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Sam Applewhite #2
Doggerland
There's something very wrong at the Otterside care home.
When Sam Applewhite tries to help a friend who's lost a beloved pet she finds that it's just the first in a series of seemingly unconnected deaths. Is it her imagination, or do all of them somehow point back to the same residential home for seniors?
Sam's skills are in demand elsewhere however, as she must orchestrate a safety drill with animal actors, cook dinner on an abandoned oil rig and keep an eye on those vikings who are building a longship.
When the police don't see the pattern, it's all down to Sam, and the closer she gets to uncovering what's going on at Otterside, the more danger she's in.
When Sam Applewhite tries to help a friend who's lost a beloved pet she finds that it's just the first in a series of seemingly unconnected deaths. Is it her imagination, or do all of them somehow point back to the same residential home for seniors?
Sam's skills are in demand elsewhere however, as she must orchestrate a safety drill with animal actors, cook dinner on an abandoned oil rig and keep an eye on those vikings who are building a longship.
When the police don't see the pattern, it's all down to Sam, and the closer she gets to uncovering what's going on at Otterside, the more danger she's in.
550 pages, Paperback
Published May 22, 2021
33 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 6, 2021
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the authors and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Sam Applewhite returns to her diverse, verging on the surreal, work and investigatory activities in Doggerland, the second book in this series, and anyone who read my review of Sealfinger will know just how excited I am about this one!
And I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, if anything, I enjoyed this book more than the first!
You don’t need to have read Sealfinger to follow the plot of this story, but I would still recommend you do so, as it makes more sense of character-related quirks like how Sam’s employment at Defcon4 works, her colleague Doug, why Delia has pet turkeys… nothing plot-shattering, but all the lovely touches that make these books so engaging and memorable.
Here, Sam is still dealing with her father’s house and financial affairs, whilst trying to fend off her rich ex – or ex, Rich – as he meddles in her employment in his efforts to create a Stone Age theme park in the sea. So, pretty much situation normal for Sam. Until Delia calls her in to investigate a brutal turkey murder and Sam begins to suspect that things at the nearby retirement complex are just not quite right.
Alternating with Sam’s story, is that of Polly, a reluctant new resident of said retirement home, who is being inducted into a strange new world of daytime drinking, crazy golf and being treated like a child by the world outside. I found Polly’s treatment by her family both heart-breaking and rage-inducing, and could quite happily have taken a swing at her horrible niece with a crazy golf club, and I am a pacifist who literally doesn’t harm flies (I usher them patiently towards an open window).
Then there is a bonus third story thread that follows inventor Hilde Odinson and her infamous Viking family, creating cultural artefacts and complex golf obstacles out of another man’s trash… well, mostly trash, some heritage oak… it’s all in how you define possession and acquisition.
And of course, there is the (extremely) odd murder.
Following the pattern established in the previous book, this isn’t exactly a mystery, in that the reader knows who is committing the murders that occur, how and why they are doing it. The fun comes in waiting to see whether Sam can piece it all together, or whether she will be too distracted by supervising escaping mammoths and the prospect of a luxury casino Christmas. Adding to the irreverent joy, the murders are some of the most surreally weird and inventive I have ever come across in a crime book so while the tone of the book is certainly less manic than the first, it is just as beautifully strange.
This series is definitely on my favourites list and I can’t wait to bring you my review of book 3 in exactly a week’s time. If you enjoy your crime mixed with huge doses of humour and a sliver of dark grotesquery, then these are the books for you.
'“You found him like this?”
“No, he was in the run. But I couldn’t leave him there. Have I contaminated the crime scene?”
Sam looked up at Delia and said, as kindly as possible, “I don’t actually tend to do turkey murders, Delia.”
Delia tucked a strand of her untidy hair behind her ear. “But you can, can’t you? You’ve got equipment and stuff.”
“I’m hardly CSI: Poultry Division.”
“You think this is funny?”
Sam tutted, at herself. “No. I don’t. It’s just… animals die, don’t they? It could have been a fox, or a stoat, or even a cat.”
She looked at the size of the bird. “Okay, maybe not a cat.”
Delia was shaking her head. She lifted a length of wood from the borders. It had a dark red mark on it and an obvious splatter pattern. “A fox? With a plank?”'
– Heide Goody & Iain Grant, Doggerland
Review by Steph Warren from Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Sam Applewhite returns to her diverse, verging on the surreal, work and investigatory activities in Doggerland, the second book in this series, and anyone who read my review of Sealfinger will know just how excited I am about this one!
And I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, if anything, I enjoyed this book more than the first!
You don’t need to have read Sealfinger to follow the plot of this story, but I would still recommend you do so, as it makes more sense of character-related quirks like how Sam’s employment at Defcon4 works, her colleague Doug, why Delia has pet turkeys… nothing plot-shattering, but all the lovely touches that make these books so engaging and memorable.
Here, Sam is still dealing with her father’s house and financial affairs, whilst trying to fend off her rich ex – or ex, Rich – as he meddles in her employment in his efforts to create a Stone Age theme park in the sea. So, pretty much situation normal for Sam. Until Delia calls her in to investigate a brutal turkey murder and Sam begins to suspect that things at the nearby retirement complex are just not quite right.
Alternating with Sam’s story, is that of Polly, a reluctant new resident of said retirement home, who is being inducted into a strange new world of daytime drinking, crazy golf and being treated like a child by the world outside. I found Polly’s treatment by her family both heart-breaking and rage-inducing, and could quite happily have taken a swing at her horrible niece with a crazy golf club, and I am a pacifist who literally doesn’t harm flies (I usher them patiently towards an open window).
Then there is a bonus third story thread that follows inventor Hilde Odinson and her infamous Viking family, creating cultural artefacts and complex golf obstacles out of another man’s trash… well, mostly trash, some heritage oak… it’s all in how you define possession and acquisition.
And of course, there is the (extremely) odd murder.
Following the pattern established in the previous book, this isn’t exactly a mystery, in that the reader knows who is committing the murders that occur, how and why they are doing it. The fun comes in waiting to see whether Sam can piece it all together, or whether she will be too distracted by supervising escaping mammoths and the prospect of a luxury casino Christmas. Adding to the irreverent joy, the murders are some of the most surreally weird and inventive I have ever come across in a crime book so while the tone of the book is certainly less manic than the first, it is just as beautifully strange.
This series is definitely on my favourites list and I can’t wait to bring you my review of book 3 in exactly a week’s time. If you enjoy your crime mixed with huge doses of humour and a sliver of dark grotesquery, then these are the books for you.
'“You found him like this?”
“No, he was in the run. But I couldn’t leave him there. Have I contaminated the crime scene?”
Sam looked up at Delia and said, as kindly as possible, “I don’t actually tend to do turkey murders, Delia.”
Delia tucked a strand of her untidy hair behind her ear. “But you can, can’t you? You’ve got equipment and stuff.”
“I’m hardly CSI: Poultry Division.”
“You think this is funny?”
Sam tutted, at herself. “No. I don’t. It’s just… animals die, don’t they? It could have been a fox, or a stoat, or even a cat.”
She looked at the size of the bird. “Okay, maybe not a cat.”
Delia was shaking her head. She lifted a length of wood from the borders. It had a dark red mark on it and an obvious splatter pattern. “A fox? With a plank?”'
– Heide Goody & Iain Grant, Doggerland
Review by Steph Warren from Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
July 6, 2021
Even more uproarious than Sealfinger, the first in the Sam Applewhite series, the follow-up novel Doggerland is full-on chuckle-out-loud delightful - think P.G Wodehouse populated with homicidal maniacs, woolly mammoths, Viking misfits, and British pensioners; cavorting over the ancient lands of Doggerland, buried deep within the wintry waters of the North Sea.
In this installment, Sam Applewhite, her father Marvin, and her eternally sunny millionaire ex-boyfriend Rich, celebrate the Christmas season aboard a decommissioned oil rig, oblivious for only a short time to the murderous mayhem taking place all around them. As the bodies pile up, Sam’s involvement becomes inevitable - and this time she is aided by the vertically enviable Detective Constable Camara, who proves to be not only very tall, (at six and half feet) but actually competent (unlike the previously introduced Sargeant Caesar.)
As the plot, fast and furious, winds forward we meet the residents of the Otterside Retirement Village, are re-introduced to the strangely criminal world of Ragnar Odinson and his clan, and re-visit with Sam in her daft and surreal day job.
As Rich moves forward with his newest ludicrous-yet-possible (?) money-making vision, Sam becomes an unwilling accomplice to the craziness around her - representing a small and uncertain bit of sanity; we think (but are not really sure) that Sam will be our voice of reason as the truly extraordinary events unfold.
Gradually, Sam becomes aware of the bigger plot, one in which “the most masterful players of any game are the ones who make it look as though someone else is in control”.
I laughed, I chuckled,and I laughed again. Even as the bodies fell. (Go figure).
Less graphically violent than Sealfinger, but equally shocking, this series is a perfect blend of dead-pan humor and dead-pan death. Its impossible not to love this series, and the skill that went into it’s crafting.
My stop today for Installment 2 “Doggerland” on the @RachelsRandomResources #blogtour for the extraordinary #SamApplewhite three-part series
Note that enjoyment of this wonderful book in no way depends on reading installment 1 first. (It just makes this book even more fun!)
I am eagerly looking forward to installment 3 - coming up.
A great big thank you to the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
In this installment, Sam Applewhite, her father Marvin, and her eternally sunny millionaire ex-boyfriend Rich, celebrate the Christmas season aboard a decommissioned oil rig, oblivious for only a short time to the murderous mayhem taking place all around them. As the bodies pile up, Sam’s involvement becomes inevitable - and this time she is aided by the vertically enviable Detective Constable Camara, who proves to be not only very tall, (at six and half feet) but actually competent (unlike the previously introduced Sargeant Caesar.)
As the plot, fast and furious, winds forward we meet the residents of the Otterside Retirement Village, are re-introduced to the strangely criminal world of Ragnar Odinson and his clan, and re-visit with Sam in her daft and surreal day job.
As Rich moves forward with his newest ludicrous-yet-possible (?) money-making vision, Sam becomes an unwilling accomplice to the craziness around her - representing a small and uncertain bit of sanity; we think (but are not really sure) that Sam will be our voice of reason as the truly extraordinary events unfold.
Gradually, Sam becomes aware of the bigger plot, one in which “the most masterful players of any game are the ones who make it look as though someone else is in control”.
I laughed, I chuckled,and I laughed again. Even as the bodies fell. (Go figure).
Less graphically violent than Sealfinger, but equally shocking, this series is a perfect blend of dead-pan humor and dead-pan death. Its impossible not to love this series, and the skill that went into it’s crafting.
My stop today for Installment 2 “Doggerland” on the @RachelsRandomResources #blogtour for the extraordinary #SamApplewhite three-part series
Note that enjoyment of this wonderful book in no way depends on reading installment 1 first. (It just makes this book even more fun!)
I am eagerly looking forward to installment 3 - coming up.
A great big thank you to the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
November 27, 2022
4.5 . I'm loving this series
November 15, 2021
Note: While this is book 2 in the series, it works jut fine as a stand-alone story.
What a crazy, crazy romp! Take a chunk of mammoth, a murdered turkey, old folks home gang, and a Viking longship, and you get a very strange, quirky mystery. Sam is still living with her dad (a former famous-ish magician) and working for the security firm DefCon4. Her friend asks her to look into the mysterious death of her pet turkey, Drumstick. From there, things just get weirder.
I thoroughly enjoyed book 1, Sealfinger, and this one is good too, tho I did like book 1 a little better. This one rambles a bit more, feels more sprawled out. At times I couldn’t see where we were going and not sure we’d ever get there (which is what I imagine it feels like to live with the Odinsons [a constantly cheerfully scheming family]).
I really loved this idea of creating an Ice Age animals park. Richard, a billionaire and Sam’s ex-boyfriend, wants to start with a mammoth. Hence, Sam is hired to transport a frozen chunk of mammoth. Also she gets hired to do some assessments of safety to public and this gets hilarious when a troupe is hired to dress up as Ice Age mammals and chase a crowd of potential zoo goers. This made me laugh so much! Also, I learned that Doggerland was the Ice Age land bridge between Europe and the modern UK.
Meanwhile, we got some interesting characters over at the old folks home, Otterside. Polly is new to this little gang of tightly knit friends. Strawb (short for Strawberry because of a birthmark) is gently flirtatious and very likeable. Sam is at the center of things again as she was hired to provide a short class of fitness monitoring equipment. Also her dad wants an audience to dust off the cobwebs in front of.
Then we have the Odinsons, modern-day Vikings that are proud of not having regular jobs and being able to scavenge up resources. Their latest project is to build a Viking longship. Ha! They are so lucky to have the guidance of their women to keep them mostly grounded, out of jail, and injuries stitched up. Hilda (or was it Greta?) is the brains behind the brawn. If not for her, we wouldn’t have a longship for the big rallying end of this odd adventure. Yes, the story finally gets there, giving us answers to who killed who and why. All together, it was a fun book that provided many chuckles. 4/5 stars.
The Narration: Matthew Lloyd Davies gave another good performance. He nailed the humor every time and I like his variety of voices. I do wonder a little why a male narrator was chosen when the center of the series is a woman (Sam Applewhite), but with book 1 I really couldn’t tell who would be the main character of the series until the end, so maybe they went with Davies because most of the characters are male. Anyhoo, Davies has passable female voices and he has unique voices for all characters, pulling on his dynamic use of regional accents. I especially liked his old folks voices and the voice for the patriarch of the Odinsons. There were no tech issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.
What a crazy, crazy romp! Take a chunk of mammoth, a murdered turkey, old folks home gang, and a Viking longship, and you get a very strange, quirky mystery. Sam is still living with her dad (a former famous-ish magician) and working for the security firm DefCon4. Her friend asks her to look into the mysterious death of her pet turkey, Drumstick. From there, things just get weirder.
I thoroughly enjoyed book 1, Sealfinger, and this one is good too, tho I did like book 1 a little better. This one rambles a bit more, feels more sprawled out. At times I couldn’t see where we were going and not sure we’d ever get there (which is what I imagine it feels like to live with the Odinsons [a constantly cheerfully scheming family]).
I really loved this idea of creating an Ice Age animals park. Richard, a billionaire and Sam’s ex-boyfriend, wants to start with a mammoth. Hence, Sam is hired to transport a frozen chunk of mammoth. Also she gets hired to do some assessments of safety to public and this gets hilarious when a troupe is hired to dress up as Ice Age mammals and chase a crowd of potential zoo goers. This made me laugh so much! Also, I learned that Doggerland was the Ice Age land bridge between Europe and the modern UK.
Meanwhile, we got some interesting characters over at the old folks home, Otterside. Polly is new to this little gang of tightly knit friends. Strawb (short for Strawberry because of a birthmark) is gently flirtatious and very likeable. Sam is at the center of things again as she was hired to provide a short class of fitness monitoring equipment. Also her dad wants an audience to dust off the cobwebs in front of.
Then we have the Odinsons, modern-day Vikings that are proud of not having regular jobs and being able to scavenge up resources. Their latest project is to build a Viking longship. Ha! They are so lucky to have the guidance of their women to keep them mostly grounded, out of jail, and injuries stitched up. Hilda (or was it Greta?) is the brains behind the brawn. If not for her, we wouldn’t have a longship for the big rallying end of this odd adventure. Yes, the story finally gets there, giving us answers to who killed who and why. All together, it was a fun book that provided many chuckles. 4/5 stars.
The Narration: Matthew Lloyd Davies gave another good performance. He nailed the humor every time and I like his variety of voices. I do wonder a little why a male narrator was chosen when the center of the series is a woman (Sam Applewhite), but with book 1 I really couldn’t tell who would be the main character of the series until the end, so maybe they went with Davies because most of the characters are male. Anyhoo, Davies has passable female voices and he has unique voices for all characters, pulling on his dynamic use of regional accents. I especially liked his old folks voices and the voice for the patriarch of the Odinsons. There were no tech issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.
July 12, 2021
We’re back with Sam as she’s tasked with some crazy assignments through work (an ice age underwater zoo evacuation?!), asked to investigate the murder of a turkey, looks into a seniors retirement home with some wayward residents and spends Christmas in the most unexpected of places eating the most bizarre of Christmas dinners! As some of the puzzle pieces come together, and Sam is the only person to see the pattern, she knows she must uncover what’s going on but the more she delves the deeper in danger she becomes……
Yet again Heide and Iain bring us a fantastic and funny story with some absolutely bonkers things going on! I laughed the whole way through this; and the comedy and mystery within will make you want to keep reading. How they come up with these crazy storylines I have no idea but I love them! There are a few things going on in this book to keep you occupied, and I found it easy to follow and keep up with.
Sam is her fantastic self and I actually found she has a much better sense of humour in this book – her escapades on the oil rig had me shocked but laughing at the same time! I love that Marvin gets a bigger part in this and gets to come back as Mr Marvellous so we can see him at his finest! I also absolutely love the cast of characters in Otterside – a brilliant bunch that you will love and find hilarious but who will also deliver some jaw dropping moments for you!
The main plot and sub-plots are all brilliant – each one as gripping as the next. The writing style is fun, easy to follow and read and thoroughly enjoyable.
So if you’re looking for a fantastic comedy mystery with a brilliant amateur sleuth, some unbelievably bonkers moments and some fantastic characters, you should check this out. This can be read as a standalone, but book 1 is also fab so if you’re thinking about reading this, check out both! You can check out my review of Book 1: Sealfinger here.
Yet again Heide and Iain bring us a fantastic and funny story with some absolutely bonkers things going on! I laughed the whole way through this; and the comedy and mystery within will make you want to keep reading. How they come up with these crazy storylines I have no idea but I love them! There are a few things going on in this book to keep you occupied, and I found it easy to follow and keep up with.
Sam is her fantastic self and I actually found she has a much better sense of humour in this book – her escapades on the oil rig had me shocked but laughing at the same time! I love that Marvin gets a bigger part in this and gets to come back as Mr Marvellous so we can see him at his finest! I also absolutely love the cast of characters in Otterside – a brilliant bunch that you will love and find hilarious but who will also deliver some jaw dropping moments for you!
The main plot and sub-plots are all brilliant – each one as gripping as the next. The writing style is fun, easy to follow and read and thoroughly enjoyable.
So if you’re looking for a fantastic comedy mystery with a brilliant amateur sleuth, some unbelievably bonkers moments and some fantastic characters, you should check this out. This can be read as a standalone, but book 1 is also fab so if you’re thinking about reading this, check out both! You can check out my review of Book 1: Sealfinger here.
February 13, 2023
While I loved Heide Goody's and Iain Grant's previous series Oddjobs and Clovenhoof for their inventive, deadpan and sometimes incredibly silly humour, the first Sam Applewhite novel Sealfinger was a bit of a letdown for me. I didn't find it quite as hilarious as the aforementioned series, but Doggerland is definately a step in the right direction as Goody and Grant ramp up the crazyness.
Sam Applewhite gets increasingly strange assignments from her more than shady employer DefCon4 Security while she is asked by a friend to investigate the murder of a turkey and also has to keep up with the shenanigans of her elderly father, a once successful stage magician, and her rich ex-lover...Rich. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the local retirement home seem to have found quite spectacular ways to spice up their twilight years. But my favourite part by far were the trailer park vikings.
My biggest gripe on the other hand is that while this works wonderfully as a series of absurd and highly entertaining events, it doesn't work that well as the crime novel it is also obviously supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, there is a series of crimes at the heart of the novel that losely functions as the main plot, but there is barely any investigating done and Sam stumbles into the whole thing more by accident then on account of her keen detective skills. I also expected this to take place more prominently on an abandoned oil rig, which it very much not the case, but that's on me for judging a book by its cover.
Anyway, a fun read and a clear improvement on the first book in the series.
Sam Applewhite gets increasingly strange assignments from her more than shady employer DefCon4 Security while she is asked by a friend to investigate the murder of a turkey and also has to keep up with the shenanigans of her elderly father, a once successful stage magician, and her rich ex-lover...Rich. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the local retirement home seem to have found quite spectacular ways to spice up their twilight years. But my favourite part by far were the trailer park vikings.
My biggest gripe on the other hand is that while this works wonderfully as a series of absurd and highly entertaining events, it doesn't work that well as the crime novel it is also obviously supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, there is a series of crimes at the heart of the novel that losely functions as the main plot, but there is barely any investigating done and Sam stumbles into the whole thing more by accident then on account of her keen detective skills. I also expected this to take place more prominently on an abandoned oil rig, which it very much not the case, but that's on me for judging a book by its cover.
Anyway, a fun read and a clear improvement on the first book in the series.
September 24, 2024
Not my favorite. Doggerland is actually named after a nothing sideplot in the book which is rather weird.
Main plot = Strangers on a train but old people who met eachother in a home.
Side plot??? = Sam's ex bought an out of commission oil rig and plans to turn it into the next Jurassic park, it's called Doggerland. Just one chapter in the book.
While this installment has moments of "lol random" insanity that is the hallmark of Goody's writing they are rather tame and don't really amount to much comparatively.
The characters here are the main problem, far far FAR too shallow. The elderly are reduced to the facebook stereotype of that one relative that keeps re-posting "vaccines cause autism". The side characters either have no personality or are so cartoonishly horrible they might as well be a mustache twirling villain.
Published in 2021 I suspect it was written during quarantine, it would explain why everyone seems to behave like a reddit comment section instead of real people. I wonder if she had trouble with her doctor's appointments during the pandemic because the way the GP was portrayed was particularly mean spirited.
Main plot = Strangers on a train but old people who met eachother in a home.
Side plot??? = Sam's ex bought an out of commission oil rig and plans to turn it into the next Jurassic park, it's called Doggerland. Just one chapter in the book.
While this installment has moments of "lol random" insanity that is the hallmark of Goody's writing they are rather tame and don't really amount to much comparatively.
The characters here are the main problem, far far FAR too shallow. The elderly are reduced to the facebook stereotype of that one relative that keeps re-posting "vaccines cause autism". The side characters either have no personality or are so cartoonishly horrible they might as well be a mustache twirling villain.
Published in 2021 I suspect it was written during quarantine, it would explain why everyone seems to behave like a reddit comment section instead of real people. I wonder if she had trouble with her doctor's appointments during the pandemic because the way the GP was portrayed was particularly mean spirited.
September 4, 2021
🤫I enjoyed this book even more than the first one (I gave that one 4.5⭐️’s)! It was hilarious, I was laughing so hard I had tears coming out. I definitely recommend reading the first one first (does that sound right? I guess reading the series chronologically is better way to put it). 😂 You CAN read this as a stand-alone, but SHOULD you? No. It will be so much more fun if you get all small reference and understand the characters more from reading the first book!
⠀
😍In both books of this series so far, the reader actually knows who committed the crime, but I was still sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for what happens next and if the murder was solved. Plus laughing the whole time.
⠀
😍You’d think a comedic mystery would be an oxymoron right? Wrong. As the bodies fall, and the crimes occur, these two writers magnificently manage to weave comedy through the whole thing.
⠀
♥️This series is a MUST READ.
⠀
😍In both books of this series so far, the reader actually knows who committed the crime, but I was still sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for what happens next and if the murder was solved. Plus laughing the whole time.
⠀
😍You’d think a comedic mystery would be an oxymoron right? Wrong. As the bodies fall, and the crimes occur, these two writers magnificently manage to weave comedy through the whole thing.
⠀
♥️This series is a MUST READ.
July 14, 2021
This is the 2nd book in the Sam Applewhite series. The first one I loved....and this one I loved as well!
Back we are with the wonderful Sam Applewhite, I absolutely adored reading about her , in this book while trying to find a clients lost pet she realises this is just the start of uncovering a series of deaths . While trying to deal with everything else in her life she tries to figure out just what is going on in Otterside. She really is a fantastic character , the more I know her in these books the more I get hooked.
The way the book is written , to keep you hooked , to keep you guessing about what is going to happen and what has happened. It is definitely one of them books that keeps you on your toes and keeps you going back for more!
Back we are with the wonderful Sam Applewhite, I absolutely adored reading about her , in this book while trying to find a clients lost pet she realises this is just the start of uncovering a series of deaths . While trying to deal with everything else in her life she tries to figure out just what is going on in Otterside. She really is a fantastic character , the more I know her in these books the more I get hooked.
The way the book is written , to keep you hooked , to keep you guessing about what is going to happen and what has happened. It is definitely one of them books that keeps you on your toes and keeps you going back for more!
September 19, 2021
An enjoyable and completely bonkers book. I hadn't read book 1 in the series but that didn't matter at all. This was a fast paced book following the sometimes surreal exploits of Sam and her job as an agent of defcom4, a company who sort things out for anyone willing to pay.
In this book we have murdered turkeys, a retirement complex where all is not quite as it seems, the local Skeggy vikings and the ex boyfriend building a theme park in the North Sea. Oh, and grizzly human murders too.
As mad as it sounds, this was a fun book brought to life by Mathew Lloyd Davies who narrated it well on audible.
I wasn't sure if I would like it but I most definitely did right from the start.
I would say this is one for fans of Christopher Brookmyre.
In this book we have murdered turkeys, a retirement complex where all is not quite as it seems, the local Skeggy vikings and the ex boyfriend building a theme park in the North Sea. Oh, and grizzly human murders too.
As mad as it sounds, this was a fun book brought to life by Mathew Lloyd Davies who narrated it well on audible.
I wasn't sure if I would like it but I most definitely did right from the start.
I would say this is one for fans of Christopher Brookmyre.
July 3, 2021
I read this one straight after reading Seal Finger. While reading the book I did get a bit lost of all the different strands that were going on. But then right at the end all the strands come together to finish the book off. So if u get lost half way through do keep going as it does make sense in the end.
As with Seal Finger I had moments of laugh out loud at some moments and I was pleased to see the characters being developed since the first book.
Again they used the same narrator who is just a wonderful and really makes the books come alive.
Overall I really enjoyed this one. And have been recommending these to other people.
As with Seal Finger I had moments of laugh out loud at some moments and I was pleased to see the characters being developed since the first book.
Again they used the same narrator who is just a wonderful and really makes the books come alive.
Overall I really enjoyed this one. And have been recommending these to other people.
July 11, 2021
I've found it quite hard to review this book without giving any spoilers. I've much preferred this book to book one, which I reviewed last weekend, and Doggerland definitely works well as a standalone novel too. This has such a feel good feel to it, and I loved the humour throughout all the mapcap surreal adventures, and obviously a murder or two . For the reader it's interesting to see how Sam Applewhite approaches the murders and whether she can solve them.
This has been another interesting read. It's been one I wouldn't have picked up if I hadn't been involved in the blog tour, so I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to read Doggerland.
This has been another interesting read. It's been one I wouldn't have picked up if I hadn't been involved in the blog tour, so I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to read Doggerland.
July 18, 2021
Sam Applewhite returns in Doggerland. These books can be read as standalones, but you do miss someone the character development without reading in order.
Per the pattern of the first book, we learn the details up front and then watch Zam piece it all together, while dodging some quirky circumstances along the way.
If you enjoy comedy, mystery, quirkyness, and characters that feel real, I’d recommend checking this series out.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Per the pattern of the first book, we learn the details up front and then watch Zam piece it all together, while dodging some quirky circumstances along the way.
If you enjoy comedy, mystery, quirkyness, and characters that feel real, I’d recommend checking this series out.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
July 5, 2021
We return to Sam in Skegness. This time the cast of characters widens. I think this book is better than book 1 as I loved the sub plot in the residential home. There seemed to be 3 stories on the go which you couldn’t imagine how they were to link. As expected, the link was unexpected.
This author is great at weaving stories that stretch credibility yet seems all so obviously commonplace in their world.
This author is great at weaving stories that stretch credibility yet seems all so obviously commonplace in their world.
June 19, 2021
Another amusing adventure with Sam Applewhite and friends.
I really enjoyed the Christmas scene onboard the oil rig. It made me giggle them having crackers made from porn magazines.
It was surprising that she managed to do everything and solve everything from nothing as last time. And the police had no idea any of the deaths were even murders.
I really enjoyed the Christmas scene onboard the oil rig. It made me giggle them having crackers made from porn magazines.
It was surprising that she managed to do everything and solve everything from nothing as last time. And the police had no idea any of the deaths were even murders.
July 19, 2021
excellent series from two awesome authors
i love Heide and Iain’s. stories. they are so fun to read. The Sam Series are a great read. i had to force myself to stop reading last night so I would be able to get up for work the next day. Just so much fun to read and the murder (s)? we’re (gross) but very ingenious. And I always like the murderer(s).
i love Heide and Iain’s. stories. they are so fun to read. The Sam Series are a great read. i had to force myself to stop reading last night so I would be able to get up for work the next day. Just so much fun to read and the murder (s)? we’re (gross) but very ingenious. And I always like the murderer(s).
August 3, 2021
You couldn't make this stuff up. Luckily Goody and Grant do.
Spoiler alert.
What's not to like about a book with OAP assassins, Northern Vikings and the odd hippy.
Everything these two talented authors write is excellent and raises genuine smiles.
Onto book 3 now....
Spoiler alert.
What's not to like about a book with OAP assassins, Northern Vikings and the odd hippy.
Everything these two talented authors write is excellent and raises genuine smiles.
Onto book 3 now....
September 1, 2021
I love the quirky humour and light heartedness of this book which quickly draws you in. It’s an enjoyable read and kept me engaged all the way through. I liked that it wasn’t police procedure heavy which sometimes can be overwhelming. Looking forward to the third in the series
August 5, 2022
A cracking read! Enjoyed the first but this one really steps it up. Still slightly bonkers but that just makes it more enjoyable. The story was fantastic and the characters are really coming into their own. Loved it!
March 25, 2023
great story
I really loved this story
The creativeness of the characters was fantastic and the dialog was great. Being American I barely understood the Europeans slang but got the gist and it was still funny
Love the Sam Applewhite stories
I really loved this story
The creativeness of the characters was fantastic and the dialog was great. Being American I barely understood the Europeans slang but got the gist and it was still funny
Love the Sam Applewhite stories
July 16, 2021
Vikings in Skeggy
Great characters funny story line and a facking magician 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 well worth a read looking forward to book 3 and hopefully more after
Great characters funny story line and a facking magician 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 well worth a read looking forward to book 3 and hopefully more after
April 1, 2022
Great followup #2 tale in the same clever and entertaining style. Fun but believable characters are a highlight of this author-duo, and I've already bought book #3!
April 15, 2022
Sam is a hero
Loved this book. Sam is so funny, she is busy, and
always involved in something hilarious. Would love a friend like her. Hope there are more adventures to come
Loved this book. Sam is so funny, she is busy, and
always involved in something hilarious. Would love a friend like her. Hope there are more adventures to come
April 26, 2024
Deadly OAPs take vigilantism to the next level. It has a good start with a very exciting and exhilarating ending, but it just loses its way slightly in the middle.
July 27, 2021
Well! What I can safely say are, are, what? ...
Humorous reads?
Nah! humorous doesn't really cut it.
Bonkers?
Yes, what I can safely say are bonkers reads {especially Sealfinger, the first book in the series; Oh my goodness! That felon's encounter with the cactus, not something I'll forget in a hurry 🤣} that are full of sublimely ridiculous events and conversations.
And oh my giddy aunt, the characters ...
Sam Applewhite, job description not totally known {no, not even by herself}; a sleuth the likes of which I've never come across before, just one in a cast of many, many memorable, quirky characters {some of them recurring, others particular to that book}, including Delia, an outlandish shop owner who upcycles anything and everything she can get her hands on ... how I'd love a spin-off featuring her} and the Viking Odinson family being my favourite.
Perfectly readable as standalone novels but I'd suggest probably better if read in order.
Told from the perspective of multiple characters, these aren't murder mysteries of the who-dun-it variety as the reader knows WHO-dun-it, HOW and WHY from the beginning. The fun in the books is more in the waiting to see if Sam can piece it altogether before she, in typical Sam fashion, gets distracted by any of the quite frankly bizarre events that seem to happen when she's around.
Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper
Disclaimer ... One of several bloggers participating in this Blog Tour, no financial compensation was asked for nor given
Humorous reads?
Nah! humorous doesn't really cut it.
Bonkers?
Yes, what I can safely say are bonkers reads {especially Sealfinger, the first book in the series; Oh my goodness! That felon's encounter with the cactus, not something I'll forget in a hurry 🤣} that are full of sublimely ridiculous events and conversations.
And oh my giddy aunt, the characters ...
Sam Applewhite, job description not totally known {no, not even by herself}; a sleuth the likes of which I've never come across before, just one in a cast of many, many memorable, quirky characters {some of them recurring, others particular to that book}, including Delia, an outlandish shop owner who upcycles anything and everything she can get her hands on ... how I'd love a spin-off featuring her} and the Viking Odinson family being my favourite.
Perfectly readable as standalone novels but I'd suggest probably better if read in order.
Told from the perspective of multiple characters, these aren't murder mysteries of the who-dun-it variety as the reader knows WHO-dun-it, HOW and WHY from the beginning. The fun in the books is more in the waiting to see if Sam can piece it altogether before she, in typical Sam fashion, gets distracted by any of the quite frankly bizarre events that seem to happen when she's around.
Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper
Disclaimer ... One of several bloggers participating in this Blog Tour, no financial compensation was asked for nor given
December 26, 2021
This is the second of the Sam Applewhite books, and actually I think this is better than the first. It is a little tricky to review this one without giving away too much of the plot, but it is safe to say Sam manages to get herself mixed up once again in a murder case. Of course being Sam the first death is of a Turkey, but even so, it's still murder. Somehow it is all linked to an old folks home, but it isn't clear how.
This isn't a mystery, it's quite clear quickly who is doing what and why, but that's not really the point. The point really is just the fun we have getting to the end.
All the characters from the last book are back, but there is a bit more room for them to breathe. Particularly Rich and Dad, who get a lot of time. Rich is to a large extent much more sympathetic here than in Sealfinger, and the Christmas party he organises has to be seen to be believed, especially the crackers.
The Vikings are back as well, this time going further than ever before, but making more sense than they did in the last book, while they are still a bit cartoony, at least they do have a certain logic to them.
I really think I need to go buy book 3 now
August 9, 2022
More mystery than hilarity but still satisfyingly fun.
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