The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer - #bookreview

Matthew Barr was in the crosshairs.

Finally.

Finn Garrett watched him lock the battered old Focus and sling a backpack over one shoulder. There was a woman with him - young, and with her mousy hair tied back...

The Blurb

On a summer’s evening in 1926, six-year-old Celie Shepherd is hungry and desperate and not where a six-year-old should be. Instead, she is dangling from a cliff, far above the sea, reaching out to pocket an impossibly beautiful thing.

This bold theft will change the course of Celie’s life, and the lives of others.

One hundred years later, a house is ransacked. The only thing missing: a dusty case containing that same impossible thing.

What could conceivably be so important that it is stolen again and again (and perhaps yet again…)?

My Review

Written with a dual timeline, this book kept me hooked throughout.

The book begins on a Yorkshire cliff in 1920 where the locals are scavenging for birds' eggs. This is partly how they make their living – taking eggs from their nests and selling them to collectors or their agents. I am glad to say that this is an illegal activity in the UK now. 

However, when young Celie is dangling from a rope over the cliff edge, she finds eggs that are so unusual, collectors are willing to pay a pretty high price for them.

Celie is the main character in the part of the novel set in the past. She is only six years old when the novel begins and it follows her through to adulthood.  Malnourishment meant that she would take the risk of dangling over a cliff edge to collect eggs, initially just so she and her family could have an omelette for their tea. She is a sweet and vulnerable child whom, as a reader, I felt very protective towards and feared for her safety.

In the present-day part of the book, we meet Patrick and his neighbour and friend, Weird Nick. Apparently, Patrick was introduced to readers in the author's previous book, Rubbernecker. However, I haven't read that book and this works very well as a standalone novel. Patrick is neurodivergent and his friendship with Nick often lent the novel some humour. They are both highly likeable characters and a joy to read about.

When Nick stumbles across an egg in his loft and attempts to sell it on eBay, he sets in motion a series of events that neither he nor Patrick could have foreseen.

This is a highly readable and, at times, exciting book to read. Prior to reading this, I did not know much about egg collecting and thus, I found it educational as well as a great novel to enjoy. 

It is well written and the book moves back and forth in time seamlessly. The author has researched her book very well, some of which is based on real-life events. It blends the past and present beautifully. There were sufficient twists and turns in the plot to keep me reading.

The characterisation is outstanding and I was sorry when I finished the book and had to leave Celie, Nick and Patrick behind. Each of them are adorable characters in their own individual way. 

The book has a terrific ending of which I shall say no more. It has a historical and contemporary plot which meld together beautifully. I recommend this book to you as I do not think you will be disappointed. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this book. Have you read any of Belinda Bauer's books before?

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1804997888

Publisher:  Penguin

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  416 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

BELINDA BAUER grew up in England and South Africa and now lives in Wales. She worked as a journalist and a screenwriter before finally writing a book to appease her nagging mother.

For her debut, Blacklands, Belinda was awarded the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year. She went on to win the CWA Dagger in the Library for her body of work. Her fourth novel, Rubbernecker, was voted Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Her eighth novel, Snap, was a Sunday Times bestseller. It was longlisted for the Man Booker prize and voted Crime Thriller Book of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards.

You can also find Belinda at:

Facebook

(book and media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

10 Ten Exciting New Releases for February 2024

 

Brrr..... I don't know about you but it is jolly chilly here at the moment. What better thing to do than dream about all the lovely books which are coming up next month.

There are some exciting new titles due to be published in February and here are just a few that have caught my eye.

The Story Collector by Iris Costello

London, 1915: Tarot reader Katerina is trying to hold her life together amid the wartime chaos. When she opens a bakery that offers divination alongside sweet treats, she is hailed as a beacon of hope. But Katerina is hiding a dark truth that could cost her everything.

Germany, 1918: A mute British soldier is taken to a prisoner of war camp where he meets Miriam, a researcher. She is drawn to his gentle manner and secretly vows to help him. But soon she will have to make an impossible choice: will she save the one she loves, or herself?

Cornwall, Present Day: Recently widowed Edie is astonished to discover a mysterious box hidden in the wall of her newly renovated cottage. As Edie starts to investigate, she uncovers a secret that has lain hidden for over a century...

A long-held secret ties the tales of three women, from the cobbled streets of war-time London to an isolated German WWI camp, and the sea-swept cliffs of Cornwall. Beautifully told, moving and unforgettable.

A Dirty Filthy Book by Michael Meyer

London, 1877. A petite young woman stands before an all-male jury, about to risk everything. She takes a breath, and opens her defence.

Annie Besant and her confidant Charles Bradlaugh are on trial for the sordid crime of publishing and selling a birth control pamphlet. Remarkably – forty-five years before the first woman will be admitted to the English bar – Annie is defending herself. Before Britain’s highest judge she declares it is a woman’s right to choose when, and if, to have children. At a time when women were legally and socially subservient to men, Annie’s defiant voice was a sensation. The riveting trial scandalised newspapers, captivated the British public and sparked a debate over morals, censorship and sex.

Drawing on unpublished archives, private papers and courtroom transcripts – and featuring an incredible cast including Queen Victoria, George Bernard Shaw and London itself – A Dirty, Filthy Book tells the gripping story of a forgotten pioneer who refused to accept the role the Establishment assigned to her. Instead, she chose to resist.

The Unfishished Business of Eadie Brown by Freya North

When your present meets your past, what do you take with you – and what do you leave behind?

Eadie Browne is an odd child with unusual parents, living in a strange house neighbouring the local cemetery. Bullied at school – but protected by her two best friends Celeste and Josh, and her many imaginary friends lying six feet under next door – Eadie muddles her way through.

Arriving in Manchester as a student in the late 1980s, Eadie confronts a busy, gritty Victorian metropolis a far cry from the small Garden City she's left behind. Soon enough she experiences a novel freedom she never imagined and it's seductive. She can be who she wants to be, do as she pleases, and no one back home needs to know. As Manchester embraces the dizzying, colourful euphoria of Rave counterculture, Eadie is swept along, blithely ignoring danger and reality. Until, one night, her past comes hurtling at her with ramifications which will continue into her adult life.

Now, as the new Millennium beckons, Eadie is turning 30 with a marriage in tatters. She must travel back to where she once lived for a funeral she can't quite comprehend. As she journeys from the North to the South, from the present to the past, Eadie contemplates all that was then – and all that is now – in this moving love letter to youth.

When I Feel Red by Lily Bailey

April has always marched to the beat of her own drum, but would life be easier if she learned to fit in? Now that she's in Year 8, things have got even worse. She's much more likely to be trying to rescue an animal in need than worrying about who's dating who at school, which April just finds BORING. Plus, her lessons feel like they're in a foreign language, and it suddenly seems impossible to make it through the week without landing in detention.

As family worries and classroom romances ramp up, it feels like everyone around her is pulling away - even her best friend Ben. But when the pressure's on, can she find a way to fit in and still be true to herself?

An empowering follow up to When I See Blue about finding your place in the world from the inspiring author and mental health activist, Lily Bailey. Perfect for fans of Elle McNicoll.

Library for the War-Wounded by Monika Helfer

From Monika Helfer's award-winning, internationally bestselling wartime trilogy, based on her own family. Translated into English for the first time.

Josef was an illegitimate child, a charity case from Salzburg, schooled by a benefactor. He was drafted to fight in the Second World War while still at school and sent to Russia, returning with only one leg. He married his nurse, and brought his family to the high, idyllic slopes of the Austrian Alps, where he took a position as manager of a home for injured soldiers, a strangely suspended, deeply isolated place with a remarkable library.

He was a man of many mysteries. To his daughter, Monika, none was greater than his obsession with these cloistered, crumbling books, his great treasure and secret amidst a country barrelling away from the memory of war.

Beautifully written, restrained, and memorable, Library for the War-Wounded turns a real life into great literature by confronting the universal question: Who are our parents, really?

Next of Kin by Hannah Bonham-Young

Two bickering strangers trying to foster their younger siblings team up to create a stable home, but the undeniable chemistry between them threatens to ruin everything.

When she discovers her biological mother has had a new baby, Chloe doesn't hesitate to provide a home for her. Failing to meet social services' financial evaluation, she's forced into a new initiative: joining households with another prospective guardian.

Surly garage mechanic Warren, who is trying to gain custody of his deaf teenage brother, does not make a great first impression. But as their lives intertwine, Chloe and Warren discover they have more in common than they thought. So much so that the chemistry between them threatens everything they've fought for...

The List of Suspicious Thing by Jennie Godfrey

Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn't an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv's mum stopped talking.

Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don't.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families - and between each other - than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

The Mysterious Mrs Hood by Kim Donovan

A true Victorian murder mystery...

Great Yarmouth, September 1900: A young woman is found dead on the beach, a bootlace tied tightly around her neck. Despite her death attracting national attention in the press, nobody claims her. Detective Inspector Robert Lingwood of the Great Yarmouth police force declares he will not rest until the mystery of the young woman's death is solved. But it's only once the case has been referred to Scotland Yard that the layers of mystery start to peel away...

Mrs Hood was in fact Mary Jane Bennett, and this is her story.

Following clues and tracking red herrings leads the police to close in on their one and only suspect. With arson, fraud, an affair and a sensation-hungry press, the murder gripped the nation in one of the most eagerly anticipated trials of the early twentieth century. Author Kim Donovan finally tells her great-great-aunt's story and the truth of evil duplicity in Victorian England.

A fascinating historical true crime case perfect for fans of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and The Five.

The Pieces of Us by Caroline Montague

Marina and Hugh were once madly in love. But after the loss of their beautiful little daughter, grief has created a distance between them that feels impossible to bridge. Marina knows leaving Italy is the only way they will be able to move on, but Thorncliffe Hall, Hugh's family home in England, is so grey and unwelcoming.

Just when life feels like it may never regain colour, Marina and Hugh come across a striking china coffee pot in a London shop window, adorned with a fox flying through the night sky. The coffee pot comes attached with a mystery, one that is connected with Hugh's own family many years ago.

By digging into the past, Marina is about to discover a story far beyond her wildest dreams. But will the past help her heal the present?

A heartwrenching, utterly unforgettable story for fans of Sally Page and Amanda Prowse.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French

She’s loved by all who meet her. But someone wants her gone . . .

Then - When beautiful and vivacious Charlotte Salter fails to turn up to her husband Alec’s 50th birthday party, her kids are worried, but Alec is not. As the days pass and there’s still no word from Charlie, her daughter, Etty, and her sons, Niall, Paul and Ollie, all struggle to come to terms with her disappearance.

How can anyone just vanish without a trace?

Left with no answers and in limbo, the Salter children try and go on with their lives, all the while thinking that their mother’s killer is potentially very close to home.

Now - After years away, Etty returns home to the small East Anglian village where she grew up to help move her father into a care home. Now in his eighties, Alec has dementia and often mistakes his daughter for her mother. 

Etty is a changed woman from the trouble-free girl she was when Charlie was still around - all the Salter children have spent decades running and hiding from their mother’s disappearance.

But when their childhood friends, Greg and Morgen Ackerley, decide to do a podcast about Charlotte’s disappearance, it seems like the town’s buried secrets – and the Salters’ – might finally come to light.

After all this time, will they finally find out what really happened to Charlotte Salter?

Is there anything here that you would like to read?

(header photo courtesy of Unsplash)

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.

The Last Reunion by Kayte Nunn - #BookReview

It was the work of a moment; a tiny revenge for a much graver crime. She had never stolen so much as a packet of sweets before. She did not, as a rule, lie, cheat or steal. But this was different.

She wiped a film of sweat from the back of her neck, lifting the damp strands of hair in an effort to cool herself. Her cotton sundress - madras, designed for an Indian climate - clung to her legs, and a blister had formed on her heel from the strap of her sandals. She'd experienced this kind of heat, before, had almost forgotten how it sapped the spirits, how it became an act of will to carry on regardless.

***

War would bring them together.

But would it ultimately tear them apart?

Burma, 1945 - Bea, Plum, Bubbles, Joy and Lucy are five young women looking for adventure, fighting a forgotten war in the jungle attached to the Fourteenth Army. Running a mobile canteen, navigating treacherous roads and dodging hostile gunfire, they soon become embroiled in life-threatening battles of their own - battles that will haunt the women for the rest of their lives.

Oxford, 1976 - At the height of an impossibly hot English summer, a woman slips into a museum and steals several rare Japanese netsuke, including the famed fox-girl. Despite the offer of a considerable reward, these tiny, exquisitely detailed carvings are never seen again.

London and Galway, 1999 - On the eve of the new millennium, Olivia, assistant to an art dealer, meets Beatrix, an elderly widow who wishes to sell her late husband's collection of Japanese art. Concealing her own motives, Olivia travels with Beatrix to a New Year's Eve party, deep in the Irish countryside, where friendships will be tested and secrets kept for more than fifty years are spilled... 

***

Not only is this a well written novel but I learnt a lot regarding a point in history that I knew extremely little about. I have previously read novels which were set in Burma during WWII, but this book was different in that it was centred around five women who, in this story made up the WASBIE attachment.

The book is written as a dual narrative, covering their time during the war, and then again at the titular reunion when the women are, somewhat more mature in years. In fact, the book begins with a different time entirely, taking place in 1976, but it is only a brief glimpse we get and is vital to understanding the plot.

The main character, Bea, is delightful, and she was an excellent character throughout both timelines. The author has done a great job of fleshing out all of her characters. The dynamic between them, which differ at both time points in the narrative is excellent.

Also, the character of Olivia, who plays a part in the latter time line is excellent, and she served as a great vehicle in moving the story along. Furthermore, she was a vital and engaging character who I was rooting for all the way.

Atmospherically, the writer descriptions of the settings are tangible. The book is set in the jungles of Burma, and I could feel the heat and humidity that she described. Equally, the modern part of the book is set in a dilapidated old house with its leaking roof and myriad of other faults due to neglect.

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely, and was reluctant to put it down. I will definitely be including other books by Ms. Nunn to my constantly increasing pile of books I want to read. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. 

ISBN: 978 1398701144

Publisher: Orion

Formats: Paperback, e-book and audio

No. of Pages: 384 (paperback)

About the Author:

Katye Nunn has written six works of fiction including, The Botanist’s Daughter, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant, The Silk House and The Last Reunion, which came out in March 2020 in Australia, and later in the UK.

She grew up in England and the US, and then lived in Sydney, Australia for more than 20 years, working as a book, magazine and web editor and writer. She has more than two decades of publishing experience and is the former editor of Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine.

(author photo and bio information from the author's website.)

New Releases in April 2022

It seems to be more difficult each month to choose just ten books which are being published during the upcoming month. There are so many brilliant looking books being released in April that I would like to read, but I am forcing myself to confine it to ten. Is there anything here that catches your eye?

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary

Three women. Three dates. One missing man...

8.52 a.m. Siobhan is looking forward to her breakfast date with Joseph. She was surprised when he suggested it - she normally sees him late at night in her hotel room. Breakfast on Valentine's Day surely means something ... so where is he?

2.43 p.m. Miranda's hoping that a Valentine's Day lunch with Carter will be the perfect way to celebrate her new job. It's a fresh start and a sign that her life is falling into place: she's been dating Carter for five months now and things are getting serious. But why hasn't he shown up?

6.30 p.m. Joseph Carter agreed to be Jane's fake boyfriend at an engagement party. They've not known each other long but their friendship is fast becoming the brightest part of her new life in Winchester. Joseph promised to save Jane tonight. But he's not here...

Meet Joseph Carter. That is, if you can find him.

Hope, A History of the Future by G.G. Kellner

One quiet afternoon in 2037, Joyce Denzell hears a thud in her family’s home library and finds a book lying in the middle of the room, seemingly waiting for her―a book whose copyright page says it was published in the year 2200. Over the next twenty-four hours, each of the Denzell family members discovers and reads from this mystical history book from the future, nudged along by their cat, Plato.

As the various family members take turns reading, they gradually uncover the story of Gabe, Mia, and Ruth—a saga of adventure, endurance, romance, mystery, and hope that touches them all deeply. Along the way, the Denzells all begin to believe that this book that has seemingly fallen out of time and space and into their midst might actually be from the future—and that it might have something vitally important to teach them.

Engaging, playful, and thought-provoking, Hope is a seven-generation-spanning vision of the future as it could be—based on scientific projections, as well as historical and legal precedence—that will leave readers grappling with questions of destiny, responsibility, and the possibility for hope in a future world.

The House at Helygen by Victoria Hawthorne

2019 - When Henry Fox is found dead in his ancestral home in Cornwall, the police rule it a suicide, but his pregnant wife, Josie, believes it was murder. Desperate to make sense of Henry's death she embarks on a quest to learn the truth, all under the watchful eyes of Henry's overbearing mother. Josie soon finds herself wrestling against the dark history of Helygen House and ghosts from the past that refuse to stay buried.

1881 - New bride Eliza arrives at Helygen House with high hopes for her marriage. Yet when she meets her new mother-in-law, an icy and forbidding woman, her dreams of a new life are dashed. And when Eliza starts to hear voices in the walls of the house, she begins to fear for her sanity and her life.

Can Josie piece together the past to make sense of her present, or will the secrets of Helygen House and its inhabitants forever remain a mystery?

The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra

When clever, headstrong Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry doctor Ramu, she's resigned herself to a quiet life.

But that all changes the night of the party at the Century Club, where she escapes to the garden for some peace - and instead spots an uninvited guest in the shadows. Half an hour later, the party turns into a murder scene.

When a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime, Kaveri becomes determined to save her and launches a private investigation to find the killer, tracing his steps from an illustrious brothel to an Englishman's mansion. She soon finds that sleuthing in a sari isn't as hard as it seems when you have a talent for maths, a head for logic and a doctor for a husband.

And she's going to need them all as the case leads her deeper into a hotbed of danger, sedition and intrigue in Bangalore's darkest alleyways...

Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes

We'd like to introduce you to Elizabeth Finch.

We invite you to take her course in Culture and Civilisation.

She will change the way you see the world.

"The task of the present is to correct our understanding of the past. And that task becomes the more urgent when the past cannot be corrected."

Elizabeth Finch was a teacher, a thinker, an inspiration - always rigorous, always thoughtful. With measured empathy, she guided her students to develop meaningful ideas and to discover their centres of seriousness.

As Neil, a former student, unpacks Elizabeth's notebooks, and remembers her uniquely inquisitive mind, her passion for reason resonates through the years. Her ideas unlock the philosophies of the past, and explore key events that show us how to make sense of our lives today. And underpinning them all is the story of J - Julian the Apostate, her historical soulmate and fellow challenger to the institutional and monotheistic thinking that has always threatened to divide us.

This is more than a novel. It's a loving tribute to philosophy, a careful evaluation of history, an invitation to think for ourselves. It's a moment to reflect and to gently explore our own theories and assumptions. It is truly a balm for our times.

The School That Escaped the Nazis by Deborah Cadbury

In 1933, as Hitler came to power, schoolteacher Anna Essinger hatched a daring and courageous plan: to smuggle her entire school out of Nazi Germany. Anna had read Mein Kampf and knew the terrible danger that Hitler's hate-fuelled ideologies posed to her pupils. She knew that to protect them she had to get her pupils to the safety of England.

But the safe haven that Anna struggled to create in a rundown manor house in Kent would test her to the limit. As the news from Europe continued to darken, Anna rescued successive waves of fleeing children and, when war broke out, she and her pupils faced a second exodus. One by one countries fell to the Nazis and before long unspeakable rumours began to circulate. Red Cross messages stopped and parents in occupied Europe vanished. In time, Anna would take in orphans who had given up all hope; the survivors of unimaginable horrors. Anna's school offered these scarred children the love and security they needed to rebuild their lives, showing them that, despite everything, there was still a world worth fighting for.

Featuring moving first-hand testimony, and drawn from letters, diaries and present-day interviews, The School That Escaped the Nazis is a dramatic human tale that offers a unique child's-eye perspective on Nazi persecution and the Holocaust. It is also the story of one woman's refusal to allow her beliefs in a better, more equitable world to be overtaken by the evil that surrounded her.

The Shadow Child by Rachel Hancox

Eighteen-year-old Emma has loving parents and a promising future ahead of her.

So why, one morning, does she leave home without a trace?

Her parents, Cath and Jim, are devastated. They have no idea why Emma left, where she is - or even whether she is still alive.

A year later, Cath and Jim are still tormented by the unanswered questions Emma left behind, and clinging desperately to the hope of finding her.

Meanwhile, tantalisingly close to home, Emma is also struggling with her new existence - and with the trauma that shattered her life.

For all of them, reconciliation seems an impossible dream. Does the way forward lie in facing up to the secrets of the past - secrets that have been hidden for years?

Secrets that have the power to heal them, or to destroy their family forever ...

Witches by Brenda Lozano

This is the story of who Feliciana is, and of who Paloma was.

I had wanted to get to know them, but I realised right away that the people I needed to know better were my sister Leandra and my mother. Myself. I came to understand that you can't really know another woman until you know yourself...

Weaving together two parallel narratives, Witches tells the story of Feliciana, an indigenous curandera or healer, and Zoe, a journalist: two women who meet through the murder of Feliciana's cousin Paloma.

In the tiny village of San Felipe in Jalisco province, where traditional ways and traditional beliefs are a present reality, Feliciana tells the story of her life, her community's acceptance of her as a genuine curandera and the difficult choices faced by her joyful and spirited cousin Paloma who is both a healer and a Muxe - a trans woman.

Growing up in Mexico City, Zoe attempts to find her way in a society straitjacketed by its hostile macho culture. But it is Feliciana's and Paloma's stories that draw her own story out of her, taking her on a journey to understanding her place in the world and the power of her voice.

This captivating novel of two Mexicos envisions the writer as a healer and offers a generous and distinctly female way of understanding the complex world we all inhabit.

Son of the Secret Gardener by Trevor Millum

This story has its roots in the life of George Owen Millum, who at the turn of the 19th century was the head gardener at Maytham Hall in Kent, the home of Frances Hodgson Burnett, long celebrated for her timeless classic, The Secret Garden. 

The garden in the story was based upon that at Maytham Hall, and George Millum was the model for Ben Weatherstaff, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s fictional gardener. George’s son, George Charles Millum, who like his father was born in the gardener’s cottage at Maytham, also grew up to be a country house gardener – hence the title of this book, written and compiled by his own son with detailed extracts from his diaries.

The Young Pretender by Michael Arditti

Mobbed by the masses, lionised by the aristocracy, courted by royalty and lusted after by patrons of both sexes, the child actor William Henry West Betty was one of the most famous people in Georgian Britain.

At the age of thirteen, he played leading roles, including Romeo, Macbeth and Richard III, in theatres across the country. Prime Minister William Pitt adjourned the House of Commons so that its members could attend his debut as Hamlet at Covent Garden. Then, as rivals turned on him and scandal engulfed him, he suffered a fall as merciless as his rise had been meteoric.

The Young Pretender takes place during Betty's attempted comeback at the age of twenty-one. As he seeks to relaunch his career, he is forced to confront the painful truths behind his boyhood triumphs. Michael Arditti's revelatory new novel puts this long forgotten figure back in the limelight. In addition to its rich and poignant portrait of Betty himself, it offers an engrossing insight into both the theatre and society of the age. The nature of celebrity, the power of publicity and the cult of youth are laid bare in a story that is more pertinent now than ever.