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Blog Tour: ‘The Woman in the Wood’ by M. K. Hill

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for ‘The Woman in the Wood’, the second book in the series featuring DI Sasha Dawson.

Thanks to Random Things Tours and Head of Zeus for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was published in hardback in March 2021 – this blog tour coincides with the paperback publication.

From the Publisher:

A reality TV star becomes a suspect in an Essex murder case in the sharp, funny and moving new thriller from M.K. Hill.

Three years ago, Danny ‘Abs’ Cruikshank, star of reality show ‘Laid in Essex!’, was living the dream. And then, on the night of the party, everything changed.

It was supposed to be an intimate weekend gathering. Just a few close friends in a remote cottage in Wales. But after a night of heavy drinking in the village pub, a local girl was reported missing, presumed dead. Abs and his friends had been the last to see her alive.

No-one was ever charged, but the controversy destroyed Abs’s career. So now, three years later, the celebrity who once captured the heart of millions is opening Southend’s new branch of Quidstore. And then one of Abs’s mates is murdered. Does someone know what really happened that night in Wales?

DI Sasha Dawson and her team must race against the clock to find the killer before they strike again – but first she must discover what happened to Rhiannon Jenkins on the night she vanished. Will the truth set Abs free? Or bury him?

My Review:

Crime fiction is my go-to genre so I was delighted to get a place on the blog tour for ‘The Woman in the Wood’ by M. K. Hill. I haven’t read the first book in the DI Sasha Dawson series, but this works beautifully as a stand alone.

The novel opens with the death of a man on Hockley Station and DI Sasha Dawson of Essex Police is called in to investigate. She recognises the victim’s name from a list of people questioned about the disappearance of a young woman in Wales three years previously – a disappearance that made headline news as a star of reality TV show ‘Laid in Essex!’, ‘Abs’ Cruikshank, was also questioned.

As Sasha and her team look deeper into the events surrounding the mysterious death, it seems that Abs and his friends are again going to be forced back into the spotlight…

When I picked up the book, I hadn’t really registered the Essex connection – it was lovely to read a book about the areas I grew up in, even if the events are slightly sinister! Hockley, Hadleigh, Southend, Chelmsford…I could picture it all! Even the reality TV dimension – here ‘Laid in Essex!’ – was familiar to me; anyone who has lived in Essex has surely been repeatedly asked if they know ‘Sugar Hut’ in Brentwood, the club featured in ‘The Only Way is Essex’. Reality TV and Essex – it seems – go hand in hand in people’s minds.

(Answer: no, I’ve never been there, Sorry).

Essex connection aside, I could not put this book down. I have cooked meals, done chores and generally ignored my family in the company of DI Sasha Dawson!

One of the real strengths of the book is the plotting. As the novel progresses, we find out more about the fateful night in Wales when the young woman went missing and this thread is cleverly entwined with the present-day lives of those who were there. There were so many twists and turns on the way through this story that I’m surprised I don’t have whiplash! There are some really tense moments too as the characters fight for survival against an unknown threat.

I also really liked the character of DI Sasha Dawson – she’s a likeable, slightly workaholic forty-something who is juggling her stressful job with family life. I could definitely relate to Sasha, although I wasn’t sure whether references to her family tragedy perhaps relate to the first book in the series. Definitely one I need to look into!

Overall, I thought this was a clever and engaging police procedural. The supposedly glamorous reality TV element is interesting but never overshadows the grim truth of the murder investigation – and the race to the finale is proper heart-in-mouth territory. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes their crime novels packed with tension, twists and turns – there is so much to get your teeth into here.

About the Author:

Mark Hill was a journalist and an award-winning music radio producer before becoming a full-time writer. The first novel in the Sasha Dawson series, ‘The Bad Place’, was described as ‘everything a police procedural should be’ by The Times, who also named it as their Crime Book of the Month. He lives in London.

(Audio)Book Review: ‘The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym’ by Paula Byrne

I’ll admit I perhaps didn’t come to this book for the most obvious reason. I didn’t actually know anything about Barbara Pym or her books, but have read and enjoyed several biographies by Paula Byrne and so was keen to read this. I’m grateful to NetGalley and Fourth Estate Books for my copy of her latest book in exchange for an honest review.

August Wrap-Up and September TBR

It’s been a slower reading month after July’s 17 books (a record for me!) Still, I’ve read some brilliant books this month – 11 in total. All were 4 stars with the exception of one FIVE STAR read at the start of the month…

This puts me on 92/100 on my Goodreads challenge – the end is in sight!

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July Wrap-Up and August TBR

It has been a HUGE reading month for me – probably the best ever! I read 17 books in July – including three that I awarded FIVE STARS!

I’d like to thank the heatwave for making it impossible for me to do much else other than read. I am eternally grateful that this coincided (happily) with time off work!

I’m now at 81/100 on my Goodreads Challenge.

Blog Tour: ‘White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector’ by Nicholas Royle

Welcome to my stop on the tour for this quirky and engaging book – I’m the last stop on the tour but make sure you check out the other reviews too!

Thanks to Helen Richardson and Salt Publishing for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the Publisher:

A mix of memoir and narrative non-fiction, ‘White Spines’ is a book about Nicholas Royle’s passion for Picador’s fiction and non-fiction publishing from the 1970s to the end of the 1990s, when the publisher stopped its commitment to the distinctive white spine with black lettering.

‘White Spines’ explores thebookshops and charity shops, the books themselves, and the way a unique collection grew and became a literary obsession. Above all, it is a love song to books, writers and writing.

‘I’ve been a bit obsessed with this book since I saw novelist and short story writer Royle tweeting the ultimate in chic shelfies: a photo of his Picador fiction collection, which forms an array of 1,000 white spines, spanning from the 1970s-90s…In this blend of memoir and narrative non-fiction, he explores the bookshops and charity shops where he bought them,the books themselves, and how his collection grew to the point of literary obsession’
CAROLINE SANDERSON, Editor’s Choice THE BOOKSELLER

My Review:

I think most book bloggers and enthusiasts have some insight into what it is like to have a book obsession. Whether it is a passion for a particular author, the desire to collect the whole series or a burning desire to line up those beautiful sprayed-edged special edition hardbacks, we’ve all been there!

I thought I was obsessive – and then I picked up this book and realised I am an amateur!

In this book, Nicholas Royle documents the process of collecting his extensive collection of white-spined Picador books. Published between the 1970s and 1990s, these have a distinctive look and part of Royle’s collection can be seen in his author photo below – impressive! It’s quite lovely that Salt Publishing have used the same look and feel for their paperback editions of ‘White Spines’.

However, this book is about so much more than just collecting books. Yes, there’s a lot of documenting where and when books are added to the collection (not just Picador – there are several secondary collections also on the go!) – especially as Royle doesn’t use the internet to add to his collection, but instead frequents charity and second-hand bookshops across the UK.

Alongside this are conversations overheard in bookshops, bookish dreams had by the writer, stories from Royle’s experiences in writing and publishing…it’s a quirky and lively read that can move seamlessly from an anecdote about a writer (and Royle seems to know them all) to a bookshop review, from a meditation on book cover art to Royle’s own writing experiences.

I’ll admit to having read shamefully few of Royle’s precious Picadors, but it was great to read about the little highs and joys of being a book collector. I also loved that Royle isn’t in the market for pristine editions – copies that have a history, an inscription or inclusions (often bookmarks) such as tickets or letters hold more interest. I get it!

Royle is a charming, witty and engaging narrator throughout this book – although I’m not totally in agreement with him on the subjects of Kathy Lette and Southend-on-Sea! Reading this is like a chat with an extremely knowledgeable, well-read, but sometimes-slightly-random friend – and I’d recommend it for anyone who loves books about books.

On another note, I was also very impressed that Royle can read and walk at the same time. I feel I have been wasting my life by missing all that reading time!

About the Author:

NICHOLAS ROYLE is the author of four short story collections – ‘Mortality’, ‘Ornithology’, ‘The Dummy and Other Uncanny Stories’ and ‘London Gothic’ – and seven novels, including ‘Counterparts’, ‘Antwerp’ and ‘First Novel’. He has edited more than twenty anthologies and is series editor of ‘Best British Short Stories’. He runs Nightjar Press, which publishes original short stories as signed, numbered chapbooks, and is head judge of the Manchester Fiction Prize. His English translation of Vincent de Swarte’s 1998 novel ‘Pharricide’ is published by Confingo Publishing. He lives between London and Manchester and teaches creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.

For more information visit: @NicholasRoyle http://www.nicholasroyle.com/

WWW Wednesday: 14th July, 2021

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.

Since I last did a WWW Wednesday post, the school term has finished and this teacher is now reading whatever and whenever! I’m now at 70/100 on my Goodreads Challenge.

Blog Tour: ‘A Cut for a Cut’ by Carol Wyer

It is my stop on the blog tour for ‘A Cut for a Cut’, the second book in the series to feature DI Kate Young. I loved the first book and so couldn’t wait to read this one!

Thanks to Damp Pebbles for inviting me on the blog tour and for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is out now! It was published on 29th June, 2021 by Thomas & Mercer.

June Wrap-Up and July TBR

This hasn’t been the best reading month for me – work has been busy and my evenings haven’t been spent with my nose in a book, sadly. Instead, I’ve spent far too long on Book Twitter and adding to the TBR without clearing many of the books already on there!

I’ve read 9 books this month, putting me on 65/100 for my Goodreads Challenge. All have been at least 4 stars (I’m getting good at picking books I know I’ll love), with two getting the full five stars from me…

Book Review: ‘The Tattoo Thief’ by Alison Belsham

Regular visitors to The Quick and the Read know that I’m kind of obsessed with crime fiction – specifically, I love pacey, engaging police procedurals. Even better if the lead characters are distinctive or quirky in some way, plus an interesting setting is hugely important to me.

Blog Tour: ‘Cut From The Same Cloth: Muslim Women on Life in Britain’ edited by Sabeena Akhtar

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Cut From The Same Cloth’, a fascinating collection of Muslim women’s writing about their experiences of life in Britain.

With thanks to Random Things Tours for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

From the Publisher:

● Perceived as the visual representation of Islam, hijab-wearing Muslim women are often harangued at work, at home and in public life yet are rarely afforded a platform to speak on their own terms.

● From modern pop culture to anti-Blackness, faith and family, politics, education, creativity and working life; Cut From The Same Cloth? Is an anthology which gives visibly Muslim women creatives a space to speak to the matters that mean most to them.

Do you wear that at home? Where are you really from? Does he make you wear that? Do you support acts of terror? Do you believe in ‘British values’? Can I see your hair? Do you have equality? Are you hot in that? Can you be a feminist? Why don’t you just take it off? Do you wear that in the shower? Are you oppressed?

Whether it’s awkward questions, radical commentators sensationalising their existence, non-Muslims and non-hijabis making assumptions, men speaking on their behalf, or tired stereotypes being perpetuated by the same old faces: hijabis are tired. Cut from the Same Cloth? seeks to tip the balance back in their favour, with the space to offer honest insight into the issues that really affect their lives.

Here, twenty-one middle and working class contributors of all ages and races look beyond the tired tropes, exploring the breadth of their experiences and spirituality. It’s time we, as a society, stopped the hijab-splaining and listened to the people who know.

It’s time for change.

My Review:

Having just read ‘The Seven Necessary Sins of Women and Girls’ by Mona Eltahawy, leading Egyptian/US feminist (review here), I was intrigued by her discussion of intersectional feminism and her Muslim faith. Therefore, I jumped at the chance to read this collection of essays by Muslim women which focuses more on Britain than Eltahawy’s (excellent) book.

The essays are very wide-ranging and discuss an array of topics important to Muslim women living in Britain today. The writers each give their unique takes on issues from their own individual experiences – and the results are as varied and fascinating as you would expect.

From reading about how Covid-19 has impacted one woman’s experience of Ramadhan, to discussions on modesty, Muslim motherhood and witnessing the tragedy of Grenfell, this is a collection of essays that are continually engaging and thought-provoking.

As the essays are so wide-ranging, it is difficult to review the overall collection in a meaningful way. However, for me, the most eye-opening pieces of writing were those that catalogued actual lived experiences. The eye-witness account of Grenfell was heartbreaking to read and it was genuinely shocking to hear about the racist treatment of Black African Muslim women in Britain. The concept of misogynoir – the fact that Black women face a double oppression based on their gender and race – really came into sharp focus.

I’ll admit to (shamefully) not knowing much about Islam, so it was enlightening for me to be able to understand more about how religion impacts women’s lives. I didn’t always understand the choices that the women made – as a white, non-faith Brit, this was outside of my own experiences – but it was always interesting to see how other British women live their lives.

It is important to note that this isn’t a book to explain or justify choices made by Muslim women – one of the early essays states absolutely correctly that ‘I am not an essay to show your friend “what Muslims think about X”.’ Instead, the essays were as unique as the women themselves and I loved them.

I’d recommend this anthology to anyone interested in women’s lives and experiences in 21st century Britain. There is some levity and humour, but mainly the collection highlights the difficulties and challenges that Muslim women navigate every day – the Islamophobia, the misogyny, the racism – and it is a powerful book.

About the Editor:

Sabeena is a writer, editor and the Festival Coordinator of Bare Lit, the UK’s principal festival celebrating remarkable writers in the diaspora. She is also the co-founder of the Primadonna Festival which spotlights the work of women writers, and of Bare Lit Kids. She will be available for events around publication, and can be found tweeting at @pocobookreader