Thursday 21 July 2022

Death on a Monday Night by Jo Allen - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

Becca Reid had slunk out of Wasby Village Hall into the gathering dusk like, she thought, a timid wild animal creeping about in the undergrowth. It was rare that she felt the need to be so furtive. On the contrary, she was in the forefront of every gathering, because there was always something to be done and she was one of those people who always seemed to end up doing it. On this Monday night, her sense of community notwithstanding, she'd been desperately keen to skip the monthly meeting of the Wasby Women's Institute and stay at home with a cup of cocoa watching Arsenal on the telly, but civic duty had won out. It would have been cowardly to stay away, and she was no coward.

***

An ex-convict. A dead body. A Women’s Institute meeting like no other…

It’s an unusually challenging meeting at the Wasby Women’s Institute, with local resident and former drug-dealer Adam Fleetwood talking about his crimes and subsequent rehabilitation…but events take a gruesome turn when prospective member Grace Thoresby is discovered murdered in the kitchen.

The case is particularly unwelcome for investigating officer DCI Jude Satterthwaite. Adam was once his close friend and now holds a bitter grudge, blaming Jude for landing him in jail in the first place. To complicate things further, the only thing keeping Adam from arrest is the testimony of Jude’s former girlfriend, Becca Reid, for whom he still cares deeply.

As Jude and his colleague and current partner, Ashleigh O’Halloran, try to pick apart the complicated tapestry of Grace’s life, they uncover a web of fantasy, bitterness and deceit. Adam is deeply implicated, but is he guilty or is someone determined to frame him for Grace’s murder? And as they close in on the truth, Jude falls foul of Adam’s desire for revenge, with near-fatal consequences…

A traditional detective mystery set in Cumbria. 

***

As a member of the Women's Institute myself I was really looking forward to reading this book. I am extremely glad that I did as I enjoyed it very much indeed. The murder takes place during a meeting of a village WI, and the author did a great job of creating the atmosphere and sometimes confined feeling of a small village.

This is the eighth book in the series featuring DCI Satterthwaite but it worked very effectively as a stand alone novel. It is unusual for me to begin a series so far along but I very much wanted to read this book, and therefore, broke my self-imposed rule of only reading a series in order. Having said that I enjoyed this to the point that I intend going back to the beginning of the series to read Death by Dark Waters.

The descriptions of rural Cumbria were exquisite. I was not at all surprised to find that the author lives in the Lake District. I went to the Lakes on a school trip in my teens (ahem, that was some time ago) and I have longed to go back ever since. Reading this book has reignited my desire.

The characters were very well portrayed and believable. Jude is a great main character and his relationship with those around him well depicted.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.


SBN: 979 8440889293

Publisher: Independently Published

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 296 (paperback)

About the Author:

Jo Allen was born in Wolverhampton and is a graduate of Edinburgh, Strathclyde and the Open University, with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in geography and Earth science. She's been writing for pleasure and publication for as long as she can remember. After a career in economic consultancy she took up writing and was first published under the name Jennifer Young, in genres of short stories, romance and romantic suspense. She wrote online articles on travel and on her favourite academic subject, Earth science. In 2017 she took the plunge and began writing the genre she most likes to read -- crime. Jo lives in the English Lakes, where the DCI Satterthwaite series is set. In common with all her favourite characters, she loves football (she's a season ticket holder with her beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers) and cats.

Wednesday 20 July 2022

And Then There's Margaret by Carolyn Clarke - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

It takes effort to hate the things that make you unhappy. Like cold winters, rude people and when it comes to world problems that'll never end, government corruption. I spend more time hating and being angry than I do smiling. I could go on, but what I really mean is, I strongly dislike these things just as much as being called the M-work by some young, toned, Gwyneth Paltrow look-alike with perfect breasts and a soft voice that adds a touch of sweetness to obvious condescension. Now there are those who might see this word as a courtesy, a sign of deference or respect, but in my world, ma'am is what you call someone you think is simple and safe. Old and inconsequential. Unless I become the Queen of England, don't ever call me ma'm. It's dismissive and ego bruising.

***

Marriage and midlife can be difficult. But when you add a controlling, manipulative, and self-absorbed mother-in-law into the mix, things can get worse—much worse. Toxic even. Especially when Allison Montgomery’s beloved father-in-law, and long-time confidant, George, passes away and her mother-in-law, Margaret, ‘temporarily’ moves in.

From rearranging the furniture and taking over the kitchen to embarrassing and undermining Allie at every turn, including funding her daughter’s escape and throwing hissy fits in public, Margaret turns Allie’s life upside down.

Allie bounces between a sincere desire to be supportive of her grieving mother-in-law and the occasional, intense urge to push her out the nearest window. Feeling annoyed, trapped and even a little childish, Allie struggles to avoid a complete meltdown with help from her fearless and audacious best friend, a plan for reinventing herself and, yes, a few glasses of Chardonnay. Can Allie survive her mother-in-law, all while navigating through the trials and tribulations of midlife, the anxieties of parenting adult children, and a twenty-two year-old marriage? Maybe…

***

From the very first page of this delightful book we get a glimpse into the life of the main character. Allie is a peri-menopausal woman who is juggling her job as a primary school teacher, family who rely on her and the effects of her beloved father-in-law passing away. Throw into that mix a cantankerous mother-in-law, and it is easy to engage with Allie's character.

The majority of this story focuses on the relationship she has with Margaret. It has clearly been difficult prior to the death of Margaret's husband but when she comes to stay the problems between them surge. Margaret is rude, antagonistic and quarrelsome with Allie, and I admired her ability not to retaliate but attempted to be understanding of Margaret's grief. 

Although Margaret is portrayed as a harridan and, as a reader my sympathies lay very much with Allie, it was also easy to assume that there was more to Margaret's character than was at first obvious. I think that Margaret was such a successful character because many of us have known a version of her.

There were several very funny elements in this book. In particular, I laughed when I read the following passage. For context, Allie has decided to become a children's author, and having written her story very quickly and emailed it to several agents she immediately says:

I anxiously checked my inbox for replies. Nothing. Oh, the pressure. The pressure of waiting to hear from an excited agent wanting to represent me was unbearable. Seconds later, I hit the refresh button. Still nothing. They must all be on lunch, I reassured myself."

This is a heart-felt novel, written with humour and sincerity, and I enjoyed reading it very much.

Carolyn will be back next month with her top books to take to a desert island. Watch this space!

ISBN: 978 1684339938

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 258 (paperback)


About the Author:

Carolyn Clarke is the founder and curator of https://henlitcentral.com/, a blog focused on ‘life and lit’ for women over 40. And Then There’s Margaret is her first novel. She has been an ESL teacher for over sixteen years and has co-authored several articles and resources with Cambridge University Press, MacMillan Education and her award-winning blog ESL Made Easy. 





(ARC and all author info courtesy of the publisher)

Tuesday 19 July 2022

The Wilderness by Sarah Duguid - #BookReview

 

Isabella, the elder of the two girls, rows the boat. At her feet slumps a brown canvas rucksack containing several half-litre bottles of water, four chocolate bars, two homemade cheese sandwiches wrapped in foil and a Thermos flask filled with instant soup: they needed at least one thing that was hot. The rowing is hard work. Noticing her sister is losing strength, Sasha opens a chocolate bar, breaks it for them to share, but Isabella can't let go of the oars, so instead Sasha feeds it to her in little chunks.

"Is that better?" she asks when the chocolate is finished.

"A little," replies Isabella.


***

When Anna and David receive a phone call late one evening, their lives are upturned. Within minutes, they are travelling to the west coast of Scotland, preparing to care for two young sisters, tragically and suddenly orphaned.

It's a beautiful place, the heather is in bloom, the birds wheel above the waves, the deer graze peacefully in the distance. But the large granite house is no longer a home for the girls, and Anna knows she can never take the place of their mother. Then David invites his friend to stay, to 'ease them through' and Anna finds herself increasingly isolated, with everything she - and the girls - once knew of life discarded and overruled by a man of whom she is deeply suspicious.

***

This highly evocative novel is narrated from the perspective of the main character, Anna. She is an interesting character, a childless woman used to living in the city and suddenly finds herself living in the middle of nowhere, trying to raise two bereaved teenage girls following the death of their parents.

Her descriptions of her situation, her emotions and her environment are tangible, and I could feel her sense of isolation. Not only is she miles away from her own family and friends but her husband also withdraws as Anna observes him come increasingly under the influence of Brendan, an old friend who has imposed himself upon them.

This is a book that sucks the reader into its splendid prose. It is elegantly written in a tight and lyrical manner, and the author has used her words carefully in creating a scenario which, to Anna, feels claustrophobic and intense. For her charges, Sasha and Isabella, the rugged landscape is the norm but in Brendan's presence it becomes feral and dangerous.

This is a remarkably accomplished novel which I found to be thought provoking. It is a powerful, slim volume which has much to say about grief, love and how we might react when the life we know is completely upended. I highly recommend it.

ISBN: 978 1472229885

Publisher: Tinder Press

Formats: e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages: 256 (hardback)


About the Author:

Sarah Duguid grew up on a farm in North Lincolnshire and now lives in London. The Wilderness is her second novel.








(Thank you to Tinder Press for gifting me with this book.)

Monday 18 July 2022

Desert Island Books with Victoria Goldman


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

Victoria's recently released debut novel, The Redeemer, has received rave reviews. You can read my review of this fabulous book by clicking here. 

Victoria is a freelance journalist, editor and proofreader. She was given an honourable mention for The Redeemer in the Capital Crime/DHH Literary Agency New Voices Award 2019.


So, Victoria, how do you think you would get on if you were stranded on a desert island?

I think I’d be OK initially, as I’m used to working on my own from home – and I’d love to live by the sea or ocean (as long as it’s not too stormy). I’m fairly practical so I reckon I’d work out how to build a shelter and whatever else needs to be done. But … I’m not sure I’d survive without internet access for very long, and I would miss interactions with other people (especially my friends and family) after a while too!


Destinations of a Lifetime by National Geographic

If I’m stuck on a desert island with nowhere to go, this doesn’t mean I still can’t travel in my head. And it sounds like this book would do the job. A different destination each night and then I can start again. I love the natural world and enjoy looking at photos of different places. During the first lockdown in 2020, I watched several online webcams around the world, especially those in zoos, as a way of escaping the house (virtually).



Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

I’d like to say this is a book that I’ve read hundreds of times, but it’s been sitting on my Kindle for years and I’ve never read it, despite really wanting to. It’s 944 pages so would certainly keep me occupied. I’d need the paper version though. (And now I need to find it on my Kindle and start reading it!)




Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

This is a book that makes me smile and makes me think. It’s a book about love and loss, and about the passing of time. One of my favourites that I could read again and again.







Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

This psychological thriller is a masterclass in plotting, characterisation, setting and suspense. Though it may be a little disturbing to read if I’m alone on this desert island!







How To Be Brave by Louise Beech

This is one of the books I recommend the most. It’s about courage, hope and survival – and I’d need plenty of that if I’m stranded on a desert island. One reason this book is special to me is that it reminds me of a book I started writing around 10 years ago but never finished, loosely based on the story of my great uncle who died in a submarine attack at Salerno in Italy in 1943. Louise’s book is beautifully written and tugs at the heartstrings.




Billy Summers by Stephen King

A few years ago, I decided I would re-read all of the Stephen King books, as these were my favourite books in my teenage years, but I didn’t find the time. I now think I’d like to read something I’ve not read before, and, if I’m stuck on my own, also something that isn’t too creepy. Billy Summers is 400+ pages, so meaty enough to last a while. 





Papillon by Henri Charriere

Here’s another book I read as a teenager. This would be a reminder that life could be worse, as Henri Charrière was locked away in a brutal penal colony for 13 years. It should hopefully make me feel better if I’m stranded on a desert island (as long as it’s a safe one).






The Dandelion Years by Erica James

I tend to read dark fiction – horror, crime fiction and thrillers. But I suspect that I’ll appreciate a feel-good read. When I read and reviewed The Dandelion Years in 2015, I wrote: ‘What an amazing heart-wrenching story and beautifully written book. Over the last few days, I have cried at, laughed through and shared the memories of Saskia and her family.’ After reading this book, I visited Bletchley Park, where one thread is set. So this book carries memories of family outings too.



Thank you, Victoria, for sharing your choices. You have chosen a good range of books - something for every mood.

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

Friday 15 July 2022

New Releases for August 2022

 


Summer is the perfect time to grab something refreshing to drink, a book to read and a chair to sit in the sunshine.

Here are ten great new releases for August. Enjoy and happy reading.


My Thirty-First Year (And Other Calamities by Emily Wolf

On her 30th birthday, Yale-educated Zoe Greene was supposed to be married to her high-school sweetheart, pregnant with their first baby, and practising law in Chicago. Instead, she's planning an abortion and filing for divorce. Zoe wants to understand why her plans failed--and to move on, have sex, and date while there's still time. As she navigates dysfunctional penises, a paucity of grammatically sound online dating profiles, and her paralysing fear of ageing alone, she also grapples with the pressure women feel to put others first. Ultimately, Zoe's family, friends, incomparable therapist, and diary of never-to-be-sent letters to her first loves, the rock band U2, help her learn to let go--of society's constructs of female happiness, and of her own.


The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. MacLean

A gripping historical thriller set in Inverness in the wake of the 1746 battle of Culloden from twice CWA award-winning author S. G. MacLean. Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Andrew Taylor.

After Culloden, Iain MacGillivray was left for dead on Drumossie Moor. Wounded, his face brutally slashed, he survived only by pretending to be dead as the Redcoats patrolled the corpses of his Jacobite comrades.

Six years later, with the clan chiefs routed and the Highlands subsumed into the British state, Iain lives a quiet life, working as a bookseller in Inverness. One day, after helping several of his regular customers, he notices a stranger lurking in the upper gallery of his shop, poring over his collection. But the man refuses to say what he's searching for and only leaves when Iain closes for the night.

The next morning Iain opens up shop and finds the stranger dead, his throat cut, and the murder weapon laid out in front of him - a sword with a white cockade on its hilt, the emblem of the Jacobites. With no sign of the killer, Iain wonders whether the stranger discovered what he was looking for - and whether he paid for it with his life. He soon finds himself embroiled in a web of deceit and a series of old scores to be settled in the ashes of war.


Hello, Goodbye by Kate Stollenwerck

Fifteen-year-old Hailey Rogers is sure her summer is ruined when her parents tell her she has to spend a few days a week, every week, helping her grandmother, Gigi. Although Gigi only lives across town, Hailey never sees her and knows little about her. But Gigi is full of surprises—and family secrets. Throw in the gorgeous boy down the street, and Hailey’s ruined summer might just be the best of her life.

Then tragedy strikes, lies are uncovered, and Hailey’s life suddenly falls apart. After unearthing clues in an old letter written by her great-grandfather, she takes off on a road trip to solve the family mystery with the only person she can trust. In a forgotten Texas town, the past and the present collide—and Hailey is forced to choose what she truly values in life.


Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer

A young man walks into the woods on the worst morning of his life and finds something there that will change everything.

It's a tale that might seem familiar. But how it speaks to you will depend on how you've lived until now.

Sometimes, to get out of the woods, you have to go into them. Isaac and the Egg is one of the most hopeful, honest and wildly imaginative novels you will ever read.



Is This Love? by C.E. Riley

J's wife has left, and J is trying to understand why. How could someone you loved so much, who claimed to love you once, just walk away? How could they send divorce papers accusing you of terrible things, when all you've ever done is tried to make them happy?

Narrated by J in the days, weeks and months after the marriage collapses, and interspersed with the departed wife's diary entries, Is This Love? is an addictive, deeply unsettling, and provocative novel of deception and betrayal, and passion turned to pain. As the story unfolds, and each character's version of events undermines the other, all our assumptions about victimhood, agency, love and control are challenged - for we never know J's gender. If we did, would it change our minds about who was telling the truth?


The Light Among Us by Jill George and John Dirring

Elizabeth Carne was clearly a remarkable woman whose contribution to Cornish society, geology and the world of banking and commerce has been admirably woven into this well-researched historical novel. It is a story which truly needed to be told and provides an insight to both Elizabeth's life and to those of her contemporaries in Cornwall during the 19th century.





A Child of the East End by Jean Fullerton

Life in Cockney London was tough in the post-war years. The government's broken promises had led to a chronic housing shortage, rampant crime and families living in squalor. But one thing prevailed: the unbeatable spirit of the East End, a tight-knit community who pulled through the dark times with humour and heart.

Drawing on both family history and her own memories of growing up in the 1950s and '60s, as well as her working life as a district nurse and local police officer, Jean Fullerton vividly depicts this fascinating part of London - from tin baths, to jellied eels, to tigers in a Wapping warehouse.


Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen

A woman’s future is determined by fate and choice in a gripping WWII novel about danger, triumph, and second chances by the New York Times bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Tuscan Child.

London, 1940. Bombs fall and Josie Banks’s world crumbles around her. Her overbearing husband, Stan, is unreachable, called to service. Her home, a ruin of rubble and ash. Josie’s beloved tearoom boss has been killed, and Josie herself is injured, with nothing left and nowhere to go.

Evacuated to the English countryside, Josie ends up at the estate of the aristocratic Miss Harcourt, a reluctant host to the survivors of the Blitz. Awed as she is by the magnificent landscape, Josie sees opportunity. Josie convinces Miss Harcourt to let her open a humble tea shop, seeing it as a chance for everyone to begin again. When Josie meets Mike Johnson, a handsome Canadian pilot stationed at a neighbouring bomber base, a growing intimacy brings her an inner peace she’s never felt before. Then Stan returns from the war.

Now a threat looms larger than anyone imagined. And a dangerous secret is about to upend Josie’s life again. Her newfound courage will be put to the test if she is to emerge, like a survivor, triumphant.


The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Releasing in paperback this month.

The Oppenheimer triplets have been reared with every advantage: wealth, education, and the determined attention of at least one of their parents. But they have been desperate to escape each other ever since they were born.

Now, on the verge of their departure for college and so close to their long-coveted freedom, the triplets are forced to contend with an unexpected complication: a fourth Oppenheimer sibling has just been born. What has possessed their parents to make such an unfathomable decision? The triplets can't begin to imagine the the power this little latecomer is about to exert - nor just how destructive she'll be to their plans . . .


The Potteries Girls on the Home Front by Lynn Johnson

March 1911: Betty Dean needs a job and somewhere to live, and eventually, a husband - according to her mother. Sent into service at Stowford House in Cheshire, where the days are long and the work is gruelling, Betty's dreams of making something of herself seem even further away.

But soon she is forced to return to The Potteries, carrying with her a dreadful secret which could leave her reputation in tatters.

Could WW1 bring new opportunities or will Betty run out of options?

A new job on the trams throws her a lifeline. Meeting fellow tram girls Connie and Jean brings the joy of friendship, even if Betty struggles with having to keep secrets from her new pals.

When Duncan Kennedy, a shy but charming soldier, enters Betty's life, it seems that she may finally find love. But opening herself up isn't easy, and when he leaves for the front, she finds herself alone once again.

As the Great War rumbles on, Betty's life in The Potteries is full of its own battles...

A heart-breaking WW1 saga that fans of Pam Howes and Nancy Revell will love.

(header photo courtesy of Thought Catalog/Unsplash)

Thursday 14 July 2022

While You Were Reading by Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus - #BookReview

 

Bea Babbage would have killed to be any of the ladies sitting neatly in a row in front of her. Eliza Doolittle, Elizabeth Bennet, Rachel Chu, Nancy Drew, Aibileen Clark. Each of these women lived boldly between the pages of the books nestled in the towering oak bookshelves she had come to know so well. Bea still remembered the first time she laid eyes on Cassandra's family's library. Her heart had panged with jealousy, then desire. She'd been desperate to explore its grand oak bookshelves, which spread across every wall and reached up to the high ceiling. And after she and Cassandra became best friends, that's exactly what she did most weekends, until they left their hometown of Dunsborough for university in Perth. It was something else being back in this room after all these years, as Cassandra's maid of honour.

***


Words are messy. Love is messier.
 
Meet Beatrix Babbage, a 29-year-old dog-earer of books and accidental destroyer of weddings. After ruining her best friend's big day, Bea relocates to the other side of the country in search of a fresh start. But after a few months, life is more stagnant than ever. Bea’s job is dead-end. Her romantic life is non-existent, and her only friends are in her books.

Then Bea stumbles across a second-hand novel inscribed with notes. Besotted with the poetic inscriptions, Bea is determined to find the author . . . and finds herself entangled in one hell of a love quadrangle.

***

Bea was a delightful character to meet. She is funny, quirky and a little bit obsessive, and this book was good fun to read. I could identify with her determination to identify the author of the notes in her book, and even more so, her love of books. Neither did I work out who the writer of the notes was although I was partly in the right area.

I enjoyed immersing myself in the Australian setting and in meeting the people who were part of Bea's world. I thought the notes which went back and forth between her and her cleaner were delightful.

This light hearted and fun read would make an ideal holiday or weekend read.  I borrowed it from the library, and I am keen to now read their earlier novel, Book Ninja. I feel another trip to the library coming up. 

I adore books which are about books and this one hit the nail very firmly on the head.

It has been co-authored, and I am very curious as to the logistics of how they have accomplished this. Perhaps that is a question for another blog post?


ISBN: 978 1471178009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 384 (paperback)

About the Authors:

Ali and Michelle are Co-authors, founders of Books on the Rail, professional Book Ninjas and best friends since they ditched play time for writing club in primary school. 


Their first two novels, The Book Ninja (2018) and While You Were Reading (2019) have been published and enjoyed around the world, and The Book Ninja has been optioned to be made into a film. Their third novel Fancy Meeting You Here was released in December 2021 and is available as an audio book in the UK.

When they are not writing books, Ali is a copywriter and Michelle is a primary school teacher. They both live in Melbourne with their respective families and colour-coordinated bookshelves.

(author photo and bio. information from the authors websitehttps://aliandmichelle.com/)

Tuesday 12 July 2022

The Redeemer by Victoria Goldman - #BookReveiw

 

She scurries across the rain-drenched grass. Stone missiles bounce off her shiny black boots, spattering mud on her burgundy coat. One hits the side of her head, knocking her grey beret askew.

I shift on the wooden bench under the sycamore trees and lean forwards, Willing someone, anyone, to help her.

Anyone but me.

"Pig. Ham. Bacon butty," yell the two youths behind her. Whipping up the grass with their trainers, they close in on her like two wolves targeting their prey.

***


After witnessing a racist incident in a small Hertfordshire town, journalist Shanna Regan uncovers a series of threatening fake commemorative plaques. Each plaque highlights someone's misdemeanour rather than a good deed.

Delving deeper, Shanna discovers these plaques are linked to vigilante killings spanning several decades, with ties to the local Jewish community.

As her search for the truth becomes personal, Shanna puts her own life in danger. Can she stop the next murder in time?

The Redeemer is a compelling, thought-provoking murder mystery debut, featuring themes of prejudice, identity and heritage, revenge and redemption, and secrets from the past.

***

I enjoyed this very much and was delighted to be introduced to the journalist, Shanna Regan. It is a debut novel which has depth and meaning and I lapped up every word.

At the heart of this fabulous story is a murder mystery which twists and turns throughout the entire novel. It is a 'who done it' in essence and I did not anticipate who the culprit was prior to the exciting reveal.

There are some serious themes threaded throughout the book. It explores the human need for justice, identity and belonging. It does not shy away from the subject of antisemitism and tackles it head on.

It is set in a small town in Hertfordshire amongst a thriving Jewish community. It was the perfect backdrop for the author to explore the culture, traditions and beliefs of the community, and she does so with realism and empathy.

Shanna was an excellent character. She is well portrayed, as are the secondary characters, and everyone was realistic and believable.

It has been well written and appropriately paced. I highly recommend this novel. In Ms. Goldman we have a new voice in crime fiction and I very much hope that it will not be long before we are able to read more of Shanna Regan.

ISBN: 978 1739695415

Publisher: Three Crowns Publishing UK

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 336 (paperback)


About the Author:

VICTORIA GOLDMAN is a freelance journalist, editor and proofreader. She was given an honourable mention for The Redeemer in the Capital Crime/DHH Literary Agency New Voices Award 2019.

Victoria lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two sons. The Redeemer is her first novel.



(Thank you to the author for the advanced PDF of the book)

Monday 11 July 2022

The Appeal by Janice Hallett - #BookReview

 

To Olufemi Hassan and Charlotte Holroyd.

Dear both,

As discussed, it is best you know nothing before you read the enclosed. Please bear in mind:

1. Only a limited number of emails, texts and messages could be recovered, so correspondence is not complete.

2. It is, however, broadly chronological.

3. I've included various extras - i.e. newspaper clippings, social media activity and other sundries - in the pursuit of context.

4. If I come across anything else of interest I will forward it to you.

***

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?

***

This was one of those books which I could hardly tear myself away from. It is an incredibly clever book and written in a unique style as it is written in the form of emails and text messages throughout, with the occasional newspaper clipping thrown in.

Initially, I was daunted by the number of characters, all of whom are suspects of the crimes which are committed. However, there are occasions whereby the two characters who are working their way through the correspondence, Femi and Charlotte, write out a list of who is who and the reader is able to peruse these also and keep track.

Along with Femi and Charlotte, as readers, we are also enlightened little by little of what has gone on here. It is a journey of discovery as opposed to a traditional crime/mystery novel. This made me feel almost as though I was one of the characters involved in the uncovering of the crime. A uniquely intelligent format in which to present the book.

This was a refreshing and thrilling book to read as it is completely different to the usual crime format. There may be other books out there written in a similar style but I unaware of any.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a puzzle, or who enjoys a murder mystery. 


ISBN: 978 1788165303

Publisher: Viper

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 464 (paperback)


About the Author:

Janice Hallett studied English at UCL, and spent several years as a magazine editor, winning two awards for journalism. After gaining an MA in Screenwriting at Royal Holloway, she co-wrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal is inspired by her lifelong interest in amateur dramatics. Her second novel, The Twyford Code, will be published by Viper in 2022. When not indulging her passion for global adventure travel, she is based in West London.



(author photo and bio. info. courtesy of Viper Publishing)

Friday 8 July 2022

The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas - #CoverLove


 Hello and welcome to this week's cover love feature. This gorgeous cover is of The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas.

When I came across this book I fell instantly in love with the cover. I asked myself, who is in the house? Is the girl running to safety of danger? I wonder.

 It was actually a difficult decision this week. I looked at all of covers of Louise's books and they are all gorgeous.

Have you read any of her books? I would love to hear which you have read and whether you would recommend it.



A child who does not know her name…

In 1903 fishermen find a wrecked boat containing a woman, who has been badly beaten, and a young girl. An ambulance is sent for, and the two survivors are taken to All Hallows, the imposing asylum, hidden deep on Dartmoor. The woman remains in a coma, but the little girl, Harriet, awakens and is taken to an attic room, far away from the noise of the asylum, and is put in the care of Nurse Emma Everdeen.

Two motherless boys banished to boarding school…

In 1993, All Hallows is now a boarding school. Following his mother’s death and his father’s hasty remarriage, Lewis Tyler is banished to Dartmoor, stripped of his fashionable clothes, shorn of his long hair, and left feeling more alone than ever. There he meets Isak, another lost soul, and whilst refurbishment of the dormitories is taking place, the boys are marooned up in the attic, in an old wing of the school.

Cries and calls from the past that can no longer be ignored…

All Hallows is a building full of memories, whispers, cries from the past. As Lewis and Isak learn more about the fate of Harriet, and Nurse Emma’s desperate fight to keep the little girl safe, it soon becomes clear there are ghosts who are still restless.

Are they ghosts the boys hear at night in the room above, are they the unquiet souls from the asylum still caught between the walls? And can Lewis and Isak bring peace to All Hallows before the past breaks them first…


Thursday 7 July 2022

The Manningtree Witches by A.K.Blakemore - #BookReview

 

A hill wet with brume of morning, one hawberry bush squalid with browning flowers. I have woken and put on my work dress, which is near enough my only dress, and yet she remains asleep. Jade. Pot-companion. Mother. I stand at the end of the cot and consider her face. A beam of morning sun from the window slices over the left cheek. Dark hair spread about the pillow, matted and greasy and greying in places.

There is a smell to my mother, when she is sleeping. It is a complicated, I think mannish smell. I smelled a like smell when I was sent, as a little girl, to fetch my father away from the Red Lion and to supper. The inn would be clattery with men's voices and small-beer sour, and my father would be very jolly indeed, sweeping me up and kissing me on the forehead, his coat crisp from the rain in the big fields.

***


Fear and destruction take root in a community of women when the Witchfinder General comes to town, in this dark and thrilling debut.

England, 1643. Parliament is battling the King; the war between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers rages. Puritanical fervour has gripped the nation, and the hot terror of damnation burns black in every shadow.

In Manningtree, depleted of men since the wars began, the women are left to their own devices. At the margins of this diminished community are those who are barely tolerated by the affluent villagers – the old, the poor, the unmarried, the sharp-tongued. Rebecca West, daughter of the formidable Beldam West, fatherless and husbandless, chafes against the drudgery of her days, livened only by her infatuation with the clerk John Edes. But then newcomer Matthew Hopkins takes over the Thorn Inn and begins to ask questions about the women of the margins. When a child falls ill with a fever and starts to rave about covens and pacts, the questions take on a bladed edge.

The Manningtree Witches plunges its readers into the fever and menace of the English witch trials, where suspicion, mistrust and betrayal ran amok as the power of men went unchecked and the integrity of women went undefended. It is a visceral, thrilling book that announces a bold new talent.

***

I was given this book by my son as a birthday gift. He said when he saw it in the bookshop he thought, 'this looks like the sort of thing mum would read and enjoy.' He was spot on because I enjoyed reading it very much.

The writing in this book is beautiful. It flows lyrically along and is a joy to read. The language is appropriate for the period in which the book is set and the author has chosen and placed every word with precision.

Whilst it is not an action packed page turner, the writing alone is sufficient to carry the reader along through the steady pace of this story. However, a lot happens in this book and it is a powerful example of the way men abused and exerted their power over women. 

It is no surprise that it won the Desmond Elliott Prize in 2021 as it exudes passion and depth. The author has taken a dark and disturbing period of history and created a novel which portrays a time which is  disturbing and mesmerising in equal measure.

As a debut novel it is an amazing accomplishment and, in my opinion, confirms Ms. Blakemore as  one to watch.

ISBN: 978 1783786442

Publisher: Granta Books

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 304 (paperback)

About the Author:

A. K. Blakemore is the author of two full-length collections of poetry: Humbert Summer (Eyewear, 2015) and Fondue (Offord Road Books, 2018), which was awarded the 2019 Ledbury Forte Prize for Best Second Collection. She has also translated the work of Sichuanese poet Yu Yoyo (My Tenantless Body, Poetry Translation Centre, 2019). Her poetry and prose writing has been widely published and anthologised, appearing in the The London Review of Books, Poetry, Poetry Review and The White Review, among others.


(author photo courtesy of Amazon and bio info courtesy of the publisher)

Wednesday 6 July 2022

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman - #BookReview

 



Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek’s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his ageing father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century’s grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors. Maus studies the bloody paw prints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.

***

This has been on my reading radar for a while but have not found an opportunity to read it. However, when I heard that it had recently been banned from a school curriculum in an American state, claiming that it contained an "unnecessary use of profanity and nudity and it's depiction of violence and suicide," I thought it was time that I got around to reading it.

It is true that the book does contain all of the things quoted above, but I would argue those things deemed unnecessary were highly necessary. Let's not forget that as a graphic book these are drawings that are depicting images of the Holocaust and it is and should always be, impossible to tell of what happened in the death camps without it being disturbing.

I recently read a book which I will not mention by name. It was hugely popular and set in one of the concentration camps. In my opinion, the lighthearted way in which some of the narrative described the experience is far more disturbing than anything to be found within the covers of Maus.

Incidentally, since the American School Board released that statement, sales of Maus have rocketed, and I would strongly encourage you to read this book for yourself. It is actually two separate books but the version here is a complete volume and contains both books. 

This is also the first graphic novel I have read. I was never sure that I would enjoy reading in this format, but I was pleasantly surprised and I may try another at a future date. 

To date, it is the only graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize.
 
ISBN: 978 0141014081

Publisher: Penguin

Formats: Hardback and paperback.

No. of Pages: 296 (paperback)



About the Author:

Born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman on February 15, 1948) is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel Maus. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines Arcade and Raw has been influential, and from 1992 he spent a decade as contributing artist for The New Yorker. He is married to designer and editor Françoise Mouly, and is the father of writer Nadja Spiegelman.




Tuesday 5 July 2022

The Ascension of Mary by William West - #BookReview

 

I know you think I'm an old fool, Esther, but this is important, and I need you to listen to me. I've been sitting on this front porch waiting for two months now. I watched the sky, and I watched the road. I sipped my tea, and I did some more watching, some more waiting. I thought you'd be here by now. Every day has been the same as the one before. I was sure the time to go was getting close. I felt it in these old bones. But then something strange happened. This young girl walked by in front of the house. Oh yes, I know, a lot of young girls live in the neighbourhood and pass through here on their way to the other side of the Eisenhower, but this girl was different. I could tell right away. She had a determined way of walking. Something was special about her, and it wasn't long before my suspicions came true. Things began to happen - things that changed the last fifteen years or at least made me think I needed to stick around and help fix things.


***

The Ascension of Mary tells the story of Mary Hester, a 14-year-old violin prodigy, who moves to a new home near Chicago with her mother and discovers a ghost in her bedroom. Mary believes that the ghost is her father who gives her the power to heal others. When Mary begins to help others with her powers, strangers hoping to be healed show up at their house. Mary’s efforts to help them turn tragic, and Mary must turn to her family and her music to find answers to the losses in her life.

The story is told from alternating perspectives of three main characters. Mary tells her story through her diary as she talks to her imagined father about the changes in her life. Mary’s mother, Rachel, reveals to Mary the secrets of their family, and her history with Mary’s father who was killed in what appeared to be a racially motivated drive-by shooting. Jonah Culpepper, who lives next door, talks to his dead wife, Esther, about Mary, and how she has given him a reason to live.

The Ascension of Mary addresses relationships, diversity, racism, grief, and discovery in today’s society through the eyes of a blended family which finds strength in its broken parts.

***

This novel has a triple narrative which I really enjoyed. The story is told from the perspectives of Mary, her mother Rachel and their neighbour Jonah. It was very interesting to see how these three different voices moved the story along and ultimately come together.

The author is a good storyteller and wove several strands and issues together. He deals with some difficult themes throughout the book; grief, racism, bigotry, and ultimately, love and family and the effect that those three former themes have upon the individual characters.

ISBN:  978 1952816888

Publisher: Touch Point Press

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 219 (paperback)

About the Author: 

I grew up in Texas, went to UT, graduated from University of Houston and started a career in social work before moving to California in search of something different. I ended up in law enforcement and spent most of my time investigating major crimes. That's about it. Basic stuff, huh? Well there was a lot of life mixed in there which I will probably add later, bit by bit. Suffice it say, looking back, I wish I had studied creative writing and literature. That's where my real love was. So I took the long way around, and now I have the time to write. My debut novel, Evolution of a Young Man in Love, was published in 2018 but was not able to reach a wide audience.

I have completed two additional novels, The Ascension of Mary and Kissproof World, which have been accepted for publication by TouchPoint Press, and will be released in 2021 and 2022, the long delay due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All of my novels speak to relationships and how we get through troubling times, on a personal level as well as a collective society.

(author photo and bio. info courtesy of the author's website
ARC courtesy of Netgalley)

Monday 4 July 2022

House Boy by Lorenzo DeStefano - #BookReveiw

 

It is impossible at first to confirm the thing or thing's identity. The Tamil Nadu sun, true to its savage reputation, renders familiar people, even members of one's own family, as unrecognizable as total strangers. The quasi-human shapes move in a kind of undulating fashion along one bank of the sacred Cauvery River, appearing then disappearing in the piercing glare. When the dust parts, softened momentarily by obscuring clouds, it reveals not one being but two.

Modestly dressed and delicately mannered, Sakthi and Amala Pallan crouch by a narrow flow of water, bend their long necks in unison over their work...

***

House Boy is a contemporary thriller set in Southern India and in the polite suburb of Hendon, North London. 

At 321 Finchley Lane, ancient traditions take root and prosper in our so-called civilized society. The lives of a boy from rural India, Vijay Pallan, and an Indo-British woman and her son, Binda and Ravi Tagorstani, collide as if decreed by history. Through Vijay, we experience the shocking realities of modern slavery, the human spirit's boundless capacity for pain, and the ultimate blessing of one young man's redemption and survival.

***

I rarely use terms such as 'unputdownable' in my reviews but on this occasion it is the perfect adjective to describe this book. It is hugely powerful, and I can confidently say that it is the best book that I have read this year.

I devoured it over the course of a weekend and made the big mistake of finishing it in bed one night as I could not get to sleep afterwards. There was so much to process, and aspects of the story were going through my mind for ages.

Through the narrative the author provides a good explanation of the Indian caste system and the main character, Vijay, is a wonderful creation. There were many times that I could have cried at the harsh treatment he is forced to endure.

To the reader it quickly becomes apparent that Vijay is being recruited into human trafficking, and I wanted to shout at the book to warn him. His naivety was understandable, and the author did an excellent job in portraying how easily he was lured into becoming a victim of trafficking and exploitation.

Whilst the book delves into some challenging issues that did not make for comfortable reading, it is ultimately a story of hope and is one that I can envisage reading again as well as purchasing for friends and family.

As a film director, Mr. DeStefano has imbued this novel with a cinematic feel through vivid imagery of Vijay's world. According to IMDB it is in development to be turned into a screen play.

This is his debut novel and I hope he will produce more fiction. He is an excellent storyteller and has written a book which is thought-provoking and powerful and which I think everyone should read.

ISBN:  978 1639882434

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages: 310 (paperback)


About the Author:

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Lorenzo DeStefano is a playwright, screenwriter, producer, director, and photographer. A member of the Directors Guild of America, he has produced and directed network series, documentaries, and narrative films, worked in U.S. and U.K. Theater, and written fiction, non-fiction, original screenplays, and adaptations.

In addition to House Boy, his first published novel, DeStefano is author of the short story collection, “The Shakespearean”, the essay “On Knowing Daniel Aaron” , the fact-based short story “Hitchhike”, the memoir “Visitations – Finding A Secret Relative In Modern-Day Hawaii”, “Diary of a Nobody”, a feature article for The Guardian, the photographic memoir “La Hora Magica/The Magic Hour – Portraits of a Vanishing Cuba”, and the cinema memoir “Callé Cero–An Encounter with Cuban Film Director Tomas Gutierrez Alea”.

(author photo and bio. info. from the author's own website https://houseboynovel.com
ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

Friday 1 July 2022

Books to Read in July 2022

 


July is absolutely 'the' month for heading to the beach with a good book. However, the children will be breaking up from school for the summer holidays so adult reading time may be somewhat diminished.

 We have a family holiday to look forward to this month but with all my grandchildren there I doubt I will get through many books. But time with them is precious and just for that week my books will be taking a back seat. However, I will probably be slipping into my suitcase some books that I can enjoy reading with them, and I can't wait.

Do you have any summer reading plans? I would love to hear about them.

In the meantime, here are some of the books I hope to read this month.


Daughters of Castle Deverill by Santa Montefiore

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Black Dress by Deborah Moggach

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

Brother Jacob by George Eliot

The Commandant's Daughter by Catherine Hokin

Happy Families by Julie Ma

Pamela by Samuel Richardson