quippe | Recent Entries

The Blurb On The Back:

The whole theatre seemed on edge.

There was a feverish atmosphere seeping into every corner of the Rue, as though the whole cast was sickening.

Daisy and I both knew that something was brewing.

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are off to the beautiful Rue Theatre in London, where they will face an entirely new challenge: acting. But behind the theatre’s glittering façade, the girls soon realise that there is trouble at the Rue. Jealousy, threats and horrible pranks quickly spiral out of control – and then one of the cast is found dead.

As opening night looms closer, Hazel and Daisy must take centre stage and solve the crime – before the killer strikes again.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 7th in Robin Stevens’s MURDER MOST UNLADYLIKE SERIES for children aged 9+ is another well-plotted mystery filled with some devilish twists and great character development for Daisy and Hazel. I especially liked a key revelation about Daisy and her sexuality (which Stevens does well to contextualise in the time) but Hazel also gains a lot of confidence and self-awareness and I welcomes seeing Alexander and George again.

The Blurb On The Back:

Do you like waffles? They’re pretty much amazing. Just like this book!

I wouldn’t pour syrup on it, though. That would make it hard to read.

It’s full of awesome stuff like a sea monkey and a robot and … waffles of course.

Yum! Waffles!

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Ben Clanton’s charming self-illustrated picture book for children aged 5+ (the first in a series) is a cute story about friendship, envy and imagination and includes some cool facts about narwhals and jellyfish such that both adults and kids will get a kick out of it.

NARWHAL – UNICORN OF THE SEA was released in the United Kingdom on 2nd May 2019. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

astroturf is about Ned, 30, disappointed with himself and bored with life, who starts to use anabolic steroids to bulk himself up.

You won’t believe what happens next.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Matthew Sperling’s debut novel is a flat-footed, predictable satire that plays out as the ultimate nerd fantasy of an underachiever finally achieving his goals and getting the girls when he uses illegal steroids to up his testosterone. The humour is limp, characterisation thin (especially the women) and Ned a dull and unpleasant protagonist such that while it moves as a fair clip, I am not motivated to check out Sperling’s next book.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

To: Gentle Human Readers of This Book.

From: Office of the Deputy Commissioner

POLITE WARNING!

You have picked up the personal journals of one RONAN BOYLE, the youngest and lowliest recruit to the secret garda – the Irish police force that handles the misdeeds of numerous magical creatures.

Despite Ronan’s small size, horrible eyesight, absurd number of allergies, and social awkwardness, he knows he’s the only one who can prove that his parents were UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED. To prove their innocence, Ronan must venture into TIR NA NOG, the land of the leprechauns.

This account features hair-raising and disturbing tales of law-breaking LEPRECHAUNS, sly FAERIE folk, and a mysterious and probably evil man named LORD DESMOND DOOLEY.

It also features acts of HEROISM and SACRIFICE, deep and lasting FRIENDSHIPS, reasonably priced FOOD, and the world’s best Irish wolfhound, LILY.

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Thomas Lennon’s fantasy novel for children aged 9+ (the first in a series and illustrated by John Hendrix) relies heavily on Oirish stereotypes and the world building never really gels (particularly the link between the fantasy and real world elements) and feels intended for an older audience. There are some laughs from the dialogue but the pacing is uneven and the cliff hanger ending didn’t interest me enough to want to read the sequel.

RONAN BOYLE AND THE BRIDGE OF RIDDLES was released in the United Kingdom on 5th March 2019. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

”We’re spies,” said Lamb. “All kinds of outlandish shit goes on.”

Like the ringing of a dead man’s phone or an unwelcome guest at a funeral …

In Slough House memories are stirring, all of them bad. Catherine Standish is buying booze again, Louisa Guy is raking over the ashes of lost love, and new recruit Lech Wicinski, whose sins make him an outcast even among the slow horses, is determined to discover who destroyed his career, even if he tears his life apart in the process.

And with winter taking its grip Jackson Lamb would sooner be left brooding in peace, but even he can’t ignore the dried blood on his carpets. So when the man responsible breaks cover at last, Lamb sends the slow horses out to even the score.

This time, they’re heading into joe country. And they’re not all coming home.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 6th in Mick Herron’s JACKSON LAMB SERIES is slow to start and there is a sense of Herron snipping old plot strands in order to move players and events into place for the end game. However there’s a lot of good character development – particularly Lamb – the plot, when it gets going, moves at a good pace, there are 3 character deaths (one’s very sad) and the mysterious ending makes me desperate to find out what awaits Slough House next.

JOE COUNTRY was released in the United Kingdom on 20th June 2019. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Alex Verus is tracking down dangerous magical items unleashed into the world by Dark Mages – however; when the Light Council decides they need his help in negotiating with the perpetrators, Alex must use all his cunning and magic to strike a deal.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 9th in Benedict Jacka’s ALEX VERUS SERIES is another action-packed adventure that also advances and complicates the political background that Verus is operating in while also (finally) advancing a romance plotline with Anne that’s been rumbling on for too long and its ending leaves the overall board in an interesting position, such that I will definitely check out book 10.

The Blurb On The Back:

MP Patrick Macready has been found dead in his flat. The coroner rules it an accident, a sex game gone wrong.

Jon Swift is from the old stock of journos – cynical, cantankerous and overweight – and something about his friend’s death doesn’t seem right. Then days after Macready’s flat is apparently burgled, Swift discovers that his friend had been researching a string of Russian government figures who had met similarly ‘accidental’ fates.

When the police refuse to investigate, Swift gets in touch with his contacts in Moscow, determined to find out if his hunch is correct. Following the lead, he is soon drawn into a violent underworld, where whispers of conspiracies, assassinations and double agents start blurring the line between friend and foe.

But the truth will come at a price, and it may cost him everything.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

John Simpson’s second novel is an international political thriller with an old-fashioned vibe (despite the topical focus on Russia’s murkier activities). Simpson writes in a conversational style and brings personal insight to bear on Swift’s old-school ways and I liked the insight into a broadcaster’s celebrity but unfortunately the plot and pacing get mushy after the first third and descend into a mess of deus ex machina and foreseeable betrayal.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Racism, extremism, anti-democratic sentiment – our increasingly polarized world is dominated by a type of thinking that doubts others’ positions but never its own.

In a powerful challenge to fundamentalism in all its forms, Carolin Emcke, one of Germany’s leading intellectuals, argues that we can only preserve individual freedom and protect people’s rights by cherishing and celebrating diversity. If we want to safeguard democracy, we must have the courage to challenge hatred and the will to fight for and defend plurality in our societies. Emcke rises to the challenge that identitarian dogmas and populist narratives pose, exposing the way in which they simplify and distort our perception of the world.

Against Hate is an impassioned call to fight intolerance and defend liberal ideals. It will be of great interest to anyone concerned about the darkening politics of our time and searching for ways forward.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Carolin Emcke is a journalist, academic and self-described “intellectual” and in this book (translated from German by Tony Crawford) she rehashes the familiar intellectual arguments brought out against hate-based actions and populism and in favour of diversity and in doing so, makes the mistake of thinking that rational argument can counter rather than legitimise and help publicise an emotion and politics that works on a base emotional level.

AGAINST HATE was released in the United Kingdom on 18th January 2019. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Ancient, rich and strange, these magical and eerie tales from across Britain and Ireland have been passed down from generation to generation. At once dark and funny, lyrical yet earthy, these stories have shaped our landscape and culture. This definitive collection, retold by master storyteller and poet Kevin Crossley-Holland, opens a doorway to a lost world and shows the enduring power of language and imagination.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The Carnegie Medal winning author and poet, Kevin Crossley-Holland has put together this lovingly collated collection of British and Irish folktales (evocatively illustrated by Frances Castle) with an excellent section at the end where he explains what the source material is and how he modified it for the book. All in all, it’s a fascinating window on storytelling from a different age and should appeal to adults and children alike.

Thanks to Walker Books for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Susan Calman’s enthusiasm and happiness at being on Strictly Come Dancing was an inspiration to all of us. Cheer Up Love, Susan’s first book, had a clear aim: to help people understand depression. Sunny Side Up has a similarly clear path: to persuade people to be kinder to each other and spread more joy.

These are extremely difficult and confusing times – people are cross and shouty. It’s exhausting! But more than anything, people like Susan, people who don’t hate other people, are apologising for the way they think. Susan wants to make sure that they don’t.

She wants them to know that it’s ok to love people, that kindness and community are wonderful and brilliant, and to bring on the joy in the little things in life and help defeat the hate and fear.

Susan is a one-woman army of hope and joy, and she’s ready to lead the nation in a different direction.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Susan Calman is a corporate lawyer-turned-comedian who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017. In this book, which refers heavily to her Strictly experiences, she urges readers to practice kindness and thereby bring joy to themselves and others. It’s not the deepest of messages but I liked the wry, at times pointed, humour she deploys when sharing her experiences and making her arguments and I hope that it brings her more fans.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

There’s no ducking out – it’s time to be a hero!

When a meteor hits his pond, a wise-quacking duck develops superpowers and becomes …

ADVENTURE DUCK!

But Power Pug has gained strange powers too and he’s using them to take over the world!

Can Adventure Duck stop the evil pug and his Moo-dy Henchcow before it’s too late?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The first in Steve Cole’s humorous superhero book series for children aged 6+ (illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff) is a zany and silly affair with some good one-liners that will keep both adults and children amused, an interesting main character who’s amusingly self-involved and a dastardly villain, all of which should delight the target audience.

ADVENTURE DUCK VS POWER PUG was released in the United Kingdom on 4th April 2019. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

The smell of blood woke me. It was intense, as though my whole body was inhaling it. Strange scenes flitted through my mind – the fuzzy yellow light of a row of street lamps in the fog, swirling water below my feet, a crimson umbrella rolling along a rain-soaked road. I got out of bed. I needed to figure out what had happened.

Yu-jin is a perfect student, champion swimmer and good son. But one day he wakes up covered in blood. There’s no sign of a break-in and there’s a body downstairs. It’s the body of someone who Yu-jin knows all too well.

Yu-jin struggles to piece together the fragments of what he can remember from the night before. He suffers from regular seizures and blackouts. He knows he will be accused if he reports the body but what to do instead? Faced with an unthinkable choice, he makes an unthinkable decision.

As the police descend on the suburban South Korean district in which eh lives, another body is discovered, and Yu-jin must remember what happened – he has to go back, right back, to the night he lost his father and brother, and, eventually, further than that …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

You-Jeong Jeong’s psychological thriller (translated from Korean by Chi-Young Kim) is a weirdly stilted, soap opera-style affair that’s more why-do-it than who-dunnit and filled with overdone emotions, motivations that stretched credibility and although there are some interesting moments as it seeks to get under the skin of a psychopath, ultimately I struggled to hold my attention on it until the end and wouldn’t rush to read Jeong’s other work.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Isadora Moon is special because she is different.

Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and she is a bit of both.

When Isadora is invited to stay at her friend Zoe’s house she’s so excited – she hasn’t been to a sleepover before!

And with cakes to bake, a midnight feast to eat and endless magical giggles to share, they just have to stay up all night to fit it all in!

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 9th in Harriet Muncaster’s self-illustrated fantasy series for children aged 6+ is a decidedly pink and sparkly affair about friendship and what to do if you think that your friend wants you to do something wrong. It’s a very girly book but that’s no bad thing and I think that there’s plenty here for children to relate to – and I did like the magically alive monkey and pink rabbit.

ISADORA MOON HAS A SLEEPOVER was released in the United Kingdom on 7th March 2019. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

The exhausted Britain of 1945 was desperate for workers. From all over the world thousands of individuals came, assuming they would spend just a few years here, but instead large numbers stayed – and transformed the country.

Drawing on an amazing array of sources, Clair Wills’ new book brings to life the incredible diversity of the migrant experience. She introduces us to lovers, scroungers, dancers, homeowners, teachers, drinkers, carers and more to show the opportunities and excitement, the humiliation and poverty that could be part of their experience. Irish, Pakistanis, West Indians, Poles, Maltese, Punjabis and Cypriots battled to fit into Britain and found themselves making permanent homes.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Clair Wills teaches at Princeton University and in this fascinating, at times horrifying but always very human book that draws on a rich mix of sources, she describes the experiences of migrants from a range of countries and cultures arriving in Britain in the post War period and although the scope of the book means some experiences get less attention than others, there are obvious and uncomfortable parallels with today’s immigration debate.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Your knowledge.
Your memories.
Your dreams.

If all that you are is on the Feed, who are you when the Feed goes down?

The Feed is everywhere. It can be accessed by anyone, at any time. Every interaction, every emotion, every image can be shared through it.

Tom and Kate use The Feed, but they have resisted addiction to it. And this will serve them well when The Feed collapses.

Until their six-year-old-daughter, Bea, goes missing.

Because how do you find someone in a world devoid of technology? And what happens when you can no longer trust your loved ones are really who they claim to be?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Nick Clark Windo’s debut SF dystopia has some fascinating ideas about memory, knowledge and the dangers posed by over-reliance on technology and I really enjoyed how integral The Feed is to people’s lives but a twist half way through the book, while intriguing, also raised more questions than answers and I felt that the introduction of a time-travel element caused the story to lose its way and my interest waned, although I’d read his next book.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Once there was a girl who was drawn to wicked things …

Asha is a dragon-slayer. Reviled by the very people she’s sworn to protect, she kills to atone for the terrible deed she committed as a child.

One that almost destroyed her city, and left her with a terrible scar.

She wears her scar with pride, but to others, her skin tells a story of devastation, of fiery deaths, of Asha’s irredeemable wickedness.

Only the death of Kozu, the First Dragon, will bring Asha true redemption and unite her father’s fractured kingdom. But no one battles Kozu and lives, so to defeat him she will have to do some very wicked things …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Kristen Ciccarelli’s debut YA fantasy (the first in a trilogy) features solid world building, plenty of action and an interesting main character who is forced to question who she is and while I am not a romance fan, the inevitable love affair is sweetly depicted and Ciccarelli puts enough spin on the usual YA tropes to ensure that there’s enough for me to want to read the sequel.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Alex should never have agreed to the spur-of-the-moment holiday with her sister. Seven days felt like a year without Daniel, her ten-year-old son. This was the first time they had been apart since he was born and her husband had convinced her it was a good idea.

It was a bad idea.

Daniel has gone missing.

As local CID officers, David Stone and Frankie Oliver have been assigned their first case together. A small boy’s fate lies in their hands and the pressure is on.

And when someone close to Daniel is found dead, they begin to feel the heat.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Mari Hannah’s crime novel (the first in a series) has some interesting character development, it’s interesting to see a series focus on the victims and their families and the Northumbria region is lovingly described but there’s a lot of set up here and neither the relationship between Stone and Oliver nor a number of revelations feel earned (especially a key revelation at the end) such that I’m not sure I’m going to rush to read the sequel.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Hadrian Marlowe, privileged first son of a Duke was destined for greatness and he has become a legend. The Sun-Slayer. The Breaker of Sieges. The Crusher of Civilisations. His is a story which defined the course of worlds.

This novel is not that story.

This is Hadrian’s story told in his own words. Of being passed over by his father for rule in favour of his younger brother, and sent to a military academy against his wishes. Of being kidnapped in transit to that planet and sold into slavery and of how he clawed his way back into the dangers and opportunities of politics …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Christopher Ruocchio’s epic SF novel (the first in a series) has some interesting world building and a great sense of scale but the plot is far too predictable (hindered by the fact that Hadrian is writing his own memoir, which robs the book of any sense of jeopardy), the pacing is tortuously slow, Hadrian makes dumb decision for no good reason and the female characters painfully underdeveloped such that I won’t be reading on.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

She says she’s an ordinary mother.
He knows a liar when he sees one.

Sarah thinks of herself as a normal single mum. It’s what she wants others to think of her. But the truth is, she needs something new, something thrilling.

Meanwhile, DI Tom Thorne is investigating a woman’s suicide, convinced she was driven to do it by a man who preys on vulnerable women.

A man who is about to change Sarah’s life.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 16th in Mark Billingham’s DI TOM THORNE SERIES has a bit of a treading water feel to it as Thorne and DI Nicola Tanner deal with the fallout from THE KILLING HABIT and Thorne deals with the breakup of his relationship with Helen. Unfortunately I didn’t believe what happened between Sarah and Conrad or what it is about Conrad that makes him so irresistible to women so while I did keep turning the pages, this isn’t really vintage Thorne.

THEIR LITTLE SECRET was released in the United Kingdom on 2nd May 2019. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Your phone rings.

A stranger has kidnapped your child.

To free them you must abduct someone else’s child.

Your child will be released when your victim’s parents kidnap another child.

If any of these things don’t happen: your child will be killed.

You are now part of THE CHAIN.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Adrian McKinty’s standalone thriller has a great and chilling premise and is a tautly written affair with a believable main character who’s driven by her love for her daughter but I did think that the plot lost something in the final third (inevitable given a key revelation) and while the antagonists were genuinely disturbing, they also veered towards central casting at times, which risked throwing me out of the story.

THE CHAIN will be released in the United Kingdom on 9th July 2019. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

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January 2026

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Page Summary

Death In The Spotlight by Robin Stevens
Narwhal – Unicorn Of The Sea by Ben Clanton
Astroturf by Matthew Sperling
Ronan Boyle And The Bridge Of Riddles by Thomas Lennon and John Hendrix
Joe Country by Mick Herron
Marked by Benedict Jacka
Moscow, Midnight by John Simpson
Against Hate by Carolin Emcke
Between Worlds: Folktales Of Britain & Ireland by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Sunny Side Up: A Story Of Kindness And Joy by Susan Calman
Adventure Duck -v- Power Pug by Steve Cole and Aleksei Bitskoff
The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong
Isadora Moon Has A Sleepover by Harriet Muncaster
Lovers And Strangers: An Immigrant History Of Post-War Britain by Clair Wills
The Feed by Nick Clark Windo
The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli
The Lost by Mari Hannah
Empire Of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham
The Chain by Adrian McKinty

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I Read, Therefore I Blog

A Book Review Blog Belonging to Caroline Hooton

Recent Entries

Death In The Spotlight by Robin Stevens

Narwhal – Unicorn Of The Sea by Ben Clanton

Astroturf by Matthew Sperling

Ronan Boyle And The Bridge Of Riddles by Thomas Lennon and John Hendrix

Joe Country by Mick Herron

Marked by Benedict Jacka

Moscow, Midnight by John Simpson

Against Hate by Carolin Emcke

Between Worlds: Folktales Of Britain & Ireland by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Sunny Side Up: A Story Of Kindness And Joy by Susan Calman

Adventure Duck -v- Power Pug by Steve Cole and Aleksei Bitskoff

The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong

Isadora Moon Has A Sleepover by Harriet Muncaster

Lovers And Strangers: An Immigrant History Of Post-War Britain by Clair Wills

The Feed by Nick Clark Windo

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

The Lost by Mari Hannah

Empire Of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

Their Little Secret by Mark Billingham

The Chain by Adrian McKinty