Welcome to this week’s post about my reading journey. This might be the final one for 2023, but I am not quite sure. If I am able, I will write another post next week to properly finish off the year. I hope that I reach my target of 60 books.

I am now on 59!

The first book is Nine Lives by Peter Swanson. Another serendipitous choice from the Library’s ebook selection. This is the blurb:

“Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke – until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list. First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor.

FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next….”

And this was my response on Goodreads:

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite the grim subject, this was a very quick and easy read. It had a few surprises and was well structured. Nine people are on a killer’s list. Nine seemingly random people.

But perhaps they are not!

All will be revealed. I must admit that I didn’t guess what was coming towards the end, so I enjoyed the surprises. And I have now reserved some more books by Peter Swanson.

View all my reviews

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My next choice was completely different…

I chose the first book in The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles: Son of Mercia by M J Porter for a taste of Dark Ages history. Here is the blurb:

“Tamworth, Mercia AD825.

The once-mighty kingdom of Mercia is in perilous danger.

Their King, Beornwulf lies dead and years of bitter in-fighting between the nobles, and cross border wars have left Mercia exposed to her enemies.

King Ecgberht of Wessex senses now is the time for his warriors to strike and exact his long-awaited bloody revenge on Mercia.

King Wiglaf, has claimed his right to rule Mercia, but can he unite a disparate Kingdom against the might of Wessex who are braying for blood and land?

Can King Wiglaf keep the dragons at bay or is Mercia doomed to disappear beneath the wings of the Wessex wyvern?

Can anyone save Mercia from destruction?”

What a lot of kings and other characters with Anglo-Saxon names! Anyway, this was my quick review:

Son of Mercia by M.J. Porter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting read about a period of history of which I am very ignorant. I have read and watched The Last Kingdom, set a few years later, during and after the reign of King Alfred of Wessex, but this gives the earlier story from the Mercian point of view.

I enjoyed the well researched background information and the coming of age theme. Will definitely be reading more of this series.

View all my reviews

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I have already started to read the next book in the series, so I think that may be my final book of the year. Well, we will see…

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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