The Quick and the Read

Book Review: ‘Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency’ by Josie Lloyd

Cosy crime isn’t my go-to genre – I usually prefer something a bit darker – but I couldn’t resist this book! A fab and festive cover, a female lead character descended from famous Victorian food writer Mrs Beeton and the promise of a twisty mystery – count me in!

Thank you to Rachel Quin and HQ for my copy of the novel for review. It’s published in hardback on 24th October and would make a great Christmas present for the crime fan in your life.

The story centres on Alice Beeton, an older woman running the Good Household Management Agency – if your most famous relative is famous for the Victorian classic ‘Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management’ then why not capitalise on the connection?! Alice provides the best domestic staff to the poshest families in the UK and is known for her discretion and calm competence. Along with her dog, Agatha (named after the best crime novelist, of course), she lives in a basement flat in Kensington and focuses her efforts on her business.

When a well-to-do family need a housekeeper, Alice sends new hire Enya – a woman with perfect references and fluent French who seems ideal. However, a matter of days later, on New Year’s Day, Enya is found dead at the family home. Feeling responsible for Enya’s death, Alice gets herself involved in the police investigation led by the scruffy but slightly clueless Detective Rigby. Can she uncover the killer stalking through high society?

I absolutely loved Alice Beeton and need to read more about her! Initially, she comes across as someone whose life is very ordered and regulated – she has her dog, her flat and her business and that’s the extent of her world. However, being thrown into a murder investigation forces her to broaden her horizons and take risks – from going undercover to dealing with Detective Rigby and his charms. It’s lovely that Alice is an older woman – ‘the wrong side of fifty’ – as it’s rare to read about protagonists of this age and gender (even though women and older people make up a huge proportion of the book-buying public).

Alice’s connections with her famous ancestor are also used well within the novel – as well as the business name, there are Mrs Beeton recipes at relevant points throughout the book. These are (I think) taken from Mrs Beeton’s famous cookery book and are sometimes tempting, sometimes weirdly archaic, but always interesting.

The plotting of the mystery is well done and kept me guessing for quite a while. I did solve the mystery just ahead of Alice, but more through luck than judgement. There were plenty of surprises along the way, as well as a host of engaging characters (Alice’s co-workers are pretty great) and some luxury settings.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first (but hopefully not last) insight into Alice’s world; it’s cosy and festive, but also immersive and engaging. I really hope Book 2 is on the way…

Book Review: ‘A Violent Heart’ by David Fennell

I love this crime series featuring the brilliant DI Grace Archer. This latest book is a great addition to the series and one I recommend fully!

This story opens with the death of a young woman near a stream in North London. The last number dialled on her phone, found nearby, is DI Grace Archer – our hero of the Metropolitan Police who has worked to free women from sex trafficking. Archer wants to take the case because of her personal connection but is refused and instead finds herself investigating the death of a woman left in an abandoned house many years previously. cases have similarities, but Archer’s attempts to make connections continue to be knocked back by her superiors who just want the cases closed as quickly as possible. This leaves Archer with no choice but to toe the line…or break the rules!

As with the previous books, I love that DI Grace Archer is a strong female lead who is unafraid to take on those who don’t have the correct priorities – she believes that the violent deaths of all women should be given equal attention by the police, regardless of the women’s status and activities during life. This gives her a single-mindedness in her investigations and a determination to do her best by the victims which is commendable. Grace’s colleague, DS Harry Quinn, is similarly empathetic and likeable, putting a strong detective duo at the heart of this police procedural.

The plotting is clever and kept me reading – this is one of those books that you won’t want to put down, even as you are also slightly scared to be reading it late at night!

Although this book sits within the DI Grace Archer series, it would work as a standalone too – in case anyone is holding back from reading it because they don’t have the back-story. Each book is gripping in its own right so dive right in!

This is one of my favourite detective series and I love this latest instalment. Fennell can’t write these fast enough for me, so I hope the next book is in the pipeline…

Photo by Richard Bell on Unsplash

Book Review: ‘The Man Who Died Twice’ by Richard Osman

I don’t know why it took me so long to read the second book in Richard Osman’s series about a group of amateur detectives living in a retirement community. It just got pushed down the TBR list and I’ve only just (finally) picked it up.

This book follows the four characters from the first novel – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibraham – as they embark on a mystery featuring a character from Elizabeth’s past, £20 million of diamonds and a whole host of murders.

As with the first book, the writing is engaging and humorous, although there is a poignant dimension to the story too – in this case, around a knock to Ibrahim’s confidence and also an Alzheimer’s plotline. This makes the novel more than a simple cosy crime novel. The mystery element of the novel is also cleverly done and kept me guessing to the end.

The range of characters is interesting – I loved Elizabeth, with her intriguing past and fierce intelligence. Joyce, whose narrative perspective drives some of the chapters, is also a fabulous character – witty and sharp and learning her true capabilities as the investigation progresses. The police who work with the group are also charmingly portrayed – I like that they all have back-stories and insecurities and flaws in the same way as the main characters do.

I also listened to the audiobook, which is brilliantly read by Lesley Manville. I’d recommend this whole-heartedly as she brings out the warmth of the characters, especially in the Joyce chapters.

This is a strong sequel to ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ and I’ll keep going with the series – hopefully in a slightly more timely way than with this book!

Photo by Li Zhang on Unsplash

Blog Tour: ‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’ by Lissa Evans

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Lissa Evans’ latest novel, ‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’. Thanks to Random Things Tours and Doubleday for my copy of the book for review – opinions, as always, are my own.

From the Publisher:

The newest novel by the brilliant Lissa Evans, a historical fiction tale about a family and their country house needing to change with the times in the aftermath of the Second World War.

It’s 1945, and Corporal Valentine Vere-Thissett, aged 23, is on his way home. But ‘home’ is Dimperley, built in the 1500s, vast and dilapidated, up to its eaves in debt and half-full of fly-blown taxidermy and dependent relatives, the latter clinging to a way of life that has gone forever.

And worst of all – following the death of his heroic older brother – Valentine is now Sir Valentine, and is responsible for the whole bloody place.

To Valentine, it’s a millstone; to Zena Baxter, who has never really had a home before being evacuated there with her small daughter, it’s a place of wonder and sentiment, somewhere that she can’t bear to leave. But Zena has been living with a secret, and the end of the war means she has to face a reckoning of her own…

Funny, sharp and touching, Small Bomb at Dimperley is both a love story and a bittersweet portrait of an era of profound loss, and renewal.

‘Lissa Evans’ writing is so incredibly assured and affecting. I loved the world and the characters so much and it just seemed like the perfect novel to be read in such dark times. Joy and love found in the ruins, the hope after the horrors, simply gorgeous – a true balm.’

GRAHAM NORTON

‘Loaded with period detail, primed with characters you feel you’ve known for years, Small Bomb at Dimperley explodes comically, lovingly and very slightly wistfully into absolute delight. My best book (by a country mile) this year.’

HILARY MCKAY

My Review:

I love Lissa Evans’ books – she always manages to balance some hard-hitting and tragic ideas with such an incredible warmth and humour. I adored ‘Crooked Heart’ and ‘V for Victory and so couldn’t wait to read ‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’ to see if Evans’ version of a different aspect of World War II would be as fabulous.

It is. It really is.

‘Small Bomb at Dimperley’ takes a different focus from the previous books that focused more on London, evacuees and the Blitz. In this book, the focus is Dimperley, a huge mish-mash of a stately home, and those who live there.

It’s 1945, so the war is ending, and aristocratic families like the Vere-Thissetts of Dimperley are needing to navigate a very different political landscape – one that is more hostile. Added to this, the family hierarchy has been shaken by death and a brain fever, leaving the youngest son as heir to Dimperley. As he returns from war and now titled Sir Valentine, this heir finds he has large shoes to fill in the wake of his heroic big brother. His house is dilapidated, running on reduced staffing and populated by a selection of his eccentric relatives, plus a young woman and her daughter who stayed on after Dimperley was used as a maternity home during the war. It’s up to Valentine to come to terms with his new situation and work out how he can keep Dimperley afloat.

From the second I picked up this book, I knew that the world of Dimperley was one that I wanted to spend time in. While bad things happen – various deaths, poor Ceddy’s illness, Valentine’s wounds – this is an often charming look at a family clinging to an outdated way of life. It’s packed with interesting characters and astute observations on human behaviour – it made me laugh out loud several times with the slightly sharp comments and presentation of human foibles (such as Alaric’s obsession with the correct use of titles). At times, it felt a bit like the world of Nancy Mitford’s ‘The Pursuit of Love’ – often affectionate and charming, but also witty and arch. It never slips into being too cosy or twee, but remains appealing and immersive for the reader.

As always, the characters are beautifully drawn – Zena is glorious in her attachment to Dimperley and love for her daughter and my heart goes out to Valentine, returning from war to a chaotic mess. I also loved Miss Hersey – remnant from when the house was packed with servants before the war but now dealing (pretty competently) with being the last remaining one still resident there. There are lots of quirky, engaging characters throughout – some of whom I was intrigued to learn more about, such as the two daughters returning from a wartime spent in the USA.

It’s a book I could write lots about as I found lots to love. However, I’d really just recommend that you pick up a copy and immerse yourself in the world of Dimperley. It’s a world that was archaic even in 1945, losing relevance further as the post-war world adapted to seismic change. However, it’s a lovely place to spend a few hours in the company of some lovely characters.

About the Author:

LISSA EVANS is an iconic director, producer and author of historical fiction with a devouted fan base. She has written books for both adults and children, including the bestselling Old Baggage, Their Finest Hour and a Half, longlisted for the Orange Prize, Small Change for Stuart, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Book Awards amongst others, and Crooked Heart, longlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Book Review: ‘A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder’ by Gay Marris

This was one of the most bizarre books I’ve read in a while – and I mean it entirely as a compliment!

The novel is set on Atbara Avenue in 1968. It’s a seemingly close-knit community where people know each other’s business and routines, especially the vicar and his interfering wife who watch and discuss the goings-on on the street in often humorous detail. Each chapter has a different focus – a quirky resident, a house, usually a death – and it’s a structure that works brilliantly as we move between distinctly odd vignettes about what goes on behind the closed doors of the road. There’s also tonnes of clever plot points, as bits from earlier stories prove key later on.

When I initially picked this up, I assumed it would be cosy crime. There’s actually not much cosy about Atbara Avenue – but there is a dark humour that runs throughout and some really compelling observations about human nature, whether it’s sibling rivalry, the concealment of secrets or the domestic situations people normalise (such as the bullying parent/adult daughter relationship that opens the novel). Underneath the slightly shabby but genteel surface, Atbara Avenue is an absolute hotbed of crime! It might not be completely believable that all this happens in such close proximity, but each story is engaging and lively in its own right.

I also loved the setting – the 1960s time period allows us to see the contrast in the staid and conservative older generation and the younger characters. It also allows for some gripping murders that probably now would be solved in a trice with CSI and forensics and so on. Instead, there’s a good chunk of the Atbara Avenue murderers who get away with – yup – murder! At least seemingly…

This is an unusual and highly engaging book – there were plenty of twists that surprised me, but I also think I need to read it again to go over some of the more subtle points and links between the stories. If dark humour and a clever narrative is your thing, this is for you!

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley – opinions, as always, are my own.

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

(Audio)Book Review: ‘A Haunting in the Arctic’ by C. J. Cooke

I was in two minds about reading this book – on the one hand, I’m obsessed with anything set in the Arctic. What a fascinating, inhospitable, fabulous place with plenty of scope for peril, adventure, tragedy, isolation, creepiness…it has it all! On the other hand, I’m often less convinced by ghost stories as I often find them just too silly. Regardless, the Arctic won me over and so I picked up this book.

The story is essentially in three parts, with the focus skipping between the three timelines quite regularly. One of the strands is set in 1901 and features Nicky Duthie, daughter of a shipping company owner, being kidnapped and taken on board the whaling ship, the Ormen. Then there’s a 1973 strand (not featuring heavily) where the Ormen (now in use as a scientific research ship) is found drifting with a missing crew and just one mutilated body on board. Finally, there’s a modern strand in which Dominique, an urban explorer, travels to the ship just before the wreck is due to be sunk forever off the coast of Iceland. Here, in the almost perpetual darkness and freezing cold, she is determined to uncover the secrets of the ship.

I did worry initially that I’d fail to engage with a narrative that moved so frequently between time periods. However, I found that Dominique and Nicky’s stories were so different that it was easy to follow. I thought I’d probably like the historical story the best (as I love historical fiction), but I did find Nicky’s story really very grim. I’m not one for trigger warnings, but there’s a lot of casual rape and abuse which I found quite hard to process. Instead, I found myself much more interested in Dominique’s story, although baffled as to why anyone – no matter how intrepid – might want to explore/live in/broadcast on social media such a dangerous location!

The Arctic was – as I expected – magnificent. I loved the description of the people surviving in the inhospitable terrain, the darkness, the bitter cold, the maritime details of life in the North Sea (less keen on the actual whaling!) I thought the setting was great and gave the sense of claustrophobia even within the massive open spaces of Iceland.

And as for the ghost story – I did find it engaging and relatively credible. There were definite twists that I didn’t see coming and Cooke skilfully manipulates the reader’s sense of dread in seeing the mysterious female figure in the barren Arctic landscape. I did appreciate that the ghostly elements weren’t there for all-out horror, but something more subtle to do with shadows of the past. Indeed, the plotting was clever and the revelations kept me reading.

I should also mention that I listened to the audiobook which is narrated excellently by Lucy Goldie. I loved the fact that she has quite a strong Scottish accent which was perfect for the Scottish origins of the story and the associated mythology around selkies that feature in the novel.

This is an intriguing novel and one that kept me interested throughout. Some of it I found uncomfortable, but I loved the sense of setting and the fact that it kept me guessing to the end.

I received a free copy of the ebook from NetGalley for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

(Audio)Book Review: ‘Life Lessons from Historical Women’ by Eleanor Morton

I read a lot of non-fiction; I am always on the lookout for books that are interesting, thought-provoking but also – and this is key – entertaining. I have stacks of books on fascinating topics, but the style doesn’t always grab me – this is why Eleanor Morton’s book was a breath of fresh air for me.

In this book, Morton takes us through a selection of lessons we can learn from historical women, for example ‘How to Fight for your Rights’ (about Emily Davison), ‘How to Express Yourself’ (Artemisia Gentileschi), ‘How to See Beauty in Everything’ (Ada Lovelace). There were lots of women that I’d heard of before (Mary Seacole, etc.) but also plenty that I hadn’t, or hadn’t really thought about, such as the Match Women (the Bryant and May factory workers who went on strike) or the Dahomey Warriors. As Morton reminds us, these are great historical women, but also people’s mothers, wives, sisters, daughters and this makes their stories powerful and relatable. Relating these women to today’s events and attitudes also helps to make them more real – Morton packs her book with modern references, showing that the issues that the historical women dealt with have their modern parallels. However, that’s not to say that the historical element is skimped upon at all as the book comes across as well-researched.

There are also short, informative chapters that intersperse the ‘self-help’ chapters – these take the form of lists of interesting facts, e.g. 10 historical ways to deal with periods, 10 muses who were also artists, 10 things you didn’t realise were invented by women. I really enjoyed these quick and fun snippets of history and they broke up the longer chapters well.

This audiobook is narrated by the author herself and does it brilliantly – she has a humorous tone and lively delivery. I love the fact that the historical content is punctuated by Morton’s own thoughts and insights which made me laugh out loud at times. Lots of this felt very relatable, for example her thoughts on her chances of survival in Australia or her overt sense of guilt about childhood misdemeanours! I found her to be a candid, chatty and well-informed guide throughout.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend this book/audiobook to anyone interested in women’s history – and anyone who feels that there are valid life lessons to be learned from the past (there definitely are!) Morton’s selection of women are incredibly diverse, interesting and inspirational. I definitely learned new things and enjoyed the learning process!

I received a review copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. Opinions are, however, entirely my own. To be honest, I’d have happily bought this one and felt it to be a bargain!

Header photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash.

Blog Tour: ‘Whole Life Sentence’ by Lynda La Plante

It’s out now! The last book in the brilliant Tennison series – this is Book 10 and it’s another great mystery.

Thanks to Compulsive Readers for inviting me to join #TeamTennison and to Zaffre Books for my review copy. Opinions, as always, are my own.

I’ve loved this series and it has been a treat to read it from the start with other bloggers as part of #TeamTennison. It’s been great to see Jane Tennison develop from a new recruit in the Metropolitan Police to a DCI in the prestigious AMIT unit. Along the way, she’s investigated IRA bombings, serial killings, cold cases, armed robberies and a fair dose of police corruption – it’s been a varied career and an enjoyable one to follow.

Blog Tour: ‘Forget Me Not’ by M. J. Arlidge

Thanks to Compulsive Readers for inviting me on the blog tour for this – the latest in the brilliant DI Helen Grace series. Thanks also to Orion Books for my copy of the book – as always, opinions are entirely my own.

A new M. J. Arlidge book is always a treat – fans of the series will know exactly what I mean and what to expect. There’s always the fabulous but maverick DI Helen Grace at the book’s heart, usually immersed in a tense, dangerous and high-stakes investigation as part of Southampton Police’s Major Incident Team.

This book starts on Day One with the abduction of a young girl, a case that DI Grace wants the team to prioritise. However, she is put under strict instructions to put her team to work instead on the gang crime that is taking over Southampton’s streets. As DI Grace is never one to follow orders, she begins work on the case of the missing girl – and uncovers some disturbing and dark secrets that are a little too close to home…

Blog Tour: ‘Northern Boy’ by Iqbal Hussain

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this fabulous, uplifting, heartwarming book! Thanks to Random Things Tours and Unbound for my spot on the tour and also my copy of the book for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.

From the Publisher:

It’s 1981 in the suburbs of Blackburn and, as Rafi’s mother reminds him daily, the family moved here from Pakistan to give him the best opportunities. But Rafi longs to follow his own path. Flamboyant, dramatic and musically gifted, he wants to be a Bollywood star.

Twenty years later, Rafi is flying home from Australia for his best friend’s wedding. He has everything he ever wanted: starring roles in musical theatre, the perfect boyfriend and freedom from expectation. But returning to Blackburn is the ultimate test: can he show his true self to his community?

Navigating family and identity from boyhood to adulthood, as well as the changing eras of ABBA, skinheads and urbanisation, Rafi must follow his heart to achieve his dreams.

My Review:

There was so much that drew me to this book – the word ‘uplifting’ in any blurb is always appealing, plus I loved the idea of a 1980s setting (not that I’m old enough to remember the 80s too well…!) The fact the book is published by Unbound was also very promising – I’ve loved all the books I’ve read from that publisher and often find their books fabulous quality, quirky and offbeat.

I wasn’t disappointed at all – this is a story of Rafi Aziz, the ‘northern boy’ growing up in 1980s Blackburn but dreaming of stardom. He’s talented, has the support of his lovely teacher Mr H and best friend Shazia – but, unfortunately, not his family. They think his Bollywood fascination is a phase and something he will outgrow, plus being a flamboyant kid in 1980s Blackburn isn’t exactly smoothing Rafi’s way at school. Especially as the dreaded Everton High School beckons…

The story starts 20 years after Rafi’s tricky school days with Rafi travelling back to the UK for Shazia’s wedding. He’s made a success of his life with musical theatre roles, a serious boyfriend and a happy existence in Australia where he has chosen to settle. Coming back to Blackburn forces Rafi to relive his past and face up to some unfinished family business.

The 2001 sections of the novel are great – Rafi travelling back to the UK, meeting up with friends and family, attending the wedding and sorting out the family stuff. However, the 1981 sections are just amazing – really evocative of a life growing up in a small community where everyone knows everyone else’s business. It’s a childhood of shared bedrooms and ‘Smash Hits’ and local news on TV, ‘Bunty’ and Jim Davidson and the man from the Milk Tray adverts. I may not have grown up northern, or a boy, or Pakistani, or a Bollywood wannabee, but – wow – was it relatable.

It’s also a vivid picture of the Pakistani community in Blackburn – I really loved the descriptions of the cultural elements (the food, the clothes, the Bollywood films) alongside the trappings of a 1980s British childhood. There are some brilliant characters in there too – Shazia is a bit of a force of nature, Rafi’s siblings prove problematic at times (as with all siblings!) and Mrs Kappor is wonderfully opinionated. Rafi’s mother is also subtly portrayed, at once evoking sympathy and something much less positive as the novel progresses.

I always worry that novels like this are going to prove a bit too ‘gritty’ for me, but that isn’t the case here. While bad things do happen and Rafi has a tough time, the overwhelming feeling from the novel is heartwarming. It’s genuinely uplifting and funny and sweet and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

About the Author:

Iqbal Hussain is a writer from Blackburn, Lancashire and he lives in London. His work appears in various anthologies and on websites including The Willowherb Review, The Hopper and caughtbytheriver. He is a recipient of the inaugural London Writers’ Awards 2018 and he won Gold in the Creative Future Writers’ Awards 2019. In 2022, he won first prize in Writing Magazine’s Grand Flash competition and was joint runner-up in the Evening Standard Short Story Competition. In 2023, his story ‘I’ll Never Be Young Again’ won first prize in the Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature short story competition. He was also Highly Commended in the Emerging Writer Award from The Bridge Award. Northern Boy is his first novel.