Welcome to my stop on the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours for ‘Betrayal’ by Lilja Sigurdardottir.
I’m pleased to be able to present to you an extract from this tense, Icelandic thriller which was published by Orenda Books on 15th October, 2020.
From the Publisher:
Burned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences around the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to settle, she accepts a high-profile government role in which she hopes to make a difference again.
But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped by a policeman, and life in high office soon becomes much more harrowing than Úrsula could ever have imagined. A homeless man is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or warning her of some danger? And the death of her father in police custody so many years rears its head once again.
As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics, facing increasingly deadly threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and even a witch-like cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones, and the stakes are raised ever higher…
The award-winning internationally bestselling author Lilja Sigurðardóttir returns with Betrayal, a relevant, powerful, fast-paced thriller about the worlds of politics, police corruption and misogyny that feels just a little bit too real…
The Extract:
Úrsúla was surprised at her own surprise: she was taken aback by just how much of a shock the note was. She was already kicking herself for having forgotten to lock the car. It hadn’t occurred to her that by parking in the spot marked Minister, she was telling everyone which vehicle was hers. Clearly every fruitcake in the country had an opinion on everything imaginable, and that seemed to include her appointment as minister of the interior.
The devil’s friend loses his soul and brings down evil, the note read, the last few words an almost illegible scrawl. It looked like someone had decided she had made friends with the devil himself.
There was nothing unusual about politicians being lambasted for entering into coalitions with people someone was unhappy with, but as she was not linked to any party, she had somehow imagined that this kind of criticism wouldn’t come her way. All the same, people ought to be used to seeing political parties working together when the parliamentary term was so far advanced, and anyway she’d simply been called in to finish the work begun by Rúnar. She screwed the note into a ball and flicked it aside, and it was lost among the mess of paper, juice cartons and sweet wrappers that filled the footwell. She reminded herself that this weekend the car would need to be cleaned as the smell was becoming overpowering. She sighed and tried to relax, to let her racing heartbeat slow. She had been aware before taking the job that she wouldn’t be popular with everyone and that she’d get to hear about it. But the note in the car had still been upsetting. Somehow it was too close to home, too personal. In future she’d leave the car in the other car park with all the others.
As she parked outside her house, she wound the window shut – the smell in the car had forced her to drive home with it halfway open. There had to be half a sandwich turning green somewhere down there, or something in the junk in the back. She’d have to ask Nonni to clean the car. Judging by the emails waiting for her and the long jobs list, there wouldn’t be much opportunity to do it herself. This weekend would have to be spent getting herself up to speed on everything the ministry did.
‘Congratulations, my love!’ Nonni called out as she opened the front door. ‘You made it through day one!’
Kátur bounced towards her, his furry body twitching with delight at seeing her again, and as usual she dropped to her knees to greet him. She held his little head in both hands, kissed the top of his head and breathed in the smell of newly bathed dog. Nonni regularly gave him a bath and used shampoo on him, even though Úrsúla had warned that it wasn’t good for dogs.
‘Lovely to see you, Kátur,’ she whispered into his fur as his tail wagged furiously. There was no limit to how much she loved this little dog. He had kept her sane when she had moved back home, becoming the compass that showed her the way back to love. He had helped her put aside her weapons and lower the defences she had erected around herself somewhere between the Ebola epidemic in Liberia and the refugee camps in Syria.
The dog wriggled from her arms, ran halfway along the hall into the apartment, and then back to her. That was what he always did, scampering between her and the family, as if he were showing her the way home to them. This was guidance she certainly needed, as since moving back to Iceland she had felt at a distance from them, as if they were on the far side of some invisible barrier that she had been unable to break through.
She took a deep breath, taking in the warmth of the household, and for a moment she was gripped by a doubt that she had done the right thing by jumping into a ministerial role. There was no getting away from the fact that it would mean less time at home, less energy to devote to the children, less time for Nonni. There would be less time for her own emotional recovery. But it was only for a year, the twelve remaining months of the parliamentary term.
‘Pizza!’ the children chorused the moment she stepped into the kitchen. They were busy arranging toppings on pizza bases, and she could see Nonni was preparing a seafood pizza just for the two of them. There was an open bottle of white wine on the worktop, a glass had been poured for her, and the dining table was set with candles.
‘You’re a dream,’ she sighed, kissing the children’s heads and wrapping her arms around Nonni. He was warm to the touch, freshly shaved and sweet-smelling, and she felt her heart soften with gratitude, blended with doubt that she genuinely deserved such a perfect man. This was how it had been for more than a year. Every time she felt a surge of warmth and affection towards him, it was accompanied by an immediate surge of bad feeling. There was guilt, regret and self-loathing. Why couldn’t she simply love him as she had loved him before?
‘So how’s it looking?’ he whispered and handed her a glass of wine.
She sat on a barstool and sipped. She’d tell him tonight, when the children had taken themselves off to bed. She would tell him how the day had begun, how she had been prepared for the first interview of the day, expecting to be getting to grips with complex and demanding issues, only to be faced with such a painful and difficult personal case.
The face of the mother who had sat opposite her that morning, rigid with anger and sorrow, remained vividly in her mind. As she watched her own daughter arrange strips of pepper to form a pattern on a pizza, she felt a stab of pain in her heart: she was only two years younger than the girl who had been raped.
About the Author:
Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavik Noir trilogy, which have hit bestseller lists worldwide. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.
Praise for Lilja Sigurdardottir:
‘Tough, uncompromising and unsettling’ Val McDermid
‘Stylish, taut and compelling and a film adaptation is in the pipeline. With characters you can’t help sympathising with against your better judgement, Sigurdardottir takes the reader on a breathtaking ride’ Daily Express
‘ The seamy side of Iceland is uncovered in this lively and original debut as divorcee Sonja finds herself coerced into drug trafficking while her banker girlfriend Agla fends off a criminal investigation in the aftermath of the financial crash. Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns’ The Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick
‘A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters’ The Times
‘One of the darkest and most compelling series in modern crime fiction…Tackling topical issues, Cage will tell you a great deal about why the world’s in the state it is, while never neglecting its duty to entertain’ S Magazine
‘ The key to Sigurðardóttir ’s writing is her deep empathy for her characters. Like in Sallis’s work, these are ordinary people having to face the vagaries that life throws at them. In this instance, she writes lucidly about the power of corporations, and the ease with which our current societal systems can become brutally corrupted. In keeping with a lot of Icelandic fiction, Cage is written in a clean, understated style, the author letting the reader put together the emotional beats and plot developments. Smart writing with a strongly beating heart’ The Big Issue
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.
In all the excitement of setting up my blog and all the new releases, I feel that I’ve not shared my reviews on some absolutely outstanding (but slightly older) books.
This book was released in March 2020 and was one of my five star ARCs of 2019.
I really didn’t know what to expect from this, but wow! This is a well-written and pacy thriller that will not be forgotten easily. It’s shocking, sad, tragic…but more than anything made me feel so angry. Just as the writer intended, I think.
The story begins with the body of a young woman, Katie Straw, being recovered from a river in a small town somewhere outside Manchester. The police recognise that it’s probably a suicide, but they just need to check out a few things to close the case. The narrative then splits between the investigation in the ‘Now’ sections of the book and Katie’s life leading up to her death (‘Then’). In this strand, a much darker theme of domestic abuse rears its head and the novel becomes almost unbearable in its inevitability.
However, this is so much more than your average thriller. It is unflinching and quite unsettling in its portrayal of the trauma suffered by the women in the novel. The women’s refuge featured is at once a safe space but also precarious and underfunded. The women residents are flawed and realistic, their decisions often poor and their thinking blurred by their suffering.
It made me angry, I think, because it was so believable; this does happen every day and the statistics about women being killed by their domestic partners speak for themselves. But how do you help or understand women who repeatedly return to or excuse their abusers?
I raced through this book and recommend it highly. It will make you absolutely furious that this happens, but it’s a clever and an engaging read too and recognises some important issues. It’s much darker than my usual reads, but I am so glad I chose it give it a try.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you would like your own copy of ‘Keeper’, please use my affiliate link below. This supports my blog at no extra cost to you.
Header photo with thanks to Sydney Sims for sharing their work on Unsplash.
Happy publication day to this excellent police procedural!
This is the seventh book in the DI Gina Harte series and it is one of the best. I picked up the series at Book 3 and am never disappointed with any of the novels, but this book is excellent – just the right mix of tension and terror!
This one really isn’t ideal for the claustrophobic – a killer is on the loose in Cleevesford who is burying people alive in coffins. The victims are left with three matches and a string attached to a bell with no clapper so the victim will never be heard while thinking they have a lifeline – fiendish! It’s a terrifying idea and one that DI Gina Harte is personally horrified by as it reminds her of being incarcerated during her abusive marriage to Terry, mentioned in previous books. When a second body is found, Harte and her team have to race against time to identify the links between the victims; this will, ultimately, lead to more potential victims that need protecting, as well as the killer themselves.
What makes this book stand out for me is the way that Cleevesford is starting to feel like a familiar and developed community – Harte’s team, the various locations and the geography of the town are all coming together in my head and becoming much more real. This is especially true in this book as the settings are perhaps more varied than previously – we whisk between the police station, the graveyard, woods and plenty of other places (no spoilers!) with real pace and purpose.
The other strength to this novel is the tension that Kovach creates as we experience the terror of the serial killer’s victims (and Harte herself). This isn’t new to the series, but seems ramped up here as victims have time to realise their fate before their death. This is truly sinister and creepy and the stuff of nightmares – perfect for a novel written about Halloween and during our shared confinement of lockdown.
I think this book could easily be read as a standalone, although I’d really recommend that you start at the beginning to fully understand Harte’s situation with her abusive husband and tentative relationship with her colleague Briggs. However, this is one book in the series where the personal lives of the police team are more in the background than some of the previous books so it’s not essential.
Overall, this is a strong police procedural with real menace. I’d recommend this to fans of crime writers such as Cara Hunter, Rachel Lynch and MJ Arlidge. It will keep you turning the pages and isn’t one you will forget for quite a while!
I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Header photo with thanks to David Menidrey for sharing their work on Unsplash.
Today, I’m excited to be welcoming you to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Watcher’ by Kate Medina. This book was released on 3rd September by Harper Collins. The blog tour is organised by Random Things Tours.
From the Publisher
If you see him it’s already too late…
‘A brilliant and believable female lead’ Good Housekeeping
Some secrets can’t be hidden.
The Fullers are the picture-perfect family, a wealthy couple with a grand home in the middle of remote woodland. But even they have something to hide – and it will prove fatal.
Some crimes can’t be forgotten.
Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn and DI Marilyn Simmons arrive at the Fuller’s home to find a suburban nightmare. A crime scene more disturbing than anything they have ever encountered.
Some killers can’t be stopped.
Jessie knows that this is no random act of violence. And if she can’t unlock the motivation behind the crime and shine a light into this killer’s mind, the Fullers won’t be the only family to die…
Praise for Kate Medina:
‘A tense and pacy thriller’ – Sun
‘If psychological thrillers are your bag, then look no further’ – Closer
‘A haunting thriller’ – Grazia
‘Medina demonstrates that she’s a considerable find’ – Independent
My Review
I hadn’t read any other books by Kate Medina before this, but that’s something I now need to rectify! Although I read this as a stand alone novel, it is actually the fourth in the series featuring psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn who works with the Surrey and Sussex Serious Crimes Unit alongside DI Bobby Simmons (known to everyone as ‘Marilyn’).
This novel opens with the gruesome and horrific murder of a married couple in their large and remote house. Dr Jessie Flynn is brought in to advise on what looks to be an interesting case in psychological terms as the dead man has unusual – and perhaps significant – injures. The Surrey and Sussex Serious Crimes unit seem to have a problem on their hands – they have few leads and the dead man was known to be deeply unpleasant, so there is also no shortage of suspects. It soon becomes clear that the murders are part of a much larger situation, but poor Dr Jessie Flynn is also struggling with issues in her private life and past that risk overshadowing her work.
I think the thing that stood out for me with this book is how absolutely terrifying it is in places! It’s called ‘The Watcher’ so I should have had a clue, but there are so many heart-in-mouth scenes where characters are being observed in their own homes. The creepy sense that someone malevolent is watching is conveyed so well that I really felt so tense reading!
Another strength of the book is the plotting. Without giving any spoilers, I do need to just mention that there were several points in the story where I was totally going down the wrong path with my thinking and was genuinely surprised.
Dr Jessie Flynn is also an engaging and intriguing central character. Obviously I’ve missed a lot of the backstory in the first three books, but the fact that she is coping with the trauma of her own past brings an extra dimension to this story. Her history (as much as her psychological training) allow her to empathise with the troubled boy, Robbie, who is linked to the story via another police officer in the team.
The rest of the police team are also distinct characters which I really appreciated – often the supporting cast in this type of book can be a little flat in terms of characterisation, but I found myself really liking several of them and appreciating how their differences actually made a solid team.
Overall, I would say this this is a strong police procedural with plenty of menace. I would recommend this to anyone who is after a truly surprising crime novel – not in the sense of an amazing plot twist (I hate those reviews that put you on edge for an amazing revelation!) but in the sense of a skilfully crafted plot with plenty of unusual elements.
About the Author
Kate Medina has always been fascinated by the ‘whys’ of human behaviour, an interest that drove her to study Psychology at university and later to start a crime series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn. She has an MA in Creative Writingfrom Bath Spa University and her debut novel White Crocodile received widespread critical acclaim, as did Fire Damage, Scared to Death AND Two Little Girls, the first three books in the Jessie Flynn series.
Before turning to writing full time, Kate spent five years in the Territorial Army and has lectured at the London Business School and the London School of Economics. She lives in London with her husband and three children.
One of the most hyped new releases of 3rd September – happy publication day to Richard Osman’s debut crime novel!
I’ve long admired Richard Osman on ‘Pointless’ and have read some of the non-fiction quiz/humour books that he has written with Alexander Armstrong. I was, therefore, very keen to see this wit and verve applied to fiction and am very grateful to NetGalley for my ARC.
The story follows four older people living in a retirement village who have, for various reasons, come together to discuss cold crimes in their Thursday Murder Club. When a murder happens connected to the developers working on the retirement home , they are keen to launch their own investigations. Due to their connections and wiliness, they start to run rings around the nice but two-steps-behind police officers assigned to the case.
I really liked that these characters were not diminished by their age and infirmity. Some of them had ailments and frailty, but they were also mentally tough and funny and clever and – to be honest – trying to live their best life in retirement. They drew on their years of experience and the professional skills from their former careers and achieved a lot. The mystery surrounding Elizabeth’s past career was an interesting conceit and allowed the amateur detectives access to important information, while the willingness of them all to play on the stereotypes of infirm old people was humorous – they absolutely knew when to use their age to their advantage!
The setting was also inventive and drew on the conventions of classic crime novels by providing a closed community for the sleuths to work within.
I wasn’t really prepared for some of the poignancy of the novel. It has some very funny lines and situations, but it is also sad in parts about ageing and grief. This really adds depth to the novel and -I will admit – really surprised me.
Overall, this is an enjoyable and fairly light read. I was going to say it was a cosy crime novel, but I think the depth of the emotional hit removes it from this – these are a bunch of real people with real problems, but who are finding comfort in community and crime-solving!
If you would like to buy your own copy of the novel, please use the link below – I may earn commission on this at no extra cost to you.
Header photo with thanks to Sincerely Media for sharing their work on Unsplash.
I’ve written a lot recently about newly released novels – of which there are many. However, there are a vast number of excellent books that I’ve not written about in order to keep on top of waves of new ones.
With this in mind (and with a brief pause between the waves!), I thought I would introduce you to my favourite historical novels of recent years.
These are in no particular order – just books that strike me as deserving to find new audiences. They are all – as far as I know – stand alone novels. If historical crime series are your thing instead, you can find my recommendations here.
‘Shadowplay’ by Joseph O’Connor
Thanks to Sonder Quest for sharing their work on Unsplash.
I really love anything about the Victorian period, although I did not know much about Bram Stoker, the focus for this book, apart from the fact he wrote ‘Dracula’. The whole book was a bit of a revelation, in fact, putting Stoker in the context of his life’s works and the wider view of Victorian and Edwardian society.
The novel focuses on Bram Stoker’s life from his days as a clerk in Dublin to his time managing the Lyceum Theatre in London through to his death in 1912. The main part of the book really concentrates on his tricky relationships with the famous Shakespearian actor Henry Irving (owner of the Lyceum Theatre) and Ellen Terry, great actress of her day. Although heavily based in fact, this is a fictional account and it really brought the historical figures to life through the (fictionalised) diaries of Stoker, the letters between the characters and even some (again fictional) transcripts of conversations and interviews.
I really enjoyed the way that so much of Stoker’s day to day life at the theatre seemed to provide the inspiration for ‘Dracula’ – as a long time admirer of that classic novel, it was lovely to see ideas coming together, from character names to places and events and motifs. I wasn’t aware until reading this that Stoker never realised that ‘Dracula’ was destined for fame and fortune – it is a tragic element of his story that he never saw its success in his lifetime.
There was a lot to enjoy in this book for people who like well-researched historical fiction. So many people and places and events were incorporated into this story that Google was my constant companion so I could see and read even more!
There are a couple of reservations – Florence (poor Florence!) could have been developed more and I’d have liked a tiny bit more pace in places, but these are slight niggles only.
Overall, this is an enjoyable read for those interested in Victorian society and theatre or Bram Stoker and his writing process. It is an engaging and ultimately moving account of one man’s life and relationships in a fascinating era.
‘The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock’ by Imogen Hermes Gowar
It’s so hard to explain why this book is so bizarre and yet so fantastic (in both senses of the word). It defies genre and delivers a wholly satisfying story that I couldn’t wait to unravel.
It is 1785 and Jonah Hancock, a merchant in London, is living a narrow existence and waiting for news of his ships that are sailing across the world with the cargo that is his livelihood. One of the ship’s captains returns with a strange offering, a mermaid, an event which marks the start of Jonah’s change in fortune. As he rises in the world by feeding the public’s desire to see the mermaid, he crosses paths with Angelica Neal, a beautiful courtesan, and his life changes forever.
Thanks to Nsey Benajah for sharing their work on Unsplash.
The story moves between Jonah’s view of events and Angelica’s; both are utterly engrossing and introduce the reader to different levels of Georgian society and a whole host of fascinating characters. Although the novel is ostensibly historical fiction, there is also a slightly supernatural element which is interesting. It reminded me of some of Angela Carter’s novels (‘Nights at the Circus’ being a firm favourite of mine) in that there is a grotesque element to some of the writing and the reader is sometimes unsure what is reality and what is illusion.
Overall, I loved this book and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who loves historical novels (Georgian London is presented in absorbing detail), mystery and intrigue (is the mermaid real?), wonderful characters (Mrs Chappell is delightfully awful) or who just simply want to read a great story. Beautifully written and absolutely engaging.
‘Tipping the Velvet’ by Sarah Waters
This is a fabulous historical novel set in the Victorian theatre world – I have re-read this one a lot. It’s so beautifully written and absolutely absorbing.
The narrative follows Nancy Astley as she leaves her Whitstable home and embarks on a music hall career in London. Led by her love for Kitty Butler, a music hall artiste, she learns about her own sexuality and character as she moves through different levels of Victorian London society.
The characters she meets are varied and interesting, and always presented with subtlety and humanity, be they aristocracy or prostitute, Socialist activist or servant, theatre star or charity worker. Nancy herself is a complex and slightly frustrating narrator; she is human and real and sometimes makes bad decisions, but the reader can’t help but be charmed by her.
As well as the characters, the settings are also beautifully evoked. Nancy moves from the vibrancy of the Victorian music halls to the seediest boarding houses to the mansions of London’s wealthy and all are written in vivid detail by Waters.
The novel is often categorised as a romance, which it undoubtedly is, but I’d say this is also bildungsroman – Nancy leaves Whitstable as a young, innocent girl and embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she finds her place in life. I really love this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes their historical fiction with intelligence and a whole lot of heart.
‘Bone China’ by Laura Purcell
I loved Laura Purcell’s ‘The Corset’ and so was very excited to read her new book, ‘Bone China’.
As I trust the author, I deliberately did not read about it before I started reading so that I could be pulled along by what I knew would be an engaging and suspenseful narrative. I really wasn’t disappointed!
The story centres on Morvoren House in Cornwall, a family home set on the top of cliffs. A maid, fleeing the secrets of her own past, arrives to take care of the elderly Miss Pinecroft (and her extensive collection of bone china, of course!) The household are rather unconventional and Cornish myths and superstition run rife, especially with Creeda, companion to Miss Rosewyn Pinecroft. Just as the maid, Hester Why, starts to find her feet in this strange family, the narrative shifts back 40 years and we start to learn the secrets of the tragic Pinecroft family.
This book is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. As with Laura Purcell’s previous work, there is a strong sense of the creepy and sinister, this time in the exploration of the old Cornish beliefs about fairies (who are far from the benevolent and cute figures that Disney might have us believe!) There is also plenty of vivid description which really brings to life the unusual settings such as the caves beneath Morvoren House and the characters that inhabit the story.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction. Even if you are sceptical about the supernatural elements (I’m queen of the cynics – I don’t usually read this genre for that reason), you cannot help but be drawn into this beautifully plotted, carefully researched and fascinating story.
‘The Binding’ by Bridget Collins
With Collins’ second novel arriving soon (and it’s absolutely amazing), I couldn’t not include this one here.
I have no real clue how to categorise this or describe it, but this book is absolutely wonderful!
Emmett lives with his family on a farm. He’s trying to pull his weight with the physically demanding work, but he has been ill and can’t really remember a dark, feverish period of his life. A mysterious letter arrives asking for him to be an apprentice to a binder, a woman living in a remote area who is widely considered to be a witch. With no real choice in the matter, Emmett takes his place in the binding workshop, learning the secrets and skills of transferring memories to paper. But things aren’t as they seem and the world of bookbinding has those who abuse their power over people’s minds.
Picture thanks to Cristina Gottardi for sharing their work on Unsplash.
I really don’t want to give any more of the story away because I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it was because I did not quite know what to expect. I’m not even really sure what category I would place this in – the setting feels historical, but also like a parallel world in which books have mysterious power. It certainly isn’t my usual genre, but I absolutely loved it.
The novel is beautifully written and hugely imaginative – I read it in a day, which is fairly unusual for me. The only criticism I have is that I found it quite difficult to imagine the physical appearance of the characters. Scenes and emotions in the novel are written in great and absorbing detail, but I just wanted to be able to see the characters in my mind. A small niggle for me!
However, this is a lovely and engaging novel. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read something a bit different. It is not at all what I expected, but was a pleasant surprise.
‘The Devil Aspect’ by Craig Russell
Wow. Just wow!
The story is set in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s. Nazism is on the rise, showing itself in small ways to the staff and residents of the asylum at the centre of the plot. This asylum is like no other, housing ‘The Devil’s Six’, killers of such depravity that they are isolated in a remote castle location. The castle itself also hides secrets, with locals thinking it stops up the mouth of Hell itself.
Into this grim and dark place comes a new psychiatrist, Victor, keen to prove that people have split personalities, a ‘devil aspect’ in each of us that has capacity for great harm. He arrives fresh from Prague, a city terrorised by a serial killer called ‘Leather Apron’, and starts to uncover some unexpected things about the castle residents.
It’s hard to write a summary of the book that really does it justice. It cleverly weaves the mythology and folk tales of Central and Eastern Europe with trends and discoveries in psychiatry, while also maintaining a constant sense of darkness through the historical setting. As Nazism makes itself felt in Czechoslovakia, not least to the Jewish character in the novel, Russell also winds in the grimness of Victorian London’s Jack the Ripper crimes being mirrored on the cold and gloomy streets of Prague.
It is meticulously researched and fascinating. It’s also all described vividly – sometimes a little too much so, given the brutality of the crimes involved and the disturbing madness at the heart of the novel.
I just can’t praise this enough. It genuinely kept me turning pages right to the end and left me thinking about it long after the end. Yes, it’s extremely dark and gruesome. Yes, it’s about some very grim subjects. Yes, it’s quite disturbing. But it’s also wonderfully clever and inventive and compulsive. Please read it now.
‘Blackberry and Wild Rose’ by Sonia Velton
This is the story of two women living in Spitalfields during the reign of George III. One (Esther Thorel) is the wife of a respected Huguenot weaver, the other (Sara) is a prostitute at the seedy Wig and Feathers tavern. When Esther pays for Sara’s freedom from her life of prostitution and gives her a job in the Thorel household, both women’s lives are changed forever and not in ways they could foresee.
Thanks to VIBHUTI GUPTA for sharing their work on Unsplash.
There is so much that is fabulous about this novel. The chapters alternating between the perspectives of the two women make the story compelling; although this isn’t a radically new device, in this novel it takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions and results in constantly shifting sympathies. I honestly couldn’t decide whose side I was on as it kept changing! Also, the descriptions of Georgian London are vivid and engaging – this is a grimy and dangerous London where mobs can rule and justice is far from guaranteed. The plot is tight and there is a serious feeling of menace at times – I could not put this book down!
Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction. This is a beautifully written and captivating novel that deserves wide readership and critical acclaim.
‘The Doll Factory’ by Elizabeth Macneal
This book is about twin young women working in a doll factory in quite early Victorian London. Iris longs for escape, while Rose is more resigned to her situation, keen to appear respectable and do as her parents wish. Nearby, the Crystal Palace is being built for Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition and items are being sought for both this and for the Royal Academy’s annual exhibition. It is these things that will change the twins’ lives forever as they get caught up with the burgeoning Pre Raphaelite movement and a shady taxidermist called Silas.
I really loved this book for so many reasons. Firstly, the setting felt vibrant and interesting – this is London as the centre of innovation and full of opportunity. However, it’s also a London that is dangerous and seedy, and Macneal does not hold back from portraying the poverty and prostitution in the city that exists alongside the promise of the future.
I also loved the character of Iris, a woman prepared to take risks to be free to paint. The Pre Raphaelite artists themselves are also engaging subjects for a novel, although quite sanitised if what I’ve read about them elsewhere is to be believed! Finally, the sense of tension sustained throughout the book is cleverly done as Silas changes from odd loner to something much creepier.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who likes historical fiction. My only quibble is the title – it’s a bland and unexciting title for something that offers so much more than the story of a doll factory.
‘A Single Thread’ by Tracy Chevalier
I’d read a few of Tracy Chevalier’s books before and so I was expecting a well-researched, evocative and beautifully crafted historical novel. I was not disappointed.
This book is about Violet Speedwell, a single woman in her late thirties who is living in Winchester in 1932. Still mourning her losses in the Great War, Violet is trying to escape the future that society has planned for her as a ‘spinster’ and ‘surplus woman’. Instead of settling with her mother in Southampton as everyone expects, she moves to Winchester, gets a job as a typist and becomes involved in the Broderers, a group of women embroidering items for the cathedral. Through this, she meets an interesting set of people who show her that there are other ways of living outside of society’s rules.
Violet is an appealing and engaging heroine whose situation evokes sympathy in the reader; she struggles to assert her independence in a society that seems to want to thwart her every move. The setting is beautifully described, the characters are vivid and there is lots of interesting information about the embroidery techniques that Violet is learning – sewing is not my thing at all, but I did find it added to the novel.
This is a charming book that follows a lively and unconventional heroine. Although Chevalier touches on the big issues of women’s rights and the rise of Nazism before the Second World War, the focus never leaves Violet, her friends and family, her struggles and successes, her hobbies and her beliefs. A lovely book and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.
Thanks to Olesia Buyar for sharing their work on Unsplash.
‘Swan Song’ by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott
I didn’t know much about Truman Capote before I picked up this novel, but I was intrigued by the idea of telling his story through the women he was closest to – his ‘Swans’, a group of wealthy socialites who gave him access to their privileged lives and darkest secrets before he betrayed them by writing thinly-disguised versions of their stories.
I was interested in how biography can become fiction, although I soon realised that Capote himself was a master of blurring the lines between truth and fiction as several sections in this novel show – key events are told and retold from different perspectives and with dramatic features added, so the reader is always aware that truth is an illusion.
The novel covers the period between the 1930s (when Capote is a child) and the 1980s when Capote is living in relative exile following his controversial decision to fictionalise his Swans’ lives in print. The narrative switches between Capote himself and his friends, a collection of wealthy and influential women whose names are often familiar to us – we see Jackie Kennedy and her sister Lee Radziwill, Babe Paley, CZ Guest, a Churchill and the Guinesses among others. The story then drops in so many familiar faces and names that Google is a necessary companion to this novel – Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow, Gore Vidal, John and Bobby Kennedy, Harper Lee… the list goes on as Greenberg-Jephcott draws a vivid picture of the social whirls surrounding Capote.
I know that other reviewers have mentioned that they found the book confusing and I can see this – the timeline does skip around a bit and the cast list is extensive, although I found the more I read, the clearer the distinctions between the women and their individual lives became. Some reviewers have also said that the characters are unpleasant and unsympathetic, but I didn’t find this at all. They are undoubtedly self-absorbed, but I think that the novel shows that lives that seem gilded still have problems. Yes, the ladies lunch and are extravagant and spoilt, but they also seem human and their lives aren’t perfect.
Capote himself is a challenging figure – bitchy and clever and untrustworthy, but his background and final days still evoke pathos.
I found myself caught up in these glamorous yet often tragic lives and feel that the book will stay with me for some time.
Overall, I think this is a superb piece of writing that vividly evokes a particular historical era and social set. I thought it was beautifully written and fascinating – I definitely want to learn more about the real lives of the characters and even read some Capote, something I now feel is a shameful gap in my reading history! It’s a long book and challenging in places, but it’s also compelling and engaging. It’s been thoroughly researched and lovingly written and is definitely worth a read.
With thanks to NetGalley for giving me these books in exchange for honest reviews. As always, opinions are entirely my own!
Header photo with thanks to Jason Wong for sharing their work on Unsplash.
Also due out on 20th August is the brilliant ‘Midnight at Malabar House’ by Vaseem Khan – the final book in my week of 20th August releases.
I really hope this book marks the start of a new series by Vaseem Khan. It's a great story and one book featuring the indefatigable and charming Inspector Wadia is simply not enough!
The story opens on New Year's Eve, 1949 in Bombay. As the clock ticks over into a new decade of Indian independence, Inspector Wadia is called in to investigate the murder of an important British diplomat, Sir James Herriot. Initially, it seems that Inspector Persis Wadia has been called precisely because no-one has any faith in her to actually solve the crime (she is India's first female police officer), or in the bunch of misfits she works with at Malabar House. However, she is determined to prove her worth and unwilling to give in until she has uncovered the truth.
It's this determination that makes the pioneering Inspector Wadia such an interesting character. She really has the odds stacked against her, but uses her intelligence, humour and sheer bloody-mindedness to take on an extremely politically sensitive case - Khan does not skimp on the history of India and Empire that have led to this precarious situation so there is plenty of explanation for those of us less well-versed in the politics. However, the book is far from being simply a history lesson - in Persis Wadia, we are treated to a very human and realistic character grappling admirably with a situation way beyond her control. We see her own struggles - including her strained relationship with her father and a rather sweet and inept flirtation with another investigator - and like her all the more for it.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes historical crime fiction with plenty of heart. The setting is interesting, the characters are engaging and the plot is well-constructed. You - like me - will end the book wondering what is next for Inspector Wadia and very much looking forward to finding out.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
As I’d already reviewed ‘Midnight at Malabar House’ on this blog – above is a copy of my previous review – as a bonus, I thought I’d suggest a few other books that you’d like if ‘Midnight at Malabar House’ sounds like your kind of thing!
Feature: Set in India in the past
‘Midnight at Malabar House’ is set in India in 1950. For another excellent historical crime series, I can highly recommend the Captain Wyndham and Surrender-not Banerjee series by Abir Mukherjee set in the India of the 1920s. It’s definitely worth starting with ‘The Rising Man’ as the first book in this 4 book series – ‘Death in the East’ (Book 4) was published this year and my review (no spoilers) is here.
Feature: Pioneering female detectives
Persis Wadia in ‘Midnight at Malabar House’ is India’s first police detective and pioneering women is definitely a trope I love in my crime fiction!
I can highly recommend ‘Evil Things’ by Katja Ivar – her heroine, Inspector Hella Mauzer, is the first woman to be accepted into Helsinki’s Homicide Unit in 1940s Finland. The review is here.
https://thequickandtheread.net/the-ghost-tree-by-mrc-kasasian/Another woman in a man’s policing world is Inspector Betty Church. In MRC Kasasian’s funny and fairly cosy historical crime series, Betty is the only woman in a dead-end police job in Sackwater, Suffolk. Like Persis in ‘Midnight at Malabar House’, Betty has been sidelined because of her gender and has to deal with the collection of misfits she has been assigned to work with. This humorous series starts with ‘Betty Church and the Suffolk Vampire’ – a review of the latest book in the series (‘The Ghost Tree’) can be found here.
Feature: A good murder mystery (but not too gory!)
I do like a gritty crime novel and modern forensics, but sometimes a slightly gentler approach is desirable, as in ‘Midnight at Malabar House’.
If you like your crime novels without forensic detail, then the following books and series may be of interest. Cosy crime isn’t a genre I read often, but I can personally recommend these!
The Holmes and Hudson series by Martin Davies – starting with ‘Mrs Hudson and the Spirit’s Curse’, this series draws on the premise that Mrs Hudson is the true brains behind Baker Street’s famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. A gentle and funny series set in Victorian London.
Jessica Fellowes’ series beginning with ‘The Mitford Murders’ – a series of Golden Age-style murder mysteries in which the investigations are connected to the Mitford sisters in 1920s England.
The Laetitia Rodd mysteries by Kate Saunders – starting with ‘The Secrets of Wishtide’, this series features a genteel Victorian lady detective who finds herself in reduced circumstances after her husband’s death.
Feature: Police procedural with a female lead
Much grittier than the cosy crime novels above, these writers can be relied upon to deliver brilliant police procedurals with a strong female detective. These are contemporary novels:
Deborah Masson’s series about DI Eve Hunter, starting with ‘Hold Your Tongue’.
Carla Kovach’s series about Detective Gina Harte starting with ‘The Next Girl’.
Isabelle Grey’s series about DI Grace Fisher starting with ‘Good Girls Don’t Die’. These have the bonus (for me) of being set in Essex – my birthplace!
I hope you have enjoyed my recommendations – please do let me know in the comments if you can add any more.
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.
The third book in our week-long jaunt through books released on 20th August is the latest Hercule Poirot mystery by Sophie Hannah.
I’m an avid Agatha Christie fan, but this is the first of the ‘new’ Poirot books that I’ve read by Sophie Hannah. The idea in principle is sound – take one of the world’s most famous fictional detectives and drop him into a new mystery that bears all the hallmarks of Christie’s own fiendish plots. What’s not to like?!
In this book, Poirot is accompanied by Inspector Catchpool, a slightly tamer substitute for the charming Hastings in the originals. Catchpool becomes our narrator for the book and – it s fair to say – is several steps behind Poirot and his ‘little grey cells’. As the reader follows Catchpool’s narration, we sometimes stay in the dark and occasionally make connections that he doesn’t.
The duo are travelling via motorcoach to Kingfisher Hill, an exclusive gated development where the Devonport family live. One of the Devonport sons has died, a woman has confessed and faced the gallows, but will the correct killer be brought to justice?
Alongside this plot, a nervy woman on the coach catches the police detective’s eye with her pronouncement that she will die if she chooses a certain seat and he is left trying to piece together the true stories behind the lies.
I wanted to love this and it did draw me along- there are lots of red herrings and shady characters in the spirit of the original books. However, I was slightly disappointed in the denouement and thought it lacked the spark that Christie’s books have.
Overall, I enjoyed this book as a light read even when I wasn’t always convinced by the plot development. It would love to read more in the series as it was lovely to return to Poirot, a firm favourite for me.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you would like to pre-order this book (out Thursday!) then the link is below. It is an affiliate link, so I may earn commission at no extra cost to you.
