Joffe’s  book of the week this week is MIDNIGHT LIES, the utterly gripping new detective mystery from #1 bestselling author Chris Collett.

Secrets, lies, bodies. Nothing stays buried forever . . .   On an abandoned campsite in Norfolk, developers unearth a human skeleton. The remains are those of an eighteen-year-old girl. Her name was Robina Scanlon — a blast from the past that shocks Detective Tom Mariner to his core.   Back in the summer of 1976, a teenage Mariner fell in love with Robina. He thought she was the one who got away. Now he realises she never even left. What happened to his his first love? As midnight approaches, someone out there will do anything to keep the past buried.

This really is an intensely gripping book.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF MIDNIGHT LIES BY CHRIS COLLETT FOR JUST 99P | 99C.

Murder under the Palms by Paula Lennon 99p/99c

The beautiful Caribbean Sea laps lazily against the verandah where Jamaican Supreme Court Judge Everton Wrenn lies dead. Someone strangled him with their bare hands.  But who wanted to squeeze the life out of him? Detectives Raythan Preddy and Sean Harris are determined to find out . . .

A TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB PICK.

A Welsh Murder Mystery Box set 1-4 by Cathy Ace for just 99p/99c

This appealed to me enormously. So, let’s meet the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency . . .
in  FOUR brilliant cozy mysteries set in Wales, filled with humour, suspense, and brilliant characters, in one great value box set. Just what we need to lift us at this dramatic moment in world events.

The Langstone Harbour Murders  by Pauline Rowson  99p/99c

The headmistress of a school is found brutally murdered in Portsmouth’s Langstone Harbour. The evidence points to a killer who wanted to leave a very clear message.  Renegade detective Andy Horton finds himself in a race against time to stop the killer. As the clock ticks, he is forced to make a decision that will put his life on the line . . .

Heavens, Langstone Harbour used to be an old stamping ground of mine – if only I’d known what lurked beneath the surface!!!

And finally, exciting news from team Joffe.

Joffe announces  the acquisition of four gripping psychological thrillers from Amazon Top Ten bestselling author Patricia MacDonald, author of From Cradle to Grave, Cast Into Doubt, and Missing Child. They will be sharing them with us soon.  Can’t wait.

Honestly, Joffe is a force of nature as it brings us such a wide selection of new books each week. Those I have picked are just a few. Go to Joffe Books for more.

A highly  imaginative  mystery-thriller that sees a group of friends set out on a mission to unite the Three Kingdoms – one of animals, one of flora and one of humans –  to fight the terrifying threat from the sinister Dr Slatane De’Aff and his master Qnevilus, the evil  ruler of the Alterworld, who are intent on destroying planet earth and any gainsayers.

There are twists and turns galore, imaginative leaps to land the reader on another level of understanding, with yet another open door to enter. A  tour de force of improbable happenings, or are they improbable?  You decide. Aimed at Young Adults but works for the adult reader too.

This is a meaty book, and a journey, and a great idea for holiday reading.

F.L Ying was inspired by his daughter Tanya, who designed and built the main characters of the story in the first place.

‘The idea happened purely by accident, maybe by chance! A long time ago, my daughter Tanya desgned and  made several life-size figures at Art College as  film/stage props. One of them – her favourite, was a harlequin with a happy cheerful face… She called the figure Chance – a figure full of fun and laughter.’

Read and enjoy. A Dangerous Riddle of Chance by F L Ying.  £8.99

ISBN 9781913551988.

Lockdown has, I believe, made us consider ‘community’ and over the months I have remembered our lives as children just post war, the rationing, the making do, the repayment of the country’s debt, the lack of complaint allowed by our parents. Why? Because we had been born too late to be part of the  generation of kids evacuated from their homes as the skies filled with bombers. We were not delivered by trains to bunk in with strangers in small villages for years, with some schooling if lucky, often half days, as the local children had the morning, the evacuees the afternoon. No online teaching for them. And while they were in rural areas, frequently their mothers were  victims of the bombing. Consequently we post-war kids were aware we were the lucky ones.

I remembered going to the corner shop with mum, holding out our ration cards for sweets. Boiled or liquorice I seem to remember. I remembered my mum chatting to everyone else who was registered at the corner shop, their ration cards at the ready too. Corner shops were a community asset. Corner shops were part of our lives, and then the supermarkets landed.

But… But … In Carlton Miniott a step from Thirsk , there is a corner shop, not admittedly on the corner, but it is a precious wonderful community asset. Carlton Stores and Post Ofice is family owned, there they all are, with a couple of helpers, but it is on Jack I inflict myself most often though they are all glad to see us, all glad to laugh with us, chat with us. In masks still , as the family cannpt afford to become unwell for who would run this priceless asset?

So, come with me, down the path, and into this world of wonders. Dad makes their very own coleslaw. I eat too much, we all do, it is scrumptious, and not a calorie included. Ho hum

.                                                              

You need a birthday card? There, over to the right, just along from the newspapers, and we have loyalty cards for well – cards, ‘There you go,’ Jack says. Stamp goes the -well – stamper. When full, we have a free card. So peruse the great choice carefully. But don’t take up too much room for it is here   we queue for the Post Office part. The queue gives one time to check the padded envelopes, and gather up cellotape from the shelves to your right,  and on the other side; biscuits and  cakes. And there they are – Grandma Wild’s Shortbread biscuits – again calorie free Dick has decided because he eats LOTS.

Bought your stamps, have you, and posted your parcels, had a chat with whoever in the family is behind the perspex shield? So move on with me round the centre aisle. Bread? Yes. Ibuprofen ? Yes.

Here are the fridge cabinets – independent cheese makers?  Oh, yes please, and there is wine for the evening, and in the cool cabinet behind which Jack is waiting are Jones’s deep pies. My friends, deep means deep. Chunky steak, and chunky chicken means chunky.  The best we’ve ever tasted, yes really. so home they come.

Then the ham. ‘Just two slices please, Jack.’

Swish goes the slicer. Something to read in the evening? A bookcase to your left as you wait to know  how much to pay. But you give what you want for the books, they are donated for charity. Raffles with proceeds to charity take place near to the hot food cabinet, which is empty  of pies, pasties and so on, once  the blokes in hi-viz jackets and others have popped in. Hot drink too? Here you go. There are knitted toys now Easter is entering people’s consciousness.

Chat chat to Jack, or whoever else is there, then home. On the way a neighbour shares with me that if a regular fails to appear the family make  sure all is well. My daughter came from the south to see us. ‘It looks like the front room of their house, and they treated us like friends come to see them for a chat.’

‘That, my girl,’ I said, ‘Is called a corner shop.’   ‘You must cherish it,’ she said. ‘Oh we do,’ I reassured her.

Carlton Miniott – lucky lucky us. We have a proper corner shop, one with a heart, one that every community should have.

Many, many years ago, I picked up a book in the Barbican Centre bookshop because I liked the painting on the cover and the title: Stately Pursuits. I had never heard of the author, Katie Fforde, but my usual technique of reading a random page led me to buy the book, and then her previous three books, and I think I have read pretty well all of them since.

Back in the last century, light romantic reading (mainly aimed at women), had not become the huge phenomenon of ‘Chick-lit’ it is today, but Katie Fforde has managed the impressive feat of riding the wave and has produced a book a year ever since. From canal boats to auction houses to celebrity chefs, she has explored many settings, always turning them into places where her heroines could find love.

Katie Fforde is now exploring a new time period with her latest two books, moving from modern day back to the 1960’s. Although it meant more research into the period for her, perhaps it is a relief for a romantic novelist not to have to deal with awkward modern inventions like mobile phones. Imagine An Affair to Remember if Deborah Kerr had just been able to What’sApp Cary Grant – ‘I’ve had an accident – meet me at the hospital’ instead of suffering for all those years apart. I enjoyed the simpler feel and felt she used the descriptions of the clothes as a very good way of getting the sense of the period.

Set in late summer 1963, A Wedding In Provence follows the adventures of Alexandra, a young heiress at the mercy of distant relatives, who whilst trying to stay in Paris, accidentally becomes nanny to three children in a chateau in Provence. She arrives to find the housekeeper has departed, a stove she can’t light, and the children are at first hostile (shades of The Sound of Music), but she gradually wins them over. Add in a handsome Count, some wonderful friends to help her out of fixes, a selfish ex-wife and some glorious food (she is really very good at food) and you have a very pleasant novel filled with delightful characters to while away a Sunday afternoon with. Also perfect if you happen to be confined to bed. I would recommend a large pot of tea and some French pastries as well. Warning: you will want croissants after reading this book.

Century   Hardback £14.99 and e-Book

One of my favourite daily mindful practices is to go out for a walk, just me & the dog, no phone, just us & nature. I absolutely relish it. It’s my happy place.

I had my first ever panic attack on a dog walk, I literally thought I was dying & didn’t know what on earth was going on. I thought I was having a heart attack. I was terrified. At the time I was cycling 20-30kms a week, doing yoga, I couldn’t have been fitter at 50. So I just couldn’t believe it was a heart attack.

I was beginning to realise that the chaos of the previous year or so wasn’t because I was going mad like I thought, but was more likely caused by the menopause. I thought I had sailed through the menopause because in my head I was Peter Pan. I was in denial. Big time.

So I started investigating my symptoms, talking to professionals, other women & friends & realised it wasn’t just me & I probably wasn’t going mad, it was probably menopause.

I briefly considered going holistic & investing in some flower petals to solve it…but I was so lost  that I realised a few rose petals was just not going to cut it. In the end I resorted to HRT (that is another story).

But I also realised I couldn’t heal & get better in the environment I was living in which had become really toxic & unhealthy, so we moved again (for the 4^th time in 3 years). And so began the recovery which has evolved into an amazing journey of self-discovery & spiritual growth. And now I feel better than ever.

But I digress. I was beginning to think what I had experienced on my dog walk had been a panic attack because I’d experienced more & talked to friends. One shared an article about the links between alcohol, caffeine, the menopause & anxiety. I barely drank anymore…one glass & my filter was right off & things were fragile enough. So I ditched the caffeine & had another ah ha moment: I had had a panic attack. And it was fuelled by the menopause.

So using my mindfulness training I started to recognise the physical signs my body was giving me when the anxiety started to rise. I was particularly mindful not to drink coffee to exacerbate it. I would ground myself, connecting my feet into the floor to centre & balance myself physically. Then I would gently challenge my thoughts & remind myself: this is just menopause, it’s not real, this is just anxiety, it’s not real, it’s not real – until I felt calm.

And I only had to do that a couple of times & my panic attacks were over.

And that is the power of a mindfulness practice. All those frustrated meditations at the beginning when I thought I was doing it wrong, and therefore I was failing, I was learning & when I really needed it I had the answers & could solve the problem.

Sadly, the menopause being what it is, the anxiety passed but now my happy place was being sabotaged by suicidal thoughts. I would stand by the farm gate onto the bypass that ran alongside the fields willing myself to step in front of a lorry. I felt a failure & didn’t know another way out.

Thankfully again a logical, mindful voice of reason would remind me: these are not the thoughts of a happy healthy mind, these are the thoughts of an unhappy, unhealthy mind, no need to act on them. I  must not believe everything I think. And I would not only step away from those thoughts in my head & become more of an observer to them but I would also literally step backwards & walk away with those replacement mindful words reverberating in my head.

And again I repeated this process several times & I just stopped doing it or even thinking about it.

And all this was possible because as my practice developed, I learnt more & grew. What’s more, I kept practicing even if I didn’t think I needed to. And as my practice evolved so did a much more profound conscious awareness of how I was feeling, what I was thinking, how I was behaving & being.

I believe thoughts are energy. So it makes sense to me to be more mindful of my thoughts & the quality of them because only I can change the way I am thinking. And in changing the way I am thinking, this changes the things I am doing & how I am being. This has changed my life.

And yes 18 months or so ago I would have said I was at the end  of my tether. But I have learnt so much, healed, transformed and now I feel better than ever. I am grateful for my meno journey for it broke me into a million pieces to allow the light in, to quote another Rumi favourite  & make space for this growth & healing.

And you know it is possible for you to learn how to bring a more mindful approach into your life & to learn how to meditate & how these beautiful practices can literally change your life in the same way they have & continue to change my life.

If you would like to find out more about creating your own self-care practices check out Alex’s FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindfulnessyoga4selfcare

Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbannard/

Incorporate short yoga sequences & meditations as part of your self-care toolkit with guided practices on Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlKZJ7MeyYc6lqkv6seISw

For more info check out www.alexbannard.com

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Having used her training & knowledge to navigate her own menopausal journey & create a life in which she is thriving, Alex is devoted in supporting other’s in this life changing transition.

Stephen Port was jailed in November 2016 after luring four young, gay men through dating apps so he could drug them to death and rape them. 

Easy Kills tracks Port’s life and crimes and questions the role of Barking and Dagenham Police, who were investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as a result. 

Officers neglected to check Port’s electronic devices when the first overdosed body turned up outside his flat in June 2014. They found Port had called 999 trying to pose as a bystander after hiring the young man as an escort. He was not charged with murder, but perverting the course of justice.

In August 2014, a second body turned up 400 yards from Port’s front door. The young immigrant’s corpse showed signs of being dragged. No investigation was opened. Less than one month later, another body turned up in the same churchyard.

Port was jailed in March 2015 after being given eight months for perverting the course of justice. He served just under three. Had he served the full sentence, he wouldn’t have been free to murder his fourth victim, Jack Taylor.

The case has garnered massive national media attention,  resulting in a TV drama released January 2022.

I love true crime, I spend a unhealthy amount of time binge watching true crime documentaries and like many others I have a morbid fascination with serial killers. If, like me you are fascinated by true crime then you will enjoy this book. Bates puts the victims at the heart if the story rather than focusing on the killer. At times this book can be downright frustrating due to the many opportunities the police had to catch the killer but for one reason or another the leads were not pursued. I highly recommend this book for my fellow true crime buffs.

Available in Paperback and eBook

Joffe Books have led me astray, which is  really BAD. You see  they mentioned to me that the team had been eating doughnuts during the week to keep up their energy, so busy have they been in the office. ‘Well, thanks guys,’  say I, a porker who is  doing her best to lose a bit and has even resorted to copying the grand-daughter’s school playground exercise Wake and Shake. All ruined now as off to the baker I went… huh.

But all is forgiven as this week’s offerings are really fantastic. I am in awe.

Take the Book of the Week: THE LAKE HOUSE, a gripping new crime mystery full of twists and turns, which tells the story of a dream vacation gone wrong from the brilliant, multi-award-winning author Kate Watterson.

Three friends with secrets. One luxurious lake house vacation. And a killer on the loose . . .  Close friends Lauren, Drew, and Rob take a trip to a lake house in a picturesque corner of Tennessee. They were planning a relaxing vacation, but it quickly turns into a nightmare . . . And not just the normal holiday nightmare of mosquitoes, lousy food… Oh no.   As Lauren sunbathes by the lake, she notices her neighbour lugging something heavy into a boat on the lake shore. What could he possibly be hiding? Arghhh…

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE LAKE HOUSE BY KATE WATTERSON  FOR JUST 99P | 99C.

Joffe also suggests that if you have had holiday disasters let them know by  leaving a comment on their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

On to their new books out this week

Really truly do not miss this delightful ‘smile of a whodunnit’ from  CWA DIAMOND DAGGER AWARD WINNER SIimon  Brett.

Come with me and meet Mrs Melita Pargeter, a vivacious widow whose mystery-solving talents come in handy when a murderer stalks a hotel for well-to-do retirees. Oh, it did my heart good, and humour is soooo diifficult. Simon Brett is a hero, so very there. And the novel a steal at only 99p/99c.

“Few crime writers are so enchantingly gifted.” Says The Sunday Times. ‘Well, quite,’ says Frost Magazine.

But that’s not all, feast on these:

Murder at Haggburn Hall by Roy Lewis  ONLY £1.99 | $2.99

Arnold is working on an archaeological dig in the grounds of Haggburn Hill when he meets the owner, the eccentric Vita Delaney.  She invites Arnold for dinner with her inner circle. But as the wine begins to flow, tongues loosen, and tempers begin to fray . . . Is this feud about to turn deadly?   I found the characters three dimensional and the novel page turning.

“An unforgettable character.” The New York Times   

Coming Home  to Byland Crescent  by Bill Kitson — ONLY 99P | 99C

And now onto the next new offering, and strangely I was talking just this week to someone about a friend of my mum’s – both were nurses . Mum’s friend was on the wartime convoy before Mum. Singapore fell just after  her friend arrived,  while Mum sailed on to India . Her friend survived appalling mprisonment by the Japanese, but her husband also stationed in Singapore, did not: her home coming was difficult.  But then whose wasn’t at this time. This novel is well worth a read. So here’s a bit more about it.

Kitson’s ‘Coming Home to Byland Crescent’ novel is set in Yorkshire, 1946. World War Two is finally over. But the Cowgill family have fresh challenges to face.    Their son Mark, who was injured in the war, will make it home in time for Christmas. But their youngest, Billy, has been declared missing in action and is presumed dead . . .  I found it thoughtful and moving.

Now a firm favourite from  Nicholas Rhea – aother novel set in  Aidensfield, Yorkshire.

Constable beats the Bounds

Summer is coming to the village of Aidensfield in the North Yorkshire moors, and the local tradition of “beating the bounds” is underway when a human skull is found on the lonely moors. Local bobby Constable Nick must play this one exactly by the book. Can Nick piece together the mystery of the stranger’s death?

“One of life’s little pleasures.” Yorkshire Post. ‘Indeed it is.’ says Frost Magazine.  

And finally, something from Joffe for a fun weekend . Create your own crime fiction protagonist from your birth month and the first letter of your name!

Let Joffe  know who the hero of your very own crime novel would be leaving a comment on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

See Joffe books range  of novels at Joffe Books

We have here a cornucopia,  a feast, a veritable buffet : let me lead you to three child friendly  picture books, so  in no particular order here we go:

Anansi and the Golden Pot by Taiya Selasi (£6.99, 6 January 2022, HB)

Award-winning author of Ghana Must Go, Taiye Selasi, reimagines the story of Anansi, the much-loved trickster, for a new generation: Kweku, has grown up listening to stories about the mischievous spider Anansi. Anansi is also Kweku’s nickname. But why? Ah,  because his father says he has similarly cheeky ways. On a holiday to visit his beloved Grandma in Ghana, Anansi the spider and Anansi the boy meet, and discover a magical pot that can be filled with whatever they want. Anansi the boy fills it again and again with his favourite red-red stew, and eats so much that he feels sick. But … But …  sadly, Anansi the boy feels this magical pot, and its gifts are  just for HIM.

Will he, Anansi the boy,  learn to share this wonderful gift?

This charming retelling of a West African story teaches readers about the dangers of greed, and the importance of being kind. Taiya Selasi’s writing is described as having a “glittering poetic command, a sense of daring, and a deep emotional investment in the lives and transformations of her characters.” which earned her a nomination for the NAACP Award for a previous book, Ghana Must Go (Penguin 2013)  Taiya Selasi is a British-American writer and photographer. Born in London, UK, raised in Massachusetts, of Ghanaian and Nigerian origin. This is her first children’s book.

In You I See by Rachel Emily and Jodie Howard (£9.99, 6 January 2022, HB)

People are not always what they seem on the surface and it is important to look a little closer. This  book does what a good book should –  encourages its readers to use their imagination. In, In you I See  the young readers are also  drawn in to look within others, and themselves, and discover all that they have to offer. Are you as joyful and bright as a daffodil? Or as bold and brave as a … what? With  energetic rhyming text by singer-songwriter Rachel “Maiday” Moulden and thoughtful atmospheric illustrations by Jodie Howard, the magic of rhyme and nature come together in harmony.

Rachel Emily has been a published songwriter for almost a decade. Alongside her own independent releases under the alias ‘Maiday’, Rachel’s commercial successes include penning and producing UK number one and US platinum-selling singles. Her poetry has been used as the stimulus for performances at the Barbican, London.

Jodie Howard (Illustrator) graduated from Cambridge School of Art in 2020, and was long-listed at the World Illustration Awards, and selected for both the AOI and D&AD’s ‘Ones To Watch’ showcase lists. I do love her illustrations, there is a stillness to them.

Forest by Brendan Kearney (£6.99, 6 January 2022, PB)

Join fisherman Finn and his dog, Skip, on their second adventure in this illustrated story book for young children, which teaches them about deforestation and what they can do to help. Forest is the ideal introduction to the environmental concerns facing our forests, featuring colourful illustrations and an engaging, light-hearted storyline, drawn and written by Brendan Kearney.

Grown-ups and children will be relieved not to be harangued, or preached at as they  follow the story of Finn and Skip, with its ups and downs, and including all the different animals that Finn meets in the rainforest. They’ll also learn about how using ethical products can help save the animals. The light touch is reflected in the  fun, and quirky, illustrations. I applaud it ‘s uplifting constructive message about protecting the world around us.

Brendan Kearney is a children’s book illustrator and author represented by Plum Pudding Illustration agency. His first picture book Musical Mac was published in 2019. He is also the illustrator of the popular Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast book series written by Josh Funk.