Review ~ If You Could See What I See by Cathy Lamb

Kensington Books

After years spent as a documentary film maker, Meggie O’Rourke has returned to help manage her family’s lingerie business in Portland, Oregon. Lace, Satin and Baubles is the creation of Meggie’s grandmother, a feisty Irish immigrant who controls Meggie and her sisters with a rod of iron. The bonds of family run deep and the O’Rourkes care passionately for both their exquisitely pretty lingerie and their diverse work force who create their delicate masterpieces. However, aware that the business needs a real jolt of excitement to boost sales, Meggie and her sisters have limited time to come up with a dynamic new vision. In order to entice more customers, Meggie decides to interview her relatives and employees about their first bra and special lingerie, and whilst she imagines something frivolous, what she actually gets is poignant, sweet and achingly emotional.

The story draws you in from the beginning. The gentle exploration of family dynamics is cleverly achieved and Meggie and her sisters, whilst proportionately dysfunctional have warmth and spirit, which makes for compelling reading. And yet, the real essence of the novel comes with the gradual revelation of Meggie’s past, in which something dark and dirty lingers like a bad smell, and which is revealed little by little in vivid detail.

As with all Cathy Lamb novels there is a real sense that she understands both her target audience, and the fundamental knowledge of what makes women tick. She writes so well, that in the space of just a few short paragraphs you find that you can laugh, cry and shout out loud, and still be completely bowled over by the way her characters are just so exactly right.

Overall, this is a story about family, and the truths we withhold from ourselves and others, and the courage we all need to find when faced with our own demons.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my ecopy of this book.

 

 Cathy Lamb

Review ~ Others of My Kind by James Sallis

 Published 

by

 No Exit Press

27 October 2013

James Sallis is hailed as the master of noir, and this latest novella goes a long way to prove just how expert he is in relating a story which should be quite shocking, but, which is, in the main, an uplifting story of one woman’s determination to rise above an horrendous childhood experience. To say more about the story would be to do both the book and the author a great disservice as Others of My Kind is best read without any preconceptions of either story or character.

The author is clearly a master of the succinct; no words are wasted and each sentence is constructed with such precision that even the most provocative of scenarios, and there are a couple of events in the book which I found difficult to read, are recorded in such an unemotional sort of way, that almost without realising it, a bond forms between reader and protagonist, which lasts until the story is finished.

In any other author’s hands, this story would probably have run on for several hundred pages, but without doubt, James Sallis has said everything that needed be said in just 157 pages of sheer brilliance.

My thanks to Real Readers for my copy of this book to read in advance of its publication.

About the author

 

James Sallis (born 21 December 1944 in Helena, Arkansas) is an American crime writer, poet and musician, best known for his series of novels featuring the character Lew Griffin and set in New Orleans, and for his 2005 novel Drive, which was adapted into a 2011 film of the same name.

 

Review - Cry of the Children by J M Gregson

 

  A Lambert and Hook mystery....

The disappearance of a child strikes fear into the very heart any police force and Chief Superintendent Lambert and his team of officers have very few clues to follow when seven year old, Lucy Gibson goes missing after spending an evening at a local fairground. What then follows is a fairly straightforward police procedural crime story which has the added advantage of being part of a series and which will no doubt appeal to the author’s legions of fans who follow the Lambert and Hook style of crime resolution.

In many ways this is a rather gentle story, which sits oddly alongside the story of child abduction, and yet, for me, what sets this story apart, is in the finely observed character detail and in the calm attention to the minutiae of daily life. Beautifully written, the story carries the reader along without ever needing to resort to sensationalistic tactics. Sure, there is more than enough gusto in the story, but the blood and gore is firmly left at the crime scene, and sometimes I enjoy that more than standing in a mortuary with the pathologist as they poke around in someone’s insides.

The severity of the crime being investigated and the outcome of the enquiry into child abduction is resolved by the end of the book, and whilst there are no great surprises in the outcome, the journey to get there is a very enjoyable reading experience.

Expected publication January 2014

My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for my advance e-copy of this book.

 

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 Beginnings : If You Could See What I See by Cathy Lamb

 

Published July 2013

Kensington

Book Blurb from Goodreads.

For decades, the women in Meggie O’Rourke’s family have run Lace, Satin, and Baubles, a lingerie business that specializes in creations as exquisitely pretty as they are practical. The dynamic in Meggie’s family, however, is perpetually dysfunctional. In fact, if Meggie weren’t being summoned back to Portland, Oregon, by her grandmother, she’d be inclined to stay away all together.  

***

Black.
 That’s what he was wearing when it happened. 

I never wear black anymore. 

He ended up wearing red, too. 

That’s what killed my soul. 

The red. 

He haunts me. He stalks me. 

For over a year I have tried to outrun him. 

It hasn’t worked. 

My name is Meggie. 

I live in a tree house.

The premise of the story doesn't seem to live up to the opening of this book, but as with all Cathy Lamb stories there is usually more going on.....Meggie is a mystery, I'm looking forward to finding out why she is so haunted by this image..........

Thanks for visiting ~ please share your thoughts .....

Review ~ Secrets Of A Pet Nanny by Eileen Riley

Published 24 October 2013

I have to admit that whilst I have been the proud owner ....ahem....slave, of several wonderful cats over the course of my lifetime so far, I have never had a dog to care for, mainly because when I was a child, my mother always felt that dogs were too much trouble, and that cats were easier to watch over. So, the mysteries of dog ownership, has, in the main, passed me by. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the skill and sheer brilliance of those dogs who perform a service, and that I can't rejoice in the wild exuberance on the face of dog and owner as yet another ball is flung into the undergrowth.

In Secrets of a Pet Nanny , Eileen Riley has taken the relationship between dog and owner, and has used her journalistic skill to write a fascinating insight into the wonderful world of the Pet Nanny. There are well over twenty vignettes, little doggie tales which will have you laughing out loud in places, whilst other stories will tug on your heartstrings. I am sure that any dog owner will be able to identify with some of the stories, and even if you are not a pet owner, the skill of the writing and the total absorption that Eileen has in her charges, will have you turning the pages to find out just a little bit more.

Secrets Of A Pet Nanny is beautifully presented, from its colourful front cover, through to the individual line drawings which precedes each dog's story. 

I'm sure that the book would make a lovely little gift for anyone who is besotted with dogs........or for that manner, anyone who loves animal stories....

There's a chance to win a  signed copy of Secrets of a Pet Nanny............here.

My thanks to Elliot and Thompson for my review copy of this book.

My author spotlight falls on Eileen Riley....

Eileen Riley is a professional pet nanny, experienced broadcaster and journalist. Born in America, she rose through the diplomatic service to take on postings in Cameroon, Papua New Guinea and Washington (under President Carter), before moving to London where she fell in love with a British man and promptly quit diplomacy in favour of looking after other people’s dogs. She lives in south-west London with her family, and regular canine guests.

***

I am delighted to welcome Eileen to our blog and for taking the time to answer our questions about her book

Secrets of a Pet Nanny. A Journey from the White House to the Dog House

is published on the 24 October 2013

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for Secrets of a Pet Nanny?

My brother-in-law Bob always said that he loved reading my emails and had been asking for the 'first chapter of your book for Christmas' for years.  Many, many years. Then, one August he called up to say that he and his family would love to come spend the holidays with us. Since he lives in the US and we are in London, this was going to be a rare and very special event. And so, I decided to sit down and write him the first chapter of my book. But, what book? I had no idea, that is until I started realising that for the past several months, I had written very few emails that did not include at least one story about something funny that a dog, or his owner, had done. I had the germ of an idea, so I sat down and started writing. Sadly, he was snowed-in and never arrived for Christmas, so I just kept going, and wrote the whole book.

 
What can you tell us about the book which will pique the reader's interest?

When I arrived in London as a diplomat, I had no idea that it was only the second best job in town.

When do you find the time to write, and do you have a favourite place to do your writing?

   

Usually very late at night. I'm a night owl and like it when the house is quiet and the phone isn't ringing. My favourite place is in the front room, which I have commandeered, painted a wonderful shade of green, and turned into my study. Not that I call it that, of course. That would make the rest of the family realise what I have done.

What would you like readers to take away when they finish reading Secrets of a Pet Nanny?

I would like readers to turn the last page and put down the book, smiling and thinking about the great dogs they have known and the millions of ways in which knowing them has made their lives so much richer.

 
 

And finally a fun question:
 
What was easier - Diplomat or Pet Nanny?

They both have their challenges, their ups and downs. But in only one of those jobs am I adored by my clients. I will leave you to figure out which one that is!

***

 Eileen has very kindly offered a signed copy of her lovely book in this great giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My thanks to Eileen for her generosity and to Alison Menzies at Elliot&Thompson for the opportunity to interview Eileen.

Second Time Lucky by Sophie King

Corazon Books ~ September 2013

Stately Bridgewater House has been converted into new apartments, bringing together a disparate bunch of people, whose interconnecting lives are the focus for this interesting look at life, love, families and friendship. As each of the individual residents lives are revealed we get to know them in fine detail - there’s an aging actress who is slightly down on her luck, a bewildered and newly divorced mother of three, a misfit American PhD student struggling with infertility and the usurped lord of the manor, who has enough emotional baggage to sink a battleship. In the space of a year, the residents of Bridgewater House are about to discover that living cheek by jowl with each other makes for an eventful and hectic time.

In Second Time Lucky, Sophie King gets right into the nitty-gritty of relationships, but does so in lively style. On the surface, this is a light and easy to digest story, but read a little deeper and it tackles some really difficult subjects, like, what happens when families fall to pieces and the unbearable heartbreak of lone parents who are denied access to their children. The story also touches on grief, loneliness; financial difficulties, marital infidelity and teenage angst in such a realistic way that you can empathise and understand what each of the characters are going through. Each character is brimming with life, but none tend to outshine the other, with the exception of the dog, Hector, who is a real superstar. 

 

At the end of the novel, I had enjoyed a story which was well told, which had good resolution and a pleasing conclusion. 

I was left with the idea that everyone deserves a second chance.

My thanks to Corazon books for my e-copy of this book to read and review.