If you're not a fan of e-readers, you may want to skip this first section.
In case you missed the news, Amazon made some big e-reader announcements this week. Four new Kindles were announced, but the biggest news is that one of them has a colour screen that's easy on the eyes (not like the Kindle Fire tablets or Kindle app).
Personally, I prefer the Kindle Scribe because the screen is HUGE and you can use the little pen to take notes in it - but the idea of a regular Kindle with colour is awfully tempting.
The whole list of new models is as follows:
- Kindle Colorsoft - Like a normal Kindle, but with full colour.
- Kindle Scribe With AI - This new version makes it a little easier to take notes ON the page, and it includes AI + a "metallic jade" colour option. Personally, this won't be enough to tempt me to upgrade my own Kindle Scribe, but the green does look awfully nice.
- Kindle Paperwhite - This version has some minor technical upgrades (faster page turns, higher contrast ratio) and some new colour options.
- Basic Kindle - Their most basic model offers a new colour (matcha) and some minor technical upgrades.
All are available for either purchase or pre-order if you're determined to make sure you get one before Christmas.
13 Ghostly British Novels About Haunted Houses - Home is supposed to be a place of safety and comfort - but not in these novels.
Cheap Reads...
Please note: All of these e-books were $2.99 or less when this email was sent out - but prices at Amazon can change quickly, so if you're reading this much later, there's always a chance it could have changed.
- Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney - Adam and Amelia's anniversary getaway to Scotland seems like a chance to fix their broken marriage, but hidden secrets and a sinister plan put their lives in danger.
- Secrets of the Watch House by Jenny Ashcroft - In 1934, Violet Ellis accepts a job on a remote Cornish island, only to face growing suspicions and dark secrets surrounding the death of her employer's wife, leaving her trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation.
- A Cosy Christmas at Bridget’s Bicycle Bakery by Alex Brown - Bridget Carrington relocates to Mulberry-On-Sea just before Christmas, hoping the seaside town’s magic will offer healing and a fresh start.
- His Lady Smuggler by Tamara Gill - May Stanford plans to join a convent after one last Christmas, but her life is upended when William, an earl who hunts smugglers, arrives and sparks an unexpected romance.
- Outcrossing by Celia Lake - Ferry, a governess seeking freedom in the New Forest, crosses paths with war-scarred Rufus, but when a dangerous smuggling job entangles them both, their budding connection faces life-threatening obstacles. 1920s-based historical fantasy.
- The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Claudia Gray - When Lady Catherine de Bourgh becomes the target of multiple murder attempts, Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney reunite to solve the mystery, all while navigating the tension between their fathers and their own growing affection.
- A Most Unusual Demise by Catherine Black - Retired librarian May Morrigan and her friend Fletcher turn amateur sleuths after two locals die mysteriously, teaming up with a young journalist to uncover a missing girl's connection to unsolved crimes in their quiet village.
- Northwind by JD Kirk - Former DS Bob Hoon, drowning in alcohol and regret, is pulled back into action to find his old comrade's missing daughter, leading him on a relentless search from Scotland to London that uncovers a chilling network of missing girls. This Jack Logan spin-off isn't for everyone, but if you don't mind a bit of humour and profanity in your crime/thriller novels, it's worth checking out - though personally, I prefer JD Kirk's books in audio format because Angus King's narration is brilliant.
- A Shroud for Delilah by Anthea Fraser - In the small town of Broadminster, Detective David Webb hunts a ruthless murderer targeting divorcees.
- Inside British Intelligence: 100 Years of MI5 and MI6 by Gordon Thomas - This non-fiction title looks at the secretive worlds of MI5 and MI6, detailing their triumphs, betrayals, collaborations with global spy agencies - and the enigmatic leaders who ruthlessly controlled them.
The Hardacres and...Nessie?
Readers in the UK may have noticed there's a new period drama on Channel 5, The Hardacres (still no word on US streaming options). The series is based on a couple of novels, Hardacre and Hardacre's Luck, which tell the story of a Yorkshire family as they move from hardship to great wealth.
What a lot of viewers don't realise, though, is that author Clement "CL" Skelton's life could just as easily be the subject of a book or TV series. His father was an equerry to King George V, and after a brief stint at Harrow, Clement ran away from home to become an actor. He joined the RAF as a pilot during the war, and in the post-war years, and he once spent a night taking Princess Margaret and friends out on the town.
He also spent some time as a "Nessie hunter". Intrigued by the idea of a monster, he founded the "Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau". He may not have found Nessie, but he did find his future wife Alison in the Highlands, and together they wrote Gothic novels under the name of Abigail Clements. And of course, he would later write the Hardacre books and a number of others under his own name.
More to Read...
16 Atmospheric British Novels Set on the Moors - From Wuthering Heights to The Hound of the Baskervilles, Britain's moors have long been key to setting a certain type of mood. In this post, we take a look at more than a dozen novels set on or around the moors.
40+ Books That Introduced Us to British TV Detectives - From Endeavour Morse and Van der Valk to Cadfael and Agatha Raisin, many of the UK's best-loved TV detectives first appeared in books. In this list, we take a look at 40+ books that marked the first appearance of a TV detective.
"Daniel recalled the bishop saying the same thing, that the higher you rise in an organisation, the further you are from what you need to know."
Richard Coles, Murder Before Evensong
