Review: The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes (2017)

I just finished reading "The Mitford Murders" (2017) by Jessica Fellowes. In 1920, retired war nurse Florence Nightingale Shore is murdered on board a train. At the same time, Louisa Cannon, a poor girl living in London with her mother and uncle, is hired as a nursery maid for the rich Mitford family at their luxurious country estate Asthall Manor.

Louisa is relieved to get away from her abusive uncle and soon befriends Nancy, the oldest of the Mitford children. Together, the two girls start looking for clues in the Shore murder case, assisted by Louisa's new friend Guy Sullivan, a young man working for the railroad police.

I really enjoyed "The Mitford Murders". It's an easy read and obviously inspired by the work of Agatha Christie, which is right up my alley. I like how the book shifts perspective between Louisa and Guy. I also like how Louisa's relationship with the people at Asthall Manor – both upstairs and downstairs – evolve over time.

There are more books in the series that I look forward to reading. However, you can read this as a stand-alone story as well. Check it out if you love cosy mystery novels set in the past. "Downton Abbey" meets "Miss Marple", which is great in my book.

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Review: The French Photographer by Natasha Lester (2019)

I just finished reading "The French Photographer" (2019), also known as "The Paris Orphan", by Natasha Lester.

In the nineteen-forties, fashion model Jessica May wants to become a war correspondent. But nothing can prepare her for the horrors of war, or the countless men who hate her presence in war-stricken Europe, simply for being a woman. Luckily, she befriends other female correspondents and the kind-hearted soldier Dan Hallworth, who is caring for an orphaned girl who will become very important to Jessica.

In the noughties, D'Arcy Hallworth visits a chateau in France to help pack a famous photographer's work. The plan is to exhibit the photographs at a gallery in D'Arcy's home country Australia, but while going through them, D'Arcy discovers a big family secret that pertains to her mother Victorine. How is she connected to the photographer and what other surprises are hidden in the old chateau?

I really enjoyed this novel. It has a perfect mix of romance and drama. Lester makes you feel invested in the characters and when I found out that the main character is a fictitious version of real life correspondent Lee Miller, I started reading up on her too.

At one point I got a bit confused by the many plot twists during the final chapters of the book. However, it's a small complaint because "The French Photographer" is a wonderful read, both heartwarming and tragic. I found myself crying at the many hardships of the main characters and the people they meet during the war.

This is the second novel by Natasha Lester that I've read, but it won't be the last. I really enjoy her historical romances and can't wait for the next one.

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Review: The Italian Girl by Lucinda Riley (2014)

I just finished reading "The Italian Girl" (2014) by Lucinda Riley. The book follows Rosanna Menici, a young small town girl who, after being discovered by famous opera singer Roberto Rossini, starts working towards becoming a singer in her own right. But she also falls in love with Roberto which is the start of a toxic relationship that spans over many years.

I really enjoy romantic novels, but there are many problems with "The Italian Girl". The biggest one is that the main character's love interest is extremely unlikable. I kept hoping that Rosanna would get over this sexist and move on. I get that love can be illogical, but the way this toxic relationship was labelled as a love story really frustrated me, and made me feel like Rosanna's character didn't evolve much over the years.

There are things I liked about the novel though, for example, the subplot with Rosanna's older brother Luca who is torn between becoming a priest and giving himself to the girl he loves. I also enjoyed the scheming Donatella Bianchi who is one of Roberto's mistresses. She reminded me of a soap opera character.

The author jumps around a lot, with many short parts within each chapter, which could have been expanded with more descriptions of the locations and characters, something that is lacking throughout the novel. It made many scenes feel rushed.

"The Italian Girl" was originally released back in 1996 as "Aria", but Riley reworked it for this new 2014 edition. Sadly, she didn't rework it enough in my opinion. The book is okay and I don't regret reading it, but it could have been a lot better. I've been told that the author's latter books are much better so I might give them a try.

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Review: A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald by Natasha Lester (2016)

I just finished reading "A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald" (2016) by Natasha Lester. The novel is set in the 1920s and follows Evelyn Lockhart, a girl from a wealthy Concord family, who dreams of moving to New York City to study to become a doctor. Her conservative parents are dead set against it so she comes up with a secret plan to make her dream come true.

But there are many other obstacles standing in her way, for example the sexism she endures from her male colleagues. Has Evelyn taken on more than she can handle? And what will her crush, the handsome banker Thomas Whitman, think when he finds out that she's financing her studies working as a performer in the famous Ziegfeld Follies?

"A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald" is just my kind of book: a well-written historical romance filled with glamour and dark family secrets. I also learned a lot about the time period, which is always a big plus. The plot twists may not be very original, but that's a minor complaint.

I loved my time with the book and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. If you like period dramas with powerful female characters, then this is the book for you.

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Review: Christmas At Emmerdale by Pamela Bell (2018)

For as long as I can remember, I have loved soap operas. The crazier the better. The iconic British soap "Emmerdale" first started airing in 1972 and is still going strong. I first started watching it in the 2010s and got hooked right away. Who would have guessed that so much drama and action could go down in such a small village?

"Christmas At Emmerdale" (2018), written by Pamela Bell, takes place between 1914 and 1915, when the village of Emmerdale was still called Beckindale. We follow Maggie Sugden who has been forced to marry the violent farmer Joe. She dreams of being with her true love Ralph, but his parents have forbidden him to marry someone of Maggie's class.

We also meet Rose Haywood, the daughter of the village priest. She too is in love with Ralph and therefor dislikes Maggie. However, after getting to know her rival, she starts to change her mind and they become friends. Rose also meets Mick Dingle – an Irish soldier who is in Beckindale with his two brothers Nat and Levi – and sparks start to fly.

Levi Dingle is the third and final main character. He has followed his older brothers to England to join the army. He is only seventeen so his brothers try to keep him from having to fight in the war against Germany. Levi falls in love with Rose but when he finds out that his brother is pursuing her too, he vows to come between them.

I really enjoyed "Christmas At Emmerdale" with it's cosy settings, innocent romance and tear-inducing tragedy. It's well-written and you don't have to know anything about the TV series to enjoy it, since it takes place so many years ago. But it's a nice treat for fans of the show to recognise certain names and locations.

The only negative I can think of is that the ending feels a little rushed and it's clear that they wanted to leave some storylines open in order to tease the sequel. But other than that, this is a great read for anyone who loves period dramas. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

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Review: Amanda: The Untold Story by C. E. Moore (1995)

I'm a massive fan of "Melrose Place", the over-the-top nighttime soap opera that defined the nineties. So when I found out that there was a book about my favourite character Amanda Woodward – played by Heather Locklear – I had to track it down.

As the title suggests, "Amanda: The Untold Story" (1995) – written by C. E. Moore – tells us about the character's life before the show started. Amanda has just started a job at her father's finance company and in order to avoid being treated differently for being the boss's daughter, she has taken an alias. She quickly starts crushing on her handsome co-worker Geoff. But is he really a good match for her? And how far is Amanda willing to go to get ahead in business?

"Melrose Place" was a spinoff to teen soap "Beverly Hills, 90210", and started out quite tame. But as Amanda appeared at the end of season one, the show started changing and its over-the-top drama and crazy storylines made it even better than the original series. Sadly, this book doesn't get as crazy as the series, and it felt a bit slow in the beginning. However, towards the end, more drama ensue.

I'm not a big fan of books that just retread the same story as an episode of a TV series, so the fact that this one is a prequel makes it a lot better. This is a young adult novel so it's an easy read. A bit too easy at times as I kept wishing the author would have added a few more descriptions of the different characters and locations.

"Amanda: The Untold Story" isn't amazing, but it's definitely entertaining if you're a fan of the show and want to know more about Amanda's past. I enjoyed my time with the book and I'm glad to have it in my collection.

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Review: Fountain Society by Wes Craven (1999)

I'm a huge fan of director Wes Craven's horror movies, especially "A Nightmare On Elm Street" (1984), "The Hills Have Eyes" (1977) and the "Scream" series. But I had no idea that he had written a novel until I saw it at a charity shop and just had to buy it.

"Fountain Society" (1999) follows several characters, but my favourite is Elizabeth, a model living in Switzerland, who investigates her lover's mysterious death. Thinking Hans might still be alive, she travels to the island of Vieques where she finds him, but something has drastically changed. Is he really the same man she fell in love with? And does him being alive have anything to do with the top secret military base on the island?

I'm generally not interested in books set in the military, I find that topic boring. However, Craven manages to intrigue me, especially the parts with Elizabeth who is a civilian. The other character come with a lot of scientific terms that I know nothing about, but I get why it was needed considering the plot.

All in all, "Fountain Society" is quite entertaining and thrilling. I'm so glad I found it. I really felt for Elizabeth and wanted to see what happened to her in the end. If you happen to come across this novel, give it a go. Just keep in mind that it's more science-fiction than the kind of horror Craven is best known for.

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Supercub - I Had It All And Let It Go (7th Heaven Remixes) (2024)

I'm generally not a fan of covers. There are way too many cheap ones out there by people who want a quick buck without having to write their own song. But there are a few exceptions.

My lovely friend David Swinburn (alias Supercub) has just released a new single called "I Had It All And Let It Go". It was originally recorded by Swedish popstar Benjamin Ingrosso who co-wrote it with ABBA legend Björn Ulvaeus.

I'm a sucker for remixes by the 7th Heaven team and I mainly listen to electronic music, so I will surely listen to this one over the slower and acoustic original. Sorry, Benji! This single also includes the lovely remix from Supercub's catchy single "All Kinds Of Amazing" (2016) as a bonus track.

It's out now, get it here.

"I Had It All And Let It Go" tracklist:

1. I Had It All And Let It Go (7th Heaven Radio Edit)
2. I Had It All And Let It Go (7th Heaven Club Mix)
3. All Kinds Of Amazing (7th Heaven Radio Mix)



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Review: Ravenswood (2013-2014)

I just watched the final episode of "Ravenswood", a supernatural teen drama series by ABC Family. It's a spin-off of the popular teen soap "Pretty Little Liars" and follows the character of Caleb Rivers, played by hunky Tyler Blackburn, as he discovers a deadly curse that has plagued the town of Ravenswood for generations.

Let me get one thing straight: I'm a big fan of teen drama series, and "Pretty Little Liars" is one of the best ones in years. I also love a good mystery. But the supernatural theme of "Ravenswood" put me off a bit, probably because it's so far from the "Pretty Little Liars" universe.

Also, the acting isn't that good. I can live with subpar acting as long as I like a series in general, but there is something quite cheesy about "Ravenswood". Not even the cute guys can save it. Sure, it's entertaining at times, but it seems they're trying to hard to compete with "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals" instead of doing their own thing.

I don't regret watching "Ravenswood", but to be honest, I won't miss it that much. And I'm definitely not surprised it got cancelled. There are some good news though: The character of Caleb will return to "Pretty Little Liars". I just wonder how they will explain his short experience with the supernatural. Was it just a dream?

Photo: ABC

Review: Lace (1984)

"Lace" is an American mini-series from 1984, directed by Billy Hale and based on the popular novel by Shirley Conran.

Judy Hale, Pagan Trelowney and Maxine Pascal used to be best friends in the sixties, while attending the same boarding school in the Swiss Alps. Twenty years later, a glamorous movie star named Lili, summons the three women to her hotel, asking them: "Which one of you bitches it my mother?"

I first saw "Lace" as a kid, when the series was rerun on Swedish television in the nineties. I was so impressed by the powerful women, exotic locations and over-the-top storylines. A couple of years later, after my fascination with the eighties entertainment had begun, "Lace" was rerun yet again. This time around, I was old enough to fully enjoy this wonderful series.

I'm a big fan of trashy mini-series, especially from the eighties. But even though some parts of "Lace" could be considered trashy, it's a lot better than people give it credit! The acting is solid. Bess Armstrong, Brooke Adams and Arielle Dombasle all play their parts as glamorous and powerful women beautifully.

But my personal favourite is of course the amazing Phoebe Cates, known from eighties classics "Gremlins" and "Fast Times At Ridgemont High". She plays the strong, yet vunerable Lili perfectly, bringing both sexiness and innocence to the complexed character.

Worth mentioning is that Angela Lansbury, of "Murder, She Wrote" fame, plays a small part as Maxine's aunt Hortense. She has the worst French accent in the history of fake accents, but who cares? It's Angela Lansbury for God's sake!

Also worth mentioning is the amazing soundtrack composed by Nick Bicât. Hearing the iconic theme song gives me goosebumps every time. The soundtrack finally available to buy digitally and physically from the composer's official website. It also includes the beautiful Deniece Williams track "No More Lies" from the sequel "Lace II".

"Lace" can be considered trashy and campy, but it's a lot better than most mini-series from the era. It's definitely one of my personal favourites. If you enjoy soap operas such as "Dynasty" and "Falcon Crest", I'm sure you'll love "Lace"!

"Lace" is available as a print-on-demand DVD from Amazon US. However, an official DVD have been released here in Scandinavia, and this edition can be imported through Amazon UK.



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Review: Cold Prey (2006)

"Fritt Vilt", or "Cold Prey" as it was called in English, is a Norwegian horror movie from 2006, directed by Roar Uthaug.

Five young friends are on a snowboarding trip in the Norwegian mountains. But when one of them is injured, they're forced to take shelter in a seemingly abandoned ski hotel. They soon discover that someone has been living in the hotel since it was closed down in the seventies, killing anyone who trespasses.

"Fritt Vilt" is one of the best horror movies made in recent years. Sure, it's not very original, but the entertainment value is high. And for me, living in Sweden, it's a plus that the movie is set in our neighbouring country, because it hits closer to home, making the movie more frightening. Sweden has a lot to learn from Norway when it comes to making horror movies.

The acting is quite good for a slasher. Ingrid Bolsø Berdal is perfect as the leading lady Jannicke. In recent years, she's acted in international movies such as "Chernobyl Diaries" and "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters". Is a new "scream queen" in the making?

The cute Endre Martin Midtstigen as Mikal brings the eye candy to the movie, but the most sympathic character is the "clown" of the gang, Morten Tobias, played by Rolf Kristian Larsen. You keep hoping that he'll be one of the survivors.

"Fritt Vilt" is by no means a groundbreaking horror movie, but it's well-acted, professionally made and can definitely give Hollywood horror a run for its money. So if you enjoy a good teen slasher, give this one a try!

I own the Scandinavian Blu-ray edition, which has the best sound and picture quality available. You can buy "Fritt Vilt" on DVD from Amazon UK and Amazon US.



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