Category Archives: Culture

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E Smith: reviewed by Nadia Tariq

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The Unsinkable Greta James is a deep burning, methodically written tale of family, ambitions and relationships, particularly of the child-parent kind. With such universal themes, Greta is guaranteed to strike a chord with every reader. I was particularly drawn to the  eponymous character, a successful indie musician in her mid thirties, who is at a turning point. Although she leads a life completely alien to us all, the author manages to build up the layers and then slowly peel them back to reveal a character with whom we can happily relate.

Following the recent and sudden death of her mother, Greta finds herself on a cruise ship among the stunning environs of Alaska, forced into the awkward companionship of her father – who is less than a fan of her life choices. The author handles this, and indeed all of the relationships in the novel, with a beautifully nuanced and sympathetic touch. For me, and I’ve no doubt for many, it was a hard relate. Throw in a love interest or two to keep the interest fresh, and the result is a definite hit.

The dialogue in this novel – and it is dialogue heavy – hits particularly hard. The fraught exchanges between father and daughter had me close to tears at points; and yet, despite the drama and the grief, I would not describe this as a sad story. It ends with hope.

Five stars all round for this quiet, unassuming belter of a novel.

Jennifer E Smith is a veteran author of young adult novels, and The Unsinkable Greta James is her first novel for adults, published by Quercus in the UK and out now in hardback form.

EVONNE WAREHAM ON HQ & HQ DIGITAL’S 2022 CRIME SHOWCASE

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Photo credit: Sian Trenberth Photography

This was a virtual glimpse at what these publishers have coming from their crime authors in 2022, giving the writers the opportunity to talk briefly about their new work.

It was a varied selection but in all cases the importance of character and location were emphasised – and as in all good crime novels there was a lot of talk about secrets.

The books were grouped to give an idea of their themes. First up was the category classed as jet set thrillers. I confess that this was the one that most appealed to me, being closest to what I like to read and write.

Ross Armstrong spoke about The Getaway – set on a private island in Greece where a multi millionaire and his entourage escape to the perfect sunshine holiday. Then someone dies. Scott Kershaw introduced his debut, The Game – five strangers drawn into a deadly contest that they don’t understand, to save the lives of their loved ones.

The next category was City Crime. Getting grittier now, two police procedurals with locations with an authentic feel in London and Yorkshire. Nadine Matheson’s The Binding Room is set in Deptford. A secret room in a church heralds a story involving a serial killer. John Barlow’s Leeds set To the Grave introduces the disturbing premise of a woman who knows she will be murdered.

For the books classed as Countryside Crime remote evocative locations were the key – isolation and unpredictable weather. In Amanda Jennings’ The Haven a self sufficient commune on Bodmin Moor appears idyllic, until things begin to unravel. Neil Lancaster’s police procedural The Blood Tide roves across Scotland from city to countryside with a story of betrayal and corruption. A debut from T Orr Munroe – who was once a CSI officer – Breakneck Point introduces a protagonist from the same profession, exiled to north Devon after exposing corruption, then encountering a serial killer that no-one else believes in.

The next category, Claustrophobic Thrillers, was definitely not for me, but it was good to see fellow Crime Cymru author Louise Mumford presenting her latest book. These stories focussed on confined settings and intense relationships. Louise’s second book The Safe House explores a reclusive mother/daughter relationship that might be one of safety or entrapment. More mothers from Helen Monks Takhar. This time, in Such a Good Mother it is the closed circle of mothers from an elite school and the new recruit who is invited to join them. Louise Hare’s Miss Aldridge Regrets takes place on a transatlantic voyage on the Queen Mary in 1936.  A nightclub singer is offered the chance of a lifetime if she travels to New York. But then comes murder.

The last category was High Concept – and these were unusual crimes. You might call them techno-thrillers. David Koepp’s Aurora is based on the Carrington Event, a geomagnetic solar storm that occurred in 1859, causing auroras in the sky and wiping out the telegraph system. Koepp’s contemporary scenario extinguishes the technology on which Earth now depends so heavily, possibly for years, and follows two characters, one prepared, one not.  The latest book from Linwood Barclay Look Both Ways is perhaps the most intriguing of all the new offerings. Unlike his regular thrillers this one, which he characterised as more like a Michael Crichton, has an island community where the self driving cars have turned homicidal and are hunting.

Plenty of exciting sounding new books here for the spring and summer, whatever your taste in crime.

 

Evonne Wareham PhD writes  romantic thrillers and a romantic comedy with a touch of crime. Her novel A Villa in Portofino was a finalist for the RNA’s Jackie Collins Award 2022.

 

 

 

The Woman Who Took a Chance by Fiona Gibson Book Review

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I have read most of Fiona Gibson’s books and I am a fan. Not only because we are both Scottish, but because she is a hugely talented writer who writes about women and their lives so well. Her books are relatable and fun.
To read a Fiona Gibson book is to be taken on a fantastic journey with a group of friends. The Woman Who Took a Chance is the perfect antidote to the stresses of living. They make you smile and laugh, even if there is a little sadness in there. I also love how they are about older women who are living their best lives. A sadly under-targeted market. Another great novel from Fiona Gibson.

Meet Jen. Flight attendant. Mum to a grown-up daughter. Permanently single.

Age: Fifty (gulp)

Number of children: One

Number of husbands: Zero (it’s complicated)

Number of failed first dates in the last month: Too depressing to contemplate

Number of tickets for a romantic, once-in-a-lifetime trip: Two

Number of days left to find her Mr Right to take on holiday: Quickly running out…

A heart-warming and hilarious novel that proves age is just a number and it’s never too late for a second chance. Fans of Kristen Bailey, Sophie Kinsella and Jill Mansell will be totally hooked from the very first page.

SUNDAY SCENE: LAURA R LEESON ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM THE VALENTINE RETREAT

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Twenty years ago, I spent time in California. As a naïve Brit, it was equal parts amazing and terrifying, and I remain fascinated by the diverse and nature of a society surprisingly different to our own. When it came to choosing a setting for my debut novel, Los Angeles seemed a natural choice – because rather like me, I wanted ex-pat Megan to find herself struggling to discover her place in an unfamiliar, challenging world.

Added to which, Megan is a survivor of a controlling relationship – what began as a fairy tale marriage to a high-profile, successful businessman has already disintegrated, so when she meets Jim on a weekend away at The Valentine Retreat, the last thing she thinks she’s looking for is romance.

The setting for a pivotal scene – where Megan tentatively looks to the future and begins to believe she might want it to include Jim – takes place in the hotel bar:

 

The pianist was in full flow as Megan entered the bar. His fingers moved across the keys with the kind of confidence only a seasoned professional possessed. The music he produced was quiet and understated, which was more than could be said for his shirt. The vibrant duck-egg blue and plum check of the fabric was highly visible under his beige linen suit, open at the neck and unapologetic.

Megan smiled. For the first time in such a long time, she felt a spike of anticipation about this evening.

The room was less populated this evening, the weekend buzz replaced by mellow groups seated at some of the low tables, visible through the waving fronds of the potted plants as she took a seat at the bar.

‘Hi.’
There was no need to turn, she recognised the voice. ‘Hi, Jim,’ she said as he shrugged his way out of his leather jacket. She looked more closely at his face. ‘What did you do?’
Jim’s hand travelled up, his fingers tracing over a small patch of damaged skin. ‘Would you believe me if I told you there were five of them and I took them all down single-handed?’
‘Um, no. Not really.’ Trying to appear serious, she couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement.
‘Damn.’ He grinned. ‘Cut myself shaving.’
‘Does it hurt?’
‘It didn’t, until I put aftershave on without thinking.’ He pulled a face then shrugged. ‘A bit of pain reminds me I’m still alive.’
‘Do you need reminding?’ She kept her tone light, but it was a genuine question. She had spent months wondering if she was still alive.”

 

After living a lie for far too long, and desperate for honesty from others, this is the moment when Megan begins to believe in Jim. However, Megan’s past hasn’t finished with her, the hotel is not all it seems, and Jim is harbouring more than his fair share of secrets. Secrets which may cost them both a great deal more than their happiness.

In the time-honoured tradition of romantic suspense, The Valentine Retreat is a fast-paced and twisty novel, but at its heart lies the story of two people who just want to find someone to rely on, and trust with their deepest emotions.

 

For more information – please visit my website www.laurarleeson.com or search for me on social media @laura_R_Leeson

CARIADS’ CHOICE: FEBRUARY 2022 BOOK REVIEWS

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Paula Brackston’s The Little Shop of Found Things reviewed by Georgia Hill

Paula Brackston’s The Little Shop of Found Things appealed straightaway. Xanthe and her mother escape a troubled past to open an antiques shop. Xanthe is able to ‘read’ objects and a silver chatelaine reaches out to her with its story. She is compelled to travel back in time to 1605 in order to solve a cruel injustice. Paula throws a lot into the book: time travel, psychometry, antiques knowledge, ley lines, some gentle romance and a truly terrifying ghost. The depiction of the turbulent early seventeenth century is gritty and unflinching in all its misogynistic, violent glory and some parts of the book aren’t for the faint-hearted. The historical detail is superb, and the writing is richly detailed. I galloped through it. Recommended, especially if you are interested in early seventeenth century history.

 

Amanda James’ A Secret Gift reviewed by Jane Cable

Now who can resist a bit of Cornish magic? I certainly can’t but when Amanda James’ heroine, Joy, is first given the secret gift she really thinks she can. But meeting a young homeless man on the verge of suicide changes that, and begins to change Joy too.

This is a colourful book with an engaging cast of characters and a Cornwall I recognise. And as a resident of the county, that is a rare thing to find. It’s a place where real people live, and for me that gave the story a fantastic grounding, an effective counterpoint to the mystical, magical elements. But hey, this is Cornwall after all, so they could very well be real too. Read it and find out.

 

Emily Blaine’s The Bookshop of Forgotten Dreams reviewed by Angela Petch

Like eating whole bars of chocolate with whipped cream, I read this book as a kind of guilty pleasure. But how ridiculous is that attitude?

We all need love stories brimming with frisson and impossibility. And as an author, having a heroine who “thought about books every minute of the day… and talked about them just as much…”, who owns a quirky bookshop in a little town in France, and is a feisty heroine, … what’s not to like? She wraps books up as little mysteries and sells them as little temptations. I want to go to her town and buy several.

Enter the dastardly hero – a man who is a film idol, a heart throb, “the mad dog of the movies…” unstable with a fiery temper – is masterful – but a bit too much… and who is exiled to Sarah’s town by legal requirement.  Will 1 + 1 = 2??? Highly unlikely. Sarah thinks of men as “a little bit like heights. I knew they existed, and they fascinated me, but as soon as I got anywhere near them, vertigo would throw me so off balance…”.

It’s a steamy book – oo la la! I had to fan my heaving bosom several times and it’s very enjoyable. A glorious escape.

 

Georgia Hill’s On a Falling Tide reviewed by Natalie Normann

This is my first book by Georgia Hill, and it won’t be the last. I absolutely loved this book, and couldn’t put it down. It’s a dual time line story, following Lydia in 1863 and Charity in the present. The changes between the two time periods works seamlessly. The story kept surprising me. Every time I thought I had figured out what was going on, there was another twist, and I did not see the last one coming at all. That’s some seriously good writing. Highly recommend this book.

 

 

 

 

The Girl With No Soul by Morgan Owen Book Review

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I always remember how much I loved YA books when I was growing up. They meant so much to me and made me the woman I am today. On the note I can confirm that Morgan Owen is a new outstanding YA talent. The Girl With No Soul is an exciting book. It takes an original and exciting concept, a glorious love story, and amazing world building all in once exciting novel.

The writing is flowing and engaging in that way that is so hard to write but makes reading it so compulsive. I may be older than the market for this book, but I will definitely recommend it to any teens that I know. You cannot beat this book for sheer imagination, passion and excitement. I loved it. Pre-order now, it’s out in March.

Perfect for fans of Alice Broadway and Leigh Bardugo

How can you find your soul mate, when you don’t have a soul?

Iris lives in a world ruled by The Order. Inspectors police the population by keeping careful watch over people’s souls. If they shine their lanterns on you, your soul is projected for the world to see… and judge.

But Iris has a deadly secret … she is a hollow, a person with no soul. She must hide from the Order at all costs, scraping a living in the shadows.

When she’s sent to steal a ring said to hold the memory of a soul’s destruction, she is reunited with her Spark – one of the five parts that make up her own missing soul.

Now she must rely on the help of a young scholar named Evander Mountebank to track down the other four missing pieces of her soul, all the while evading The Order.

Will she be able to protect her heart as well as find her soul?

 

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka Book Review

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The cultural obsession with serial killer’s, and the glamorisation of them has always sat uneasily with me. Add on the objectification of the victims and I start to feel angry. Women deserve better.

When I read the press release for Danya Kukafka’s book Notes on an Execution I was bowled over. A novel about a serial killer, told through the women left behind. It is a smart idea and the way she has written it is just superb. I was left in complete awe. I am not sure exactly how Danya Kukafka managed to write such a perfect book, but I will be reading it again to try and find out.

The subject is met with feminist delicacy and outstanding talent. What a combination. This is the book that women deserve. There is so much compassion in this book, and once you have read it you will not forget it. A completely triumph.

Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours.

He knows what he’s done, and now awaits the same fate he forced on those girls, years ago. Ansel doesn’t want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood.

But this is not his story.

As the clock ticks down, three women uncover the history of a tragedy and the long shadow it casts. Lavender, Ansel’s mother, is a seventeen-year-old girl pushed to desperation. Hazel, twin sister to his wife, is forced to watch helplessly as the relationship threatens to devour them all. And Saffy, the detective hot on his trail, is devoted to bringing bad men to justice but struggling to see her own life clearly.

This is the story of the women left behind.

Blending breathtaking suspense with astonishing empathy, Notes On An Execution presents a chilling portrait of womanhood as it unravels the familiar narrative of the American serial killer, interrogating our cultural obsession with crime stories, and asking readers to consider the false promise of looking for meaning in the minds of violent men.

 

Hive by April Doyle Book Review

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hive April Doyle

Every now and then a book comes along that feels timely, Hive is such a book. The bees are dying and the world is struggling. Food is scarce and people are desperate. Commercial bee farmer Victor Martin and research entomologist Dr Annie Abrams team up to stop people starving.

April Doyle takes a subject that is worthy and turns it into a brilliant book that is entertaining and riveting. I hated putting this book down to return to real life. I would have read it in one sitting if I could have. I want Hive to be turned into a film because what a film it would be. I did not see the ending coming, and how clever that twist is. I really loved this book. Hive is destined for classic status.

Near-future Britain.
Climate change has led to food shortages and civil unrest.
Pollinating insects are in steep decline.

Commercial bee farmer Victor Martin travels around the farms of Kent with his hives to pollinate fruit trees and crops.

Local research entomologist Dr Annie Abrams is devastated when she’s ordered to give up her captive bee colonies – her life’s work – to join forces with Victor and ensure a harvest.

But the bees are dying.

Their only hope seems to be an experimental alternative to insect pollination: robot pollinators called nanodrones. But why does the drone designer seem so familiar? And who is behind the shadowy organisation intent on sabotaging their vital work?

Can Annie and Victor win their battle to save the bees… or is it too late?