As I am writing this on the last day of 2022, I want to take a moment to give a Big Thanks to all of your who support me by following this blog, retweeting (etc) it, and visiting EmmabBooks.com Without you I am nothing, so thank you each and everyone for being there. I wish all of you a great 2023!

What (am I currently reading)?

I am currently listening to the audiobook thriller Overkill by Vanda Symon.   The paperback was published by Orenda Books in September 2018.  The Audible audiobook I am listening to was published by Isis Publishing Ltd in April 2019.  This is the first of a 4 book series – soon to be 5, and is narrated by Genevieve Swallow.

Book Blurb   (taken from https://orendabooks.co.uk/  )

When the body of a young mother is found washed up on the banks of the Mataura River, a small rural community is rocked by her tragic suicide. But all is not what it seems.

Sam Shephard, sole-charge police constable in Mataura, soon discovers the death was no suicide and has to face the realisation that there is a killer in town. To complicate the situation, the murdered woman was the wife of her former lover. When Sam finds herself on the list of suspects and suspended from duty, she must cast aside her personal feelings and take matters into her own hands.

To find the murderer … and clear her name.

A taut, atmospheric and page-turning thriller, Overkill marks the start of an unputdownable and unforgettable series from one of New Zealand’s finest crime writers.

At the time of writing this I notice that https://orendabooks.co.uk/  have got a sale on, so well worth nipping over for some New Year treats!

Why (have I chosen to read it)?

Because in 2022 I read Faceless by Vanda Symon, and though it was a little too gritty for me I loved it.  Since reading that I have heard from the lovely people at Orenda that the 5th book in the Sam Shephard series (Expectant) is out in February of this year, so I decided to start reading that series, starting (naturally) with the first book in the series Overkill.   So far I’m loving it, and the narrator is totally Sam Shephard!

While (I am reading it)

In the lull between Christmas and New Year I’ve been having my annual tidy up/clear out.  I’ve not been out walking as much as usual, but from today (1st January) I will be back hitting my exercise numbers – at least according to my 2023 goals chart!

Here in Austria it is customary to eat wonderful little biscuits at this time of year, and we are lucky enough to have lovely neighbours who bring us over a selection of their home made biscuits each Christmas Eve.  Here is a picture of just a few of them. 

All the best, and wishing you all a great 2023.  Emma