I have several folk to thank for sending me a surprise copy of An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris, including The Likely Suspects, Laurie McShea and Harriett Collins. My grateful thanks to them all. I’m delighted to share my review of An Ethical Guide to Murder today.

An Ethical Guide to Murder is published by Simon and Schuster on 16th January 2025 and is available for pre-order through the publisher links here.

An Ethical Guide to Murder

How to Kill Your Family meets The Power in this entertaining and thought-provoking read, that asks:

If you had the power between life and death, what would you do?

Thea has a secret.
She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them.
Not only that, but she can transfer life from one person to another – something she finds out the hard way when her best friend Ruth suffers a fatal head injury on a night out.
Desperate to save her, Thea touches the arm of the man responsible when he comes to check if Ruth is all right. As Ruth comes to, the man quietly slumps to the ground, dead.

Thea realises that she has a godlike power: but despite deciding to use her ability for good, she can’t help but sometimes use it for her own benefit.
Boss annoying her at work? She can take some life from them and give it as a tip to her masseuse for a great job.
Creating an ‘Ethical Guide to Murder’ helps Thea to focus her new-found skills.
But as she embarks on her mission to punish the wicked and give the deserving more time, she finds that it isn’t as simple as she first thought.

How can she really know who deserves to die, and can she figure out her own rules before Ruth’s borrowed time runs out?

My Review of An Ethical Guide to Murder

Thea finds herself with the power of life and death.

Crikey! I can’t honestly say I enjoyed An Ethical Guide to Murder but my goodness I thought it was good! I found it such a powerful read that messed with my mind as I tried to decide my opinion of Thea, and to rationalise why I felt so conflicted. Jenny Morris’s writing is so impactful that the reader experiences the depth of Thea’s emotions with her, which has the effect of occasionally making them feel complicit in her often dubious actions.

Thea is a complex character. She has an advanced sense of morality which should make liking her straightforward. And yet, she’s obsessive, misguided and flawed so that whilst she feels all the more human, the fact that she is willing to lie, to obfuscate the reality of events and indeed, to murder, made me dislike her at times and feel frustrated by her at other times. She evoked profound responses in me as a reader, and for all my negative thoughts about her, I grew to love her and wept for her too. 

The plot premise is both simple and clever. Thea has the ability to take time from people’s lives and bestow it on others – which she does, regularly. The trouble is, what feels right doesn’t always prove to be the case, and judging others to the extent of, in effect, murdering them, doesn’t necessarily prove to be the panacea for all the ills they have caused. As a result, the book is disturbing, gripping and unsettling. It’s one of those stories that permeates the reader’s brain even when they are not reading An Ethical Guide to Murder.

Morality is a central theme, but it is supported by other aspects like choice, truth, corruption, wealth, perception, coercion, control and trust so that I found reading An Ethical Guide to Murder a bit like standing on quick sand. No sooner had I decided my stance towards Thea than Jenny Morris pulled away my certainty and gave me another perspective to ponder. I was left reeling by this narrative.

I found An Ethical Guide to Murder completely mind blowing because the moral dilemma central to the story is so complex that I found it impossible to decide my own position. It’s a book I highly recommend so that you can make your own decisions – about Thea, about justice and about your own morality. Be warned. It might well leave you totally befuddled and you’ll definitely wonder just what you might do in Thea’s place! 

About Jenny Morris

Jenny Morris lives in Crowborough, the home of Winnie the Pooh and an outrageous number of charity shops. She has a PhD in Cognitive Psychology and works as a behavioural scientist. When not reading or writing, she enjoys galloping around the Ashdown Forest on a horse, foraging for mushrooms and getting way too intense about board games at the pub.

For further information, follow Jenny on Twitter/X @Dr_Jenny_Morris, Instagram and Bluesky.

I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Johan Ingler to Linda’s Book Bag today because I think his new book for children sounds simply wonderful. It’s a real sadness to me that I haven’t been able to read it, but life hasn’t afforded me the time.

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Johan Ingler

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Johan. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thank you for having me! This is such a fun space for authors, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to talk about my book.

You’re most welcome. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought along my novel, Frankie & Chair. Although it’s middle-grade, I hope it can be enjoyed by anyone with an open mind and heart. Actually, as this is my only published book, it’s an easy pick. But it’s also a story that’s been with me on a long journey, through thick and thin, and I’m thrilled to finally share it with the world.

Oh congratulations on your debut! I think children have some of the best books around. I might be in my mid 60s but I love children’s fiction. You said Frankie & Chair has been with you a while. Tell me more.

I first wrote it as a screenplay in 2015, ten years ago (gulp! where does the time go?), and was honoured to win a couple of awards for it. It nearly made it into a movie, but we never quite got there. Making movies is hard! So many stories for the screen, written by passionate writers who pour their hearts into their work, never see the light of day. But I just couldn’t let Frankie & Chair wither away on some dusty shelf. So, I turned it into a book, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

So, what is Frankie & Chair about?

It’s a story that handles big themes of loss and grief, and encourages empathy and understanding. But it’s still light-hearted and quirky, celebrating the power and importance of imagination, and how kids find their own inventive ways of tackling tough subjects that they don’t yet have the emotional tools for.

I hope this book can help anyone who needs a bit of encouragement, inspiration, comfort, or just a friend in the shape of a book—tagging along on their personal journey.

That sounds fabulous Johan. What else can we expect from an evening in with Frankie & Chair?

Based on flattering feedback and reviews, you can expect to laugh, be moved, and find yourself hooked by a page-turning read with characters that latch straight onto your heart. Needless to say, readers have been far too kind to me. And this is from adult readers, which I’m very happy about, as I hoped this book would resonate with readers of all ages.

While the story centres on two nine-year-olds (and an armchair), I’ve also included the perspective of Danny’s mom. Even if there’s only a few scenes from her point of view, I wanted to add the grown-up angle of handling the loss of a loved one, while also being there for your child. For young readers, these scenes might “only” read as advancements of the plot, while adult readers will see a parent’s struggle in a very difficult situation.

Also, as the book has two parallel storylines—Danny’s “real-life” story and the cosmic adventure he writes—you can expect an interesting structure that keeps the reading going at a fun pace. These two storylines are very much connected, enforcing Danny’s feelings, creating one larger interconnected narrative.

That description has made me even more determined to fit in Frankie & Chair to my TBR at some point. 

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I brought an extract from the book, I hope that’s not too cheeky of me. I thought it might be helpful to get a sense of how Danny’s friendship with Chair works.

Absolutely not cheeky at all!

This is early on in the story, where Danny and Frankie have their first real conversation—after she has invited herself to his house. Chair tries to intervene in the discussion, but as only Danny can “hear” Chair, it creates a whole heap of misunderstandings. Here it goes:

Danny sat on the veranda railing, clutching his sketchbook, looking at Frankie as if she was an armed bomb.

She sat by the stairs that led to the lawn, regarding Chair on his wagon. “So, you two are like… friends?”

“We’re more than just friends,” Chair said, quickly correcting himself: “But not in that way. I mean, we do more things with each other than just friends do––” He stopped himself and tried again: “What I mean is that Danny and I have taken our relationship to the next level––” He gave up. “Oh, the heck with it.”

“We’re friends and writing partners,” Danny clarified, giving Chair wary side-eyes.

“Can I see?” Frankie asked, referring to the sketchbook, oblivious of Chair’s floundering word salad.

In a situation like this, Danny would never have handed off his sketchbook. No way. He would rather have given away the log-in to his mom’s bank account. But for some inexplicable reason, as if his movements were controlled by some other force, he handed her the book.

Chair nearly choked on his cushion. “What are you doing?!”

Danny could only helplessly shrug.

Frankie flipped through the pages. “I love it! So much action and adventure! You both make this stuff up? You and the chair?”

“My name’s just Chair, thank you very much. And it’s not polite to talk about me as if I wasn’t here.”

“It’s just Chair,” Danny said.

“The chair comes up with this alone?” Frankie asked.

“Can’t say that’s not what it feels like sometimes,” Chair sighed.

“No, that’s his name. Chair.”

Frankie gave the padded furniture a regal nod. “Do accept my apologies. Chair.”

“Yeah, whatever, talk to the armrest…”

“We both come up with it,” Danny said. “But I draw the pictures.” He didn’t add how obvious that was, considering that Chair’s stumpy little legs couldn’t possibly hold a pencil (without using sticky-tape or glue).

Frankie wondered if Danny also had made the painting of the galaxy that hung in his room.

He explained that his mom had painted that one. Before. When they lived in their old house. But Danny left that last part out. He didn’t want to talk about the before-times.

While Frankie’s presence wasn’t immediately threatening, Danny couldn’t shake his guarded feelings toward her. After all, she had stolen that hammer in school. He feared her visit wasn’t merely a friendly one. Would she try to steal anything from him? Perhaps the painting? Is that why she asked about it?

“You know what I miss in here?” Frankie asked, nodding at the sketchbook. “An amazingly cool, butt-whoopin’, space-cruisin’, blaster-slingin’, one liner-bustin’—”

“Yes, yes, get on with it,” Chair said.

“— beam-blastin’ girl!”

“A girl?!” Chair blurted out. “Someone get me a drink to spit out!”

Danny shifted on the railing where he sat. “Well, it’s sort of only about Captain Redtail and Sir Winchester.”

“Those are the only two true space pirates,” Chair quickly filled in. “Hence the name, The Adventures of Captain Redtail and Sir Winchester!”

Frankie shrugged. “I’m just saying,” naturally just answering Danny’s comment. She kept flipping through the pages. “So how are you gonna end it?”

Danny looked at Chair. He’d never thought about ending any of the stories before. “We kind of just keep the adventures going. We don’t really end them.”

“Exactly,” Chair added. “Endings aren’t our thing. We’re not really fans of letting things go.”

Frankie drew her eyebrows together. “But you’re gonna end it eventually, aren’t you? What’s the point of telling a story if it doesn’t have an ending?”

“Because it’s fun,” Chair said. “What’s the fun in endings?”

Danny nodded in agreement. “What he said.”

Frankie couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a strange one, aren’t you.” She jumped down onto the garden. “Now, can I show you something cool?”

Danny squinted at her, skeptical about being shown anything by someone he didn’t yet know if he could trust.

Oh that’s brilliant Johan.

Thanks for reading, I hope it sparked some interest!

I’m intrigued though, why isn’t the book called Danny & Chair?

Ah yes, while I have this chance to explain my intentions with the book, some might wonder why I didn’t call the book Danny & Chair.
I decided on Frankie & Chair because these two characters play a central role in Danny’s journey of coping with his loss. Chair represents Danny’s struggle to accept it, while Frankie initiates his process of confronting it.

That makes sense. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Frankie & Chair. It sounds such an important book. 

Thank you for this chance to talk about my book, it’s been wonderful. Sending all the best from Sweden! Happy reading, writing, and all the other fun things you’re up to!

Thanks Johan. 

Frankie & Chair

Nine-year-old Danny has an unusual best friend: Chair, an armchair. Together, they write The Adventures of Captain Redtail & Sir Winchester, a comic about a squirrel space pirate and his faithful companion, a robot cupboard. Content with life as it is, Danny dislikes any sort of change. He’s already had to endure the hardest change of all: the loss of his father.

But things take a turn when he starts at a new school and meets Frankie, a bold skateboarder whose friendship takes him by surprise. Frankie battles with a looming tragedy of her own, stirring emotions in Danny that he struggles to understand. And with Chair stubbornly opposing Frankie’s presence, the rising tensions set off a series of events that none of them could have imagined.

It’s a rocky journey toward new friendship and an understanding of grief, all mirrored in Danny’s comic world—a place where he explores the emotions he’s still learning to process.

Published on 28th November 2024, Frankie & Chair is available for purchase here.

About Johan Ingler

Born and raised in Sweden, Johan started his adult life as a musician: teaching and performing. To pursue writing, he studied screenwriting at UCLA Extension, where he won first place at the school’s feature film screenwriting competition, while working at an LA-based production and management company. After returning to Europe to work at an animation studio in Rotterdam, Johan is now back in his native Stockholm. Johan currently writes and develops projects for film and TV, and of course he’s working on his next novel.

For further information, find Johan on Instagram.

I think Liz Hyder is a phenomenal writer of adult fiction and I adored The Gifts (reviewed here) and The Illusions (reviewed here), so when lovely Vicki Berwick at Pushkin Press asked me if I’d like a copy of Liz’s latest children’s book The Twelve, illustrated by Tom de Freston, I simply couldn’t resist. My huge thanks to Vicki for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Published in hardback by Pushkin Children’s Books on 10th October 2024 and coming in paperback on 9th October 2025, The Twelve is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

The Twelve

It’s supposed to be a treat for Kit, a winter holiday by the coast with her sister Libby and their mum. But when Libby vanishes into thin air, and no one else remembers her, Kit is faced with a new reality – one in which her sister never existed.

Then she meets Story, a local boy who remembers Libby perfectly. Together they embark on a journey beyond their wildest imagination into a world steeped in ancient folklore. Can Kit and Story uncover the secret of the Twelve and rescue Libby before Time runs out?

My Review of The Twelve

Kit’s younger sister Libby is heading to the tower for midnight.

Used to Liz Hyder’s excellent writing for adults, I had high hopes for The Twelve. I cannot express enough how far those hopes were exceeded. The Twelve is totally brilliant. I’ve seen comparisons between Liz Hyders’s children’s books and those by the likes of David Almond and Alan Garner. I think that is to do this author a disservice. She is a magnificent writer with a compelling, beautiful and mesmerising style of her own, without the need for comparison. 

The plot is bewitching. It’s fast paced and exciting with twists and revelations that hold the reader captivated. I resented having to set the book aside to carry on with real life. There’s an element of fantasy woven into a story that involves danger and quest, family and friendship, and that is so vividly written that descriptions are almost painfully beautiful. I was transported right to the heart of settings because Liz Hyder knows exactly how to hone her prose until it is distilled into the most intense and affecting language. Tom De Freston’s stark, perfectly executed, illustrations add a contrast that makes both images and narrative so impactful. 

The characters are rounded and just perfect for the target audience. I thought the way Kit receives insidious texts from Jemima was inspired. Jemima lurks in the background of Kit’s life even when she’s on holiday many miles away, in the same way that real life bullies are permanently in the minds of their victims. Despite her anxiety over Jemima, Kit, however, is a true role model. She doubts herself but is courageous and loyal. Her determination to find Libby is exemplary. Story too is fantastic. I loved the way that, despite being an educational no hoper, his full potential is realised. As most of the action involves just Kit and Story, there’s an intimacy that hits hard at the heart of the reader.

Themes in The Twelve are pitch perfect. Along with the bullying in the background, aspects like the environment, nature, bravery, trust, deception, self sacrifice, family, friendship and love ripple through the book; all of them intersecting exactly like real life. There’s much to learn here even whilst being entertained completely. 

I could not have enjoyed The Twelve more. You’ll find it hard to find a better book for youngsters aged around 10-14. I thought The Twelve was utterly stunning. Liz Hyder is, quite simply, a superb author and The Twelve deserves to be ranked amongst the all time greats of children’s fiction. It’s an unmissable, mesmerising tale told by a skilled and compassionate writer. Fantastic! 

About Liz Hyder

Liz is a writer, creative workshop leader and freelance arts PR consultant. In early 2018, she won The Bridge Award/Moniack Mhor’s Emerging Writer Award. Bearmouth, her debut novel for young adults, was published by Pushkin Press and won the Branford Boase Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Award for Older Readers. It is also published in America, France, Norway, Italy and the Czech Republic as well as the UK and Commonwealth. The Gifts was her debut adult novel.

Originally from North-East London, she has lived in South Shropshire for over a decade.

For further information about Liz, visit her website or follow her on Twitter @LondonBessie and Instagram.

I’m fast becoming a fan of Donna Ashworth, having reviewed Wild Hope here and Growing Brave here. Imagine my delight, therefore, when I was sent a copy of her latest book Words to Live By: A Daily Journal. My huge thanks to Flora Willis at Bonnier for sending me the gift of Words to Live By. Now, I wasn’t intending on blogging today, but having begun to use my journal, I simply had to share details of it with others.

Words to Live By was published by Black and White on 28th November 2024 and is available for purchase here. 

Words to Live By: A Daily Journal

A daily journal of inspiration, comfort and encouragement from the UK’s No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Wild Hope, beautifully designed in four-colour throughout

Start every day with Donna Ashworth by your side in this beautiful, interactive daily journal. With uplifting poems, guiding words, wise insights, perspective shifts and understanding on every page, Donna will accompany you throughout the year to help you embrace life in all its messy wondrousness. 

Donna also encourages you to explore your own words and writing to help you ride each wave this life sends your way, helping you find beauty and wonder on days the world scares you, comfort and patience when sadness is visiting, and courage and hope when you can’t see the light. She also gently steers you back to love yourself, as you are, and to see that, no matter what you experience in this world, you are never alone.

Every day is a journey and it starts with you.

My Review of Words to Live By

An inspirational journal to last a year.

What. A. Book! Words to Live By is brilliant. I love it.

Having been almost broken at times by 2024, setting aside a few minutes each day to write my thoughts in Words to Live By in 2025 already feels like a habit I’m going to want to continue throughout the year. It gives me space to think about me for a short while before the demands of life creep back in. Words to Live By gives status and support to those of us struggling with life, those of us who are already confident, and those, like me, who are aware of journaling but previously had no idea where to begin.

I must first acknowledge the physical attributes of the book. The hardback is weighty. This isn’t a book to slip in your pocket! And that is part of its success. It feels special to pick it up, turn the pages of Words to Live By and realise that the reader – and now writer – has something of quality in their hands that has been designed just for them. Its very weight means it takes time to hold, to turn the pages and to consider. It’s beautifully illustrated in pastel, watercolour shades that feel calming and peaceful. There is plenty of white space to write – to the extent that, although this is a book set over a year, I think it could be used like a five year diary and the reader/writer could return and add to previous entries. Although the months have ‘Day 1’ and so on, they are not allocated a year so you could pick up Words to Live By and start your own reflective writing journey at any point of the year.

Interspersed between the journal space you’ll find encouragement, poetry and supportive words. Quite a bit of the text is in the form of questions so that it feels as if Donna Ashworth is actively listening to the reader/writer, giving them attention and focus they may feel is lacking. I imagine anyone feeling isolated or lonely would be enormously comforted by Words to Live By. I’m finding it is reducing my stress levels considerably.

I confess that in writing this review, I haven’t read all of Words to Live By yet. I’m savouring taking a moment or two of calm and reflection each day, of thinking about what I’m feeling and why, and I’m loving allowing Donna Ashworth to guide me through my year. I have already written a some poetry as a result of Words to Live By and you never know, I might by the end of the year, have the courage to share it via the author’s website.

Words to Live By is a lovely, high quality, book written by someone who genuinely seems to understand humanity and to care about it. It’s also a source of comfort, support and creativity that reminds us we are not simply cogs in the machine of life, but we are important individuals who can be both inspirational and inspired. I think Words to Live By is just what I’ve been looking for and it might be for you too. I really recommend it.

About Donna Ashworth

Donna Ashworth is a number one Sunday Times Bestselling Poet, whose words you will often find flying around the internet, widely shared daily, by her 1.7 million followers.

Donna’s writing came to spotlight during the lockdown period where she saw her purpose as building a place to find hope, calm and comfort, amidst the collective chaos. She quickly became an internet favourite with one viral post after another and a list of celebrity endorsements.

Having published eight books since; three successful self-published titles and five with Bonnier Books/Black & White publishing, her newest collection of words, Growing Brave is now available and has been received just as warmly as the much-loved Wild Hope.

Priding herself on being ‘imperfectly human’ and ‘sharing the dark with the light to harness hope’, Donna engages constantly with her followers in a bid to find comfort in numbers as we ‘walk each other home’ on this journey of life.

For further information, find Donna on Instagram or Facebook and follow her on X/Twitter @Donna_ashworth.

My goodness 2024 has been tough going. Despite the fact that I don’t believe that adding 5 instead of 4 to the end of the year will make any difference, I am so glad to leave 2024 behind from today. I won’t bore you with all the details, but I confess I’ve struggled rather.

However, in amongst all the horrors of the world and the personal difficulties in 2024, one constant has been books and bookish events (even if a bout of Covid prevented me from being part of the local literary festival so that I missed interviewing and introducing Sara-Jade Virtue, Carol Atherton, Anne Fletcher, Julia Jarman, Suk Pannu, Jack Jordan, Fiona Cummins, Clare Mackintosh, Ajay Tegela and Lev Parikian).

Books Read

Goodreads tells me I have achieved my reading goal at the time of writing this post…

… but Goodreads knows nothing! I’ve read books that are not on Goodreads, books I’ve quietly forgotten because I didn’t enjoy them and books that I will be featuring in 2025 here on the blog, on My Weekly and in (or occasionally on) The People’s Friend in my monthly paperback column, that are not out until next year, so I haven’t included them. Indeed, I actually loathe all the various reading challenges as I think reading should be a pleasure, not a challenge. I also really don’t like awarding stars either as it’s such an imprecise science and I ignore those who say my reviews are invalid because I only have positive things to say. Why would I post a negative review? I’m a blogger, not a scalpel sharp critic. I could quite easily eviscerate a book I don’t like or that isn’t well written, but someone else might love it and quite honestly, there’s enough unkindness in the world with me adding to it!

Not on a list?

As ever, I am aware that, as I blog about the books I’ve enjoyed the most this year, there will be authors who never appear on anyone’s lists, feel deflated, unseen and lost. Let me say to you that yours might just be the book I’d enjoy most in my life, but I haven’t discovered it yet, that my list is not of the ‘best books’ out there, but is my personal choice from those I’ve actually got round to reading in the last 12 months. There are many hundreds more on my shelves that would be my favourite reads if only I’d had time to reach for them.

Choosing a ‘Book of the Year’

As ever, an explanation of how I choose the books featured here is that I keep a spreadsheet of the books I read and as soon as I have finished reading a book I award it a ‘gut reaction’ mark out of 100. Anything 95+/100 is a book of the year for me. This means that there might be no books of the year or dozens! You may already have seen my most favourite 7 reads of the year over on My Weekly, and all these achieved 97+/100 on my personal gut-reaction-o-meter.

Previous Years

Previous favourite books can be found by clicking on the year – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015. Take a look. You might just find a book you love too.

My Favourite Reads of 2024

Today I’m going to feature all the books I enjoyed that I scored 95+/100 in 2024. Books that made me laugh or cry, terrified or entertained me completely or books that simply swept me up in glorious storytelling. They are presented in the order I read them. Click on the titles to read my full reviews and for full book details.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey

The Glass Woman by Alice McIlroy

Frank and Red by Matt Coyne

The Lifeline by Tom Ellen

The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins

I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh

Make Art With Nature by Pippa Pixley

The Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein

Seven Summers by Paige Toon

Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton

All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker

One Grand Summer by Ewald Arenz

The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne by Freya North

The Black Loch by Peter May

Edith Holler by Edward Carey

The Good Liars by Anita Frank

Figgles and Flo by Antonia Blackmore, illustrated by Sarah P. Sharpe

Ice Town by Will Dean

All I Want For Christmas by Karen Swan

A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft

So there they are – non-fiction and crime stories, thrillers and children’s books, coming of age stories and romances, historical fiction and even a bit of fantasy and horror woven in. But one book has stood out for me the most and I awarded it 100/100. Those who follow me on social media or here on Linda’s Book Bag will know already that my favourite read of all in 2024, and possibly ever is:

My Favourite Book of 2025

All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker

A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller, and an epic love story – with a unique twist on each…

* * * * *

Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of teenager Joseph ‘Patch’ Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who will risk everything to find her best friend.

But when she does: it will break her heart.

Patch lies alone in a pitch-black room – until he feels a hand in his. Her name is Grace and, though they cannot see each other, she lights their world with her words.

But when he escapes: there is no sign she ever even existed.

Left with only her voice and her name, he paints her from broken memories – and charts an epic search to find her.

As years turn to decades, and hope becomes obsession, Saint will shadow his journey – on a darker path to hunt down the man who took them – and set free the only boy she ever loved.

Even if finding the truth means losing each other forever…

I’ve loved everything of Chris’s that I’ve read including Tall Oaks , All The Wicked Girls, We Begin At The End, The Forevers, and of course, All The Colours of the Dark.

Although I don’t bother to look much at my blog stats – reading is not a competition –  but it gives me great pleasure that, at the time of writing this post, my review of All The Colours Of The Dark has had 14,468 views since I blogged it in July. I hope some of those folk have gone on to love the book just as much as I did.

****

So, that was 2024. On 5th February 2025 I will have been blogging for exactly a decade. I wonder what books I’ll discover in my tenth year of Linda’s Book Bag…

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2025 brings you good health and happiness, and of course, books!

When I was asked if I’d like to choose my top seven books of 2024 for My Weekly magazine online, I was briefly hesitant as I always put out a post about my favourite books at the end of the year. However, there were some that I simply couldn’t resist sharing with a wider audience than just Linda’s Book Bag and it’s such a privilege to work with My Weekly so it’s my absolute pleasure to announce them today.

But I’m not telling you here what they are!

I do have a few hints though:

One is about an unexpected friendship between generations.

One is set over seven years and involves sisters.

One is a book about grief written by someone who knows.

One is the most glorious celebration of reading.

One is probably my favourite read ever!

One is chillingly good…

I think many of you might be able to guess, but to see if you’re right, head to My Weekly by clicking here and find out.

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I’ll be back with my full list of favourite reads of 2024 on 31st December where any book scoring a gut reaction 95+/100 on my personal spreadsheet will feature!

I’m so delighted that my final online review of the year for My Weekly magazine is Home Again for Christmas by Emily Stone. I absolutely love Emily Stone’s books and it’s a real delight to catch up with this latest one.

You’ll find my review of Emily’s Always, in December here and of One Last Gift here. One Last Gift has a special place in my heart as one of the characters is named after me!

Published by Headline on 10th October 2024, Home Again for Christmas is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Home Again for Christmas

Lexie is always on the move, but there is one constant in her life – her ‘wish jar’; the childhood tradition from home that she couldn’t leave behind.

When Lexie’s estranged dad dies, she is shocked to learn that she has inherited half of his travel company in Bath. Her dad’s will stipulates that she must work with Theo, her handsome but bad tempered business partner, for a year.

Once the year is over, Lexie intends to leave. But a work trip to sizzling Spain reveals a chemistry between Lexie and Theo that is impossible to deny.

Will Lexie find a reason to stay in one place? Will she discover the secret her father kept from her, and finally learn the meaning of home?

My Review of Home Again for Christmas

My full review of Home Again for Christmas can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Home Again for Christmas is achingly emotional and filled with the concept of belonging and facing our fears. There’s a gorgeous, fizzing romantic attraction, with a wonderfully flawed cast of characters that makes the book a true delight. I thought is was glorious.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Emily Stone

Emily Stone wrote Always, in December in an old Victorian manor house in Chepstow with an impressive literary heritage. Her debut novel was partly inspired by the death of her mother, when Emily was seven, and wanting to write something that reflected the fact that you carry this grief into adulthood, long after you supposedly move on from the event itself. Emily now lives in Bristol.

For more information, follow Emily on Twitter @EmStoneWrites. You’ll also find Emily on Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Martin Lloyd for sending me a copy of the graphic novel Dogland Rescue in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Dogland Rescue is available for purchase here.

Dogland Rescue

A Graphic Novel for readers of all ages.

In Dogland, friendship and kindness are prized above all. So it’s a huge shock when crooks and their savage dogs seize Mr and Mrs MacDuff’s orphanage. MacDuff escapes and his friends gather round him.

Bruno Bassett tells the story of Nipper, a reckless Jack Russell, Forensic Fred, a canine scientist, Pavlova, his brilliant, feisty fiancée, and many more. Together they try to defeat the crooks Smiler and Slimy and reinstall the MacDuffs in their home.

Ridiculous accidents happen, daft inventions go wrong, but ingenious ideas and a powerful sense of smell might just save the situation.

My Review of Dogland Rescue

The Macduffs seem to be missing.

A graphic novel with canine characters.

Initially I didn’t tune in properly to Dogland Rescue as I was thinking it was a children’s story and it didn’t seem quite right to me. Once I understood that this is, rather, a graphic novel for all ages, it made much more sense. It would certainly appeal to youngsters (perhaps those just in double figures and above) because it is an excellent adventure with peril, danger, humour and excitement, but I think Dogland Rescue’s strength lies with a more mature audience. I think the level of threat and intended violence is too high for young children and I admit I found the text a little small for my poor sight. 

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The reasons I think Dogland Rescue would make an excellent gift for teenagers (especially those embarking on work experience!) and adults is because there’s some smashing word play, particularly through creative spelling like Chewedear for Tudor, and humour can be found both in the text and in the brilliant illustrations. Take a close look at the train timetable or the book titles in the study, for example. Indeed, visually, Dogland Rescue is a complete work of art. The images are not only impressive, but they are so detailed they must have taken hours to produce. Dogland Rescue rewards returning to time and again as there’s so much to discover in each image. I loved the dark, menacing colour scheme for the negative characters. 

The plot zips along and draws on all manner of ideas that make it feel both recognisable and fresh. There’s crime caper, a touch of romance (I adored Forensic Fred’s adoration of Pavlova) and a real sense of drama. I thought the characters were smashing too.

However, it’s the layers of content I found so fascinating. There’s a sense of feminism, there are aphorisms to live by, there’s a true sense of community and friendship mixed with team work, there’s science and art, but there’s also a darker side with alcohol, spiking food, and homes being taken over. The characters might be dogs, but Dogland Rescue is an anthropomorphic microcosm of modern society. 

Having begun Dogland Rescue feeling slightly ambivalent, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it, the adventure and the humour. I was impressed by its contents and think it would make an excellent gift for a teenage boy who is difficult to buy for! Oh, and I’m rather hoping Bruno Bassett will have other adventures to tell us about in the future.

For more information about Dogland Rescue, visit the website.

It’s been manic here of late and regular blog readers will have noticed I haven’t had much time for reading and blogging. However, that doesn’t mean I’m not finding out about brilliant sounding books and it’s my pleasure today to welcome Blair J Collins to Linda’s Book Bag to tell me all about his debut novel.

Staying in with Blair J Collins

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Blair. Thank you for staying in with me.

Good evening Linda. Thanks for inviting me over. I hope you don’t mind, I’ve brought a bottle of red, already at room temperature plus a few nibbles to accompany the book I hope you read and want to discuss further.

Ah! I’ll eat the nibbles as we chat but sadly red wine makes me really unwell so you’ll just have to drink that alone. So, tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

The book in question is my first novel A Coastal Shelf. 

The book is set in the world of the fire service. Having said that it is not the main theme, simply the plot device that carries the story. That theme being what we hand down to the next generation and the effects, both positive and negative, that they have. 

That sounds fascinating. Where did the title come from?

The title A Coastal Shelf is taken from a poem by Phillip Larkin, This Be Verse. 

I quote. 

Man hands on misery to man / It deepens like a coastal shelf/ Get out as early as you can/ And don’t have any kids yourself. 

Oh yes! I thought it sounded familiar. Thank goodness you’re only quoting that part! What can we expect from an evening in with A Coastal Shelf? Is it as bleak as Larkin’s poem?

No. Despite that dour extract the book is laced with humour, drama but most importantly love. Eddie Hart, the main character, is conflicted by the love heaped on him by his mother and the lack of it from his father. He needs to know why, while struggling with his own private agony regarding his mother’s recent demise. He is a lonely man. As a manager he is caught in a power struggle at work, his relationship with his father is poor to say the least, then there is Jane and the unrequited love that they both must deal with. Can he bring these differing strands together to a satisfactory conclusion?

Oh, I think those are themes so many of us can relate to Blair. And loneliness does seem to be becoming the prevalent human condition.

What else have you brought along this evening and why have you brought it?

It would be great to bring Eddie along so you could meet him. Despite his inner turmoil, Eddie is a nice guy. He is popular with almost everybody he comes into contact with. German people use the word sympathisch, it translates as sympathetic, the connotation however is more. This is a guy you would be happy to spend time with. His persona is interesting, he is clubbable and behind those eyes there is a hidden depth of which we want to know more which is slowly revealed in this book and the sequel already written. 

Interesting. Tell me more.

‘It started to rain’ is the phrase from which this whole novel grew. As well as the wine and nibbles I mentioned earlier, I’ve also brought along a chapter of the book that starts to reveal the relationship between Eddie and Jane plus the heavy weight Eddie is carrying. What we don’t know yet is why: 

Eddie drove out to Hullbridge. Hedgerow and trees were budding in various shades of green. The fields would soon be hidden from the road behind dense walls of foliage. The remainder of the day had been quiet apart from the volleyball that was always loud and abusive with the recruit getting most of the stick but he had played reasonably well. He was physically quick, his eye to hand coordination good. Verbal badinage was not his forte so he laughed at crude and corny comments that came his way and had done his best to let his game do the talking. 

Normal day then Eddie thought. A shout, politics, sport. 

He parked up and walked into the pub garden that ran down to the waters edge. It was sparsely populated in the chiaroscuro of early evening. Couples were dotted around in quiet conversation and a large family with kids that ran around noisily were being indulged by all the customers who hoped they would be gone soon. The tide had left for other shores leaving the Crouch low enough to make the riverbank on the other side almost accessible. A Heron stood stock still one leg raised. A gull flew close over the Herons head laughing. The Heron never moved. 

Jane had chosen a sunny spot and was seated at a wooden table with a bench attached either side. In front of her was a pint and half of lager. 

Eddie sat down opposite Jane, one leg either side of the bench. 

“Bit clandestine,” he said. 

Jane ignored the comment. 

“Evening Eddie, I got them in.”

“Cheers” he said taking a swig of beer, “urgh what’s this?”

“Shandy, you’re driving.”

“Yes Mum.”

Jane thought the remark was a perfect in for the conversation she wanted to have but decided against it. 

“Seriously why here. Have you come to tell me you’re leaving Neville so we can run off together.”

Jane sipped her drink and looked at Eddie. His face now had the shy embarrassment of his adolescence. He knew he had overstepped. 

She could ask him why on earth would she leave such a good kindhearted man that has given her and her daughter so much. She could say she would leave Neville at the drop of a hat, ruin lives and throw it all away to be with him, if he asked her, if he meant it. She looked out over the river Crouch allowing a few seconds for her mind to reset. 

“What and be next in the long line of women, casual dates a thousand flirtations.”

He was stung by her harsh comment. 

“You were the first Jane. My very first girl friend.”

“Yea and I won’t be the last.”

She is not pulling her punches tonight he thought .

 “I’m just saying we go back aways.”

They both took a drink. 

“I asked you out here because I want to talk to you.”

“Talk to me or tear me off a strip?”

“Sorry,” she said. 

“Couldn’t we do that in the shop I need a trim.”

“No I need to concentrate on what I’m talking about.”

“Must be the only woman that can’t multitask.”

“I’ll multitask you in a minute.”

They were back on familiar ground. 

“You could come round the flat.”

“Oh yea and if Neville found out I’m going to your place on my own then what.”

“Neville wouldn’t mind.”

“Oh really! He knows our history, he ain’t as dumb as he is cabbage looking and for a smart bloke you can be pretty thick at times.”

“I know I know I’m just fucking with you Jane.”

It was unlike Eddie to use a course phrase in Jane’s company but after a day at work sometimes the boundaries blurred. 

She ignored the vulgarity. 

“I wanted to sit down with you where we would not be distracted and talk about your mum.”

Eddie grimaced and looked away. 

“Eddie look at me.”

He watched the Heron fly off, the neck retracted, head tucked in close. Was it a fish in its long beak, he couldn’t tell. 

He turned and looked at Jane, his face now drained of any warmth. 

“Don’t Eddie, don’t look at me like that. You have not been right since the accident.”

“I’m supposed to be right am I Jane, OK I’ll just make myself right  for you and everyone else.”

It was her turn to feel stung. 

“Do you know how long it’s been. He never let her answer. Five years, three years, two ? No. Its been exactly 294 days. So still quite fresh in the mind. Give me till 300 and that should do it.”

Wow thought Jane. She never realised how much he was still hurting. 

“I know Eddie,” she put her hand on his, “we all mourn in our own way and in our own time but Eddie you ain’t mourning.”

“What do you want, me collapsed on the floor crying my eyes out in a darkened room.”

“No but it would be more natural. I’ve been watching you and I’ve been asking about you.”

“Who?”

“Well just Jim and your Dad.”

“What do they say?”

“Not much it’s what they don’t say. Not bad, doing ok. He’ll be alright. Normal male rubbish. But I see you’re not OK. I remember a man that laughed easily, got on with people had an easy going manner was, she stopped, is respected and listened to. Always on a date, Mr cool who is now,” she hesitated “who is now Mr cold.”

They both took a drink becoming calm again with one another. 

“I’m alright” he said after awhile. “I was having a joke with Jim and Adam today.”

“Were you, really having a laugh a big old belly laugh. Laughing your head off were you ?”

Eddie frowned thinking back. 

They sat in silence Eddie running a thumb and forefinger down the condensation formed on the outside of his glass. 

“Talk to someone Ed, it doesn’t matter who it is, a counsellor, your boss, one of the watch, me even but please talk to someone, you need to.”

“You are the only one who calls me that.”

“What?”

“Ed.”

“Well everyone knows Eddie Hart don’t they, but I know you. Please Ed for me.”

Eddie nodded. 

“Do you want another drink” he asked.

“No let’s get out of here before people start talking.”

****

That’s a great introduction to the story and to Eddie. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat all about it Blair.

Well what a nice evening. I thought for £2:50 the wine would be better than that, even so I hope I have enticed you to read A Coastal Shelf and recommend it in your blog. 

You have! But if that was the cost of the wine, I’m glad I gave it a miss! You drink up and I’ll tell readers a little bit more about A Coastal Shelf.

A Coastal Shelf

Eddie Hart, a devoted officer at Langdon Fire Station, grapples with the lingering grief over his mother’s demise and the burdensome secret he harbors concerning her death, a truth he finds impossible to share with his seemingly detached father. At the firehouse, he faces the challenge of appeasing senior managers hell-bent on either reining in his Watch or disbanding it altogether, all while guiding the new recruit through the demanding facets of the profession. Amidst the workplace turmoil, the ghost of a past romance resurfaces: Jane, his high school sweetheart, now wed to the imposing Nev, but the lingering connection between them persists.

As the disparate threads of Eddie’s life converge towards a pinnacle, the pressure mounts. Will he navigate the tempest of professional challenges, mend the rift with his father, and reconcile the embers of a bygone love? Or will the surmounting adversities cause his life to unravel into chaos?

Published by Austin Macauley on 8th November 2024, A Coastal Shelf is available for purchase here.

About Blair J Collins

Blair J Collins was born and bred in Essex, close to the Thames River. A Coastal Shelf is his first work of prose fiction although he has always enjoyed writing but prior to retirement his busy life curtailed it to shorter forms of poetry and speech writing. He spent the majority of his working life in the fire service, retiring recently to concentrate on his writing. Blair and his partner divide their time between the UK and Germany. Blair has three children and so many grandchildren he’s lost count.

I cannot believe how few of the wonderful books by Sarah Morgan I’ve actually read. Consequently, I’m thrilled that my latest online review for My Weekly magazine is Sarah’s latest book, The Christmas Cottage. My enormous thanks to Felicia Hu at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of The Christmas Cottage in return for an honest review.

You’ll find my review of Sarah’s The Christmas Sisters here, of The Christmas Book Club here, and of The Summer Swap here.

Published by Harper Collins imprint HQ on 24th October 2024, The Christmas Cottage is available for purchase through the links here.

The Christmas Cottage

Will this Christmas finally bring comfort and joy?

A PAINFUL SECRET

Imogen loves her job as an events organiser, and her colleagues are in awe of her. But Imogen isn’t the person she pretends to be, and she’s hiding painful truths about her past. But as long as she can keep on top of her work, Imogen can put everything else to one side.

AN ACT OF KINDNESS

And then Imogen makes a catastrophic mistake at work, and finally realises it’s time to reset. When her favourite client, Dorothy, invites her to spend Christmas with her and her family, in her cottage in the Cotswolds, it sounds like the perfect way for Imogen to take stock.

FINDING HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS

Imogen soon settles into idyllic cottage life, especially with the prospect of a new romance on the horizon … but when long-buried secrets and unwanted faces from the past resurface, Imogen’s new peace is threatened. Will Imogen end up alone this Christmas, or can she find it in her heart to forgive and move on?

My Review of The Christmas Cottage

My full review of The Christmas Cottage can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Christmas Cottage is perfect seasonal reading. It’s packed with mystery and intrigue, romance, family and loneliness, all of which lead to the most gorgeous and engaging story that had me cheering for Imogen. I loved it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is a USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She has sold more than 21 million copies of her books and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe. Sarah lives with her family near London, England, where the rain frequently keeps her trapped in her office.

For further information, visit Sarah’s website. You can also find Sarah on Facebook or Twitter/X @SarahMorgan_ and on Instagram.