Books
Read your way into spring with this selection of books from local authors.
A Love to Last a Lifetime
by Clare Swatman
If your first love came back into your life, would you risk a happy marriage for the one that got away? This bittersweet love story charts the dilemma of Erin, who is married to the solid, dependable Greg, who is hopelessly devoted to her and promises to love her for a lifetime.
Then back into her life comes her teenage love Adam – he’s handsome, funny and charming in a rock star kind of way. But he would often leave her broken-hearted before wheedling his way back into her life.
When Adam returns needing her help, Erin begins to wonder if it’s fate – but will she risk everything for the man she thought was The One?
If you’ve enjoyed Clare’s previous books, you’ll love this one too!
Clare Swatman is a former editor of Living magazines, and author of three women’s fiction novels, published by Macmillan, which have been translated into more than 20 languages. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years, writing for Bella and Woman & Home among many other magazines. She lives in Berkhamsted.
In Ice
By Dave Sivers
Fans of Dave’s books will be glad to know that DCI Nathan Quarrel is back in his second outing – this time with a terrifying, twisty tale of a serial killer!
A house of horrors in a Hertfordshire village (Wigginton) is hiding a grisly secret – the bodies of five women hidden in three freezers.
It looks like a serial killer has been at work for a long time – will Nathan find the culprit before they strike again?
This is a real page-turner – with the added bonus of being set in familiar surroundings, from Watford and Hemel to Milton Keynes – there’s even a namecheck for Tring’s (currently closed) Tamarind restaurant! You won’t want to put it down – and there’s a fabulous final twist in the ending too.
This is Pitstone author Dave Sivers’ 10th published book. They include the popular crime fiction series (six so far) featuring the Aylesbury Vale detectives, DI Lizzie Archer and DS Dan Baines. The Scars Beneath the Soul and Dead in Deep Water were both top three bestsellers in the Amazon Kindle Serial Killers chart. Dave lives with his wife, Chris, and is a founder of the annual BeaconLit festival of books and writing.
When the Kite Builds: Why and How We Restored Red Kites Across Britain
By Dr Mike Pienkowski
We are so familiar with Red Kites flying over the area now that it’s easy to forget they haven’t always been here. This book describes the story of the successful reintroduction of red kites to the UK in 1990s, and how the Chilterns was selected as the initial location for the establishment of young chicks brought in from Sweden and Spain. The book’s author, Dr Mike Pienkowski, was the Chairman of the Red Kite Project Team, described by the RSPB as ‘the biggest species success story in UK conservation history’.
In the Middle Ages, Red Kites were a common sight across the British countryside and cities, where people valued them for keeping the streets clear of carrion (dead animals). However, later changes in attitude led to their extermination in most of the UK, and by the 1980s, they were one of only three globally vulnerable bird species occurring in Britain. Today, British kites now form 10% of the world population of the species.
The book charts the project, its success and explores the outcome for red kites and other species, the fight against illegal persecution and poisoning, and the changes in public attitudes.
Dr Mike Pienkowski has been involved in research and conservation for over 50 years. Proceeds from sales of the book go to UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum’s charitable conservation activities. He said: ‘I am delighted to get this book out. It is important to put such successes on record – I hope in a readable way. This is both to help others and to recognise the teamwork of a huge number of people in the UK and other countries.’
Barflies and Dubai: Stories of Skyscrapers and Sundowners
By Echo
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates; a place of sun and sparkling skyscrapers – where fortunes can be made by expats willing to relocate, and where tourists explore its attractions and revel in its obvious wealth. But this book looks beyond that to the seedier, grittier side of the city – its nightlife, where people of all nationalities and cultures collide. A collection of stories exploring some of the seedier – and sadder – tales that come from years of people watching.
The author, ‘Echo’, is a Scot, but also a long-term resident of Berkhamsted who has worked overseas on projects on all four continents, including Antarctica. Echo has seen the city of Dubai grow from the old failing oil town it was in 1998 to the sprawling tourist attraction it is today. The book was written in Dubai during the pandemic.