This is a brilliant new instalment in Nicola Upson’s ‘Golden Age’ crime series featuring Josephine Tey as detective. It’s a genius idea to have an actual crime writer as a detective, something that Upson has sustained beautifully over 11 books – ‘Shot with Crimson’ being the latest.
I’ve followed this series from the start and was delighted to be granted a copy of ‘Shot with Crimson’ for review by NetGalley. As always, opinions are entirely my own.
I’ll admit that I came to this book with a healthy dose of scepticism. I’m not usually wholly sold on ghost stories – I prefer my sinister goings-on with distinctly human causes!
However, I was won over by this beautifully written tale of eerie occurences on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. This truly is a cleverly-plotted and vividly-imagined story with some moments of genuine horror.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Mrs Narwhal’s Diary’ by S J Norbury.
Thanks to Damp Pebbles tours for inviting me on the tour and for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This book is published by the brilliant Louise Walters Books.
From the Publisher:
“It was Woman’s Hour who suggested I keep a diary. They said it was good for mental health, and I must say I did feel much less frazzled after writing everything down yesterday. The frustrations were all still there, but somehow smoothed out – as if by a really good steam iron.”
Mrs Narwhal is overwhelmed. Her husband, Hugh, is unkind and unhappy – working every hour at a job he hates to save the ancestral home he never wanted. Then there’s Hugh’s sister, Rose, who’s spurned her one true love, and ricochets from crisis to crisis; and not to mention two small boys to bring up safely in a house that could crumble around their ears at any moment…
When Hugh’s pride receives a fatal blow, and he walks out, Mrs Narwhal is plunged into a crisis of both heart and home. With help from Rose she sets out to save the house her husband couldn’t. But can she save her marriage? And does she really want Hugh back?
Funny, charming, and moving, Mrs Narwhal’s Diary is an irresistible story which will enchant and delight its readers.
My Review:
This isn’t my usual genre, but I’ve heard such brilliant things about Louise Walters Books (plus I enjoyed ‘Old Bones’ by Helen Kitson from the same stable) that I was keen to join the blog tour. I’d seen someone suggest that this book had echoes of ‘I Capture the Castle’ by Dodie Smith (a favourite of mine) and was drawn by the idea of a gentle, funny read.
‘Mrs Narwhal’s Diary’ is covers a tumultuous year in the life of the Narwhal family. Mrs Narwhal’s husband, Hugh, has inherited his family estate and it isn’t in a good way. Add in Hugh’s loose cannon of a sister (Rose) who is separated from her husband, two lively sons, a slightly odd groundsman, a difficult customer of her husband’s furniture business, a surly cleaner – and it is clear that Mrs Narwhal has her work cut out for her!
Given the diary format, it is Mrs Narwhal’s voice that we hear most distinctly and what a voice it is! Funny, thoughtful, wise – she is a character that the reader cannot help but warm to, even though I was a bit frustrated by some of her reactions to things in the novel. I loved that you could hear her almost unfiltered private thoughts which was important in gaining an insight into the other characters and events. It’s a wholly realistic and engaging voice and the reader shares in her frustrations, sadness and moments of joy.
However, my favourite character in the novel had to be Rose – she is brilliant! She is much less measured and diplomatic than Mrs Narwhal and I loved the way she was often tactless and blunt, yet clearly fun and respected by those around her. I also loved her involvement in the stately home visit that ended rather unfortunately…
With such strong female characters (including the memory of the terrifying Greer), Hugh was always going to be a disappointment. However, it is precisely this about him that allows the women to shine in this novel and take charge of the huge project that comes their way regarding Narwhal Hall.
The characterisation is one of the real strengths of the novel – like real life, this isn’t packed with exciting events or plot twists. Instead, it is the quiet story of a family rearranging their relationships and redrawing boundaries as life moves on around them. It is all the better for this and allows for some really insightful and clever observations on human nature.
However, all the wisdom and insight of the novel rather takes the reader by surprise as it tends to be the humour and ridiculousness of everyday life (especially everyday life in a crumbling stately home) that is foregrounded. There are some very funny events, not least the opening of the novel when Mrs Narwhal is waiting anxiously for the piper to fall through the boards of the tree house.
Little details – both relatable and those unique to the Narwhals – are what make this novel. The missing scissors, the stuffed polar bears, the ghastliness of the school fete, the Minecraft posters on the precious wood panelling, the insulting poem about a character’s generously-sized bottom – these are the things that make the reader laugh and make up the days of the lives of the Narwhal family.
I’d whole-heartedly recommend this book to those looking for a funny, charming and sweet novel. It isn’t without its quiet sadness, but it is absolutely relatable and entertaining. Comparisons with ‘I Capture the Castle’ are justified – the eccentric family living in a run-down setting – but Mrs Narwhal deals adroitly with so much more than Cassandra Mortmain as she faces everything that middle-aged life can fling her way. And always with wit and humour and charm.
About the Author:
S J Norbury lives in Herefordshire with her family. Mrs Narwhal’s Diary is her first novel.
The fifth book in our week of 20th August releases is ‘The Quickening’ by Rhiannon Ward and it is an absolutely glorious piece of historical fiction.
I had scheduled this post for later in the week, but you absolutely need to know about this now – publication day!
Well, this is rather fabulous! I came to this book expecting a bit of intrigue, a gothic feel and a solid historical tale. It delivered all that and a lot more.
The main narrative takes place in 1925 and is told by Louisa Drew, a war widow who has remarried and is heavily pregnant. In need of money, she takes a commission at the crumbling Clewer Hall in Sussex which is shortly to be sold; her job is to photograph the house and its contents for auction.
She is welcomed by the residents of the Hall, although they seem ill at ease and perturbed by her pregnancy. She finds out that the Hall was the site of an infamous séance in 1896 which is to be recreated during her stay with as many of the original attendees as are still alive. As the date for the séance arrives, there are mysterious occurrences and tension begins to build about why Louisa was selected for the commission.
Some of the scenes in the novel flash back to the original séance in 1896 and the reader begins to see how the events of that night continue to reverberate down through the years.
One of the strengths of this story is just how deliciously creepy it is! The building of Clewer Hall is hugely important to the story and it is a place of decay, mysterious shadows and uncanny events. The fact that one wing has fallen into disrepair is central – it is here that Louisa feels most uncomfortable and unsure whether to blame her strange symptoms on advanced pregnancy or something more sinister.
The plotting of this book is also intricate and clever – I felt that I was in the hands of a confident and accomplished storyteller, even as I also felt that I couldn’t see how the strands of the narrative were ever going to come together. But come together they do – and it is absolutely satisfying.
The novel is filled with realistic and compelling characters, but it is especially worth mentioning Louisa Drew herself. Louisa is a really engaging narrator and we feel – in turn – frightened with her, sorry for her, awed at her bravery and empathetic for her situation. Her tragic back-story gives her depth and should make her feel like one of life’s victims,; however, she shows so much strength in her position as a pioneer of magazine photography and courage in facing the events at Clewer Hall that she is elevated in the readers’ opinion. The rest of the inhabitants of the Hall are no less developed – and there are a lot of them with complex, intertwining lives.
This book would be absolutely perfect for those who love Laura Purcell’s books or ‘The Little Stranger’ by Sarah Waters. There is the same mix of a compelling and well-crafted story with just a pinch of the supernatural!
Overall, this is a highly recommended slice of historical fiction. It has mystery, horror and – more surprisingly – a lot of heart. I loved it.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you would like to buy this book, the link is below – I may receive commission on any purchases but it won’t cost you any more.
Header photo with thanks to Ján Jakub Naništa for sharing their work on Unsplash.
