The Mother by Valerie Keogh - #bookreview #blogtour

 

It was late Friday afternoon. Sarah was speaking to Nick about their weekend plans, her mobile pressed to her ear as she tapped on the keyboard with the fingers of her other hand. They'd been invited to a housewarming party that night by an old college friend of hers... who had been gregarious, irreverent, and fun in college...

***

A terrible wife...

Sarah Westfield is unhappily married to perfect husband Nick. Handsome, devoted and kind, he should be the ideal man for her, but Sarah knows their marriage is the biggest mistake she’s ever made…and she wants out.

But then Nick offers her one last chance to make their marriage work – a baby.

Sarah is horrified – a baby would tie herself to this man forever…wouldn’t it? Or could it be exactly what she needs?

So Sarah agrees.

A terrible mother?

When the baby arrives, Sarah struggles with motherhood and her resentment towards Nick only grows. Sarah feels more trapped than ever, but she loves her precious daughter...doesn’t she?

And then baby Kaya goes missing...

And everything Sarah has ever believed in comes crashing down around her...

***

If you like the crime mystery genre with a twisty turny plot then you will love this.

This is not the first book that I have read by Valerie Keogh. I have previously read The Mistress, and also The Nurse. If you would like to read my reviews of either of those books, please just click on the title to do so.

Ms. Keogh is so skilled at creating her characters that she seems to inhabit them. The main character in this book, Sarah, is utterly believable and easy to identify with. She is a busy GP with an overbearing husband who she is not in love with. Add a newborn into the mix, and it makes for a complex situation.

Although one of the themes is child abduction, it was not portrayed in a traumatic manner. Rather it was the linch pin which allowed Sarah to consider her feelings towards her husband and child. There were points where I found her a difficult character to like, but she won me round by the end of the book.

It is fast paced and the dialogue and excellent prose keep the plot moving along perfectly. It is suspenseful throughout and every time I thought I had worked out where the plot was going, the next page would turn my theory on it's head. The ending was surprising and I had not worked out that it would end in that way.

The book is publishing today and it is well worth getting your hands on a copy.

ISBN: 978 1805494317

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  296 (paperback)

About the Author:

Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound. She originally comes from Dublin but now livesin Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years. Her first thriller for Boldwood was published in August 2022.

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Back to Her Future by Cary Hansson - #bookreview

Tuesday 14th January 1986

Dear Mery,

I'm writing this letter even though I haven't got your address. Mum says she's sure we'll get one soon. I thought I'd write because otherwise I'm going to forget all the things I need to tell you. It's been twenty-four days already and I miss you.

***

Meryem has learned to look out for number one.

Abducted as a teenager from England to Turkey, where she was forced to marry a man twice her age, thirty years later she is finally free to live life on her own terms.

She is divorced and wealthy, working a lucrative job in Dubai when a whispered confession from her dying father turns her world upside down, and sets her on a path to discover the truth.

The first step is a return to London, and her childhood best friend, Alma.

But the women, once so close, struggle to reconnect as forgotten memories and shocking revelations surrounding Meryem's abduction, tear open unhealed wounds for both of them.

 Beautifully and boldly written, Cary J Hansson merges history, everyday circumstances and aching tragedy into an unforgettable narrative.

Back to Her Future is the compelling first novel in The Gen X Series of women’s contemporary fiction. If you like scarred but resilient heroines, nostalgic interludes, and transformative epiphanies, then you’ll love The Gen X Series.

***

Wow! It is rare that I begin a review with such an expression but on this occasion there is no other word which will do. This is a fantastic novel and was easily a five star read for me.

I have previously read all three books in the author's Midlife series and I am posting links to my review of each of those books below. I really enjoyed all three of them and highly recommend them. 

When I picked this book up, I was expecting it to be as good. However, my expectations were surpassed. In Back to Her Future, the first in a new series, Ms Hansson writes with depth and self assuredness and it is a delight to witness how accomplished her writing has become.

She has delved deeply into the complex lives of the three women in the book, Meryam, Alma and Sammy, who were friends as children. Life has taken them in very different directions and when they come together again as adults, it is not without problems.

The author demonstrates a depth of understanding of her characters. Each of them is complex in her own way, and I enjoyed the way in which the author brings the three of them to a point of understanding of one another, and themselves.

There are some difficult themes running throughout this book but there is nothing gratuitous and they are dealt with sensitively and compassionately. The story also looks at identity and culture and how they make us act.

However, the thing that is common to all these women is the guilt that they carry for one reason or another. Add to that themes of motherhood, friendship and forgiveness along with some excellent writing and you have a superb book.

The narrative is written through prose and a series of letters from the past and this permits the reader to understand the situation from differing perspectives.

All in all, this is an excellent book which I highly recommend. I can hardly wait for the second book in the series.

ISBN: 978 9152786017

Publisher:  Hansson Publishing

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  326 (paperback)

Links to Previous Reviews

A Midlife Holiday

A Midlife Baby

A Midlife Gamble

About the Author:

Cary’s  work has been shortlisted in national and international competitions. She writes for various publications, digital and print. She lives in Stockholm, where she enjoys a glass of wine and a cold water swim daily, but not in that order.

(book and media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2016 - The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer

 

I dream about Carmel often. In my dreams she's always walking backwards.

The day she was born there was snow on the ground. A silvery light arced through the window as I held her in my arms.

As she grew up I nicknamed her 'my little hedge child'. I couldn't imagine her living anywhere but the countryside. Her thick curly hair stood out like a spray of breaking glass, or a dandelion clock...

***

Carmel is missing - but doesn't know she's lost.

When sensitive, distracted eight-year-old Carmel becomes separated from her mother at a local children's festival, a man claiming to be her estranged grandfather finds her - and takes her.

Unable to accept the possibility that her daughter might be gone for good, Beth makes it her mission to find her. But in what she's told is her new family, Carmel has embarked on an extraordinary journey, one that will make her question who she is - and who she might become.

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2016 and was originally posted on 8th January of that year.  I noted the price as costing £5.59 for the paperback that day. Today the same edition would cost £4.99 from the same retailer which is a little cheaper than it was at the time.

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

This is a splendidly well thought out novel and was a fantastic read.

While I was reading this I could not help but be reminded of real life abduction cases i.e. Ben Needham, Madeleine McCan and many other lower profile cases of missing children. I think this made the story all the more real and relevant and, as a mother myself, my heart ached for the desperation felt by Carmel's mother Beth, as she lived through this nightmare.

What I thought was really clever about this book was the way the chapters alternated between Beth and Carmel which gave the novel two distinct voices throughout and allowed the reader to empathise with both characters.

What was uppermost in my mind whilst reading this book was whether Beth and Carmel would be reunited in the end. Now, as you all know, my reviews never contain spoilers, so suffice to say that I was kept guessing to the very end. I shall say no more!

The characters, the atmosphere and the plot was all wonderfully well executed being believable, intriguing and compelling.

Once again, I am amazed that this is a debut novel and not at all surprised that it was shortlisted for the Costa Book Award 2015. This is a novel of great skill and Ms Hamer is definitely one to watch.

ISBN: 978 0571313266

Publisher:  Faber & Faber

Formats: e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

About the Author:

Kate grew up Pembrokeshire and has had a passion for books since being a small child.  She has written stories ever since she could hold a pencil. She studied art in university then worked in television for over ten years - mostly on documentaries, much of which involved using her writing skills. She studied creative writing at Aberystwyth University and won a prize there for the 'best beginning to a novel' - the book that went on to be 'The Girl in the Red Coat.'

She won the Rhys Davies short story prize in 2011 and the winning story was read out on Radio 4.

Kate currently lives in Cardiff with her husband and Mimi the cat. 

Found by Erin Kinsley - #BookReview

"There are so many ifs, and so many if onlys. If only rugby practice hadn't over-run. If only Evan hadn't gone and lost a boot. If only he'd decided to bypass the newsagent's and had caught the earlier bus, the one he missed by just twenty seconds."

When 11 year old Evan vanishes without trace, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare.

Especially as the police, under massive pressure, have no answers. But months later Evan is unexpectedly found, frightened and refusing to speak. His loving family realise life will never be the same again.

DI Naylor knows that unless those who took Evan are caught, other children are in danger. And with Evan silent, she must race against time to find those responsible...

                                                                           ***

This is such a gripping read. In fact, I started it one day and finished it the next as I really could not put it down.

This book is largely about relationships and how they sometimes have to change. We speak alot at the moment about the 'new normal' and this book demonstrates how a 'new normal' had to be adapted to for this particular family to move forward because nothing was exactly the same as it had been prior to Evan's abduction. There were times when I could have cried for them all and there are some very moving moments in the novel.

The author has taken a difficult topic and treated it sensitively. There are no graphic scenes of what happened to Evan during his abduction and I appreciated that she treated her characters with respect. The way in which she developed her characters shows real skill and they were each easy to engage with. I also enjoyed the generational relationships in this book as Evan's grandparents feature every bit as much as his parents.

An outstanding debut novel and if Ms Kinsley continues to write as well as this she is definitely one to watch. Her next book, Innocent, is due for release in the UK in August 2020. I can not wait to read it.

ISBN: 978 1472260772

Publisher: Headline

About the Author:

Erin Kinsley is a full-time writer. She grew up in Yorkshire and currently lives in East Anglia.

Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins - #BookReview

"They are waiting for an answer. What do they want me to say? Perhaps they think I am a stalker, targeting the president of an Oxford College on his early morning jog. I have an urge to laugh which is inappropriate. There is nothing funny about this, nothing whatsoever. Felicity is missing. The whole country is looking for her."

When the eight year old daughter of an Oxford College Master vanishes in the middle of the night, police turn to the Scottish nanny, Dee, for answers.

As Dee looks back over her time in the Master's Lodging - an eerie and ancient house - a picture of a high achieving but dysfunctional family emerges: Nick, the fiercely intelligent and powerful father; his beautiful Danish wife Mariah, pregnant with their child; and the lost little girl, Felicity, almost mute, seeing ghosts, grieving her dead mother.

But is Dee telling the whole story? Is her growing friendship with the eccentric house historian, Linklater, any cause for concern? And most of all, why was Felicity silent?

Roaming through Oxford's secret passages and hidden graveyards, Magpie Lane, explores the true meaning of family - and what it is to be denied one.

This fabulous book ended up being a quick read for me as I could not put it down and sprinted through it to get to the books conclusion. Mostly told retrospectively during a police interview, the narrative goes back and forth with the recollections of the main character, Dee, coupled with the immediacy of the interview.

The characters were excellently portrayed.  Nick and Mariah were difficult to like and this opinion did not change throughout the book. Equally, both Felicity and Dee were engaging characters and I suspect most readers will love Felicity for her innocence and vulnerability. The main character, Dee, had a combination of strength and weakness and as the book progressed I did come to wonder how reliable she was as a narrator.

The house itself felt as though it was a character as the Masters Lodging is a focal point of the novel and much of the story is linked to the house. The author did a brilliant job of making the house come alive as she did with Oxford itself. Highly atmospheric I felt completely immersed in the setting of this novel.

It is a sensitive, eerie and excellently written novel and I can hardly wait to read another book by Ms. Atkins. Have you read any of her other books? I would love to hear about them. 

Keep safe and well through these difficult days my friends. Thank goodness we have our books to keep us company while we are isolated and socially distanced. 

ISBN: 978 1786485571

Publisher: Quercus

About the Author:

Lucy Atkins is an award winning author, feature journalist and Sunday Times book critic. She has written for newspapers including The #Guardian, The Times, The Sunday Times and The Telegraph as well as many UK magazines. She teaches on the Masters in Creative Writing at Oxford University and lives in Oxford.

Some of her other books are, The Missing Ones, The Night Visitor and The Other Child.

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson - #BookReview

"9th April 1975, Leeds: The Bay City Rollers at number one. IRA bombs all over the country. Margaret Thatcher is the new leader of the Conservative Party. At the beginning of the month, in Albuquerque, Bill Gates founds what will become Microsoft........... In the middle of it all, Tracy Waterhouse was only concerned with the hole in one of the toes of her tights. It was growing bigger with every step she took. They were new on this morning as well."

A day like any other for security chief Tracy Waterhouse, until she makes a shocking impulse purchase. That one moment of madness is all it takes for Tracy's humdrum world to be turned upside down, the tedium of everyday life replaced by fear and danger at every turn.

Witnesses to Tracy's outrageous exchange in the Merrion Centre in Leeds are Tilly, an elderly actress teetering on the brink of her own disaster, and Jackson Brodie, who has returned to his home county in search of someone else's roots. All three characters learn that the past is never history and that no good deed goes unpunished.

I am so enjoying this series of books, of which, this is the fourth in the Jackson Brodie series. I always like to read a series of books in order and so have previously read Case Histories, One Good Turn and When Will There Be Good News; all of which have been great reads. Of course, these books would read very well out of order and my need to read books chronologically probably says more about my anally retentive personality than about the books themselves.

 I think it must be difficult to keep up the momentum of a series of books but the writing and plot are every bit as good as the earlier novels. In addition to Jackson Brodie I thought Tracy Waterhouse was a really good character. Ms. Atkinson's characters are very easy to engage with and which make this series a real treat to read. I already have the next book, Big Sky, lined up to read.

The narrative changes from the present day to the 1970's seamlessly and between Jackson and Tracy's voices. The voices are distinct and very easy to follow. Having been young during the 1970's (yes, I too, was a Bay City Rollers fan) I enjoyed this little trip down memory lane.

The author is remarkably skilled at mixing mystery and murder interwoven with good humour in a way which feels totally authentic. This series of books are a joy to read and I highly recommend them.

ISBN: 978 0552 772464

Publisher: Black Swan

About the Author:

Kate Atkinson was born in York and now lives in Edinburgh. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and she has been a critically acclaimed international bestselling author ever since.

She is the author of a collection of short stories, Not the End of the World, and of the critically acclaimed novels Human Croquet, Emotionally Weird, Case Histories and One Good Turn.

Case Histories introduced her readers to Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, and won the Saltire Book of the Year Award and the Prix Westminster.

When Will There Be Good News? was voted Richard and Judy Book Best Read of the Year. After Case Histories and One Good Turn, it was her third novel to feature the former private detective Jackson Brodie, who makes a welcome return in Started Early, Took My Dog.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell - Book Review

"Those months, the months before she disappeared, were the best months. Really. Just the best. Every moment presented itself to her like a gift and said, "Here I am, another perfect moment, just look at me, can you believe how lovely I am?"

She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blinnk of an eye, Ellie was gone.

Ten years on, Laurel has never given up hope of finding Ellie. And then she meets a charming and charismatic stranger who sweeps her off her feet.

But what really takes her breath away is when she meets his nine-year-old daughter. Because his daughter is the image of Ellie.

Now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back. What really happened to Ellie? And who still has secrets to hide?

It is every parent's worst nightmare that their child might go missing. From newborn to adult the pain must be intolerable and the sense of despair overwhelming. Lisa Jewell has created this scenario around her main character, Laurel, and she has executed this brilliantly.

This is an author that people have been recommending to me for ages and I have only just gotten around to reading one of her books. I enjoyed it enormously for the tension and psychological suspense that she creates.

The bulk of the novel is set a decade after Ellie's disappearance and I am not giving anything away by saying that we do find out what happens to Ellie part way through the narrative. The novel moves seamlessly back and forth in time and the change in voice is easy to follow.

Ms. Jewell is an excellent storyteller and she kept up the pace and suspense through the whole novel. There was an eeriness throughout which kept me turning those pages as I was completely gripped by the story. I read this in two sittings and I rarely do that with a book.

There is a great sense of characterisation in this novel and even the minor characters made a significant impact on the plot. They were all totally believable and easy to comprehend.

Novels about children going missing are never wholly comfortable to read. I think that, at the back of every readers mind, whether you are a parent or not, dwells the question, how would I ever react if I were in that situation? It allows us to probe our own psyche in a safe and controlled manner whilst we hope and pray that we will never have to experience anything so horrifying.

This may have been my first novel by this author but it most definitely will not be my last. From what others have told me the quality of this novel can be expected in her other works. Based on this book Ms. Jewell has the potential to become one of my favourite authors.

ISBN: 978 1784756253

Publisher: Arrow Books

About the Author:

Lisa was born in London in 1968. Her mother was a secretary and her father was a textile agent and she was brought up in the northernmost reaches of London with her two younger sisters. She was educated at a Catholic Girls’ Grammar school in Finchley. After leaving school at sixteen she spent two years at Barnet College doing an arts foundation course and then two years at Epsom School of Art & Design studying Fashion Illustration and Communication.

She worked for the fashion chain, Warehouse, for three years as a PR Assistant and then for Thomas Pink, the Jermyn Street shirt company, for four years as a receptionist and PA. She started her first novel, Ralph’s Party, for a bet in 1996. She finished it in 1997 and it was published by Penguin books in May 1998. It went on to become the best-selling debut novel of that year.

She has since written a further nine novels, and is currently at work on her eleventh.

She now lives in an innermost part of north London with her husband Jascha, an IT consultant, her daughters, Amelie and Evie and her silver tabbies, Jack and Milly.

(biographical information courtesy of Goodreads)