It’s my pleasure today to share another of my My Weekly online reviews and on this occasion it is of Murder Most Royal by S.J. Bennett. I’ve had The Windsor Knot on my TBR for ages so it’s a real pleasure finally to read S.J. Bennett’s Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series.

Published by Bonnier imprint Zaffre on 10th November 2022, Murder Most Royal is available for purchase here.

Murder Most Royal

December 2016 – A severed hand is found washed up on a beach next to the Queen’s estate at Sandringham.

Elizabeth has become quite accustomed to solving even the most complex of murders. And though she quickly identifies the 70-year-old victim, Edward St Cyr, from his signet ring, the search for his killer is not so straightforward.

St Cyr led an unconventional, often controversial life, making many enemies along the way in the quiet, rural world of North Norfolk, where everyone knows each other’s business.

But when a second man is found dead, and a prominent local woman is nearly killed in a hit-and-run, the mystery takes an even darker turn.

With the Christmas break coming to an end, the Queen and her trusted assistant Rozie must race to discover how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Or the next victim may be found even closer to home.

Agatha Christie meets The Crown in MURDER MOST ROYAL, the much-anticipated third book in the ‘Her Majesty The Queen Investigates’ mystery series by SJ Bennett – for fans of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin.

My Review of Murder Most Royal

My full review of Murder Most Royal can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, what I can say here is that Murder Most Royal is fast paced, engaging, fun and witty and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About S.J. Bennett

S. J. Bennett was born in Yorkshire, England, and travelled the world as an army child and a student of languages. After various jobs as a lobbyist, strategy consultant and start-up project manager she wrote several award-winning books for teenagers before turning to adult crime novels with the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series. She lives in London and has been a royal watcher for years, but is keen to stress that these are works of fiction: the Queen, to the best of her knowledge, does not secretly solve crimes. Although, if she did, it would probably be a bit like this …

For further information, visit Sophia’s website, follow her on Twitter either as @SJBennettbooks or @sophiabennett and find her on Instagram or Facebook.

It’s a real pleasure to join the blog tour for children’s book Dig It, Digby! by Jodie Parachini, illustrated by John Joven. My thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part. I’m sharing my review today.

Dig It, Digby! is available for purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Dig It, Digby!

Although Digby enjoys building cities with his fellow trucks, he also loves to twirl and groove. Being true to both aspects of his personality will really shake things up at the construction site. The foreman may be gruff and scary, but dancing trucks can really get the job done!

Dig It, Digby! targets all fans of truck/construction books, yet also pushes the boundaries of the typical ‘boy’ book genre. By incorporating dance, it challenges gender roles using nonhuman characters that all children can relate to. Told in joyous rhyme, Dig It, Digby! is 360 words and has the lyricism of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and the stereotype-breaking ethos of Giraffes Can’t Dance.

My Review of Dig It, Digby!

Digby needs some excitement in his job.

I always like to comment on the physical attributes of children’s picture books because it’s likely they are going to take quite a bit of handling. What is brilliant about Dig It, Digby! is that the hard back not only has a strong robust cover, but also comes with a slip cover to protect it further. I loved the fact that the end papers are tyre tracks too as they are in keeping with the industrial setting of the story.

And what a lovely story it is. Digby feels his job is becoming boring and he and the other construction vehicles begin to dance, play music and thoroughly enjoy their lives. Dig It, Digby! is a smashing encouragement to children (and the adults sharing the book with them) to get moving, have fun and express their love of life. This is such an important message to all ages. I can imagine children acting out the jumping and bouncing in the story and thoroughly enjoying it.

Told in excellent rhyme that never feels contrived Dig It, Digby! will really appeal to young children and makes it easy for any adult to read aloud effectively. The alternate end rhyme is so good at promoting children’s own vocabulary and language acquisition as they might be able to guess some of the words coming but will also be introduced to unfamiliar vocabulary so that Dig It, Digby! is educational as well as fun and entertaining. There’s also an excellent balance of text to image.

The illustrations are perfect to accompany the text, bringing the story alive. The construction vehicles have anthropomorphic features that are just right for the target audience and the shapes of the trucks mimic toys children will know so that they have a super frame of reference. There are no insipid colours here either. Each page is vibrant and colourful so that the illustrations convey happiness and vivacity alongside the story.

I really loved Dig It, Digby! and think children will adore it too.

About Jodie Parachini

Jodie Parachini is a children’s author and editor. She lives in a village in Hertfordshire, England, where she loves swimming, gardening, and taking long, rambling hikes with a smelly dog.

For further information, visit Jodie’s website, follow her on Twitter @JodieParachini or find her on Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Today I’m back sharing another of my My Weekly online reviews and on this occasion it is of the fabulous Katie Fforde’s A Wedding in Provence.

A Wedding in Provence is published by Penguin and available for purchase through the links here.

A Wedding in Provence

Late summer, 1963.

Fresh from London and a recent cookery course, Alexandra has always loved a challenge.

Which is why she now finds herself standing outside an imposing chateau in Provence.

Waiting for her inside is three silent, rather hostile children who are to be her charges for the next month.

They will soon be more friendly, she tells herself. All they need is some fun, good food and an English education.

Far more of a challenge though is their father – an impossibly good looking French count with whom she is rapidly falling in love . . .

My Review of A Wedding in Provence

My full review of A Wedding in Provence can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, what I can say here is that A Wedding in Provence has all the Katie Fforde elements her readers know and adore with love in many forms at the heart of her story.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Katie Fforde

Katie Fforde lives in the beautiful Cotswold countryside with her family, and is a true country girl at heart. Each of her books explores a different profession or background and her research has helped her bring these to life. She’s been a porter in an auction house, tried her hand at pottery, refurbished furniture, delved behind the scenes of a dating website, and she’s even been on a Ray Mears survival course. She loves being a writer; to her there isn’t a more satisfying and pleasing thing to do. She particularly enjoys writing love stories. She believes falling in love is the best thing in the world, and she wants all her characters to experience it, and her readers to share their stories.

For further information, visit Katie’s website, find her on Facebook or Instagram and follow her on Twitter @KatieFforde.

There’s a unique event today on Linda’s Book Bag as I have two separate posts featuring the same author. And let me tell you, it confused me completely! I am reviewing Melvyn Small’s The Accidental Detective here on the blog, but in this post Melvyn stays in with me to chat about another of his books. Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Melvyn Small

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Mel and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

The book I’ve chosen to bring along to day is Three Pint Problems. It’s the third volume of stories, which are being republished as The Accidental Detective series. The Accidental Detective is a reimagination of Sherlock Holmes as a working-class anti-hero solving crimes in present day Middlesbrough. Three Pint Problems includes three feature-length adventures that can be read as standalone stories or as part of the series.

Oo. An interesting way to follow The Accidental Detective (which I’m reviewing here today too).

What can we expect from an evening in with Three Pint Problems?

Laughter and intrigue. As you might imagine from a book of Sherlock Holmes stories, there are mysteries to unravel, but one of the things that makes these stories different from the originals is the humour. He’s also far less of a show off. Someone with the arrogance of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes wouldn’t go down well in Middlesbrough. I think this adds to the enigma.

You’re absolutely right. He’s quite a character! What else makes this Sherlock Holmes different?

There are actually a lot of nods to the original character. I tried to break the character into his component parts and rebuild him in a different time and place. In these stories he’s a normal bloke that has been endowed some exceptional gifts when it comes to logic and deduction. This coupled with his struggles with addiction pushes him into the situations he becomes embroiled in. He is addicted to the intrigue and restless without the distraction it brings.

I loved meeting this modern Sherlock, but what have the reviewers being saying?

Some of the feedback on the series so far has been amazing. When I first started writing, my goal was to appear like a proper author. I was realistic enough to expect that not everybody would rave about what I’d written, but I didn’t want to come across as someone just having a go at it. As it has transpired, the reviews I have received have been great. My Holmes has gathered a bit of a cult following and this has been a massive and much welcomed bonus.

Here are some of my favourites:

“Manages to merge the feel of Sherlock Holmes with the noir-detective (Hammett) feel of more-modern-menace.”

“This is the most different incarnation of Sherlock Holmes that I’ve ever read. And the funniest. He’s also more different and funnier than the Sherlock Holmes of my own e-book.”

“Mel Small is added to the tiny list of people I trust with Holmes and Watson. That’s no mean feat.”

“Gripping tales and wonderful characters. Would love to see this developed into a TVs series.”

“You’ll delight to the quick wit, dry humor and quirky dialogue as Small thrusts his characters into each dilemma. In the last 42 months, I’ve read 337 books, and let me proudly say this one is in the top 10.”

You must be thrilled with those responses Mel. And I can attest that you are, indeed, a proper writer!

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

Given this is a virtual meeting, I thought I’d bring a long a couple of bottles of Engineer’s Thumb. Although the Twisted Lip is a real place on Baker Street, Middlesbrough, the beer they drink while pondering their mysteries is thus far a fictional one. Cheers. Fans of the other Sherlock Holmes will get the references.

They will indeed Mel!

I also thought some music, Provisionally Yours by Melv!s. The fantasy is for these stories to be made into a TV series. I think an instrumental version of this would provide an excellent soundtrack for the opening and/or end credits. The jazzy vibe would sit well with the noir feel of the stories. In the interests of transparency, I should also mention I wrote this song and I also sing on it. Project Melv!s is another one of my creative endeavours. (Cheesy grin)

Oo. So you’ve several strings to your bow Mel. This has been such fun. Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about Three Pint Problems. You crack open the beers and I’ll give Linda’s Book Bag Readers a few more details:

Three Pint Problems

Doctor John Watson has reached into his archives to treat us to three feature-length adventures. In The Darlington Substitution, The Devil’s Advocate and Murder on the Teesside Princess we see Boro’s greatest detective at the height of his wisecracking, foulmouthed, law disregarding and deductive brilliance.

If the devil is in the detail, he has nowhere to hide.

Published by Indipenned, Three Pint Problems is available for purchase through the links here.

About Melvyn Small

Born in Stockton-on-Tees and raised in nearby Billingham, Mel’s natural inclination is towards technical challenges and he has degrees in both Civil and Structural Engineering and Information Technology. It perhaps the requirement for concise communication in these disciplines that has resulted in his concise writing style. An upbringing in Teesside is to blame for the comedy that accompanies his literary output.

Thus far Mel’s published work comprises sixteen short stories and novellas chronicling the adventures of his reimagination of Sherlock Holmes as a dry-witted, working-class northerner plying his trade in present-day Middlesbrough. First published in 2015, these books have gained a cult following, with the upcoming Three Pint Problems being the third volume in the series.

In order to test his writing chops yet further, Mel has also written two full-length novels that are currently working their way through the publication process. Other works in progress include some more adventures for Sherlock Holmes, Boro’s Greatest Detective.

In addition to this, Mel has also spent some time in the recording studio working on original music. This includes The Perfect EP by Melv!s, a soundtrack to one of the aforementioned novels, which is now available to stream on the major channels. The debut single from this initiative, Provisionally Yours, was released in September 2021.

Mel is also the founder of Indipenned, an online portal for the promotion of independent literature.

If you would like an email providing updates on Mel’s various endeavours please sign up to the newsletter.

Find out more by following Indipenned on Twitter @indipenned and Facebook as well as visiting the website. Mel also has a personal author website and you can follow him on Twitter @northernholmes or find him on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s a real pleasure to join the blog tour for The Accidental Detective by Melvyn Small today and my thanks go to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part. Mel has previously appeared on Linda’s Book Bag with a fantastic guest post you’ll find here when we celebrated The Darlington Substitution and you’ll also find me staying in with Mel here today to find out all about another of his books Three Pint Problems.

However, this post is all about The Accidental Detective which is available for purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

The Accidental Detective

Thrown together by the British legal system, Holmes and his court appointed psychologist, Dr John Watson, seem an unlikely pairing… but sometimes the stars align.

Our two heroes are soon drawn into a series of riotous adventures that both bewilder and beguile. Holmes’ mastery of data, deduction and logic combines with his gin-dry wit and a casual contempt for life-threatening danger to ensure there is never a dull moment as he and the good doctor battle the mysteries that have the local constabulary baffled.

The game is afoot… oh yes!

My Review of The Accidental Detective

When I began reading I had no idea that, rather than one narrative, what you have here in The Accidental Detective is independent stories which have links to one another. As a result I enjoyed the book all the more as each story can be enjoyed wholly and satisfyingly when life is too challenging and busy to focus on a full length novel.

Each of The Accidental Detective stories plunges into the narrative from the very first sentence and maintains a cracking pace throughout. I really liked Watson’s authorial voice as it retained a formality that echoes the original character and balanced Holmes’s more expletive driven modern parlance. The quirks and idiosyncrasies of Holmes’ character have been recreated really effectively so that he feels familiar but also realistic and relevant to today’s world. This is not just a pastiche, however, as Melvyn Small’s Holmes is far more politically incorrect, ordinary and down to earth than might be expected. He’s rough and ready, swears continuously and is very willing to become engaged in his own illegal activities but has a social conscience too!

That said, one of the real strengths of The Accidental Detective is the way Melvyn Small balances his Holmes and Watson with sufficient touches from the original Sherlock Holmes books to engage fans and new readers alike. I loved the little references that pay homage to Arthur Conan Doyle’s books as spotting them adds another layer of enjoyment.

The stories themselves are engaging and entertaining. Whilst they are exciting and compelling, they also explore themes that feel fresh and relevant, from reality television to mental health so that there are added hooks for the reader. I thought the historical, geographical and cultural references, woven in particular to Holmes’s direct speech, were inspired.

There’s a real sense of place in the stories too, as Holmes and Watson’s escapades take place in Middlesborough. I loved the northern feel of the stories and the affection in adversity that Melvyn Small seems to weave into his settings and characters placed there. He doesn’t romanticise the north or conform to stereotypes. The setting simply is.

The Accidental Detective might be grounded in the Sherlock Holmes of Arthur Conan Doyle, but there’s more than a touch of Arthur Daley, the Keystone Cops and James Bond here too so that this is a smashing set of stories to divert and entertain the reader. I really enjoyed The Accidental Detective because it was fun and escapist with just enough edge to feel authentic.

About Melvyn Small

Born in Stockton-on-Tees and raised in nearby Billingham, Mel’s natural inclination is towards technical challenges and he has degrees in both Civil and Structural Engineering and Information Technology. It perhaps the requirement for concise communication in these disciplines that has resulted in his concise writing style. An upbringing in Teesside is to blame for the comedy that accompanies his literary output.

Thus far Mel’s published work comprises sixteen short stories and novellas chronicling the adventures of his reimagination of Sherlock Holmes as a dry-witted, working-class northerner plying his trade in present-day Middlesbrough. First published in 2015, these books have gained a cult following, with the upcoming Three Pint Problems being the third volume in the series.

In order to test his writing chops yet further, Mel has also written two full-length novels that are currently working their way through the publication process. Other works in progress include some more adventures for Sherlock Holmes, Boro’s Greatest Detective.

In addition to this, Mel has also spent some time in the recording studio working on original music. This includes The Perfect EP by Melv!s, a soundtrack to one of the aforementioned novels, which is now available to stream on the major channels. The debut single from this initiative, Provisionally Yours, was released in September 2021.

Mel is also the founder of Indipenned, an online portal for the promotion of independent literature.

If you would like an email providing updates on Mel’s various endeavours please sign up to the newsletter.

You can find out more by following Indepenned on Twitter @indipenned and Facebook as well as visiting the website. Mel also has a personal author website and you can follow him on Twitter @northernholmes or find him on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’m a huge fan of Jo Thomas so when I was asked if I’d like to review Jo’s latest book, Keeping A Christmas Promise, for My Weekly online, I jumped at the chance. It’s a year since I reviewed Jo’s Celebrations at the Chateau on the My Weekly website here.

My other features that include Jo on Linda’s Book Bag are:

Coming Home to Winter Island here

A Winter Beneath The Stars here

Sunset Over the Cherry Orchard here,

The Olive Branch here

Late Summer in the Vineyard here.

I also have a smashing post about Jo’s top 5 holiday destinations that you can read here.

Published by Penguin on 13th October 2022, Keeping A Christmas Promise is available for purchase through the links here.

Keeping A Christmas Promise

One Icelandic Christmas holiday. One snowstorm. An adventure they’ll never forget!

Twenty-five years ago, Freya and her three best friends created a bucket list. The future seemed bright and full of hope . . . But now they are travelling to Iceland in memory of the friend they’ve lost, determined to fulfil her dream of seeing the Northern Lights at Christmas.

They didn’t count on an avalanche leaving them stranded! Handsome local, Pétur, comes to the rescue, showing them how the community survives the hard winter. With Christmas approaching, Freya and her friends throw themselves into the festivities, decorating and cooking for the villagers using delicious local ingredients.

But will they manage to see the Northern Lights? And can Freya’s own dreams come true, this Christmas?

My Review of Keeping A Christmas Promise

My full review of Keeping A Christmas Promise can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, what I can say here is that Keeping A Christmas Promise is stuffed full of love, friendship, travel, food and community wrapped in a perfect book-shaped parcel and I loved it!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Jo Thomas

Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, first for BBC Radio 5, before moving on to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show. In 2013 Jo won the RNA Katie Fforde Bursary. Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller in ebook and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best Ebook Award. Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.

You can visit Jo’s website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @jo_thomas01. Jo’s also on Instagram.

My huge thanks to Katrina Power for inviting me to participate in this festive blog tour for Snowfall Over Halesmere House by Suzanne Snow. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

Published by Canelo, Snowfall Over Halesmere House is available for purchase through the links here.

Snowfall Over Halesmere House

Welcome to Halesmere House, where romance might be just around the corner…

After years of living in the past, Ella is ready to start building a future. The perfect opportunity presents itself when she is offered a short-term role at Halesmere House in the Lake District, and tasked with kick-starting its artists’ residence. She can’t wait to start and explore a new career in an inspiring location.

But when Ella arrives at Halesmere, she wonders if she’s made a huge mistake after she clashes with Max, the new owner. Max has his own reasons to be unsettled by her presence, but despite his misgivings it seems everyone else loves having Ella around. As a single dad, it’s his children’s attachment to her that bothers him most. Who will pick up the pieces when Ella leaves?

What Max doesn’t know is that Ella is falling for more than just the Lake District and the community around her. Can her temporary job lead to a permanent happy ending?

A tender and uplifting Christmas romance for fans of Heidi Swain, Karen Swan and Sue Moorcroft.

My Review of Snowfall Over Halesmere House

Ella is starting a new job.

What a lovely, heartwarming story! Snowfall Over Halesmere House is utterly charming, and thoroughly enjoyable because it’s a sensitive exploration of home, family and belonging that seeps into the reader’s consciousness so that they begin to feel part of the local community every bit as much as Ella and Max.

I loved the Lakes setting which acts as a well defined, but not overpowering, backdrop to the plot and the reader discivers it alongside Ella. Suzanne Snow had me wanting to book a stay at Halesmere as soon as possible. There’s a real sense of community in Snowfall Over Halesmere House that is much needed in today’s world. I felt as if I wanted to move to the Lakes too because Susanne Snow made the area feel real and compelling.

Ella is a layered and complex character as she comes to terms with what has happened in her family and learns to trust her instincts and gives herself permission to be herself. There’s an underpinning sadness that makes her vulnerable even whilst she is professionally highly competent. What I found worked so beautifully in the developing relationship between Max and Ella was that there wasn’t an over dependence on their physical attributes in the writing, but rather a subtle uncovering of who they are as people that really brought them alive and made me care about them. Noelle too is a triumph, being a perfect blend of razor sharp manipulation and slight artistic battiness that gave her depth and made her a catalyst for much of the action. Although Max is the lead male, I have to confess to being a little in love with Stan because his rough exterior conceals a man who cares about others, and who is both skilled and hard working.

What I enjoyed so much, however, was how the themes were presented. In Snowfall over Halesmere House Suzanne Snow gently teaches her reader not to live in the past and not to live a half life. Instead she illustrates how fulfilling grasping opportunities can be and shows us how we can be happy if only we allow ourselves to be so. I found this element of the story very affecting. The explorations of grief, trust, self-belief, family and friendship feel mature, sensitive and striking. Equally entrancing is Suzanne Snow’s consideration of love. Whilst there is conventional romance at the heart of the story, there are other forms of love from enjoying what a person does for a living to the unconditional love between a parent and child as well as the preservation of love for those who are no longer with us. I found this element of the narrative very emotional.

As the plot moves towards the festive season, Snowfall over Halesmere House is the perfect book to enjoy on a dark, winter’s afternoon when it will give the reader a warm internal glow. I thought it was lovely.

About Suzanne Snow

Suzanne Snow writes contemporary and uplifting fiction, with a vibrant sense of setting and community connecting the lives of her characters. A horticulturist who lives with her family in Lancashire, her books are inspired by a love of landscape, romance and rural life.

The Cottage of New Beginnings, Suzanne’s first novel in the popular Thorndale series, was a contender for the 2021 RNA Joan Hessayon Award, and she is currently writing the Love in the Lakes series for Canelo. Snowfall Over Halesmere House is her fifth novel.

Suzanne is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors.

For further information, visit Suzanne’s website, follow her on Twitter @SnowProse and find her on Instagram and Facebook.

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It’s a real pleasure to celebrate Phillipa Ashley’s latest book The Christmas Holiday. My thanks to Maddie Dunne Kirby at Avon books for inviting providing me with a lovely extract for you. I’ll be reviewing The Christmas Holiday later for My Weekly‘s online magazine for whom I recently reviewed Phillipa’s A Golden Cornish Summer in a post you’ll find here.

Published by Harper Collins’ imprint Avon on 10th November 2022, The Christmas Holiday is available for purchase through the links here.

The Christmas Holiday

She’s planned the perfect Christmas. But fate might have other ideas…

Krystle didn’t have a normal childhood and longed for warm family Christmases with presents under the tree. Now she makes sure everyone else has the perfect Christmas she never had, bringing beautiful decorations to cheer as many people as possible.

With her festive business booming, she decides to celebrate by renting a secluded house in the Lakes, with a plan to make this the ultimate yuletide getaway.

But fate immediately throws a spanner in the works in the form of a broken-down car, a flooded river and Max; a man who despises Christmas.

Krystle becomes determined to show Max the joys of the holiday. She won’t take no for an answer.

Can she melt Max’s Grinch-like heart? And can he show her that life doesn’t need to go to plan to take you somewhere magical…

Let Sunday Times bestseller Phillipa Ashley whisk you away to the Lakes this Christmas, with a story full of unexpected romance, second chances, snowflakes and starlight! Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Karen Swan and Heidi Swain.

An Extract from The Christmas Holiday

The Prologue

It was the biggest Christmas tree Krystle had ever seen: twice as tall as her, and topped by a glittering star that almost touched the ceiling. You could barely see the branches for the shiny baubles, stripy candy canes, strings of beads and wooden toys.

It was swathed with tinsel in the colours of a peacock’s feathers, shimmering in the light of the fire. Underneath there were presents in every shape and size, wrapped in shiny paper and tied with ribbon and bows.

The room reminded Krystle of a Christmas card that her Auntie Linda had sent her and her mum the previous year. The card showed a family gathered around a tree in a huge room, opening the gifts by the light of a fire.

Standing on tiptoes, she peered through the old-fashioned window. Her feet sank into the soil and water squelched into her trainers. Auntie Linda had loaned Mum the money to buy them but they hadn’t lasted long in the rocky muddy places she’d been to in the Lake District over the past few days.

The instructors at the Outdoor Centre spoke in soft Northern accents and smiled a lot. They’d made jokes about the pink trainers and lent her ‘proper footwear’ for some of the activities. Krystle knew they meant to be kind, but she hated the stiff boots, shaped by someone else’s feet. She’d rather have wet socks.

Actually, she’d rather be inside full stop. . . It was already almost dark even though they hadn’t had their lunchtime sandwiches so very long ago. Some of the stars were already twinkling and lights peeped out from the tiny cottages in the Thorndale valley.

Krystle was supposed to be waiting at the edge of the village for the bus. All the kids were tired and cold after another long walk, eating crisps and chattering about what might be for dinner at the Outdoor Centre where they all had to sleep in bunk beds.

No one had noticed her slip away from the others towards the grand house with stone pillars. She had been drawn to its glowing windows like she was to the big stores in London that she loved to visit with Auntie Linda. A quick look wouldn’t do any harm, would it? Better than standing in the cold, while the rain fell and being told to ‘keep their chins up’ by the teachers, whatever that meant.

She pulled off her mitten and spread her palm over the pane, hoping to feel the warmth of the fire. The glass was cold but she could hear the faint crackle and hiss as the flames leapt. She’d never been in front of a fire inside a house. Auntie Linda had told her they were ‘very nice to look at but a lot of trouble’ and Mum had said they were too dangerous to have in a flat.

Here in this huge house, the fire looked safe and inviting. Where were the people who owned it? Why weren’t they enjoying their beautiful room like the family in the card? If it were Krystle’s house, her mum would be curled up on the sofa with a magazine and a glass of wine. Auntie Linda would be in the armchair, her feet on the footstool, a sherry in her hand. Krystle would lie on the rug, reading a book, toasting by the fire, wondering what the presents contained.

It was such a contrast to her real life, which was like a ride on the Southend rollercoaster that Auntie Linda had treated her to. Krystle loved rollercoasters but she didn’t want to be on one all time.

Linda said that Mum was ‘doing her best’, and Krystle did believe it. She loved her mother but she was often cross and impatient, always short of money and very unhappy. As long as Krystle could remember, they’d moved from flat to flat or ‘B&B’s’ with peeling walls and the smell of other people’s cooking.

As for school, she’d had to change so many times, she’d lost count. Just as she’d made friends, she was uprooted to another place because her mum had fallen out with her boss – and Krystle didn’t blame her as they sounded horrible – or refused to ‘keep her daughter in this skanky hole any longer’.

Yet things were about to change again. Just not for the better.

Her mother had a new boyfriend, Gus, and they were moving in with him by Christmas. It filled her with dread. He wasn’t violent – in fact he largely ignored her – but she felt he’d cast a giant shadow over her life that having a permanent home didn’t make up for. Gus made jokes about old people, reeked of aftershave and often had food stuck in his beard.

He also had two twin daughters a year older than Krystle, who laughed at her clothes and called her a ‘chav’. The Terrible Twins shared a room so Krys would have to sleep on the sofa bed in Gus’s ‘office’, and have to tidy it away every night so that no trace of her was left in his ‘workspace’.

The girls had made it clear they hated the idea of sharing their house as much as much she did, especially since she’d pushed one of them in a puddle for teasing her for having free school meals.

If only they could live with Linda. . . but her mum was mad on Gus and told Krys she’d have to make the best of it.

Krystle was tired of making the best of it. She didn’t want to wear someone else’s boots and she didn’t want to go back to London. If only they could move here to the Lake District and live in this house, her mum and Auntie Linda, maybe a dog and a cat too.

She pressed her face to the glass, squashing her nose to the pane, willing herself to be magicked inside the fairy tale world of the Christmas card.

‘Krystle Jones, what on earth are you doing?’

The booming voice startled her and she fell backwards into the border with a squelch. She wasn’t hurt – didn’t think she was – but the shock had made her heart thump hard and made her out of breath.

Above her, a woman towered over her, hands on hips.

‘Come away from there! This is someone’s private property!’

Miss Braithwaite’s bushy eyebrows faced off like two warring caterpillars. She looked taller and wider than ever from ground level. The rain had turned icy and sharp, like tiny needles against Krystle’s face.

‘S-sorry, Miss Braithwaite.’ Krystle pushed herself up on her elbows, feeling the damp seep through her coat to her jumper.

‘The minibus is here. We almost went back to the centre without you!’

Krystle let out a squeak of alarm. ‘No!’

Miss Braithwaite’s frown melted into a kinder smile. She reached down and took Krystle’s hand, pulling her to her feet.

‘Come on, madam. Of course, we wouldn’t leave you behind but a lot of people have gone to a lot of trouble to organise this trip. It’s not fair to keep them waiting, is it?’

‘No, Miss.’ She tried to brush the mud from her jeans but ended up smearing it into the denim.

Miss Braithwaite rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t worry about your clothes. We can pop them in the machine at the centre.’ She pursed her lips. ‘But those silly trainers are soaked. I’ll put them in the drying room for a few days. Don’t worry, you can wear your boots for the rest of the week.’ She clapped her gloves together. ‘Now, chop chop! The driver’s not too pleased at being kept waiting, I can tell you.’

With a silent sigh, she squelched behind Miss Braithwaite towards the minibus which was parked at the end of the drive to the house. She glanced back, imagining she could see shadows at the windows; the family returning from a walk to enjoy hot chocolate with squirty cream and little pink marshmallows. Maybe the children would be allowed to open a present early, even though it wasn’t Christmas for a few weeks yet. If Krystle was their mum, that’s what she would do: let them have one little gift now, just one. . .

‘Hallelujah! The wanderer returns!’ Miss Braithwaite announced as Krystle climbed into the bus. Some of the boys jeered but a few kids slid admiring glances at her for having escaped, even temporarily.

Far from being annoyed, the driver didn’t even look up from his newspaper when Krystle slunk past him. She wrinkled her nose. The bus smelled of wet clothes and fishpaste sandwiches.

Her new friend, Harriet, moved aside she could take the window seat. ‘You’re wet,’ she whispered.

‘Sorry. Better keep away from me.’

Harriet smirked. ‘I bet Miss Braithwaite was pissed off.’

‘A bit.’ Krystle nodded and they both stifled giggles.

The engine rumbled and the bus lurched forward.

Wiping away the condensation on the window, Krystle watched the glow of the house fading away into the dusk. Soon, it was only a memory, lost amid the white flakes falling on the stone walls and fields.

Harriet offered Krystle a Haribo. Her tongue was lime green. ‘Where did you go?’ she whispered.

‘The Christmas card house,’ she said, delving into the packet. ‘And one day, I’m going to live in a place just like it.’

****

Isn’t that just perfect to entice readers in? I love finding an Auntie Linda – I might just be one of those myself! I’m so looking forward to reviewing The Christmas Holiday for My Weekly very soon.

About Phillipa Ashley

Phillipa Ashley writes warm, funny romantic fiction for a variety of international publishers. The first two books in her best-selling Cornish Café series made the Amazon Top 20 and Top 10 chart in 2016.

Phillipa lives in a Staffordshire village with her husband and has a grown-up daughter.

For more information about Phillipa, visit her website or find her on Instagram or Facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter @PhillipaAshley.

Tomorrow, 9th November, marks the sixth year since my lovely Dad died with me and my sister by his side, and I miss him just as much now as I did then. In tribute to him, I am reviewing I Miss You by Gioia Guerzoni and illustrated by Rosie Leech which was sent to me as surprise book post from lovely Lefki at Cicada Books.

Published on 21st April 2022 by Cicada, I Miss You is available from all good bookshops and online including here.

I Miss You

With a gentle and considerate style, this evocative little gift book proposes a series of conceptual activities to help the reader work through the sense of loss that arises when someone or something is missing from their lives. For example;

Spend one minute writing a list of all the things you can remember doing with the person that you miss. Simple everyday events can make as many memories as big adventures. Write as fast as you can. When one minute is up, stick the list to a window pane so that it can be seen from outside.

With beautiful, stripped back illustration and elegant packaging, this book is a striking and affordable gift for a friend or for yourself.

My Review of I Miss You

A slim volume of exercises to heal sadness.

I Miss You may only have around 40 pages with more than half of them given over to illustrations but it certainly packs a punch. I loved the way the introduction acknowledges that it isn’t just a person we can miss, but a place, feeling or object too. It is as if I Miss You is giving the reader important permission to be themselves. And that reader can be of any age. Whilst the publisher specialises in children’s books, I Miss You works for any age group.

There are activities and suggestions in I Miss You that mean there is something here for everyone to help them in their grieving process. I especially connected with Words it’s one of the ways I remember my Dad. He always used the word ‘mulfrey’ to describe warm, humid weather and it seemed to sum it up perfectly. Other suggestions of ways to deal with missing someone or something are more contemplative and some very active. The way they are written is accessible and as the author uses the pronoun you throughout it makes the reader feel they are being given attention and that someone understands how they might be feeling. I think for those who can’t articulate their feelings to those around them I Miss You could be incredibly cathartic.

However, for me it is the illustrations that turn a lovely little book into a work of art. There’s an ephemeral looseness to their style that matches the words and themes of I Miss You so beautifully. I loved I Miss You. I think it would make a wonderful gift –  especially for those to whom you don’t know how to offer support but what to show you care. It’s a charming, helpful, beautiful little book.

About Gioia Guerzoni

Gioia Guerzoni was born in Milan but currently lives in Greece. She has worked as a translator for thirty years, mostly from English to English, as well as being a freelance consultant to several Italian publishing houses, reading manuscripts and writing reports.

For further information, visit Gioia’s website, or find her on Twitter @GioiaGuerzoni and Instagram.

About Rosie Leech

Rosie Leech is an illustrator, designer and ceramicist currently living in the UK. Her work is created using both digital and analogue processes, including traditional printmaking, hand building with porcelain and drawing.

For more information, visit Rosie’s website, or find her on Instagram.