me or have found my site this year to enter. The prizes I am considering are;

£75/ £50 or that amount in your currency 1st and second prize 

Swarovski Disney jewellery

Pandora voucher (£100)

Amazon voucher  (£100)

Any high street voucher (£100)

Please leave a comment which one you would prefer to enter for or if you can think of a better prize! 

Book Review: My Billionaire Fake Fiancé by Heidi Rice

My Billionaire Fake Fiancé is written by Heidi Rice and is the second novel in her mini series Billionaires After Dark. 

Introduction:

Orla Calhoun is the heroine of this novel. She is working frantically to try and save her family’s an Irish stud farm and the last 6 horses. Her father ran their family business into the ground, died and now she is trying to salvage what she can. She is rather socially awkward, more comfortable around animals than people. Sheikh Prince Karim Jamal Amari Khan is planning to buy the stud farm but is also in need of a fake fiancé as his father is pestering him to get married. He realises he could kill to birds etc. Orla becomes his fake fiancé, keeps a c connection to the farm whilst Karim owns it. Of course this doesn’t go to plan and there is chemistry between the unlikely pair but will it lead to a HEA?

Review: 

The novel is written in the first person, each chapter focusing upon the thoughts, view point etc of either Orla or Karim, I don’t particularly gravitate toward novels written this way as I find it difficult to gel with the characters. I can, however, see the skill it takes to do this properly and the characters still engaged and interested me in the storyline. The storyline itself isn’t innovative: Irish stud farm losing money, bought out by very rich prince etc but in this case it didn’t feel like an overdone trope. The whole novel was engaging, with cgg uc stackers that were well thought out. The storyline didn’t drag and I enjoyed the novel much more than I thought I would. I do recommend this book and I will reread it in the future. 

I received this book via Booksprout and Heidi Rice in exchange for a honest review. #gifted