The Wounded Ones - G.D.Penman

Oh Lordy, she’s back! and how! Iona Sullivan. Agent Sully. Her royal feistiness just bursts off the page  in this exciting sequel to The Year of the Knife. Whaddya mean you haven’t read it? Sully won’t like that! Best you do. Yeah? However if you do not yet have the inclination to read The Year of the Knife, yet, fear not, it won’t impact on your enjoyment of The Wounded Ones at all. The book works as a standalone as much as it works as a sequel. But if you fell in love with Sully in the previous book you’ll be desperate to know how she is faring.

And I’m not going to tell you! Oh no, I do not do spoilers. But this story sees Sully tested to the limits of her character, her physicality and her magical abilities. The story is a tour de force and so many elements of the magical and the supernatural come together, not necessarily amiably, and it’s absolutely explosive. Sully’s brief is broader than tackling grisly murders this time around. Citizens of America are vanishing. Where are they going and why? 

Sully’s penchant for the putdown retort to those who try her patience, to put it mildly, is much in evidence here and will have you chuckling and desperate to remember her words for the next time you might need them. But it’s a story, not just of words but of high powered, supernatural action. 

Penman strikes an engaging balance between good, old fashioned storybook values of romance and bravery, swashbuckling heroines, love and hate, right over evil, loyalty over treachery,  yet he maintains the edgy, urban nuances that render this very much a contemporary tale. There is often the sense that you are engaged in a literary video game. You are passing levels and witnessing Sully destroy the ’bosses’ and you’re just willing her to make it to the end and triumph before her lives run out. But does she? Read it. 

We are also treated to a little of Sully’s past which serves to define and deepen the existing characterisation. Dammit we even get to meet her mum! I don’t think we did in the first book or did we? Oh darn! I’m going to have to read the Year of the Knife again. But we are also treated to a plethora of disparate new characters. Some of them originate from legends and fables from centuries ago. But there is a comfort in hearing that the Dante Inferno spell is still very much in the mix! And Schrodinger units are still busy. Ceejay and Raavi play their parts. There's everyone's favourite vampire, Marie........ It's a meeting of old friends. But Leonard is no longer Leonard, he's Pratt! Go figure!

Penman’s plotting is complex and efficient. His imagination is boundless. He doesn’t allow his reader to second-guess. Every time you think you know what might be about to happen the opposite often does. He keeps you reading on and on and on. The world he’s created is unique and yet it takes its place alongside other evil empires and I found myself sometimes thinking of Star Wars and sometimes Harry Potter and sometimes the Hunger Games. But Sully is unique. I remember when I was a kid there was a series of books about the worst witch. Sully is the best witch. 

I hope that in the tradition of dystopian, speculative fiction there will be a third in the series. I just have to,no,I need to know what happens next. My thanks to Meerkat Press for an advance copy of this book. 

Hidden Valley Road - Robert Kolker

I had the sense that Louis Theroux would love to have been involved with this family and produce a series of programmes about them like he did with the Westboro Baptist Church. This is a fascinating and compelling account of a large family’s tendency towards schizophrenia. Alongside this detailed account the history of the attempts to investigate, find treatments and causes of schizophrenia offer the reader an immersive and challenging reading experience.

The whole nature/nurture argument is brought into play here. This forms possibly the backbone of the book. Six sons in the same family all suffering from the same mental illness. Were they genetically programmed to do so? Or was it their upbringing? Answers not on a postcard but in a 370+ page book. 

It’s an uncomfortable and quite harrowing read. In some places it’s as if you’ve come across the pages of a horror story fiction that has in someway become interspersed with a scientific treatise on schizophrenia. At times there was an almost surreal sense to the book. A sense of disbelief. As if these people were rehearsing for their slots on the Jeremy Kyle show.

Don and Mimi Galvin, seem to have started out as perhaps the cliched image of the American dream. And it seems to go horribly wrong when their eldest son starts to display some erratic behaviour, to put it mildly. And what sets out as a book that seems to be dealing with a factual account of how this family deal with this dreadful condition and is almost clinical in its execution subtly shifts so that you find that emotion kicks in hard. I would have thought that dealing with 12 normal children is challenging enough but when half of them fall ill you might expect the parents to crumble. It certainly doesn’t appear they did outwardly although Don Galvin had some health issues. Mimi, like most mothers, loves her children, wants only the best for them and it’s almost as if she cannot face the dreadful truth.The whole family was affected especially the two youngest daughters. They alone seem to have had a stab at some kind of normality.

I am fortunate in that I’ve had no real direct dealings with schizophrenia. I would be really interested to listen to the opinion of this book from somebody who has been involved with the condition  At times I found the scientific parts too long and wordy. I got lost. But I was interested in the family parts because personality, nature/nurture alway fascinates me. This book lays the family bare. I can’t think that they had any secrets left. It renders it very poignant. Something I found incredibly touching was that the youngest sister still makes sure that the oldest brother, in his 70s, is okay. After all she endured, witnessed and went through, including abuse, you might not have blamed her for turning her back on the lot of them and making a life for herself but she doesn’t. So there is almost a subtle, unspoken examination of family ties and bonds.

For me, it was an unusual book. I delve into non-fiction from time to time and I enjoy it. I think it’s good for me. To place myself in a reality that I don’t get from my diet of fiction. It opens up areas of life that I maybe haven’t considered fully before. This book will stay with me for a long time. It has actually made me want to find out more about schizophrenia.

My thanks to Ana McLaughlin at Quercus books for a copy. I actually won it in a social media draw! How cool is that?

A Hundred Million Years and a Day - Jean-Baptiste Andrea translated by Sam Taylor - BLOG TOUR

A deceptively slender volume at under 200 pages but what is contained within those pages amounts to so much more. This is a book that functions on a number of different levels. A straightforward story about a mountaineering /palaeontology expedition. That should appeal to those with an interest in climbing, fossils and those who like an adventure story.  Someone seeking to make sense of their life; their past, their present and their future. An elaborate metaphorical allegory where the mountaineering expedition symbolises life itself. The perils and the pitfalls, the human against the elements and the mighty force of nature. An exploration of how the treatment of a child can produce the adult. One man’s obsession and what it does to him and those around him. A dream that fuels such an intense desire that all else fades into a pale background.

‘Stan has been hunting for fossils since the age of six. Now, in the summer of 1954, he hears a story he cannot forget: the skeleton of a huge creature – a veritable dragon – lies deep in an Alpine glacier. And he is determined to find it.

But Stan is no mountaineer. To complete his dangerous expedition, he must call on loyal friend Umberto, who arrives with an eccentric young assistant, and expert guide Gio. Time is short: the four men must descend before the weather turns. As bonds are forged and tested, the hazardous quest for the earth’s lost creatures becomes a journey into Stan’s own past.’

The book is sectioned by the seasons and we can interpret that on more than one level too. The linear seasons, or the metaphoric seasons of a life lived. The narrative yoyo’s between Stan’s past and his present but the two are dependent upon each other. Events in the present provoke a memory from the past. The novel is cleverly structured to allow us to see and try to understand Stan the person and his motivation. 

The story boasts an evocative and pastoral prose acknowledging the dominance and reverence we should all have towards the natural world. There is a correlation between Man’s insignificance when compared with nature and Stan’s perceived insignificance within his past life. The tandem of the two ‘landscapes’ offer the reader an immersive experience. 

The sense of seeking something desirous with a will tantamount to obsession is possibly something we can all relate to at times but Andrea elevates it to a subliminal height (no pun intended). There’s a fierce brutality in the story but with a beauty that runs in parallel. Utterly absorbing. And I feel sure that whilst reading this book and for some time  afterwards most readers including myself will be thinking about their own monster in the glacier, their own dreams and the attempts to fulfil them. When I was young, adolescent, I had three dreams; to make a film, to make a record and to write a book. But have I been greedy having three dreams? Probably. Have I achieved any of them? When I was a student I managed to wangle my way onto a film course. I also put myself forward to run the college film society. Successfully. It wasn’t just about watching and studying modern European cinema, part of the brief was to make a film. It was a group venture and it was fabulous. I was involved in the script and the storyboarding. I acted in it. That was a first for me! We had a cameraman, we had sound guys, all students. Filmed on 16mm.  A very limited budget so there was little room for retakes. But we did it.  So I guess you could say it was one dream fulfilled. I often wonder what became of that film. Whether it’s languishing somewhere. I’d love to see it again. I used to tinker about with guitars and keyboards, again, when I was younger. I had a friend and we were going to be the female Simon & Garfunkel. The makes of our guitars were shown on the labels inside. Mine was Palma and my friend's was Angelica. So we decided that that would be a good name for our duo, Palma and Angelica. Later when we got ‘cultural’ we thought that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would be better since it was an interesting little play on our Christian names -  Roz and Gill. We sang loads of folk stuff and made cassette recordings of it. I’ve no idea what happened to them. I also wrote my own songs and recorded them on cassette recorders. I’m old, remember! I used to lay down a backing track on one cassette recorder and then I’d play it back, perform another voice or instrument along with the backing track and record it on another recorder. I still have the tapes somewhere. Not exactly making a record but it’s as close as I’ll ever get. Now? Writing a book? I’ve always written. It’s like a reflex. It’s like breathing. I have to do it. But I’ve never finished what I would call a book. I have numerous unfinished novels. And at this moment in time there is no excuse why I shouldn’t sit down and at least finish one of them. But I don’t. Why? Maybe it’s because I’m scared that I’m just not good enough. And if I finished it what would I do with it? Is it about being published? Was that the dream? Or was it just achievement? I've had extracts from my book reviews included on the cover or introductory pages of some finished copies of books. I've had the odd article published in bookish magazines. But my dream remains - to finish something worthwhile and maybe it will be found after my death and I’ll have some kind posthumous success! 

Funny how a book that appears to be about a mountain expedition can you lead you thoughtwards down a different path! Guess that's the mark of a good writer. To make you think. And chase your dreams. 

This post is a part the blog tour for this book Check out other bloggers and bookstagrammers to see what they have to say.

My thanks to Gallic Books for a copy of the book and a place upon the blog tour.

TBR Roundup 2

Another month has flashed by and my reading frenzy has continued. To keep my records accurate and up to date another round up of books from my TBR shelves which I am pleased to have read.

Bring Up The Bodies - Hilary Mantel

Because I knew I was getting a copy of the Mirror and the Light for my birthday my intention was to read the entire trilogy. However I cannot find my copy of Wolf Hall! I think I may have lent it to somebody and they never returned it. Or it has become misplaced. I've gone through my shelves and I just can't find it. So I launched myself into Bring up the Bodies with a fairly good memory of Wolf Hall. The saga of Thomas Cromwell continues, enveloped in Hillary Mantel's exquisite prose and narrative. This lady can write. And if you're a history buff too and a devotee of the Tudors this is a match made in heaven. I can't wait to read the Mirror and the Light.


Girl in Snow - Danya Kukafka

I would admit that this book caught my attention because of the writer's surname. It was the Kafka part. Silly reason to choose a book? Maybe. But I thoroughly enjoyed this crime tale. The writer focused more on the suspects, those involved and associated with the victim than the actual crime itself. I found it very interesting, a refreshing approach. So it presented as a crime story with more depth than maybe usual.






The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes - Ruth Hogan

A nice little piece of "uplit". A life affirming tale that has sadness within it but offers positivity and redemption by the end. It's bleaker than The Keeper of Lost Things, Hogan's debut but explores grief and loss with a compassion. It was possible to see where the story was at headed but rather than that being a disappointment  it became a matter of how the characters got there.





The Confession of Frannie Langton - Sara Collins

A gothic delight that spans a couple of continents. Histfic that asks us to think. Beautifully researched with a steady and unrelenting paced plot and narrative this novel should delight Sarah Waters fans and keep readers gripped the end.








George - Sean Smith

This was a birthday gift from some dear friends. And I'm ashamed that I've only just got around to reading it. It's a straightforward biography of the late great George Michael. I had the pleasure of seeing George perform in 2006 and it was one of those performances that I will never forget. Hearing him sing Careless Whisper just a few feet away from me is something that will stay in my head and my heart forever. The book just set out to tell his life story. Simple as that.

The Moth Catcher - Ann Cleeves

ITV is showing reruns of several of the Vera series at the moment. I think it's part of the lockdown programming. I'm not complaining. I really enjoy them. I love Brenda Blethyn's performance. And I also enjoy reading the books from where the series derives. Ann Cleeves is a consummate artist when it comes to crime novels. Plotting, narrative, characterisation. What's not to like?



Insidious Intent – Val McDermid

I have to admit that this was another birthday present. This one was a couple of years ago. I suppose it just goes to show how many proofs and arcs I've been dealing with over the last couple of years. But now that they've all but dried up I can allow myself to wallow in my TBR shelves. This is a Carol Jordan and Tony Hill story. I love that pair. One of crimes most quirky duos. And as ever McDermid's plotting and imagination, her flair and desire to keep up-to-date with forensics and our digital world make her such a joy to read. And that ending! OMG!

No Signal - Jem Tugwell

Proximity trod a balanced line between a futuristic, stylised dystopia and a starkly realist, only just, future in the UK. A society functioning on its embedded technology the novel focused on the implications of that technology on the police force as well as everyday lives. The main characters, Clive Lussac and Zoe Jordan presented as one of crime fiction’s unique and original duos, opposites in almost all respects apart from their desire for justice and truth. 

No Signal is the much anticipated follow up to Proximity and we are reacquainted with Clive and Zoe. Both a little older with some career progression for Zoe which means Clive has a new partner, Ava Miller, who he appears to mentor and nurture. But have no fear, Zoe is very much here! She’s just working for a different department. 

Proximity had me open mouthed at times as it was both a crime story and an exploration of how technology could potentially, not just dominate our lives, for it seems to do that now anyway, but control them with the opened ended consideration for the reader of whether that was a good or bad thing. With those protocols already set in place No Signal began with a now familiar landscape. 

I am treading carefully because I don’t want to give anything away for readers. No Signal takes another aspect of our digital lives, our leisure digital lives perhaps it would be clearer to say, and exploits that to an explosive and ultimate conclusion beyond what we could probably imagine! Let's just say it's a gamechanger. And it's about besting the system. But it's also within the context of the Proximity landscape and, as might be natural in the midst of a pandemic, lockdown situation my thoughts turned to tracking and tracing! 

It’s mesmerising as you follow the strands of this audacious venture that takes you the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. Of course it is a criminal venture and once more the balance between old and new policing methods is brought to the forefront as we accompany Clive, Ava and Zoe in a thrilling, white knuckle ride of a tale that will have you hanging on for dear life, and disbelief. If Proximity was a runaway train No Signal is the ultimate theme park white knuckle ride you'd queue hours for. 

The characterisations are sustained. Zoe, transferred to the Cyber Crime section, ever restless for action, again impresses as the perfect foil for Clive. She seems to know just how to cope with him. Clive is still grappling with his demons and with those younger than himself in positions of seniority. He is still squirming beneath the controlling system he is forced to conform to. There was a sense of ‘us ‘ and ‘them’ within the police and with the additional personnel who play the major roles in the events that thwart the intentions and determinations of Clive and his gang. Faintly topical? The story is mainly told from his perspective. The villains are subtly villainous and some are hidden among the cast of characters. Will you spot who they are, I wonder?

Whilst Proximity encourages us to consider the implications of our digital world and the pros and cons of a society under continual surveillance and control, No Signal leans more towards a gripping narrative and plot driven tale. No less enjoyable because all of those considerations from Proximity are in place as you read, punctuated, and embedded as it were, within the narrative of No Signal. It's a worthy sequel. I'm hoping that in true dystopian fiction fashion (now there's a tongue twister for you) there'll be a third story? Please?

iMe. iLike. 😉

I was delighted to receive an advance copy from Serpentine Books. 

Singapore Killer - Murray Bailey

Ash Carter returns in another action packed adventure from the fertile pen of Murray Bailey. I don’t know how he does it. You think there’s nowhere left to go. You think there’s nothing new he can come up with. But he does. This story sees Ash, still in Singapore, investigating a helicopter crash where two people die. More deaths follow as the elusive BlackJack continues to target military personnel.

I enjoy reading subsequent stories in a series because you feel as if you’re catching up with an old friend. Ash Carter is a good man to have on your side in a pinch. He’s fearless, resourceful, and honourable.  I was delighted to make his acquaintance again. 

The plotting is immaculate. There was one detail I thought had been overlooked. Silly me! All tied up nicely by the end. The attention to detail is thorough and effective enhancing the experience of a location unfamiliar to most of us I would think. So you can enjoy the Singapore landscape, vicariously through Bailey’s writing as you accompany Ash on his search for the truth. The mood is atmospheric and whilst the story is very much plot driven nuances and aspects of character and personality run subtly alongside the narrative. 

Murray Bailey puts the ’thrill’ into ‘thriller’.  It’s an enjoyable, fast paced action story that is satisfying on so many levels. Some well needed adventure to escape into in these pandemic, lockdown ridden times. My thanks to Murray for a signed copy of the book.