Scampy Doodle and the Reindeer by G. J. Barnes

Scampy Doodle and the Reindeer by G. J. Barnes

Scampy Doodle is a happy dog who has helped his best friend Jemima get ready for Christmas. They decorated and set out treats for Santa and his reindeer and they went to bed, Jemima to her room and Scampy Doodle to his bed in the kitchen. Then, Scampy Doodle gets woken up by a strange sound. This is a fun little Christmas story. It's about helping and giving and the magic of Christmas. I do wish they had left hot chocolate for Santa instead of a whiskey, but that's just me. I liked when Scampy Doodle decided to be brave and pushed the door to the living room open to peer around and see there the noise came from. It reminded me of my dog, Scrappy, who is also bigger than a snowball and smaller than a snowman. The illustrations were bright and simple and cute but there were more words than pictures. The print was odd for me. It was bold, fun...
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The Horse’s Arse by Laura Gascoigne

The Horse’s Arse by Laura Gascoigne

I admit I love a little art thrown in with my crime. I couldn't pass up this story with its combo of art, fraud, kidnapping, and even murder. I actually enjoyed this one. It took a little while to sort everything out, but it was a fun read. I've got an excerpt to give you a taste. Read an excerpt from The Horse's Arse: The story so far: Daniel Colvin, a junior reporter on the art newspaper Marquette, has uncovered evidence of a dodgy deal between the international art dealer Bernard Orlovsky and the UK’s State Gallery, but just as his revelations are going to press he is knocked off his bike by a hit-and-run driver. Back home from hospital with a leg in plaster, he finds his flat has been raided. DC Yasmin Desai from the Met’s Art & Antiques Squad had warned him Orlovsky was dangerous, but he hadn’t listened… Daniel knew there was something wrong from the light, or the absence...
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Clink Street Blogival: Soho Honey by A. W. Rock

Read a couple excerpts: #1 Having just returned to Soho Costas has recommended a cheap hotel for Branen to stay in on his first night... Hotel California had a small entrance in Tisbury Court, a paved alleyway between Wardour and Rupert Street. The frosted glass door had a red glow behind it; the kind that brothels have. He mentally thanked Costas and tried the door, noticing it swung both ways, he suspected like some of the guests, and making it easier to eject unwanted customers. The reception area was particularly attractive. On the right-hand side there was a desk, resembling a cheap pulpit. Behind it sat a tabloid newspaper which didn’t reveal its reader. “I need a room,” he said. The newspaper seemed to be studiously ignoring him. “Have you got a room?” The newspaper lowered revealing a shabby, unshaven man with a thick neck and the shoulders of a wrestler. Without looking up he pushed the register across the desk and the movement of his...
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