Rules at the School by the Sea - Jenny Colgan

Jenny Colgan is my go to, favorite feel good author. I've started listening to her books and find I am enjoying them even more. 

Rules at the School by the Sea was first published in 2010 across the pond, but has just been released by Harper Collins Audio. 

Maggie is our lead character. She survived her first year as a teacher at a British girl's boarding school and year two is just beginning. Colgan's lead characters are always someone you'd like to be friends with in real life. What's different about this series is that a core group of her young charges are also given a voice.  In the first book, I questioned the inclusion of the young teen's plotline, but their experiences are relevant and just as engaging and I was happy to see they were back. And of course there are stumbling blocks on Maggie's path, both personal and professional. There was one large question left hanging at the end of the first book and I was quite eager to see if things played out the way I wanted them to. There's a varied group of supporting players that have their own stories as well.

I really appreciate the continuity provided to a series by using the same narrator every time. In this case it's Jilly Bond who does an absolutely fantastic job! She provides unique and distinctive voices for all of the characters. It's easy to suss out who is speaking. She captures the personalities of all the characters - young, old, male and female with her voice and I easily created vivid mental images of each one. She portrays the emotions of the characters as well. Her accents are easy to understand and quite pleasant to listen to. A great job bringing a wonderful story to life! You could certainly listen to this as a stand alone, but I enjoy starting at the beginning of a series. Hear for yourself  - listen to an excerpt of Rules at the School by the Sea. And this listener is eager to listen to the next book!

Death of Yesterday - M. C. Beaton

I'm not much of a cozy mystery reader, but there are a few series I quite enjoy and follow faithfully.

M.C. Beaton writes a number of series, but it is the Hamish MacBeth mysteries that have me hooked. Lately, I've chosen to only listen to them. The latest, Death of Yesterday, is the 29th in the series.

Sergeant Hamish MacBeth lives and works in the small Scottish village of Lochdubh. When Morag, a secretary at a local clothing factory reports that she was drugged and her sketchbook stolen when she was at the local pub, Hamish does, of course,  interview her. But, Morag is distinctly unlikable and he isn't looking forward to following up with her. Until she's found murdered.....

Not much changes in the village or in Beaton's stories, but I find great comfort in listening to familiar characters. Inspector Blair is still determined to best Hamish, but continues to fail miserably. The quirky Currie sisters sisters, local shopkeepers and other familiar inhabitants of the village are all comforting to revisit. And of course Hamish's love life - will he ever choose between Elspeth and Priscilla? The addition of Dick Fraser as a live in copper at the station was fun - there's more to Dick than meets the eye.

The Morag plot line becomes quite involved with numerous threads. The addition of other small cases along the way were an added bonus. Hamish is quick to let others take credit for his crime solving - he doesn't want to leave the quiet and comfort of Lochdubh.

And why do I only listen to the Hamish books? Well, one of my favourite readers is the narrator. Graeme Malcolm has personified the character for me over the years. He is Scottish himself, so the accent is spot on, but easy to understand.  His voice is full and sonorous and quite expressive.

Those looking for a quirky, cosy little series would find it here. Read an excerpt of Death of Yesterday. Or listen to an excerpt. You can find M.C. Beaton on Facebook.

The Retribution - Val McDermid

Wow...Val McDermid's latest book, The Retribution, was literally a non-stop read for me. Picked it up in the morning and finished late that night.

Now, I don't know if you're familiar with this fantastic Scottish author, but if you love crime novels, she's an author you want to read. She has written three series, but my favourites are the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books. A television series - Wire in the Blood - is also based on these characters.

In The Retribution, Hill, a psychological profiler and Jordan, a Detective Inspector with the MIT - major incident team - are stunned to learn that Jacko Vance, a charismatic serial killer they imprisoned, has escaped. Jacko - "killer of seventeen teenage girls, murderer of a serving police officer and a man once voted the sexiest man on British TV", promised he would seek retribution against those who put him away. At the same time, the MIT is working to solve the gruesome murders of local prostitutes. All this while the higher ups have decided to dismantle the crack team Carol has put together, due to budget constraints.

These two characters have always fascinated me. Neither one of them completely 'fits' into society, especially Tony. "When he interviewed the psychopaths that became his patients, he heard so many echoes of his own empty childhood. It was, he thought, the reason he was so good at what he did. He understood them because he had come within a hair's breadth of being them." The tenuous building of the relationship between Carol and Tony has been building over the course of the series. We get to know more of what makes Tony tick in this offering. My opinion of Carol changes from book to book - still no final opinion. The MIT team is filled with interesting support characters with their own stories.

Vance is a diabolical character. We are privy to his plans and thoughts and they are truly disturbing. The second case involving the prostitutes was good but had a bit of a 'filler' feel to it. That being said, McDermid's plotlines are always ingenious, complex and gritty. I was caught a bit off guard by the ending of the book, but then again, I like it when an author can keep me on my toes.

Definitely recommended. Read an excerpt of The Retribution. You can find McDermid on Twitter.

Slip of the Knife - Denise Mina

I stumbled across Denise Mina as an author years ago when I picked up her first novel Garnethill.

Her gritty style captured me then and Slip of the Knife just confirms why I enjoyed it so much.

Paddy Meehan is a female reporter in Glasgow, Scotland. When her ex boyfriend Terry is found shot execution style, she mourns his passing. She is stunned to find out he has left her his house and a folder full of notes - he was also a reporter. As she digs further into his death, it looks like The Troubles have a part in his passing. How far will Paddy go to find the truth - especially after her son is threatened.

There is so much more to the plot than just that brief overview. The subplots involving Paddy's troubled personal life, her family and friends are just as fascinating. Meehan is a recurring character who is overweight, cantankerous, loyal and dogged. She is a wonderful protagonist simply because she is so far from a 'perfect' character.

Mina's writing is gritty and real. Her descriptions and conversations leap off the page. She has a sly sense of humour, often injected when least expected. Historical fact is carefully woven into fiction.

Read an excerpt of Slip of the Knife.

Absolutely recommended!