Book Review: Something Borrowed by Paul Magrs

Brenda longs for a quiet life; a life where she's free to run her B&B and enjoy cups of tea with her friend Effie. Unfortunately for Brenda trouble tends to seek her out.
The whole palaver begins with poison pen letters that start flying around the quiet lanes of Whitby. Then there's Jessie thew Zombie Womanzee, an amorous and strangely unaged professor of Icelandic history and terrifying encounters with bamboo wickerwork gods from the dawn of time.
Lord only knows where it will end- especially if Brenda can't stop herself from going to pieces.

This is the second in the Brenda and Effie series by Paul Magrs, I was really looking forward to it having loved the first one, Never the Bride. However, sadly this one just didn't do it for me. Something Borrowed focuses quite heavily on Brenda and whilst she is a fantastic character, I found that I really missed the dynamic she has with Effie. It was very interesting to learn more about Brenda's colourful and extensive past but I did not find myself as gripped as I was with the first book.
Paul Magrs takes us into the weird and wonderful world of Whitby again and I enjoyed the eccentric characters and goings on, I just wasn't as taken as before.
I shall definitely try the next book in the series and hpoe that Conjugal Rites includes more of Brenda and Effie's wonderful relationship.

New to Dot Scribbles Shelves

This week I was sent one book for review and it is Young Adult Fiction, I am so pleased that I have re-discovered this genre, I was clearly missing out on some excellent books:
Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody (Bloomsbury)- In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. But for Elspeth Gordie, born with enhanced mental abilities, it is also dangerous. There is only survival by secrecy, and so she determines never to use her forbidden powers. But they are not easy to keep hidden and their inevitable use brings her to the attention of the totalitarian Council that rules the land.
Sent to remote Obernewtyn, from where escape is said to be impossible, Elspeth must throw off her safe cloak of concealment and pit herself against those who would resurrect the terrible forces of the apocalypse. Only then will she truly learn what and who she is...

I bought the second in the Brenda and Effie series by Paul Magrs which I can't wait to read as I loved Never the Bride:
Something Borrowed by Paul Magrs (Headline)- Brenda longs for the quiet life; a life where she's free to run her B&B and enjoys cups of tea and the occasional night at the bingo with her friend Effie. Unfortunately for Brenda trouble tends to seek her out.
The whole palaver begins with the poison pen letters that start flying around the quiet lanes of Whitby. Then there's Jessie the Zombie Womanzee, an amorous and strangely unaged professor of Icelandic history, and terrifying encounters with bamboo wickerwork gods from the dawn of time. Lord only knows where it will all end- especially if Brenda can't stop herself from going to pieces...

I also saw these two wonderful Sherlock Holmes books on a trip out to Oakham with Mr S, I will admit that I mainly fell in love with the covers but I do enjoy a good mystery!
The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Headline)- As the seamy streets of London drown in a sea of smog, Sherlock Holmes sinks into a drug-induced stupor. That is, until Miss Mary Morstan presents him with a most intriguing case. A terrible death, an unknown benefactor, stolen treasure and a secret pact between criminals stretching back to a mutiny-torn India, lead Holmes into an epic pursuit of the truth.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Headline)- The coroner may have ruled death by natural causes, but Sherlock Holmes knows there's something more sinister behind Sir Charles Baskerville's demise. The question is, could he really have fallen victim to the legendary phantom hound, the curse of the ancestors and said to have haunted his family for generations? Or is this the work of a very real and calculating murderer?

Book Review: Never the Bride by Paul Magrs

Never the Bride is the first in the Brenda and Effie series by Paul Magrs. The books are set in Gothic Whitby, the sea-side town with the rolling mists and tales of vampires.
Brenda runs a Bed and Breakfast whilst her best friend Effie lives just next door where she runs a cluttered junk shop. All sounds pretty normal doesn't it? Don't be fooled, Brenda is hiding a terrible past, she knows that she will soon have to explain the intricate scars covering her body and the fact that she doesn't appear to age.
Never the Bride introduces us to these two women's wonderful friendship. They are quite happy going for quiet walks and sharing fish and chip suppers so it comes as quite a surprise to them that the gateway to Hell is situated in Whitby and they are the chosen guardians.
I instantly fell in love with the characters of Brenda and Effie. These two ladies take everything in their stride, from murder to martians and vampires. Paul Magrs offers his readers such an original story set in the beautifully atmospheric Whitby with it's dark alleys and age-old myths.
Never the Bride is full of dark, witty humour and I found myself completely carried away with the story. It's so exciting to find a new series of books to read and I can't wait to start the next one.
Have you read any of the Brenda and Effie series? Do you have a particular favourite?