Nikki's Notations

Book Review 21 - The House Of Lost Secrets

nakeisha — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:17:50 GMT

The House Of Lost Secrets

by Anstey Harris

She thought she knew her best friend….She was wrong.

The weather-worn cottage Clachan has always been Jo Wilding’s sanctuary, a blissful escape from her tumultuous home life. From the first summer Rachel invited her to join the Willoughby family in the wilds of Scotland, she fell in love with the sea air, sandy beach and Tristan, Rachel’s older brother…

All these years later, Clachan is where their most important occasions and conversations take place, so when Rachel organises a weekend there, Jo never suspects that this weekend will change everything. Because it turns out Rachel has been keeping a secret, a betrayal that plunges Jo into a past she’s spent years trying to forget.

Left to untangle the pieces of their past alone, Jo has to decide if there is such a thing as forgiveness when there is no one left to forgive?

This is one of those books that, to my mind, doesn't seem to really fit into any particular genre. It's a sort of life story that has romance and friendship and secrets in it.

I thought it was a very good book; a very satisfying book; it told a story I found very believable. It was a book that evoked a range of emotions, good and bad. It was well written, the story was well told, the sense of place was very good. The characters came across as very real, as did their personal histories with both good and bad elements. I enjoyed it very much.

I might have a look at other books by the author - not that I need any more books.

I shall use this book for 'Sea or river on the cover'.

Book Bingo 18/25

Book Review 20 - What Happened At The Lake

nakeisha — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:20:10 GMT

What Happened At the Lake

by Phil M. Williams

They went on vacation. Not everyone made it back.

The Palmers went to the lake for a week of fun in the sun. But Alex Palmer had an agenda. He wanted his brother to reconcile with their hypercompetitive father. He wanted his daughter to break up with her shady boyfriend. Most of all, Alex wanted them to be a family one more time before he faced his predicament at home.

Evil incarnate and a brutal double murder shifted Alex’s focus from wants to needs. He needed to keep his family safe. He needed to find her. He needed to know what happened at the lake.

His pastor often said, “God won’t give you more than you can bear.”

This had nothing to do with God.

This isn't a book I can say I 'enjoyed', I doubt it is a book that anyone can 'enjoy' as such. Nonetheless it was a very powerful, rather intense and dark book.

The Palmers were a rather dysfunctional family, with a variety of secrets - some of which were darker than others. You couldn't really like most, if any, of the characters, but then again they didn't really like one another. And yet they were bound together in more than just family ties.

It was very dark in places and a little graphic at times, but overly graphic - less so than I was led to believe. The darkness and brutality always had a reason; was genuinely part of the story, not just put in for the sake of gratuitous violence. There were quite a few twists and misleads as well as a few shocks.

It isn't a book I would necessarily recommend and I doubt it's a book I will reread. But it certainly packed a punch and left you well aware that you don't know what goes on in other families - indeed in this case, many of the family members didn't know what was going on in their own family. It was a satisfying read in terms of everything was tied up and the reader knew who, why, where and how.

I shall use this book for 'A new to you author'.

Book Bingo 17/25

Fiction. Not An Accident

nakeisha — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:55:10 GMT

TITLE: Not An Accident
FANDOM: NCIS
CHARACTERS: Gibbs & Ducky
SUMMARY: Things aren't always as they seem.
WORD COUNT: 100
RATING: G
WRITTEN FOR: ncis_drabble Challenge: 901 - Concentrate

Gibbs strode into Autopsy. "Well? Was it an accident?"

Ducky shook his head. "No, Jethro. It was murder. Cold bloodied, calculated murder. Intended to look like a tragic accident."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Lieutenant Massingham was obsessed with her prize winning orchids. She was very careful and always used the same selective herbicide to keep weeds at bay. Someone swapped bottles; the one she used contained a chemical concentrate that hadn't been diluted. She was in an enclosed space."

Gibbs sighed. "So we're looking for someone with knowledge of, and access to, chemicals?"

"Specifically agrochemicals, Jethro."

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks, Duck."

Six Word Challenge: Kojak

nakeisha — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:06:10 GMT

This week's six words were:

Bit
Last
Lawyer
Skid
Translate
Wave

JUDICIAL DECISION

It was the last case of the day. All but two of the lawyers had joined the wave of cops, detectives, witnesses, defendants, complainants, jurors, Court officials, members of the public, hurrying from the Court House.

Some moved slowly, almost as if they didn't really want to leave. Some moved so quickly, they all but skidded on the highly polished floor.

Kojak and Crocker should have been on their way home. However, Judge Bittering had stopped them and asked Theo if he would be willing to translate for the Greek witness who no-one had realized couldn't understand or speak English.

Fiction. Knowledge Is Power

nakeisha — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 11:54:21 GMT

TITLE: Knowledge Is Power
FANDOM: NCIS
CHARACTERS: Gibbs, DiNozzo & McGee
SUMMARY: Gibbs knows a thing or two about uniforms.
WORD COUNT: 100
RATING: G
WRITTEN FOR: ncis_drabble Challenge: 900 - Uniform

Flanked by DiNozzo and McGee, Gibbs led the way into the compound.

Alert to anything and everything, albeit without showing his guard was up, Gibbs paused and looked around him. He could sense both DiNozzo and McGee were on edge. Hell, he was, but he knew how to hide it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a Gunnery Sergeant. He spun around simultaneously pulling his gun. "Freeze," he yelled. A second later the other man cried out and hit the ground.

"How did you know, boss?"

"Fifteen years a Marine, DiNozzo. I know the uniform."

Six Word Challenge: MFU

nakeisha — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:49:17 GMT

This week's six words were:

Hallway
Nominate
Qualifications
Relinquish
Wait
Water

SELF NOMINATION

"I nominate myself." Illya locked gazes with Napoleon. "I have the necessary qualifications."

They were in the hallway outside Alexander Waverley's office, waiting to be summoned inside.

"You're not meant to be out of sick-bay, Illya."

Illya shrugged. "The doctor said as long as I made sure to drink plenty of water, and took great care, I could be released."

"But -"

"Napoleon, I do not intend to relinquish this task to anyone else. Not even to you. I am the most qualified person."

"He is correct, Mr. Solo. I cannot say I like it. However, Mr. Kuryakin will be assigned."

Six Word Challenge: Kojak

nakeisha — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:01:15 GMT

This is the other six word drabble I was unable to at the time spikesgirl58 posted the challenge.

4th of May's words were:

Accumulation
Catch
Drag
Leader
Oppose
Rubbish

QUINTESSENTIALLY KOJAK

The accumulation of paperwork in the Eleventh Precinct had reached unprecedented levels.

For three weeks, Kojak and his men had been working on one case: catch the new leader of the largest gang in Manhattan. He'd opposed the old leader, saying publicly all his ideas were rubbish.

The old leader could be reasoned with; the new one was psychotic. He didn't murder for gain; he murdered for fun.

Finally, Kojak had had enough. Ordering his men to stay back, he strode into the middle of the gangs' headquarters and dragged the new leader outside.

No one tried to stop him.

Six Word Challenge: The Equalizer

nakeisha — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:41:05 GMT

I am playing 'catch-up' with the Six Word drabbles I was unable to do whilst MIA.

The first one spikesgirl58 very kindly posted for me on her LJ post, as I had already written it prior to my fall. However, I wasn't able to post it here.

Rather than do them in the weekly order, I've split them by the fandoms to which they relate. It has been really lovely to be able to write something.

These three are for caffyolay.

27th April's words were:

Abashed
Art
Hard
Impel
Prevent
Stimulate

ARMS HE KNEW WELL

A hard push impelled Mickey into the room.

In an attempt to prevent himself from demolishing the work of art, he twisted, smashed into the wall and slid to the floor.

The room fell silent; everyone stared. Abashed, he tried to get up. Unable stop the cry of pain, he sank back down.

Spots appeared before his eyes; nausea rose in his throat; tears replaced the spots. He tried, and failed, to stimulate himself to get up.

A moment later a well-known hand was proffered. He took it, was pulled to his feet, and into arms he knew well.

11th May's words were:

Afterthought
Competition
Early
Horn
Question
Superficial

EARLY MORNING CONFLICT

"I need Kostmayer."

"I need him more."

"This isn't a competition, Control!"

"Who pays his wages, Robert?"

McCall sighed. It wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last, that he and his oldest friend had locked horns. They both knew it wasn't a question of money; it was much more superficial than that.

He looked at his watch; it was far too early in the morning to be arguing over Mickey Kostmayer. "Breakfast?"

Control stared at him. "As long as you're buying." As they began to walk away, Control said, almost as an afterthought, "You can have Kostmayer."

18th May's words were:

Crave
Gaudy
Limit
Macabre
Stream
Utopian

HOME NO MORE

It was the first time since leaving university that Robert had attended a gaudy. It would be his last.

He'd gone because he'd begun to crave the utopian days of the past. He'd hoped that for a short time they could be recaptured. Instead, everything seemed macabre.

He recalled something his late father had told him: 'you can't go back'. Until now, he hadn't believed him.

People streamed into the hall. No one was limiting themselves, not in loudness, consideration of others or in alcohol consumption.

He never should have come. It used to be home. Now America was home.

Fiction. Told You

nakeisha — Sun, 31 May 2026 09:47:07 GMT

TITLE: Told You
FANDOM: NCIS
CHARACTERS: DiNozzo & McGee
SUMMARY: Tony & Tim need help.
WORD COUNT: 100
RATING: G
WRITTEN FOR: ncis_drabble Challenge: 988: Survive

DiNozzo and McGee huddled together. Snow entombed the car. The engine was dead. There was no mobile signal.

"We're not gonna survive."

"Of course we will, Tony. Gibbs'll find us."

"Even Gibbs can't do the impossible. No one knows where we are. Anyway, a car won't get through."

"He'll put chains on the tires of Ducky's van."

"Timmy, this isn't a book. It's real life. I'm so tired."

"Don't sleep, Tony. You -"

Several hours later McGee opened his eyes. He was warm; comfortable. He was alive. "Tony?"

"Hey, McGeek. Told you Gibbs'd save us."

Tim grinned. "Yeah, Tony. You did."

Fiction. Follow The Money

nakeisha — Sun, 31 May 2026 09:43:48 GMT

TITLE: Follow The Money
FANDOM: NCIS
CHARACTERS: Gibbs & McGee
SUMMARY: Gibbs has an important assignment for McGee
WORD COUNT: 100
RATING: G
WRITTEN FOR: ncis_drabble Challenge: 989: Money

Gibbs dropped a file onto McGee's desk. "Find out why Captain Thompson died and how. Do whatever it takes; hack any computers you need to; I'll take responsibility. Give anything else you're working on to DiNozzo. You work on nothing but this."

McGee looked up at Gibbs; he had never seen Gibbs look so - To be honest, he couldn't describe the look. "Yes, boss."

Thirty-six hours later, McGee handed Gibbs a piece of paper.

Gibbs read it. "Thanks, Tim. What did you do?"

"I followed the money."

"Go home. Sleep. Shower. Come back the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you, Gibbs."

Six Word Challenge: Kojak

nakeisha — Sat, 30 May 2026 09:14:28 GMT

This week's six words were:

Achieve
Company
Ensure
Gallery
Pneumonia
Smooth

KEEP YOU COMPANY

A week's leave over, Kojak strode into the squad-room. "Where's Crocker?" For a moment no one spoke. "Well?"

"He's in hospital with pneumonia," Stavros said.

"How?" Kojak demanded.

"We were staking out Donaldson's gallery; there'd been several brutal rapes and murders. Bobby was the outside man.

"Did you achieve your aim?"

"Yes, Lieutenant."

Theo gave a curt nod, turned on his heel and strode out of the squad-room.

"Theo?" Bobby murmured. "What are you -"

"I'm here to keep you company and ensure you don't do anything else foolish." Theo smoothed the blanket covering Bobby, sat down and took his hand.

Absence makes . . .

nakeisha — Wed, 27 May 2026 10:34:10 GMT

I thought I'd let you know why I haven't been around for the best part of a month.

At the end of April I had a fall which resulted in my dislocating my left shoulder and badly bruising and hurting my left knee. J came in from the garage to find me on the floor in my bedroom. One of our neighbours used to be an army nurse so J asked her advice to begin with. She confirmed what I already guessed, that I had dislocated my shoulder. There was no way they could get me up, as given my disability I have very little strength my right leg, so she told J to call an ambulance to to call the emergency one, given I was disabled and unable to get up.

To cut a longish story short, I was taken to A&E (about an hour and a half's drive) and J followed in the car, where it was confirmed my shoulder was dislocated. The good news was that it appeared there were no broken bones; the radiographer said he was sure, however, given he wasn't an orthopaedic radiographer, he'd send the x-rays to an orthopaedic radiographer. A phone call the following day did indeed confirm there wasn't any broken bones.

The question I kept getting asked was 'what caused you to trip/fall' and the thing I know caused some confusion and maybe even a bit of concern by being perfectly honest and saying I didn't know. One second I was walking into my bedroom, the next I was on the floor. My best guess was I tripped over my own crutch, caught my foot and fell. In the thirty-nine years since the RTA that led to my hip/pelvis problems and me having to use two crutches to walk, I have only fallen twice and both times have been since I changed to flexi-foot ferrules on my crutches in an attempt to take some of the pain from my hands. The flexi-feet ferrules are somewhat more 'bouncy' and a little wider and less solid than normal ferrules and I think I must have caught my foot and couldn't keep my balance. Also the arms cuffs are more rigid and my arm was still inside the crutch after I fell, which is how, I think, I ended up with a dislocated shoulder I have now put them away (well J put them away) and have returned to the usual type of ferrule and crutch.

The shoulder went back into position really easily and pretty much without any pain. A doctor and a nurse gently massaged it back into place and I barely felt it. My arm was put into a sling and then came the slight problem of me being able to walk. Given the injury was on my non-already-injured side, it meant I couldn't use a crutch in my left hand; I could only use the right hand one and that would last for a minimum of two weeks. That was incredibly hared going and my hip is still not happy from me having to walk with only one crutch and that crutch being used on my injured hip side.

I managed - you have to - and after two weeks I went back to a different hospital (a nearer one) and another x-ray confirmed that all was well and the orthopaedic surgeon confirmed I could start to use a crutch in my left hand again and to start doing things again. He did warn me not to overdo anything and not to use the crutch all the time to begin with. After less than half a day I realised why he said that. It was far more painful, not in my shoulder, but in my upper arm than I thought it would be.

In fact using the arm at all is still hard going and I'm not able to do things I was able to do, one of those things involves typing for any length of time (this post has been put together over several days). I'm a touch typist and use both hands, and obviously I couldn't use the damaged arm to begin with, so was doing the odd bit with one hand, plus I couldn't have my laptop on the table I use normally, I had to have it on my lap for short periods, which didn't help my neck or my hip. Even now typing is hard and makes my upper arm hurt if I try to do it for more than a few minutes at a time - although I am now able to have my laptop on the table that goes over my reclining chair. I found some exercises on-line on our NHS hospital sites, so have been doing them and will continue to do so for a while.

Thankfully I have an adjustable bed (head & foot) so at least I don't have to try to sleep sitting up with a lot of pillows, which has been a huge help. I won't be able to try to sleep in the injured side for another few weeks (and I can't sleep on the broken hip side at all). In some ways, as I said to the orthopaedic consultant I saw, a couple of weeks ago, my long-standing hip problems actually meant that in many ways I was 'better off' than a lot of people who dislocate their shoulder, as I already knew how to be careful to protect a limb, so knew how to dress and undress and get up and down from chairs, etc. etc. He agreed and also wasn't cross when I told him I hadn't used the sling much at all. Given I am pretty much chair bound, thus I'm not walking about much or trying to go to work, I didn't need the sling as I could have the same support from the arm of the chair and my body.

Given what I have found on-line on our various NHS sites, it's likely to be several more weeks before the arm/shoulder is back to normal and I must carry on being careful and not overdo things. Thus, whilst I am sort of back on-line, I won't be around as much as usual. I won't be doing book reviews, unless they are really short ones for some time. I'm hoping to be able to get back to doing spikesgirl58's 'Six word drabbles' and the ncis_drabble's as I have really missed doing them. In fact in terms of the six word drabble I intend (hope) to be able to do the ones I've missed, just for my own satisfaction.

I am still very weary, far more than I usually am, which given moving around and doing pretty much anything is still harder work and far more tiring than usual isn't surprising. I'm also feeling rather low, but that's par for the course. I shall try to catch up on missed posts, but if I have missed anything really important, please let me know.

In the meantime I shall be around hopefully most days or at least a few times a week.

Book Review 19 - Gideon's Week

nakeisha — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:35:34 GMT

Gideon's Week

by John Creasey

There are killers on the streets of London—but George Gideon of Scotland Yard is on their trail …

A girl out picking primroses is brutally murdered. Her boyfriend is the prime suspect – but Gideon’s own daughter believes he is innocent.

A vicious killer breaks out of jail. He is set on blood vengeance against his wife because her evidence put him away. Gideon is prepared to risk his life to protect her.

Add an explosion of robberies and gang violence, and another week begins for Commander Gideon as he strives to bring the guilty to justice and allow law-abiding Londoners to sleep safely.

This is the second book in the 'Gideon of Scotland Yard' police procedural series.

As with the first book in this republished series, it was a very good read. As the title says, this book takes place over a week. Some of the crimes are tied up, the culprit is caught; some remain ongoing at the end of the book.

I like Gideon a lot, he is an excellent character, a solid character, a well-drawn (but not overly-drawn) character. A man with a very strong sense of honour, justice and hard work.

The two main crimes that took place in this book, were the 'Primrose murder' and 'the jail break'. Both story-line were interesting and compelling; the characters, on both sides of the law were well drawn and real. Both were also resolved by the end of the book. Both touched Gideon, in different ways. In the case of the jail break, he knew the family and the killer well from when he was in charge of the case. With the primrose murder case, he didn't personally know any of those involved, but the sister of the chap accused of murderer, was an acquaintance of one of Gideon's eldest daughters.

As I said in my previous Gideon review, Creasey is a very good writer and a tight writer and portrays characters so clearly in a few words, whereas many writers would take dozens.

I really am glad this series has been republished on Kindle as I can enjoy the books again.

Fiction. Post Hoc Fallacy

nakeisha — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:20:16 GMT

TITLE: Post Hoc Fallacy
FANDOM: NCIS
CHARACTERS: Gibbs, Ducky & DiNozzo
SUMMARY: Not everything is as it seems.
WORD COUNT: 100
RATING: G
WRITTEN FOR: ncis_drabble Challenge: 987: Logic

"What've you got , Duck?"

"Lieutenant Callaghan was murdered. He did not trip down the stairs, he was pushed. His broken ankle, however -"

"Logic says, he broke that at the same time." DiNozzo said.

"I'm afraid, Anthony, your assumption is a example of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc."

"Huh?"

"It's a Latin phrase. It assumes 'A' happened because of 'B', but it didn't. For example: 'I wore my lucky socks and my team won. Therefore, they won because of my lucky socks."

"How does this Post Hoc thingy tie in with Callaghan?"

"His ankle was broken before he was pushed."

Six Word Challenge

nakeisha — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:52:33 GMT

This week's six words were:

Fizz
Forecast
Halting
Plant
Railway
Space

A DISH BEST SERVED COLD

Despite his halting gait, the man fizzed with anger as he left the railway station. People milled around; there wasn't much space.

He kept walking towards the steam power plant. Following an accident at the plant, his younger brother had died. The management refused to take responsibility. Soon they'd be dead.

His homemade bomb was crude but effective. The day's forecast was perfect for ensuring the steam would cause massive destruction.

He reached his destination. He would prime the bomb. It would be over. He would have his revenge.

The bullet from the sniper's rifle saved the lives of hundreds.

Book Review 18 - My Husband Next Door

nakeisha — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:35:18 GMT

My Husband Next Door

by K. L. Slater

The perfect way for us to live. The perfect way for him to hide.

I never expected to fall in love with my neighbour. But then tall, twinkly eyed Matt moved in next door. Now he’s my husband, but we’ve kept our own houses. It means my tranquil home remains a sanctuary for me and my daughter. People think it’s strange, but it works for us.

Everyone knows everyone on our street. So when Ellie, a local student nurse, goes missing, we’re all terrified. Matt and I are glued to the news, his jaw rigid with tension. How could something like this happen so close to our homes?

I try to keep things normal. But I know the neighbours are gossiping about Ellie… and the fact my husband and I live apart. Then another girl goes missing.

The whispers escalate. How does she know what Matt’s really been doing? Where he goes at night? I have to prove them wrong...

But when I use my key to creep into Matt’s quiet house, I discover something that shocks me to the core. How little I know about my husband next door. And now my daughter and I could be in terrible danger….

My venture into 'psychological thrillers' began with K. L. Slater and I've read and 'enjoyed' several more of her books. I find her a very good writer, who weaves an excellent story with just the right degree of intrigue, tension and mislead. Her characters, whilst difficult to actually like, come across as very real. She also doesn't describe every blade of grass. This book was no exception. It was very well paced and held my attention all the way through and was very much a page turner.

The premise was somewhat strange, you marry someone but live in separate houses on the same street. That said I have a vague memory (my memory is very vague at times) of reading about that kind of set-up in 'real life' so to speak. I suppose why not? All marriages are different; all couples are different; so after a few pages I happily accepted they lived apart.

As with all the thrillers I have read, there are multiple threads going on, different story-lines that ultimately come together to reveal the surprise or shock ending. Missing girls; a very strange woman coming to live on the street; discovered ear-rings where they shouldn't be; questions that aren't answered, all building up to where they all come together. The twists were good, the mis-leads were good. The story and the tension excellent.

As with a lot of the thrillers I've read, I managed to figure out or guess one or two things, but not the major plot points. It was more a case of 'I'm sure it isn't xxx' rather than 'I reckon it's yyy'.

Slater kept the believability going throughout and didn't disappoint with the ending. It was another, in my opinion, excellent book.

I shall use this book for 'A thriller' square.

Book Bingo 16/25

Fiction. Toast Of The Town

nakeisha — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:56:44 GMT

TITLE: Toast Of The Town
FANDOM: NCIS
CHARACTER: Jethro Gibbs & Mrs. Mallard
SUMMARY: With Ducky out of town, Gibbs is keeping an eye on Mrs. Mallard.
WORD COUNT: 100
RATING: G
WRITTEN FOR: ncis_drabble Challenge: 986: Toast

"Good evening, Jethro. I am afraid Donald is not home yet."

"I know, Mrs. Mallard. He's at a Medical Examiners' Conference."

"Oh, is he? Never mind. I have been looking at old photographs. I was the toast of the town, once. Can you believe that, Jethro?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Mallard. I can."

"Toast. It's a strange word really. It's multifunctional and the various meanings aren't related. Toast. I'll have some, please, Jethro, with lots of honey. Donald doesn't like me having honey, but he's not here. You are. You'll let me have honey on my toast, won't you."

"Yes, Mrs. Mallard."

Six Word Challenge: MFU

nakeisha — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:02:33 GMT

This week's six words were:

Carpet
Inch
Linear
Precision
Snack
Swim

SINK OR SWIM

Illya inched his way along the edge of the carpet with linear precision. Something was not right.

"Do not move!" He gave the order without turning around. "Something is wrong."

"What's wrong?"

Illya sighed. "If I knew that, Napoleon, I would have told you. I recommend you get out and leave me -"

"No, partner mine. I've told you more than once, we sink or swim together."

Illya sighed again. "Very well. But when I have resolved the problem, I shall want more than just a snack lunch."

"Your wish is my command."

Illya muttered in Russian and rolled his eyes.

Book Review 17 - Murder On The Bernia Express

nakeisha — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:35:13 GMT

Murder On The Bernia Express

by J. G. Colgan

A luxury train is stranded on a legendary viaduct in the Alps. There is a murderer on board.

The Bernina Express, 1938. As Europe holds its breath for the Munich Conference, a disparate group of passengers boards the legendary alpine train: a nervous English courier, a sharp Hungarian journalist, a formidable British aunt and her niece, a mysterious Italian Contessa and her new companion, and two German “art historians” who are clearly something else. When a sudden rockfall strands the train high on the breathtaking Alpine Landwasser Viaduct, the isolation turns deadly. A passenger is found stabbed in his compartment, an empty satchel by his side.

Trapped by snow and avalanche warnings, with the Swiss police unable to reach them, the killer is undeniably among the first-class passengers. As suspicions flare and hidden agendas surface, the claustrophobic carriages become a battlefield of wits and deceptions.

Perfect for readers who love Agatha Christie whodunnits, the tense, shadowy atmosphere of an Eric Ambler thriller, and the gripping historical-political intrigue of Robert Harris. The Bernina Express is a masterful mystery where personal secrets and global politics collide on a precipice, and every passenger has something to hide.

This is one of the many BLCC books I have; it was a gift from the lovely caffyolay. I haven't read any other books by this author, but I discovered I do have a Christmas murder mystery of hers. And from what little I can find about her, she doesn't seem to have written any other books, which is a great shame as I really enjoyed this book and thought it was extremely well written.

Like all British Library Crime Classic books it is a 'golden age mystery', so no mobile phones, etc. BLCC do not 'sanitise' their books (thankfully) so there might be the odd turn of phrase of something similar that wouldn't be permitted today. I can't recall anything jumping out at me, but then I probably wouldn't as I accept language and subject matter was different when this book was written.

The story was excellent, it was a kind of locked room mystery, albeit it on a train that itself was also 'locked' as it was stuck on a viaduct following an avalanche and unable to move. At first the not moving was due to the risk of more avalanches, but then it wasn't permitted to move because a murdered man had been found in one of the first class apartments.

Not all of the people on the train were who they said they were and given when the book was set, it wasn't surprising to discover there were political involvements and hints of espionage. The two German art historians, were not art historians.

One thing that stood out for me was how tight a writer Colgan was. She described scenes, people, objects (like the train) in a handful of words at the most and in many cases with just one or two words. I could picture the scene so clearly and feel the atmosphere, the cold, the fear, the threats without ploughing through pages and pages. It really stood out to me quite how good and succinct she was.

Also, I thought the way she weaved the story together and interspersed the global politics along with the day-to-day normal matters and the people and the setting was superb. My attention was grabbed and held from the very beginning all the way through to the end.

It was yet another extremely good book; one I thoroughly enjoyed. And of course it has a beautiful cover.

I shall use this book for 'A book with a train on the cover' square.

Book Bingo 15/25

Book Review 16 - Flowers In The Attic

nakeisha — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:07:58 GMT

Flowers In The Attic

by V. C. Andrews

At the top of the stairs there are four secrets hidden—blond, innocent, and fighting for their lives…

They were a perfect and beautiful family—until a heartbreaking tragedy shattered their happiness. Now, for the sake of an inheritance that will ensure their future, the children must be hidden away out of sight, as if they never existed.

They are kept in the attic of their grandmother’s labyrinthine mansion, isolated and alone. As the visits from their seemingly unconcerned mother slowly dwindle, the four children grow ever closer and depend upon one another to survive both this cramped world and their cruel grandmother.

A suspenseful and thrilling tale of family, greed, murder, and forbidden love, Flowers in the Attic is the unputdownable first novel of the epic Dollanganger family saga.

I remember when this book was first published (1979) and the attention it received. I was fifteen at the time and didn't read it; I had no interest in reading it. I didn't care for the concept. I also remember it was the book that managed to get my late godmother into reading books other than Mills and Boon romances. She used to devour them, but wouldn't read anything else. After reading Flowers in the Attic she started borrowing all kinds books from my mother and also from the library. I was a Saturday girl at the time, so was able to take a few extra books home so Mother could pass them onto my godmother.

I hadn't consciously thought about the book since all those years ago and then it popped up on one of my book email lists on offer for 99p and for some reason it really caught my attention. Actually part of the reason I decided to try it was that I knew it had been turned into a film and whilst I had plenty of books that had been turned into films and/or TV series that I had read before and plenty I hadn't read, for some reason I wanted something a bit different. Thus, I d/l'd a sample and to be honest I didn't think I would buy the book. However, the sample drew me in and I bought the book and devoured it in a couple of days.

The thing that in one way stood out the most was the when it first came out the one thing that was talked about and written about was the incest between the older boy and older girl. Yes, that does happen, but actually in this book it is a very small part. A few paragraphs at most and even they weren't in any way detailed.

It was the story and trying to get my head around how any mother could be so cruel, so self-centred, so uncaring, so evil as to allow her four children to be locked up in a room with only a bathroom and an attic, that shocked me. For me the mother was far, far crueller her mother, who was meant to have been the evil, nasty one. Yes, grandma was cruel and nasty, but I found her treatment of the children easier to 'accept' than their mother's.

The book showed how resilient children actually could be. How they did survive and cope and continue to be nice children, is very hard to comprehend. Of course there were arguments amongst them and at times they did dislike, at the very least, one another, but they were also pulled together in a way that children shouldn't be - and I'm not talking about the one time the two eldest had sex.

In one way it was very hard to believe that such a thing could happen; in another way it was easy to believe, to be drawn into the house, the room, the attic, the day-to-day lives of the Dollanganger children, their mother and their grandmother. It felt scarily real at times. And yet despite everything they had to endure, despite the harshness and cruelty the author managed to get a degree of humour and lightness into the book. It wasn't all doom and gloom and horrid happenings. For me that's what really did make the book so good. I still can't quite believe how much I enjoyed it.

I had a vague memory of the book having a couple of sequels (which my mother confirmed when we Zoomed recently, she has the first four). However when I saw on Amazon there were in fact eleven books in the series, I was surprised. It turns out that after Andrews's death (at the age of 63) her family decided to find a ghost writer who would continue the series based on notes Andrews and left and also on the books themselves. I haven't done a lot of digging but from what I have seen I think the first four books are her own, the rest of the series are written by the other writer.

I haven't quite decided if I am going to read any more books. Part of me feels they might actually spoil this book, however I am also intrigued as to what happened after the children managed to escape. Thus I am thinking I might well read the next three books, Andrews's 'own' books; my mother said they are good.

I am still somewhat surprised by quite how much I enjoyed the book and how I got drawn into the story and the lives of the children and how quickly I devoured it. I really do think that had I read this all those years ago, I would not have enjoyed it and it wouldn't have had such a profound affect on me. I don't think at fifteen I would have appreciated it for what it was.

I shall use this book for 'A book that has been turned into a film/TV' square.

Book Bingo 14/25

Book Review 15 - A Perfect Stranger

nakeisha — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:32:30 GMT

A Perfect Stranger

by Shalini Boland

Two marriages. Three little lies. Someone’s going to die…

I hold my breath as my handsome husband walks through the door. I’ve planned the perfect surprise birthday party for him. Our friends are gathered and the champagne is flowing. But when I catch the look in his deep brown eyes, I realise I’ve got this horribly wrong.

All evening my stomach is churning. And I can’t help but notice Danielle Baines speaking with Aiden. With her salon-styled hair, diamonds glittering on her ring finger and married to a rich businessman she has the kind of lifestyle I can only dream of. I’ve never liked her. And I know the feeling is mutual.

So why is she here and what is she saying to my husband?

Now it’s the end of the party and the man I love is confessing a secret that shocks me to the core. But it’s not what I was afraid of. It’s much worse.

He says we have to take our son and leave the place we call home because our lives are in danger.

I thought I knew everything about my husband. But suddenly he feels like a stranger. Should I trust him with my life?

I hadn't read anything by this author before, but it popped up on a daily deal (I know, I know *g*) and the sample had me hooked. As with other psychological thriller books (and part of me still can't quite get my head around why I am hooked on them now) the story is told in the first person by at least two different characters (in this book Emily and Dani) alternating between chapters. Also in this book a third unnamed rather creepy chap also tells a few chapters. And his narration was quite different and added another level of tension.

Two women; two husbands; quite different lives and bank balances, whose lives intertwine to an extent. Emily is married to Aiden; Dani to Marcus. Marcus and Dani are very wealthy, Aiden and Emily, get by. Aiden works for Marcus, who owns a luxury car dealership. Emily is pregnant with their second child, Dani desperately wants children. Throughout the book, the couples' lives intertwine in several ways, none of them straight-forward.

After Aiden reveals his big secret, Emily agrees to leave their home in order to protect their son and their unborn child. However, there is far more to the 'secret' than what Aiden tells Emily. Their leaving their home brings more challenges, more questions than answers and in many ways more danger.

As with most of this kind of book, I find it difficult to like any of the characters, but they do all come across as very real people (not necessarily people I would like to meet, but real). Thus, I do care what happens to them and enjoy the twists and turns and revelations.

Shalini Boland is a good writer, she tells a very good story, she draws you in, she makes you want to know 'what happens next' and she certainly surprises. She keeps the tension and the suspense at a good level throughout, but also manages to de-escalate it a little at times, to give the reader a bit of a breathing space, before she pushes the pace up again and there's another twist and turn.

For me it was definitely a page turner and I suspect I now have another author to add to my ever growing list.

It's not a book everyone would like; but then again is there any book that everyone would like? Somehow I doubt it.

I thought it was a jolly good read.

I shall use this book for 'A book with a leading female character' square.

Book Bingo 13/25

Fiction. Prepare For Anything

nakeisha — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:28:05 GMT

TITLE: Prepare For Anything
FANDOM: NCIS
CHARACTER: Timothy McGee
SUMMARY: Timothy has to step up to the plate.
WORD COUNT: 100
RATING: G
WRITTEN FOR: ncis_drabble Challenge: 985: Be prepared

The elevator doors opened and McGee went into a scarily quiet and almost empty squad room. A devastating forty-eight hour stomach bug had struck NCIS. Even Gibbs had been affected.

He went to his desk and found three wanna-be special agents huddled together. They looked petrified. McGee knew how they felt; he remembered his first day, but these three had even less experience than he had had.

"Okay," he said. "I know you haven't had a lot of experience, but we've got a dead Marine and a murder to solve. I've got one piece of advice: be prepared for anything."

Six Word Challenge

nakeisha — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:26:08 GMT

This week's six words were:

Activate
Judge
Shame
Simplicity
Straighten
Strap

IGNOMINY

He tried to straighten up, but the straps were too tight.

It was the simplicity of his capture that made him ashamed. How had he fallen for it? Would he be judged on his foolishness for the rest of his life? Not that he had a life. He couldn't escape and no one would find him.

Even if someone did, the door was rigged. Anyone trying to enter would activate the bomb.

He bowed his head and prayed for death.

Some time later, the door opened. No bomb went off.

"You didn't really think I wouldn't find you, did you?"

Book Review 14 - Remembering April

nakeisha — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:29:23 GMT

Remembering April

by Janine Jenson

April Marsh had resigned herself to being off the dating scene forever after her last disastrous relationship. She just wanted a nice, normal guy who would treat her decently but it seemed to be too much to ask for.

Rich, somewhat famous and utterly bored with the usual socialites he met at parties, Dean Randle found himself wanting more than just a quick tumble with beautiful but fake women. He wanted to find a normal yet exciting woman who would love him for his personality rather than for his bank account.

Against the advice of his business manager, Dean goes undercover in an effort to find the perfect woman. The change from being the boss to being little more than a copy boy is difficult to adjust to but he is determined to stick to his plan.

When April runs into Dean in the dreaded photocopier room she is instantly attracted to him. If she’d still been dating, he would have been exactly the type of man she’d have fallen for. When she witnesses him being shot down after asking one of their colleagues out on a date, she agrees to help him find love.

Dean is embarrassed to be so dismal at dating and is grateful when April and her high strung best friend, Adam offer to assist him. He has a feeling that if anyone can help him find the woman of his dreams, it is this quirky pair.

The instant Adam meets Dean, he knows that April and the new guy are perfect for each other. His best friend deserves better than the dismal run of relationships she’d been through and Adam will do anything he can to make sure April finds happiness.

Once again I am several books behind in my reviews.

I wish I could remember why I bought this book, as it isn't really the sort of thing I tend to read. I thought I may have bought it for a Book Bingo challenge, 'Month in the title' for example, but no. I bought it long before I did a Book Bingo for the first time.

The idea isn't anything new (but that's true of pretty much anything) but I did rather like and was intrigued by it but I thought it might be an 'okay' book at best.

I actually really enjoyed it. Yes, it was a far-fetched concept, but it worked. I was drawn into the story and the three main characters so quickly and so deeply, that the whole far-fetchedness vanished and I really enjoyed it. I felt completely involved with Dean and April and Adam and liked them all, very much indeed and loved the way April and Adam were so set on helping Dean find love. All three of them came over as being very real people and people I would like to meet and I felt I could get on with them all.

Of course things don't go according to plan, there wouldn't be a story otherwise, would there? But the book takes a turn I couldn't have foreseen at all, with April being framed for Dean's attempted murder. Obviously, Dean doesn't die, but he has lost his recent memories, so doesn't remember April or Adam, at least not in any depth. He has vague memories of some of the things they had done, buying him cheap, new clothes for instance and also of intense feelings for April.

I had worked out who the actual would-be-murderer was; in fact even before we got to that, I knew said person was up to no good and had 'plans'. Knowing that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, it was more a case of not who really shot Dean, but how would Dean and April get back together.

Obviously all ended well, but it wasn't trite or unbelievable (outside the basic concept that it probably wouldn't happen in real life, but again you can say that about so many books). But there was one extra little twist, which I hadn't been expecting.

I thought the writing was good, it was sound, it wasn't flowery and describing ever blade of grass. It was maybe somewhat simplistic in parts, but it flowed well and Jenson told a good story. It was one of those 'feel good' books, the kind that leaves you very satisfied and content, but not the kind you want to read every day or week. It won't appeal to everyone, probably not to anyone reading this review, but finishing a book and being fully satisfied by it, is a good thing. I enjoyed it, a lot, I really did.

I shall use this book for 'A book with a month in the title' square.

Book Bingo 12/25

Fiction. Ever The Gentleman

nakeisha — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:19:19 GMT

TITLE: Ever The Gentleman
FANDOM: NCIS
PAIRING: Gibbs & Ducky
SUMMARY: Ducky does something rather foolish.
WORD COUNT: 100
RATING: G
WRITTEN FOR: ncis_drabble Challenge: 984: Lift

Limping more than usual, Ducky went into the squad room. His overcoat was torn and he had a cut above his eye.

Gibbs jumped to his feet and hurried over to him. "What happened, Duck?" He put his arm around Ducky and sat him down.

"I'm afraid you'll think I did something foolish, my dear."

"What did you do?"

"Well, there was this young man by the side of the road. And I stopped and offered him a lift. He looked very - "

"Did he get your wallet?"

"Yes, I'm afraid he did."

"Duck! You're lucky -"

"I know, my dear."