This is a complex book that delves in to more than the superficial facts of the years of Queen Mary's reign. The imaginings of the pressures put upon the young Elizabeth Tudor by both the Court, the People and Herself are well executed and are doubtless based on extensive research of contemporary reports and documents.
My issues with this book were that it seemed to got lost in iot's own web of intrigue and language. In evoking the Tudor Era you expect a certain amount of words unfamiliar to modern ears and turns of phrase and sentence structure that feel strangely familiar and yet alien at the same time. However, in this book the obfuscation of Elizabeth seeps too earnestly on to the page and left me re-reading some passages several times to try and discern their meaning and how they would affect the outcome.
Of course, this is a fictionalisation of a real life so we know that however afraid Elizabeth is that Mary is going to have her executed as a Traitor or a Heretic we know it does not come to pass. However, there is still a palpable sense of terror in some sections and there is genuine tension in the pages - admirably done.
I did not enjoy this as much as Young Bess, it was just a little too dry for me and some of the humanity had been stripped from the characters, rendering them almost as caricatures. I found this to be particularly telling with Queen Mary whilst she waits for her Spanish Prince to finally make the journey to England to marry her. Even Elizabeth herself suffers from time to time with becoming stagnant and lifeless on the page.
Overall this is a well crafted tale but you do need to have an interest in the Tudors or Social History to really glean enjoyment from it.
Thursday, 28 June 2018
The French Girl by Lexie Elliott
The six of them spent a summer together in France and now the events of that time are coming back to haunt them. All the six have moved on to adult life, no longer the students they were then but nothing is going to stop them revisiting every nuance of that golden summer.
Told from Kate's point of view we only really know what she knows about the events that led to the disappearance of Severine on the day they left the villa. This works relatively well as the story unfolds for the reader as it does for her - you see, she was only ever a bit player she just didn't know it. Sadly from the text you can see why she was more or less sidelined by the group as she isn't a particularly interesting character. This means that as she tells us about what happened on that last night and explains how Caro, Tom, Theo, Seb and Lara were involved you do find yourself taking it with a pinch of salt - as the character herself says lying is surprisingly easy.
There is a fair chunk of the book taken up with Kate soul searching about her feelings for Seb and his cousin Tom and her attempts to set up a legal headhunting business. Most of which has little to no bearing on the events unfolding but are, I presume, there to draw us in to Kate's life. Unfortunately for me this just didn't work as I could not warm to the character at all.
The plotting is good and there is a good build up of tension as the French Police startup the investigation again. Unfortunately this is derailed by the narrator on a frequent basis and I did find my attention wandering. The denouement is a combination of bizarre actions and startling inaction that eaves you feeling slightly cheated out of an actual resolution. It does have a smack of legal veracity with regards to the death of Severine but goes no further than that.
Overall a little bit ploddy and could have done with a tauter editing to make a more satisfying read.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
Told from Kate's point of view we only really know what she knows about the events that led to the disappearance of Severine on the day they left the villa. This works relatively well as the story unfolds for the reader as it does for her - you see, she was only ever a bit player she just didn't know it. Sadly from the text you can see why she was more or less sidelined by the group as she isn't a particularly interesting character. This means that as she tells us about what happened on that last night and explains how Caro, Tom, Theo, Seb and Lara were involved you do find yourself taking it with a pinch of salt - as the character herself says lying is surprisingly easy.
There is a fair chunk of the book taken up with Kate soul searching about her feelings for Seb and his cousin Tom and her attempts to set up a legal headhunting business. Most of which has little to no bearing on the events unfolding but are, I presume, there to draw us in to Kate's life. Unfortunately for me this just didn't work as I could not warm to the character at all.
The plotting is good and there is a good build up of tension as the French Police startup the investigation again. Unfortunately this is derailed by the narrator on a frequent basis and I did find my attention wandering. The denouement is a combination of bizarre actions and startling inaction that eaves you feeling slightly cheated out of an actual resolution. It does have a smack of legal veracity with regards to the death of Severine but goes no further than that.
Overall a little bit ploddy and could have done with a tauter editing to make a more satisfying read.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
Wednesday, 27 June 2018
The Juniper Gin Joint by Lizzie Lovell
This is the tale of a woman on the speedy downhill slope to 50. Her son is off travelling in Canada, her daughter is about to start University, her mum has died, her dad is becoming increasingly frail, her husband has left her for a (much younger) woman and she is about to be made redundant. As if this wasn't enough it looks like the menopause is in full flow. What is a woman to do - well, it would appear she is going to consume copious quantities of gin in multiple forms but mainly with tonic or of the sloe variety.
This could so easily have become a very depressing book. After all, when you get to a certain age you automatically feel sidelined by society; add on emotional upheaval from newly adult children and the hormonal storms it is a recipe for disaster. Luckily the author manages to give a true enough depiction of women of a "certain age" with wit and warmth - even a dollop or two of wisdom.
We only ever really see things from Jen's point of view and I relish the fact that she is not afraid to think, or say, some quite uncomplimentary things about others. Be honest, we all do it - unless you are Pollyanna. Sadly, this means that the only character that has any depth is Jen herself and everyone else comes across as a little bit of a stereotype.
I also had a couple of issues with the plot of the vaguely corrupt councillor who comes good in the end. I know gin is really in vogue at the moment but I am not so sure that it would be so easy to get a licence for a micro-distillery. There seemed to be no inspections of the equipment or even Health & Safety regulations to be met (yes, I do know how that makes me sound).
I appreciate that this is a certain genre of book and should be allowed the necessary leeway of reality or else we won't get the uplifting ending that we are reading for. That is why we read these books isn't it - to make us smile? Sadly, sometimes the plot trumps reality to such an extent that it does end up spoiling the tale - regrettably, this was the case for me in this book.
A breezy read, that is perfect for the poolside or curled up with a book of chocolates. Nothing demanding in either content or approach but warm and will raise a smile or two; if not a muttered "Yep, that's me" or two.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
This could so easily have become a very depressing book. After all, when you get to a certain age you automatically feel sidelined by society; add on emotional upheaval from newly adult children and the hormonal storms it is a recipe for disaster. Luckily the author manages to give a true enough depiction of women of a "certain age" with wit and warmth - even a dollop or two of wisdom.
We only ever really see things from Jen's point of view and I relish the fact that she is not afraid to think, or say, some quite uncomplimentary things about others. Be honest, we all do it - unless you are Pollyanna. Sadly, this means that the only character that has any depth is Jen herself and everyone else comes across as a little bit of a stereotype.
I also had a couple of issues with the plot of the vaguely corrupt councillor who comes good in the end. I know gin is really in vogue at the moment but I am not so sure that it would be so easy to get a licence for a micro-distillery. There seemed to be no inspections of the equipment or even Health & Safety regulations to be met (yes, I do know how that makes me sound).
I appreciate that this is a certain genre of book and should be allowed the necessary leeway of reality or else we won't get the uplifting ending that we are reading for. That is why we read these books isn't it - to make us smile? Sadly, sometimes the plot trumps reality to such an extent that it does end up spoiling the tale - regrettably, this was the case for me in this book.
A breezy read, that is perfect for the poolside or curled up with a book of chocolates. Nothing demanding in either content or approach but warm and will raise a smile or two; if not a muttered "Yep, that's me" or two.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound by Geanna Culbertson
2.5 Stars
The premise of the book is actually a really good one. The Fairytales we grew up with are all true and the people in them real; so real that they inhabit a land called Book where time passes differently so even the oldest heroes and heroines are still alive and kicking. The thing is they have had children now and this is the tale of some of them - Crisa is Cinderella's daughter and her BFF is none other than Snow White's daughter and the other is Red Riding Hood's. Stuck in boarding school and learning how to fulfil their prophecies (trust me it's all explained) they are bored with being the DID and want rather more from their lives.
Unfortunately the telling of the tale really doesn't work that well and the action is very drawn out and I did find my mind wandering off at tangents quite frequently as we go through another passage about etiquette or how miserable Crisa feels. It is also not helped by engendering comparisons with both the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series and the author not being quite up to the challenge of meshing them together to produce a cohesive whole.
We have magic and potions, we have Pegasi and Dragons, we have strange premonitionary dreams, we have quests, we have full on fights and fantastical cities and buildings. What we don't have is a real connection with any of the characters so you don't really care about how things work out. We also don't have an editor to curb the worst of, what was to me, unnecessary waffle. You could shave probably 100 pages from this book and still get the point across.
Most disappointingly is in an attempt to create a cliffhanger ending there is a start to the main quest but only the start. To find out if they ever manage to get their hands on the second and third items to disable the In and Out spell over the Indexlands you will need to purchase further books. Sadly the writing is not such that I really felt like that was going to be an option. Whilst there are some good ideas here (The Author being responsible for their prophecies and therefore how their lives will turn out and the whole fairytale folk are real) the execution is poor and rather uninspiring. If you can think of other books that have done something similar whilst reading then you know it can't be good. Yes there are, purportedly, only 7 stories to be told in the whole of history but it is all in the telling and that is where this book fell down.
Sorry, but as much as I love a good fantasy/magic story this one really doesn't tick enough boxes for this reader.
The premise of the book is actually a really good one. The Fairytales we grew up with are all true and the people in them real; so real that they inhabit a land called Book where time passes differently so even the oldest heroes and heroines are still alive and kicking. The thing is they have had children now and this is the tale of some of them - Crisa is Cinderella's daughter and her BFF is none other than Snow White's daughter and the other is Red Riding Hood's. Stuck in boarding school and learning how to fulfil their prophecies (trust me it's all explained) they are bored with being the DID and want rather more from their lives.
Unfortunately the telling of the tale really doesn't work that well and the action is very drawn out and I did find my mind wandering off at tangents quite frequently as we go through another passage about etiquette or how miserable Crisa feels. It is also not helped by engendering comparisons with both the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series and the author not being quite up to the challenge of meshing them together to produce a cohesive whole.
We have magic and potions, we have Pegasi and Dragons, we have strange premonitionary dreams, we have quests, we have full on fights and fantastical cities and buildings. What we don't have is a real connection with any of the characters so you don't really care about how things work out. We also don't have an editor to curb the worst of, what was to me, unnecessary waffle. You could shave probably 100 pages from this book and still get the point across.
Most disappointingly is in an attempt to create a cliffhanger ending there is a start to the main quest but only the start. To find out if they ever manage to get their hands on the second and third items to disable the In and Out spell over the Indexlands you will need to purchase further books. Sadly the writing is not such that I really felt like that was going to be an option. Whilst there are some good ideas here (The Author being responsible for their prophecies and therefore how their lives will turn out and the whole fairytale folk are real) the execution is poor and rather uninspiring. If you can think of other books that have done something similar whilst reading then you know it can't be good. Yes there are, purportedly, only 7 stories to be told in the whole of history but it is all in the telling and that is where this book fell down.
Sorry, but as much as I love a good fantasy/magic story this one really doesn't tick enough boxes for this reader.
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
It's quite a while since I read anything by this author and that was a re-read of the early Will Trent series and I was reminded of how underwhelming she can be. Fortunately that is not the case with this particular book. Although it initially appears to be about a school shooting case this is very much the background to the real meat of the tale - the relationship between Sam and Charlie after the disastrous events 28 years ago. We get to relieve those events from each protagonists viewpoint and they also detail their current situations and their relationships with each other and their father. Although closely related it is very obvious that they are very, very different people and that the events of that night have left them both with their own physical and mental frailities.
I did find myself getting very sucked in to the lives of these 2 women. Neither of them is perfect, nor pretends to be. The writing brings each character to life as an individual and even if you find them to have no redeeming qualities the author's ability to make a fictional person feel like someone who is really there and telling you their story is exceptionally good. This also holds true for many of the lesser characters even though we never hear from them directly. The downside to this is that there is a propensity to naval gaze at the expense of moving the story along or for the character narrating that chapter to dwell overlong on things that have already been covered.
The story itself is well crafted and flows relatively well. From the horrors of the home invasion, through to the present day and the school shooting at the girl's old high school the scenarios are richly realised on to the page. Initially you do think this is going to be about the trial of Kelly Wilson but it soon transpires that the crime is just a conceit to get the estranged sisters back in the same town and relating to each other again. The reasons for their ostracism of each other are spelt out and you find yourself agreeing with Charlie that she was right to cut Sam out and then you flip flop and take Sam's side; so persuasive are their individual voices.
Unfortunately, there are few real surprises in the overarching plot and, sad to say, from the off you can see how things are going to work out with the Kelly Wilson Trial - some authenticity is added in to the tale which provides perhaps the only real twist to it. This is really a book about people and how major events can tear you apart and never quite allow you to get all the pieces back together. From that perspective I really enjoyed it but if you are expecting a more traditional crime thriller then this one won't really fill that reading gap for you.
I did find myself getting very sucked in to the lives of these 2 women. Neither of them is perfect, nor pretends to be. The writing brings each character to life as an individual and even if you find them to have no redeeming qualities the author's ability to make a fictional person feel like someone who is really there and telling you their story is exceptionally good. This also holds true for many of the lesser characters even though we never hear from them directly. The downside to this is that there is a propensity to naval gaze at the expense of moving the story along or for the character narrating that chapter to dwell overlong on things that have already been covered.
The story itself is well crafted and flows relatively well. From the horrors of the home invasion, through to the present day and the school shooting at the girl's old high school the scenarios are richly realised on to the page. Initially you do think this is going to be about the trial of Kelly Wilson but it soon transpires that the crime is just a conceit to get the estranged sisters back in the same town and relating to each other again. The reasons for their ostracism of each other are spelt out and you find yourself agreeing with Charlie that she was right to cut Sam out and then you flip flop and take Sam's side; so persuasive are their individual voices.
Unfortunately, there are few real surprises in the overarching plot and, sad to say, from the off you can see how things are going to work out with the Kelly Wilson Trial - some authenticity is added in to the tale which provides perhaps the only real twist to it. This is really a book about people and how major events can tear you apart and never quite allow you to get all the pieces back together. From that perspective I really enjoyed it but if you are expecting a more traditional crime thriller then this one won't really fill that reading gap for you.
Grace After Henry by Eithne Shortall
3.5 Stars
This book is very misleading, whilst the scene setting of the accident that tears Henry from Grace is necessary it did give me an unfavourable impression of the actual tale. This is not so much a book about Grace and Henry but rather one about learning to live with loss and the ways in which it alters everyone it touches. This is particularly shown through the medium of the Three Wise Men and Grace's irascible next door neighbour.
Reading it from that perspective certainly gave me more enjoyment than going down the rather clunky and disturboing relationship that Grace strikes up with Andy. The whole situation there is very bizarre, not wholly unbelievable but certainly stretches veracity to it's limits. It also led me to cringe away from the story in parts and skim it rather than read it as it was so uncomfortable.
The other relationships within the story are fairly standard and quite well written. Although I am not sure that the attitude of Grace's boss (Dermot?) would be seen as that of a lovable eccentric for long and soon his hated customers would fall away; even so he is perhaps one of the more realistic and relatable characters in the book. Only Grace really has any time devoted to building the character and that is likely only because we see everything through her eyes and her voice.
That said I did enjoy the book, on the whole, and felt that it handled the vagaries of grief so well. From the all consuming early days where it is impossible to function through to the way you punish yourself for having the temerity to enjoy a TV show or a sunny day because X is no more. I was not really too surprised to find that it was set in Eire as most of the novels that I have read that handle human emotion in a truly believable way are by authors from that area and set in the same landscape. There really must be something in the water there.
It is not a classic of it's type but a solid enough read and did cause me to fall for the "one more chapter" a couple of times.
This book is very misleading, whilst the scene setting of the accident that tears Henry from Grace is necessary it did give me an unfavourable impression of the actual tale. This is not so much a book about Grace and Henry but rather one about learning to live with loss and the ways in which it alters everyone it touches. This is particularly shown through the medium of the Three Wise Men and Grace's irascible next door neighbour.
Reading it from that perspective certainly gave me more enjoyment than going down the rather clunky and disturboing relationship that Grace strikes up with Andy. The whole situation there is very bizarre, not wholly unbelievable but certainly stretches veracity to it's limits. It also led me to cringe away from the story in parts and skim it rather than read it as it was so uncomfortable.
The other relationships within the story are fairly standard and quite well written. Although I am not sure that the attitude of Grace's boss (Dermot?) would be seen as that of a lovable eccentric for long and soon his hated customers would fall away; even so he is perhaps one of the more realistic and relatable characters in the book. Only Grace really has any time devoted to building the character and that is likely only because we see everything through her eyes and her voice.
That said I did enjoy the book, on the whole, and felt that it handled the vagaries of grief so well. From the all consuming early days where it is impossible to function through to the way you punish yourself for having the temerity to enjoy a TV show or a sunny day because X is no more. I was not really too surprised to find that it was set in Eire as most of the novels that I have read that handle human emotion in a truly believable way are by authors from that area and set in the same landscape. There really must be something in the water there.
It is not a classic of it's type but a solid enough read and did cause me to fall for the "one more chapter" a couple of times.
Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Tesla Time Travellers Books 1 - 3 by Jen Greyson
2.5 Stars
Not a bad series overall but not one that I would rave about or even really feel comfortable recommending to people as it is very much a marmite sort of series. The science doesn't really stack up and without that the whole premise sort of dies a sorry death, coupled with a main character who can be extremely exasperating it can make you very disgruntled whilst reading.
I have reviewed each book separately but there is a short synopsis below
Book 1: Lightning Rider - 2.5/3 Stars
Well paced and introduces the source of the lightning travel quite well. The ancient settings are well realised and do draw you in. Sadly it is all rather spoilt by the burgeoning "romance" between Evy and Constantine which just seems to be about her chewing her plait and ogling his muscles.
Book 2: Shadow Boxer - 3 Stars
By far the best of the three books. This is likely because much of it centres around Nikola Tesla and his genius. There are some interesting sections about the types of lightning that Evy finds she can generate and how they can each be manipulated. Moves quite quickly and does hold your attention quite well.
Book 3: Storm Front - 2 Stars
The worst of the three by quite some margin and it only got 2 Stars because of the large confrontation at the end of the book. Far too much time spent covering old ground and listening to Evy carping on about Constantine and how miserable and confused she feels.
The author promises more books in this series but somehow I don't think I will be the least little bit interested in following those through.
Not a bad series overall but not one that I would rave about or even really feel comfortable recommending to people as it is very much a marmite sort of series. The science doesn't really stack up and without that the whole premise sort of dies a sorry death, coupled with a main character who can be extremely exasperating it can make you very disgruntled whilst reading.
I have reviewed each book separately but there is a short synopsis below
Book 1: Lightning Rider - 2.5/3 Stars
Well paced and introduces the source of the lightning travel quite well. The ancient settings are well realised and do draw you in. Sadly it is all rather spoilt by the burgeoning "romance" between Evy and Constantine which just seems to be about her chewing her plait and ogling his muscles.
Book 2: Shadow Boxer - 3 Stars
By far the best of the three books. This is likely because much of it centres around Nikola Tesla and his genius. There are some interesting sections about the types of lightning that Evy finds she can generate and how they can each be manipulated. Moves quite quickly and does hold your attention quite well.
Book 3: Storm Front - 2 Stars
The worst of the three by quite some margin and it only got 2 Stars because of the large confrontation at the end of the book. Far too much time spent covering old ground and listening to Evy carping on about Constantine and how miserable and confused she feels.
The author promises more books in this series but somehow I don't think I will be the least little bit interested in following those through.
Storm Front by Jen Greyson
For me this was by far the worst of the first three books in the Tesla Time Travellers series. Apart from Gray popping up with a weapon that can disable Evy's lightning nothing really happens of any note and it all feels like a rehash of the previous two books. I get that time is a loop so events will overlap but we just seem to spend all our time either revisiting previous events or putting up with Evy's moping/intimacy with Constantine.
I did enjoy the first two books but this one I was racing to finish and not in a good way - I just wanted it all to be over so I could move on to something else.
The things we needed to know from this book were finally addressed towards the end but we still don't know exactly where Tianna went to when she disappeared from the warehouse. The relationship between Evy/Penya, Penya/Ilif and Evy/Ilif had a sort of resolution but it does raise the question if you can travel through time and time is a loop can you ever really be dead?
None of this is really resolved in order to pave the way for further books in the series but as this one felt like we were running out of ideas rather quickly I don't think I'll bother with them. Really this should have been a 1 Star review but I did enjoy the final confrontation scene so I marked it up for that alone.
I did enjoy the first two books but this one I was racing to finish and not in a good way - I just wanted it all to be over so I could move on to something else.
The things we needed to know from this book were finally addressed towards the end but we still don't know exactly where Tianna went to when she disappeared from the warehouse. The relationship between Evy/Penya, Penya/Ilif and Evy/Ilif had a sort of resolution but it does raise the question if you can travel through time and time is a loop can you ever really be dead?
None of this is really resolved in order to pave the way for further books in the series but as this one felt like we were running out of ideas rather quickly I don't think I'll bother with them. Really this should have been a 1 Star review but I did enjoy the final confrontation scene so I marked it up for that alone.
The Woman Who Met Her Match by Fiona Gibson
I normally love Fiona Gibson's books but I was left feeling distinctly underwhelmed by this one and I can't really put my finger on why - well, that isn't strictly true. I spent most of the book mentally screaming at Lorrie to stop ignoring what was right under her nose and plain to those of us reading this tale and just get on with the business of loving the right man. All this faffing about and mooning over her teenage crush doesn't sit well on a middleaged woman and I just wanted to shake her. Fortunately she saw sense in the end.
My other issue with it was the whole employment thing. I have no issue with her working on a beauty counter. I have no issue with her trepidation when the company is taken over by a large corporation and the way they are expected to work is changed. What I do have issues with are the seemingly seamless way she scuppers their plans and then just happens to have a good relationship with the two elderly women who sold the company who (despite being in their late 70s) are starting a new venture and just so happen to offer her a job for when they open. Definitely all felt too contrived and unrealistic.
There are moments of humour in the book. Especially the descriptions of her handful of dates from datemylovelymum.com. I also found her relationship with her mother quite amusing - there's something about mothers that turn us all back in to spotty 13 year olds shuffling our feet and hanging our head. Yes, her mother is overbearing but there is a real sense that she is doing her best for Lorrie, even if it doesn't always come across that way. Lorrie's relationship with her teenage children is also a refreshingly good one with them all exasperating each other in the way only family can.
The relationship with the enigmatic Antoine is sweet in the flashback to 16 year old Lorrie, strangely chaste and romantic cloaked as it is in the rose tinted hues of remembrance. When she meets up with him again he is all that she remembered and, sadly, he is so much more. You never really become invested in Lorrie pairing off with her Frenchman and I did find him quite offputting as a character and really couldn't see what she saw in him.
Not one of Ms Gibson's finest but it did entertain in places and, on the whole, felt relatively realistic. A good read for long lazy afternoons when all you need is a long, cool drink and some non-taxing distraction.
My other issue with it was the whole employment thing. I have no issue with her working on a beauty counter. I have no issue with her trepidation when the company is taken over by a large corporation and the way they are expected to work is changed. What I do have issues with are the seemingly seamless way she scuppers their plans and then just happens to have a good relationship with the two elderly women who sold the company who (despite being in their late 70s) are starting a new venture and just so happen to offer her a job for when they open. Definitely all felt too contrived and unrealistic.
There are moments of humour in the book. Especially the descriptions of her handful of dates from datemylovelymum.com. I also found her relationship with her mother quite amusing - there's something about mothers that turn us all back in to spotty 13 year olds shuffling our feet and hanging our head. Yes, her mother is overbearing but there is a real sense that she is doing her best for Lorrie, even if it doesn't always come across that way. Lorrie's relationship with her teenage children is also a refreshingly good one with them all exasperating each other in the way only family can.
The relationship with the enigmatic Antoine is sweet in the flashback to 16 year old Lorrie, strangely chaste and romantic cloaked as it is in the rose tinted hues of remembrance. When she meets up with him again he is all that she remembered and, sadly, he is so much more. You never really become invested in Lorrie pairing off with her Frenchman and I did find him quite offputting as a character and really couldn't see what she saw in him.
Not one of Ms Gibson's finest but it did entertain in places and, on the whole, felt relatively realistic. A good read for long lazy afternoons when all you need is a long, cool drink and some non-taxing distraction.
Close To Home by Cara Hunter
First off there are no chapters here, there are natural breaks as we switch perspective or format but there are no actual chapters. Told from multiple viewpoints within the investigative team, facebook posts, newspaper articles and twitter feeds this is a very modern police procedural. It also throws a laser beam on the court of public opinion that seems to take the place of actual reporting and fact these days.
It is a very clever book but not in a "look at me, look how smart I am" way. It seems to evolve naturally and unfold on the page in real time and completely drew me in. See how I mentioned above that there are no chapters well this is where that becomes a problem because there is no natural breaking off point you forget to look at the clock and find yourself staying up far too late so absorbed by the story are you.
The plot is all here and it covers everything from relationships, the "keeping up with The Joneses" mentality, jealousy and the workings of a police investigation. The frustration DI Fawley and his team feel is balanced with their euphoria at finding another lead and their crashing disappointment as it turns in to a dead end. There is no easy or convenient smoking gun here and events don't feel manipulated to provide a resolution to the tale and when the reveal comes it is somewhat out of left field and not one I saw coming at all.
Characterisation is sparse but somehow you come to feel like you know not only the police team but the family at the centre of the shocking disappearence of Daisy Mason. Not only that but her school friends and their parents all have a strong presence despite their limited page time. It is a very modern tale and I do fear it will not stand the test of time as technology, in particular social media, moves on but for right here and now in 2018 it is an engrossing read.
As a debut novel it is a stunning piece of writing and I see that there are 2 more books slated for release this year alone - I just hope that the same care and attention has been lavished on those as have been on this book because I am aching to read them!
It is a very clever book but not in a "look at me, look how smart I am" way. It seems to evolve naturally and unfold on the page in real time and completely drew me in. See how I mentioned above that there are no chapters well this is where that becomes a problem because there is no natural breaking off point you forget to look at the clock and find yourself staying up far too late so absorbed by the story are you.
The plot is all here and it covers everything from relationships, the "keeping up with The Joneses" mentality, jealousy and the workings of a police investigation. The frustration DI Fawley and his team feel is balanced with their euphoria at finding another lead and their crashing disappointment as it turns in to a dead end. There is no easy or convenient smoking gun here and events don't feel manipulated to provide a resolution to the tale and when the reveal comes it is somewhat out of left field and not one I saw coming at all.
Characterisation is sparse but somehow you come to feel like you know not only the police team but the family at the centre of the shocking disappearence of Daisy Mason. Not only that but her school friends and their parents all have a strong presence despite their limited page time. It is a very modern tale and I do fear it will not stand the test of time as technology, in particular social media, moves on but for right here and now in 2018 it is an engrossing read.
As a debut novel it is a stunning piece of writing and I see that there are 2 more books slated for release this year alone - I just hope that the same care and attention has been lavished on those as have been on this book because I am aching to read them!
The Summer OF Second Chances by Maddie Please
I did enjoy this book but it is not a memorable tale and the characters don't really stay with you either. It is a light, easy read perfect for the commute or when you need something to pass the time while soaking up the rays. Not the best start to a review - unless that is exactly what you are looking for.
The character of Lottie is well drawn and you do feel like you know her - insecurities and contradictions and all. The author certainly wrote a realistic character with our leading lady but that is where realism crashes to a screeching halt. The supporting characters are more caricatures of people and never raise above the two dimensional and the plot is, well, cringy in places. You know exactly how it is going to go as soon as Lottie moves from her spacious home after the death of her partner and in to a friend's holiday cottage which just happens to make her neighbours with the estranged brother of said friend's husband.
That's the other thing that annoyed me about this book. The character of Gregg - one minute he is a complete and utter boor and the next he is suddenly helpful and supportive. When living with her partner Lottie can't stomach the man but suffers him for her partner (I think he was called Ian but I can't be bothered to go back and check) and the business he could bring him, she also really likes his wife, Jess, and thinks they can become firm friends. When Lottie is cast on the scrap heap Jess does prove to be a good friend and suddenly Gregg becomes an almost wonderful man - the contradiction annoyed the heck out of me for some reason.
The actual writing is paced well and although there are no surprises here or even a really believable plot I did enjoy reading it - hence 3 Stars. It was frothy and it did entertain me. The shorter length probably helped with that as well if I'm being honest.
The character of Lottie is well drawn and you do feel like you know her - insecurities and contradictions and all. The author certainly wrote a realistic character with our leading lady but that is where realism crashes to a screeching halt. The supporting characters are more caricatures of people and never raise above the two dimensional and the plot is, well, cringy in places. You know exactly how it is going to go as soon as Lottie moves from her spacious home after the death of her partner and in to a friend's holiday cottage which just happens to make her neighbours with the estranged brother of said friend's husband.
That's the other thing that annoyed me about this book. The character of Gregg - one minute he is a complete and utter boor and the next he is suddenly helpful and supportive. When living with her partner Lottie can't stomach the man but suffers him for her partner (I think he was called Ian but I can't be bothered to go back and check) and the business he could bring him, she also really likes his wife, Jess, and thinks they can become firm friends. When Lottie is cast on the scrap heap Jess does prove to be a good friend and suddenly Gregg becomes an almost wonderful man - the contradiction annoyed the heck out of me for some reason.
The actual writing is paced well and although there are no surprises here or even a really believable plot I did enjoy reading it - hence 3 Stars. It was frothy and it did entertain me. The shorter length probably helped with that as well if I'm being honest.
The Grand Hotel by Scott Kenemore
This is more of a series of short stories linked together by the conceit of a tour around a hotel with the rather strange concierge than a full tale. It is a good idea but I found that the "reveal" at the end was unsatisfying as it is flagged up very early on in the tale and signposted again after each vignette. From the first room and it's macabre inhabitant you know pretty much what is going on so most of the tension leaks out of the pages.
We visit a series of different locations within the winding corridors of the hotel and the descriptions of the faded grandeur are handled well (in fact it reminds me of a hotel we stay at regularly that has gorgeous glimpses of an elegant past faded and never to be reclaimed) placing you in the scene. The individual residents of each location are varied and have ever stranger stories to tell about a moment in their lives that led them to take up residence here. Some are more effective than others but it is the conclusions reached afterwards by the little girl that are astonishing, in the most part (I certainly did not agree with many of her pronouncements).
The writing is well paced and characters do come alive within their own individual stories. There is a creeping sense of unease generated through the multiple threads but nothing that really keeps you awake or gets the heart pounding. It is a fairly sound tale but not one that makes me want to really reach for any further books by the author.
We visit a series of different locations within the winding corridors of the hotel and the descriptions of the faded grandeur are handled well (in fact it reminds me of a hotel we stay at regularly that has gorgeous glimpses of an elegant past faded and never to be reclaimed) placing you in the scene. The individual residents of each location are varied and have ever stranger stories to tell about a moment in their lives that led them to take up residence here. Some are more effective than others but it is the conclusions reached afterwards by the little girl that are astonishing, in the most part (I certainly did not agree with many of her pronouncements).
The writing is well paced and characters do come alive within their own individual stories. There is a creeping sense of unease generated through the multiple threads but nothing that really keeps you awake or gets the heart pounding. It is a fairly sound tale but not one that makes me want to really reach for any further books by the author.
Tuesday, 12 June 2018
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
Whilst the basic premise of the book is the same as that of the book, that is where they diverge and I have to say the film is far better than the book. If for no other reason than the three given below:
1. Nigel in the film is an amalgamation of 2 or 3characters in the book - none of whom really have much page time. This means that there is no natural sympathiser for Andy to turn to in the office.
2. Andrea herself is actually pretty much unlikeable in the book,she has none of the charisma of her screen counter part. This was my biggest issue with the book to be honest - the main character is just so self-absorbed and just lives to have her own pity party, it drove me batty
3. In the film we do see a touch of humanity to Ms Priestly - well, towards the end we do. In the novel this is completely missing and she is painted as completely vindictive and self-centred with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
The plot is more or less the same as that in the film so you do know what is going to happen overall. There are some significant tweaks though, particularly with Andy's living arrangements and relationships. Unusually the screenwriter has taken a rather unprepossessing novel with a great idea and turned it into broadcast gold.
I found the writing to be rather stilted and there was an awful lot of covering old ground; there are only so many ways you can describe going for coffee or answering the phone. It does feel like a one-idea book and that nothing that is put on the page should deviate from that so it does become, actually, quite boring in several places. There are some good moments but these come early on when Andy is fully subsumed by Runway magazine and still has at least half a brain and a sense of basic human dignity.
Basically if you haven't seen the film you will probably enjoy this book a lot more. If you have then probably best to steer clear as it will disappoint.
1. Nigel in the film is an amalgamation of 2 or 3characters in the book - none of whom really have much page time. This means that there is no natural sympathiser for Andy to turn to in the office.
2. Andrea herself is actually pretty much unlikeable in the book,she has none of the charisma of her screen counter part. This was my biggest issue with the book to be honest - the main character is just so self-absorbed and just lives to have her own pity party, it drove me batty
3. In the film we do see a touch of humanity to Ms Priestly - well, towards the end we do. In the novel this is completely missing and she is painted as completely vindictive and self-centred with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
The plot is more or less the same as that in the film so you do know what is going to happen overall. There are some significant tweaks though, particularly with Andy's living arrangements and relationships. Unusually the screenwriter has taken a rather unprepossessing novel with a great idea and turned it into broadcast gold.
I found the writing to be rather stilted and there was an awful lot of covering old ground; there are only so many ways you can describe going for coffee or answering the phone. It does feel like a one-idea book and that nothing that is put on the page should deviate from that so it does become, actually, quite boring in several places. There are some good moments but these come early on when Andy is fully subsumed by Runway magazine and still has at least half a brain and a sense of basic human dignity.
Basically if you haven't seen the film you will probably enjoy this book a lot more. If you have then probably best to steer clear as it will disappoint.
My Heart Goes Bang by Keris Stainton
This may be a YA novel but, as a distinctly non-YA reader, I thoroughly enjoyed. The balance of relationships between the housemates (Ella, Lou, Issey, Liane and Paige) is wonderfully drawn and each character just screams off the page. They are in the second year of University and in their first house share together with all that it entails. On the whole they rub along together well but each has her own secrets that they are shielding from everyone.
There really doesn't seem to be any overarching plot here, it is simply the tale of what happens to 5 girls over 1 year and how the decisions each makes affects both their own lives and that of others. Some of the characters at first feel a little stereotypical (eg., Ella as the sensible one) but as the first few chapters pass by you quickly realise that they are stereotypes because they are true and if you look at your own circle of friends (both then and now) that there was someone that filled similar roles.
There is some sex in the book (but not graphically described) and there is a lot of swearing - honestly, with as realistic as this story feels there would have to be. A house of 5 girls and nobody swears on a daily basis would be unbelievable. So, if you have issues with language this may not be the book for you - or for you to gift to that YA in your life.
What this book did for me was show that friendship can be the most wonderful thing and that the ability to be honest with each other just cements it. Yes, they bicker, yes they each do things that irritate the others but they do have each other's backs. That said you do get the impression that once University is over most of them will go their separate ways and fall out of contact with the others.
There is no real ending to the book. Their second year ends and the girls are all scattering back to family in various parts of the country. This leaves the reader to decide how things progress for each character - I am sure no two people will come up with the same future for the girls.
A genuinely fun book full of humour that leaves you feeling positive and like you just got a good old hug.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
There really doesn't seem to be any overarching plot here, it is simply the tale of what happens to 5 girls over 1 year and how the decisions each makes affects both their own lives and that of others. Some of the characters at first feel a little stereotypical (eg., Ella as the sensible one) but as the first few chapters pass by you quickly realise that they are stereotypes because they are true and if you look at your own circle of friends (both then and now) that there was someone that filled similar roles.
There is some sex in the book (but not graphically described) and there is a lot of swearing - honestly, with as realistic as this story feels there would have to be. A house of 5 girls and nobody swears on a daily basis would be unbelievable. So, if you have issues with language this may not be the book for you - or for you to gift to that YA in your life.
What this book did for me was show that friendship can be the most wonderful thing and that the ability to be honest with each other just cements it. Yes, they bicker, yes they each do things that irritate the others but they do have each other's backs. That said you do get the impression that once University is over most of them will go their separate ways and fall out of contact with the others.
There is no real ending to the book. Their second year ends and the girls are all scattering back to family in various parts of the country. This leaves the reader to decide how things progress for each character - I am sure no two people will come up with the same future for the girls.
A genuinely fun book full of humour that leaves you feeling positive and like you just got a good old hug.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
Dying For A Living by Kory M Shrum
This is my second read of this book (I purchased some further books in the series and thought it made sense to start at the beginning again). I didn't enjoy it quite as much the second time around but I was surprised how much of the storyline I had forgotten - the major plot points were still there but a lot of the nuance had been lost.
The plot is a good, and rather unique one, Jesse is a Death Replacement Agent - going to die by accident then an AMP will confirm a 24 hour window of it happening and you book your Death Replacement Agent (they die so you don't have to). The problem is someone is out to kill the agents and Jesse seems to be next in line. Who is responsible for the attacks - the FBDR? The Church? or is it something or someone even darker? This creates a good plot that is part thriller and part supernatural and it does do a good job of straddling both genres.
The characterisation is reasonable but you do find yourself struggling to get to grips with anyone other than Jesse - even she is a bit of a mystery. In some instances, Brinkley, this is because even Jesse doesn't really know what is real and what is front so we suffer from her skewed perspective. However, Ally and Lane are a problem as Jesse knows both intimately but I didn't get any real sense of them as people off the page. The set up to the big set piece at the end of the book is well handled with the tension palpably building with the fallout seguing neatly in to book two.
The plot is a good, and rather unique one, Jesse is a Death Replacement Agent - going to die by accident then an AMP will confirm a 24 hour window of it happening and you book your Death Replacement Agent (they die so you don't have to). The problem is someone is out to kill the agents and Jesse seems to be next in line. Who is responsible for the attacks - the FBDR? The Church? or is it something or someone even darker? This creates a good plot that is part thriller and part supernatural and it does do a good job of straddling both genres.
The characterisation is reasonable but you do find yourself struggling to get to grips with anyone other than Jesse - even she is a bit of a mystery. In some instances, Brinkley, this is because even Jesse doesn't really know what is real and what is front so we suffer from her skewed perspective. However, Ally and Lane are a problem as Jesse knows both intimately but I didn't get any real sense of them as people off the page. The set up to the big set piece at the end of the book is well handled with the tension palpably building with the fallout seguing neatly in to book two.
The American Girl by Rachael English
I absolutely loved reading this book and found that it was a bit of a page turner. Admittedly I do have an interest in the Magdalene Laundries after watching the movie The Magdalene Sisters and then latterly Philomena and discovering that the Catholic school I attended as a small girl was run by one of the orders involved.
Despite what could be a very dour topic - forced adoption, there is a lightness of touch and humour in this book and an attempt at showing the laundries for what they were whilst glossing over the main atrocities. The bulk of the novel is set in the modern day cities of Dublin and Boston and Carrigbrack is mentioned only briefly but it looms large over the rest of the tale.
Martha Sheeran has always known she was adopted, her parents have been open about that much at least. However, it seems there is an unwarranted amount of secrecy surrounding the adoption and as her daughter reaches the outer reaches of childhood and with her marriage broken down she decides to look for her birth parents. We experience the highs and lows of the search and the impact it has on her friendships and family relationships when Martha unearths more than she expected.
The pace of the tale is gentle and we experience everything through the voices of Martha and her birth mother Rose. Things that were considered dead and buried come to light thanks to the efforts of both of their respective children once the truth starts to become known will either of their lives ever be the same again?
The sense of time and place, particularly in the late 1960s, is exquisitely realised and I did feel completely drawn in to this rather peculiar world of moral standards and appearance being all. The characterisations are well drawn and the people inhabiting the book soon begin to feel real to the reader and you find yourself wishing he best for them whilst shaking your head at some of their decisions.
Definitely an author I will be reading more from!
Despite what could be a very dour topic - forced adoption, there is a lightness of touch and humour in this book and an attempt at showing the laundries for what they were whilst glossing over the main atrocities. The bulk of the novel is set in the modern day cities of Dublin and Boston and Carrigbrack is mentioned only briefly but it looms large over the rest of the tale.
Martha Sheeran has always known she was adopted, her parents have been open about that much at least. However, it seems there is an unwarranted amount of secrecy surrounding the adoption and as her daughter reaches the outer reaches of childhood and with her marriage broken down she decides to look for her birth parents. We experience the highs and lows of the search and the impact it has on her friendships and family relationships when Martha unearths more than she expected.
The pace of the tale is gentle and we experience everything through the voices of Martha and her birth mother Rose. Things that were considered dead and buried come to light thanks to the efforts of both of their respective children once the truth starts to become known will either of their lives ever be the same again?
The sense of time and place, particularly in the late 1960s, is exquisitely realised and I did feel completely drawn in to this rather peculiar world of moral standards and appearance being all. The characterisations are well drawn and the people inhabiting the book soon begin to feel real to the reader and you find yourself wishing he best for them whilst shaking your head at some of their decisions.
Definitely an author I will be reading more from!
The Old Religion by Martyn Waites
My first thoughts on starting to read this book that it was all a bit The Wicker Man, I was pleased to read that this was vindicated by the author in his blurb as being the type of feel he was going for.
It is quite a claustrophobic book, despite the sweeping seascapes conjured up in your minds eye of the Cornish coast everything feels dark and oppressive which, considering the subject matter, is to the benefit of the story. St Petroc itself is dieing, the young are moving away to find work and those that are left are struggling to make ends meet. When the "old ways" seem to be the answer just how far will they go to save their village?
With side stories involving drug trafficking and the disenfranchisement of youth there is a lot to follow here. There are a wide range of disaffected characters from our main protagonist Tom Killgannon, through the local policewoman Rachel, Lila, Pearl, Pirate John, Noah and a seemingly never ending cast. Somehow each character is individual and you know who they are only minutes after reading about them - quite a feat by the author there.
I thought I had worked out who Morrigan was but I was off the mark. I particularly liked that that the writing skirted expertly around the issue of gender with Morrigan being eternally third person and so no possessive pronouns enter the text. Those sections must have been the very devil to write as he skirted round the gender issue. Strangely this also provided one of my niggles with the book, I found myself being ejected from the story with thoughts of "Oh, I see what he's doing here...very clever".
On the whole I found this to a seriously enjoyable book. Just enough twists and turns to keep you interested and guessing about what is going on and who is behind it all. I would have liked more of the supernatural element and, according to the author's afterword, quite a lot of this was cut from the book for reasons unspecified.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
It is quite a claustrophobic book, despite the sweeping seascapes conjured up in your minds eye of the Cornish coast everything feels dark and oppressive which, considering the subject matter, is to the benefit of the story. St Petroc itself is dieing, the young are moving away to find work and those that are left are struggling to make ends meet. When the "old ways" seem to be the answer just how far will they go to save their village?
With side stories involving drug trafficking and the disenfranchisement of youth there is a lot to follow here. There are a wide range of disaffected characters from our main protagonist Tom Killgannon, through the local policewoman Rachel, Lila, Pearl, Pirate John, Noah and a seemingly never ending cast. Somehow each character is individual and you know who they are only minutes after reading about them - quite a feat by the author there.
I thought I had worked out who Morrigan was but I was off the mark. I particularly liked that that the writing skirted expertly around the issue of gender with Morrigan being eternally third person and so no possessive pronouns enter the text. Those sections must have been the very devil to write as he skirted round the gender issue. Strangely this also provided one of my niggles with the book, I found myself being ejected from the story with thoughts of "Oh, I see what he's doing here...very clever".
On the whole I found this to a seriously enjoyable book. Just enough twists and turns to keep you interested and guessing about what is going on and who is behind it all. I would have liked more of the supernatural element and, according to the author's afterword, quite a lot of this was cut from the book for reasons unspecified.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
Monday, 4 June 2018
The Electrical Venus by Julie Mayhew
This is a charmingly quirky tale of travelling sideshow people and their efforts to entertain the general populace and, most importantly, get coin. With illustrations of handbills that promise the most exotic of treats we get to meet the main players in the novel:
The One Arm'd Boy - Alex suffered a near fatal accident in early childhood and now has only one arm. Raised by the Graingers he has been taught to juggle and perform acrobatic feats for the pleasure of the public.
The Dwaff - Abel is short of stature and light of finger regularly boosting the sideshows earning by picking pockets and rigging games.
The No-Legg'd Brute - Joe has no legs, whether by accident or accident of birth we know not. Despite his appearence and his gruff voice he is a kind and gentle man who performs feats of strength for his slop.
George - An Amazonian Green Parrot whose mimicry knows no bounds and who frequently fails to perform when called upon.
The Girl-Exotic - Sweet Mim, sold to the Grainger's as a baby when her mother couldn't hide her dalliance with, what we assume, was a servant. Coffee coloured skin and a smattering of learning she is the lowest rung on the sideshow ladder. Even the mathematical pig and the dancing geese get better slop than her.
When the show meets up with Dr Sebastian Fox things look to be taking a turn for the better as he introduces them to the delights of Electrickery and their coffers suddenly swell.
You do get drawn in to this peculiar world and the smattering of language from the 18th Century just makes it seem all the more immersive. We follow the fortunes of Mim and Alex as they try to cope with the change in fortunes brought about by the Electrickery and as they each rise and fall in favour time and again. Theirs is a warm friendship that struggles to cope with their adulthood and relative importance to the Graingers and Dr Fox.
Perhaps the best character though is George. He injects the humour in to the book and smoothly interrupts the most sincere soul searching with his outbursts. Albeit in language not suitable for a lady.
This book was so much better than I thought it was going to be with rich characters and a real sense of time and place. There is love, there is peril, there is wealth and there is pecuniary. Most of all there is humanity.
The One Arm'd Boy - Alex suffered a near fatal accident in early childhood and now has only one arm. Raised by the Graingers he has been taught to juggle and perform acrobatic feats for the pleasure of the public.
The Dwaff - Abel is short of stature and light of finger regularly boosting the sideshows earning by picking pockets and rigging games.
The No-Legg'd Brute - Joe has no legs, whether by accident or accident of birth we know not. Despite his appearence and his gruff voice he is a kind and gentle man who performs feats of strength for his slop.
George - An Amazonian Green Parrot whose mimicry knows no bounds and who frequently fails to perform when called upon.
The Girl-Exotic - Sweet Mim, sold to the Grainger's as a baby when her mother couldn't hide her dalliance with, what we assume, was a servant. Coffee coloured skin and a smattering of learning she is the lowest rung on the sideshow ladder. Even the mathematical pig and the dancing geese get better slop than her.
When the show meets up with Dr Sebastian Fox things look to be taking a turn for the better as he introduces them to the delights of Electrickery and their coffers suddenly swell.
You do get drawn in to this peculiar world and the smattering of language from the 18th Century just makes it seem all the more immersive. We follow the fortunes of Mim and Alex as they try to cope with the change in fortunes brought about by the Electrickery and as they each rise and fall in favour time and again. Theirs is a warm friendship that struggles to cope with their adulthood and relative importance to the Graingers and Dr Fox.
Perhaps the best character though is George. He injects the humour in to the book and smoothly interrupts the most sincere soul searching with his outbursts. Albeit in language not suitable for a lady.
This book was so much better than I thought it was going to be with rich characters and a real sense of time and place. There is love, there is peril, there is wealth and there is pecuniary. Most of all there is humanity.
First To Die by Alex Caan
This is more of a 2.5 Stars read but I was so disappointed that I have marked it down as a 2 Star in my notebook of doom (as the other half calls it).
The premise for the story itself is very good - a high ranking civil servant is found dead after a public demonstration in central London and the circumstances are very peculiar indeed. He has clearly been infected with something but will this pose a threat to the general public and can they even find out what caused his brain to melt and his body to erupt in pustules and blisters. The science is a little flimsy but relatively sound and I liked that explanations of Category A Viruses and Neurotoxins was slipped in to the text in a non-patronising way (very often the science bit can be a little insulting).
As more people turn up missing and dead the race is on to find out just what this infection is and why so many disparate people have died in various violent ways. The links between them are tenuous and the detective work to prove the links is dealt with well and does keep you interested; especially as you feel as baffled as the police.
Then it all starts to go very wrong, very fast. It feels as though inspiration left the author and with the deadline looming he had to get some sort of resolution out of this whilst meeting his word count. Certainly not the first author that has given me this impression and I am sure won't be the last.
The real problem lies with the characters in the story and their backstories which heavily populate the book and serve only to slow the action down and distract from the case in hand. The biggest nuisance for this is Kate Riley as we are constantly reminded that her and her mother had been in Witness Protection in the States after they had testified against her father. Now they have a "Watcher" determined to be their undoing - this is not resolved in the book - who pops up in the narrative with startling regularity just when things are getting interesting.
The main player is DS Zain Harris who has a murky past and was "turned" by GCHQ and did some time working for SO15. This we are reminded off ad infinitum and we also get to go on tangents to his insomnia and illegal drug habit. He also takes time to lecture us on internet safety and protecting our identity.
In summary I found this to be a frustrating tale with too many side stories trying to be woven in, leaving the whole ultimately confused and frustrating to read.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
The premise for the story itself is very good - a high ranking civil servant is found dead after a public demonstration in central London and the circumstances are very peculiar indeed. He has clearly been infected with something but will this pose a threat to the general public and can they even find out what caused his brain to melt and his body to erupt in pustules and blisters. The science is a little flimsy but relatively sound and I liked that explanations of Category A Viruses and Neurotoxins was slipped in to the text in a non-patronising way (very often the science bit can be a little insulting).
As more people turn up missing and dead the race is on to find out just what this infection is and why so many disparate people have died in various violent ways. The links between them are tenuous and the detective work to prove the links is dealt with well and does keep you interested; especially as you feel as baffled as the police.
Then it all starts to go very wrong, very fast. It feels as though inspiration left the author and with the deadline looming he had to get some sort of resolution out of this whilst meeting his word count. Certainly not the first author that has given me this impression and I am sure won't be the last.
The real problem lies with the characters in the story and their backstories which heavily populate the book and serve only to slow the action down and distract from the case in hand. The biggest nuisance for this is Kate Riley as we are constantly reminded that her and her mother had been in Witness Protection in the States after they had testified against her father. Now they have a "Watcher" determined to be their undoing - this is not resolved in the book - who pops up in the narrative with startling regularity just when things are getting interesting.
The main player is DS Zain Harris who has a murky past and was "turned" by GCHQ and did some time working for SO15. This we are reminded off ad infinitum and we also get to go on tangents to his insomnia and illegal drug habit. He also takes time to lecture us on internet safety and protecting our identity.
In summary I found this to be a frustrating tale with too many side stories trying to be woven in, leaving the whole ultimately confused and frustrating to read.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
The Wedding Season by Samantha Chase
Single and relatively happy about it Speech Pathologist (who knew that was a job!) Tricia is dreading the summer. Three wedding invitations already on the mantle and another three have just arrived, just what she needed. Still, her best friend Sean will be back by then and they have made a pact to attend as a couple so that they can both avoid the matchmaking and pitying looks from their loved up friends. It all goes awry when Sean suffers an accident just days before returning home to the States. Luckily for Tricia his older brother, Ryan, steps in to the breach and becomes her plus one - will this lead to true love for both of them?
It doesn't sound too bad when you distill it down like that. Unfortunately the execution of both the plot and the characters left me feeling distinctly underwhelmed. I was so glad this was a short tale as I don't think I could have got much further than he 200 pages it purports to be on my eReader. There is no real story arc and it all becomes a bit this happens and then they kiss and then this happens and they become far more intimate, then we have a misunderstanding and they break up but awww they love each other so it doesn't stick. The characters are pretty flimsy so you don't really care about whether or not Tricia will get it together with Ryan, there isn't really any suspense as to whether it is Sean that she really loves.
Quick and easy read that passes the time on a commute or when reading time is limited and you have one eye on the clock the whole time. Other than that I really wouldn't bother.
It doesn't sound too bad when you distill it down like that. Unfortunately the execution of both the plot and the characters left me feeling distinctly underwhelmed. I was so glad this was a short tale as I don't think I could have got much further than he 200 pages it purports to be on my eReader. There is no real story arc and it all becomes a bit this happens and then they kiss and then this happens and they become far more intimate, then we have a misunderstanding and they break up but awww they love each other so it doesn't stick. The characters are pretty flimsy so you don't really care about whether or not Tricia will get it together with Ryan, there isn't really any suspense as to whether it is Sean that she really loves.
Quick and easy read that passes the time on a commute or when reading time is limited and you have one eye on the clock the whole time. Other than that I really wouldn't bother.
Appleby Farm by Cathy Bramley
This is a sequel to the Ivy Lane book and, fortunately, it does work as a standalone read as I haven't read the Ivy Lane book (yet). This time we are following the fortunes of Freya and her family, the Moorcrofts. Although it does contain spoilers for the first book there is enough in the first couple of chapters to immerse yourself in her life and figure out who is who.
Everything here centres around Freya's attempts to come to terms with her abandonment by her mother and father and to help her aunt and uncle, who more or less raised her, protect the family farm for future generations. She is also trying to balance her relationship with Charlie after moving back to The Lake District.
The descriptions of life on the farm are idyllic and definitely hark back to a different era. You do want to move in to Appleby Farm along with Freya and her Aunt Sue and Uncle Arthur but once we stray in to the saving the farm territory things become a little less enthralling. Despite setbacks a plenty for the Moorcrofts Freya's venture is an immediate success and I do find this hard to believe; it isn't exactly a novel idea and being so far from the beaten track I doubt that it would survive much less be the powerhouse it becomes days after opening. I also found it odd that a rural pub in the modern world doesn't serve a good cup of tea or coffee but there you go.
Slightly too much escapism for me in this one. I do like a decent dose of reality with my chick lit and this book delivers that in a patchy manner and I can see how this would simply deliver a warm "girl done good" hug for a lot of readers but I found myself becoming infuriated with Freya and the relative ease with which she achieves her goals. I did enjoy the rekindling of her childhood friendship with Harry and her new friendship with the delightfully batty Lizzie.
The plot is light and frothy and there are no surprises here at all - everything is flagged up for the reader well in advance so you only need to have a few braincells engaged to follow along. The characters are warm and feel drawn from life and this is what keeps you engaged and reading on. Somehow though I never got drawn in to their lives as I would expect to; something is missing to bring the whole together and I'm not sure what it is.
Everything here centres around Freya's attempts to come to terms with her abandonment by her mother and father and to help her aunt and uncle, who more or less raised her, protect the family farm for future generations. She is also trying to balance her relationship with Charlie after moving back to The Lake District.
The descriptions of life on the farm are idyllic and definitely hark back to a different era. You do want to move in to Appleby Farm along with Freya and her Aunt Sue and Uncle Arthur but once we stray in to the saving the farm territory things become a little less enthralling. Despite setbacks a plenty for the Moorcrofts Freya's venture is an immediate success and I do find this hard to believe; it isn't exactly a novel idea and being so far from the beaten track I doubt that it would survive much less be the powerhouse it becomes days after opening. I also found it odd that a rural pub in the modern world doesn't serve a good cup of tea or coffee but there you go.
Slightly too much escapism for me in this one. I do like a decent dose of reality with my chick lit and this book delivers that in a patchy manner and I can see how this would simply deliver a warm "girl done good" hug for a lot of readers but I found myself becoming infuriated with Freya and the relative ease with which she achieves her goals. I did enjoy the rekindling of her childhood friendship with Harry and her new friendship with the delightfully batty Lizzie.
The plot is light and frothy and there are no surprises here at all - everything is flagged up for the reader well in advance so you only need to have a few braincells engaged to follow along. The characters are warm and feel drawn from life and this is what keeps you engaged and reading on. Somehow though I never got drawn in to their lives as I would expect to; something is missing to bring the whole together and I'm not sure what it is.
Saturday, 2 June 2018
The Ghost And The Graveyard by Genevieve Jack
This is my second reading of the book and I am pretty sure that my opinion of it has not really changed over the intervening 3 or so years. It is a frustrating book in so many ways but one that somehow makes me keep reading. So, why re-read? The simple answer is I got the 3rd and 4th books in the series and it is so long since I read the first 2 I thought I'd better start from scratch again.
The most enjoyable bits of the story are definitely the supernatural elements. Grateful's horror at finding ghosts inhabit her new home is actually quite funny in the way it is handled and her grudging acceptance of them turning to friendship is quite charming. Sadly this is spoilt by an "indecent encounter" with one of them.
We then have the Buffy-esque Hellmouth in the local cemetery which is home to all sorts of supernatural critter; basically if you can think of one then it lives in there and is trying to break through in to the Human world. Grateful's first experience of the nighttime cemetery is suitable bloody and panic fuelled, sadly her first daytime experience was spoilt by an "indecent encounter" with the caretaker.
The ghosts in her attic and the caretaker of the cemetery are convinced Grateful is the reincarnation of the Monks Hill Witch and that she needs to call upon her power to keep the world, well their small American portion of it, free from all things the go bump in the night. This is quite an interesting tangent to go down and the discovery of a large spellbook - spelltome would be more accurate from the descriptions - and a bone sword seem to support this. The only problem is Grateful needs to decide now if she wants the power as her closest friend is at risk from the Hellmouth occupants. The tension builds up quite nicely and then is spoilt by an "indecent encounter" being necessary in the ritual to take back her power.
Are we getting the hint that there are a lot of "indecent encounters" in this book?
There are a lot of them and some do seem to develop naturally from the situation that Genevieve finds herself in, these I can forgive. Others seem to come at moments where the author has painted herself into a plot device corner and her only way out of it is to distract the characters and the readers with some carnality. I call this the Laurell K Hamilton school of writing.
The actual supernatural beings and plot are quite good but seem to take forever to unfurl as we keep going doing down side routes that appear to have little to do with the tale. I am certain that as this is the first book of a series that they are there for reasons yet to be revealed.
Generally the book is a bit hit and miss and very patchy. However, there is enough going for it that I am interested in finding out what happens next - as evidenced by the fact I have purchased the first 4 books in the series - hope I don't regret that!
The most enjoyable bits of the story are definitely the supernatural elements. Grateful's horror at finding ghosts inhabit her new home is actually quite funny in the way it is handled and her grudging acceptance of them turning to friendship is quite charming. Sadly this is spoilt by an "indecent encounter" with one of them.
We then have the Buffy-esque Hellmouth in the local cemetery which is home to all sorts of supernatural critter; basically if you can think of one then it lives in there and is trying to break through in to the Human world. Grateful's first experience of the nighttime cemetery is suitable bloody and panic fuelled, sadly her first daytime experience was spoilt by an "indecent encounter" with the caretaker.
The ghosts in her attic and the caretaker of the cemetery are convinced Grateful is the reincarnation of the Monks Hill Witch and that she needs to call upon her power to keep the world, well their small American portion of it, free from all things the go bump in the night. This is quite an interesting tangent to go down and the discovery of a large spellbook - spelltome would be more accurate from the descriptions - and a bone sword seem to support this. The only problem is Grateful needs to decide now if she wants the power as her closest friend is at risk from the Hellmouth occupants. The tension builds up quite nicely and then is spoilt by an "indecent encounter" being necessary in the ritual to take back her power.
Are we getting the hint that there are a lot of "indecent encounters" in this book?
There are a lot of them and some do seem to develop naturally from the situation that Genevieve finds herself in, these I can forgive. Others seem to come at moments where the author has painted herself into a plot device corner and her only way out of it is to distract the characters and the readers with some carnality. I call this the Laurell K Hamilton school of writing.
The actual supernatural beings and plot are quite good but seem to take forever to unfurl as we keep going doing down side routes that appear to have little to do with the tale. I am certain that as this is the first book of a series that they are there for reasons yet to be revealed.
Generally the book is a bit hit and miss and very patchy. However, there is enough going for it that I am interested in finding out what happens next - as evidenced by the fact I have purchased the first 4 books in the series - hope I don't regret that!
A Summer At Sea by Katie Fforde
There is something comforting about picking up a Katie Fforde book; you know exactly what you are going to get and A Summer At Sea doesn't disappoint.
Strong, independent female lead - CHECK. Emily is a midwife who advocates for home birth and making the whole process feel as natural and calm as possible. When she butts heads with the local GP and a prominent local over a birth she decides she needs to take some time off and reassess her priorities.
Support network of female friends - Emily has few friends but the ones she does have are strong, trustworthy do anything for you types. She has Sally at home, a colleague and staunch friend. Then there is the childhood friend Rebecca who comes to her rescue by offering her a job as cook aboard their Puffer for the season.
Interesting side characters - Bille the galley slave who is a bit of an adversary for Emily. Maisie the elderly lady who shares Emily's passion for knitting. Lizzie the local health visitor cum midwife.
Adorable but strangely normal children. Rebecca's two boys are everything that a boy should be and rarely are in novels (maybe they are a bit Swallows and Amazons-ish but I like that in a fictional child). Katie, Alasdair's daughter is mature beyond her years but still retains the innocence of youth and the delight in the little things.
Gorgeous surroundings - The North of Scotland never seemed so beautiful. From the views off the deck of the Puffer to the little island retreat, it just gets better and better - even if the weather doesn't always co-operate.
Romance - Off course there is romance but this is a more grown up version. No head over heels but a gentle meeting of the heart that flounders (as it must in all good love stories).
In short there are no surprises here for anyone who is a fan of the genre or of the author in particular. What there is, is a gentle plot that trickles along like a burn allowing people to find their space within the pages and for us, the reader, to absorb the simple wonder of life through them. With charming locations and realistic characters you feel just as cosy as the lounge on the Puffer sounds. There are no surprises along the way and everything unfurls exactly as you would predict but it is still an awful lot of fun getting there. This makes it a gentle, life-affirming, read perfect for curling up with a mug of hot chocolate and your snack of choice.
Strong, independent female lead - CHECK. Emily is a midwife who advocates for home birth and making the whole process feel as natural and calm as possible. When she butts heads with the local GP and a prominent local over a birth she decides she needs to take some time off and reassess her priorities.
Support network of female friends - Emily has few friends but the ones she does have are strong, trustworthy do anything for you types. She has Sally at home, a colleague and staunch friend. Then there is the childhood friend Rebecca who comes to her rescue by offering her a job as cook aboard their Puffer for the season.
Interesting side characters - Bille the galley slave who is a bit of an adversary for Emily. Maisie the elderly lady who shares Emily's passion for knitting. Lizzie the local health visitor cum midwife.
Adorable but strangely normal children. Rebecca's two boys are everything that a boy should be and rarely are in novels (maybe they are a bit Swallows and Amazons-ish but I like that in a fictional child). Katie, Alasdair's daughter is mature beyond her years but still retains the innocence of youth and the delight in the little things.
Gorgeous surroundings - The North of Scotland never seemed so beautiful. From the views off the deck of the Puffer to the little island retreat, it just gets better and better - even if the weather doesn't always co-operate.
Romance - Off course there is romance but this is a more grown up version. No head over heels but a gentle meeting of the heart that flounders (as it must in all good love stories).
In short there are no surprises here for anyone who is a fan of the genre or of the author in particular. What there is, is a gentle plot that trickles along like a burn allowing people to find their space within the pages and for us, the reader, to absorb the simple wonder of life through them. With charming locations and realistic characters you feel just as cosy as the lounge on the Puffer sounds. There are no surprises along the way and everything unfurls exactly as you would predict but it is still an awful lot of fun getting there. This makes it a gentle, life-affirming, read perfect for curling up with a mug of hot chocolate and your snack of choice.
Friday, 1 June 2018
Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland
I think I am one of the few people who didn't find Robin Wilde "delightful". Yes, I get it being a single mum is hard, trying to carve your way in life is hard, loneliness is hard. The universal truth is life is hard. Admittedly, it is unusual for a book to use this as a jumping off point and to describe those feelings and I did think the term "The Emptiness" was a wonderful description - so much better then "the black dog".
However, I could not warm to the main character at all. I know how debilitating depression and low self-esteem are and I still found her to be whiny and completely self-absorbed. Everything was about how she was feeling and it didn't matter that her best friend was eaten up by her inability to conceive or that her Auntie Kath was clearly unwell. Robin just worried about Robin and then a little bit about her daughter and then it was back to worrying about Robin again.
The book itself is fairly well written and I particularly loved the PSMs. The school gate one-upmanship was hilarious and accurate no matter whether Public or Private. The tale does jog along quite nicely even if I did have to grit my teeth to get through quite a lot of it and the cautionary tale of letting your child use you phone to see a pink snake did make me snicker.
The plot is fairly light so you can pick up and put down again after a chapter or two and I never felt any real incentive to keep reading. Apart from the character of Robin we never really get to know anyone else within the book which is a shame as her two new friends, Finola and the other one whose name escapes me, seem to have great potential as fictional people. Auntie Kath deserves a book all about herself as well. The romance angle was a bit of a non-starter too as Robin's decisions in that department were largely deplorable, although it did make me realise I am not cut out for dating anymore if that's what its really like.
Overall it passes the time and will raise a few giggles but I just couldn't connect with the main character and if you don't then it kind of ruins the whole book as there isn't too much else to grab hold of. I did give it 3 Stars as the writing flow is good and there are some genuinely funny moments in there. Really it is a solid 2.5 Stars but I am feeling a little generous today.
However, I could not warm to the main character at all. I know how debilitating depression and low self-esteem are and I still found her to be whiny and completely self-absorbed. Everything was about how she was feeling and it didn't matter that her best friend was eaten up by her inability to conceive or that her Auntie Kath was clearly unwell. Robin just worried about Robin and then a little bit about her daughter and then it was back to worrying about Robin again.
The book itself is fairly well written and I particularly loved the PSMs. The school gate one-upmanship was hilarious and accurate no matter whether Public or Private. The tale does jog along quite nicely even if I did have to grit my teeth to get through quite a lot of it and the cautionary tale of letting your child use you phone to see a pink snake did make me snicker.
The plot is fairly light so you can pick up and put down again after a chapter or two and I never felt any real incentive to keep reading. Apart from the character of Robin we never really get to know anyone else within the book which is a shame as her two new friends, Finola and the other one whose name escapes me, seem to have great potential as fictional people. Auntie Kath deserves a book all about herself as well. The romance angle was a bit of a non-starter too as Robin's decisions in that department were largely deplorable, although it did make me realise I am not cut out for dating anymore if that's what its really like.
Overall it passes the time and will raise a few giggles but I just couldn't connect with the main character and if you don't then it kind of ruins the whole book as there isn't too much else to grab hold of. I did give it 3 Stars as the writing flow is good and there are some genuinely funny moments in there. Really it is a solid 2.5 Stars but I am feeling a little generous today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Lego Tony Stark's Sakaarian Iron Man 76194
I know nothing about the "What If" TV show but what I do know is that I absolutely LOVE Mechs and Lego always manage to put somet...
