Nicholas George

Favorite Reads of 2024

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This year was a slow burn – sometimes I find a book early in the year that I’m completely passionate about.  This year I didn’t find “the one” until November, when I devoured Christina Lynch’s utterly original Pony Confidential.  I read lots of other great books along the way though, some by tried and true writers – Elly Griffiths, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Ann Cleeves, Anthony Horowitz, Deanna Raybourn and Ragnar Jonasson – and particularly in the historical novel category, lots of wonderful debuts that give us lots to look forward to. These recommendations are divided into categories.  Full reviews for all of these can be found on this website, just search by title or author. read more

Nicholas George: A Deadly Walk in Devon

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Debut

This charming cozy is set in Devon, but features a group of Americans who have gathered there for a walking tour of England.  Our hero, Rick Chasen, or “Chase”, is a recently retired, recently widowed police detective.  The loss of his husband, Doug, has caused him to rethink his life and search for things that will keep him active and engaged.  He’s meeting up with his friend Billie for the trip, who is an optimistic soul and knits with enthusiasm.

The rest of their tour group – or shall we call them the suspect pool? – is nicely varied and interesting.  There’s a wealthy man and his trophy wife; there’s a couple who create environments for the elderly (who are dissatisfied with their room décor); there’s a sister and brother who are fulfilling the sister’s life long dream of a trip to England; and there’s the required curmudgeon, rounded off by the tour guide and driver.  While I really enjoyed this novel my enjoyment would have been heightened by the traditional cast of characters at the beginning of the book.  This book seemed well suited for that kind of thing. read more