Book review: The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel

My edition: Paperback, published on 28 March 2013 by Quercus, 461 pages.

Description: The North Star Bakery has been in Hope's family for generations, the secret recipes passed down from mother to daughter. But at thirty-six and recently divorced, with rebellious daughter Annie and elderly grandmother Rose to care for, Hope is less than enthusiastic about carrying on the family legacy. When the bakery runs into financial trouble and Rose takes a turn for the worse, Hope's delicate balancing act is in danger of crumbling entirely.

Then Rose reveals a shocking truth about her past and everything Hope thought she knew about her family and the bakery is turned upside down. At her grandmother's request, Hope travels to Paris, armed only with a mysterious list of names. What she uncovers there could be the key to saving the bakery and the fulfilment of a star-crossed romance, seventy years in the making.

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Theatre review: The Book of Mormon

Synopsis: The Book of Mormon is a religious satire musical from the creators of South Park, Matt Parker and Trey Stone, and Avenue Q's Robert Lopez, which tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries who are sent to a small town in Uganda to bring news of the Latter Day Saints.

Cast: Gavin Creel, Jared Gertner, Alexia Khadime, Stephen Ashfield, Giles Terera, Haydn Oakley, Chris Jarman, Mark Anderson, Benjamin Brook, Daniel Buckley, Daniel Clift, Ashley Day, Candace Furbert, Patrick George, Nadine Higgin, Tyrone Huntley, Evan James, Michael Kent, Matt Krzan, Oliver Lidert, Daniel Mackinley, Luke Newton, Terel Nugent, David O'Reilly, Olivia Philip, Lucy St Louis, Yemie Sonuga, Kayi Ushe, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, Sharon Wattis, Liam Wrate.

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Book review: Tangled Lives by Hilary Boyd

My edition: Paperback, published on 14 March 2013 by Quercus, 377 pages.

Description: Annie Delancey is happily married with three grown children. But she guards a secret. Aged eighteen she had a baby boy, and gave him up for adoption.

Out of the blue, she receives an official-looking letter from Social Services. Her son wants to make contact.

Now, the presence of the son she has never known begins to expose the flaws in the family Annie has to try to hold together.

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Transworld Publishers Crime Event

On Wednesday I had the pleasure to visit Transworld Publishers for their special crime event in honour of the publication of Cath Staincliffe's second Scott & Bailey novel: 'Bleed Like Me'.

Never having ventured over to Ealing before of course I ended up getting us briefly lost but we still found the offices on time and were welcomed with gruesome looking (but delicious) cupcakes and a glass of wine. The evening was off to a good start, that's for sure!

Click on the link below for photos and my full report on the evening.