Review ~ Mistress of the Sea by Jenny Barden

Random House Uk
Ebury press
20 June 2013

Mistress of the Sea is set in 1570 against the background of Elizabethan England when glorious sea voyages led to the allure of prosperity, and the magnetism of inscrutable sea captains gave the illusion that foreign wealth was there for the taking. Abandoning her mother, two enthusiastic suitors and a wealthy home amongst the merchant class of the port of Plymouth, Ellyn Cooksley stows away on board Drake’s ship bound for Panama. But also on board Drake’s ship, The Swan, is Ellyn’s sickly father and Ellyn’s erstwhile admirer, Will Doonan, whose primary reason for the voyage is to avenge the fate of his lost brother Kit. However, Will is horrified when the stowaway is revealed and this knowledge will put his loyalty to the test, not just to Ellyn and her father, but also to his sea captain.

Taking as her inspiration, Sir Francis Drake’s first great endeavour, the attack on the Spanish 'Silver Train' in Panama, the author has weaved together a story which abounds with nautical intrigue, and with meticulous care and research has produced a realistic historical adventure, complete with rollicking high seas, the lure of Spanish bounty and a frisson of romance.

Nicely written and with an obvious fine eye for historical accuracy, this is a commendable debut novel and the launch of a new talent in historical fiction.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Ebury Publishing

Book Beginnings on Fridays...

Hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader

Book Beginnings on Fridays as stated by the host was started:

 "to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires."

You can share on Google + and social media , please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings

and there's also a Mr Linky on the host's blog.

Book Beginning: A Fatal Likeness by Lynn Shepherd

A bit of blurb

thanks to Goodreads

A mystery that explores the dark lives and unexplained secrets of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and his wife Mary, author of Frankenstein....The story of the Shelleys is one of love and death, of loss and betrayal. In this follow-up to the acclaimed Tom-All-Alone’s, Lynn Shepherd offers her own fictional version of that story, which suggests new and shocking answers to mysteries that still persist to this day, and have never yet been fully explained.

One 

The West Wind

We began before thick in autumn fog; we open now in the fury of  a west and winter wind. Above us high loose clouds drive across a steep grey sky, and beneath our feet the dead leaves are driven before the unseen air like ghosts from an enchanter......

Without doubt this is my favourite genre..dark Victorian Gothic with a hint of doom and long buried secrets...

Review ~ Never Coming Back by Tim Weaver

Penguin
August 29th 2013

The précis of this novel about a retired Police Detective investigating a missing family for a female friend set out an interesting story to come, but between jumping from past to present and first person to third person, it proved difficult to settle into a smooth read, requiring too much adjustment of reading style and not inconsiderable thought process to weave the progress of the story into a coherent path.

Over-elaborate descriptions of simple tasks, flowery language and too much information made for a rough, overcomplicated narrative and I found myself having to stop, reassess and occasionally even backtrack in order to put events into order. This proved not the best way to try and follow what should have been a gripping investigative thriller where the plot, twists and turns slowly unravelled to reveal the real story.

The characters were quite believable but had too much background information clouding their current places in the story. There was far too much incidental detail throughout, and I found myself skimming through weather details, descriptions of houses and areas, graphic geographic detail, and non-relevant personal information of characters to try and keep the pace of the unfolding story alive.

As the plot unwound, the narrative fell to first person only, which tended to make the previous third person storyline irrelevant, and eventually the main character became just too perfect in his role, escaping from impossible situations whilst seamlessly knitting together a very convoluted plot far too easily, resulting in an improbably happy ending.

My thanks to Real Readers for an advance proof copy of this book and to JDB who kindly provided this guest review.

Review ~ Venus in Winter by Gillian Bagwell

Berkley
July 2013

Venus in Winter charts the first forty years in the life of Bess of Hardwick, from her early life as a gentlewoman in the service of Lady Zouche, through to her subsequent marriages, and life at the centre of the Tudor court. As one of the most successful women of the Tudor age, there is no doubt that Bess always had her eye on the main chance, and in using her unique appeal, she succeeded in securing an advantageous place in society. Her many marriages, she had four, took her to the very pinnacle of success, but unfortunately, Bess learned that heartbreak came with triumph, and she was certainly no stranger to sadness.

The story reads very easily, there is the same fine attention to detail and the meticulous research we have come to expect from this author’s writing. Rich in detail and alive with treachery, the story of Bess of Hardwick is a fascinating read, the complexity of court intrigue and the corruption and greed of some of the major Tudor personalities comes gloriously alive in a tale of classic ambition and ruthless pride.

There is no doubt that had she been alive in the 21st century, Bess of Hardwick would have been a female entrepreneur in charge of a global company. She was feisty, determined, and as a woman placed in the midst of Tudor England her consummate ambition and spirited determination to succeed was unsurpassed.

 This is another great historical novel from this talented author.

My thanks to netgalley and Penguin Group Berkley, NAL/Signet Romance, DAW

My Guest on the blog is Elisabeth Gifford....

I am delighted to introduce to you

Elisabeth Gifford

Photo by kind permission

author of 

Secrets of the Sea House

Corvus
1 August 2013

A Bit of Book Blurb

Scotland, 1860. Reverend Alexander Ferguson, naïve and newly-ordained, takes up his new parish, a poor, isolated patch on the Hebridean island of Harris. His time on the island will irrevocably change the course of his life, but the white house on the edge of the dunes keeps its silence long after Alexander departs. 

It will be more than a century before the Sea House reluctantly gives up its secrets. Ruth and Michael buy the grand but dilapidated building and begin to turn it into a home for the family they hope to have. Their dreams are marred by a shocking discovery. The tiny bones of a baby are buried beneath the house; the child's fragile legs are fused together - a mermaid child. Who buried the bones? And why?

Elisabeth I'm delighted to welcome you to the blog and thank you 
for visiting us to chat about your book Secrets of the Sea House

You set Secrets of the Sea House on the Hebridean island of Harris - how important is location to your story?

Harris in the Outer Hebrides is almost another character in the story. I thought we’d make one or two visits there, but we were soon smitten and kept going back. It was a combination of the wild beauty of such empty spaces, and the isolation so far out in the Atlantic that made it feel like stepping back in time. It’s a bit of an effort to get there, and that’s helped preserve the old crofting ways. It’s one of the last outposts of Scots Gaelic. (See the book trailer to hear Gaelic psalm singing.) Writing the book was almost a way of recreating the place when I was back home in London doing the 8 am commute. Just thinking about the vast beaches and skies, I could feel my heartbeat slowing and calming.

I also loved the island legends of the seal people. I first came across them when my small daughter told me with awe that she’d heard from her island friend that magic people came out of the sea. Later, I found out that the sea people legends had something very real behind them.

Looking down over Seilebost and Luskentyre in Harris
Photo courtesy of the author

What is it about your book that will pique the reader’s interest?

Perhaps the same thing that piqued mine. I couldn’t believe it when I came across a real letter to the Times reporting a mermaid sighting by a Victorian schoolmaster – and in some detail. Whatever he saw, he was certainly convinced it was real. I read the research on the sea people legends by John MacAulay and his theory was that the many mermaid sightings once reported around Scotland contained hints of an ancient people who really did visit the Hebrides from the ice age onwards, and still did up to 200 years ago – the time of the letter.



What do you love about Writing?

There are two things that I really love. One is being in the moment, being in a place and letting yourself experience that. I want to find ways of trying to transpose that experience to the reader through words and images and by attention to detail. The second really fun thing about writing is story. I’m a bit of a nerd for studying the craft of story; that’s probably why I ended up doing the creative writing MA. I love how story follows a person’s journey as they grow and change – or don’t - and reach where they need to be. Story comes from getting to know a character. This morning, the last of my characters in the new book finally told me how her story was going to end. It was a bit of a surprise, but then I’m only the writer.

Also, I was very affected by Talking of Love on the Edge of a Precipice, by Cyrulnik. He had a traumatic time as a child in Nazi-held France, but now works to help people build resilience to trauma through how we choose to tell our stories; what we choose to see and believe. Story can entertain but it can also do some very deep work.



Which writers have inspired you?

I read nearly all the classic nineteenth century French novels as part of a French degree– not so useful for jobs at the time, but essential now. Maupassant, Flaubert and Balzac are my poster boys. After that it’s Marilynne Robinson, and lately Catherine O’Flynn and Tan Twan Eng.



Do you have a special place to do your writing?

I have various nooks round the house. Living in London with a family it would be a problem if you had only one area where you could work. It depends if there’s building work, music lessons or bright sun. I pick up my laptop, and move to a quiet space. I didn’t think I could, but I can work anywhere quiet now. The book was started in a remote cottage in Drinishader, Harris, but some of it was written in an airport, and some in hot and humid Beijing. I try to spend so many hours a day alone, in a quiet place with the laptop.



Can you tell us what are you writing next?

It’s a story about girl who runs away from her wedding, and at the same time the groom’s father is struggling with a secret he’s never told his family. It’s a story that stretches back to the Second World War before it’s finally untangled. It was thrilling to uncover that my husband’s grandfather had been part of a community around the Madrid embassy carrying out covert operations to smuggle Jewish refugees through Spain to safety. We only found that out through researching the book. We went out to Madrid and ate in some of the same cafes where they would have met and operated and we were shown photos by the café owner.

I like how writing a book can really surprise you!

Book Trailer on You Tube

You can find out more about Elisabeth on her website 
And find her on Facebook at Elisabeth Gifford Author




My 5 ***** Review

This dual time narrative is set on the tiny Hebridean island of Harris and focuses on the secrets of the enigmatic Sea House which  in the 1990s is the dilapidated home of  Ruth and Michael who are doing their utmost to turn the house into a family home. When they unearth a set of tiny baby bones which are buried beneath the house, Ruth is determined to discover their tragic secret. Ruth’s quest for the truth will take her back in time to the 1860s, when Reverend Alexander Ferguson, a naive and newly ordained minister,   takes up his new post on the isolated island, and whose time at the Sea House will be challenging and fraught with danger.

This is a really accomplished first novel, from an author who clearly loves to write intricate and detailed stories. Her obvious love of the folklore and legends of the islands is beautifully explored and her interpretation of both time strands is quite seamless. Her fine attention to detail and the way she allows the evocative unfurling of the story, makes for a captivating read.

I enjoyed this novel and hope that the author comes back soon with another lovely story.

***

Elisabeth thank you so much for chatting with us - it's been a pleasure to host this blog interview with you.

 Do come back and see us again soon.

***

Review ~ Perfect by Rachel Joyce

Random House UK - Transworld Publishers
July 2013

In 1972, two seconds were added to the clock in order to correct the rotational force of the earth.  Under normal circumstances this change wouldn't be especially noticeable, but to eleven year old Byron Hemming and his friend James Lowe, the outcome of these extra two seconds will have a devastating effect on both their lives. In order to protect Byron’s gently dysfunctional mother Diana from the consequences of a tragic chain of events, the boys launch ‘Operation Perfect’, in the hope of protecting Diana from further harm.

Throughout the narrative there is a clever blending of two time frames. In 1972, we have the evolving and compelling story of Byron and James. Whilst in the present day, we have the story of Jim, a man struggling with mental health issues, who has not yet found his rightful place in the world. At first there is no indication why these two stories should be joined together but over time the connection between the two is sympathetically revealed.

 The characterisation is excellent with a real sense of them taking you into their lives; they could so easily be people you know.

The story is beautifully written from start to finish, and although rather sad in places, there is a real uplifting feel, and the ending when it comes is, quite simply, perfect.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my copy of this book to review.

I featured this lovely story 23rd August 2013 on my post on Friday Book Beginnings - find it here 

Review ~ Zealot by Reza Aslan

Published July 16th 2013 by Random House

I’m intrigued by the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth, not from any religious perspective but more to discover more about Jesus the man, and the era in which he lived. This interesting novel by Reza Aslan goes some way to bring the man to life in a realistic way, which has nothing to do with the biblical version, but has lots to do with the history and unpredictability of life two thousand years ago.

There is no doubt that Jesus was a passionate and focused activist, by the very nature of the time in which he lived, he needed to be both purposeful and decisive, and I think that this book goes some way to explain some of the rationale behind his actions. However, even after finishing this novel, my image of Jesus the Nazarene remains one of a peaceful and enlightened saviour and though I am interested to have read Reza Aslan’s interpretation, my personal image of the man Jesus remains unchanged.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for my ecopy of this book to review.