Category Archives: Books

CARIADS’ CHOICE: JUNE BOOK REVIEWS, PART TWO

Posted on by

Lisa Hobman’s Under an Island Skye, reviewed by Morton S Grey

I loved this book and wanted to make my own escape to the Isle of Skye! Tackles some difficult issues – bereavement, depression, divorce, children of divorce but in a way that carries you along wanting the characters to find their happiness. Believable characters especially the hero, Reid and the heroine, Juliette. Evin and Chewie the dog wormed their way into my heart. A lovely escapist read.

 

Carol Cooper’s The Girls from Alexandria, reviewed by Jessie Cahalin

The mystery of Nadia’s missing sister hooked me from the outset. There are many layers in this book. Set in Egypt, London and in a London hospital ward, this novel explores the impact of one’s culture life experiences on our identity. The insight into life in Alexandria intrigued me and I could feel the exotic heat of Cairo. I enjoyed the contrast between the voices of Nadia as a girl and a mature woman. The naïve girl becomes a wise and witty woman, and the impact of her past on the present is explored beautifully. The way Nadia makes sense of a patriarchal and disrupted society is enlightening and relevant: revisiting memories sparks new connections and insight. The novel kept me guessing about Nadia’s sister and Nadia’s illness. There are wonderful gems of wisdom sprinkled throughout this novel. An intelligent novel I know I will reread.

Readers who enjoy Maggie O’Farell’s The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox will love this book.

 

Natasha Lester’s The Paris Secret, reviewed by Jill Barry

Skilfully plotted, beautifully written, and with a cast of fascinating and ‘real’ characters, this dual time novel is a joy to read. Word pictures of Cornwall, the sensation of becoming airborne, the loneliness and horror of the war years against the camaraderie and determination to enjoy being young and alive, all contribute to this magnificent novel with its tiers of separation and reunion, even if the latter is sometimes not entirely welcome. Family secrets and historical facts blend with real life dramas. Devotees of haute couture will drool over the name dropping and the exquisite descriptions of dresses most of us can only dream of acquiring. This is a book you won’t want to put down. This is a love story that will stay with you long after you regretfully reach The End.

 

David Sivers’ In Ink, reviewed by Evonne Wareham

Dave Sivers is an established indie/self published crime author specialising in police procedurals. In Ink is the first in a new series in which a murder team under DI Nathan Quarrel investigates a serial killer in the leafy and affluent communities around Tring. When the body of a middle aged accountant turns up in a churchyard with a macabre facial disfigurement Quarrel’s team have to unravel a scheme for vengeance from a killer who is a meticulous planner and who always seems one jump ahead. Why have the victims been chosen and what is the significance to the killer of tattoos and tarot cards? A twisty plot, a policeman with a haunting act of violence in his own past, a killer with a grisly calling card and a cast of interesting characters – both police and suspects – make this a satisfying read.

 

 

 

CARIADS’ CHOICE: JUNE BOOK REVIEWS, PART ONE

Posted on by

Audrey Davis’ Lost in Translation, reviewed by Jessie Cahalin

A clever twist on the romantic comedy genre. It was wonderful to meet Charlotte and follow her new life in Switzerland with her husband and children. I adored the way the character found her voice and her identity and slowly changed. This story had me hooked from the outset because I feared the worse and wanted Charlotte to triumph. Perfect escape to Switzerland for me, and I read it very quickly. The writing style is fun and engaging – so entertaining to get inside of Charlotte’s head and hear what she thinks. There are some fantastic moments in this novel. This is an uplifting feel-good book with a satisfying ending. I loved it!

 

Natalie Kleinman’s The Reluctant Bride, reviewed by Jane Cable

In the notes to the reader at this end of the book, Natalie Kleinman mentions Georgette Heyer as an inspiration, and if you love the classic Regency romances by the doyenne of the genre, you are going to enjoy this book too. Widowed after just six weeks of her arranged marriage, Charlotte emerges from mourning with no intention of letting her newfound freedoms go. But she is young, beautiful and spirited, so of course she attracts admirers.

I read this book in a day and so enjoyed being transported to a different world. A world of Almack’s, riding out in Hyde Park, shopping (not to mention taking the horrible waters) in Bath, and picnics under the trees in the park of great country houses. The central characters are beautifully drawn and I enjoyed finding out how many of them achieved their happy ever afters. Recommended!

 

Jessie Cahalin’s You Can’t Go It Alone, reviewed by Judith Barrow

I really liked You Can’t Go It Alone. The characters are well drawn and multi layered and there are so many familiar ‘human life’ threads running throughout all the relationships. All thought provoking.

The dialogue is exceptional; the personalities of the characters were instantly revealed, through both the internal and the spoken speech.

It’s the Olive Tree Café where most of the action occurs and there is a strong sense of the cafe’s ambience. Indeed, all of the settings have a good sense of place and it’s almost as if the Delfryn itself is personified as a character in the story, with the interweaving, individual lives it holds at its centre.

Initially, the story appears to be a light-hearted look at life in a Welsh village, but actually, it’s a story that explores the contrasting mindsets and distinct possibilities between different generations of women.  Jessie Cahalin’s debut novel, You Can’t Go It Alone, is an interesting and thoughtful story.

 

Sue Moorcroft’s Under The Italian Sun, reviewed by Morton S Gray

I think this is one of my favourite Sue Moorcroft books to date. The hero Piero is fanciable just from Sue’s words on the page. Zia has a lot going on with her complex family dynamics and the fact her ex-boyfriend is best buddies with her best friend’s husband. Add into this an interesting and complex plotline spanning across England and Italy and there is plenty to keep you guessing. Can’t wait for the next novel already!

 

 

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter Book Review

Posted on by

the serial killer's wife
I am going to go all in and say The Serial Killer’s Wife is one of the best books of 2021. I was turning every page in anticipation. It is the perfect twisty thriller. It is original and the characters are written so perfectly. Outstanding.The Serial Killer’s Wife is a must-read.

Every marriage has its secrets…

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighbourhood – they have the perfect marriage, the perfect house, the perfect family.

When the police knock on their door one evening, Beth panics. Tom should be back from work by now – what if he’s crashed his car? She fears the worst.

But the worst is beyond imagining.

As the interrogation begins, Beth will find herself questioning everything she believed about her husband.

They’re saying he’s a monster. And they’re saying she knew.

The Serial Killer’s wife is available here.

 

WELSH WRITING WEDNESDAYS: ALEXANDRA WALSH ON APPLYING MYTHS TO FICTION

Posted on by

Wales is a land rich in mythology and here Alexandra Walsh explains how she researched and applied some of it to her latest novel.

In The Wind Chime, my main character Amelia Prentice is sent on a quest by her dying mother, Joan. Requesting Amelia should tidy the attic of their family home before she made any decisions about selling it, Amelia discovers a box of Victorian photographs, with a hand-drawn family tree. The annotations on the back of the images names them as the Attwater family from Cliffside in Pembrokeshire.

Amelia has never heard this name before but she is intrigued by the family and is drawn to the youngest daughter, Osyth Attwater. When she discovers Osyth’s journal among her mother’s papers, she feels compelled to visit Cliffside and find out more.

The Mythology

At night, the Attwater family of old would gather on their veranda, listening to the wind chime and watching the sun set into the roaring ocean. They told each other stories and Osyth revelled in the tales her Uncle Noah wove around them, using them as a guide to her life.

In order to make to create Osyth’s interior life, I drew on tales far and wide. These included old fairy stories, local legends and Celtic mythology. At the beginning of the book, Osyth is in her late teens and is letting go of her childhood as she enters the adult world, yet she cannot fully abandon the magical world of her childhood. Throughout, I was aware the tales needed to fit in with Osyth’s story rather than distracting from it, so the fairies invited to join the party were chosen with great care.

Tylwyth Teg was the most important tale. This is the Welsh translation for the Fair Folk or Fairy Folk and their magical home can take a number of forms, from the underground land reached through the doorways of the Celtic stone circles or in mysterious green lands that can be glimpsed off the Welsh coast. Osyth is fascinated with Tylwyth Teg and it is from here she draws on other magical creatures who are her talismans and protectors as she discovers bitter family secrets.

It is during the celebrations of a family wedding, Osyth’s aunt, Hannah, tells the story of how the world of the Fair Folk was created. It is the tale of a woman who hid her children from Jesus when he visited her home as she was ashamed of her fecundity. However, when she searched for her family later, there was no sign of her children. She was told God had taken them as a punishment for hiding the gifts he had bestowed upon her. In the legend, these children were taken underground and became the ancestors of all the creatures in the Land of Tylwyth Teg.

While dressing for this wedding, Osyth references Gwenhwyfar, the fairy of the White Moon Shadows. This fairy dances through the world leaving tiny white flowers in her wake. White flowers became a theme throughout the story, including the name of her perfume, White Rose, from the perfumiers, Floris.

The most interesting creature I discovered was the gwrach-y-rhibyn, the witch of death from Welsh mythology. This terrifying creature with her red eyes, green-tinged skin and dark leathery wings, gathered the souls of the dead and would visit houses whenever a death was imminent. It calls to mind the Irish banshee, which considering the close proximity of the two coastlines is unsurprising.

I hope this small insight into the fairies and their world will make your reading of The Wind Chime – and Welsh mythology – more interesting.

 

New Parenting Book to Get Kids Talking

Posted on by

A new, illustrated, hardboard book has been launched to aid and develop children’s speech.  Published by Little Frog Media, DeeDee and DanDan’s Busy Day is an interactive reading book that has been written by parents of a late talking child.

books to help children with their speech, speech therapy, interactive reading, deedee and dandan's busy day,

Following extensive research into how best to support and encourage their son’s vocabulary, Aneta and Mariusz Wojcik established that reading to their son Daniel was the ultimate way to help, but they still weren’t getting the results they were anticipating.

 

After speaking with a friend who studied English literature, they quickly understood that the problem wasn’t what they were reading but the frequency and how they were reading with their son.  The couple learnt that making a story interactive and engaging for a child assists vocabulary retention and they started tounderstand the importance of word repetition in different, yet similar, sentences.

 

They began to use these methods across a range of recommended books but never came across a publication that allowed them to deliver all they had learnt.  After seeing Daniel’s use of words grow through the techniques they were applying, Aneta and Mariusz decided to write their own book, which encompassed their learnings and knowledge to help other families.

 

Mariusz said: “Our eldest son was a bright two-year-old, but we knew his speech development was behind.  We understand that all children progress at different rates, but we were concerned and knew intervention was needed.  Mywife and I both studied mathematics, so we are natural investigators and wanted to absorb as much knowledge as possible to try to help our son.

 

“As we gained proof that our various techniques were working, we applied the formula and logic to every book we read with Daniel.  There was still a gap in the market though for a book which teaches parents all the elements they need to help aid their child’s speech development – so we decided to write one.

 

“The book gives you everything in one place, so you don’t need to think after a long day.  And with 38 pages and thousands of possibilities, no two reads are the same and the book grows with your child.  It also helps a child to build confidence and start actively asking questions. It is our hope that other families can now benefit from what we learned and, with the help of the book, can overcome any worries while supporting their own child’s speech development.”

‘I loved this book and so did my children. It is so well done and gets children interested. I cannot recommend it enough,’ Catherine Balavage, editor. 

Dee Dee and Dan Dan’s Busy day is priced at £9.99 and is available from Amazon and https://deedeeanddandan.co.uk/.

 

 

JANE CABLE REVIEWS LIZ FENWICK’S EXCEPTIONAL NEW NOVEL

Posted on by

For some years the pinned Tweet on Liz Fenwick’s profile has been about kindness, and it struck me that in many ways The River Between Us is too. The First World War heroine, Alice, must learn to be kind to others, and her modern counterpart Theo needs to be kind to herself.

Their stories are more than linked – they are woven together – by place and by so much more. But as always with Liz Fenwick’s books, it isn’t so much the resolution of the mystery that is important, it is the journey itself. And this is an especially rich and sensual one.

Newly divorced Theo buys a ramshackle cottage on the Cornish banks of the River Tamar, once part of the estate belonging to the manor house, now hotel, on the Devon side. The seeds of mystery are planted quickly, as Theo discovers a box of letters dating from the First World War, and when her grandmother dies it comes to light that she had secrets of her own.

In the historical narrative, which begins in 1914, Alice is a rebellious debutante, determined to speak out for force-fed suffragettes to the king and queen during her season. When she does so she is banished to Abbotswood in Devon, where she is attracted to the ghillie, Zachariah Carne.

The coincidences may fall a little too thick and fast for some, but this takes none of the enjoyment from the story. Liz Fenwick’s prose takes the reader from seeing Abbotswood as a prison for a young girl, to casting it in a dream-like quality, full of beauty and wonder, as Theo falls in love. In this book the tiniest of details matter – the tying of flies, the shells in the shell house, the flowers and their meanings. And that is brilliance of it.

But The River Between Us is more than an exhibition of faultless prose; the characters leap from the page and sink into your heart. Both contemporary and historical plots are complex and resonate with each other, and by the end of the story all the strands are as neatly woven together as DNA.

Books as good as this one are the reason I don’t read when I am writing a first draft, because they have the power to transport you to a different world, even when you aren’t physically turning the pages. But I am discovering they are excellent to read when editing; tomorrow I need to return to my own work in progress, inspired to make it so much better.

 

Publisher’s blurb:

Following the breakdown of her marriage, Theo has bought a tumbledown cottage on the banks of the river Tamar which divides Cornwall and Devon. The peace and tranquillity of Boatman’s Cottage, nestled by the water, is just what she needs to heal.

Yet soon after her arrival, Theo discovers a stash of hidden letters tied with a ribbon, untouched for more than a century. The letters – sent from the battlefields of France during WW1 – tell of a young servant from the nearby manor house, Abbotswood, and his love for a woman he was destined to lose.

As she begins to bring Boatman’s Cottage and its gardens back to life, Theo pieces together a story of star-crossed lovers played out against the river, while finding her own new path to happiness.

The River Between Us beautifully explores the mystery and secrets of a long-forgotten love affair, and is published by Harper Fiction on 10th June.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Books that Changed My Life By The Lucky Escape Author Laura Jane Williams

Posted on by

The Babysitter’s Club series

My parents had a rule when we were growing up: they’d always say yes to a book. I remember being in Waterstone’s Durham and randomly pulling a Babysitter’s Club of off the shelf, purely to get my dad’s attention and praise. Turns out, it was a gateway drug. Over the next few years I collected all of them, devouring the stories of these incredibly glamourous Americans who essentially ran their own little business. Couple that with starting highs school as The Spice Girls hit number one and a lot of my personality suddenly makes sense!

lucky escape, Laura Jane Williams, books that changed me,

On Beauty, Zadie Smith

I read this when I was about 20, and it opened a secret door within me that I hadn’t known about before. Every character in this book leaps off the page – there is no such thing as a flat or incidental character, everyone is 3-D and complete. It was the first time I remember being aware of not just enjoying the story, but that the story was created by somebody, a writer, who had worked at it and used certain techniques and skills to make their point. I know every man and his dog has been inspired by Zadie, but it really is for a reason. She’s remarkable – she’s got the most smart, intelligent brain.

Heartburn, Nora Ephron

I’ve read and re-read this book, and every time I just cannot get over the self-awareness of it. It’s so funny. There’s not a line wasted. It’s no mean feat, writing a character with so much life in them, with strong opinions and questionable choices who is still utterly likeable. It’s the same for Bridget Jones. I love knowing that the novel is a roman a clef and picking out which bits are slightly less veiled retellings of actual events than others. It must only be about 50,000 words, if that, so it’s proof that not every story needs to be an opus to be impactful.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This book taught me more about the lasting impact of slavery than anything else I’d ever read up until that point. I remember knowing that whilst the third chapter was some of the most difficult reading I’d come across it was unquestionably important. The novel branches out to illustrate the continued echoes of white supremacy alive today and so much clicked for me, then – my privilege had not allowed me to see so much, and through the gift of this story I could. It was a jumping off point for so much more interrogation into racial inequality.

Last Night, Mhairi McFarlane

I’d never read and Mhairi before this one, but offfft! What a book to get started on! Right from the first page I was sucked in to this world of banter and wholehearted friendship, and whilst I think the sort of rom-com/women’s fiction genre gets deliberately misunderstood (don’t get me started on that!) there’s no mistaking this book as an incisive, accomplished balance between hilarious and heart-breaking. That’s masterful! I read it in awe of her skill, trying to unpick how she’d done what she’d done. That’s how I know I’ve been impressed – I hold the thing up to the light desperate to learn from it!

 

The Lucky Escape publishing on the 10th June, is the third unmissable new novel from the bestselling author of Our Stop and The Love Square. The perfect romcom, and more: full of effortless banter; sizzling sexual tension and, above all, an overwhelming sense of hopefulness – in life as well as love.

THE DIARY OF A BOOK, MAY 2021

Posted on by

The first of Jane Cable’s monthly post charts acquisition and initial research

There is always a fascination with how books are written, but so very often when they’re started an author doesn’t know whether they will see the light of day so we’re unwilling to share what could be a disappointing journey. But as I signed the contract with Sapere for my second Cornish Echoes novel, The Lost Heir, in April, I thought I would tell the story of its creation too.

All the Cornish Echoes books will be standalone dual timeline romantic mysteries with one foot in the present and the other in the Poldark era (as I like to think of it), or the Regency period (for the purposes of Amazon classification). It was a fascinating time in Cornwall’s history when mine owners were making fortunes and building houses to prove it but there was still an element of lawlessness in the Cornish spirit. You’ve probably read or seen Poldark, so you will know what I’m talking about.

Each book is based around one of these great houses and at least some of the people connected with them – both in the early nineteenth century and the present day. The first, The Forgotten Maid, takes its inspiration from Trelissick, now owned by the National Trust and open to the public. For The Lost Heir it’s Tehidy, which burnt down in 1919, had a hospital on the site for almost seventy years, and is now a country park.

Sapere acquired the book on the basis of an outline, which for me means a four page summary of the characters, setting, history and plot. I had very little of the 1810 story but had discovered that the daughter of the house, Frances, remained unmarried – most unusual at the time, especially given the baronetcy was drawn up to pass through the female line as well. You could say my curiosity was piqued.

So in May the detailed research began and initially it involved a great deal of walking. Luckily my husband and I really enjoy it, so we tramped paths old and new to us both within the country park and around it; along the fabulous North Cliffs which run a field’s width from Tehidy’s boundary, then heading out to discover the farmhouse where important characters would live, and down old tracks into the harbour village of Portreath. All valuable settings for both timelines.

Alongside this I set out on some internet research into the history of Tehidy and the Basset family in the Poldark era. To my great delight I unearthed the possible existence of an illegitimate son, William. And the more I dug, the more certain it seemed he existed and what’s more, led a pretty colourful life.

His and Frances’ father was no slouch in that respect either, but as one of Cornwall’s most famous landowners it was easy to track down information about him. The online catalogue of Cornwall’s library system has an excellent search engine and through it I discovered books which mentioned him and a slim volume all about him, including accounts of how his household was run and guests’ impressions of the family and their magnificent home. Gold dust for a writer. The era – and the plot – were filling out.

But if these books were gold dust, a footnote in one of them led me to the actual gold. A family memoir of the type I assumed I would need to go to Kresen Kernow, Cornwall’s archives, to ferret out. But no, here it was in the library catalogue and it popped up at Truro branch within a few days. And it started with William. Lots about William. But to tell too much would spoil the story…