Book ~ "The Armchair Detectives on Holiday" (2026) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ Fresh from their last case at Twilight Lodge, Martin and Albie reward themselves with a relaxing trip to the sun-soaked island of Menorca.

But when they head down to breakfast one morning, they happen upon a panicked husband reporting his wife, bestselling author Karen Squires, missing. Soon afterwards they’re shocked to discover Karen’s body on the beach.

Local police call it a tragic accident: one look at the broken safety fence on the cliffs above suggests Karen fell. But the victim’s perfectly-manicured nails tells Martin that this was no accident. She was pushed.

Back at the hotel, the duo discover that Karen was running a retreat for writers, all of whom seem shocked by her untimely passing. But which one of them may have had a motive for murder? Was a fellow writer jealous of her success? Did her devoted husband feel sidelined?

As they hunt for clues, they realise that the answer may be found in one of Karen’s bestsellers and luckily for them, Albie’s girlfriend, Barbara, is her number one fan. A killer is hiding in plain sight. But to get to them, can they separate the fact from the fiction before it’s too late?

Martin is in his mid-80s and a widower, who recently had hip surgery and had checked into Twilight Lodge, a seaside care home to recuperate. There he ran into his old partner, wheelchair-bound Albie, who was also at the home. They both had worked for “The Company” (something very spy-like). Martin takes Albie, Dionne, his daughter, and Custard, his late wife's dog, on vacation to Menorca for a week. 

One morning, Martin and Albie meet David, who is in a panic because he can't find his wife, Karen,  a famous author. They are at a writers' resort at the same hotel Martin where is staying. Martin and Albie offer to help look for her and find her at the bottom of a cliff. The local police assume she fell but something doesn't look right to Martin and Albie and they start investigating.

This was a fun story. It was interesting to have it written from the first person perspective of a mid-80s man as he doesn't have a clue about today's technology (for example, he doesn't own a cell phone and confuses "Zumba" with "Zooming"). It's a cozy mystery so there is no swearing or violence. The interactions between Martin and Albie were cute. There are lots of red herrings and I was okay with the whodunnit (I had figured it out). It's the second in the Armchair Detectives series (I'd read the first one last year) and I look forward to reading more in the future.

Book ~ "The Armchair Detectives" (2025) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ They might be over the hill but they’re far from six feet under and now there’s a murder to solve!

Meet Martin Maxwell. As a former government operative, at eighty-four-years young he always pictured a retirement sipping shaken-not-stirred martinis on a far-flung island. But in need of some care after a new hip, he finds himself at Twilight Lodge on the decidedly cloudy English coast.

From the outside, it’s a picture-perfect place to recuperate. But when popular resident Elsie dies unexpectedly, Martin suspects foul play. She’s the third death in less than two weeks and always had a clean bill of health. Armed with a walking stick and his trusty notebook and pen, Martin decides to investigate.

While nobody believes him – death is an inevitable part of care home life after all – Martin is convinced something sinister is afoot. With his wheelchair-bound sidekick and former nemesis Albie in tow, they begin questioning the residents. Soon they learn that there are several suspects in the frame.

When they discover Albie’s love interest Barbara is in the killer’s sights, Martin knows time is running out. Will Albie’s heart be broken forever, or can they battle the effects of old age and each other, outwitting a murderer before it’s too late?

Martin is 84 and a widower, recovering from hip surgery and not wanting to burden his daughter to have to take care of him. Instead he checks into Twilight Lodge, a seaside care home where he plans on taking it easy and recuperate. But taking it easy doesn’t last long. When one of the residents dies unexpectedly (and then others start dying), Martin’s old instincts kick in. Martin isn’t your average retiree ... he used to work for “The Company” (something very spy-like). When he starts connecting the dots, he’s sure there’s foul play involved. Luckily his old partner, wheelchair-bound Albie, who claims to not remember Martin, is also at the home and the two end up sleuthing together along with Martin’s wild theories and his notebook full of half-remembered clues.

This was a fun story and it was interesting to have it written from the first person perspective of an 84-year-old man. It's surprisingly a cozy mystery as there is no swearing or violence. The interactions between Martin and Albie were cute. There are some red herrings and I was okay with the whodunnit. It seems like it's the first of a series and I look forward to reading the future books.

Book ~ "Pug Actually" (2021) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ Doug wants his rescuer, Julie, to be happy. He is loyal and loves her unconditionally - two things that can’t be said about Julie’s married boss and lover, Luke. Yet Julie is reluctant to break up, afraid to end up like her eccentric cat-owning neighbor. It’s a prospect that horrifies Doug too.

Newly divorced Tom, on the other hand, is perfect for Julie. Everyone can see it - except for Julie and Tom. Doug is confident that with his help they will get over their initial animosity toward each other.

As Doug humorously navigates the quirks of human relationships, he knows he can’t give up on Julie - after all, being a “rescue” works both ways. 

Julie has a rescue pug named Doug.  She has been dating Luke, who is her boss and married.  Luke treats her like crap and Doug doesn't like him.  So when Luke comes to visit, Doug does all he can to make Luke feels unwelcome.

Dot, the owner of a local coffee shop, has her eye on Jim, Julie's widowed father.  He likes her too but he feels guilty because he thinks he would be dishonouring his late wife by dating Dot.  Dot has a son named Tom who is a vet and recently divorced.  Dot and Jim think he would be perfect for Julie and Doug agrees and is determined to do all he can to get Luke out of the picture so Julie and Tom can be together.

I've read many books by this author and thought this one was okay.  It was written in first person (dog?) perspective in Doug's voice, which was cute.  As a head's up, there is some swearing.

I didn't find Julie likeable at all and at times she was downright rude.  Tom seemed like a nice fella but bland so I don't know what he saw in Julie since she treated him so badly.  Luke is a jerk and treated her badly but she was so desperate to have a man in her life that she put up with it.

Book ~ "Then I Met You" (2019) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ Lisa’s dated a series of disastrous men; Simon’s loved and lost the girl of his dreams. She’s hoping fate might intervene in her love life; he’d prefer that it stopped meddling with his. 

Today they’re meeting, courtesy of the local paper’s ‘Blind Date’ feature – but while Lisa’s looking for that elusive ‘spark’, Simon’s sure lightning doesn’t strike twice. 

Will theirs be a love that’s written in the stars or merely another mismatch written up in the Gazette?

Jess works at a newspaper called The Gazette on a feature that matches people up on blind dates and then follows up with them afterwards to see how it goes.  Lisa is Jess' friend and agrees to go on one of the dates.  She has a history of dating losers who dump her and she's optimistically still looking for "the one".

Simon is still grieving over the loss of his relationship with Alice two years ago and is happy being alone.  Will is his best friend and Jess' boyfriend.  Will tricks Simon into the blind date with Jess and Will has no choice but to go through with it.

Things don't go well with between Lisa and Simon right from the start ... they are too different and want different things.  But for the sake of Jess' column, they do a redo of the date within hours, courtesy of Jess' corporate credit card.

I've read many books by this author and thought it was okay.  I usually find his books humourous but I thought this one was a bit of downer.  I found Lisa was so desperate to find someone and put up with losers.  Despite her new "seize the day" attitude, I didn't find her overly likable.  Simon was still trying to get over his relationship with Alice and wasn't overly enthusiastic to be stuck on a date with Lisa.  He seemed to have a dry sense of humour.

It was written in third person perspective from Lisa and Simon's points of view.  The story happens over 24 hours.  As a head's up, there is some swearing.

Book ~ "At the Wedding" (2018) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ Livia’s been planning her wedding to Jed for ages. Now, at the venue in beautiful Barcelona, with her dress pressed and the guests all on their way, she’s only left one tiny detail until the last minute: letting the groom know he’s about to get hitched.

But as far as Jed’s concerned, they’ve been bumping along just fine for ten years and even have a baby on the way, so why spoil things with an ‘I do’? Especially when he’d really rather not.

Meanwhile the guests are arriving with plenty of baggage of their own. Fading reality star Liam’s still on the lookout for a plus-one; Rachel’s has refused to come - and dumped her into the bargain; and divorcee Patrick’s date is more of the ‘mid-life crisis’ variety.

But as the ceremony approaches and with no sign of Jed, there’s only one thing on all of their minds: will there be a bride and groom at the wedding? 

Jed and Livia have been dating for ten years and are expecting a baby in a couple of months.  She has planned a weekend in Barcelona, to celebrate their meeting ten years ago.  She has invited Liam, Jed's brother who was the second runner-up on Big Brother and is still trying to live on that glory; newly divorced Patrick, who is jaded about love and marriage and has brought his much younger girlfriend, Izzy; and Rachel, Livia's best friend who has just been dumped by her boyfriend.  What Jed doesn't know (but everyone else does) is that Livia is going to propose to him and has planned a wedding for the next day.

Needless to say, Jed is shocked with the proposal but goes along with it.  But he doesn't see why they have to get married as things are fine as they are.  He spends his wedding day deciding if he wants to go through with it or not and if he doesn't, how does he break it to Livia?

I've read many books by this author and liked this one.  I enjoyed the writing style and found it amusing.  It is written by an English author so their humour was there.  It was written in third person perspective from various points of view (wherever the action was).  I liked the characters, though I wasn't crazy about Livia at first ... she seemed selfish at first by putting Jed on the spot and pressuring him into marriage.  It said a lot about their relationship if she couldn't be honest with him.  I found Izzy a bit extreme and childish at times and don't know how the more mature Patrick would tolerate her.  As a head's up, there is some swearing.

Book ~ "13 Dates" (2017) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ When Noah Wilson first encounters the quirky, opinionated and very beautiful Angel Fallon, his world is turned upside down. It’s clear she’s not his normal type but Noah can’t stop thinking about her - which doesn’t bode well for the blind date he’s already late for. 

Convinced by his friend (and self-professed dating expert) Marlon that thirteen dates is all you need to fall in love, Noah decides to give it a try with Angel. They should be incompatible: she’s impulsive and he’s a planner; he wants to settle down and she doesn’t ‘do’ relationships - or anything, for that matter - the way Noah is used to. But there’s something about Angel and Noah can’t shake the idea that all they need is twelve more dates. 

Despite some near-disasters involving rock climbing, saddle sores and jellied eels, it seems his plan may actually work. But even if they do reach the magic number, can that really mean they’ll just fall into their happily-ever-after? 

Noah is in his mid-thirties and runs a small art gallery.  He is on his way to a blind date when he stops to use the washroom at a Starbucks and meets Angel.  He can't get Angel out of his head and eventually tracks her down.  When he tells his friend and colleague, Marlon, about her, Marlon said that it takes 13 dates to fall in love.  Noah is determined to have Angel fall in love with him.

Noah is a planner and eventually wants marriage, kids, a house, etc.  Angel, though, lives for today and isn't willing commit to a relationship and has a secret she is keeping from him.  Once he finds out what the secret is, Noah has to decide whether he is willing to put aside his future dreams for a life with Angel.

I've read many books by this author and I thought this one was okay.  I liked Noah ... he seemed like a funny loser.  I wasn't crazy about Angel until she revealed her secret to Noah ... but the way she kept going on about it got a bit tiresome.  I figured out the nature of her secret early on.

I enjoyed the writing style and found it amusing.  It is written by an English author so their brand of humour was there.  It was written in first person perspective from Noah's point of view.  As a head's up, there is some swearing.

Book ~ "A Christmas Day at the Office" (2016) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ One Christmas party. Two merging companies. Free-flowing champagne. What could possibly go wrong?

With her new billionaire boss in town, Sophie’s determined to swap the No-Jobs she meets on Tinder for her very own Steve Jobs. But will looking like a million dollars be enough to kick-start a Fifty Shades adventure?

A ring in his pocket and dressed to kill, Calum’s planning to get down on one knee. Though if Mia doesn’t say ‘yes’, he’s not sure he’ll ever get back up.

Julie’s got a surprise for Mark - though it’s something she’s not even sure she wants. Meanwhile, Mark’s got another choice to make: the love of his life, or the opportunity of a lifetime?

With his job on the line and the ex who broke his heart back on the scene, Nathan’s day is becoming a nightmare. But he’s about to meet the woman of his dreams.

This year’s office Christmas party should be a night to remember - but for five of Seek Software’s employees, it might be one they’d sooner forget. 

iFeel and Seek Software are merging and tonight is the Christmas party for the employees of both companies to meet.  This book focuses on that day for five employees of Seek Software.

Sophie is a bit of a ditz and is on the hunt for Mr. Right.  When she hears that Tony, the rich American who has bought their company, is single, she decides to entice him in hopes of making her his fourth wife.

Calum is Seek's top (and only) salesman.  He's not overly confident but since he started dating Mia-Rose, that has changed a bit.  He wants to propose to her and every time he tries that night, something goes wrong.

Julie and Mark have been secretly dating (though many people know) for the last nine months.  They are waiting until Julie's divorce becomes final before coming out as a couple.  But the morning of the Christmas party, Julie gets a big surprise.

Nathan is still recovering from having his heart broken a couple years ago when his then girlfriend broke up with him while he was proposing to her.  He does some research on his counterpart at iFeel, though, and can't wait to meet her.

This is the sixth book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I enjoyed the writing style and found it amusing.  It is written by an English author and set in London so their brand of humour was there.  It was written in third person perspective from the various points of view.  It is the sequel to A Day at the Office, which I haven't read (though I'd like to now) so this book obviously works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Home" (2015) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ It’s been eighteen years since Josh Peters left dreary, dying Derton - the seaside town where he grew up - and headed for the bright lights of London. Now his dad is sick and his mum needs him, so he’s back - though he’s promised himself he won’t be staying for long.

Then Josh finds himself unexpectedly detained in Derton, living in his cramped teenage bedroom, with simmering family tensions a little too close for comfort. Back amongst the old friends, old enemies and old flames he left behind, he’s worried that some things may never change.

But is Derton the same place he couldn’t wait to escape from back then, full of failures and bitter memories, or has it been doing just fine without him? As Josh revisits his past, will he find that the only one who hasn’t moved on is him? 

His London life is calling him back - but sometimes there’s no place like home.

When Josh was young, he couldn't wait to escape Derton, the small seaside town he grew up in.  The first chance he got, he went to university and moved to London, only visiting Derton on occasion.  Now 36, he goes home for a day to take his parents to the doctor because his father is sick.  When they get the news that his father has cancer and doesn't have long to live, Josh moves back home to help out for as along as it takes.

While home, he reconnects with old friends and even the girl he coldly broke up with via a letter when he was in university.  He discovers that Derton has changed and it's not the depressing town of his youth.

This is the fifth book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I enjoyed the writing style and found it, despite the subject matter, amusing and a bit sarcastic (in a funny way).  It is written by an English author and set in England so their brand of humour was there, though I didn't get some of the references or sayings.  It was written in first person perspective from Josh's point of view.

I liked Josh and his parents.  At first his dad seems a crusty the way he criticizes Josh all the time and seems disappointed in him but we find that he means well.  It was nice to see Josh and his dad's relationship evolve.  His dad handled his impending death with humour and courage.

Book ~ "What Might Have Been" (2014) Matt Dunn

From Goodreads ~ A year ago, Evan and Sarah shared one incredible night. Then Evan's music - the thing that brought them together - suddenly tore them apart.

Since then, Evan's not been able to forget about her. And try as she might, Sarah can't seem to get over him either.

With time running out, Evan's got one last chance to convince her that the two of them were meant to be. But is one night enough for Sarah to make a decision about the rest of her life - even if it was the best night of her life? And if she doesn't believe in love at first sight, how can Evan persuade her that what they had will last?

Sarah's father, who was a musician, had recently passed away.  With nothing keeping her in the States, she gets a transfer to work in London.  One night she goes to a jazz club and is drawn to Evan, the sax player.  They connect and have a one night stand followed by lunch.  Evan is immediately offered a year long gig in the States backing Sting and the Police.  Since it's a great opportunity for him, Sarah encourages him to go and he does. Evan comes back a year later a week before Sarah is going to married David, her boss, and tries to win her back.

This is the fourth book I've read by this author.  I enjoyed the other three but I wasn't all that crazy about this one.  I thought the storyline sounded interesting and could have been so much better.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I didn't like Sarah.  When she met Evan, she'd had just one date with David yet she had a internal struggle because it was like she had cheated on David.  Um ... no.  It was one date!  And the "should I chose David or should I choose Evan?" debates with her friend, Grace, and with herself went on and on and over and over.  Grace was a psychologist and I was surprised that she let Sarah's rantings go on as long and as often as she did.  Sarah had abandonment issues (because her mother had left her when she was young and then her father died) which we heard about again and again.  Sarah kept faulting Evan for leaving last year when she was the one who pushed him away.

Evan seemed like a nice guy but it was unbelievable that he would keep after Sarah after she kept turning him away and being a bitch to him.  I found it hard amazing that he could be THAT much in love with her even though he'd only known her for less than two days a year ago.  Really?

It's unusual to find chick lit written by a man.  I wanted to like this book but didn't really.

Book ~ "The Good Bride Guide" (2009) Matt Dunn

From MattDunn.co.uk ~ Ben Grant is fed up with always meeting the wrong girl. Having just celebrated his 29th birthday by being dumped by his 29th girlfriend, he decides he can't go on like this. Why can't he be as blissfully happy as his best friend Ashif, about to marry the beautiful Prithi, a bride chosen for him by his parents? Suddenly Ben has a great idea: why not ask his own parents to do the same for him?

But while Ben's parents see this as the perfect opportunity to set their son on the right path to matrimonial bliss, it soon becomes clear that Ben's idea of the kind of woman he wants to settle down with is quite different from that of his somewhat traditional mum and dad. Following a series of disastrous dates, Ben starts to realize that he wouldn't let his parents pick him out a shirt to wear, let alone a woman to marry.

But when Ben finally meets the girl he thinks might be "the one", he realizes that maybe he does have something to learn from his mum and dad after all. Can he learn the art of romance from his parents and land the girl of his dreams?

I discovered Matt Dunn last month and enjoyed his writing ... this is the third book of his I've read.

It's guy lit ... a story written by a guy about a guy looking for love, an interesting concept.

The story was good and I was cheering for Ben in his quest as he meets some ... er ... interesting women his parents set him up with. There are some funny misunderstandings ... you see them coming and you go along for the ride.

The characters are likeable ... Ben's parents would be a hoot to have a beer with.

Book ~ "Ex-Girlfriends United" (2011) Matt Dunn

From MattDunn.co.uk ~ Ever wish there was a website where you could read reviews about someone you’re thinking of dating?

Dan Davis doesn’t. Because thanks to SlateYourDate.com, Z-list TV personality and womaniser Dan isn’t having much luck with girls any more. Okay, so he’s treated a few women badly in his time but that’s just what men like Dan do, isn’t it?

But best friend Edward Middleton thinks it’s a great idea. Dumped in the past for being the typical clueless bloke, and determined not to suffer the same fate with new girlfriend Sam, Ed sees it as the perfect place to find out how to keep Sam happy.

Faced with the prospect of a lifetime of singledom, Dan sets off on a hilarious quest to track down his ex-girlfriends to find out how he can put things right. But will a man like Dan ever truly change – especially if the biggest change means actually listening to a woman? Meanwhile, Ed’s awkward attempts to move things forward with Sam make him realise that when it comes to relationships, unless you deal with your past, you can’t have much of a future …

This is the sequel to The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook which I read a couple weeks ago ... Edward and Dan are back.

Edward is happy now dating his ex-trainer, Sam. Dan, on the other hand, can't get a date and it's because all the women he's dumped have rated him on a website called Slate Your Date. Edward comes up with a plan to have Dan make it up to every woman on the website so they'll erase the bad ratings.

Jane, Edward's ex-girlfriend who dumped him, returns and wants Edward back which sets off a huge chain of events.

Dan is still the same egotistical fella he was in the first book and Edwards is still his ever patient pal trying to turn him around.

It is an entertaining "guy-lit" book told from a man's perspective.

Book ~ "The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook" (2010) Matt Dunn

From mattdunn.co.uk ~ What would you do if you were suddenly dumped by someone you love? And just how far would you go to win them back?

When Edward’s girlfriend of ten years tells him “it’s not me – it’s you”, he knows he’s in serious trouble. “You’ve let yourself go,” she says, “so I’m letting you go too.”

Determined to get her back, Edward realises that to be her Mr. Right, he’s got to turn himself into a bit of all right. But what makes for a good boyfriend nowadays? And how can he learn to make women fancy him again? Right now, he’s the kind of man who puts the ‘ex’ into ‘sexy’.

With the help of best mate (and Z-list TV personality) Dan, Edward embarks on his personal improvement odyssey. From Atkins and Botox, he works his way through the makeover alphabet, until Dan convinces him there’s only one way to check whether it’s working – go on an actual date.

Will he manage the transformation from cuddly Teddy into sexy Eddie? Can he win his girlfriend back? Or does his journey of self-discovery take him in a different direction entirely?

I enjoy reading the occasional chick lit and it's always fun to read guy lit.

This book is set in Brighton, England. Edward arrives home to discover that Jane, his girlfriend of ten years, has moved all her stuff out and is spending the next three months in Tibet. In an attempt to win her back, we following him as he hires a trainer so he can lose the love handles he's gotten over the years, he trades his Volvo in for a Mini, gets a new wardrobe and haircut, and does speed dating so he can find out his appeal to women.

Along the way, we meet Wendy, the barmaid, and Natasha, Edward's boss. Helping him (but how much help is he really?!) is his egotistical friend, Dan, who is a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy.

This is the first book I've read by Matt Dunn ... and I enjoyed it. The writing style is quick, funny and in first person (Edward). I look forward to checking out others by him.

Here's a sample of the writing that I found funny ... this is the day after his first session with his trainer, Sam, eight days after Jane left:

When I wake up this morning, for the first time since Jane left, I can't feel the pain in my heart. That's because I hurt everywhere else. Everywhere. It takes me five minutes to get out of bed, my stomach muscles screaming at me when I try to sit up, and then my leg muscles joining in as soon as I try to stand. When I eventually manage to shuffle into the bathroom to use the toilet, even my peeing muscles hurt.