The Door-to-Door Bookstore - Carsten Henn

Carsten Henn's novel, The Door-to-Door Bookstore is an international best seller. I was hooked by the title and the premise. And isn't that cover wonderful!

Door-to-door to most of us means buying online and having it delivered to our homes. In Henn's novel, the door-to-door involves a bookstore employee, a hand chosen book meant just for one customer, a carefully wrapped parcel, delivery in person at their home and a personal conversation. All done after the shop closes. Sounds wonderful doesn't it? I very much enjoyed the descriptions of reading and the love of books.

The deliveries have been a part of Carl Kollhoff's job for over thirty years. He likes the routine of it, the peace of walking his route, and the happiness of delivering the books people need and want. 

Indeed, Carl has not left his small village for decades. His world is turned upside down when a precocious ten year old girl decides she will join Carl on his deliveries. And.....you can see where things might go. 

I liked Henn's writing, it's measured and thoughtful. His characters are engaging, especially Carl. What a wonderful tale of books, friendship and finding what you didn't know you needed!

If you enjoyed A Man Called Ove, you would absolutely love The Door-to-Door Bookshop. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Door-to-Door Bookstore. 

The Boy at the Keyhole - Stephen Giles - Review AND Giveaway

The Boy at the Keyhole is the latest novel from Stephen Giles.

1961 Britain. A run down estate. A surly housekeeper. And a young boy dependent on that housekeeper while his mother is away. All the elements for a read with a gothic feel to it.

But is his mother away? After many months, young Samuel is desperate to see his mother again. And then doubt begins to creep in and with his imagination in overdrive, Samuel begins to wonder if Ruth could have killed his mother.....

Giles ups the ante by pitting a child against an adult. Ruth is more than surly - she rules the house with a heavy hand. A hand she uses against Samuel. The bulk of the book is a back and forth battle between the two over the whereabouts of the mother. I did find this got a bit repetitive over the course of the book. Clues as to his mother's whereabouts are slowly revealed through Samuel's narrative. As adults, we can read a bit more into the letters he finds than a child can. But Giles still caught me unawares with the final chapters, although I found the ending is a bit ambiguous.

The Boy in the Keyhole is light gothic fare, perfect for a rainy night and a comfy chair, easily finished in one sitting. Read an excerpt of The Boy at the Keyhole.

"Stephen Giles is the Australian author behind the lauded children’s series “Anyone But Ivy Pocket”, penned under the pseudonym Caleb Krisp. The series, published in the US by HarperCollins/Greenwillow and the UK by Bloomsbury, appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List, has been translated into 25 different languages and was optioned by Paramount Pictures.Prior to selling his first book, Stephen worked in a variety of jobs to supplement his writing including market research, film classification and media monitoring. “The Boy at the Keyhole” is Giles’ first work for adults and the film rights for this book have been acquired by New Regency." See what others on the TLC book tour thought - full schedule can be found here.

And if you'd like to read The Boy at the Keyhole, enter to win a copy using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Ends Sept 29/18.

   a Rafflecopter giveaway