Review ~ Eden Gardens by Louise Brown

Headline Review
April 2016

A bit of blurb

Eden Gardens, Calcutta, the 1940s. In a ramshackle house, streets away from the grand colonial mansions of the British, live Maisy, her Mam and their ayah, Pushpa.

Whiskey-fuelled and poverty-stricken, Mam entertains officers in the night - a disgrace to British India. All hopes are on beautiful Maisy to restore their good fortune.

But Maisy's more at home in the city's forbidden alleyways, eating bazaar food and speaking Bengali with Pushpa, than dancing in glittering ballrooms with potential husbands.

Then one day Maisy's tutor falls ill. His son stands in. Poetic, handsome and ambitious for an independent India, Sunil Banerjee promises Maisy the world.

So begins a love affair that will cast her future, for better and for worse. Just as the Second World War strikes and the empire begins to crumble...

This is the other side of British India. A dizzying, scandalous, dangerous world, where race, class and gender divide and rule

My thoughts:

I was drawn to the book by its cover which I think has a great sense of place and which conjures the golden heat of a country in turmoil and that's exactly what this book is about; it's about a country at odds with itself, about women who are used, and who are bought and sold as commodities, with little regard for them as people, and it’s also about the sights, scents and sounds of India, which come alive in glorious technicolour. Don't be fooled by the cover as this is not a book for the fainthearted, as parts of the story are difficult to read without feeling a huge sense of hopelessness.

Initially, I thought that the book was rather hard going in places and it took me a little time to warm to Maisy, whose interesting and courageous story takes centre stage. But the writing is good, if a little jumpy, and once I had I settled into the story, probably about two thirds of the way in, I became engrossed in the way India was coming alive in my imagination.

The author writes with great passion about a subject she clearly feels passionate about and that comes across in the way she describes the minutiae of daily life and in her relationships with her characters who she describes in such intricate detail. Reading the notes about the inspiration for the novel at the end of the book goes a long way to explain just why the author has such a fascination for India and its people.

I think that this is difficult book to 'enjoy' as it's quite heart wrenching in places, and in a way the cover sort of suggests that the book will be a bit fluffy, which is a bit of a misnomer, as the book is anything but that.

Overall, it’s a good debut novel from an author who is worth watching to see what she comes up with next.

Best Read with....Bowls of Jhal Muri, spicy with chilli and coriander, and delicate cups of Masala Chai...

About the Author

Louise Brown has lived in Nepal and travelled extensively in India, sparking her enduring love of South Asia.

Eden Gardens is her debut novel although she has also written critically acclaimed non fiction books.

My thanks to Headline Review and Bookbridgr for my copy of this book.

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Review ~ Beatrice and Benedick by Marina Fiorato

Hodder & Stoughton
July 2015

I'm ashamed to say that I am not overly familiar with Shakespeare's excellent play, Much Ado About Nothing, on which this book is based, but perhaps that's a good thing, as isn't always advisable to have something so familiar used in a different way. I am sure that the purists who prefer their Shakespeare unadulterated will perhaps be rather more critical of this interpretation, as inevitably, there is something of a modern feel to both the narrative and the dialogue, which would never be found in sixteenth century prose. However, this isn't  a retelling of the Shakespeare's play in its entirety, it's more of a look back at the earlier lives of Beatrice and Benedick and about what shaped their personalities.

It took a little while to relax into the story as there's the inevitable scene setting, and a whole array of characters who need to make sense. I'm pleased to say, though, that here is a good dramatis personnae at the start of the novel, which is helpful as it lists the main characters and their relationships to each other. I liked the way that the story was divided into acts and scenes rather like a play. This author's work is something that I am familiar with having read some of her other books, and as always I am drawn towards her skillful writing and how she allows the history of the time to shine through.  She writes with confidence and passion, bringing to life, the sunlit beauty of Sicily and the imagined love story between Beatrice and Benedick is entirely convincing.

As always by the end of a Marina Fiorato novel I feel like I have travelled to a beautiful place.  Her descriptions of Sicily are evocatively rich in detail and such a feast for the imagination that the story lingers on, even when the last page is turned.

My thanks to Book bridgr and Hodder & Stoughton for my copy of this book.

About the Author

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Review ~ Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell

Headline Review
2015

There's always something comforting about picking up the latest Jill Mansell book. You just know that the story will flow beautifully, the characters will be infused with warmth and wit and that before too long at least one of them will be tugging away at your hearts strings. Three Amazing Things About You tackles the sensitive issue surrounding organ donation but does so in  away that will have most readers reaching for their organ donor card or logging onto the donor website.

As always the writing is good, the story draws you in from the beginning and the characters become as familiar as friends. The author makes you care about each and every one of them until you can't stop turning the pages until you find out how it all works out.

To say too much about the nitty gritty of the story would be to spoil the overall effect but what evolves is the story of ordinary people going about their daily lives until something happens which makes them all realise that the greatest gift anyone can give, is the gift of life.

A perfect summer read and easily one of those novels that slips easily into your travel bag for use pool side, preferably  with a tall glass of something ice cold and sweet nearby.

My thanks to Bookbridgr and Headline Review for my copy of this book.

I'm, on it ...are you ....? Organ Donation

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I'm giving away my copy of this book. 

Leave a comment on here or on Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter  to be in with a chance to get this one for free (UK only)

Those interested know where to find us !


You've got until the end of July to enter - after that names will go into Jaffa's Hat.


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Review ~ Away from You by Kay Langdale

Hodder & Stoughton
2015

Monica Watson is tempted by a job offer in LA, but that means leaving her surgeon husband, Daniel, and her children, nine year old Ruby and toddler, Luca, for three months. This shouldn't matter as much as it does, and at first, Monica is riddled with guilt and indecision, until she hires the enigmatic Ursula Condot as her housekeeper. On the surface, Ursula seems to be the perfect choice, she's quiet, respectful and rather bland and Monica leaves for her dream job confident that everything will work out just fine. The story then becomes Ursula's story as cleverly woven into the narrative is the reason why Ursula seems to blend into the background, quietly competent but never revealing too much about herself and yet, the burgeoning relationship she develops with Ruby, Luca and Daniel begins to speak volumes.

To say more would be to spoil a really clever story, Beautifully written and utterly compelling, I found it hard to put down and grew to both like and admire Ursula, not just because of her past story but also because of the way in which she quietly nurtured this little family. It's a sensitive look at the problems life throws at us, be it the bullying of a nine year old at school,  the corporate challenges of a surgeon working in the NHS, or the systematic controlling element of one human against another.

Sometime a book leaves a real impression on you. Away from You is one such book. It's both heart breaking and uplifting in equal measure, and tugs away so much at your heartstrings that it becomes almost impossible to read this sensitive story without a packet of tissues and a strong cup of tea close to hand.

About the Author

Amazon UK

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Bookbridgr for my copy of this book.

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Review ~ Gone by Rebecca Muddiman

Mulholland Books
2015

250,000 people go missing in the UK every year. 91% of those reported to police are found within 48 hours. 99% of cases are solved within a year. And 1% stay gone.

When the remains of a young woman are unearthed , the police investigation leads the assumption that they are those of Emma Thorley , a teenager who went missing more than eleven years ago. However, as the police investigation gets underway, both DS Nicola Freeman and DI Michael Gardner find that there are more questions than answers , and most of the questions, at the heart of the mystery, seem to revolve around Emma's violent past.

What then follows is a dual time detective story, which reveals Emma's story in flashback whilst at the same time, keeping the momentum of the current investigation. There's an awful lot going on in the novel, with a realistic portrayal of life at the dull end of the social spectrum. It's a sad place where drug dealing, prostitution and violence are commonplace and where young lives are seen as nothing more than a commodity to be bought and sold. The police investigative team feels frighteningly realistic, filled with the petty squabbles and hidden nuances of a gritty crime office. The police procedural part of the story is well handled and the officers involved are presented with flaws and foibles of their own, which gives the story an interesting personal edge. 

I can well imagine Gone as a gritty TV drama as there are more than enough red herrings in the plot to keep you guessing and the sinister aspect of the story is tight and well controlled. This is now the second book in the DI Michael Gardner series, the first of which Stolen (2013), was this author's talented debut.

I am sure that this exciting series will continue to go from strength to strength and Rebecca Muddiman is certainly a crime novelist to watch....

My thanks to Bookbridgr and Mulholland Books for my copy of this book

About the Author

Twitter@RebeccaMuddiman

Amazon UK

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Review ~ The Mountain Can Wait by Sarah Leipcigar

Tinder Press
2015

The story starts with an event which shapes the narrative so subtly, that at times, you almost forget just what tragedy started the story off. Such is the mesmeric quality of the novel that the pages pass silently, and almost without realising, you are drawn into a story about tangled relationships; namely, that of a father with his children, sons with their fathers, and lovers with lovers. It’s also the story of a Canadian mountain and its mercurial and beautiful landscape and the force that the environment plays in nurturing those souls who live within its harsh confines. The story is slow, almost meandering in style but this adds depth and even as an air of suspense pervades the narrative, its underlying message is one of lives being played out in the shadow of deep wrongdoing.

Beautifully written, the slow and measured writing style draws you in from the beginning, and rather than being a page turner with lots of action, the story is more of a slow burner, with subtle nuances and understated light and shade. To say more would be to spoil the effect of the story and do a complete disservice to the author, but what I will say is that days after finishing the novel, my thoughts return to this remote and beautiful place, and such is the emotional pull of the story, that I still stop and wonder just how everyone is doing and hope that they will be ok.

The Mountain Can Wait is a commendable debut novel by a talented new author. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

About the author

Sarah Leipcigar was born and raised in Canada and low lives in London where she teaches creative writing to prisoners. Her short fiction has been short-listed for the Asham Award, he Fish Prize and the Birdport Prize. The Mountain Can Wait is her first novel.

My thanks to Tinder Press and Bookbridger for my review copy of this book



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Review ~ The Winter Foundlings by Kate Rhodes

Mulholland
2015

This the the third book in the Alice Quentin series of thrillers and it follows Alice as she enters into a six month sabbatical from her job as a psychologist working in the health service, and follows her as she enters Northwood, a high security psychiatric prison for dangerous offenders. 

When a series of very young girls start to go missing, the abductions are linked to a notorious child murderer, Louis Kinsella, who has been incarcerated in Northwood for over twenty years. Louis Kinsella is a devious and manipulative psychopath and when it becomes obvious that he will only liaise with Alice, the whole premise of Alice's role alters and as she gets drawn further and further into the mystery, so the danger starts to multiply, not just to Alice, but also for those little girls who have gone missing.

As always the author creates a real air of menace and cranks up the tension to such a degree that the book soon becomes unputdownable. I really enjoy these stories and hope that the author continues to give Alice lively investigations; certainly the ending of this book leads very nicely into another story.


And personally, I can't wait to see what Alice will do next.

My thanks to Bookbridgr and Mulholland for my copy of this book.

I'm giving away a paperback copy of this book 
in my
Blogoversary Giveaway

HERE

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Review ~ Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck

Hodder & Stoughton
February 2015

They say that whatever is said on the mountain

...will echo for generations.

The Blackasen Mountain in the Swedish wilderness in 1717 is home to six isolated homesteads. It’s a bleak and inhospitable place made all the more austere by the remoteness of its people.  Fourteen year old Frederika and six year old Dorotea are newcomers to the mountain, having moved there with their parents, Maija and Paavo, from a village by the coast. Life is hard and the unfamiliarity of their new surroundings does not sit comfortably with the girls. When they discover the dead body of a man on a mountain path, the lives of those who live on Blackasen Mountain are about to be changed forever.

What then follows is a dark and brooding tale of old resentments which have been allowed to fester and of the bitterness of a group of people who have so much hidden torment that it’s difficult to really understand their behaviour. And yet, the author brings such a wealth of explanation and such fine attention to the narrative that you can’t help but be drawn into the overwhelming struggle of good versus evil. There is distrust and unreliability and huge conflict of emotion but with the author’s considerable skill a story emerges which is quite compelling and so vividly imaged that you can’t help but be drawn into the whole sorry saga of death and despair.

Not a light read by any stretch of the imagination but beautifully presented and a fine example of historical fiction that’s just perfect for reading on a cold winter's day, preferably with a warm blanket and a cup of hot tea close to hand.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and BookBridgr for my copy of this book

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About the Author

 Twitter @ceciliaekback

Facebook karinceciliaekback

Review ~ The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth

Headline Review
January 2014

I'm the only one who knows the secrets her friends have hidden, the mistakes the police have made.

I'm the only one who can warn her she's still in danger.

I know exactly who attacked her.

He's the same man who killed me.

The Life I left Behind is a clever psychological suspense story which takes the concept of a gross miscarriage of justice and turns it completely on its head by allowing the principle narrators to be the voices of two women, one of whom has already died, and the other who is so badly damaged by a traumatic incident that she has no recollection of what has happened to her.

The story is compelling on two levels. The first, is that the woman who has died gives a unique insight into the whys and wherefores of the case and second, is that the unreliability of the other narrator ensures that you are never really sure if her version of events is credible or not. Fleshing out the police procedural part of the story is a female DI who has more than enough domestic angst in her private life to make her question her judgement once the case is reopened in light of new evidence.

This is a real roller coaster of a read with more than enough twists, turns and red herring to keep you turning the pages. So many times, I thought I had figured out who the perpetrator was, only to have another spanner thrown into the works and for me to reconsider and go in a completely new direction.

I love books which allow me the luxury of reading something which keeps me guessing from start to finish, with characters that perplex and beguile in equal measure, and with dramatic content that makes me want to read on and on and on....

I am fast becoming a real fan of domestic noir and there is no doubt that The Life I Left Behind is up there with the best of the genre.

About the Author

My thanks to Book Bridgr and Headline Review for my copy of this book.


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Review ~ The Royalist by S J Deas

Headline
2014

William Falkland is a Royalist dragoon whose fight against the parliamentarian forces of Oliver Cromwell has led him to await his fate in the bowels of Newgate prison. When an old grain sack is slung over his head, and he is led from his cell, Falkland can only hope that the executioner will dispatch him swiftly. However, his astonishment at finding himself facing, not the dreaded executioner, but the deep baritone voice of none other than Oliver Cromwell, is matched only by the proposition Cromwell puts before him. Falkland’s reputation as an investigator precedes him, and Cromwell’s request that Falkland should act as an intelligencer to discover why mysterious deaths are sweeping through his New Model Army is as incongruous as it is intriguing; and one that Falkland, if he values his life, cannot refuse.

What then follows is a murder mystery within a historical setting. The New Model army is depicted with all its faults and failings, and interestingly, it also gives an insight into what it was like to live through the turbulence of the English civil war. Life was no bed of roses for either side, and I think this comes across in a realistic manner. The author writes with clear understanding of the period in which the book is set and makes the characters believable.

As this is the first book in a proposed series, there is some scene setting being done, which is necessary, if ,we as readers are going to connect with the central characters. I enjoyed getting to know Falkland, who although deeply flawed, has enough charisma to be able to carry the story forward.

I look forward to seeing the series progress in future novels.

 About the Author

S J Deas was born in 1968

He once set fire to Wales. Well one bit of Wales. Twice. When not burning principalities he managed to study theoretical physics at Cambridge, get a job at BAE, marry and have two children. He now lives in Essex.

My thanks to Bookbridgr and Headline for my copy of this book.

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Review ~ The Winter Gathering by Deirdre Purcell

Headline Review

2014

A group of five fifty somethings meet every year at Maggie Quinn’s house to spend their Christmas together. The bonds of friendship have been forged over time, especially since the first time they all gathered, ten years ago which was just after Maggie’s husband left her, but time moves on, and all traditions take a bit of a knock sometimes. This Christmas Day, and for the first time, there’s an addition to the party, in the form of a handsome young man, but only one of the women knows why he is there.

What then follows is a rather heart-rending look at the changing fortunes of friendship and of the unexpectedness of life in general, and the way that the ties of friendship can be stretched to breaking point sometimes. Overall, I found the story to be rather downbeat for a seasonal read as there are some sad moments, however, it does showcase the lives of the women really well and the minutiae of the challenges of their lives is nicely explained.  It’s not all gloomy, there are some funny moments to lighten the narrative and which go a long way to make the characters seems more connected.

I know that this author is a prolific writer of this type of family saga and as such has a wide readership. I am sure that her legions of fans will find take a chance on this story, however, it just left me feeling quite subdued at the end of it and, if I'm honest, a little uninspired.

My thanks to Headline and bookbridgr for my copy of this book.

About the Author

Deirdre Purcell was born and brought up in Dublin, and educated there and in a County Mayo convent. Before turning to the writing of fiction, she lived through an eclectic set of careers, including acting, as a member of the permanent company of Ireland's National Theatre (The Abbey), and journalism for all media - for which she won Ireland's top award.

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Review ~ The Crimson Ribbon by Katherine Clements

Headline
2014

Ruth Flowers is suddenly left to fend for herself after the tragic death of her mother. Forced to flee from the Cromwell household, Ruth escapes to London in the company of Joseph Flowers, a young man with an air of mystery about him. Once in London, Ruth gets caught up in the flotsam and jetsam of life around the precincts of St Paul’s Cathedral. It’s a dank, unwholesome place, filled with the great unwashed of a teeming city, but in this dark and gloomy place, Ruth finds refuge with the Poole family and becomes a serving maid to the charismatic Elizabeth Poole. Before long, Ruth is caught up in the tidal wave of political fervour which is rife in London during the years of the English civil war.

The story is wonderfully atmospheric. The sights and sounds and ever present danger of teeming London are brought vividly alive. Such is the description of seventeenth century life; I felt like I was walking the same mean streets as Ruth, and working in the same print shop as Joseph, where amongst the inks, dust and pungent smell of leather, seditious pamphlets are regurgitated onto the London streets. Based on real factual evidence, the story of Elizabeth Poole’s involvement in civil war politics is nicely blended into the story. However, for me, it was Ruth Flowers who captured my imagination and who really gave the book its heart and soul. She is a feisty protagonist, full of contradictions, as vulnerable as a kitten, but as brave as any parliamentarian soldier. Her involvement with Elizabeth Poole will be fraught with danger but will be one of the most exciting times of Ruth’s life.

From the moment I first spied the stunning cover, through to the book’s ultimate conclusion, I was completely enamoured by The Crimson Ribbon ,and really look forward to seeing what Katherine Clements will come up with next.

My thanks to  Headline and Bookbridgr for my review copy of this book.

About the Author

Katherine has a passion for history and a degree in the subject. Until recently she worked for a national examination board, where she led the development and launch of the UK's first A level in Creative Writing. She has enjoyed success with her short stories and won a Historical Short Story Competition sponsored by Jerwood in 2012. 

Review ~ Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix Christie

Headline
September 2014

Mainz, 1450

That was the moment it all changed...

The ink was as black as Heaven's vault, the letters sharp and gripping. He stared, transfixed. In their austerity, their density, the letters made a page of extraordinary beauty...

The eponymous apprentice of the story is Peter Schoeffer, a lowly scribe who is entirely familiar with the beautiful calligraphic illuminations done by hand, but when Schoeffer becomes apprenticed to Johannes Gensfleisch, the man we know better as Gutenberg, the whole concept of mass printing starts to come alive in an entirely believable way. To have a printing machine with ink and type is a gift beyond measure and Schoeffer embraces this new technology with enthusiasm. The task of printing the Holy Bible, normally the work of scribes, was considered sacrilegious and the work of blasphemers and is not without controversy. The story starts in 1485, when Schoeffer older and wiser, starts to recount the narrative of his life to Abbot Trithemius at the Spondeim Abbey in Germany and an awkward truth of petty jealousies and driving ambition, starts to emerge.

There is no doubt that Gutenberg’s Apprentice is impeccably and realistically researched. The author clearly knows and loves this subject; her writing is accomplished and authoritative. In many ways it’s a rather a slow read, and perhaps not one that you can lose track of time whilst reading it, as there are parts of the book that require a certain level of concentration. However, I have to acknowledge that it’s an undeniably good historical study and really brings to life the background into the mystery,magic and alchemy which led to the mass production of books for the very first time.

The whole spectre of fifteenth century life is laid bare, and as all the petty jealousies and squabbles come alive, a story emerges of fierce ambition coupled with intense arrogance and overwhelming ambition. To have a book about books is appealing and to have one from such a unique historical perspective offers a whole new insight into the printing process and emphasises our continuing fascination with the printed word.

My thanks to Headline and bookbridgr for my exclusive edition of this book

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About the Author

Alix Christie is an author, journalist and letterpress printer.

Gutenberg's Apprentice is her debut novel and is available from all good book stores 

from September 23rd 2014

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