Blog Tour: Murder at the Bailey, by Henry Milner

As a lawyer for over fifty years, you'd expect Henry Milner to have a fairly comprehensive view of the ins and outs of a legal case. And in Murder at the Bailey- his first foray into fiction- he doesn't disappoint, gifting us a story full of crooks, plot twists and enough colourful characters to make …

Two dark fairy stories for your viewing pleasure

As you probably know, once you get to YA novels, fairy stories become less charming and rather more sinister. Case in point: these two stories, which are full of broken promises, devil's bargains and magic gone awry. Which, of course, means that they are an absolute hoot. The Iron Raven, by Julie Kagawa The queen …

Brimming with imagination: The Rookery, by Deborah Hewitt

Disclaimer: before I start reviewing this, I have to say that Hewitt's first book, The Nightjar, was one I obsessed over when it came out. I loved it. Her writing style was fluid and readable, her imagination seemingly limitless, the characters all wonderful. To put it plainly, The Rookery had a lot to live up …

Witty and self-assured: Airhead, by Emily Maitlis

Emily Maitlis is one of my journalism heroes. How could she not be? She asks the best questions and looks absolutely unruffled as she does it; she gets to travel to amazing locations and she has a penchant for dramatic Newsnight openings that me and my friends always talk about the next day. So really, …

Girls who fight: three fantasy stories for springtime

As the weather starts to get better, there's no excuse for not kicking back with a good book and enjoying the sunshine. Or at least the lack of biting winter wind. And if fantasy is your thing- and in particular stories about kick-ass women- then hello and welcome to this post! I've been getting stuck …