Hidden by Emma Kavanagh Book Review

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Hidden follows on the heels of Emma Kavanagh’s debut psychological thriller novel Falling.

A second novel is a tricky beast – can the author do it again? Can they build on the success of the first? Can it follow in the same genre without being too much the same?

Kavanagh has succeeded with Hidden when other authors have failed. Similarly to some series on television, the novel starts with the crime and then takes the reader back a stage, to the start of the action. Rather than peeling away the layers to get at ‘who dun it,’ Kavanagh builds up the layers, so that we get to the ‘why’ of ‘who dun it’. Clever stuff, with multiple viewpoints.

In Hidden, a gunman is stalking the wards of a local hospital. He’s unidentified and dangerous, and has to be located. Urgently.

Police Firearms Officer Aden McCarthy is tasked with tracking him down. Still troubled by the shooting of a schoolboy, Aden is determined to make amends by finding the gunman – before it is too late. To psychologist Imogen, hospital should be a place of healing and safety – both for her, and for her young niece who’s recently been admitted. She’s heard about the gunman, but he has little to do with her. Or has he?

Kavanagh uses her years of experience training police forces and military units on the psychology of life threatening incidents, to give credence to her work. The tension builds, and never lets up.

Let’s hope there’s another Kavanagh gem soon. Bravo.

Hidden – Emma Kavanagh. Published in paperback by Arrow £6.99

Tolkien- An Illustrated Atlas by David Day Reviewed by Frances Colville

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Margaret Graham

If you have a Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fan amongst your friends or family members, this little book could just be the perfect Christmas present. It looks fantastic (in both senses of the word) and it’s reasonably priced. The sort of book you could read right through and examine in great detail – or simply dip into when you have a spare half hour.

Designed as a companion to Tolkien’s books from The Hobbit through to the Silmarillion, there is a satisfying mix of illustrations, genealogies, chronologies and maps. An unofficial book, not authorised by the Tolkien estate, it was never intended to be a substitute for reading the original books and you won’t find any complete stories. But you will find a wealth of information which will make following the books themselves more straightforward and arguably even more compelling than they already are. Be careful though if you already possess the Tolkien Encyclopedia or World of Tolkien or the Tolkien Bestiary as some of the information included in those books is repeated in this new one.

Even if you are, like me, not someone who knows your orks from your ents and doesn’t particularly care about the exact time-line of the development of Middle Earth, you will find much to like in the artwork, the varied fonts and the colour and feel of the pages on which this book is printed. The faux leather cover is a work of art in its own right – much more interesting than it sounds. And as far as I can tell, not being an expert on the subject myself, the author David Day knows his stuff.

Tolkien-An Illustrated Atlas is published by Cassell and is available in bookshops now.

Humans of New York: Stories By Brandon Stanton Book Review

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Humans of New York: Stories By Brandon Stanton is as wonderful as the Humans of New York blog. Already famous, Brandon was even invited to the White House to interview the president, this book is both life-affirming and heartbreaking. I just loved it. Many of the stories stick in your mind, some for their tragedy, others for their humour. Common themes run through the book and Brandon has made great effort to make the book cohesive. The photography is as great as the structure. Many of the people in the book will not leave you, their stories resonate for their beauty and honesty.

A great book to dip in and out of, or to read cover to cover, get your hands on a copy. Humans of New York: Stories is available here.

Humans of New York started off as a blog project Brandon Stanton wanted to single-handedly create a photographic census of New York City. The first Humans of New York book (based on the blog) immediately catapulted to the top of the NY Times Bestseller List. It has appeared on that list for over twenty-five weeks to date. The appeal of HONY has continued to increase substantially, with over 12 million followers currently on Facebook.

Brandon’s dialogue with people on the streets of NY, has increasingly become as in-depth, intriguing and moving as the photos themselves. Humans of New York: Stories presents a whole new group of humans, complete with stories that delve deeper and surprise with greater candour. Let Brandon Stanton and the people he’s photographed astonish you.

Brandon Stanton is the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Humans of New York as well as the children’s book, Little Humans. He was a 2013 Time magazine “30 people under 30 changing the world” and an ABC News Person of the Week. In the summer of 2014, the UN chose him to travel around the world on a goodwill mission that had followers meeting people from Iraq to the Ukraine to Mexico City via the photos he took. He lives in New York.

Life On Planet WWF By C.Y. Chong Book Review

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Life On Planet WWF by C.Y. Chong gives an insight into the workings of one of the world’s largest conservation organisations. Far from being a boring business book it has amusing stories about various royal families and even an archbishop. It is an interesting book which is outright funny in places. It certainly is entertaining and fun as well as being well written and easy to read. I actually managed to read it in a few hours. The stories about Prince Philip are my personal favourite. Did you know that Buckingham Palace has a library and a copy of every book published goes there? I certainly didn’t. There is a lot to be learned from this book and I found it very enjoyable.

An interesting memoir that amuses and entertains in equal measure.

C.Y. Chong’s captivating and insightful revelation about what it’s like to spend over two decades at WWF.

This light-hearted collection of memoirs tells the compelling story of a company executive who walked away from global corporations and immersed himself in the world of non-profit – in this case, WWF, one of the world’s largest conservation organisations.

After years of working in the corporate sector, C.Y. Chong decided to pursue a new avenue of work. He joined WWF International as a finance manager and was soon promoted to Director of Finance – however, this book is about his non-financial experiences…

Life on Planet WWF follows Chong as he travels and tells of a myriad of interesting and unforgettable happenings – being attacked by a mad crow being one. From fitting the letters ‘WWF’ into a television interview as many times as possible, to having cocktails with HRH Prince Philip, he recalls visits to conferences, field projects or other events – each anecdote providing a unique insight into some of his truly extraordinary experiences at WWF.

This book makes an interesting read for anyone thinking about a career outside the corporate sector as well as for the five million supporters of WWF and everything it stands for.

Life on Planet WWF: From Archbishops to Belly Dancers – My Time at WWF is available here.

‘This is’: Goya, Monet and Kandinsky

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Margaret Graham

I spend a great deal of my spare time dawdling around art galleries. Every time I wish I knew more about the paintings. As I stand there, appreciating the works, I am aware that I am looking at complicated ideas and histories but not really seeing or understanding the concepts.

Laurence King Publishing has brought out a new series called This is…

I have read This is Goya, This is Monet and This is Kandinsky, by different authors. These books are well presented, with clear and understandable text, accompanied by the artists’ paintings, as well as especially commissioned illustrations.

Let’s take Goya by Wendy Bird with illustrations by Sarah Maycock. Did you know that Francisco de Goya y Lucientes was the first artist deliberately to pursue creating works of art for their own sake? I didn’t.

Monet I knew was a leading member of the French Impressionists.

I was looking at one of his many paintings of haystacks in the National gallery, the other day, (He painted the same haystacks but followed the play of sunlight on them throughout the day). Go and have a look. He never rested, evolving his art way into his eighties. Learn more from Sara Pappworth with illustrations by Aude Van Ryn.

Kandinsky looks more like a clerk, or bank manager, than a painter.

He seems almost a cypher, but inside this misleading façade lived a sensitive artist who produced forceful genre defying work. I knew little about his work and am not sure I particularly like it, but this book by Annabel Howard with illustrations by Adam Simpson has created an interest. This in itself is a virtue.

A truly lovely series.

Twisted by B A Morton Reviewed by Margaret Graham

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Blimey, talk about tense …

In Twisted, Jack Miller’s been playing a dangerous game, and the stakes are about to be raised.

I read the first few lines and was hooked.

Poor old DI John Samuels is on the trail of a bank robber, but he has no idea of the people he’s dealing with. In particular, let me introduce you to Spook, who is one of the most balmy and evil characters I’ve come across. How on earth did B A Morton conjure her up, let alone all the others. You see, so few are conventionally good people, but they’re so interesting. I was totally engrossed, and found myself – understanding? Well no, not understanding why they were as they were, but close to that.

The pace, the story, the characters are all spot on. So, let’s get back to the book: the ruthless robber is Miller, for whom bank robbery is simply a means to an end. Wounded while making his escape Miller has half a million in used notes and a hostage that wasn’t part of the plan. As the police close in, Otto, the crime boss wants his cash, and someone wants Miller silenced – forever.

Then there’s the weird misfit Spook. Unstable and fearless, she’ll go to any lengths to get what she wants. Then a judge’s daughter disappears and evidence points at Miller. It is then that Miller discovers just how crazy Spook really is. (Ah ha, but I knew it all along, so very there). With every twist and turn, and even with the rapid pace, Morton keeps us with her.

Published by Caffeine Nights, Twisted surely lends itself to a series. I do hope so.

B A Morton lives in the North East of England, and writes across a number of genres, including crime, romance, horror and historical fiction. She lives in a cottage built on the remains of a medieval chapel.

She is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association. In 2011 her debut novel, Mrs Jones, a crime thriller set in New York, took second place in the international literary competition, The Yeovil Prize, and launched her extremely successful career.

The Reluctant Pilgrim by Penny Gerrard Reviewed by Margaret Graham

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Margaret Graham

At the start of The Reluctant Pilgrim, Penny Gerrard asks, ‘How do I capture the contrasts using what can hardly be more than verbal snapshots? Can I bring you the sights, sounds and smells which for me, in the future, will immediately say ‘Israel’?

Well, she can, and she does.

The Reluctant Pilgrim records a journey Gerrard took which showed her some of the best and worst of the troubled land she has been reading about in the Bible since she became a Christian forty something years ago.

Starting at the shore at Caesarea Philippi Gerrard immediately brings to life the shore: I felt the warmth of the sun, the blue of the sea, and the five desalination plants of today’s Israel. And this is how the journey continues, history mixed with today, conveyed in straightforward prose and using interesting photos.

I was actually in Israel quite a while ago, cycling on and off road. I saw the parched land bloom, I visited places named in the Bible, I would, however, have liked to read Penny Gerrard’s journey before I went.

Why? She weaves us through past and present. The present being 3 shekels to reserve yourself a music filled cubicle in a public loo, the past being the fact that Roman soldiers were known to use dead chicks in lieu of the more usual sponges. Oh joy.

We go with her to Tiberius, founded on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. And onwards to, amongst others: Bethlehem, then the home of Dead Sea Scrolls and finally Jerusalem.

The Reluctant Pilgrim is a journey through faith, as well as a country. Gerrard has the happy knack of being able to bring a place to life. How? She doesn’t ignore detail, she writes with a great sense of place. The Reluctant Pilgrim is thoughtful, and evocative.

Bravo.

The Reluctant Pilgrim by Penny Gerrard can be obtained from Amazon.co.uk

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff Reviewed by Margaret Graham

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Fates and Furies

This is a novel that deserves its hype, and trust me, not all do.

At age twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love, and destined for creative greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but by now we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have so far seemed.

Lauren Groff is in full command of her perspectives. She reveals each new twist effortlessly, and her vibrant prose keeps us gripped and involved over more than two decades. Basically, Groff explores the unsettling truth: that secrets are often the cement – or do I mean the engine? – of relationships.

I really enjoyed Fates and Furies, and admire the oomph of the prose and profound understanding of creative, and relationships, that Groff displays. It’s a clever, accessible, and resonant novel. Brilliant.

Lauren Groff is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Monsters of Templeton, the short story collection Delicate Edible Birds and Arcadia. She has won Pushcart and PEN/O. Henry prizes, and has been shortlisted for the Orange Award for New Writers. Her stories have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, the Atlantic, One Story, and Ploughshares, and have been anthologised in Best American Short Stories 2007 and 2010, and Best New American Voices 2008. She lives in Gainesville, Florida, with her husband and two sons.

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. Published in hardback by William Heinemann in September 2015 at £14.99

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