RETRO REVIEWING: Mixed bag - Una-Mary Parker, David Savill, Sally Hepworth and T.C. Greene

My retro reviewing is gradually coming to an end now and this post contains a mixed bag o' books! This 'big house' story The Fairburn Fortunes first saw the bookstands in October 2016.

Downton Abbey it ain’t…….but it’s a pleasant little read. It’s not going to set anyone or anything on fire, it’s unlikely to win any awards but I can think of worse ways to while away two or three hours on an afternoon that has forgotten it’s springtime and decides to snow!

With a Scottish setting for some of the novel this story is a sequel to ‘Fairbairn Girls’ but this book does work on its own. I was unaware of the prequel until after I had finished this tale. Unaware of the prequel? I was unaware of the author in fact!!! Many references are made to the events of the past but it is done in such a way and with sufficient detail to satisfy the reader, well, it satisfied me!! I didn’t feel a burning desire to seek out and read the prequel as there was enough to fill me in on all I needed to know so I wasn’t left annoyed that I was short changed in terms of information. 

If you are a genre fiend then I guess this is probably ‘romance’ or ‘family saga’, ‘historical’ is a tad too far even though the action does start just before the first world war. And the narrative flows with a satisfying authenticity. If you’re not it’s an undemanding read, pretty well written for its type. Much of it is predictable and in some cases contrived but whereas that usually bugs the hell out of me it didn’t here at all. It enhanced rather than diminished. It seemed to fit in with the ambience of the novel or maybe that has something  to say about the Edwardian era and beyond!!

The characters could never be described as one dimensional, they are more than that but they don’t jump out of the pages at you and indeed no reason why they should. It wouldn’t suit the style of this fiction. The Fairburn sisters are storybook girls. That may sound faintly negative initially but that isn’t my intention. It works here. I don’t think this writer has any pretensions to producing work of social comment. It’s a good old yarn.

This politically flavoured book published in April 2016 just didn't do it for me. Win some, lose some. I win mostly!!

Political Tsunami? At least not for me anyway. I didn’t enjoy this book. The civil war in Bosnia and the Thailand tsunami are linked in this political tale. I’m not a fan of politics anyway so I don’t gravitate towards politically themed books. That’s not to say I’ve never enjoyed any but the big problem with this novel was that I felt I never had a real opportunity to engage. 

The narrative weaves between locations and decades in a way that became very frustrating for me. I felt very muddled as to who we were with and when we were with them. And at certain points where I did find myself becoming engaged and involved with the fiction there was an abrupt change to a different set of people and time scale. I heaved a sigh of relief when I finished the book.

It’s a shame because I feel that underneath it all this book has a lot to say about the human condition where trauma and politics conspire to compromise and confuse that most elusive of emotions anyway - love. And it isn’t badly written although I didn’t warm to any of the characters. I felt they were there serving a purpose in the story telling. They didn’t become real for me.

So, not a book I would choose but I’m sure this writer will attract an audience. 

Published in February 2016 this was a brave fictional foray into early onset Alzheimers. Ignore the star rating. I never feel they do anything other than indicate the reader's subjectivity.

‘Preserve your memories, they’re all that’s left you.’ Thus sang Paul Simon in his song, Old Friends. But if you are suffering from Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia that doesn’t appear to be an option. Does that mean there’s nothing left? 

In the last twelve months this is the third novel I have read about the subject. The other two are Elizabeth Is Missing and Still Alice. Awareness of these illnesses has been heightened considerably in recent years so I suppose it is not surprising that it’s a subject for some writers to tackle. But I think its a brave decision. It's an emotional topic and for those folk who are maybe close to a situation comparable to the one in this book this story may hurt. But for those who have no such experience this book may educate and enlighten and as such, then, it must be a good thing. I think it is fine line between exploitation and empathy. Get it wrong and a great disservice is being done.

In common with Still Alice this deals with early onset Alzheimers and dementia in two younger people, Anna and Luke,  dispelling the stereotypical myth that these illnesses are for the elderly alone. However what separates this book from the other two is that it attempts a broader perspective than focusing solely on the situation between the two main protagonists which is the core of the book. The story is told from three different viewpoints within a wider social context, Anna, Eve who has a story of her own and Eve’s young daughter Clementine who is part of that story. The fusion between these three strands is quite well done.

There is much in this book that is tender and humorous even. I was reminded of Ricky Gervais’ series Derek!! But the humour is bittersweet.

I have struggled with my rating and in the end I have sat on the fence with three stars. Much of what happens in this book happens too quickly but I understand why. What might work in War and Peace wouldn’t work here so the writer had to keep the story flowing and moving. But it does  border on the unbelievable at times. I don’t want to be negative because there is much that is worthwhile here. Yet there is something indefinable missing. Maybe it’s me who’s missed it?

You read it. See what you think.

I was always surprised that this book didn't 'do better' than it did and reach a wider readership. It was published in March 2015.

I received an uncorrected bound proof copy of this novel from Real Readers. The writer was unfamiliar to me and given the wonderful diversity of material from Real Readers I wasn’t sure what to expect.

It was very easy to read and I completed it in a couple of sittings. You could be forgiven for thinking that a book so easily and quickly read lacks substance but nothing could be further from the truth.

The opening section begins innocuously enough. I thought it might turn out to be Fifty Shades of Lolita but the end of that first section literally leaves you open mouthed as there was nothing to prepare you for that dénouement. The problem with that is that it elevates your expectations for the remaining two parts of the book. And they do not come anywhere close to match it. That is not to say that the rest of the book is not good; it is an exposition of how we arrived with the situation at the end of part one and an attempt to tie the threads together. The whole book is very well written; the language used is elegant and paints a believable picture of Ivy League Prep school life. It is a competent piece of story telling.

And by the end you understand that it is a story of what grief and love do to individuals and how they do or do not cope. And those of us who have been to both those places sit back and nod our heads in understanding.

RETRO REVIEWING: A thriller trio - Peter Murphy, Tim Weaver and Simon Kernick

Another trio today of thrillery, crimey flavoured tales. The first, with a political bias, from Peter Murphy published in February 2014.

Politics, religion (most of the world’s ills now and throughout history caused by these disciplines?) and a liberal sprinkling of Bible belt homophobia and you’ve a recipe for an absorbing thriller.

I enjoyed this novel for its simplicity and if that sounds like a paradox, given that it is a political thriller, it isn’t. Plot wise it’s a kidnapping for political reasons, demands are given, they have to be met or circumvented, and strategies are discussed to achieve a fortuitous end. It’s straightforward. There are no attempts to be overly complex or ‘clever clever’ with intricacies to impress and befuddle, no red herrings thrust in our path,

And so the novel reaches many little peaks but no spiralling crescendos (okay, maybe one) to shock and confound.

But this is also a novel about people; their characters and relationships. their integrities and resolves (duh,test of resolve). So, as a reader I engage with the characters more than the plot. I found myself considering what I would do in these situations. That doesn’t always happen with a thriller. You read the chain of events and dénouement with a detachment, here I almost was the characters.

I found this novel refreshing and readable. So thank you again Real Readers for allowing me to spend my time so profitably.

The second, from Tim Weaver, published in August 2013, was one of the those books that I'm glad I stuck with despite my early frustrations. Although having said that it is almost unheard of for me to give up on a book. 

I must confess that when I started this latest Real Readers offering I started to get quite frustrated. There were too many time frame changes, too many different sets of characters and locations, the changes from first to third person, the change to italics, (was that because it was more important?) - I was ready to damn the book critically!!

Boy, how wrong could I be? Once I got used to that style I couldn’t put the book down. 

David Raker is unfamiliar to me as a character but I think I like him enough to read some more (apparently this is the fourth). The other characters had enough depth to elicit an emotion from me towards them. They were people rather than characters with a narrative function.

The violence was chilling but the tension was supreme all the way through to the final dénouement. I felt almost scared in places. The writing was tight yet flowing. The clues were there some were obvious, others not so which is where you get such a buzz from a thriller. When you can’t second-guess you know you have a good writer.

I don’t do spoilers but I did suspect the genesis of the cover up and I found the ending sentimental I try to avoid spoilers so I can’t specify why but for me it was unrealistic and there was a point where it was predictable. However it would appeal to the ‘happy enders’ if they read that far? It was almost as if someone else had written the final few pages. 

But there is no such thing as perfection and I happily recommend this book to thriller lovers.

I was thoroughly thrilled!!

The mystery here is how this book slipped through my blogging net since it was published and read after I had begun my blog. Published in January 2017 it is part one of a series. I have a couple more Kernicks on my TBR shelves and I'm sure I will enjoy them as much as I did this one. 

No, no, no, no, no, no. How dare you write this book, Simon Kernick? It really shouldn’t be allowed. There should be a law against it. There was I, minding my own business, thinking to myself that I’ve never read a book by Simon Kernick and that ought to change. Now look what’s happened? In one fell swoop I have been ensnared by another crime writer. And I cannot escape. I now have to seek out and find every book Simon Kernick has ever written and devour them! All.

This book was a joy to read. It’s all a good thriller should be. Edge of the seat stuff, a white knuckle ride of a read. Exquisitely paced, unbelievably gripping, there is no let up in the action and the unfolding of the plot. Yep, there’s some grisly bits and some uncomfortable passages but it seldom borders on the gratuitous and just makes you, along with the protagonists, all the more desirous of the perpetrator’s demise.

My understanding is that this book features two characters from previous Kernick novels; DI Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd, previously with the Met, ( I will read them!), and brings them together in this book and hopefully more in the future. The ending certainly suggests that. A brilliant idea and I’m not sure it has been done before.

The story opens with the disappearance of a girl in Thailand in 1990. A crime never solved. But this is more than a cold case thriller. The missing girl is just part of  the jigsaw puzzle of corruption and violence. It’s never been my style to offer lengthy summaries or précis of books. And I think it’s a tricky thing to do with a crime novel because there is danger of giving too much away, not spoilers exactly but taking a little of the impact away by offering an expectation.

I will say that the characters are believable. It has almost become stereotypical in today’s crime writing to offer police persons and detectives with flawed and quirky personalities. Ray Mason doesn’t disappoint in that department. A penchant for danger and often in the wrong place at the wrong time he seems curiously aware of these shortcomings but still manages to place himself in perilous situations.Tina Boyd is the perfect female foil for Mason. An atypical private eye she seems to be made of rubber as she bounces her way out of some hazardous states.

Many of the other characters are functional to the plot, not unbelievable, but we are not required to engage with them as we are Mason and Boyd. The nasties are suitably evil and we wish them as much harm as they inflict on others.

I commend this book to you. If you are already a Simon Kernick fan you may have a certain amount of contempt for me because you must already know how good a writer he is. But if like me you’ve never read his work before I can only suggest you do. But be warned it may place unexpected demands on your time.

RETRO REVIEWING: A duo by James Carlos Blake

An offering from Real Readers this 'Country of the Bad Wolfes', published in February 2015, was the first of Mr. Blake's Wolfe family novels. 

When I picked this book up and looked at the cover I was ready to deride the writer for his poor knowledge of plurals!! Then I understood that ‘Wolfes’ was a name NOT the animals.

This was a hearty and substantial read but not a quick one. And I enjoyed it immensely. Whilst reading the opening pages I actually considered googling the Wolfe family because it read like an historical reference book!! I soon realised they are fictional. 

This is an action packed tale that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a darn good yarn. Having said that though the amount of research is admirable and I’ve come away with a clearer picture of Mexico at the turn of the century.

It’s a very visual book, I found the descriptions allowed me to see clearly the characters and locations depicted. And the characters are accessible, no mean feat given how many of them are!

I got a bit confused with the genealogy as it seems all the mens’ names were prefixed with John so the inclusion of the family tree in each part of the book was very helpful and I referred to it often.

I suppose the amount of bloodshed might be cause concern to some people. If this were a film it would have a warning, ‘strong, frequent, bloody, violence’ But I guess these were bloody times. I was excited to read that this is the first of three books about the Wolfe family. 

Thank you Real Readers, I found this a very satisfying read, entertaining.

And not long after in July 2015 the second instalment appeared! But I think this actually the third book!! I didn't receive the second or the fourth and its always on my mind to seek them out and compete the saga. One day maybe!!

On one level I found this book incredibly disappointing and on another it was a gripping, absorbing kidnapping tale.

Disappointing because I approached it having read Country of the Bad Wolfes which I loved for its substance and history and I suppose I was expecting more of the same Wolfe family saga which I didn't get.

Instead I got a thrilling, edge of the seat story where the Wolfe involvement was almost incidental and the story would have made a darn good read with or without the Wolfes for the most part.

And so, if I can divorce myself from the initial expectation then I would have to say that I did enjoy this book very much.

Blake is a bold writer, fearless in his depiction of violence and convincing in its brutality. Not a work for the faint hearted but plenty of ingenuity and guts from the characters. An impeccably constructed human heist plan is enthralling in its precision and attention to detail. The kidnappers seem to have thought of everything and left nothing to chance. There is no sentiment in this book, no remorse. It cascades on a wave of ruthless ambition. And in the capable hands of Mr. Blake it doesn't falter for a second.

Fortunately it isn't a long book, I’m not sure I could have stood the pace if it had matched the length of the Country of the Bad Wolfes!! Of its genre it works well. It’s an entertaining if draining read!

Gallowstree Lane - Kate London

Another Kate to add to my list of ‘Writers I like Called Kate’! But Gallowstree Lane had me fooled initially because for some inexplicable reason the title conjured an image in my mind of Victorian London. I was right about London but that’s where it ended. For nothing could be further from the reality. This is very much a book of our times, raw, contemporary dealing, with similar incidents that are probably happening as I write. The author does insist at the end of the book that this is a work of fiction but given her previous career in the police I feel fairly sure that experience has fuelled her imagination significantly. 

A little research tells me that this is not the first book featuring the two female policewomen and indeed reading it infers a dynamic between the two that suggests a history. Nevertheless this book can be enjoyed as a standalone. It’s an extremely authentic and gripping police procedural where gangs, organised and knife crime merge and blur posing infinite demands on the overburdened shoulders of our main police protagonists. 

There is some attempt at the psychology of crime in the character of Ryan, maybe even some hints of how radicalisation can occur in the vulnerable. You pause to wonder how the cycle can be broken. But there’s no attempt to deflect from the hard truths and devastation that crime can produce. Plenty of action, plenty to think about and you need to stay on your toes to follow the thinking and the moral and immoral motivations of the police as well as the criminal factions!

It’s highly topical book no less relevant because it’s fiction There’s a sense of inevitability running through it. It isn’t a feel good read, nor should it be. But it’s a gripping read, you’ll be reluctant to put it down. 

Thanks to Readers’ First for a copy. 

RETRO REVIEWING: The Rat Stone Serenade - Denzil Meyrick

I love DCI Daley so this retro review gets a post all to itself! This was the first I read although it is not the first written, it's the fourth but I quickly got myself up to speed with the others. There are a couple of the others reviewed on the blog. 

Thought I smelt a rat! This is the fourth D.C.I. Daley thriller, if you’ve read the previous three. But the first if, like me, you haven’t! And it may not be my last. It had me gripped from it’s early stages. 

Deeply rooted within it’s Scottish location and customs the action takes part during the hogmanay period where the area is in the grip of an unusually fierce weather system. Snow is as much a character in the novel as all the heroes, villains and victims we encounter in its path. The actual location is the Kintyre peninsula and I apologise if I appear to know what I am talking about, I don’t, I’ve never been there. And I don’t want to. Not because I don’t believe that the natural beauty of the place would be breathtaking but because this book scared the bejesus out of me! And I can’t tell you why because that would spoil it.

There’s an ancient curse against a wealthy, privileged family and the police are required to do some protecting as some grisly events unfold that threaten just about everyone it seems. 

The plot is complicated and I’m not sure I ever really grasped all the ins and outs of it. There is  a laudable Agatha Christie type attempt to unravel and disseminate towards the conclusion. I might have been persuaded to offer five stars if the implausibility of parts of the novel had been more defined and convincing. There is nothing wrong with implausibility if it can be rendered believable. at times it fell a little short of that for me.

Jim Daley seemed to have less of a presence than some of the other police characters which, if intentional, is very clever. There’s a touch of the Jimmy Perez about him but I fear that may be my succumbing to Scottish fictional detective stereotyping. My bad. But I warmed more to some of the other personnel. 

And of the other characters? No one is quite who they seem. So it becomes unnerving when you think you have things sorted in your head and then it all get turned upside down. But isn’t that part of the pleasure of a good crime novel?

A palpable atmosphere is created throughout and the impenetrability of the weather makes you feel cold. A great read for a summer heatwave.

RETRO REVIEWING: The Girl in the Photograph - Kate Riordan

I love Kate Riordan's books. I think I've read them all except her short story, The Red Letter. This was the first one I reviewed  published in January 2015 which makes it a retro review but she gets a blog post all to herself!!! 

I wish I hadn’t read this book, I really do. Because if I hadn’t I would still have it here waiting for me to begin and become enveloped in its poignant tale of two intertwined lives.

I’m seldom an admirer of ‘book blurb’ and when I read that this story was for fans of Kate Atkinson and Kate Morton, both of whom I love, I was ready to deride the comparison. I had read The Birdcage, Kate Riordan’s first novel, a good historical novel but not up there with the Misses Atkinson and Morton. But, oh boy, how right the blurbers are!! More Morton than Atkinson but this just sucks you into the vortex of its narrative and you don't want to leave until you’ve unravelled the stories of these two women. The atmosphere created is palpable.

When Alice first arrives at Fiercombe Manor I was reminded of Daphne Du Maurier and Rebecca. It seemed, momentarily, that Mrs. Danvers was returned, incarnate, in the body of Mrs.Jelphs, appearing like a phantom at the window of Alice's room.  But any comparisons slowly ebbed away as this writer claimed her own voice within this story.

All the characters are well developed and they all serve a purpose, there’s nothing wasted here, no words, no depictions are gratuitous but that doesn’t mean that this is an economic story. The descriptions are full, rich and accessible, a juxtaposition of control and flow. 

The term of a pregnancy used to be refereed to as a confinement and this word is an apt, almost allegorical, description of the lives of both Alice and Elizabeth whose confinements go way beyond their pregnancies. And if we are going to extend this natal metaphor Alice must go full term to unravel the mystery and the history of Elizabeth Stanton. 

Thank you, Real Readers, for this book. I loved it.

RETRO REVIEWING: A Robert Olen Butler trio

The Hot Country published in 2012 was the first Of Robert Olen Butler's books that Real Readers sent my way. They were good enough to send me three more, two more Christopher Marlowe Cobb adventures and The Perfume River reviewed on this blog in 2016. Let's start with the first!

I loved this book!! From the opening sentences I was transported to the era of the Beats and when Tallahassee Slim was introduced I was walking alongside Kerouac again!

Clearly this is the work of an experienced writer who knows how to work and please his audience. I note that Mr. Butler is a Pulitzer Prize winner so he must be good!! And for me, he is.

If you like your swashes being buckled then this is the book for you. Page turning skirmishes of credible violence. But it wasn’t just blood and thunder there was an elegance to the form and style of the prose and the development of the characters that was simply so satisfying to read. It is an intelligent adventure story with enough diversity within the core of the story to keep attention and interest alert. In fact there is so much in the book that works alongside the basic tale. A treatise on relationships at several levels from filial, to lust, to love, to loyalty, to compassion.

My fear for a novel such as this is that it may be overlooked as just an historical tale of intrigue and war but it has so much more depth than that. Thank you to Mr Butler for writing this and as always thank you to Real Readers for allowing me to possess it!

Next the Star of Istanbul published in May 2015........

Real Readers was kind enough to send me a copy of The Hot Country a few months ago and I loved the book. It was the first of, what I see now will be a series of books, ‘starring’ Christopher Marlowe Cobb. So I was delighted to receive another book by Robert Olen Butler which is the second in this series with the promise of a third in the pipeline. And if Real Readers don't send that one to me then I will buy it for myself!!

I believe in the US it is referred to as ‘sophomore slump’, here in the UK ‘second album syndrome’ and whilst Mr. Butler has many novels to his credit this is the second of the Kit Cobb stories and could have fallen prey to the aforementioned predicament but it doesn’t, not in any way shape or form. So the problem in attempting a review is that I am forced almost into duplicating what I said when I reviewed The Hot Country.

It is just as good, with another well structured tale that is intelligently written, a high quality adventure story that is well paced with characters that are easy to engage with. All the clues were there to determine the final identity of the ‘baddie’. And I’m pleased to say that I did twig early on. But what was interesting was that often when you can figure the conundrum out early in the book it can make the reading of the book an anti climax. But this wasn't the case here. It was as if I had a little secret and I couldn't wait for Cobb to find out!

Again the historical details are fascinating and well researched. And in so many ways it is all a book should be if you’re looking to be entertained on a sustained level. The amount of bloodshed is possibly always going to be issue depending upon your viewpoint. But it is used here to offer up a moral dilemma on the part of, certainly, the main character so that it never becomes gratuitous. 

And so now I patiently wait for Christopher Marlowe Cobb and The Empire of the Night.

Finally The Empire of the Night published in November 2015.....

This is the third Christopher Marlowe Cobb thriller and I’m tempted to say that if you’ve read one then you’ve read them all but that sounds derogatory and that couldn't be further from my intention.

This edition, apparently, “is a special pre publication limited edition of 200 copies to mark the Robert Olen Butler UK tour”. But before you get as excited as I did the tour was in May and I missed it.

My real problem is what can I add to what I have already said in my reviews of the previous two books?  It is on a par with them, formulaic almost but without being predictable. What that does though is allow one to know what to expect from the writer. However all of these books can be enjoyed as stand alone tales. They all have a consistency within them.

What I particularly enjoyed in The Empire of Night is the development and exploration of the relationship between Kit and his mother. I thought that was very well done and captured enough emotion without being sentimental. 

Other than that, again,  it’s structured, intelligent writing from an experienced writer. A good adventure story, a war story with a purpose, some cerebral violence that never becomes gratuitous, doesn't make it pleasant though. And plenty of characters created with depth and integrity. 

It’s excellent of its genre and won't disappoint if you’re a fan of the genre, and the previous stories.