The Measure by Nikki Erlick

One morning the whole world wakes to find a small box for each adult. The box is inscribed with "The measure of your life lies within". No-one knows where the boxes came from. Those people who are curious open the box to discover a piece of string. Some people find short strings, some get medium length strings and others get long strings. It is eventually determined that the length of the string indicates how many years you have to live.

The story concerns a group of connected people and how their lives are impacted by the strings. 

This is a huge novel. Primarily the story is about prejudice and discrimination. Those who have a short string struggle with a variety of things that wouldn't normally be an issue such as employment, bank loans, relationships and medical treatment. 

How a person reacts to discovering how long they have left is also considered. From those who have a short string packing in their jobs so they can spend more time with their families or fulfilling a bucket list to long stringers who behave recklessly because they feel immune from death.

There are also people who chose not to open their box, simply to continue living life without knowing how long they have left.

This book raises so many questions and issues, it would make an ideal novel for book groups. Throughout my reading I wanted to discuss many of the points mentioned. Definitely not a book to be read in isolation.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick will be published in hardbook and ebook on 7th July 2022. My thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGally for a review copy.

 

One For Sorrow by Helen Fields

 

A mad man is on the loose in Edinburgh. He's kidnapping random people and then using these victims to stage elaborate situations, drawing as many first responders as possible so that he can blow them up. It is up to DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach to try and put a stop to him. They are racing against time to figure out who the Edinburgh bomber is and what is driving him on.

This is the seventh book in the DI Callanach series, a series which has passed me by so the characters are completely new to me. Being new to such a well established series did not spoil my enjoyment at all as you are immediately gripped by the story. 

The opening is very sombre but the author then goes straight in to two explosives scenes that have your heart racing. As the story develops the reader feels as if they are part of the investigation team, questioning exactly what has happened but more importantly, why?

Alongside the current day action is interwoven a backstory which eventually explains the motivation behind the bombings. You cannot help but feel a mixture of disbelief, sadness and anger as this backstory unfolds.

Even when you've figured out "who" is responsible the author keeps pulling the rug from under the readers feet, making you literally gasp in disbelief. Nerves are fraught and emotions left in shreds right until the last page.

One For Sorrow by Helen Fields will be published in paperbook, ebook and audio format on 17th February 2022. My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a review copy.

The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster

 

DS Max Craigie and DC Janie Calder return following the exploits of Dead Man's Grave, book 1 in the Max Craigie series. Along with their boss, DI Ross Fraser, they are a small, self-contained anti-corruption task force with wide ranging scope. With Tam Hardie safely behind bars following the exploits of the first book in the series there appears to be a vacuum in the drug supply trade in Scotland. An organised crime group from Liverpool are ready to fill the void created but people with police intelligence seem determined to make the drug market their own. It's up to Max and Janie to figure who they are and where the source of the information is.

Having recently read the first book in this series the events leading up to this story were still fresh in my mind. This added to my enjoyment but this could easily be read as a standalone novel. The introduction sets a very eerie tone giving a sense of foreboding. The first of a number of scenes where your heart is in your mouth. 

As the story moves from murder, to suicide and back to murder Max's senses are constantly tingling, every branch of law enforcement is suspect apart from his own trusted little team. There is more of the intelligence gathering and analysing aspect to this story compared to the action and violence of the first book. The addition of Norma, an analyst, to the team is a great addition. Another no nonsense female who tells it like it is.

A twist about half way through really does spur you on to figure out what is happening and one or two loose ends are tied up in an extremely fitting way, however the author manages to have your stomach churning and your nerves on edge repeatedly. I really look forward to the next installment in the series. 

The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster will be published on 23rd February 2022 in ebook and audio format with the hardbook available on 31st March 2022. My thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for a review copy.

No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride

The Bloodsmith has been on the rampage for seventeen months and the police are no nearer figuring out who he is or how he selects his victims. All the police do know is that once the Bloodsmith has rendered his victim unconscious he drains their blood and eviscerates them, leaving the message "HELP ME" scrawled on a nearby wall in the victims blood. Sometimes the victims aren't found until weeks after they've been murdered.

With the case going nowhere the investigating team are restructured and DS Lucy McVeigh and her partner DC Duncan "The Dunk" Fraser are given the task of reviewing the victims and the murder scenes in the hope that someone will remember something that will help them close a case that has ground to a halt after seventeen months.

Alongside this an old case rears it's head when a young man seeks Lucy's help. He happens to be Benedict Strachan, an infamous child murdered. At the age of 11 Strachan and an accomplice brutally stabbed a homeless man to death. Released after serving 16 years in prison he is now seeking help from Lucy but is adamant he still won't give up the name of his accomplice.

The fact that the reader joins the case seventeen months after the Bloodsmith starts his murder spree means that we quickly review all of the previous murders, giving an immediate feeling of being immersed in the story. As Lucy and The Dunk re-visit each crime scene we discover how the Bloodsmith has refined his murder technique over time.

Lucy is academically gifted, on a fast track to promotion. Her maverick style means that she discovers clues missed during the earlier investigation. Unfortunately Lucy is hampered in her work. Not only has she got Professional Standards breathing down her neck but the family of a man she killed is harassing her. As the story unfolds we discover the reason behind this killing along with Lucy's dark and disturbing past.

As you would expect from a novel by Stuart MacBride we have a dark and gritty story, with some humor thrown in (usually at The Dunk's expense) but what you don't expect is the tangent the story takes. With any crime story you expect a twist somewhere but the twist in this one simply cannot be predicted, a twist that makes the reader start flicking back through the book to re-read sections. 

No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride will be published by Bantam Press on 28th April 2022 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Transworld Books and NetGalley for a review copy.

 

A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon

 

Linda and Terry have recently moved from one part of a large housing estate to a better part of the estate. When Linda opens some mail addressed to the previous occupant by accident she becomes obsessed with the person, Rebecca, who lived in their house before them. It's only a catalogue for furnishings but Linda feels that Rebecca's life is so much more glamorous than her own hum-drum life.

Alongside this is a possible serial killer preying on young women on the estate. Curtains are twitching, especially when police officers start knocking on doors.

This is a difficult book to "like", neither Linda or Terry have any redeeming qualities. Terry is a "lump", your stereotypical working class man. He goes to work, comes home expecting his egg and chips to be on the table ready for him then spends the evening glued to the TV.

Linda is the central character. Her mother has never shown her any love and is still a very dominant character in her life. She's lonely and openly admits to having a "small" life, hence her fixation with the mysterious Rebecca. Linda also has history of trying to insert herself in police investigations. What is very obvious throughout is that Linda is socially awkward, she finds it impossible to read situations or people. If anyone shows her any sympathy or attention Linda is convinced they are now best friends and will go out of her way to manufacture meetings. Linda is one of those characters that makes your skin itch.

A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon will be published by Harper Collins UK on 28th April 2022 in hardback and ebook. My thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for a review copy. 

Em & Me By Beth Morrey

 

Delphine Jones is in her late twenties. Currently working as a waitress in a cafe she is struggling to make ends meet. Delphine shares a two bedroom basement flat with her 12 year old daughter, Em, and her father who seemed to stop living when his wife died tragically fifteen years previously. As we meet Delphine her life revolves around ensuring her daughter and her father are as comfortable as possible. Delphine has no consideration for herself, however fate has other things planned.

Delphine is a marvelous character, she's intelligent, beautiful, caring and hardworking. She's also pragmatic, resolute and lacks self-confidence. Life has dealt her a poor hand - her mother died when she was thirteen and her father simply gave up on life. At the age of sixteen, with the prospect of studying English Literature at Oxbridge, she fell pregnant to her boyfriend who then disappeared from her life. For twelve years Delphine accepted the hand that fate had dealt her. 

Thanks to a host of wonderful characters we see Delphine evolve. She begins to accept that life has more to offer and she has plenty to offer life. The key question through this beautiful novel is "can you be rich and poor at the same time?" and as we grow to know Delphine and Em we see that although money may be a struggle they are rich is friends, kindness and love.

As with Morrey's first novel, Saving Missy, this is a tale of how a community works together to save each other. Lives intertwined, accepting and encouraging, offering support without questioning. This really is a life affirming story.

This is also a book about books and a thanks to teachers who encourage and inspire young people every day.

Em & Me by Beth Morrey will be published by Harper Collins UK  on 3rd February 2022 in hardback and ebook. My thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for an early release copy for review.

The Patient by Jane Shemilt

 

Rachel is a GP in her late forties. Her marriage to Nathan has become stale and her daughter is becoming increasingly distant. At the end of surgery a new patient, Luc, turns up and is clearly distressed. Rachel spends time listening to Luc, helping him to calm down. Rachel becomes entranced by Luc and when the feelings are reciprocated this sets in motion actions that will effect everyone.

This is a slow burning story, part love story, part thriller. It is easy to empathise with Rachel, her marriage is in a rut, life revolves around work and she is slowly realising what she has missed by putting her patients ahead of her family. When the intoxicating Frenchman Luc appears Rachel finds it impossible to fight the attraction.

As the relationship between Rachel and Luc develops there is a sense of something lurking in the shadows. A number of times Rachel is convinced she's being followed. At times she's adamant there's someone watching from the bottom of the garden. Each time no-one is found. Rachel is convinced one of her patients has become fixated with her but when a colleague is found dead the story becomes even more sinister.

The Patient by Jane Shemilt will be published on 28th April 2022 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Harper Fiction and NetGalley for an early release copy for review.

The Herd by Emily Edwards

 

Bry (Bryony) and Elizabeth are the best of friends. They live close to each other, their families socialise together and their young daughters are very similar in age. Elizabeth's daughter, Clemmie, was seriously ill as a baby and because of this is unable to have the usual vaccinations that young children have. In an effort to keep her daughter safe Elizabeth is determined to ensure that Clemmie only has close contact with other children who are vaccinated. When Clemmie catches measles and becomes seriously ill Elizabeth soon realises that her best friend hasn't been as honest as she thought.

The Herd has a very emotive storyline, particularly in the current climate. It was extremely difficult not to have bias when reading this novel however the author has done an excellent job of conveying both sides of the argument. Interspersed throughout the novel are the points of view of people involved in the story as well as complete strangers and this allows us to see the views of other people.

I couldn't warm to either of the female lead characters. Bry was too hippie-ish and flighty, whereas Elizabeth was too controlling and measured. I felt the characters were too different to be best friends, however their natures were required to drive the plot. 

There are lots of moral issues raised and this novel would make an excellent book club choice.

The Herd by Emily Edwards will be published in hardback, ebook and audio format on 3rd February 2022. My thanks to NetGalley for an early release copy for review.

October Round-up

A slightly delayed post covering my October reading. Only managed 15 books this month but I'm not complaining, when I look back to this time last year I was probably only getting through 2 or 3 books a month.

In October 3 books really stood out for me. Firstly, Our House by Louise Candlish. This book has been on my TBR for a little while but when I discovered that it's going to be made into a TV drama I moved it up the pile. The whole plot just seemed so plausible it was terrifying. I just hope the TV series does the book justice, I'm sure it will as the cast includes Martin Compston (Line Of Duty) and Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks).

The second book to stand out for me in October was The Quiet People by Paul Cleave. There was a real buzz about this book on Twitter so I had to see what all the fuss was about. Glad to say I wasn't disappointed. Not only is this an excellent thriller but it also addresses the way we use and consume social media. These days it is so easy to pass judgement because of something that appears on a screen in front of us without fully knowing all the facts.

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan was my third outstanding book of the month. Loved the way the stories were interwoven to develop the plot. 

Being October I also got to spend a little time with Jack Reacher in Better Off Dead by Lee Child and Andrew Child. I stumbled across the Jack Reacher books about 20 years ago, reading Die Trying first, then Killing Floor. Since then a new Reacher novel has been the highlight of each year. 

Thanks to NetGalley I also got the opportunity to read some great novels which are due to be published very soon. These include:

The Lost by Simon Beckett, publication date 25/11/21

A Cornish Christmas Murder by Fiona Leitch, publication date 9/12/21

The Maid by Nita Prose, publication date 20/1/22

The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville, publication date 3/2/22

A Flicker In The Dark by Stacy Willinghmad, publication date 3/2/22

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan, publication date 3/3/22

Off now to make a dent in the November book pile. Happy reading folks.