eyes.2c Reviews

Good Duke Gone Wild  (Bluestocking Booksellers #1) by Bethany Bennett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dorian Whitaker, Duke of Holland needs an heir. He doesn’t really care who his wife will be. Caroline ‘Caro’ Danvers is the daughter of a strict vicar, secretly writing erotic novels. When her father discovers this here takes all her saved earnings and throws Caro to the streets. Fortunately Caro finds solace with her aunt and uncle in London. There she works with them as a bookseller whilst continuing to secretly write erotic novels.  Hired by the Duke to liquidate his dead wife’s books Caro finds letters of an intimately charged nature, proving his wife’s unfaithfulness. Well there’s definitely an attraction between Caro and the duke.  Their way to happiness however is marked by misunderstandings, often unhelped by their burgeoning passion. Truly enjoyable. Heaps of drama and wonderful moments. (Sadly I lost my review notes and records amongst a heap of stuff and have just found them. C’est la vie! 🤷‍♀

When the Germans Come  by David Hewson         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The world’s gone mad! It’s 1940 and just after the Dunkirk retreat in Dover. The place where a German invasion would surely land. The Castle, an imposing fortress like building overlooks Dover and its harbour. The Castle houses a myriad of Ministry departments including one devoted to dirty tricks, of far fetched ideas. Dover and the Castle is a place on the defensive footing. Into this madness comes Louis Reynard, a former Scotland Yard detective, who was wounded during the Dunkirk evacuation. He’s maybe just a little mad or lost, maybe both. His Aunt Veronica, a renowned actress of the West End, and doyen of the Dover area, has a word in the right ears. When he’d recovered Louis found himself posted to the quietness of Dover. Not that that lasted! Now he’s dealing with murder, treason and German agents. He’s also being haunted by a serial killer whom Renaud believes killed his fiancé. The killer is obsessed with Renaud. Then t

Mr Campion's Christmas  (An Albert Campion Mystery #12) by Mike Ripley         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Classic Ripley’s Albert Campion mayhem taking place over Christmas 1962 at their Norfolk farmhouse. A lively description of Lugg as Santa driving an Arandel Works landrover made out to be Santa’s sled adds to the Christmas spirit. However later on a blizzard envelopes the area. A pilgrim’s bus enroute to the shrine of Walsingham crashes into their sturdy entrance pillars during in a blizzard. The stranded passengers, a very mixed and puzzling group, take sanctuary with the Campion’s. Three young American servicemen help out. They’re heading to the RAF Markham base where Lady Amanda has her aeronautic works. However things change when Campion and Lugg discover the missing bus driver. His  dead body is on the coach. A startling and unwelcome Christmas surprise for the Campion’s complete with treason and spies. This is apparently the last Campion writings from Ripley. So sad! A Severn House ARC

Schemes & Scandals  (A Rip Through Time #3.5) by Kelley Armstrong        ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not as exciting as previous titles but an interesting novella if like me you’ve been following the series. Mallory Mitchell, our 21st century detective who’s found herself trapped in a rather buxom maid’s body, Catriona, in Victorian Edinburgh, is taking up a case to do with the blackmailing of Dr. Duncan Gray’s ex lover and companion , Lady Patricia Inglis.  Lady Patricia is being blackmailed over letters of a ‘sensual’ nature sent to a friend with benefits. Only they were stolen from him. The blackmailer is threatening to have the letters published by Hogmanay if his payment demands aren’t met. One of best moment was when Mallory meets Charles Dickens, a hero of hers. This raises a heap of other realisations for Mallory. Another great addition to the series with the requisite mystery and a look at the traditions around Christmas and Hogmanay in Victorian Scotland. A Subterranean Press ARC via NetGa

A Deadly Flame  (DS Malkie McCulloch #3) by Doug Sinclair         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Scottish police procedural mystery with an interesting group of characters. Detective Sergeant Malkie McCulloch and Detective Constable Stephanie Lang have each other’s backs. Malkie is still recovering from the death of his cancer stricken mother in a fire. A candle left burning caused the fire. Malkie had bought her a candle for her birthday. He obsesses that the tragedy might have been his fault. Now eight months later he’s confronted with another fire investigation and the death of someone sleeping inside the warehouse. A fireman on duty dies in the conflagration. Meanwhile Steph is coping with news about her true father, a first rate scumbag and rapist. I went from wondering who these people were to becoming completely immersed in their lives. Now I have to catch-up on previous titles by Sinclair. A Storm ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publi