Death in the Sunshine by Steph Broadribb
This novel was the first on the list emailed to me yesterday morning. My first thought, after reading its brief synopsis, was 'This is definitely in contention'.
Amazon writes 'Four ex-cops in a retirement paradise. Sure they'll rest...when the killer is caught'.
A Train to Moscow by Elena Gorokhova
This is 'Historical Fiction' which didn't appeal to me by the title. The short introduction reads 'In post-World War II Russia, a girl must reconcile a tragic past with her hope for the future in this powerful and poignant novel about family secrets, passion and loss, perseverance and ambition'.
Not my cup of tea, so it's a pass.
Like Me by Hayley Phelan
It wasn't the write-up which made me decide that 'Like Me' by Hayley Phelan was not for me. I judged the book by its cover and it does not look like something I would like.
With that said, it is a 'seductive psychological thriller about obsession, illusion and female identity in the digital age'. One one hand, it does appear interesting. On the other, I don't want to read another book about the digital age for a long time after reading the utter crap. Booker Prize shortlisted, Nobody is Talking About This in the latter part of 2021.
'A dead man's secrets put a family in peril in a twisting novel of suspense' is what Amazon wrote about Chad Zunker's Family Money.
It is a contender on the list of potential picks. It might not be my number one pick, however.
North to Paradise by Ousman Umar
This is a memoir about 'one man's treacherous boyhood journey from a rural village in Ghana to the streets of Barcelona - and the path that led him home'.
I considered this, but I think there are others that might pip it to second.
The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort
This novel falls into the 'romantic comedy' genre. Usually I would pass, but I am interested in the story of 'an astronaut tasked with training a Hollywood actor for a space flick'.
It's made it to the list. For now. For now?
The Quarter Storm by Veronica G Henry
Categorised as 'Fantasy', The Quarter Storm is about a Vodou practitioner who must use her powers to solve a murder in New Orleans.
Definitely on my short list.
The Fallen Stones by Diana Marcum
This memoir is set on a butterfly farm in the Maya Mountains.
It doesn't interest me.
Karitas Untitled by Kristin Marja Baldursdottir
Amazon's First Reads email states this book - a work of historical fiction - is 'a portrait of an artist trapped by convention and expectations but longing for the chaos that can set her free'
I'll pass.
* * *
For now, I'm going to choose ONE book and then see what happens after that.
The list consists of:
- Death in the Sunshine
- Family Money
- The Astronaut and the Star
- The Quarter Storm
I have already said that Family Money might not be my first pick, Therefore, I'll throw that one aside to leave the other three.
I'll also pass on The Astronaut and the Star for now. This leaves Death in the Sunshine and The Quarter Storm.
It's going to be....
What did it for me was a 'review' I came across on the page for 'Death in the Sunshine' which reads 'isn't this the same as the Richard Osman series, just different characters in a different country?'
It wasn't a review. It wasn't really a fair point, to be fair. However, it did strike me that I had read a murder mystery book, about a group of people trying to find a killer, over Christmas. That swayed me toward The Quarter Storm, which is about... a murder.
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