Book Review | One Beats The Bush by Riall Nolan - The First in the Max Donovan Adventure Series

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One Beats The Bush is a well-paced action thriller that ticks multiple boxes; page-turning twists, fight scenes, a lot of crime and, more importantly, a main character you cannot help but love. Vietnam veteran Max Donovan is in Bangkok, and very hungover, when his friend “Fat” Freddie Fields is arrested in San Francisco for the murder of an Australian diplomat. He knows his old buddy would never hurt a fly, so he rushes back to the Bay Area to help. Suspecting Freddie is being framed, Donovan tries to rustle up some cash to bail him out, but only succeeds in getting into trouble with the local mob.  He’ll have to solve the case on his own. Unfortunately, the only clue he has suggest the answer lies in the jungle-covered mountains of Papua New Guinea. As he comes face-to-face with smugglers, hostile tribesmen, insurgents, and a web of corruption and deception, can Donovan achieve what is seemingly impossible? Nolan has managed to achieve a page-turning action thriller that doesn’t feel
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Book Review | The Bingo Hall Detectives by Jonathan Whitelaw - A Fun, Cosy Murder Mystery

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I first came across Whitelaw through the Bloody Scotland Book Club, during one of the monthly book club lives and instantly liked him. So when I saw his new murder mystery book I knew I had to get it. This may be my first Whitelaw book, but it will not be my last. 

The Bingo Hall Detectives follows out of work journalist Jason and his mother-in-law Amita as they try to uncover a killer amongst them. Jason and Amita may not see eye-to-eye, but by combining their skills, and gather the help of some of the fellow bingo goers, they are determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. Can they figure out who murdered Madeline before someone else gets hurt? 

Sometimes you just need a good, cosy, light-hearted murder mystery and The Bingo Hall Detectives offers just that. The writing is so well done that it just makes the book such an easy reader, nothings too complicated and theres not too many characters that you forget people and their place in the overall story. Whitelaw also doesn’t go off on many tangents and most things that are mentioned are either relevant to the plot or the characters. Although I will say I don’t fully understand the need of ‘the ghost’ - I loved the spooky twist it gave the book, but the grand revel was a bit underwhelming and the overall story wouldn’t have changed much without him. 

From the title I did expect the bingo club to be more involved in the search for the murderer, however that didn’t really bother me as my favourite part of the whole book was the relationship between Jason and Amita. Their relationship is so relatable and typical of a mother-in-law/son-in-law dynamic, never seeing eye-to-eye and always being annoyed by what the other is doing. However, the way their relationship blossoms and changes throughout the story is so heartwarming. Not only does their bond improve, it also helps them improve within themselves. Once Jason feels like he has Amitas trust and support, you notice a change in his outlook on life. Another small thing I loved was that all the chapters are named after their bingo call, its such a ting detail but made me smile so much.

If you’re looking for a humorous, cosy, heart-warming and light-hearted murder mystery that gives off Richard Osman and Victoria Walters vibes, The Bingo Hall Detectives is the book for you! 

A safe space for me to ramble on about the books I’ve read. Don’t expect high quality, news worthy reviews; I’m just a simple woman who needs somewhere to vent! This blog contains affiliated links.

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