My Birthday Books! #TheRoseCode #TheFourWinds #TheJigsawMan #TheLamplighters #GirlInTheWalls

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. I recently had a birthday, my second in lockdown and I received lots of book vouchers from friends and families. I thought I’d share today what books I had decided to buy. Many thanks to all the lovely people who gave me vouchers it was much appreciated!

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

As frequent visitors to my blog will know I’m a big fan of historical fiction that’s set in the second world war especially if it involves a dual timeline mystery so this book instantly appealed to me. I was a big fan of this author’s Empress of Rome books but I’ve not read any of her more recent books so I’m very excited to read.

Book Synopsis:

1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.
 
Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.
 
Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.
 
1947, London.
 
Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged, their friendship torn apart by secrets and betrayal. Yet now they must race against the clock to crack one final code together, before it’s too late, for them and for their country.

If you loved The Crown, don’t miss this riveting historical novel!

Girl In The Wall by A.J Gnuse

I’ve always loved books that involve creepy old houses and spirits so this book really intrigued me. I had read some amazing reviews from fellow bloggers too which was enough for me to buy myself a copy (I’m easily lead). I love the pretty blue and gold on the cover of this book it’s really beautiful.

Book Synopsis:

She doesn’t exist. She can’t exist.

‘A uniquely gothic tale about grief, belonging and hiding in plain sight’ Jess Kidd, author of Things in Jars

’Those who live in the walls must adjust, must twist themselves around in their home,
stretching themselves until they’re as thin as air. Not everyone can do what they can.
But soon enough, they can’t help themselves. Signs of their presence remain in a house.
Eventually, every hidden thing is found.’

Elise knows every inch of the house. She knows which boards will creak. She knows where the gaps are in the walls. She knows which parts can take her in, hide her away. It’s home, after all. The home her parents made for her. And home is where you stay, no matter what.

Eddie calls the same house his home. Eddie is almost a teenager now. He must no longer believe in the girl he sometimes sees from the corner of his eye. He needs her to disappear. But when his older brother senses her, too, they are faced with a question: how do they get rid of someone they aren’t sure even exists?

And, if they cast her out, what other threats might they invite in?

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

This is another book I’ve been hearing lots about on twitter. I was drawn to the storyline by the historical setting in a lighthouse which always intrigues me and the locked room scenario hinted at in the synopsis. This was another stunning cover with the striking colours and the gold.

Book Synopsis:

Cornwall, 1972. Three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse, miles from the shore. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. The Principal Keeper’s weather log describes a mighty storm, but the skies have been clear all week.

What happened to those three men, out on the tower? The heavy sea whispers their names. The tide shifts beneath the swell, drowning ghosts. Can their secrets ever be recovered from the waves?

Twenty years later, the women they left behind are still struggling to move on. Helen, Jenny and Michelle should have been united by the tragedy, but instead it drove them apart. And then a writer approaches them. He wants to give them a chance to tell their side of the story. But only in confronting their darkest fears can the truth begin to surface . . .

Inspired by real events, The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex is an intoxicating and suspenseful mystery, an unforgettable story of love and grief that explores the way our fears blur the line between the real and the imagined.

The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson

I do love a good crime thriller and one of my favourite reading friends kept going on about how good this book was. I like to mix up the books I read so will probably slot this on in-between one of the historical ones for a change in pace.

Book Synopsis:

There’s a serial killer on the loose.

When bodies start washing up along the banks of the River Thames, DI Henley fears it is the work of Peter Olivier, the notorious Jigsaw Killer. But it can’t be him; Olivier is already behind bars, and Henley was the one who put him there.

The race is on before more bodies are found.

She’d hoped she’d never have to see his face again, but Henley knows Olivier might be the best chance they have at stopping the copycat killer. But when Olivier learns of the new murders, helping Henley is the last thing on his mind . . .

Will it take a killer to catch the killer?

Now all bets are off, and the race is on to catch the killer before the body count rises. But who will get there first – Henley, or the Jigsaw Killer?

The Four Winds by Kristen Hannah

I’ve been a huge fan of this author since she was first featured in the Richard and Judy Book Club. Her books are always amazing, absorbing reads which I end up thinking about long after I have finished reading. I’m hoping to read this when the kids go back to school and I have some quiet time.

Book Synopsis:

The Four Winds is a deeply moving, powerful story about the strength and resilience of women and the bond between mother and daughter, by the multi-million copy number one bestselling author of The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah.

She will discover the best of herself in the worst of times . . .

Texas, 1934. Elsa Martinelli had finally found the life she’d yearned for. A family, a home and a livelihood on a farm on the Great Plains. But when drought threatens all she and her community hold dear, Elsa’s world is shattered to the winds.

Fearful of the future, when Elsa wakes to find her husband has fled, she is forced to make the most agonizing decision of her life. Fight for the land she loves or take her beloved children, Loreda and Ant, west to California in search of a better life. Will it be the land of milk and honey? Or will their experience challenge every ounce of strength they possess?

From the overriding love of a mother for her child, the value of female friendship and the ability to love again – against all odds, Elsa’s incredible journey is a story of survival, hope and what we do for the ones we love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So those were the books I decided to buy for my birthday. What did you think of my selection? If anyone read any of these books or has any other recommendations please do comment below!