The multi-million bestselling author
The multi-million bestselling author

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The LJ Ross Book Club is a space for fans of my books to discover my monthly recommendations of other great books to enjoy, while you’re waiting for the latest DCI Ryan or Dr Gregory! Look out for competitions and giveaways, as well as Q & A’s and live interviews with guest authors.

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There are no paid affiliations with any other author or publisher, so you can be sure that my monthly recommendations are books I have genuinely read and enjoyed!

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This Month's Picks

Mar 2023

Windswept & Interesting

Billy Connolly

I didn’t know I was Windswept and Interesting until somebody told me.

Questions

  1. What was your knowledge level of Billy Connolly prior to reading the book, and how does your opinion differ now?
  2. What did you think of the stream-of-conciousness writing style? Do you think Billy is a good storyteller? How does it compare to other autobiographies you may have read?
  3. Billy mentions that his shows were unscripted – what did you think of this? Do you think you could do something like that, unscripted? What does this say about Billy as a comedian, and as a person?
  4. What kind of influence does music have on Billy? Explain your answer.
  5. Billy speaks about the unfortunate abuse he suffered growing up. What affect does this have on Billy, and how does it shape him as a
    person?
  6. Do you have any particular favourite stories of Billy’s? 7. What does ‘windswept and interesting’ mean to you?

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Mar 2023

The Shrine

LJ RossIn focus

A murder for the history books...

Questions

  1. Do you think the characters’ life developments will change them going forwards? If so, how?
  2. DCI Ryan is motivated to solve crimes by justice. During The Shrine what else do you think motivates him to uncover the assailants?
  3. If you could visit one place mentioned in The Shrine, where would it be and why?
  4. We see Samantha become a more permanent character in Denise and Frank’s life – what affect has she had on their lives, both as a unit and as individuals?
  5. What would your predictions be for the team in the next book, Cuthbert’s Way?

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The Shrine

After a long and eventful winter, DCI Ryan and his team are looking forward to the joys of spring. But, when one of their colleagues is shot dead on her own doorstep and the brass think it’s an inside job, Ryan finds himself drafted in to investigate. He’s barely scratched the surface when reports flood in of a terror explosion at Durham Cathedral. Chaos descends... Read more
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PREVIOUS MONTHLY RECOMMENDATIONS

February 2023 Recommendations

Book Lovers

Emily Henry

Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you.

LJ's Thoughts Questions

As a change from my usual preference for crime fiction or American noir, this was such a lovely, light-hearted read. There were laugh-out-loud moments throughout, and a palpable tension between the characters that felt believable and drove the story onward, carrying the reader along with its pacey dialogue. I found myself rooting for the characters and, after all, who doesn’t like a happy ending? I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a bit of light relief!

  1. What was your first impression of Nora and Charlie and how did this change throughout reading the book? How are they similar and different to each other?
  2. We meet Nora just as she’s being broken up with – her boyfriend is leaving her for a small-town romance. Book Lovers follows her as the ‘ex’ of the traditional romance. Libby then convinces her to take a vacation to a similar small town, but she ends up falling for the city guy instead. How do you think Book Lovers is similar and different to the traditional Hallmark romance stories?
  3. Charlie struggles with his relationship with his hometown. How did you feel Nora helped to change the way he sees it?
  4. Nora has romanticised memories of her mother and living in the city with her. But it becomes apparent that reality was different, which Libby remembers. What was your take on the differing memories of their mother?
  5. What are your thoughts about the ending? What happens next for Nora and Charlie?
  6. If they turn the novel into a film or TV adaptation, who would you like to see play the main parts?

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LJ RossIn focus

Northumberland National Park, which was an area of outstanding natural beauty in the northernmost uplands where England met the border with Scotland. It was ‘Reiver’ territory.

Questions

  1. Looking at the above quote, do you think there is significance to the book title? What do you think it is?
  2. "When the gods made man, they made a weapon..." – what do you think this tagline means?
  3. What do you think motivates the actions of each character in Borderlands?
  4. If you have read the previous DCI Ryan installment, Penshaw, how are past events affecting the characters in this book?
  5. What overall message do you think LJ Ross was trying to convey through Borderlands?
  6. How did you feel about the ending?

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Borderlands

After uncovering a fresh wave of corruption within the ranks of Northumbria CID, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan was looking forward to an uneventful summer. But, when a young woman is shot dead on the remote army ranges of the Northumberland National Park, Ryan is called in to investigate. Meanwhile, violent crimes are being committed across sites of historic importance in the North East, the perpetrator... Read more
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January 2023 Recommendations

Where The Crawdads Sing

Delia Owens

Nature had nurtured, tutored, and protected her when no one else would.

LJ's Thoughts Questions

Sometimes, you really do fall into a story, and this was my experience when I read Delia Owens’ book. Where the Crawdads Sing is a triumph, plain and simple; richly textured with the author’s own knowledge of the flora and fauna of the marshes, dialect and customs of that part of the world, and finely crafted with characters who truly live and breathe. This was, for me, a wonderful novel. Best described as a coming-of-age murder mystery, it has a little of everything: darkness and light, pathos and humour, as well as some careful pacing which allows the reader to draw out their enjoyment of each chapter.  

  1. The North Carolina marsh where Kya lives is a place of isolation where she feels connected to nature. How does this setting shape the novel? How does growing up in this isolation affect Kya?
  2. Why do you think Kya’s mother leaves in the beginning? Do you agree with her decision?
  3. How is womanhood explored throughout the novel? What does being a woman mean to Kya? How does she relate to the other women in Barkley Cove?
  4. Discuss Kya’s relationship with Tate. How does Tate’s understanding of Kya change over time? Is Tate a good partner for Kya?
  5. In this book, do you think it shows that human society follows the same rules as the natural world, or not? Why?
  6. How is Chase a different kind of man to Tate? Do you think that their differences are biological or learned? How does Kya see each man, and what do they provide her with?
  7. Were you surprised by the verdict in Chase’s murder trial? What about by the ending of the novel? Do you agree with Tate’s final decision? Why or why not?

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LJ RossIn focus

Whether they admitted it or not, every person in the room wanted to be a part of something that was bigger and more important than themselves.

Questions

  1. Jack Lowerson finds himself in a sticky situation during Penshaw – what do you think his actions are driven by?
  2. Do you feel that the atmosphere in Penshaw differs from the previous DCI Ryan instalment, The Moor? If so, how?
  3. Penshaw has two storylines running throughout – do you feel they reflect one another at all? Why/why not?
  4. If you were working in the Northumbria Police, which character would you choose to be your partner, and why?
  5. Melanie Yates is under a larger spotlight during Penshaw – what do you think she brings to the team, and how do you feel her role will develop?
  6. What do you think Penshaw Monument represents in this story, if anything?

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Penshaw

When an old man is burned alive in a sleepy ex-mining village, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan is called in to investigate. He soon discovers that, beneath the facade of a close-knit community, the burn from decades-old betrayal still smoulders. When everyone had a motive, can he unravel the secrets of the past before the killer strikes again? Meanwhile, back at Northumbria CID, trouble is brewing... Read more
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ABOUT LJ ROSS

LJ Ross is an international bestselling author, whose books have sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

Her debut, Holy Island, was released in 2015 and became an instant, international bestseller. Since then, more than twenty of her novels have gone on to take the coveted #1 spot, some even before general release and whilst only available to ‘pre-order’. The Bookseller magazine has reported on Louise having topped the ‘Most Read’ and ‘Most Sold’ fiction charts, and she has garnered an army of loyal fans who love her atmospheric and addictive storytelling.

Her eleventh novel, The Infirmary, is a prequel story to the DCI Ryan series and is available as a major Audible Originals audio-drama starring Tom Bateman, Kevin Whately, Bertie Carvel, Hermione Norris and Alun Armstrong.

The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category.

In May 2021, Louise was shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association ‘Dagger in the Library’ award, which recognises an author’s entire body of work having been consistently enjoyed by library borrowers around the United Kingdom, and an author’s longstanding support of libraries.

Louise was born in Northumberland, England. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career and pursue her dream to write. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Northumberland and Edinburgh. She enjoys reading all manner of books, painting, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’.

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