The Cruelty - Scott Bergstrom

May I begin by saying how much I enjoyed reading this. It was fast paced, tight, exciting, not a page turner exactly, but the momentum was absorbing and the whole experience bordered on exhilarating. 

And I start on that positive note because that’s the easy bit!! This novel is categorised as belonging to the YA genre. I guess you need to define exactly what is meant by YA. Wikipedia defines it as being for readers from 12 - 18. Although it goes on to say that some authors and readers define it as being  written for 15 - early 20s. The protagonist is 17 years old when this story begins. Maybe that’s all that qualifies it? But the genre defining has caused some mild controversy due to Mr. Bergstrom’s, possibly ill-advised comments regarding Young Adult fiction  n an interview and a perceived contempt for existing dystopian YA work. Hashtags such as #MorallyComplicatedYA have populated social media with some angry responses from YA readers towards Bergstrom even before The Cruelty was published! Now I’m an OA (old adult) and my reading matter is not genre governed. I don't care who the intended audience is, if I want to read a book I’ll read it!! I have enjoyed both YA and dystopian fiction but the real problem for me is that I don't believe this belongs in the Young Adult category. If this book were a film I suspect it may be given an 18 certificate due to the violence and adult themes. I think overall it is an adult book. I can think of several youngsters I wouldn't want reading it.

So in order to qualify exactly why I enjoyed it all of the above needed to be ‘got out of the way’ as it were, to clear the air and proceed with an open mind. 

The main character, Gwendoline Bloom, is a teenager, a remarkably resourceful one and living a charmed life considering all her brushes with spies, CIA and Mafia heavies. But she was difficult to engage with as a character because it seem to me that she was functional to the plot. But that could go for all of the characters. They were defined and developed only as far as the plot demanded. More two dimensional than one but I would have liked three!! Gwendoline, through no fault of her own, is being compared to Katniss Everdeen, Tris Prior even Lisbeth Salander - publicity blurb comparisons only I hasten to add. Relax. Katniss, Tris and Lisbeth are all safe on their literary pedestals. 

The plot is excellent. Very gripping with sufficient detail to tantalise and carry the reader along without being predictable although there was an element of certain situations being contrived. But it’s a story, a fiction and thats part of the fun. It’s action packed and entertaining. I can see it translating well to the big screen. 

There is some ambiguity but I sense the way has been paved for a sequel. Will I read it?

Be cruel not to.

Foxlowe - Eleanor Wasserberg

A debut novel can be a joy to behold. I always find myself excited at the prospect. But they are something of a lottery. This debut was a most disturbing read, a kind of domestic dystopia on our doorstep. In some ways the unfolding of the story in all its gothic horror denies you, initially, to actually appreciate the quality of the writing which was atypical of many debut works. It flows economically yet expressively and creates an atmosphere that is unnerving throughout. 

The book explores the concept of the ‘cult’ and it’s effect on the individual. Again because the story itself dominates the consciousness of the reader it is only after reading that one pauses to consider the events in their wider implication. The cult commune of Foxlowe struggle in many ways to reconcile their individual selves alongside their cult selves with tragic consequences. Which causes me to question why people join cults in the first place. A dissatisfaction with their own lives and selves or a wider dissatisfaction with the society they’re living in.

The book is narrated by one of the younger cult members, Green, and so we are seeing the events unfold through her eyes only. I found this occasionally frustrating because I wanted to understand matters from some alternative perspectives. As with many cults a lore of language and tradition bordering on the obsessive rule the lives of the members and woe betide any transgressions especially from the younger members. And as one might expect, or would there even be a story, things do not progress swimmingly. 

The pathos is heightened when you consider the idealism and idyllic intention behind the forming of this cult which might work if all pulled together equally. But personalities intrude and conspire and divide to prove more chaos than idealism. And brainwashing and conditioning do a thorough job.

The final part of the book is quite horrific. Most unsettling. This is a joyless read so if you’re looking for upliftment you probably want to steer clear. But if you don’t mind being challenged emotionally and cerebrally give it a read. 

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward - H P Lovecraft

When a freshly published copy of an H P Lovecraft book plummets on to your door mat you begin to wonder if the great man himself has managed to do what many of his characters do and raise himself from the great beyond!! He sure put the ‘nec’ into ‘romancer’. It wasn’t anything I expected, something of a horror in itself!

I am not a fan of horror fiction per se. I had an adolescent phase of avidly devouring the Pan Book of Horror stories, volumes one to umpteen and gave myself plenty of sleepless nights and I did progress to Edgar Allen Poe briefly. But my dalliance with horror as a genre to pursue more or less ceased there .

But there’s horror and then there’s H.P.Lovecraft which, like Poe, is a kind of literary horror. There are no extensive, gratuitous, gruesome descriptions offered for effect rather than any real story telling intent. Instead there is a slow, insidious, unnerving atmosphere palpably created that is auto suggestive of doom and uncertainty. 

This novella tells the story of Charles Dexter Ward who explores his family tree and becomes quite obsessed with one of his ancestors Joseph Curwen. Curwen’s history is recounted in the book and he appears to be a dark, occultish, alchemist type character surrounded by unsavoury rumours of necromancy. Ward’s obsession leads him down some dark paths indeed as he tries to replicate some of his ancestor’s activities causing his family and himself much distress to say the least. And apparently this book contains the first mention of an entity who appears in the infamous Cthulhu Mythos.

Objectively it ls a competent, solid piece of writing. Given that the original publication date was 1941 there’s a curious timelessness about it. Although there is a sense of the historic novel in terms of social customs and period descriptions. The characters are functional, you never really get to know them, you just get to know what drives them. The plot is the product of an imagination which defies imagination! And its one thing to have an usual imagination but that does not always translate to accessible, readable prose. It does here. It’s a very readable book.

I imagine that devotees of Lovecraft are familiar with this fiction. The intention of republication is, I imagine, to attract a new audience to his work. I suspect there are more volumes to follow if there haven’t been already.  

Although I don’t like horror I didn’t dislike this book. Its intelligently written. And I did find it curiously compelling. In fact I’m really scared that I am going to seek out some more of Mr. Lovecraft’s books!

Sweet Oblivion - Rhiana Ramsey

As I began this book it was a bit like Fifty Shades of Grey meets Basic Instinct! Not one for the fainthearted I might stress. But without a doubt this is page turning, nail biting stuff. A white knuckle ride of a read.

It’s a debut thriller and is written by a serving police detective which allows it obvious authenticity. And as a bonus this police detective was previously a writer. Now that Ms. Ramsey has once again taken up the pen alongside the hand cuffs it seems like a combination destined for success.

Before I wax too lyrical in my praise there are flaws both on an objective and subjective level. I spotted one or two spelling mistakes and a few grammar anomalies. Hopefully if there are to be some future works the services of an editor would iron these out. I found some of the conversations between the characters contrived and adding little to character development or the plot. In my experience that isn’t uncommon in a first book. Some of the flashback passages in the story I found unpleasant and not something I wanted to read about. I totally appreciate that their inclusion were crucial to the plot in terms of allowing us to see how one of the characters had arrived at their present stage of life. (I’m trying hard not to offer any spoilers here!) But that is just my own antipathy towards certain subjects. I guess the stark nature of the revelations do allow us some compassion.

I did figure out ‘who dun it’ and I’m intrigued because I’m not sure if I was supposed to or not! So I am not automatically congratulating myself. Some writers offer that as a plot device so the reader can enjoy seeing how the police unravel the clues and arrive at the correct conclusion. It certainly didn’t detract from being gripped by the rest of the story. 

It’s as tight a plot as I’ve come across particularly in a police procedural and a debut work as well. And I really felt the first hand experience of the writer elevated the story. It made me wonder whether the genesis of this comes from first hand experience. It certainly made me stop to consider how the police deal with the effects of what they see and experience. I’m not sure I would sleep at night! But maybe Rhiana Ramsey’s motivation for writing this is a form of catharsis to cope. 

So, if you like a fast paced thriller that pulls no punches you won’t like this. You’ll absolutely love it!!

The Watcher Ross Armstrong

If I’m grumpy today, Ross Armstrong, it’s all your fault. If you hadn’t written The Watcher I might be properly refreshed after a good night’s sleep. But because I simply could not put the book down until I had finished it I am now tired, bleary eyed and …………….grumpy. So if it affects my review you’ve only yourself to blame!

As I read the opening blurb I yawned a little as the premise is not a new one, its been done before so I wondered how and if this writer might deal with it and make it different and engaging. The ‘how’ might cause me to offer spoilers which I must try not to do but the answer to the ’if’ query is, yes, he does make it different up to a point.

Opening paragraphs made me think Rear Window meets Girl on the Train but the prologue was tantalising. Crucial with a thriller because if it isn’t you can so easily lose your reader. What I also found interesting was a male writer with a first person female protagonist. Probably down to past experience but alarm bells go off in my head. However I think a very good, convincing job was done here. Much has been said and written about the differences between the male and female mind so it is always interesting to see how a writer deals with the exchanges and interactions and responses from a mind set that is not their natural one. 

The structure of the novel written in the form of one person addressing has been done before. If done well it works, be it diary, letter, journal etc, it is intriguing to wonder who the recipient is, and it also allows the writer to convey aspects of the narrative that wouldn’t work with direct unfolding of events. I liked the chapter headings which piqued my curiosity but ultimately they didn’t deliver with the impact I was hoping for. 

The novel began slowly, scene setting and allowing the reader to adjust and relax? Not for long. The pace accelerates and without wishing tor reveal too much it seems to mirror the pace of our heroine’s mind. Lily is yet another troubled character that seems to populate the so called psychological thriller so much in vogue at the moment. But without an unreliable narrator there would not be quite so much of a story. And do we enjoy reading about flawed characters because they make us feel better about our own quirks?

Once could examine the story deeply and find some social comment but there’s no compulsion to. It can be enjoyed as a darn good, debut thriller. I did piece together what had happened to a certain extent which pleases me but there were also some twists that were unexpected. That also pleases me. The conclusion isn’t one that ties up all the ends neatly. If you look for that in a novel it might disappoint but on the other hand if you want to go away thinking about what you’ve just read you’ll be delighted. 

I appreciate that I received an uncorrected, proof copy but I found mistakes in abundance and I do hope these are spotted and dealt with accordingly. It would be a shame if they find their way into the finished product.

Thanks to  Real Readers for giving me the opportunity to meet another promising novelist.Consider my appetite whetted.

The Life Assistance Agency - Thomas Hocknell

‘Bless’ was the first word that came to my mind as I started to read this book. ‘Bless’ for a debut novel and that indefinable force that pervades a writer’s first work and fills me with an emotion that is equally indefinable. Then I ceased my blessings because this guy means business!!

It’s going to be a difficult one to review without giving too much away. And if you are going to read it, which I’m sure you are, I don’t want to spoil it for you. Other reviewers have offered comparisons with Dan Brown but for me I was reminded fleetingly of Douglas Adams who surely has to be an influence? But also of Susanna Clarke’s Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange in terms of the mood and situations created. 

This is a deceptive book. On the one hand it is a witty, contemporary adventure story but on the other there are some supernatural and spiritual notions to be explored. The diary entries of the excursions into Elizabethan Europe were authentic and well paced enough to complement the present day narrative. I think it was these diary entries that so firmly reminded me of Susanna Clarke’s story. 

The relationships between the sets of male characters offer an interesting parallel which I like to think was intended rather than accidental. Historical mirrors almost. Without wishing to offer any smattering of sexism the female characters were functional rather than engaging and whilst in some situations the latent feminist in me would be strongly objecting it does seem to work here and I wasn’t unduly offended.

I have to say I did see part of the final denouement and the clues were all there for the taking. That usually makes me feel pretty smug. But the other part I didn’t see until too late!! There was something satisfyingly complete about the entire story. which I didn’t anticipate initially. 

This isn’t a book I would have selected to read left to my own devices. Nudge Books offered it to me as a maverick choice and maverick is a good word here. This is a maverick book. And I was blessed to have had the opportunity to read it.

Where Dead Men Meet - Mark Mills

Mark Mills has been on my ‘to do’ list since The Savage Garden. I know, I know, that’s years ago. I throw my hands up and fully acknowledge my tardiness. But having finally got around to ‘doing’ him again courtesy of Nudge Books it does give credence to the old adage that some things are worth waiting for.

I will begin by what is wrong with this book. The ending. That’s what’s wrong. There shouldn’t have been an ending. I didn’t want it to end, not ever, I wanted to go on reading! It’s all a thriller should be for me.

Despite the time lapse between my reading of this and The Savage Garden it was easy to return to Mr. Mill’s style of writing. There were some thematic similarities with what I had read before. There is the tried and tested formula of a young protagonist, a feisty female and a true love of Italy. And another well researched, historical, crime thriller that has you turning the page eagerly to see what happens next.

There are times when the tried and tested become cliches and there were elements in this plot  that I had a faint feeling I’d come across before. I hesitate to detail them for fear of offering spoilers but instead of coming across as cliched they gave me more a feeling of deja vu which added to the mystique of the plot as a whole.

Not for the faint hearted there are some scenes of brutality but they are important to the development of the narrative and our response to the characters. The story is tightly woven and unfolds, a thread at a time, allowing us opportunities to try and piece things together. There are no detectives in this thriller, just ourselves, the readers. There are surprises. There are elements the reader is made aware of but not the protagonists and you have a sense of wishing you could warn them what is round the corner, literally, almost!!

It’s an economic book without being brief. All the detail is necessary and there are no extraneous embellishments. Such books are a pleasure to read. The writer understands his own genre which may smack of stating the obvious but in my experience it isn’t always so. 

Mark Mills is staying put on my ‘to do’ list but I will not allow such a time lapse before I read some more of his work.