Wake Up and Taste the Coffee

I usually buy Kenco Millicano coffee as I like the flavour. For an instant coffee is really isn’t bad.

On the last two shopping trips, however, the only alternative available in the ‘barista’ style instant coffees was Nescafe Azera.

Now I usually boycott Nestle products as a matter of course on moral grounds (as opposed to coffee grounds) but I thought this was a classic Hobsons choice. I was wrong. Going without would have been the wiser option.

I shall be using the cafetierre until further notice.

 

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Sussex Tales #review #sussextales

Nice little review on Amazon this week for Sussex Tales from unknown person. It is always good when an older title not only maintains small but steady sales but also the odd review. And better still when it comes from an unexpected purchase. Its how you know that the ripples are reaching out beyond your sight.

(read here)    

Sussex Tales was a labour of love, reflecting not just my growing years but also a way of recording a slice of social history. A way of life that was fast vanishing even as I witnessed its beauty for myself.

It grew out of a shorter piece written for the then Southampton University and later Winchester Writers’ Conference, and won an award for best slim volume.

The recipes contained with the stories are passed down through the family and, being last of the line with nobody to pass them on to, were included in order to cast them into the winds for all to enjoy.

 

 

Winter Downs #review #crimefiction #winterdowns

A new 5* review for Winter Downs in the midst of the snow!

***

Review : Amazon.co.uk : Daz Pulsford

“What starts out as a mysterious death soon turns into a mystery of worrying proportions – there’s more than rustling afoot in this snowbound Sussex Downs village. The central character, Bunch, is determined to clear the first victim’s name, and doggedly pursues the leads as the drama unfolds.

Set in the bleak austerity of 1940, near the South Coast with its constant invasion threat, rationing, and blackout protocol – Bunch and her sister Dodo are pitted against not only the difficulties of communication and officialdom of the War, but also the complex tangle of classism and patriarchy.

Heavy snow acts like the treacle of difficulties Bunch must wade through to get to the truth, and combined with the immaculate attention to period detail, the writer’s own skill with the local dialect, and the easing reluctance of the Chief Inspector initially summoned to close a suicide case, our relentless narrator pieces the clues together to uncover a touch of evil pervading the village.

Are there more? I would hope so – I loved the characters, the energy of the plot and the feel of the time evoked in the details.”

 

 

Picking Up The Pieces by Misha M. Herwin #BookReview @MishaHerwin @penkhullpress

Excellent review for Misha Herwin’s book Picking Up the Pieces.
Follow links for review: Picking Up The Pieces by Misha M. Herwin #BookReview @MishaHerwin @penkhullpress

Winter Downs Recommended Read award

Winter Downs has been listed on Book Muse as a recommended read

 

 

Winter Downs reviews #chataboutbooks #winterdowns #crime #cosycrime #ww2crime #janedwards

Reprising some of the material from the blog tour – here is the review from Chatabout books

If you enjoy historical fiction and/or a good murder mystery, then you will love Winter Downs. I haven’t read much historical fiction, as yet, but I do generally enjoy it when I do and I have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Bunch is a feisty character! (She very much reminds me of Mary from Downton Abbey.) She has been used to a certain way of life which has been totally turned upside down since the start of the second world war. Having to give up her home to accommodate soldiers and having to move in to the Dower house with her Grandmother doesn’t thrill her, but she accepts it’s her duty to contribute to the war effort. She is very protective of her sister, Dodo, who lost her husband to war, having only been married for a few months. The sisters are like chalk and cheese, but devoted to each other.

As their small rural community in Sussex try to adjust to rationing, black outs and other such consequences of war, they also find themselves faced with a killer on the loose. When Bunch discovers the body of her friend, Jonathan, it looks like he has taken his own life, but Bunch knows him well and is convinced he has been murdered. It will be a struggle to prove it though without getting in the way of the official investigation, which already has it’s limits due to the ongoing war. As the investigation progresses, all sorts of secrets are revealed and they are faced with more tragedy. Will they discover the truth before the body count rises?

Brilliantly written with a great mix of interesting characters and beautifully descriptive language. I was transported to rural Sussex and totally immersed in the story. I could almost feel the chill of the snowy countryside and I was as desperate as Bunch to prove her friend was murdered and to see his killer brought to justice. The conclusion is one I definitely didn’t see coming!

Oh, and I love the Sussex dialect used, although it took me a couple of re-reads to understand on occasion! 😉

Winter Downs Blog Tour : Alison Drew

The blog tour today pulls into Ali The Dragon Slayer’s site with a review and a guest post by your truly

The most commonly asked questions any author can usually be simplified as why, where and who – so here goes: What is Winter Downs about? In January of 1940 a small rural community on the Sussex Downs, already preparing for invasion from across the Channel, finds itself deep in the grip of a snowy landscape, with an ice-cold killer on the loose. Bunch Courtney stumbles upon the body of Jonathan Frampton in a woodland clearing. Is this a case of suicide, or is it murder? Bunch is determined to discover the truth but can she persuade the dour Chief Inspector Wright to take her seriously?

Read the rest Here