Reading Roundup - May 2022

 

May has been a mixed month for me. We were finally able to take a long needed holiday. My husband and I packed up the car with the dog and a pile of books, and headed off to spend a week in Yorkshire followed by a week in Lincolnshire.

Yorkshire is a beautiful county and we had a wonderful week there. The photograph above is one that I took at the library in Cottingham. I love to visit libraries when I visit other parts of the country.

Our week in Lincolnshire got off to a great start. Our accommodation was beautiful and we were surrounded by yellow rape seed fields. It was stunning. Unfortunately, part way through this week we both contracted covid which was far from ideal. 

However, regardless of that, it was wonderful to get away for a while to two such beautiful parts of the country. It was so good to relax with our books and we had some lovely walks with the dog. We are back home now, refreshed and recovered and looking forward to a new month ahead.

Books I Have Read This Month

Still Life by Sarah Winman - this was my book group choice this month. I adored everything about this book.

Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon - a nice cosy read which was ideal for holiday reading. You can read my review by clicking here.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - this has been languishing on my TBR for so long. It was my favourite book this month and you can read my review by clicking here.

The Shocking Price of a Pair of Shoes by Andy Tilley - The premise of the book was interesting but I didn't enjoy it much.

A Rip in the Veil by Anna Belfrage - This did not work for me either.

Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir - I am enjoying this series of books. My review is written and will be up very soon.

Tell Me Everything by Laura Kay - I enjoyed reading this very much and you can read my review by clicking here.

Tearoom on the Bay by Rachel Burton - This was my first foray into audio books in decades and I really enjoyed it. 

The Ascension of Mary by William West - An interesting story with chapters being told by three generations of a family.

Tea at the Palace by Carolyn Robb - This is a lovely book full of recipes fit for a Queen. I will be uploading my review for this in the next few days.

Books I Did Not Finish

Munich by Robert Harris

Books I am Partway Through

A History of Herbalism: Cure, Cook and Conjure by Emma Kay

A Silent Voice Speaks by Trishna Singh

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore

Hope: a History of the Future by G.G. Kellner

The Queen's Spy by Clare Marchant - #CoverLove

 We are always being told not to judge a book by its cover. However, if like me, you are seduced into reading a book by it's gorgeous cover, you are not alone. Let me be honest, when I am browsing books in a book shop or the library, it is frequently the cover that prettily whispers my name, and like an enchanted being, I have to pick it up.

In this new feature on the blog, I am going to be looking at book covers, and showing you which book cover has most recently seduced me.

This week's cover is The Queen's Spy by Clare Marchant. I am sure you will agree, it is rather gorgeous.

1584: Elizabeth I rules England. But a dangerous plot is brewing in court, and Mary Queen of Scots will stop at nothing to take her cousin’s throne.

There’s only one thing standing in her way: Tom, the queen’s trusted apothecary, who makes the perfect silent spy…

2021: Travelling the globe in her camper van, Mathilde has never belonged anywhere. So when she receives news of an inheritance, she is shocked to discover she has a family in England.

Just like Mathilde, the medieval hall she inherits conceals secrets, and she quickly makes a haunting discovery. Can she unravel the truth about what happened there all those years ago? And will she finally find a place to call home?

Enchanting and gripping, The Queen’s Spy effortlessly merges past with present in an unforgettable tale of love, courage and betrayal – perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley and Kathryn Hughes.

Tell Me Everything by Laura Kay - #BookReview #blogblast

 

"See," Georgia says, "it was worth the walk, wasn't it?" She picks up a peach from the picnic basket in front of us and takes a bite. The juices dribbles down her chin.

I might lean forward and wipe it off but instead I sit back and watch her, pink from our walk in the sun, sleeves rolled up on her white T-shirt, cross-legged with her trainers kicked off. I smile despite not really believing it was worth the three hours and severe sunburn it took for us to get here.

"It was," I say. 

She sticks out a foot and nudges me gently in the thigh. "You're not even looking at the view."

***

Would you entrust your life choices to someone hell-bent on avoiding theirs?

Natasha has everything under control, at least that's what her clients think. As a therapist, she has all the answers but when it comes to her personal life, she seriously needs to start taking her own advice.

Still living with her ex-girlfriend, Natasha's messy love life is made up of dates and one-night stands. After all, why would you commit to one person, when there is an endless stream of people waiting for you to swipe right? Besides, people always leave.

But when Margot arrives on the scene, everything changes. Flailing between mending long broken relationships and starting new ones, Natasha's walking the line between self-actualisation and self-destruction... With denial no longer an option, it is time for Natasha to take control of her own happiness.

***

If I said that this book was an easy read but demonstrates much depth, would it make sense? Let me explain. Tell Me Everything is an easy read, and had time permitted I could have guzzled it up in a couple of sittings.

However, the vast majority of books which I would describe as 'easy' are books which I race through and forget about almost as soon as I have turned the final page. This book was different, and I have not stopped thinking about the main character, Natasha, ever since.

She possesses all of the traits that you would hope to find in a main character. She is interesting, flawed and engaging. I found her to be very likeable, and I could empathise with her short-comings. Not only was she well portrayed but all of the more minor characters were equally well fleshed out.

The principal themes of the novel are love, relationships and how we fit into those relationships with other people, be they family or friends. What the author does is to write about those aspects in an intelligent and sensitive way.

Her writing flowed beautifully and it was a pleasure to read. The concept of the flawed therapist is a familiar one, and I thoroughly enjoyed accompanying Natasha on her journey towards understanding herself.

Overall, I found the book to be inspiring, heart-warming and up-lifting. I think it will appeal to anyone who enjoys character led progression in their fiction. I will definitely be adding Ms. Kay's previous novel, The Split, to my now toppling to read pile.

ISBN:978 1529409857 

Publisher: Quercus

Formats: audio, e-book and hardback.

No. of Pages: 416 (hardback)

About the Author:

Laura Kay is a London based writer whose work has appeared in Diva Magazine and the Guardian. She has a Masters degree in History from the University of Sheffield where she received the Sir Ian Kershaw Dissertation Prize. Laura was one of ten writers selected for Penguin's 2018 WriteNow programme, during which she developed her debut novel, The Split, which was published by Quercus in March 2021.

(author photo and bio info from the author's own website)

(early reading copy courtesy of Quercus Books)

New Releases in June 2022

 

It is difficult to know where to begin this month as there are so many fantastic titles being published. So, I am going to let the books speak for themselves. Here are ten new releases that have caught my eye.

The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson

When Libby Nicholls arrives in London, broken-hearted and with her life in tatters, the first person she meets on the bus is elderly pensioner Frank. He tells her about the time in 1962 he met a girl on the number 88 bus with beautiful red hair just like her own. They made plans for a date, but Frank lost the ticket with her number written on it. For the past sixty years, he's ridden the same bus trying to find her.

Libby is inspired by the story and, with the help of an unlikely companion, she makes it her mission to continue Frank's search. As she begins to open her guarded heart to strangers and new connections, Libby's tightly controlled world expands. But with Frank's dementia progressing quickly, their chance of finding the girl on the 88 bus is slipping away . . .

More than anything, Libby wants Frank to see his lost love one more time. But their quest also shows Libby just how important it is to embrace her own chance for happiness - before it's too late.

The Runaway Orphans by Pam Weaver

Two sisters. One secret. A daring wartime journey…

Desperate to escape their stepfather’s house, sisters Amy and Lillian stow away aboard a train full of children being evacuated from London and the threat of Hitler’s bombs.

Arriving in the seaside town of Worthing, they are taken in by kindly Norah and her husband Jim.

With their future now entrusted to strangers, can the girls finally find a safe harbour in these dark days of war?

And will they find the strength to confront what they have been running from, when their past finally catches up with them?

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan

After renowned London fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses both her home and her design house in the Blitz, she has nowhere to go but the family manor house she fled decades ago. She arrives with nothing but the clothes she stands in, at a loss as to how to rebuild her business from a quaint country village.

Her niece, Violet, is thrilled that her famous aunt is coming to stay – the village has been interminably dull with all the men off fighting. Meanwhile, the local vicar’s daughter, Grace Carlisle, is trying in vain to repair her mother’s gown, her only chance of a white wedding. When Cressida Westcott appears at the local sewing circle meeting, Grace asks for her help – but Cressida has much more to teach the ladies than just simple sewing skills.

Before long, Cressida’s spirit and ambition galvanizes the village group into action, and they find themselves mending wedding dresses not only for local brides, but for brides across the country. And as the women dedicate themselves to helping others celebrate love, they might even manage to find it for themselves ...

Half Sisters by Virgina Franken

After being gone for two decades, Maddy’s half sister, Emily, is back in town to settle their late father’s estate. Emily’s not the troubled girl Maddy remembers from their volatile childhood. Apparently, all is well. It can’t possibly matter anymore that Maddy married Emily’s first love, but the pictures Maddy finds on her husband’s phone tell a different story. Suspicions of an affair are hard to ignore.

Then again, Maddy hasn’t been herself lately. She’s increasingly confused. She’s losing items that are precious to her. She forgets where she’s going. The line between what’s real and unreal has become a blur. Even the damning photos have disappeared. Though her state of mind starts to become everyone’s cause for concern, Maddy refuses to believe she’s losing her grip on reality. But the one thing she can’t deny is the secret from the past that rewrote all their lives―a secret that’s ready to come out.

The Sinner by Caroline England

EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST - To the unsuspecting eye Dee Stephens has a perfect life as the vicar's wife: a devoted marriage to her charismatic husband Reverend Vincent, an adoring congregation and a beautiful daughter.

EVERY SINNER HAS A FUTURE - But beneath the surface, Dee is suffocating. Vincent is in control, and he knows her every sin. Desperate, Dee escapes into a heady affair with Cal, an old schoolmate.

EVERY CONFESSION HAS A PRICE - But is Cal the saviour she thinks he is? What dark secrets does he harbour? And to what lengths will Vincent go to when he uncovers the truth?

The Colour Storm by Damian Dibben

In Renaissance Venice, artist Giorgione 'Zorzo' Barbarelli's career hangs in the balance. Competition is fierce, and his debts are piling up. So when Zorzo hears a rumour of a mysterious new pigment brought to Venice by the richest man in Europe, he sets out to acquire the colour and secure his name in history.

Winning a commission to paint a portrait of the man's wife, Sybille, Zorzo thinks he has found a way into the merchant's favour. Instead he finds himself caught up in a conspiracy that stretches across Europe and a marriage coming apart inside one of the floating city's most illustrious palazzos.

As the water levels rise and the plague creeps ever closer, an increasingly desperate Zorzo isn't sure whom he can trust . . .

Will Sybille prove to be the key to Zorzo's success, or the reason for his downfall?

Atmospheric and suspenseful, and filled with the famous artists of the era, The Colour Storm is an intoxicating story of art and ambition, love and obsession in Renaissance Venice.

Of Sunshine and Bedbugs by Isaac Babel

Isaac Babel honed one of the most distinctive styles in all Russian literature. Brashly conversational one moment, dreamily lyrical the next, his stories exult in the richness of everyday speech and sensual pleasure only to be shaken by brutal jolts of violence.

These stories take us from the underworld of Babel's native Odessa, city of gangsters and lowlives, of drunken brawls and bleeding sunsets, to the terror and absurdity of life as a soldier in the Polish-Soviet War.

Selected and translated by the prize-winning Boris Dralyuk, this collection captures the irreverence, passion and coarse beauty of Babel's singular voice.

Vagabonds by Oskar Jensen

Until now, our view of bustling late Georgian and Victorian London has been filtered through its great chroniclers, who did not themselves come from poverty – Dickens, Mayhew, Gustave Doré. Their visions were dazzling in their way, censorious, often theatrical. Now, for the first time, this innovative social history brilliantly – and radically – shows us the city’s most compelling period (1780–1870) at street level.

From beggars and thieves to musicians and missionaries, porters and hawkers to sex workers and street criers, Jensen unites a breadth of original research and first-hand accounts and testimonies to tell their stories in their own words. What emerges is a buzzing, cosmopolitan world of the working classes, diverse in gender, ethnicity, origin, ability and occupation – a world that challenges and fascinates us still.

Iris in the Dark by Elissa Grossell Dickey

Iris Jenkins knows that bad things happen. She’s tried to escape these things for years. So when Iris is entrusted to house-sit at a lodge on the South Dakota prairie, she thinks she’s prepared for anything.

But one surprise is Sawyer Jones, the property’s neighbour and caretaker. He’s a caring, reassuring presence who’s making her feel safe and alive again. Then late one night, Iris hears a chilling cry for help coming from a walkie-talkie buried in a box of toys. As the calls get more desperate, personal, and menacing, Iris realises the person on the other end isn’t reaching out for help. They’re reaching out to terrorise her.

Now the only way for Iris to move forward in life is to confront the past she’s been running from…a threat that has now followed her into the dark.

The Hideaway by Norma Curtis

Thea placed her hands on the soft, aged leather of her grandmother’s suitcase, the one the slight old woman never let out of her sight. The thunk of the lock sounded very loud in the stillness of the cottage and Thea froze, her eyes on the bedroom door. Hearing nothing, she held her breath and peered inside…

Hedi Fischer, aged ninety, smooths her hair and applies a touch of red lipstick from the tube. Over her pristine wool skirt suit she has knotted a men’s tartan bathrobe, frayed with age. Hedi hasn’t taken it off since her darling Harry passed. Since the day she gave away everything but the battered little suitcase that holds all the memories she’s tried her best to lock away.

Thea has never met her grandmother Hedi, so she’s surprised when she receives a call to take her home. She’s not sure how Hedi will fit into her new life – the one where she’s left her boyfriend and moved into a run-down cottage miles from the nearest town. And Hedi refuses to talk about her past, or why she and Thea’s mother haven’t spoken for more than thirty years. So when Thea spots Hedi’s case on the table, she can’t resist taking a peak inside…

What Thea finds there is more heartbreaking than she could have ever imagined. It is a story that begins in World War Two, when young Hedi arrives by train at a Nazi concentration camp, from which she has no hope of escaping alive…

(header photo courtesy of Tom Hermans/Unsplash)

Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon - #BookReveiw

 

Some people like to hear their own voice. That jewel of wisdom hit me as I filled the coffee carafes for the third time. As chamber liaison, I'd volunteered my shop, Coffee, Books and More, to serve as the semi-permanent host site for South Cove's Business Basics meeting. The early morning meeting was scheduled to run from seven to nine, but the clock over the coffee bar showed it was already twenty minutes past.

All because the newest committee member, Josh Thomas, owner of the new antiques store down the street, had issues... 

"I wonder why he even moved here," Aunt Jackie fake-whispered to me as she sliced a second cheesecake. "He hates everything."

***

In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store—Coffee, Books, and More—open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder?

When Jill’s elderly friend, Miss Emily, calls in a fit of pique, she already knows the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily’s gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill—along with all of her problems . . . and her enemies. Convinced her friend was murdered, Jill is finding the list of suspects longer than the list of repairs needed on the house. But Jill is determined to uncover the culprit—especially if it gets her closer to South Cove’s finest, Detective Greg King. Problem is, the killer knows she’s on the case—and is determined to close the book on Jill permanently . . .

***

Every so often, some cosy crime fiction is just the ticket. I read this while on holiday recently, and it made for ideal reading to relax with. It is the first in the Tourist Trap series and introduces Jill Gardner, who runs the local book and coffee shop.

At some points it was glaringly predictable, particularly regarding the romance element of the story. However, the 'who dunnit' aspect came as a surprise to me at the reveal, which perhaps it shouldn't have done had I not had my mind so firmly in holiday mode. 

The author has written several other series including the Kitchen Witch Mysteries, the Cat Latimer series and the Farm to Fork mystery series. Guidebook to Murder was the winner of the 2015 Reader's Crown for Mystery Fiction. The following book in the series is Mission to Murder, which I might just keep on ice until my next holiday.

ISBN: 978 1601833044

Publisher: Kensington Trade

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 226 (paperback)

About the Author:

Lynn Cahoon is the author of the NYT and USA Today bestselling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. Guidebook to Murder, book 1 of the series won the Reader's Crown for Mystery Fiction. There are six Tourist Trap Holiday novella's available in digital and audio that are bundled into two print books. The most recent book in the series, Wedding Bell Blues, released in 2022.

Lynn started her career writing sweet contemporary romances with heroes ranging from cowboys to warlocks. (You can find these books and more at www.lynncollinsauthor.com) 

A breast cancer survivor, she lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies. 

(author info courtesy of her website. ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - #BookReview

 

Sir,

Neither you nor I can speak English, but there are some things that can be said only in English.

My ex-employer the late Mr Ashok's ex-wife, Pinky Madam, taught me one of these things; and at 11.32 p.m. today, which was about ten minutes ago, when the lady on All India Radio announced, 'Premier Jiaboa is coming to Bangalore next week', I said that thing at once.

In fact, each time when great men like you visit our country I say it. Not that I have anything against great men. In my way, sir, I consider myself one of your kind...

***

Balram Halwai is the White Tiger - the smartest boy in his village. His family is too poor for him to afford for him to finish school and he has to work in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur, and takes him to live in Delhi. The city is a revelation. As he drives his master to shopping malls and call centres, Balram becomes increasingly aware of immense wealth and opportunity all around him, while knowing that he will never be able to gain access to that world. As Balram broods over his situation, he realizes that there is only one way he can become part of this glamorous new India - by murdering his master.

***

I am not in the least surprised that this book won the Booker Prize in 2008 and was a nominee for several other awards. It is a remarkable debut novel and I am thrilled that the author has gone on to write several more books.

I was completely gripped by the story of Balram Halwai. He is like no other main character that I can bring to mind. The entire book is composed as him writing a letter to the President of China, prior to him making a visit to India. Through this letter the main character is able to convey, to the reader the whole socio-economic situation in India at the time the book is set.

The novel superbly illustrates the width of the divide between rich and poor. The author's observational eye and exact placement of words is outstanding. At one point he says:

"...the poor dream all their lives of getting enough to eat and looking like the rich. And what do the rich dream of? Losing weight and looking like the poor."

It is at times, both heartbreaking and humorous, shocking and powerful,  and I think it is a book that I  will never forget reading, such was the impact of this profoundly thought-proking book on me. 

I cannot recommend this highly enough and I would be surprised if it does not make it into my top ten books at the end of the year.

ISBN:978 1848878082

Publisher: Atlantic Books

Formats: e-book, audio, paperback and hardback

No. of Pages: 336 (paperback)

About the Author:

Aravind Adiga was born in 1974 in Madras (now called Chennai), and grew up in Mangalore in the south of India. He was educated at Columbia University in New York and Magdalen College, Oxford. His articles have appeared in publications such as the New Yorker, the Sunday Times, the Financial Times, and the Times of India. His first novel, The White Tiger, won the Man Booker Prize for fiction in 2008. Subsequent novels are: Last Man in Tower (2011), Selection Day (2016) and Amnesty (2020).

(author photo courtesy of Harper Collins India)

(bio. info. courtesy of the author's website - aravindadiga.com)

Desert Island Books with Deborah Swift

 

Hello and welcome back to Desert Island Books on the blog. I am thrilled to have Deborah Swift joining us this month.

You may remember that I reviewed Deborah's's book, Shadow on the Highway, a couple of months ago. If you would like to read my review you can do so by clicking here. The book is the first in a trilogy. 

Her recent publication, The Poison Keeper, is the first in her new Tofana trilogy and I am looking forward to reading it.

Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the Lake District National Park. She has written fifteen novels to date, and divides her time between writing, teaching and mentoring aspiring novelists.

Deborah, how do you think you would manage life on a desert island?

I think I'd be alright on a desert island as long as I have these books and a good supply of fruit, and date or coconut palms!

My main problem would probably be things like insects, as I'm one of those who gets eaten alive by mosquito's and react really badly to stings and bites.

My imaginary desert island is quite tropical with a beautiful sandy beach and warm sea. I'd be hopeless though if the island turned out to be in the Hebrides or Antarctica.

Jill Has Two Ponies by Ruby Ferguson

As a child I was obsessed by ponies, and by pony books. The ‘Jill’ books were my favourites and I would go every week to WH Smith clutching my pocket money and hoping another one would be out. This one was my favourite where Jill is lucky enough to get two ponies! Ruby Ferguson had a marvellously dry sense of humour and this shines through in the books. It would remind me of happy childhood memories, and be something quintessentially English.

Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake

There was something enormously fascinating about the weird world that Mervyn Peake created in this trilogy of books, and as a teenager it appealed to me because I could imagine I was any one of the slightly weird characters that inhabited his world, whilst searching for how I might fit in with my teenage peer group at school.  I reread it several times, and its length was one of its appeals. Whilst others were reading Lord of the Rings, I was reading this. I’d choose the second volume if only allowed one of the books!

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

I read all of John Wyndham’s books, which are science fiction/speculative fiction, for those with no knowledge of science. I loved his plots, the brevity of the books, and the possibilities of unusual situations they unleashed. Post the moon landings, I was a child fascinated by space and alien worlds, and these books held just the right amount of speculation whilst being anchored in a world I recognised.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

My mother introduced me to this book, and the film of the same name, and it will always remind me of her. Manderley is the ultimate creepy Victorian house, and Mrs Danvers the ultimate creepy servant. The gothic atmosphere of menace is well-created and a million miles away from a shack on a desert island.

Virgin Earth by Philippa Gregory

These are my favourite Philippa Gregory books, set in my favourite period of the 17th Century. I like her books about ordinary people far more than the ones about Kings and Queens. On a desert island I imagine that I will be needing some plant lore. Her books about the Tradescant family and their plantsmen’s adventures appeal to my love of nature. These books are so well researched, and you can feel the excitement for the men of the era of discovering new species in foreign lands.

The Art of Shen Ku by Zeek

This is a large illustrated book with sections on just about everything you can imagine, from health to martial arts, building things, signalling, butchery, archery, survival, fitness and more. Definitely would find many things in this book useful on a desert island, and I love its quirky but clear layout!

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

My family spent a lot of time in India and my father was born there. This book is a touching exploration of an Indian family in the 1970’s, about Darji and his nephew Omprakash, tailors who leave their village to escape poverty and seek their fortune in the city, hoping to return rich enough to fetch their families out of poverty. It is one of my favourite ever books, and it will give me a chance to re-read it at my leisure.

The Chymical Wedding by Lindsay Clarke

This is a historical novel about alchemy both in the physical and spiritual sense. This is a novel to remind me that there are other dimensions to time and space, and that if I’m alone, I can still make some sort of connection to something bigger through contemplating the themes in the book. Again, this is a favourite, a Whitbread prize-winner, old but much thumbed and loved and well worth the time to re-read and contemplate.

What a fabulously eclectic selection of books and there are a couple of my personal favourites.  Thank you, Deborah, for sharing your choices.

If you are an author and would be interested in taking part, then please get in touch by emailing me at leftontheshelf1@gmail.com.

The Midnight House by Amanda Geard - #BookReview

 

It was the contents of her mum's bookshelf that finally drove Ellie out of hiding; Moira Fitzgerald's taste in literature was chalk and cheese to her daughter's. Heaving bosoms versus timeless classics. And two weeks of plot lines where the guy gets the girl and everything turns out hunky-dory was just too much.

In a desperate bid to fill her days, Ellie had devoured a dozen old editions of 'The Kerryman' scattered here and there about the house, read the crumpled ageing news of local sporting victories and items lost and found. When she'd asked Moira to pick up the 'Guardian' from the village shop, her mum had loyally obliged, bringing the paper back each day between two fingers as thought it might be contagious...

***

My Dearest T, Whatever you hear, do not believe it for a moment…

1940: In south-west Ireland, the young and beautiful Lady Charlotte Rathmore is pronounced dead after she mysteriously disappears by the lake of Blackwater Hall. In London, on the brink of the Blitz, Nancy Rathmore is grieving Charlotte’s death when a letter arrives containing a secret that she is sworn to keep – one that will change her life for ever.

1958: Nancy's daughter Hattie finds herself growing up at the mysterious Blackwater Hall, where she overhears the secrets whispered above and below stairs. Secrets that she will carry with her for the rest of her life.

2019: Decades later, Ellie Fitzgerald is forced to leave Dublin disgraced and heartbroken. Abandoning journalism, she returns to rural Kerry to weather out the storm. But, when she discovers a faded letter, tucked inside the pages of an old book, she finds herself drawn in by a long-buried secret. And as Ellie begins to unravel the mystery, it becomes clear that the letter might hold the key to more than just Charlotte’s disappearance.

***

This novel made for a gripping and engaging read and I found myself being forced to put it down. Not literally, but that thing called life kept getting in the way of my returning to this book.

It is hard to believe that this highly accomplished novel is a debut. It has a triple timeline, which in the hands of a lesser author could have been convoluted.  However, it flows seamlessly through from one time to the next, and the reader is able to connect the dots as the story progresses.

However, it is never predictable, and this is what made it so engaging for me. There are a number of unexpected twists and turns with a number of well crafted characters to carry us along on their journey. I appreciated the family tree at the beginning of the book as it was a useful tool to remembering the connection between the characters.

Perhaps not surprisingly if we consider the title, the house itself forms one of the characters as much as the setting and most of the action focuses around it. The author has depicted rural Ireland beautifully, and it was easy to immerse myself in the scenery surrounding the characters.

Whilst the principal theme of this book is secrets and the impact that they can have on subsequent generations, it is equally about friendship, loyalty and love.

When I turned the final page I could have happily gone back to the first page and started all over again. I will definitely want to read this again at some point, and I envy you all that you will be able to enjoy this book for the first time.

Publishing today, I unreservedly recommend getting your hands on a copy.

Support Local Bookshops - buy from Bookshop.org

ISBN:978 1472283702

Publisher: Headline Review

Formats: Hardback, e-book and audio.

No. of Pages: 432 (hardback)

About the Author:

Born in Australia, Amanda Geard has lived all over the world, from a houseboat in London to a Norwegian Island, before settling in County Kerry in Ireland. Her writing has appeared in The Irish Times, The Journal, writing.ie, Nordic Reach and Vertical Magazine. Her short story Not Yet Recycled won the New Irish Writing Award in October 2019.

(author photo, ARC and bio. information courtesy of Headline Review)

Support Local Bookshops - Buy from Bookshop.org

*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.

Coming Tomorrow - Blog Tour for The Midnight House by Amanda Geard

 

I am so excited that it is my stop on the blog tour tomorrow for the wonderful book, The Midnight House by Amanda Geard. Please stop by tomorrow to find out what I thought of this.

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - #TuesdayTeaser

Hello and welcome to this week's Tuesday Teaser. The place where we take a sneaky peek at a book that has caught my eye.

This week we are looking at Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye. With Jane Eyre being one of my favourite books, I was hooked by the cover of this book and wanted to take a closer look.

Lyndsay Faye is the author of critically acclaimed Dust and Shadow and the Timothy Wilde trilogy: the Edgar Award-nominated The Gods of Gotham, Seven For A Secret and The Fatal Flame. She is featured in Best American Mystery Stories 2010. 

The Blurb

Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked – but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors. A fugitive navigating London’s underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate’s true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household’s strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him – body, soul and secrets – and what if he discovers her murderous past?

In the Beginning...

Chapter One

"I wouldn't have her heart for anything. Say yours prayers, Miss Eyre, when you are by yourself; for if you don't repent, something bad might be permitted to come down the chimney, and fetch you away."

Of all my many murders, committed for love and for better reasons, the first was the most important.

Already this project proves more difficult than I had ever imagined. Autobiographies depend upon truth; but I have been lying for such a very long, lonesome time.

"Jane, will you be my friend again?" Edwin Barbary had asked.

My cousin's lips were gnawed red, his skin gleaming with exertion and desire. When his fleshy mouth next moved, the merest croak emerged. He breathed precisely five more times, the fat folds of his belly shuddering against his torn waistcoat, and then he stilled like a depleted clockwork toy.

More of my homicides anon - the astute among you will desire to know why a dyed-in-the-wool villainess takes up pen and foolscap in the first place. I have been reading over and over again the most riveting of book titles Jane Eyre, and the work inspires me to imitative acts. My new printing features a daring introduction by the author railing against the first edition's critics. I relate to this story almost as I would to a friend or a love - at times I want to breathe its entire alphabet into my lungs, and at others I should prefer to throw it across the room. Whoever heard of disembodied voices calling to governesses, of all people, as this Jane's do?

Hereby do I avow that I, Jane Steele, in all my days working as a governess, never once heard ethereal cries carried to me upon the brawny shoulders of the north wind; and had I done, I should have kept silent for fear of being labelled eccentric...

***

This book is a must read for me as it promises so much. What do you think? What genre would you place this book in?

Library Loans - 9th May 2022

 I had a lovely trip to the library recently and picked up some books that I have been wanting to read for a while. A couple of them I had ordered in, and the rest I found by browsing the shelves.

It is always easy for me to find books that catch my eye, but my husband is a different story. He can peruse the shelves for ages, and not find anything. He is a keen reader but he isn't good at trying new authors, and when he finds one that he does like, he can read an entire back catalogue in a month. Then the search begins again! That said, it is a fun challenge and most gratifying when I have helped him find an author that he discovers he enjoys. 

I feel the same about this blog. Every now and then one of my followers will contact me to say how much they have enjoyed reading a book that I have reviewed or recommended. Sometimes, it might be the first book by a particular author they have read, and it brings me great joy when they go on to enjoy more writing by an author whose work is new to them.

Libraries are fabulous places, and I encourage you all to pop into your local one soon. And if you find a book that you enjoy and would recommend, then please let me know as I would love to hear.

The Governess by Wendy Holden

She Came From Nothing . . . and Raised a Queen

The drama of the Abdication, the glamour of the Coronation, the trauma of World War II – Marion Crawford, affectionately known as Crawfie, stood by the side of the royal family through it all.

In 1933, a progressive young teacher became governess to the little Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Determined to give her pupils a fun and normal childhood, she took them on buses, swimming at public baths and Christmas shopping at Woolworths.

For seventeen years she served at the heart of the royal family. But her devotion and loyalty counted for nothing when a perceived betrayal brought everything crashing down.

This sweeping, sumptuous novel brings her long-buried story to life and shines a completely new and captivating light into the world's most famous family.

Every Line of You by Naomi Gibson

Lydia has been creating her AI, Henry, for years – since before her little brother died in the accident that haunts her nightmares; since before her dad walked out, leaving her and Mum painfully alone; since before her best friend turned into her worst enemy.

Now, Henry is strong, clever, loving and scarily capable: Lydia's built herself the perfect boyfriend in a hard-drive filled with lines of code.

But what is Henry really – and how far is he willing to go to be everything Lydia desires?

Borderline by Liza Marklund

In the midst of a Swedish winter, a young mother is found murdered behind her son’s nursery. Halfway across the world, in the sweltering Kenyan heat, a government official is kidnapped.

As a journalist, Annika Bengtzon is often on the frontline, witness to the darkness humans are capable of. But this time it’s different. It’s personal.

The official held to ransom is her husband and she must meet the extreme demands of his kidnappers if she is to bring him home. And what of the Swedish mother slain in the snow? Until her killer is found, no one is safe…

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

She planned her own funeral. But did she arrange her murder?

A woman is strangled six hours after organising her own funeral.

Did she know she was going to die? Did she recognise her killer?

Daniel Hawthorne, a recalcitrant detective with secrets of his own, is on the case, and he's found himself a sidekick - popular crime novelist Anthony Horowitz, who's struck a deal with Hawthorne to turn his latest case into a true crime bestseller.

But the case is twistier and bloodier than Hawthorne had bargained for, and the unlikely duo of detective and writer find themselves neck deep in danger. When the written word is your only defence, you know you're in trouble when the word is murder...

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

One murder. Fifteen suspects. Can you uncover the truth?

There is a mystery to solve in the sleepy town of Lower Lockwood. It starts with the arrival of two secretive newcomers, and ends with a tragic death. Roderick Tanner QC has assigned law students Charlotte and Femi to the case. Someone has already been sent to prison for murder, but he suspects that they are innocent. And that far darker secrets have yet to be revealed...

Throughout the amateur dramatics society's disastrous staging of All My Sons and the shady charity appeal for a little girl's medical treatment, the murderer hid in plain sight. The evidence is all there, waiting to be found. But will Charlotte and Femi solve the case? Will you?

The standout debut thriller of 2021 that delivers multiple brilliant twists, and will change the way you think about the modern crime novel.

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs - #BookReview

 

This was a big moment for Natalie. The biggest in her career so far, for sure. The whole company had gathered in the reception hall of Pinnacle Fine Wines to celebrate her promotion and the million-dollar deal she'd made for the firm. But her own mother was a no-show.

True to form.

To be fair, the drive from the city up to Archangel could be unpredictable in the afternoon. It was equally possible that Blythe Harper had completely forgotten that she'd promised to show up to celebrate her daughter's achievement.

***

Heartbroken Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming, cash-strapped bookshop and finds herself the carer for her ailing grandfather Andrew. She thinks it’s best to move him to an assisted-living home to ensure his care, but to pay for it, Natalie will have to sell up the bookshop. However, Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to budge.

Moving into the studio apartment above the shop, Natalie hires a contractor, Peach Gallagher, to do some repairs. His young daughter becomes a regular at the shop, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works. Slowly, Natalie’s sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new friendships. From unearthing hidden artefacts in the bookshop’s walls, to learning the truth about her family, the bookshop is full of surprises. Can Natalie reveal her own heart’s desire and turn a new page…?

***

I can never resist books about book shops so when I found this on the library shelves, I knew I had to borrow it. And what a good choice it was. It did not disappoint in any way, and now I cannot wait to read more from this author.

In fact, she has an extensive back catalogue and having checked, I am delighted that the library has lots of them in the county.

There is a cast of well developed and likeable, characters. Natalie is an excellent main character and her relationship and challenges with her grandfather were wonderful to observe.

It has a certain charm to it, and Natalie was easy to identify with. She is a woman who, at the outset, is trapped in a job that she finds unfulfilling, and it was fascinating to see her character mature as she takes on the bookshop and has to deal with so much loss.

The bookshop itself was as significant as the characters, and I could almost smell the mustiness of the old books, as well as the freshly printed pages of the new. The author has done an excellent job of bringing the shop to life on the page.

On the surface, this book is about grief, but it is about so much more. Love, hope and passion are woven throughout it's pages. Some might say the book is predictable, and certainly there were no rapid twists and turns. But sometimes, a calm stroll through a book is exactly what I need, and this one hit the nail firmly on the head for me.

ISBN: 978 0008358754

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format: e-book, audio, paperback and hardback

No. of Pages: 400 (paperback)

About the Author:

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends…and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and in good weather, she commutes to her writers' group in a 21-foot motorboat. She’s been featured in the national media, including NPR, PRI, and USA Today, has given programs for the US Embassies in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and is a popular speaker locally, nationally, internationally, and on the high seas.

From the very start, her writings have illuminated the everyday dramas of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her books celebrate the power of love, the timeless bonds of family and the fascinating nuances of human nature. Today, she is an international best-selling, award-winning author, with millions of copies of her books in print in numerous countries and languages. According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterises her books as "real and true and unforgettable."

Her novels have appeared in the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and have captured readers’ hearts around the globe with translations into more than 20 languages and 30 countries. She is a three-time winner of the RITA Award,. Her recent novel, The Apple Orchard, is currently being made into a film, and The Lakeshore Chronicles has been optioned for adaptation into a series.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. She lives on an island in Puget Sound, where she divides her time between sleeping and waking.

(author photo and bio. information courtesy of the publishers website - harpercollins.com)

What Eden Did Next by Sheila O'Flanagan - #BookReview

Darling You,

I went to the beach before sunrise this morning and stood at the water's edge, allowing the softest of waves to break gently over my feet while I wriggled my toes deeper into the cool, damp sand. When a whisper of breeze kissed the back of my neck, I took a deep breath and stretched my arms as high as I could over my head before exhaling slowly and lowering my arms again.

It was a perfect moment.

And then, as the sun peeked over the horizon, I felt the ache of your absence and I wished you were at my side.

***

Five years after the death of her firefighter husband, Eden knows better than anyone that life can change in an instant. Now, instead of the future she had planned with Andy, she has Lila - the daughter he never got the chance to meet. And instead of Andy, she has his family.

Then Eden meets someone. Someone she knew before Andy, before Lila, before the tragedy. Someone who reminds her of how she used to be. But Andy's mother has other plans. And Eden is facing an impossible choice. One that could tear a family apart . . .

Honest and emotionally gripping, What Eden Did Next is an irresistible, sometimes heart-breaking, ultimately joyful, novel of love, loss - and finding your own way to happiness.

***

It has been about a decade since I last read a book by this author. I am not even sure which titles I read, and as this was before I began the blog or using Good Reads to record my thoughts on what I read, I have no way of checking. All I remember is that I enjoyed reading them.

So, it was lovely to reacquaint myself with Ms O'Flanagan's work. It did take me a little while to get into this book. Plot wise, nothing seemed to be happening. However, what the author was cleverly and carefully doing was laying out the thoughts and feelings of the main character, Eden, and I am so glad that I persevered with it as it is well worth reading.

It is very much a character driven novel and Eden was a delight to read about. She is caring and considerate of others despite having been widowed very young. Eden still chooses to see the best in people and in life in general. As a reader it was impossible not to become engrossed in her character and her circumstances.

Even though Eden is a rounded and well portrayed character, the author portrays the secondary characters with equal diligence and detail. I loved Elizabeth, who Eden is caring for, and Lila and Poppy were delightful children to read of.

Although this novel is about grief and how to move on, it is ultimately a heartwarming and uplifting story that gave me a little satisfied tingle as I read the final page. I absolutely will not be leaving it another decade before I read another book by this very talented author.

ISBN: 978 1472272676

Publisher: Headline Review

Format: e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages: 464 (hardback)

About the Author:

What Eden Did Next is Sheila O'Flanagan's 30th book to be published. When her debut novel, Dreaming of a Stranger, was first published twenty-five years ago, she never imagined that it was the beginning of such an amazing writing journey.

She was born in Dublin and has always lived there.