Joffe authors creating waves again in the Awards arena. Fabulous news from this increasingly successful independent publisher..

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Get THE SUPPER CLUB MURDERS by Victoria Dowd, WINNER OF THE PEOPLE’S BOOK PRIZE  (Hoorah)  for only 99p / 99c.

The phones are out, the roads are flooded, and now the murders have started.  Everyone is trapped, and Ursula Smart, along with her mother, finds herself with another perplexing crime on her hands.
Discover a charming mystery series that’s perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Agatha Christie and Sophie Hannah.

                                

The Case of the Missing Faces by Michael Leese  00p/99c  (arghhh – really?? Yes, read it and turn those pages)

A man’s body has been discovered in a disused warehouse. His face has been completely removed.
He’s not the only one — this is the second body to be uncovered. Both victims supplied military equipment to the government.  Hooley and Roper have a serial killer on their hands, and he’s threatening national security.

The Red Red Snow by Caro Ramsey. A cracking jacket yet again. £1.99/$2.99

Eric Callaghan is stabbed to death at a crowded Christmas Ice Show.   Murdered in plain sight. No clues and no known motive. The hunt for a killer who leaves no trace is on.

Constable around the Park by Nicholas Rhea £1.99/$2.99

It’s original, it’s funny . . . one of life’s little pleasures.” Yorkshire Post and Frost Magazine will second that.
What does the future hold for Constable Nick?  He’s just passed his exams and currently stands next in line for a promotion. Until then, it’s business as usual on the Aidensfield beat.  But when a dog unearths a human leg, things take a much darker turn.

THE AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE ROLLING IN . . .

Steve Parker’s CHILD BEHIND THE WALL has been selected as a finalist for the Page Turner Screenplay Award.

Plus, last week Kerry Buchanan was nominated for the Page Turner Book Awards 2021 and Victoria Dowd was nominated for the UK Crime Book Club Book of the Year award.

Fabulous news all round.

Find out about the many books Joffe Books have on offer: here

Michael Rowan finds himself fortunate, because as Oscar Wilde might very well have said, ‘to find one hidden gem in London is indeed fortunate, but to find two, is greedy,’ as he enjoys the superb playing and singing of Figure, in St Bartholomew the Great,

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Figure – St John Passion , Cloth Fair, Barbican, EC1A 7JQ

 

Figure inaugural concert, St John Passion, Sept 2021 – courtesy Oliver Bowring and Musicarta Media 3.

Could  St Bartholomew be a more perfect setting, for this most majestic of works? Beautifully lit stone pillars with Norman and post reformation architecture to delight the eye, and a rendition of St John Passion to delight the ear.

Figure are a newly established historical performance ensemble based in London, bringing music of the past to life, through the modern understanding of the instruments, in their new home at St Bartholomew the Great.

Seeing so many musicians and singers together, served to remind, just how much we had missed live music during the various Covid lockdowns.

Sitting in such surroundings it was easy to get lost in the glories of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion, but the instruments intrigue, not least the Theorbo and the wooded flutes.

Figure is a youthful ensemble, but no less accomplished for that, with many having played at the Proms, Wigmore and Festival Halls and Glyndebourne, and one could not doubt their passion and ability as they brought the piece to life.

It would be quite wrong to pick out any of the principals, as they were each wonderful both in voice and facial expression, but Claire Lees who stood in at the last minute, sang with such aplomb it would be remiss not to mention her. Similarly, Frederik Waxman, who conducted with a lightness that belied his authority.

The melody ricocheted off the stonework filling the space with an ecstasy, this was music to be feasted upon and feast we did. I freely confess to having actual goosebumps, such was the quality of the music and singing.

I am thrilled to be able to tell you that the second concert by Figure will be Mozart’s Serenade No 10 for Winds ‘Grand Partita.’ on Friday 19th November 2021 at 7. 30pm with a running time of 1 hour. Tickets are priced £15 (£10 concessions) and can be purchased at www.figureensemble.co.uk

To possess such talent so young, to play with such maturity and with a long career stretching ahead of them can only bode well for us music lovers.

Bravo.

 

Michael Rowan visits the David Kovats Gallery, 80 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London, to take in the latest exhibition, Barnabas Lakatos Gelleri, a 24-year-old Hungarian artist, still at university. https://davidkovats.com/

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David Kovats Gallery – Barnabus Lakatos Gelleri – Arriving into something new

You could easily walk by the David Kovats Gallery, at the Drury Lane end of Long Acre, at least you could, if it wasn’t for the arresting art in this latest exhibition with works painted on 2m x 2m canvases.

Artist Barnabas Lakatos Gelleri, a queer artist, the son of a bishop, who became an artist to be free to express himself how he wished, through his art.

Although Barnabas is gay, and is part of a Queer Art collective, this seems almost incidental to his work and more a political statement. It is his choice of colour, an almost Gaugin palette, that first grabs the attention.

Bull under a Tree

All his work in this exhibition features bulls (Barnabas is Taurus) and snakes,  (not for their biblical symbolism, but that for him, they represent many aspects of life including, knowledge, temptation, and sin)

Both the snakes and the bulls have a benign, almost Japanese anime quality, soft, feminine facial features, in an array of citrus colours of lemon, pink, orange, mauve and turquoise.

Catch the Snake

Barnabas works with the medium of acrylic with brush strokes, spray paint and Japanese ink, creating a layered almost 3D effect.

On two canvases the artist has deliberately left an area, one in the shape of a dagger, unpainted. Barnabas treats this as a deliberate pause, similar to a silence sometimes found in music, but here intended to pull the viewer up and allow for reflection on what has just been seen.

Fighting Bulls

David Kovats, the owner of the gallery is no less interesting. As a child at Kindergarten in Hungary, he and the other children could choose a recognisable symbol to act as their signature. Some chose an apple or a flower, a bee or a tree it was the child’s imagination that guided the choice, and these symbols would even be sewn into clothing. David’s father was an art dealer and so it was perhaps inevitable that David would choose a price tag as his symbol and his own artwork would be taken to his father’s gallery, complete with his signature price tag.

David became an art dealer and supporter of the arts, looking for new talent and bring them to a new audience. David opened a gallery in Hungary and then worked at Sotheby’s before opening his own gallery in London’s Covent Gallery.

Sadly, because of the restrictions of Covid, Barnabas has not been able to visit his very first exhibition, but if you are walking through Covent Garden you should certainly make a detour, as I suspect that this particular artist is going to come to prominence, and this is an opportunity to see him at the start of his career.

The exhibition is open all week including weekends but must close on October 3rd

For more information:
David Kovats Gallery
80 Long Acre, Covent Garden
London, WC2E 9NG
https://davidkovats.com/

Packing Your Hospital Bag with the Natural Birthing Company

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Did you know that September and early October are the most popular months for births?

 

With more mums-to-be going into labour this month than any other time of the year, Natural Birthing Company have put together a Birthing Essentials Kit to help these new mums prepare for the day. We love the Natural Birthing Company and think their products are fab.

Natural Birthing Company, pregnancy, birth, labour

Packing a hospital bag can feel like an impossible task, so to make it just that little bit easier the Birthing Essentials Kit contains everything that they may need when they go into labour.

The Natural Birthing Company Mama’s Moments Birthing Essentials Kit, £20, naturalbirthingcompany.com, boots.com, next.co.uk, feelunique.com

All designed to relax your body and soothe any soreness, they’re the perfect products to keep handy. Relax and Breathe, and Sleepy Mama have been designed to soothe your body and mind. Along with Bottoms Up which is formulated to provide relief to any soreness down below. Finally, Cool it Mama will be their labour companion, providing coolness whenever they feel they need it.​

 

Snow Country by Sebastian Faulks Book Review

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How to review Sebastian Faulks’ new novel? That is the question. Sebastian Faulk is one of the best novelists writing today and his books are eagerly awaited. Snow County is a sublime novel. Full of poetry and intelligence. I found myself re-reading pages and paragraphs as I fell in love with the book. Snow Country is the novel that Sebastian has wanted to write for ten years and I am glad he has. It is an epic, wistful,  love story, full of yearning and gorgeous atmosphere. I really felt that I was transported to 1910/20s Vienna.

Sebastian Faulk is a master storyteller and this is the perfect book to curl up with this Autumn. It is definitely one of my favourite books. Snow Country is the second book in a planned trilogy. The first was Human Traces. It can be read as a standalone novel. Get your hands on a copy now.  I will definitely be reading this again.

snow country, sebastian faulks, book review, catherine balavage

1914: Young Anton Heideck has arrived in Vienna, eager to make his name as a journalist. While working part-time as a private tutor, he encounters Delphine, a woman who mixes startling candour with deep reserve. Entranced by the light of first love, Anton feels himself blessed. Until his country declares war on hers.

 

1927: For Lena, life with a drunken mother in a small town has been impoverished and cold. She is convinced she can amount to nothing until a young lawyer, Rudolf Plischke, spirits her away to Vienna. But the capital proves unforgiving. Lena leaves her metropolitan dream behind to take a menial job at the snow-bound sanatorium, the Schloss Seeblick.

 

1933: Still struggling to come terms with the loss of so many friends on the Eastern Front, Anton, now an established writer, is commissioned by a magazine to visit the mysterious Schloss Seeblick. In this place of healing, on the banks of a silvery lake, where the depths of human suffering and the chances of redemption are explored, two people will see each other as if for the first time.

 

Sweeping across Europe as it recovers from one war and hides its face from the coming of another, SNOW COUNTRY is a landmark novel of exquisite yearnings, dreams of youth and the sanctity of hope. In elegant, shimmering prose, SebastianFaulks has produced a work of timeless resonance.

Snow Country is available here.

Just Haven’t Met You Yet By Sophie Cousens Book Review

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Sophie Cousens’s debut novel This Time Next Year was one of 2020’s standout novels. It was a well-deserved runaway success and gave Sophie Cousens her rightful place as a writer to watch. Yes, she has done it again with Just Haven’t Met You Yet. Another blinder of a novel, it tells the story of romance-obsessed Laura and her quest to meet The One. I saw one reviewer call it “rom-com perfection” and it is hard to think of a more fitting description.

Just Haven’t Met You Yet is another corker from Cousens, you will love the characters just as much as I did. I love the Jersey setting, you really get immersed in the island. I learned so much and want to go now. Just Haven’t Met You Yet is a wonderful, clever novel. You will read it with a smile on your face. Brilliant.

just haven't met you yet, sophie cousens

Tell me the story of how you two met…

Laura has built a career out of interviewing people about their epic real life love stories.

When she picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport, Laura wonders if this could be the start of something that’s written in the stars.

From piano sheet-music to a battered copy of her favourite book, Laura finds in the bag evidence of everything she could hope for in a partner.

If Laura’s job has taught her anything it’s that when it comes to love, you can’t let opportunity pass you by. Now Laura is determined to track down the owner of the suitcase, and her own happy ending.

But what if fate has other ideas?
Just Haven’t Met You Yet is available here.

The Royal Game by Anne O’brien – Hardcover, audio and ebook reviewed by Natalie Jayne Peeke West Country Correspondent

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England, 1444. Three women challenge the course of history…

King Henry VI’s grip on the crown hangs by a thread as the Wars of the Roses starts to tear England apart. And from the ashes of war, the House of Paston begins its rise to power.

Led by three visionary women, the Pastons are a family from humble peasant beginnings who rely upon cunning, raw ambition, and good fortune in order to survive.

Their ability to plot and scheme sees them overcome imprisonment, violence and betrayal, to eventually secure for their family a castle and a place at the heart of the Yorkist Court. But success breeds jealousy and brings them dangerous enemies…

 

My favourite genre to read is without a doubt historical fiction, The Royal Game is the first book I have read that is set in the medieval era, O’brien beautifully brings to life not one, not two but three strong female characters. It is a gorgeously insightful, inspiring and courageous read and I find myself impatient to learn the fate of the Paston family.

If you want to delve into the past and be transported to England almost 600 years ago then I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Royal Game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WELSH WRITING WEDNESDAYS: ALIENORA BROWN ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE

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I arrived in Aberystwyth train station, on October 3rd 1976, and, bathed in a sunset of extraordinary richness and colour, was driven up the Penglais Hill – by coach and surrounded by other students – to the Penbryn Halls of Residence.

Is it possible to fall in love with a place at first sight? Yes, it is – and I did! That first glimpse, stark hills rearing in the distance, struck a sweet blow to my heart – and, the very next day, seeing parts of the promenade painted with blazing autumn gold, as grey silken sea undulated nearby, ignited a passion for West Wales which has never left me.

But it was the language which shivered and undulated in watery mystery; which gave me the delights of the double ‘ll’, the mutations from the ‘M’ of ‘Machnylleth’ to ‘Fachynlleth’ when preceded by ‘Croeso y…’ and the other sibilant mysteries of this proud tongue.

I had already decided to read joint English and Philosophy – and, told that I needed a third subject for that crucial first year at university, opted for Welsh with excitement and anticipatory joy.

Welsh lessons took place in the Old College/Yr Hen Goleg – and so the learning of this new language was accompanied by the stunning glimpses of the sea, often wild and raging, throwing its waves high up against the venerable old building’s sides and windows, rattling fragile sashes and leaving salty trails on glass.

Our teacher, Professor Edward (Tedi) Milward, was lovely – a gentle and knowledgeable soul who was a passionate advocate of this endangered language, and whose family I befriended during that first year in Wales.

From the very first lesson, I adored the sound of Welsh: its musicality; its sing-song quality; the subtle differences in pronunciation; the meanings of place names when broken down into their component parts.

At around the same time, I joined a university choir – and we learned a beautiful Welsh carol ‘Tua Bethlem Dref’ in readiness for what turned out to be a most moving and inspirational Christmas service in a local church.

Unfortunately, my passionate love of the language was not matched by any genuine learning ability – and, suspecting I would not gain that all-important pass in the subject, I made the difficult decision to give it up at the end of the first term, taking Classical Studies instead.

The odd thing is this: naturally musical, I learned the sounds – the inner song, if you like – of Welsh with ease, and, to this day, can read and pronounce it without any problem. But the ability to understand the rules, learn the words, tenses and so forth eluded me (as it had done, at school, for both French and Latin).

But, being given the key (or should that be the lyre?) for the plangent tones behind the language was a privilege and a life-long delight. Much of my enjoyment of the sublime landscape and magic of that area was filtered through the lilt and cadence of the language itself.

By a strange coincidence – and bringing things full circle – I got the part of the Lady of the Lake in a local Glastonbury production, back in 2018. Told that the character needed to enter the stage singing a solo, I opted for ‘Tua Bethlem Dref’ – and can recall vividly walking up the centre of the Town Hall, the words of that long-ago Welsh song ringing and echoing from my throat: a love song for a time, a place and an ancient language.