Carol Naylor's REVIEW it...

                      MGs, The Mini and Me by Dudley Pike. "Working on a production line can be tedious and boring, and you would need to take breaks in order to maintain your focus and concentration." It had been a family tradition to work for MG. Pike's father and two brothers were well-established before Pike served his apprenticeship in Abington. He spent 45 years in the motor industry with many interesting tales included in this book. "I didn't have a particularly privileged childhood." Travelling around the world with the rally circuit compensated for an uneventful childhood, with plenty of celebrations, champagne parties and glamorous women waiting to fulfil a young man pumped with testosterone. We are presented with glimpses of his personal life, from school to marriage, chaotic, marked by infidelity and marital breakups. He reminisces over the camaraderie of the past, explaining ho...

                                The Farm by Tom Rob Smith. "He drove me to the madhouse. He said this is where I belong, in rooms next to people howling like animals." "The Farm" follows a similar pattern to many of the Scandi murder/mysteries: picturesque villages and isolated farms with bleak landscapes, taciturn patriarchs such as Hakan who dominates Elise his wife, Mia his adopted daughter and the entire community. He thrives on this power. We have an amateur sleuth plagued by her own nightmares seeking answers to the disappearance of a vulnerable child. Are we talking about murder or abduction? Smith presents us with stories within stories, multi-layered. Fascinating. You might remember Smith from " Child 44" (2006) one of a trilogy, the first ever thriller to be longlisted for the Man Booker Prize? Ridley Scott snatched up the film rights and the film has just been released (Autumn 2015)...

                 Learn With Alex and Anna by Peter Hayward. And now for a complete change…children's books for your child or grandchild. This was my area of expertise when I was in educational management and conducting some post-grad research into reading so it is an area I am more than happy to promote. "Each story is written around a basis of positive family, personal and social values," didactic in nature. Series 1 will consist of 20 books, 9 of which have already been published. Peter Hayward covers a wide range of themes: train journeys, rain molecules, road safety, acorns, seat belts and a plethora of other relevant subjects. All of them are well-illustrated with the added bonus of primary colours so the reds, blues and yellows are appealing for the young readers. "With the aid of significant people helping them on their life's journey, Alex and Anna are duly taught educational subjects whilst learning important life skill...