5th April

OK so it's Easter Monday, Spring is here and we've had a light flurry of snow!

But I've been busily reading and listening over the last couple of months and have enjoyed some cracking good stories.  Here's a selection of the best literary fiction so far - all of these won critical praise and were recommended by one source or another:

Kate Mosse: The City of Tears
Having been completely absorbed by The Burning Chambers, I was looking forward to this, the second part of Mosse's Huguenot Trilogy.  Minou Joubert's story resumes with the family preparing to travel to Paris for the wedding of Henri of Navarre and Marguerite de Valois, sister to the young King of France. But an assassin lurks in the woods, an old friend in Amsterdam is murdered and Vidal, Piet's one-time-friend-now-enemy is determined to prevent him from gaining his inheritance. Add to this a wilful daughter whose curiosity is the main driving force in her life and Mosse's ability to evoke the bustle of the city as well as the peace of the countryside and this instalment is as dramatic and engaging as the first; it barely strikes a wrong note. Can't wait for the final part of the trilogy.

Alka Joshi: The Henna Artist
Lakshmi Shastri has left her home and her abusive husband making her living as a Henna Artist and therapist, looking after the needs of her 'ladies' in the city of Jaipur in the mid 1950s but she knows how fragile her world is as a women relies entirely on her reputation and if that is questioned ... Her independent way of life is threatened when her younger sister, whom she did not know existed, arrives following the death of their parents and throws Lakshmi's carefully ordered world out of balance. A well crafted and beautifully observed exploration of how friendships and jealousies play a significant role in a male-dominated world, I really enjoyed this story.
The following two books were recommended and dicussed on Between the Covers, the BBC2 Book Club chaired by Sara Cox:

Louise Hare: This Lovely City
When Lawrie Matthews steps off the Empire Windrush in 1948 he is full of hope, for a good job, a good home, a wife and family; he is, after all, a well educated young man with a respectable background. But reality doesn't quite match up to his expectations: a job as a postman is hard won and he can only afford to rent a small room in Brixton; he does meet and fall in love with Evie and the band is getting a few gigs so things are looking up until he finds a dead baby in a local pond which sets in motion a series of events that threaten his happiness and even his own life as the vindictive DS Rathbone targets him as the likely suspect. A powerful exploration of life in the Jamaican community in post war London peopled with believable characters and highlighting the injustices which spring from prejudice. Right up there with Small Island by Andrea Levy which has similar themes.  

Matt Haig: The Midnight Library
Nora is sad and lonely but when she decides to kill herself, she gets the chance to explore a series of different lives by making different choices, some small, some large: saying yes to coffee or her fiance; keeping up with her swimming or studying glaciology to see if there is a life which makes her happy. A cleverly worked story of what-ifs: those moments in life when we make decisions that take us down a particular path but leave us wondering how life might have been different if we had made a different choice. A sympathetic reading by Carey Mulligan.

 

 Sunday 31st January 

It's been a good start to 2021 in terms of books if not in terms of the general situation - we're still in lockdown but at least the vaccine against Covid is being rolled out and we seem to be doing better in the UK than in many other places so light at the end of the tunnel?

I've already finished six books, three of them on Audible so I'm on track to meet my target of 72 for the year. To begin though, I'm going to focus on two of the audio books I've particularly enjoyed

Jessie Burton: The Confession

Rose has never known her mother who disappeared from a friend's apartment in New York when she was only a few months old.  Her father has told her very little so when he reveals a link to the novelist Connie Holden, Rose is determined to find out what happened.  Two stories of two women bound together by kinship and the novelist Connie Holden but thirty five years apart, this is a beautifully written exploration of people trying to find their way through life and the power that other individuals have over the decisions that we make.

Jo Spain: Six Wicked Reasons
When Adam returns home after a ten year absence during which he was presumed dead, his five siblings return to the family home at the insistence of their father, the obnoxious Fraser Latimer.  Then at the party to mark his engagement to Anna, their father ends up dead and they all have significant grievances against him. Told in short chapters, covering the present day and flashbacks to events in the past, we get the different perspectives of the six remaining Latimers and of the detective investigating the murder.  A cleverly worked plot showing the devastating impact a parent can have on his family and how vengeance is wrought, it keeps you guessing throughout as secrets are gradually revealed. A massive twist at the end makes for a satisfying read.

But my favourite book of the year so far is this next one:

Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club
Set in a retirement village built around an old convent this is a brilliantly crafted plot with great characters, lots of humour, some sad bits and a punchline that I just didn't see coming even though all the clues were there from the start. When dodgy builder Tony Curran is murdered, the Thursday Murder Club is determined to solve the puzzle and to figure out the significance of the old cemetery. Several red herrings distract the attention but never muddy the waters whilst Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Ron and Joyce successfully crack the case alongside DI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas. Clever and well observed in the best tradition of the whodunnit - I loved it.

 

Once again, I've put my thoughts about some of the books I've read into words then forgotten to post to my blog - doh!  So the following observations were written earlier this month.

8th January 2021

To round of my review of of 2020, I'd like to finish with three novels that really captured my imagination in different ways.

Diane Setterfield: Once Upon a River

In the tradition of all great fairy tales, Once Upon a River tells an epic story of heroes and villains where good triumphs over evil but it is peopled, not with princes, goblins and wicked witches, but with the ordinary folk who live near the banks of the Thames: an innkeeper, a photographer, a farmer, a nurse and a host of other characters just going about their daily business along the upper reaches of the river towards the end of the 19th Century. This is a beautifully written novel with characters, scenes and the river itself coming to life under Setterfield's deft touch; with a little bit of magic and hints of the supernatural mixed in, it is story telling at its very best. I loved it.

Tracey Chevalier: the Girl with a Pearl Earring

Beautifully imagined story of the girl behind Vermeer's evocative painting: Griet joins his household as a junior maid but quickly becomes involved in his work as she has the painter's instinctive eye for detail. She longs to remain close to him and to remain part of his world despite her blossoming relationship with Pieter, the handsome son of a local butcher but a jealous wife and a sly daughter conspire against her whilst Griet and the reader never know Vermeer's true feeling for her as Chevalier skilfully keeps us guessing as she brings the city of Delft to life whenever Griet ventures out. A novel as gorgeous as the pearl itself.

Kate Mosse: The Taxidermists Daughter

Determined to find out the truth behind the murder of a local woman whose body she discovers, Connie Gifford will also unlock the door to her own missing past, lost to her after a terrifying fall robbed her of her memory as a child. As her father and other notable 'gentlemen' go missing, Connie enlists the help of doctor's son Harry Woolston, her young maid and an even younger urchin who roams the salt marsh and knows most of its secrets, putting her own life in danger as a result. An atmospheric gothic novel featuring an admirable heroine, some graphic descriptions of taxidermy and some gruesome deaths, it's a thoroughly enjoyable read but not for the faint-hearted. 

A New Year it might be but the situation hasn't changed: Covid is still running riot and restrictions have been ramped up to try and bring it back under control but there is light at the end of the tunnel with not one, but two vaccines being rolled out by the NHS so hopefully by the spring/summer the picture will be looking a little brighter.

And so to books and a few short reviews of some crime novels which took me up to the end of 2020 - a year to remember and to forget!

Chris Whitaker: We Begin at the End

A tragic tale of broken people, broken families and the awful consequences that follow actions. Well written and gripping especially towards the end as Whitaker ups the pace but then leaves the reader with a sense of hope?

Harriet Tyce: Blood Orange

Dark and twisty tale of obsession, manipulation and sex with characters you love to hate as barrister Alison Wood engages in a 'rough' affair with a colleague whilst husband, Carl, a sex therapist, becomes less and less willing to engage with her at home - vicious!

CJ Tudor: The Taking of Annie Thorne

A creepy thriller with a supernatural flavour and a flawed but likeable hero in Joe Thorne who has lived most of his life with guilt about the disappearance of his little sister. A few surprising twists to keep the reader interested right up to the chilling conclusion but some supporting characters are under-developed. Did not really live up to its billing.

Alex Pavesi: Eight Detectives

A clever idea that has editor, Julia going through a series of short murder mysteries with the author ahead of publication. Each one features an anomaly which links back to a real murder but despite some interesting twists and turns along the way, it has a strangely flat denouement which is disappointing.

Claire McGowan: The Fall

A night out in a Jamaican club turns into a night-mare for Dan Stockbridge and his fiancee, Charlotte. Arrested for murder and remanded in custody until his trial, Dan all but gives up hope but Charlotte is determined to clear his name and forges an unlikely alliance with Keisha, whose boyfriend has a history of violence. Investigating the crime is Matt who is initially convinced of Dan's guilt but begins to question the evidence as he begins to fall for Charlotte. Told from their different perspectives, it rattles along at a good pace.

Back to my other love in this post with reviews of three historical novels from different eras but first the follow up to The Song of Achilles:

Madeline Miller: Circe

Beautifully written and absorbing with a great central character: Circe grows up wanting to please her father Helios yet remaining a strong and independent spirit which eventually earns her exile. Telling the story of her developing skills as a witch as well as her relationships with Hermes and Odysseus amongst others, it has a strongly feminist feel and brings to life several aspects of Greek mythology. Very much more to my taste than its predecessor - I loved it.

For these next two, I'm back in the Middle Ages when the Kings of England had to prove themselves in battle if they were to win the support of the people that mattered. First:

Conn Iggulden: Ravenspur

This final part of Iggulden's Wars of the Roses series sees Edward IV deposed, restored and dead with more bloody battles between the rival houses of York and Lancaster. Then, after his brother's untimely death, Richard nabs the throne for himself at the expense of his young nephews whose disappearance from the Tower of London has caused much debate ever since - was Richard responsible or was it the work of another villain altogether? But, whilst it offers interesting insights into some key historical figures, it glosses over Richard's transformation from loyal brother to usurper king which is a shame as I would have liked more on this aspect of the story. Otherwise, this is a satisfactory end to a great series.

And secondly, going further back in time to the reign of King Edward III with:

Bernard Cornwell: Harlequin

Based during the reign of Edward III, Cornwell places us alongside Thomas of Hookton and the English forces as they plunder their way through Northern France in the run-up to the Battle of Crecy (1346). At the heart of the novel is a family feud as Thomas is charged with retrieving a holy relic stolen from his father as he is dying after a vicious attack on Hookton. To complete his quest, Thomas must first discover the identity of the murdering thief and so uncover his own personal history. Great characterisation, detailed descriptions of action and a good helping of humour and romance make this a very entertaining and absorbing read. Looking forward to the second book in the series.

And finally, an Audible offering narrated expertly by Juliet Stephenson:

Diane Setterfield: Once Upon a River

In the tradition of all great fairy tales, Once Upon a River tells an epic story of heroes and villains where good ultimately triumphs over evil but it is peopled not with princes, goblins and wicked witches but with ordinary folk: an innkeeper, a photographer, a farmer, a nurse, going about their daily business along the upper reaches of the River Thames towards the end of the nineteenth century. It begins when an injured man carries a drowned child into the Swan at Radcot Bridge and explores the impact that this dramatic event has on the local community. Beautifully written with some memorable characters, scenes and the river itself coming to life under Setterfield's deft touch, it is story telling at its very best. My favourite novel of the year so far: 10/10!

 Two more excellent thrillers to report on this time but with very different storylines:

Manda Scott: A Treachery of Spies (Audible)

When Sophie Destival, an old assassin from the French resistance, is found dead with her throat cut and her tongue removed at the railway station in Orleans, Captain Ines Picaut and her team of detectives need to understand events of the past to make sense of the crime but the CIA has some dirty secrets dating back to the war that they do not want brought out into the open and the last remaining survivors of the Maquis de Morais have their own methods of getting to the truth; both are factors which make Picaut's work more difficult. This gripping story combines two of my favourite genres: modern murder with historical mystery and when Scott throws in a great set of characters, a plot that rattles along at a cracking pace and  a real sense of atmosphere, I couldn't wait to listen to the next instalment.

Soren Sveistrup: The Chestnut Man

Set in Copenhagen, this one is a must for all lovers of Scandi Noir. Mark Hess appears to be washed up when he is dumped back in the Danish capital after a spell at Europol and is teamed with Naia Thulin, a feisty operator who doesn't suffer fools gladly. They don't get off on the best footing as he takes little interest in the investigation until the presence of a little chestnut man at the scene of the first gruesome murder piques his interest. Then Thulin, and the reader, begin to realise that he is a good detective. As he delves deeper, he discovers a link to the disappearance of a politician's daughter which leads him to challenge the very basis of the case but even his partner doubts his logic when seemingly damning evidence comes to light. A chilling tale of misplaced vengeance, a twisted killer and an unlikely hero that builds to an explosive climax. I loved it!

I've recently read a trio of thrillers based around infidelity - not with any intent, just the way it went. In all cases the affair at the heart of the novel is between the best friend and the husband of one the main protagonists and each plot explores the consequences which result:

Natalie Daniels: Too Close

In this one, the affair which comes as a devastating shock to Connie, sends her over the edge and with no-one to turn to she spirals into psychosis. The cleverly constructed plot reveals the details of her breakdown as it builds slowly towards the utterly compelling ending where the full, horrible picture is finally revealed.

Lucy Foley: The Hunting Party

It's New Year's Eve and a party of old friends is trapped in a luxurious but isolated Scottish lodge after the snow begins to fall. Secrets are revealed through a multiple narrative and when one of the group ends up dead, the resort manager, who is herself coming to terms with a terrible loss, needs to find out who is responsible as the Police cannot attend until the storm ends.

Claire McGowan: What You Did

When six friends from uni get together for a 25th anniversary weekend, it should be a relaxing break for them all but tensions are evident from the start, then one of the women is brutally raped and things fall apart very quickly as divided loyalties surface and past events are revisited. This one explores some difficult attitudes to domestic and sexual violence as well as the themes of friendship and fidelity which it shares with the others.

All three made gripping reading, completed within a couple of weeks and come highly recommended.