Death Awaits in Durham - Helen Cox

 It’s the cosy crime Queen of Yorkshire’s fourth Kitt Hartley novel. But on this occasion it’s a less than cosy Durham that provides the setting for this dark and complex tale of a student who mysteriously disappeared a year ago.

Fans of the series will welcome another chance to engage with the indomitable Kitt, keen to see if her relationship is still progressing, and happy to reacquaint themselves with Evie and Grace. Evie has much less presence in this tale but the wonderful Grace is in the forefront. Grace was always one of my favourite characters so I was thrilled to find her playing such a prominent role this time. And it’s all I can do not to divulge the conclusion, suffice to say it’s made me very happy for the future of the series.

It’s no spoiler as the blurb confirms that in addition to her role as librarian in York Kitt is now a bona fide Private Investigator! The great thing about recurring characters is that you can launch straight into the story with a depth of previous knowledge that renders the characters, friends almost (or do I need to get out more?! But, hey, I’ m reading this in lockdown!).

‘When librarian and budding private investigator Kitt Hartley visits her ex-assistant Grace Edwards in Durham, she soon learns of an unsolved murder.

A year ago Jodie Perkins, a Mechanics student, disappeared after her student-radio broadcast was cut short with a deafening scream. The police suspect Jodie was murdered although her body was never found.

Keen to be on the front line of one of Kitt's investigations, Grace convinces Kit to use her recent private investigator training to solve the mystery. Can Kitt and Grace uncover the truth?”

As you might expect the plot is complex and the denouement gradual with the dramas unfolding one by one until they reach a crescendo towards the end. There’s some tension, some light hearted moments, but this is less cosy, a tad darker, perhaps, than the previous books but progression is essential to keep an audience on their toes. It’s an art in so called cosy crime to strike the right balance.

This whole series has developed into entertaining reads, not over demanding of the reader but complex enough to send you floundering down several blind alleys and finding yourself wryly chuckling at yourself when the identity of the perpetrator is finally divulged. Sometimes more ‘whodidn’tdoit’ than ‘whodunnit’!

And guess what? Book 5 is on its way, this April! Yay!

My thanks to Ella Patel at Quercus books for a gifted copy of the book and a chance to participate in the social media blast.

Madam - Phoebe Wynne

 We seem to be in a time where contemporary literature celebrates the role of women from the Ancient Greeks’ legends and myths. I’m thinking of Pat Barker, Madeline Miller and, of course, Natalie Haynes but what Phoebe Wynne has done in this, her debut, novel is use the ancient stories to run alongside a different kind of tale for which I will coin the word ‘gothstopian’ ! The chilling premise of Caldonbrae Hall is divulged like an agonisingly slow drip feed for poor Rose Christie, vocational  teacher of Classics. Think The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie meets The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Secret History meets the Stepford Wives but ultimately finds a voice of its own.

‘For 150 years, Caldonbrae Hall has loomed high above the Scottish cliffs as a beacon of excellence in the ancestral castle of Lord William Hope. A boarding school for girls, it promises that its pupils will emerge ‘resilient and ready to serve society’.
Into its illustrious midst steps Rose Christie, a 26-year-old Classics teacher and new head of department. Rose is overwhelmed by the institution: its arcane traditions, unrivalled prestige, and terrifyingly cool, vindictive students. Her classroom becomes her haven, where the stories of fearless women from ancient Greek and Roman history ignite the curiosity of the girls she teaches and, unknowingly, the suspicions of the powers that be.
But as Rose uncovers the darkness that beats at the very heart of Caldonbrae, the lines between myth and reality grow ever more blurred. It will be up to Rose – and the fierce young women she has come to love – to find a way to escape the fate the school has in store for them, before it is too late.
Perfect for fans of Margaret Atwood and Madeline Miller, Madam is a darkly feminist tale with an electrifying cast of heroines you won’t soon forget.’

Brooding, suspenseful, frustrating, as Rose seems to bang her head against so many brick walls. Secrets and disciplines beyond our contemporary belief that make the covid-19 lockdowns seem like summer vacations. Hard to believe this is a debut work the narrative flows so seamlessly and the tensions and frustrations are racked up as Rose and the reader battle their wits against the Teflon bastion of a dogmatic regime that defies belief.

The parallel flaws of both pupils and staff run alongside each other subtly giving Rose complex cerebral conundrums. Perceived friendships and rapports in both camps seems fragile, vulnerable and give the narrative a sustained sense of unease. The paradox of a contemporary world running parallel with a world functioning on an archaic set of values where the female teachers are called “Madam” and the male teachers ‘Sir’.

Rose is the focus, the pivot and the reader is drawn along with her, and to her, willing her to succeed with both her students and her colleagues. We feel with her the edginess of the manipulation she’s subjected to. But she remains strong, purposeful and refuses to remain silent. Her use of Classic Greek stories that nestle into the narrative and augurs what lies ahead reinforcing  the feminist principles embedded in the novel.

For me there was always the sense of being forced slightly out of kilter, off centre all the way through the book. The hierarchy of the school seemed sinister and their intent, their control, or desire to control, staff and pupils was chilling. And redemption? Was there any? Read the book for I’ll not give anything away!

My thanks to Quercus Books for a gifted proof by an exciting new author.

Residuum - Dominic Dulley Social Media Blast

When I signed up to this social media blast I felt faintly guilty because I could see this was the third in a series and I hadn’t read the first two. Well, I reasoned, it’s useful to see if a book which forms part of a series can also be enjoyed as a standalone story. Would my not reading the first two books prove to be detrimental to my reading of the third. Know what? I haven’t the faintest idea. Couldn’t tell you. Because in the end I just couldn’t do it. I went ahead and bought the previous two stories, Shattermoon and Morhelion and read them. So there! 

The whole series is called The Long Game. And I’m hoping it’s just that. And that we’re not stopping with a mere trilogy. Because I’m hooked. Lined. Sinkered. 2021 has been the year I’ve rediscovered my sci-fi mojo and I’m loving every parsec, every alien world, every orbit and star system I’ve come across. Naïvely I  used to have the view that science-fiction was easy to write. (I have a couple of unfinished sci-fi novels languishing in my attic.) I figured that you didn’t have to do the hours of research that you might need for, say, an historical novel. Wrong. You’ve got to make the science work. You’ve got to make it plausible in an implausible situation. That’s a skill. And Dominic Dulley has it.

At the heart of all of these books is Orry Kent. She is what I like to call a “Houdini heroine“ because she ends up in these seemingly inextricable situations and every time you think she’s not going to make it but she does. Of course she does. You wouldn’t have three books if she didn’t! But it’s nailbiting stuff. And she is a very credible heroine.You’re always rooting for her. Always hoping it will work out. 

 

Let's head to blurbsville.

‘Orry Kent just wants a quiet life - but even a little R&R on the holiday planet of Halcyon turns wild when she accidentally sparks off a revolution amongst the downtrodden native workers. 

But that's small beer compared with the news footage being broadcast across the Ascendancy, showing Orry murdering the man she saved just six months earlier and destroying the Halstaad-Mirnov Institute, the heart of research into the aeons-dead alien race called The Departed. 

With her brother Ethan, the irascible spacedog Captain Mender and his intelligent spaceship Dainty Jane, not to mention the Kadiran exile Quondam, she sets off to prove her innocence. It's just a shame that means teaming up with the woman she loathes more than anyone else in any universe: the space pirate and criminal mastermind Cordelia Roag.

For it's not just Orry's freedom at stake now: a long-dormant planet-eating plague has been triggered and there's only one thing that can stop it.‘

Residuum continues with the personnel from the previous two books. But I think you get an idea of the characters’ personalities, and functions within the story even if you haven’t read the first two. I have read the first two. Did I mention that? 😉 The characters are diverse and compliment each other in that diversity. They all bring something to the overall narrative. There's a range of ages, genders, species, even. And Dulley makes excellent use of the vastness of the universe as he introduces us to even more new worlds and aliens, who aren't actually aliens because they're on their own planets and star systems, but you know what I mean?! There are villains around every corner. You are never quite sure who can be trusted and who should be avoided. And there are the most wonderful alien creations. And planets with the most incredible landscapes and atmospheres. It’s  escapism. It’s a book to lose yourself in for 500 odd pages and wonder where the time went for you’ve got yourself so absorbed in these interstellar worlds.

Books like these won’t win the Booker prize. I don’t think they’re ever intended to. This is pure, unadulterated entertainment. It’s the age-old recipe of goodies versus baddies. Heroes and villains. Good triumphing over evil. If you’re a Star Wars fan you’re going to love them. I venture to suggest that Mr Dulley is word perfect, particularly on Star Wars episode three, A New Hope! I was chuckling myself silly at some of the dialogue. It’s action packed, it’s clever, it’s detailed and you need to keep up and you need to pay attention. There are many factions involved in the numerous skirmishes that occur throughout the book and, I hope this isn’t a spoiler, there are quite a lot of dead bodies. 

It was with some reluctance that I returned to earth and lockdowns and pandemics. So if you’re looking for something to take you out of that mindset this very well might be the book you’re looking for.

My thanks to Ella Patel and Jo Fletcher Books for a gifted copy. And of course for a place upon the social media blast. I’m keen to see what my blogging colleagues thought of the book.

Space Hopper - Helen Fisher

 ‘ Although Faye is happy with her life, the loss of her mother as a child weighs on her mind even more now that she is a mother herself. So she is amazed when, in an extraordinary turn of events, she finds herself back in her childhood home in the 1970s.  Faced with the chance to finally seek answers to her questions – but away from her own family – how much is she willing to give up for another moment with her mother?’

 An interesting premise that at once makes you think of Mitch Albom but there is something very British about this tale of grief. The title is a subtle play on words and I’m offering no spoilers hopefully for it gives you a kind of clue as to what happens. But you won’t hear it from me! There are rather touching childhood references in the book that persuade the reader that it will be a whimsical work and the stuff of imagination, fantasy even.

There is a lot to digest thematically, from explorations of grief and bereavement to relationships with spouse, parent, child and friends. There is also some astute considerations of how the child who becomes a parent can rethink their relationships with both their own parent and their own children. It’s moving, particularly if you can relate directly to some of the situations and emotions covered in the book. I was rendered tearful a couple of times, I will admit. 

I am struggling hard not to give anything away but there is a part of the book that has had me thinking for ages. It relates to one’s various selves I guess. And something none of us will ever be given the opportunity to do, unless it’s within the pages of a book,  is to interact in a meaningful way with any of our previous selves. I do that hope that’s not a spoiler.

I guess there may be some readers who are questioning Faye’s motivation. When she has what she has how could she risk that? It was another one of the burning questions that made me wonder -  how many of us would do what Faye did? 

I enjoyed the way that the author avoided the potential temptation to go down a saccharin and a sentimental path. I think that would’ve been easy to do but it never happens. Faye is very real because we are invited to see her,  flaws and all. It’s a good contrast between her and husband Eddie, who, whilst is not exactly flawless is in possession of some stunning qualities shall we say! I also enjoyed the dynamic between Faye and her blind friend Louis. The author puts her experience working for the RNIB to very good use and offers the reader an additional dimension to think about.

I think there will be readers who will struggle to suspend disbelief on a tale like this. But if you can,  and if you can let yourself go and allow yourself to be enveloped in this unique situation it’s a captivating story that will transport you out of the humdrum and to somewhere where it's more 'space HOPER' than Space Hopper. 

My thanks to the team at Simon and Schuster for my gifted proof.

The Vagabond Mother - Tracey Scott-Townsend - Blog Tour

 Don’t you just love the word “vagabond”? It’s a deeply satisfying word to say out loud. And sometimes that’s all it takes to endear me to a book before I’ve even read it.! But whatever title Tracy Scott-Townsend might have given this book I would have enjoyed it. 

‘All Maya Galen wanted was a happy family, stifling her inner urges to explore the wider world for the sake of being there for her children. But parenting with her husband, Con, wasn’t always easy. Their eldest son, Jamie, broke off all contact some years ago and now Joe, the apple of her eye, has done the same after an argument with his parents about his chosen way of life. Maya and Con are left rattling around ‘The Cottages’ – their enormous home in a Lincolnshire village, wondering what they did wrong. When they are called to Australia to identify the body of a young man, Maya is given her son’s journal. After a sleepless night, she makes the decision to follow in her youngest son’s footsteps and become a vagabond, leaving her husband and daughters to return to the UK without her. From now on she needs to rely on her own physical and emotional strength. Following Joe’s hand-drawn maps and journal entries, Maya travels from Australia to Denmark and beyond, meeting many young people like Joe along the way and trying to discover what it means to be alive. As months turn into years she can’t bear to go back to the oppression of her perfect home. Slowly, she comes to understand that what she is discovering is her most basic human self. Another family crisis, involving one of her twin daughters, eventually forces Maya to return home. As she treads carefully through the wreckage of her marriage, unfinished business is tied up and the family once again becomes complete, but in a different way from before.’

Having previously read the Eliza Doll I was familiar with the author’s style and there seemed to be some recurring themes and locations, although the story itself is very different. Using a variety of techniques - from journal entries, emails and straightforward narrative storytelling the novel looks predominantly at Maya’s journey but also we have the perspectives of her two sons Jamie and Joe. Fragments of a family. The reader is invited to consider just what family is. What binds and what can sever those binds. There were times when I was reminded of David Nicholls’ ‘Us’ and also of Cheryl Strayed’s  ‘Wild’ - if you can imagine a fusion of those two books it gives you some idea of the flavour of The Vagabond Mother. But it would be a disservice to allow a  critique to hang solely upon comparison with other works. This story takes those themes and runs with them along some different tangents. And it does so very well becoming its own ‘person’ if you can say that of a book!

Maya’s journey, although punctuated with heartbreak, is ultimately an uplifting one. What I particularly enjoyed about the book was that it showed how one person’s journey does have a knock-on effect on the lives of others and I enjoyed the way the book explored how those issues were ultimately resolved. I suppose there may be those who feel that what Maya did was selfish. But how far do you put your own development and aspirations on hold for fear of disturbing the equilibrium of the family unit? Maya’s journey was a journey of self-discovery but it was also about healing and finding answers. I suppose the other question the book poses is where does “love“ come in,  all of these relationship gymnastics. The reader journeys along with Maya and all these questions punctuate the narrative as we travel across borders and time zones.

It’s confident writing. Characters are defined and assert themselves in the mind of the reader. The author shows a perception for understanding people, young and old. And the research is thorough. So much so that I’d love to ask the author if she actually did backpack her way through some of the locations described so palpably! You can hear the night sounds. You can feel that frisson of anxiety of not knowing where you might sleep or eat. You can sense the ‘unwashedness’ ! But most of all you can experience a sense of freedom. Of being unshackled by the trappings of the material world. It’s very refreshing.

And so you have a story. A fictional story to be sure. But you also have some philosophy and some material to get you musing on the meanings of life and love.

My thanks to Kelly Lacey and the lovebooks group for a place upon the blog tour and for a gifted copy of this book. I remain a Tracy Scott Townsend fan.

Buy link 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vagabond-Mother-Tracey-Scott-Townsend/dp/1916489648

The Library of Unrequited Love - Sophie Divry - translated by Sian Reynolds

‘One morning a librarian finds a reader who has been locked in overnight.

She begins to talk to him, a one-way conversation full of sharp insight and quiet outrage. As she rails against snobbish senior colleagues, an ungrateful and ignorant public, the strictures of the Dewey Decimal System and the sinister expansionist conspiracies of the books themselves, two things shine through: her unrequited passion for a researcher named Martin, and an ardent and absolute love for the arts.

A delightful divertissement for the discerning bookworm…’

This utterly charming novella, a debut novella to boot, will take no time at all to read but the thoughts and philosophies contained within will likely stay with you forever. Especially if you are of that extraordinary species - the bookworm.

Sensitively translated by Sian Reynolds this presents, almost, as a monologue of spontaneous prose, stream of consciousness outpourings from someone, possibly on the spectrum somewhere, to a captive audience. You get a sense that the protagonist experiences a sense of relief at having verbalised all that she contains within herself. The observations are of an intelligent, yet dissatisfied, person determined to make full use of an opportunity to vent all her frustrations and longings. We never get to learn anything of her ‘audience’  - this reader locked in the library overnight! I’m sure there’s a follow up story there too! Eh? Sophie Divry?

But we learn much of our narrator from her passionate opinions. There are some pithy observations that hit the nail right on the head and no shortage of wit. And I defy the book lovers among us not to be nodding sagely at some of her comments.

‘Love, for me, is something I find in books. You're never alone if you are surrounded by books’

‘To all those men and women who will always find a place for themselves in a library more easily than in society, I dedicate this entertainment’

And as well as being a book for the bookworm I guess it’s also a book for the librarian -

‘Being a librarian isn't an especially high-level job, I can tell you. Pretty close to being in a factory. I'm a cultural assembly line worker.’

I would love to hear some feedback from librarians who have read this book.

I won this book in a giveaway from Maclehose Press. There are many ways to be a winner. Reading this book is one of them!



 
 

Asking for a Friend - Andi Oshi

 ‘No woman gets left behind

Three best friends are going to solve their relationship woes once and for all

Forty-something Jemima’s life is on track – well, sort of. All she has to do is muster the courage to bat her niggly ex away for good.

Twenty-something Meagan is in the midst of her five-phase plan and is nearly ready for phase three – a relationship.

While thirty-something Simi has had more it’s not yous than any I dos.

Deciding it’s time to play the dating game by their own rules, they’re going to ditch the dating apps and ask people out in real life. The catch? They’re playing matchmaker and can only ask out potential dates for each other because the most important rule is that no woman gets left behind.

This fits very nicely into the rom com genre. If you’re a fan of that genre you’re going to love this. It’s fast paced. It’s witty. There are one or two laugh out loud moments. And as the blurb tells us it offers an interesting premise. All three women are very different and their characters are well defined so that you can see how some things work and some things don’t. There’s also a sterling cast of bit players with some lovely, comedy cameo moments. But it’s a celebration of strong, female friendships. I hope this isn’t a spoiler but I wonder how many of us would cut short a  trip in LA and fly back because one of our friends has split up with her boyfriend?

Overall it’s pretty lighthearted. In some instances outcomes are predictable but it’s one of those stories where they need to be or you would feel incredibly hard done by. Predictability can sometimes be offered as a criticism. I don’t think that’s always fair because although you can see what is pretty much going to happen it’s how it happens that’s the point. It’s how it happens that is the entertaining part. I think it offers the reader the kind of unspoken bond with the author. It is if we both know where this is going but our silly protagonists just can’t!

But for all its lightheartedness there is an underlying  more solemn  message about peoples’ insecurities, their fears and apprehensions, lack of self belief and the things we all do to protect our battered hearts and retain control of ourselves. That means we doesn’t always make the right choices and decisions. But ultimately it’s a heartwarming book and should uplift the willing reader . And........ allow me to let you into a little secret! I don’t normally do romcom. 😉

My thanks to HQ at HarperCollins for a gifted proof and a spot upon the blog tour.