Category: Book Review

October Wrap-Up and November TBR

How is it that time again?! The end of another month and another step nearer Christmas (yay!) and the end of 2020 (*huge sigh of relief*).

This month I have read 11 books and hit my GoodReads Challenge target of 100 books for the year!

It’s been a funny month with some real reading slumps as well as some absolutely BRILLIANT books. So, without further ado, here’s what I read this month…

(Links to books already published are affiliate links – thank you for supporting my blog with any purchases).

October Wrap-Up

I started the month with the brilliant ‘More Than a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran – an often funny, fresh and brutally honest take on what it means to be a middle-aged woman. This was my first five-star read of the month – you can see my review here.

After this, I read ‘Jeeves and the Leap of Faith’ by Ben Schott, a new Jeeves and Wooster novel written with the blessing of the PG Wodehouse estate. Nothing quite hits the highs of Wodehouse’s original novels, but Schott has done a great job of the language and comic elements. You can read my review here.

Next up was a blog tour for ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir, a chilling and dark piece of Nordic Noir crime fiction. Set in Iceland, this follows Chief Investigating Officer Elma as she tries to solve a murder that is stirring up the unsavoury past of some people in the small town of Akranes. You can read my blog tour post here.

Then came ‘The Servant’ by Maggie Richell-Davies, a dark historical tale of a girl who has fallen on difficult times in Georgian London. This book won the Historical Writers’ Association award for a (then) unpublished novel and is definitely worth a read – my review is here.

One of my audiobooks (listened to in the car with my kids) this month was Roald Dahl’s ‘Boy’, read by Dan Stevens. We all enjoyed this one – a lively performance of a book that I’ve loved since childhood. It has been a joy to relive the experiences of Dahl at school at Repton, on holiday in Norway, with his eccentric family and upsetting teachers and sweet-shop owners alike.

Next up was ‘The Phoenix Project’ by Michelle Kidd for another blog tour in November. This was a fast-paced thriller with a wide scope – London, Paris, Africa, Russian spies and the British Government – and all very tense! Watch this space for my blog tour review.

Then I enjoyed Walburga Appleseed’s ‘The Princess and the Prick’, a short book with some very concise feminist retellings of fairy tales, myths and nursery rhymes. Beautifully illustrated, this managed to pack plenty of food for thought into a small space.

Another short but powerful book was ‘Essex Girls’ by Sarah Perry, a feminist celebration of the qualities of the Essex Girl stereotype. In Perry’s book, Essex becomes a state of mind rather than a geographical location and we are introduced to a host of fabulous women from history. My review is here.

Another of my five-star books this month was ‘Practically Perfect: Life Lessons from Mary Poppins’ by Katy Brand. Anyone with any love for the 1964 film should read this as it is fascinating but delightfully comforting. My review can be found here.

Then I listened to another audiobook, ‘The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid’, a charming and funny book about Bill Bryson’s experiences of growing up in the 1950s in Des Moines in Iowa. This one is read by Bryson himself and his dry wit really comes through in the recording.

Finally, I finished the month with ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’ by Stuart Turton, a historical crime novel that I absolutely loved. You can read my review here.

November TBR

I am absolutely awful at predicting what I will read in the future – I read according to my mood and who knows where that may take me!?

However, I do have a lot of NetGalley ARCs that I should read. Here is just a selection:

  • ‘The Shape of Darkness’ by Laura Purcell – I loved her previous books and this one promises to be equally fabulous.
  • ‘The Whole Truth’ by Cara Hunter – this is the latest in a great series of police procedurals in which we follow DI Fawley as he tries to uncover truth. I’ve loved the other books so have high hopes for this.
  • ‘The Dead of Winter’ by Nicola Upson – another series I’ve followed for a long time, this one puts crime writer Josephine Tey into the role of detective against the backdrop of Europe in the lead-up to World War II.
  • ‘Hyde’ by Craig Russell – Russell’s first book, ‘The Devil Aspect’, was amazing and I hope this one will be every bit as good. Set in Victorian Edinburgh and featuring a series of mysterious ritualistic murders, this looks like it will be a dark and thrilling read.
  • ‘Mr Wilder and Me’ by Jonathan Coe – I’ve loved previous books by Coe and this, set in the heat of the 1977 summer, looks glorious.
  • ‘Nick’ by Michael Farris Smith – this new book about the early life of the fictional narrator of ‘The Great Gatsby’ looks really interesting.
  • ‘Lie Beside Me’ by Gytha Lodge – the latest in another crime series that I’ve enjoyed vey much. This is the latest to feature DCI Jonah Sheens.
  • ‘Let’s Do It: The Authorised Biography of Victoria Wood’ by Jasper Rees – I’ve been granted this one on audiobook and am looking forward to learning more about Wood from her closest friends and colleagues (some of whom narrate the book).

This is ignoring the huge stacks of books in my house and my jam-packed Kindle so we shall wait and see what I actually manage to read!

Header photo with thanks to Alex Geerts for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘The Devil and the Dark Water’ by Stuart Turton

I knew that this book would be so entirely my thing that I pre-ordered myself a gorgeous hardback copy because I couldn’t wait to see whether the NetGalley elves would be kind enough to grant me an ARC!

I loved Turton’s previous book, ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’, and was awaiting this one eagerly.

And I was right. It is so entirely my thing!

The story is set in 1634 on board a ship sailing from Batavia (in the Dutch East Indies) to Amsterdam. On board the Saardam, one of a fleet of seven ships sailing together, are an odd group of shipmates, including the governor general and his family, his mistress, a famed detective and his bodyguard, There’s also a whole host of unpredictable and bloodthirsty crew members, some musketeers and a mysterious cargo consigned to be watched over at all hours.

A horrific incident at the docks before boarding has rattled them all and introduced the idea of Old Tom, a demon under whose malign influence the Saardam is predicted to fall. When things on board the ship start to go wrong – often in disturbing and horrific ways – the ship seems doomed and all lives in danger.

With the celebrated detective locked in a holding cell for a crime he may have committed, it falls to two unlikely passengers on the ship to unravel the dark events that threaten the voyage.

I loved this book from the beginning when we are first introduced to Arent Hayes (bodyguard) and his master, Sammy Phipps – the celebrated detective who has more than a shadow of Sherlock Holmes about him. Powers of deduction? Tick. Widespread renown due to his sidekick’s reporting of his exploits? Tick. Slightly hedonistic tendencies when bored? Tick. It is fair to say, I was bought into this from the start!

When Sammy is confined to the cell, Arent becomes the main focus for the story and he is an interesting character in himself. Out of the shadow of his famous master, we see a man struggling to have the courage of his own convictions. He is someone who is more known for brawn than brain, although this seems unfair as the novel progresses and Arent is forced to use his intelligence as well as his strength. He is a realistic character with a shady past and I found myself really wanting him to prove himself.

Aside from Arent, what I loved about this book were the strong female characters. Sara Wessel, wife of the governor general of Batavia, is the main one who comes to the fore and she is a formidable woman, albeit one with contradictions. On the one hand, she is a clever, spirited woman with a talent for healing, but she is also subject to a domineering and violent husband and living in what essentially is a gilded cage. She makes a brilliant heroine because she is both so good and yet so plagued with her own problems too.

The setting of this book was also part of its considerable appeal for me. Although I can’t claim to know much about the East India Company and the technical details of the Indiaman ships, it felt authentic – the historical research was lightly worn and never felt laboured at all. Indeed, Turton claims (in a note at the end of the book) that ‘this is historical fiction where the history is the fiction’, but it all felt right to me and I was happy to be carried along in the wake of the compelling plot while admiring the history along the way! In fact, it has made me want to read more about the East India Company and this time period, so I’ve since bought ‘The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company’ by William Dalrymple which I hope will enlighten me further.

I think it needs to be said that ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’ is a very dark book – the clue is in the title! It probably isn’t for the faint at heart as there are murders, fights, gruesome injuries, tales of abuse and lashings administered on the ship. When a story opens with a dying leper, you know there’s more horrific things to come! Still, none of the violence ever felt gratuitous and it added to the authenticity of the danger of the high seas.

It’s really hard to say more about the plot without giving spoilers, which I absolutely don’t want to do. Let’s just say that the twists and turns are there, everything is cleverly plotted and the final resolution is satisfying. Given that I didn’t know if I was reading a historical crime novel or a supernatural mystery, it’s safe to say I had no clue where everything would end up. However, there is lots to keep any reader occupied and I raced through the pages looking for clues.

I’d recommend this highly to anyone who enjoys locked room mysteries, historical fiction, strong female leads, supernatural creepiness, claustrophobic thrillers, a nautical slant to proceedings… there really is something for everyone and an awful lot of ground covered.

As a seasoned reader of mysteries, I thought there was little left that could genuinely surprise me, but Stuart Turton has proved me wrong. Bravo!

As well as my lovely hardback copy of this book from ‘Forbidden Planet’ (there’s even a map of the ship – I was sold on that alone, to be honest!), I received a free e-copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’d like your own copy of this excellent, dark mystery, please use my affiliate link below – I earn a small commission on any purchases at no additional cost to you.

And in case you’re interested in the East India Company further (like I was), here’s a link to ‘The Anarchy’ as mentioned in my review. This one was shortlisted for the non-fiction award by the rather marvellous Historical Writers’ Association and they know their history!

‘Essex Girls’ by Sarah Perry

I wanted to read this as soon as I heard about it! I was born in Essex myself (in Southend-on-Sea) and have had rather negative experiences of the ‘Essex Girl’ stereotype, so any discussion of this was absolutely welcome – and probably well overdue.

Having grown up with the Essex Girl jokes – white stilettos, Sharon and Tracy, blonde hair, ha ha bloody ha – I was intrigued by this book. No-one I knew fitted the stereotype that I was constantly being faced with, yet it endured.

Sarah Perry, author of ‘The Essex Serpent’, has written this book for – as she puts it on the cover – ‘profane and opinionated women everywhere’. She attempts to reclaim the ‘Essex Girl’ as a type – someone who is strong-minded, unconventional and unafraid to be herself. In this book, Essex isn’t a geographical location, it’s a state of mind.

It’s only a short book, but it covers an awful lot of ground – the historical roots of this brand of womanhood (witchcraft – Essex did more than its fair share of witch-burning), some inspirational historical women (some from Essex, some with the mindset) and Perry’s own experiences of growing up in the county are all explored. It’s engagingly written and I really loved the feminist reclaiming of the stereotype – Perry sets up Essex womanhood (geographical or metaphorical) as something to take pride in, to celebrate.

‘It has become a habit to conceive of women – both historically and currently – not by their achievements, but by the restraints placed upon them; to study the locked door, and fail to see the windows broken from inside.’

– Sarah Perry, ‘Essex Girls’

I found Perry’s arguments interesting and convincing – it is definitely a thought-provoking read and introduced me to some characters from history who were fascinating and ground-breaking in their own ways.

The added bonus for me was the focus on the Essex landscape in which I grew up – St John’s Hospital, Widford, Moulsham and Wood Street all feature and reminded me of my life in Chelmsford as a child and teenager.

Even without the familiarity with Essex, there is plenty to enjoy here as Perry unpicks the Essex Girl stereotype and reassembles it into something much more positive – and much more inspiring! She – quite rightly – shows us that there are many models of ‘Essex Girl’ and the common ground between them – the strength, the authenticity, the outspokenness – is what should be celebrated.

If you’d like a copy of this book, please use my affiliate link below – I earn commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!

‘Practically Perfect: Life Lessons from Mary Poppins’ by Katy Brand

I’ve written before on the subject of my love of books about books. However, I also love books about films, and this one – by comedian Katy Brand – is brilliant and just what I needed to cheer me up as I enter a locked-down half term holiday.

This is one of the books that got me out of my reading slump – I read it in one sitting (which is miraculous in itself!)

Katy Brand takes – as her starting point – a life-long love of the film ‘Mary Poppins’. She presents this to the reader along with her thoughts on the characters, politics and messages of the film. For those sharing her love of ‘Mary Poppins’ (yup, me!), this is an absolute must-read.

It needs to be said up front that the majority of the book is about the 1964 film of ‘Mary Poppins’ with the marvellous Julie Andrews as the ‘practically perfect’ nanny and Dick Van Dyke as the chimney sweep (Bert) with the heart of gold and the accent of…something less than gold! Lovers of the books by P.L. Travers will not be quite so well served, although there is plenty on Travers’ relationship with the film and Walt Disney (who took 20 years to get her to sell the film rights). There isn’t much at all about the latest incarnation of Mary Poppins, the Emily Blunt film, but this wasn’t a problem for me – I was raised on the original film!

The book opens with Brand taking us through the film, reminding us of the plot, characters and some of the odder moments. All this is related through Brand’s comic lens, so it feels like watching the film with your funniest friend.

From here, Brand moves on to analyse some different aspects of the film in more detail. I was particularly impressed by the way in which the messages of the film were unpacked with loving care; ‘Sister Suffragette’ explores the feminist messages in the film (of which there are many) while the character of George Banks is analysed for Travers’/Disney’s attitudes to masculinity and commerce. In Brand’s view, the bird-feeding lady gives us a chance to explore what’s important in life, while Poppins herself gives us a template to live our lives by with her firm but fair approach to setting boundaries. Indeed, the whole film is given new relevance by the pandemic and the way our priorities have shifted during lockdown.

All this sounds a bit heavy, but it never feels so. Brand’s approach is light-touch and humorous, yet I still came away from the book with plenty of food for thought. The ‘serious’ bits are there, but surrounded by anecdotes about Brand’s own experiences and snippets of information about the film. I liked reading about the actors and filming as it really enhanced my understanding of what Disney achieved in making ‘Mary Poppins’ – the technical aspects seemed really quite advanced for their time (and so old-fashioned compared to now!)

The thing I love most about this book is the way that it is just so relatable. The lessons Brand takes from Mary Poppins, the issues she experiences with her own life (parenthood in particular), the feelings about the film…it’s all just so real. It honestly feels like a friend talking to you about her love of the film and it really helped that her thoughts chimed perfectly with mine. Love Mrs Banks even while seeing her flaws? Tick! Soft spot for Bert, despite the accent? Tick! Impressively encyclopaedic knowledge of lines and lyrics gained from repeated viewing? Tick! It’s all there and is both immensely comforting and gloriously readable.

I’d really recommend this to anyone who loves the 1964 film of ‘Mary Poppins’. If you were raised on this (as I was), it is a fascinating, nostalgic and strangely soothing read for troubled times.

If you’d like a copy of this absolute hug of a book, please use my affiliate link below – thank you for supporting my blog. This doesn’t cost you more but earns me a small commission.

If you’re still hungry for more books about films, I can absolutely recommend the following:

  • ‘I Carried a Watermelon: Dirty Dancing and Me’ by Katy Brand – this is Brand’s first foray into writing about film and it is a lovely, nostalgic look at ‘Dirty Dancing’ and what it means to her.
  • ‘Life Moves Pretty Fast: The Lessons we Learned from Eighties Movies’ by Hadley Freeman – this is an absolutely brilliant look at life lessons from classic 1980s movies. If you loved such films as ‘Pretty in Pink’, ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally’, this is for you. It’s interesting and insightful and – sorry to overuse this word – nostalgic; the films are written about with genuine affection by Freeman and it is a delight to read.
  • ‘As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the making of The Princess Bride’ by Cary Elwes – at the risk of seeming obsessed with 1980s films, this is a great insight into the making of a classic by the leading man.

Affiliate links for these books are below:

WWW Wednesday: 21st October, 2020

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Taking on a World of Words. Anyone can take part and it is a great way of sharing what you have just finished reading, what you are currently reading and what is next on the TBR.

Affiliate links are provided for books already published – thank you for supporting my blog with any purchases.

What have you recently finished reading?

It hasn’t been a great reading week for me – I’m finding it hard to concentrate on books at the moment, even ones that I am loving!

I have just finished ‘The Servant’ by Maggie Richell-Davies, an immersive historical crime novel set in Georgian London and featuring a fabulous heroine who really does get put through some tough times. You can read my review here.

What are you reading now?

Because I can’t focus on any one thing for very long, I’ve started a lot of books!

I’m listening to the audiobook of Roald Dahl’s ‘Boy’ with my children which is read – rather well, it must be said – by Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame. We are all loving this one and anything that can get my 9 year-old interested in an actual book is nothing short of a miracle!

I’m also listening to Bill Bryson’s ‘The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid’, the story of Bryson’s childhood in 1950s America. I’ve always enjoyed Bryson’s travel books but hadn’t come across this collection of autobiographical tales before. It’s (as expected) funny, interesting and engagingly read by the writer himself.

I’ve finally started reading Stuart Turton’s ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’ which is…dark so far! It’s early days but it seems to be building a historical setting that I can really buy into.

I’m also still reading ‘Pandora’s Jar’ by Natalie Haynes. I really like this exploration of the (perhaps unfair) portrayals of women from the world of Greek myth. It is a very involved read though and requires concentration so I’m not progressing as quickly as I thought I would.

What do you think you will read next?

Unfortunately, my reading slump hasn’t coincided with a desire to stop requesting books on NetGalley or buying even more 99p Kindle deals. I am not short of books to read.

Catching my eye at the moment though are the new Cara Hunter book, ‘The Whole Truth’ and ‘The Shape of Darkness’ by Laura Purcell.

Given my new-found love of audiobooks, I’m also thrilled to have been given access to the audiobook biography of Victoria Wood, ‘Let’s Do It’ by Jasper Rees and narrated by a selection of Wood’s friends and colleagues including Julie Walters and Celia Imrie. It’s a slightly daunting 20 hours of listening but I loved Victoria Wood and am looking forward to finding out more about her life.

Header photo with thanks Joanna Kosinska for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘The Servant’ by Maggie Richell-Davies

I really love historical fiction and was pleased to be given the opportunity to review this book. I came to this book with high hopes because it was awarded the Historical Writers’ Association prize for an (at that point) unpublished novel – if the HWA says it is good, it will be good.

And so it is!

The story follows a young girl, Hannah Hubert, who has fallen on hard times in Georgian London. Although she is descended from a respectable silk weaver and has had the benefits of a good education, she has been forced into service after having been orphaned.

When she is sent to work for the Chalkes, she finds herself in a house of secrets. The mistress of the house is tough and Hannah is given cryptic warnings about the master by other servants. There is a locked room in the house, secret books and mysterious auctions that happen behind closed doors… To add to Hannah’s disquiet, the other servant in the house, Peg, is terrified of the Chalkes.

Thrown into the mix are Hannah’s friendships with two young men – one is an apprentice at the book store where she delivers Mr Chalke’s mysterious documents and the other is a widower farmer who delivers milk to the Chalkes. The real question becomes who she can trust when things go wrong.

I really don’t want to give spoilers that would ruin this book for another reader. However, I came to the book expecting historical crime fiction and it needs to be said that it is so much more than that. Crime is one element of the story, but it is more focused on the character of Hannah and her fight for survival in an extremely hostile world.

Hannah is a fantastic heroine who really develops as a character over the course of the book. She begins as a naïve but educated fifteen year-old whose kindness and desire to help others is evident – her treatment of poor Peg wins her not only Peg’s total loyalty but also the respect of the reader. She is clever, curious and willing to stand up for what she believes – something that puts her in the way of danger. As the book progresses, the reader sees Hannah’s resilience, pride and determination to do the right thing even in the toughest circumstances. I doubt any reader could do anything but root for Hannah throughout!

Without giving too much away, I felt that the book contained strong positive messages about female friendship and the willingness of the poorest in society to support each other when times become tough. I loved the relationship between Peg and Hannah, plus the glorious later addition of a pipe-smoking childminder with a charitable heart.

Another strength in the novel was the colourful historical setting. Georgian London really is evoked in all its glory and grimness. There is a real sense of the hardships of being a servant in this era, plus the seediness of the poorer areas of London. The period detail is perfect – we get a sense of the clothes, routines, lives of the characters – and there is a feeling that a vast amount of research must have gone into the writing of this book, although it never feels laboured.

It must be said that the book does touch on some very dark themes that make for uncomfortable reading at times. This is not cosy historical fiction and Hannah’s (justifiable) fear is palpable as she is cast into some awful situations. The reader has to trust that the story is in safe hands and Hannah’s resolve will see her through.

I thought that this story was well-paced and liked the fact that it was told in a series of short chapters. This made the plot feel like it had real movement and – indeed – it did cover a lot of ground in less than 300 pages. I kept thinking that I’d read just one more chapter, then another and – oh, the next one is so short, should read that too… I raced through it!

I was interested to read that the book was inspired by the writer’s visit to the Foundling Hospital Museum in London. This is somewhere I’d very much like to visit after reading the novel, although I can imagine it is home to many heart-breaking stories of mothers with no other option but to entrust their child to the (possible) kindness of strangers.

Overall, I’d join the Historical Writers’ Association in recommending this book. It is absorbing, lively and immersive – Hannah and her Georgian setting both felt entirely authentic and it is time you made a trip to her world too!

Although my copy of this book was gifted to me by the author, opinions (as always) are entirely my own. Thank you to Maggie Richell-Davies for giving me the book to review.

If you would like your own copy of this book, it can be purchased using my affiliate link below – thank you for supporting my blog.

Blog tour: ‘Cows Can’t Jump’ by Philip Bowne

Welcome to my stop on the Random Things Tours for Philip Bowne’s debut novel! This book was released on 24th September, 2020 by Neem Tree Press and was longlisted for the Guardian’s ‘Not The Booker Prize’.

From the Publisher

From debut novelist, writer for The Wombles and winner of the Spotlight First Novel prize, this hilarious and poignant coming-of-age odyssey catapults 18-year-old Billy across pre-Brexit Europe.

Literary fiction resonating with themes of family, faith, race, love, loss, taking risks, borders and barriers, downward mobility, and growing up under the shadow of Brexit.

“Bowne’s touch is light, but his themes resonate: faith, family, race, and (whisper it) Brexit.The prose sparkles like sunshine hitting the English Channel.” — D. Johnston, author of Peace, Love & Petrol Bombs

“Laugh-out-loud hijinx with moments of true poignancy… a cast of eclectic, authentic characters. Billy is a brilliant narrator-pilgrim for the next generation.” — Tyler Keevil, author of No Good Brother

“Innovative, punchy and tender… stiletto-sharp wit. — Ray Robinson, author of Electricity

“…a fresh take on the classic rite-of-passage, in the mould of The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi and Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin.”— Marion Urch – Spotlight First Novel Prize

Synopsis

17-year-old Billy has just left school with no A levels and he’s desperate to escape middle England. As a grave-digger, he’s working the ultimate dead-end job. Billy’s home life isn’t any better. In the evenings, he observes his dysfunctional family: his Grandad’s engaged to a woman half his age, his xenophobic Dad’s become obsessed with boxing, and he suspects his deeply religious Mum is having an affair.

All the while, celebrities are dropping like flies and Britain is waiting for the EU referendum. Everything is changing, and Billy hates it.

Meeting Eva, though, changes everything. She’s Swiss, passionate about Russian literature, Gary Numan, windfarms and chai tea, and Billy gambles everything for a chance to be with her.

When things start to go wrong, Billy’s journey across Europe involves hitch-hiking with truckers, walking with refugees, and an encounter with suicidal cows. But the further he goes, the harder it is to be sure what he’s chasing – and what he’s running from.

My Review

Regular visitors to my blog know that I am always looking for funny books. Put the words ‘humour’ into a blurb, or ‘laugh-out-loud hijinx’ (as is mentioned on the back of this very book) and I am first in the queue. Take my money now!

So I jumped at the chance to take part in this blog tour and read a first novel by someone who I really hopes writes a whole lot more.

Right from the start, I was drawn to the character of Billy who – at the beginning of the story – totally lacks direction. He has quit school and his Mum has got him a job gravedigging at the local church. He has a dysfunctional family, including a dad with some anger issues and a grandad (GG) who is marrying what the family consider to be an unsuitable women. Brexit is looming on the horizon and celebrities seem to be dying in huge numbers.

So far, so many opportunities for black humour and Bowne does not hold back with the laughs, from the acquisition of Billy’s unfortunate nickname at work, GG’s unconventional way of making money and one of the most awkward fish and chip dinners I’ve ever had the (uncomfortable) pleasure to read!

However, even at these early stages, it is evident that Bowne is not going to shy away from serious issues as well and we do get a real sense of Billy’s confused and – at times – quite sad internal life through his first person narration.

The story then shifts to Eastbourne Summer School for International Students where Billy gets a job and meets Eva who is Swiss and unnerved by the anti-EU feeling emerging in the UK around the Brexit referendum. It absolutely isn’t love at first sight for Billy, but we see a developing relationship which feels very real and believable.

I really don’t want to give plot spoilers, but it is safe to say that the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly and Billy embarks on some fairly outlandish schemes in order to be reunited with Eva. This culminates in a trip across Europe which is full of interesting people (I loved Cooper in particular), strange events and a lot of growing up for Billy.

As I mentioned before, this book really does have some very funny moments and Billy is a fabulous – if slightly misguided – character who the reader does really root for. I found myself desperate for it to work out for him, while also not really knowing what that would look like for the best.

However, this book also has some very poignant moments that mean it isn’t a wholly comic novel. Little snippets of tragedy infiltrate Billy’s world – the Syrian refugees, the Museum of Broken Relationships, people whose problems are beyond anything in Billy’s experiences to that point. This all adds to the sense that Billy is being forced into maturing and his road trip – regardless of outcome – will be the making of him.

As a reader, the switches between the humour and tragedy are unnerving. One minute, you can be laughing out loud and the next shocked at the poignancy of what is being related. This makes the novel an absolutely compelling read, although it is not always a comfortable experience.

Overall, I would highly recommend the novel; I was totally invested in Billy’s story and raced through the book, always keen to find out the next scrape he found himself in and to meet the next set of quirky characters. I genuinely loved this book and look forward to seeing what Bowne produces next.

With thanks to Random Things Tours for inviting me onto this blog tour and for providing my copy of the novel in return for an honest review.

About the Author

Philip Bowne lives in London and works as a writer for The Wombles, a children’s entertainment brand.

Like his protagonist, Billy, Phil attended a failing and severely under-resourced school in Bicester, Oxfordshire. However, unlike Billy, Phil ended up studying English Literature and Creative Writing at university.

While studying, Phil published short stories in literary magazines and anthologies in the UK, US, Canada and Germany. After graduating, Phil spent time in Europe and the US, working and volunteering in various roles and settings: repairing boats at Lake Como, housekeeping at a mountain lodge in California and working with charity Care4Calais in the former Calais ‘jungle’ refugee camp.

‘Cows Can’t Jump’ is Phil’s debut novel, which he worked on while managing a bar in London. As well as a writer for The Wombles, Phil also works on a number of independent writing projects, including a musical set in 1970’s Soho and a sitcom set in a failing leisure centre.

Blog Tour: ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir

Welcome to my stop on the Random Things Tours blog tour for ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir.

This is the first in a new ‘Forbidden Iceland’ series and was published on 1st October, 2020 by Orenda Books. It is translated into English by Victoria Cribb.

From the Publisher

‘An exciting and harrowing tale from one of Iceland’s rising stars’ Ragnar Jónasson

The first in the electrifying new Forbidden Iceland series, ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ is an exquisitely written, claustrophobic and chillingly atmospheric debut thriller byone of Iceland’s most exciting new talents


When the body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.


Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her colleagues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day…


But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice … before it’s too late.

My Review

I love crime fiction and have made a few forays into Nordic Noir, although this was the first book I’ve read set in Iceland. It certainly won’t be my last trip to the Land of Fire and Ice.

I’ll admit to being intrigued by the premise of this book – a murder at a remote lighthouse that starts to uncover the secrets of the town. I also love a book with a female detective, so this ticked boxes for me too.

The story moves between the investigation into the 2017 murder of a woman in the small Icelandic town of Akranes with a voice from the the late 1980s/early 1990s narrating a tragic family story. At first it isn’t evident how the strands fit together but, as it becomes clear, the reader is pulled into the backstory that has led to the murder at the lighthouse.

One of the real strengths of the story is the main character, Chief Investigating Officer Elma. She has returned to Akranes, where she grew up, following the break-up of a relationship (something I sense will become more of a feature of future books – I know the second book in the series is already being translated by Orenda Books, so we shall see Elma again).

We get to view Elma more clearly than anyone else in the book, including her dysfunctional relationship with her sister, her hangovers and potential love interests. She is a charming and realistic character and her interactions with her work team, family and various people associated with the case seem authentic.

Another real strength is the plotting. The narrative device of alternating between the past and modern-day voices is interesting, but it also means that a lot of information is given that suddenly falls into place later in the novel. The early parts of the novel do seem a little slow, but they work brilliantly to set up a pervasive sense of foreboding that the reader never really escapes until the pace picks up towards the denouement. All very understated, but it really adds to the sense of claustrophobia in the small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.

I really loved the setting of the book – Elma has left Reykjavik CID and is back in the town that she grew up in, so we experience the oppression of small-town life just as she does. We hear the gossip of a small community, see the close (but not always easy) relationships of people who have always known each other and experience the uncovering of secrets bubbling just under the surface. Akranes itself seems like a remote setting – a port town with a small population – that is perfect for this kind of story.

I think it is worth saying that the story is very dark – obviously expected in the genre, but it does sometimes make for uncomfortable reading – especially in the 1980s/1990s narrative which is a child’s perspective. Having a child relate some horrific elements makes the story very chilling at times.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime fiction with a dark heart. The sense of tension that builds gradually makes for compulsive reading – before you know it, you will be racing through to see where the story goes! It isn’t an easy read because of the dark themes, but it is cleverly plotted, engagingly told and has a heroine that you will want to see again in book two.

About the Author

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva moved to Trondheim, Norway to study her MSc in Globalisation when she was 25. After moving back home having completed her MSc, she knew it was time to start working on her novel. Eva has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland.


Eva worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel. The book went on to win the Blackbird Award and became an Icelandic bestseller.

Eva now lives with her husband and three children in Reykjavík, staying at home with her youngest until she begins Kindergarten.

‘Why Mummy’s Sloshed’ by Gill Sims

I first started reading Gill Sims’ writing on Facebook where she produces the very funny ‘Peter and Jane’. These (mainly slightly-veiled autobiographical) updates became a book, that book became a series and here we are – the fourth and final book in the ‘Why Mummy’ series.

In this book, Peter and Jane are now older teenagers and our main protagonist, Ellen, is having to deal with GCSEs, A Levels and her oldest baby leaving for university. She also has her ex-husband to contend with as he seems to be about to start a new family with his girlfriend, Marisa,. She is surrounded by her usual bunch of funny friends and eccentric family members.

As with previous books, this is presented as a diary, although most of the events seem to happen in the first part of the year. There are some real rites of passage here that those who have been through it (either themselves or as parents) will recognise – the driving test, first car, 18th birthday parties, exam results,..it is all just so relatable!

And that really is Sims’ skill – taking the everyday and making it funny. This isn’t an idealistic view of parenting – Ellen looking after her friend’s toddler for the weekend is enough to put anyone off having children and also reminded me of the time in my own life when I needed eyes in the back of my head and a cure for sleep deprivation. Much of the book is very funny – some of it made me laugh out loud in recognition or because of Ellen’s sharp take on things.

That’s not to say that this novel doesn’t have serious moments – there is recognition of the situation of having ageing parents and realising they aren’t invincible, plus the emptying of the family nest. As someone who has this a few years ahead of me, it does seem sad and unimaginable that my babies will move out one day. However, I still have the experience of living with them as teens which – according to this book – might soften the blow of them leaving! The teenage boys that eat through everything in the house, the teenage girls obsessed with socialising above all else, the nagging over revision and chores…all familiar already!

I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys funny, relatable books about family life – things like Matt Coyne’s books and the Unmumsy Mum and Hurrah for Gin (all worth investigating if you aren’t familiar with them). It is funny, a bit poignant and absolutely engaging.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Header photo with thanks to Kevin Kelly for sharing their work on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday: 14th October, 2020

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It is open for anyone to join in and share what they have been/are/will be reading.

Affiliate links are provided for books already published – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases.

What are you currently reading?

I’m still reading ‘Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes from my NetGalley shelf. It’s great so far but I had to put it down to finish off some books for blog tours.

I’m also reading ‘The Servant’ by Maggie Richell-Davies. This is a Georgian-set mystery and is going well so far. It seems to be a mix of genres – historical, mystery and a bit of romance, I think. It won the Historical Writers’ Association prize for an unpublished novel so I have high hopes!

What have you recently finished reading?

I have just finished ‘The Creak on the Stairs’ by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir, a Nordic Noir crime novel set in Iceland. It’s creepy and tense – but you’ll have to wait for my blog tour date at the weekend for my full review.

I also finished ‘Jeeves and the Leap of Faith’ by Ben Schott, a new Jeeves and Wooster novel out tomorrow and written with the approval of the P. G. Wodehouse estate. It is very funny and in the spirit of the originals – you can read my review here.

What do you think you will read next?

Stuart Turton’s ‘The Devil and the Dark Water’ is still waiting for me to have time to read it properly – I think I’ll need to be concentrating on the twists in this one!

I’ve also got another blog tour book to read for November, ‘The Phoenix Project’ by Michelle Kidd. This one is a fast-paced thriller and I’m looking forward to losing myself in the pages.

My NetGalley shelf is still looking at me balefully, so I hope also to polish off some of the excellent titles on there too!

Header photo with thanks to Jonas Jacobsson for sharing their work on Unsplash.