An Unhallowed Grave by Kate Ellis

An Unhallowed Grave (Wesley Peterson, #3)
by Kate Ellis

I loved every minute of this book, i grudged every moment i couldn't read. As usual with this author it was well written, with twists and turns along the way. The characters were very real and well thought out. Brilliant.

When the body of Pauline Brent is found hanging from a yew tree in a local graveyard, DS Wesley Peterson immediately suspects foul play. Meanwhile Wesley's archaeologist friend Neil Watson has excavated a corpse at his nearby dig, that of a young woman who—local legend has it—had been publicly hanged from the very same tree before being buried on unhallowed ground five centuries ago. Wesley is forced to consider the possibility that the killer knows the tree's dark history. Has Pauline also been executed rather than murdered? To catch a dangerous killer Wesley must discover as much as he can about the victim, but Pauline appears to have been a woman with few friends, no relatives, and a past she has carefully tried to hide.

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway, #1)
by Elly Griffiths (Goodreads Author)

A brilliant boo, made the more intrigueing as it's setting is local to me, it mentioned Holme, Saltmarsh, Blakeney, King's Lynn, it was quite surreal all the places familiar to me. I am also intrigued by the murder stories which involve archeology because i am interested in the subject, altogether a good read.

When she’s not digging up bones or other ancient objects, quirky, tart-tongued archaeologist Ruth Galloway lives happily alone in a remote area called Saltmarsh near Norfolk, land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants - not quite earth, not quite sea.

When a child’s bones are found on a desolate beach nearby, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson calls Galloway for help. Nelson thinks he has found the remains of Lucy Downey, a little girl who went missing ten years ago. Since her disappearance he has been receiving bizarre letters about her, letters with references to ritual and sacrifice.

The bones actually turn out to be two thousand years old, but Ruth is soon drawn into the Lucy Downey case and into the mind of the letter writer, who seems to have both archaeological knowledge and eerie psychic powers. Then another child goes missing and the hunt is on to find her. As the letter writer moves closer and the windswept Norfolk landscape exerts its power, Ruth finds herself in completely new territory – and in serious danger.

THE CROSSING PLACES marks the beginning of a captivating new crime series featuring an irresistible heroine

In a Dry Season by Peter Robinson

In A Dry Season (Inspector Banks, #10)
by Peter Robinson

An amazing book, Peter Robinson really excelled himself here, i had difficulty putting it down.

On the outs with their superiors, Detective Inspector Banks and Detective Sergeant Annie Cabbot are lumbered with a case that is supposed to frustrate and annoy them--and find the challenge fascinating. When a reservoir dries out, a flooded village emerges and a boy finds a skeleton buried in an outhouse--by solid police work, and the use of experts, Banks and Cabbot find out who she was and when she died, and then have to find out why. The reader knows more than they do of course--elderly crime writer Vivien has written her own account of what happened during World War Two when she was an intense unhappy teenager, and this is presented in alternate chapters--but there are surprises still in store... An intense sense of period and a celebration of the virtues of solid investigation, this admirable combination of the police procedural and the psychological period thriller was nominated for the Edgar, the US crime writers' best of the year award. Peter Robinson's acute portrayal of his flawed, humane detectives and the charismatic doomed victim the truth of whose death they are trying to uncover has a desperate sadness which comes together in a climax of unexpected power

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher

Dead Beat (The Dresden Files #7)
by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)

I found this book rather hard going but i got through it, not one of my favourite authors or series, which is a surprise as i enjoy fantasy and crime, it seemed an ideal combination for me but I just didn't get on with it.

Paranormal investigations are Harry 'Dresden's business, and Chicago is his beat as he tries to bring law and order to a world of wizards and monsters that exists alongside everyday life. And though most inhabitants of the Windy City don't believe in magic, the Special Investigations department of the Chicago PD knows better.

Karin Murphy is the head of SI and Harry's good friend. So when a killer vampire threatens to destroy Murphy's reputation unless Harry does her bidding, he has no choice. The vampire wants the Word of Kemmler (whatever that is) and all the power that comes with it. Now Harry is in a race against time--and six merciless necromancers--to find the Word before Chicago experiences a Halloween night to wake the dead....

Blue Lightning By Ann Cleeves

Fell down a bit here, when i got this out the library, i didn't realise it was book 4 till i logged it on Goodreads, i usually don't do this, however, i decided to give it a go, and it does stand on its own quite well.

However, i found it slow, uninspiring and quite predictable, to be honest i couldn't wait to finish it, though i have to confess the ending bought a tear to my eye.

Murder can strike more than once… Shetland Detective Jimmy Perez knows it will be a difficult homecoming when he returns to the Fair Isles to introduce his fiancée, Fran, to his parents. It’s a community where everyone knows each other, and strangers, while welcomed, are still viewed with a degree of mistrust. Challenging to live on at the best of times, with the autumn storms raging, the island feels cut off from the rest of the world. Trapped, tension is high and tempers become frayed. Enough to drive someone to murder… When a woman’s body is discovered at the renowned Fair Isles bird observatory, with feathers threaded through her hair, the islanders react with fear and anger. With no support from the mainland and only Fran to help him, Jimmy has to investigate the old-fashioned way. He soon realizes that this is no crime of passion—but a murder of cold and calculated intention. With no way off the island until the storms abate, Jimmy knows he has to work quickly. There’s a killer on the island just waiting for the opportunity to strike again

Sponsored Walk for The Guide Dogs

Today Smithdon and Brothercross District had a Sponsored Walk for the Guide Dogs, we met at the Field Study Centre in Sandringham at 1.30pm on a glorious sunny sunday afternoon.

The walk took about an hour for most of us,  when we returned we to the centre we had a cup a soup and hot dog, made for us by The Trefoil Guild

It was a lovely afternoon enjoyed by all who went.

The sum raised for the Guide Dogs appeared to be in excess of £300.

Pyjama Promise Party

Today we welcomed Caitlin and Grace who made their promise, we celebrated this special occasion by having a Pyjama Party, decided by the girls themselves.

We started off having a Smartie Game, by getting in sixes and transferring smarties from one bowl to another by using no hands and a straw.

We then of course, had to finish off by eating the smarties.

We painted our toe nails

We had a Foot Spa

We played Winking Murder

We played Duck Duck Goose

We also played Chinese Whispers.

Then we had Hot Chocolate

By now the parents had arrived to watch the Promise Ceremonies, so we finished with the Promise