Body Language - A.K.Turner

 Well, hello and how do you do you, Cassie Raven! Hello, and how do you do, A. K. Turner! Now then, A.K. I’m going to review your book. I’m going to be pretty positive about it. But there is a condition. If I’m going to do this you have to promise me one thing? That you’re going to write some more Cassie Raven novels. Please? Is that a yes? Okay, let us proceed.

To matters of a blurbish nature……

‘For fans of Tess Gerritsen and Kathy Reichs comes a gripping debut thriller introducing Camden's most exciting new forensic investigator.

Cassie Raven believes the dead can talk. We just need to listen . . .

People think being a mortuary technician is a seriously weird job. They can't understand why I choose to cut up dead bodies for a living. But they don't know what I know:

The dead want to tell us what happened to them.

I've eviscerated thousands of bodies, but never someone I know before - someone who meant a lot to me; someone I loved.

The pathologist says that her death was an accident.

Her body is telling me differently.’

Maybe not as extreme, maybe not as intense, but maybe not too far off  Cassie Raven reminded me of Liesbeth Salander. Liesbeth is one of my literary heroines. So if Cassie Raven is like Liesbeth Salander then Cassie Raven is going to be one of my literary heroines too! Cassie is fearless and feisty. But she’s also smart, compassionate and prepared to let her actions speak louder than words.

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. There was something utterly fresh and revitalising about it and it seemed that an entire genre had been given an injection of a recreational substance we’ll call creative imagination.

The premise is original; a mortuary technician comes across the body of someone she knows. That might trigger a comparison with Silent Witness but that’s a TV show, this is a novel. And it’s very novel. It has what I like to call a ‘snowball plot’ that gathers more and more momentum as the story progresses until you feel like you’re in a snow storm so much is happening, with some delicious twists that you didn’t see coming.

This is one of those books where every character counts. None of them are for dressing, they’re all to further the narrative. And the dynamic between Cassie and the police officer Phyllida Flyte is perfect. (Raven and Flyte? Has a certain ring to it, no?) But the story is Cassie’s. It’s Cassie we’re rooting for. It’s Cassie we worry about. We know she has a back story and it’s very cleverly revealed to us throughout the entire breadth of the novel, never interfering with the main story but there in the background allowing us to get to know her even better.

It’s a meaty tale that has more dimensions than “just” the crime(s). I hope that’s not a spoiler? There is a suggestion of a spiritual/supernatural flavour. The forensic aspects of the book are absorbing and gripping. But the nature of relationships, friendships and loyalties are also explored. And even after the mystery at the heart of the book is solved we are left with a conclusion that frankly left me slightly open mouthed.

It’s confident, vibrant writing. Structurally interesting too, where chapters are numbered apart from those headed Flyte and I’m still pondering the reason for that because she does feature in some of the numbered chapters too. And isn't Cassie supposed to be the main character? Intriguing. Attention to detail fleshes out the tale offering the reader an almost visual experience. I can see this translating well to the small or even the big screen. It's a satisfying, substantial read that leaves you happy you've read it but slightly sad that you've finished it and the experience is over. Which brings me back to where I started. A.K.? More Cassie Raven please.

Thank you, Readers First, for a copy of this book. I was delighted to read it.

The Extraordinary Hope Of Dawn Brightside - Jessica Ryn

Although I erroneously published this blog post in advance, actually significantly in advance (!),  of the publication date I am delightedly to repost as I was fortunate enough to get a place on the blog tour.

A book guaranteed  to both uplift you yet not before it’s brought a tear or two to your eye. A story of hope and redemption, resilience and determination, loyalty and kindness. Just the ticket for these beleaguered times we’re living in right now. 

Homelessness is the focus and very much the ’there but for the grace of God go I’  phrase comes to mind as diverse homeless people offer, reluctantly sometimes, their stories. All cemented together by the main character’s tale, whose perfect name is Dawn Brightside. It’s a killer! (Sorry, couldn’t resist it!). But so is her story. 

Jessica Ryn creates a fusion of light hearted writing with a deadly serious intent, not a bad achievement for a debut novel. With a subject that could go down the bleak and hopeless route, Ms. Ryn has created the opposite. In fact she almost makes living in a homeless hostel seem desirable!

The hostel, St. Jude’s, is another main focus in the story managed by the almost but not quite stereotypical Grace who has her own story.  This demonstrates in no uncertain terms that whether you have a roof over your head or not your life can be a hidden turmoil. Mental health is also a major topic in the story and it is dealt with on a number of levels from the subtle to the obvious. But always with an empathic understanding that dominates the narrative. 

Dawn is quirky and eccentric, there was an almost Walter Mitty like quality to some of her optimistic dreams and aspirations. But in spite of her situation, her ability to not just put others before herself but to move heaven and earth to achieve a goal was exemplary. Would that the world contained more Dawn Brightsides. I don’t want to give away anything of the plot of course because there’s nothing worse than a spoiler. Good things and bad things happen in this book, happy things and sad things happen in this book. But ultimately the conclusion is a joyous one for nearly everybody. 

My thanks to HQ stories and Harper Collins  for an advance proof of this delightful tale and for a place upon the blog tour. Do check out what other bloggers have to say about this book.

Revolutionary Women - The Woman of the Wolf and other stories - Renée Vivien translated by Karla Jay & Yvonne M. Klein Three Rival Sisters - Marie-Louise Gagneur translated by Anne Aitken & Polly Mackintosh

Two books from a trilogy being published by Gallic Books this autumn celebrating some overlooked French women writers.

The first from Renée Vivien, who was a British poet ( real name Pauline Mary Tarn)writing in the French language and can boast of being part of Colette’s circle is an esoteric collection of short stories that have a kind of timeless quality about them as they delve into the realms of fairy tales, myths and Biblical stories. The emphasis is very much on strong, independent women and shows men as, perhaps,lesser beings! However the writing style is poetic in its execution and offers a lyrical flow to the narratives that I feel contribute to the timelessness of them. However I would perhaps add that there are elements in these stories that indicate that they were written in an age that predates our politically correct world so there may be attitudes expressed that are at odds with today’s thinking. Many of the stories have a male narrator which I found amusing although I’m not sure if I was supposed to. The vitriol was relentless! The hapless souls just didn’t ‘get it’!

As in any short story collections there are favourites. I enjoyed Prince Charming with it’s neat little twist that I didn’t see coming. I also enjoyed The Nut Brown Maid for its bold conclusion which I doubt was typical of its age. In a sense they aren’t easy stories, no matter that some are very short indeed, as there is a macabre and sometimes louche feel to the content. I find I want to use the word bizarre’ but not in a critical way. There’s a defiance to conventional reasoning which by a stretch might be a precursor to today’s psychological thriller? Part of the charm perhaps is the collection’s refusal to be pigeonholed too easily.

The second book from Marie-Louise Gagneur, a French writer and activist who wrote more than 20 novels, presents us with two stories; the titular Three Rival Sisters and An Atonement. Thematically, both stories deal with subject of love. The first reminded me of Jane Austen with an understated wit but with plenty to say regarding the attitudes of nineteenth century society towards women and marriage. Gagneur’s work is less opposed to men than Vivien’s and shows how they were almost as much victims of the age’s attitudes as women. The second story Atonement sees a man marrying for love but existing under a mantle of guilt that he may have killed his first wife. All parties suffer. Both stories have a pleasing narrative style that flows easily allowing both stories to unfold at a balanced pace with satisfying conclusions leaving the reader room to reflect afterwards.

My thanks to Gallic Books for the gift of advance copies. I anxiously await the publication of the third in the suite Violette Leduc’s Asphyxia which will be published in December.

Nine - Rachelle Dekker - Blog Tour

 ‘Zoe Johnson spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes. Now, against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn't seem to have any past at all. The girl knows only one thing: she must reach a woman in Corpus Christi, Texas, hundreds of miles away, before the government agents who are searching for her catch up to them.’

Here’s a good, tasty, twisty thriller that dips its toes into dystopian fiction, suspense and mystery yet also has some philosophies about past and person that gives you plenty to think about. Ideas about how individuals are programmed by their upbringing, genetics, environment, darker forces etc and whether that fundamental programming can be changed.  

At times I thought it overlong or was that just my impatience at wanting to find out the truth about what had happened? But it’s action packed with an intriguing cast of characters. Using a multi narrative approach with both first and third person alternating which unsettled me and I believe that was the intention for the premise of the story is unsettling and horrific. But……… I am no spoiler boiler so I will say no more.

The three main characters Zoe, Lucy and Seeley are complex individuals struggling with their pasts and, I guess, their presents. It was Zoe I warmed to the most. It was her basic compassion that allows her to become embroiled in this most unethical mess and puts her very survival in the balance.

It’s exciting and tense and even the reader finds themselves cautiously looking over their shoulder. For who can truly be trusted?

My thanks to Kelly Lacey and the LoveBooksGroup for having me aboard the blog tour and my gifted copy of the book itself. But blog tours are never for one blogger alone! Do head over to social media and check out what other bloggers to say about - Nine!

Everything Inside - Edwidge Danticat

It’s not often that you can say of a collection of short stories that they are “unputdownable”. That kind of plaudit is generally saved for tense, twisty, crime thrillers and action novels. But I really didn’t want to put this enthralling book down.

Eight stories that offer us, not just a glimpse into a culture that might be unfamiliar to us, but a window into that human condition that draws people to and away from one another. Danticat examines the leaving of one country and customs - Haiti - for another -  the US. She explores, with subtlety, the often confused and bewildering world of relationships on several levels. Also the lengths to which the human being will go to achieve their own desired ends and the consequences of such self absorption. Considerations of place and belonging, identity and family.

 With elegant prose that details not just the physical world but the emotional world too Danticat shows herself to be an astute observer of people and their motivations. This is not a book that shouts at you, rather, it delicately whispers its lingering messages that stay with you after you’ve read each story.

The stories are diverse yet the arrangement in the book works so completely and offers a cohesion to the collection overall. You feel as if these stories truly belong together. Often when I review a collection of short stories or poetry I hone in on my favourites.  But I can’t do that here because I loved them all. I will however mention the concluding story in the collection, Without Inspection. For it is unusual. It tells of Arnold who in six and a half seconds falls to his death. As he falls he is reliving those moments of his life which defined him and the life he is about to leave. Of course one can never know exactly what is going through one’s mind in a situation where foreknowledge of death is absolute so this is a work of pure imagination yet it reads completely believably. The sense of slow motion is poignant and the author cleverly allows us to know Arnold and his struggles. As we read and realise the full import of not just his loss but also the loss of those he leaves behind it is powerfully moving.

I sometimes feel the short story is an underrated genre. How often do you see a collection on the best sellers lists? Yet the skill required to achieve a point or intention in fewer words than a novel is not easy and requires an economy, not just of words, but of plot development and character exposition also. Danticat has it down to a fine art.

My thanks to Katya Ellis at riverrun and Quercus books for a gifted copy. 

The Thief on the Winged Horse - Kate Mascarenhas

This is one of those books where I feel that no matter what I write it won't do it justice or even convey half of what I actually feel after reading it. So I apologise in advance! It was also one of those books that I had one of my 'feelings' about.  I knew before I even opened it that I'd love it. And whilst that may seem an irrational and foolhardy thing to say it is absolutely true. It's happened on several occasions, and I love the feeling!

So what is it about this book that is so special? If you read the Psychology of Time Travel you'll know how meticulous, how complex and how precise yet expansive is the plotting of Kate Mascarenas. That book blew me away with the premise alone let alone the execution of the story. There is always the danger when an author follows up a laudable debut novel with that difficult second one that it might show the first one to have been a 'one hit wonder'. Relax. It isn't so. Not at all. The Thief on the Winged Horse serves to show that Ms. Mascarenas is here to stay. Why? Number one, it's consummate storytelling. To me it shows a writer who has an instinctive ability to weave a tale of complexity with characters of dimension and mystique. Number two, it's so well written. The narrative flows flawlessly, substantially, satisfying the readers' need for information and elucidation but not so much that you figure out the ending right at the beginning. It's as if you are captured within the magic.



Now to all matters blurbish -

'A dazzling mixture of crime, romance, magic and myth from the author of the bestselling The Psychology of Time Travel. 

The Kendrick family have been making world-famous dolls for over 200 years. But their dolls aren't coveted for the craftmanship alone. Each one has a specific emotion laid on it by its creator. A magic that can make you feel bucolic bliss or consuming paranoia at a single touch. Though founded by sisters, now only men may know the secrets of the workshop.

Persephone Kendrick longs to break tradition and learn the family craft, and when a handsome stranger arrives claiming doll-making talent and a blood tie to the Kendricks, she sees a chance to grasp all she desires.

But then, one night, the family's most valuable doll is stolen. Only someone with knowledge of magic could have taken her. Only a Kendrick could have committed this crime...'

'Crime, romance, magic and myth'? Couldn't have put it better myself?! And all these elements are balanced to offer an exhilarating reading spectrum. It’s multi plotted almost but the plots intertwine cohesively. And for the reader who likes to have something to go away and think about, ponder outcomes, reflect on what comes after when they've reached the last pages there's plenty.

Something I loved was the fusion between what appeared to be an almost historic fiction, fairytale, folklore type story but it was clearly set in modern times with references to mobile phones etc. And yet all the time I felt I was transported to some other world. The magic of magical realism. And if 'Time Travel' was dominated by the world of women this story seems to be the reverse where men play the controlling roles, or try to.

There are some fascinating characterisations. Larkin and Briar, Sephy and Hedwig, it was as if they were yin to each others yang. Contradictions. Because of the closeted community in which they were functioning their traits seems all the more apparent. There is a really useful dramatic personae at the beginning of the book to assist the reader in understanding the lineage of the Kendricks. Missing from that is the titular thief who is a master stroke offering a fairy tale quality that permeates the whole narrative.

The use of dolls in fiction and literature is not new yet it is never a device that loses its impact. For many dolls play a role in the socialisation of children, others see a more cultural bias. In this story the endowment of the dolls with specific emotions is a dazzling and original premise.  I'm pretty sure this captivating tale will find its way  to my top ten books of the year.

My thanks to Georgina Moore for gifting me a proof.

A Testament of Character - Sulari Gentill

 Oh my days! This is apparently the tenth Rowland Sinclair mystery but it is my first. Given how much I’ve enjoyed this one, it won’t be my last. I can’t believe how I’ve missed this series up till now. With a cover that reminded me of the British Library’s Crime Classics series I dived in this story and was immediately struck by its ‘classic crime’ feel. It’s historic crime. This story is set in 1930’s USA but Rowland and his friends are Australian. Their camaraderie was delightful. It kinda reminded me of the Famous Five or Secret Seven but for grown ups.

In spite of the fact that this is the tenth in a series it didn’t matter that I hadn’t read any of the others. If there were references to previous stories there was no impact on the enjoyment of this one. But it has made me keen to know more about Rowly, Milton, Clyde and Edna. I guess the previous books are probably set in other places as the quartet hail from the Antipodes. Rowland is a worthy hero. He’s fearless and quite the gentleman with a knack for some analytical thinking that gets mysteries solved. He’s loyal to his friends and seemed unerringly polite to his enemies!!


‘In fear for his life, American millionaire Daniel Cartwright changes his will, appointing his old friend Rowland Sinclair as his executor.

Soon murder proves that fear well founded.

When Rowland receives word of Cartwright's death, he sets out immediately for Boston, Massachusetts, to bury his friend and honour his last wishes. He is met with the outrage and anguish of Cartwright's family, who have been spurned in favour of a man they claim does not exist.

Artists and gangsters, movie stars and tycoons all gather to the fray as elite society closes in to protect its own, and family secrets haunt the living. Rowland Sinclair must confront a world in which insanity is relative, greed is understood, and love is dictated; where the only people he can truly trust are an artist, a poet and a passionate sculptress.’

The novel moves along at a cracking pace such that it could be easy to disregard the wealth of research and detail that has gone into the creation of an authentic 1930’s Boston and New York. Not to mention a spider’s web of a plot that has you suspecting the innocent and ignoring the guilty! Or was that just me? ;-)

Lots of action but also some emotion, maybe a little moral philosophy. And I loved the inclusion of real people and the part they played in the story. Scott Fitzgerald for example and Randolph Hearst. It’s a deceptive book for it was very easy to read yet there is nothing frivolous or superficial about it. I enjoyed the structure with each chapter being prefaced with an item of news relevant in some way to the action within that chapter. Again easy to forget the research that went into that.

Reading this has been an entertaining and absorbing experience which I am keen to repeat with some further Rowland Sinclair mysteries.

My thanks to the Crime and Mystery Club for my gifted copy.

Happiness is Wasted on Me - Kirkland Ciccone - Blog Tour

 Whilst the title of this book might not be the most uplifting one you’ve ever come across the resulting work is a kind of roman de clef novel that will have you laughing and crying in equal measure. It may be presumptuous of me to assume that this is autobiographical but somehow I have an instinctive feeling that a lot of it is. You can’t write about events and feelings such as these with the depth and humanity achieved here unless you’ve at least touched upon some of them from the inside. 

‘Cumbernauld was built to be the town of the future...that is, if the future looked like a really rubbish episode of Doctor Who. It's also home to Walter Wedgeworth, a child stuck in a uniquely dysfunctional family controlled by the tyrannical Fishtank, whose CB Radio aerial is a metal middle finger to all the neighbours on Craigieburn Road. When 11-year-old Walter discovers the corpse of a baby inside a cardboard box, he resolves to ignore it, pretend it didn't happen. He knows the price of being a grass. But the child's fate haunts Walter, bringing him into conflict with the world around him. Walter's journey will lead him from childhood to adulthood; school, college, bereavement, Britpop, his first job, Blackpool, the Spice Girls, feuds with his neighbour, and finally...face-to-face with a child killer. Taking place in the 90s, Happiness Is Wasted On Me is a genre-blending tale that spans a decade in the life of Walter. It's a coming of age tale, a family drama, a mystery, and a biting dark comedy. Ultimately, it's the story of how even the strangest people can find their way in the world.’

The overriding emotion that engulfed me after reading the book was similar to that feeling I had after reading Rachel Elliott’s Do Not Feed the Bear and Ronan Hession’s Leonard and Hungry Paul. Why? Because it’s about somebody who potentially doesn’t fit in. Somebody who won’t willingly follow the crowd or run with the flock. Somebody who is unique and true to themselves.

And a novel has been created about a character with those characteristics. Walter Wedgeworth and his dress sense will have you smiling. His early childhood experience, finding the dead baby, will have you weeping. Weeping because of what it does to him and how it impacts upon the years of his growing up. Cringing too, at times, because of the dysfunctional family set up he is trapped inside. But although this all sounds very dark it’s not ultimately a depressing book. There are redemptions. And Walter emerges, certainly can’t say unscathed, but he emerges as a richer person and I’m not just talking financially!

Thematically the book covers numerous issues. And that makes it hard to pin down to any one specific genre. Good! Life is not a specific genre. Life covers numerous issues. And this is a story about one boy’s life, or 10 years of it.

The narrative has a pleasing flow to it. Conversational almost at times. But the reader is always rooting for Walter. It’s Walter who is telling the tale. It’s Walter’s take on events that the reader is treated to. Sometimes it strikes you as if it’s one of your mates telling you an anecdote, a protracted anecdote to be sure! But Ciccone has created that sense that the reader is being confided in. No one else is party to these thoughts and events. Which makes it both an immersive and inclusive read.

Any book that defies “genrelisation” is a brave book. Because it’s human nature to want to compartmentalise things neatly. Sometimes not being able to do so makes people uncomfortable. So a story like this is wonderful because it’s basically saying it doesn’t matter. You can be different and you can make your way.

I hadn’t come across this author before I read this book. Here’s a little info about him. 

‘ Kirkland Ciccone is a fat punk, author, and performer who has toured across the country in theatres, libraries, and schools. From the moment his mother sent him up to the Post Office with the Family Allowance book, Kirkland knew books would loom large in his life. One of his first jobs was a psychic consultant, that is if telling everyone they were going to meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger counts as seeing the future. He has guested on Janice Forsyth’s Culture Café (BBC Radio Scotland) and Scotland Tonight (STV). He has also appeared at several festivals including The Edinburgh Book Festival, ReImagination, and Tidelines. With the help of Cumbernauld Theatre, Kirkland also set up Yay YA, a book festival to encourage teens to get off their phones and read books. Other live shows include A Secret History of Cumbernauld, Kirkland Ciccone Plays Pop, and The Dead Don’t Sue. He has previously written quirky fiction for younger readers including Conjuring The Infinite and Glowglass. He hails from Cumbernauld, the world-famous 'ugly' town of Scotland.’

Happiness Is Wasted On Me is his first novel for adults. It's out in October 2020 because of Covid-19.

Buy Link 

https://amzn.to/3jBqAMZ

My thanks to Kelly Lacey at the Love Books Group for an opportunity to read this entertaining novel and a place upon the blog tour.