The Secret Life of Albert Enwistle by Matt Cain

 

Albert Entwistle, a 64 year old postman, is a man of few words. In fact he doesn't like having to interact with people at all. He's happy with routines, doing his job well and then returning home to his cat, Gracie. Following the unexpected news that his employer is going to force him to retire at 65 and then the sudden death of his pet, Albert takes stock of his life. He looked after his ailing mother after his father died and when his mother died it was just him and Gracie, for 18 lonely years. But as a teenager Albert had a secret love and he's now determined to track down the person he let go 50 years ago.

You can't help but fall in love with Albert. He's been living the same life for years, stuck in a rut (although he sees it as a routine) refusing to interact with the world around him. He's content but you realise how incredibly lonely Albert is, he has no family or friends. When he has to have Gracie put to sleep I shed a tear, knowing how difficult a task it is but also with the realisation that Albert is now completely alone. It's sad to think that in such a crowded world people can be so isolated.

When Albert begins to interact with other people we see him blossom. He goes out of his way to help people around him without realising that he's helping himself at the same time. New friendships allow Albert to step out of his comfort zone and explore new horizons.

The love story at the heart of this novel is extremely sad. A forbidden love that has to be carried out in secret and then has to be denied when his father finds out. Fifty years on, when Albert sets out to find his secret love, you are willing him on every step of the way.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain will be published in paperback on 1st June 2022. Hardback, ebook and audio formats are available now. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (Audiobook)

 

Millie, the housemaid of the title, is down on her luck and desperate to land the job working for the Winchesters. The thought of being able to stretch out in bed, rather than having to curl up on the back seat of her car as she does presently, is like a dream come true. Once Millie moves in strange things begin to happen. Nina Winchester begins to act erratically, accusing Millie of all manner of mistakes. Luckily Nina's husband, Andrew, is sympathetic and explains that his wife is highly strung. Gradually Millie and Andrew grow closer, with devastating consequences.

This was my first ever audiobook. If I go out for a walk I tend to listen to podcasts. Another of my hobbies is jigsaw puzzles. It suddenly dawned on me that both of these times were ideal opportunities to continue my book habit via a new medium. I'm happy to report that it was a complete success.

The first half of the story is told from Millie's perspective. There are hints early on that she's had a troubled past, mention of being "rusty" with police procedures and then comments about being out of circulation for the past 10 years. We eventually learn that she's been in prison. The narration of Millie is quiet, almost simpering. She's desperate to keep this job and a roof over her head so is willing to put up with Nina's increasingly erratic behaviour. The description of Nina's contradictory and difficult nature made me want to scream.

Halfway through we switch to Nina's story and discover her background and her reasons for the way she behaves. Up until this halfway point I wasn't particularly taken with this book but it was at this point that things really changed and I wanted to know exactly what was happening and what the conclusion would be. I became invested in both Millie and Nina, intrigued as to how their individual stories would end.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is available now in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for a review copy.

Nobody But Us by Laure Van Rensburg

 

Ellie and Steven head to a romantic getaway at a beautiful house in the forest. Complete isolation so they won't be disturbed. Everything is perfect, the house, the setting, the food, the sex. However things suddenly take a sinister turn.

The story focuses on a very mismatched couple. Ellie is 23, a graduate student, disorganised, clumsy and impressionable. From early descriptions I imagined Ellie as a Bambi-style character, struggling to find her feet. The other character, Ellie's boyfriend, is Steven. Steven is a 40 year old English professor. He is the complete opposite of Ellie, he's calm, dignified, organised, self-assured.

The story switches between Ellie and Steven, giving each persons perspective on the events. We quickly realise that Steven is a sugar daddy type character and Ellie isn't his first conquest or even his youngest. Steven comes across as a loathsome predator. He describes relationships with vulnerable women as "superficial" and "scratching an itch" when challenged. He thinks that opening doors, buying flowers or paying for meals entitles him to "payback". I had absolutely no sympathy for the character, he made my skin crawl.

As the story progresses we realise that Ellie isn't the person we initially thought she was, throughout the early days of the relationship she was wearing a mask or disguise. With the advent of the weekend away she abandons the disguise. My feelings towards Ellie chopped and changed. I had sympathy for her, however the drawn out nature of her plan, along with her melodramatic nature, meant that the sympathy wasn't sustained throughout the novel.

Occasionally there is a third voice. We don't know who this third voice is but it is obvious they are connected to Steven. I found the fact we didn't know who this third person was very unsettling, never quite sure how they were going to impact on the events taking place. 

As events escalate you feel the terror, particularly from Steven. As the story moves towards it's conclusion the terror escalates and you wonder if anyone is going to survive the weekend.

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

 

Cary Island, just off the coast of Devon has a macabre past. A property developer hopes to overcome the history of the island by building a luxury retreat. A group of friends, including an influencer, are given a free trip to the retreat but not long after their arrival there is a tragic death. Closer investigation shows that the accident may actually have been murder, this is compounded when a second guest is found dead. Is the island cursed or is there a murderer lurking?

The opening chapter is set almost twenty years before the events of the book and immediately fills you with terror, setting the tone for the remainder of the story. As the story progresses we discover that this opening chapter took place when someone murdered a group of teenagers on the island. These murders are part of the reason locals are convinced the island is cursed, along with a strange rocky outcrop which gives the island the local name of Reaper's Rock.

When we move to the current time frame and the accidental death of a guest at the retreat DS Elin Warner, the main character from Sarah Pearse's first novel The Sanatorium, is close at hand to investigate. Elin is still struggling to come to terms with the events of a previous case which caused her to take a sabbatical. Throughout the investigation you feel the inner turmoil as Elin tries to overcome her own fears and re-build her self-esteem.

The group of friends have a strange dynamic, with the "influencer" trying to control everyone. However there are underlying tensions which keep bubbling to the surface along with secrets which will have far reaching consequences. I struggled to invest in the outcome of any of this group as none of them are particularly likeable, they are either too pushy or too malleable.

You also realise that there is an unsteady dynamic between the retreat and nature on the island. Nature is constantly pushing back and is the dominant force. We see this to full effect when a storm sets in and what was an idyllic holiday location becomes an isolated island, battling against wind and rain.

The pace never lets up, set against the backdrop of a malevolent island, you really do wonder if anyone is going to survive. Fans of The Sanatorium will enjoy this latest outing from Sarah Pearse, thankfully the terror isn't quite as gothic this time around (the thought of the masks in The Sanatorium still makes me shiver).

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse will be published on 21st July 2022 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Books for a review copy.

The Windsor Knot by S. J. Bennett

When a visitor to Windsor Castle is found dead, first indications are he committed suicide. Upon closer investigation it's discovered he was murdered. The Queen, supported by some of her trusted employees, decides to investigate the murder.

The Windsor Knot is a welcome addition to the modern "cosy crime" genre. It is well plotted and has a host of engaging characters, however don't let the notion of "cosy" crime mislead you, there are some near the knuckle instances such as auto-erotic asphyxiation and a knife attack on the tube.

The author, S. J. Bennett, admits to being a royal watcher and this is evident in both the vivid descriptions of Windsor Castle and the character of the Queen. The writer describes the Queen just as we would expect her to be - straightforward, down to earth and doesn't like to be patronised. Wherever possible she likes to keep things low key, apart from the usual pomp and ceremony that she knows is part of her duty. Since the Queen's life is so well documented the artistic license taken by the author makes everything seem very credible.

The thought that the Queen has always loved solving mysteries does bring a smile as you read, along with her methods of manipulating those in high office (Director General of MI5 and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner) who think they are in charge of the investigation. 

There is lots of name dropping throughout the story and this makes the reader feel as if they are one of the Queen's confidants.

Hopefully The Windsor Knot is the first in a long series of "Her Majesty The Queen Investigates" books, I'm already looking forward to the sequel A Three Dog Problem.

 

Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter

 

Andrea Oliver is a newly qualified US Marshall. She is posted to protect a federal judge who has been receiving death threats. While there Andrea has also been asked to covertly investigate the unsolved murder of the judge's daughter 40 years ago as there are possible links to a prisoner about to be released.

The story focuses on two very different women. Andrea Oliver, newly qualified US Marshall, determined to pull her weight and Emily Vaughn, a seventeen year old who is murdered in 1982. The link between the women is that they possibly have the same father.

We jump between the stories of the two women, discovering that Emily was pregnant and had no idea who the father was as she was drugged and raped at a party. Being set in the early eighties in a tight-knit, conservative community this is seen as a disgrace. Emily is scorned by her friends, no-one believes her story so little interest is shown in trying to investigate the rape. The way that Emily is treated by almost everyone made me want to scream in anger and frustration

The suspects for the rape are small group, mainly focused on her clique of friends. As we get deeper into the story you are constantly wondering which one, if any, is responsible? Or could it be more than one? Are they covering for each other? Thanks to the excellent writing you are constantly second guessing and unable to pin down the person responsible early on.

As Andrea investigates we discover that misogyny is still rife in the small community, despite the progress of time. Some of the original clique are still around and despite tensions between the individuals they are still covering for each other, hampering the investigation.

The well plotted story keeps you in suspense right up to the end, with a satisfying conclusion. The author than made me gasp by throwing in one final little snippet to make you wonder where do we go from here?

Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter will be published on 23rd June 2022 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy. 

When She Was Good by Michael Robotham

 

Cyrus Haven is called by the police to help with what at first appears to be the suicide of a retired police officer. Cyrus is quickly convinced that it's a case of murder, rather than suicide. As he begins to trace the footsteps of the retired police officer he realises that there are links to Evie Cormac, the young woman who was kidnapped and held prisoner for years as a young child.

At the start of the month I read Good Girl, Bad Girl, the first book in the Cyrus Haven series. It was great to be able to revisit Cyrus and Evie so soon after finishing the first book. This book picks up relatively soon after the first book finishes and is even better than the previous book. Where the first book had a murder case that had no links to Evie Cormac this second book is completely different.

The book begins with what at first appears to be an unrelated murder. It is only as Cyrus starts digging into the past of the murder victim we discover that he is a retired police detective who is looking into the past of a pedophile, a pedophile who may have had an accomplice and may have been involved in Evie's abduction. The book then focuses on Evie's story.

We find out much more about Evie's background. Whilst it's good to get answers to the myriad of questions that arose in the first book, those answers make uncomfortable reading. There are still some gaps, hopefully these will be addressed in the third book, Lying Beside You, which is due to be published in June.

The Museum Of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle

 

Jess Baxter has always dreamed of working in a museum. Unfortunately life had other ideas and upon completion of her masters in museum studies she had to give it all up to look after her mother. Once her mother is better Jess simply drifts into a job as a receptionist. A few years later, after her mothers unexpected death, Jess has to clear out her family home. Some possessions are easy to dispose of, others have sentimental value and are far too difficult to simply give or throw away. Unfortunately Jess doesn't have anywhere to store all of her sentimental treasures and that's when she comes across The Museum Of Ordinary People, a place that is willing to look after the things that people are struggling to dispose of because of the memories they hold.

Decluttering has been a big thing in the last few years, particularly when many of us were confined to home because of the pandemic. We're told "if it doesn't bring you joy" - get rid. If you haven't used it in six months - get rid. Unfortunately there are times when decluttering is forced upon us; down-sizing, the break-up of a relationship, moving home or the death of a family member.

The Museum Of Ordinary People is about those instances when decluttering is forced upon us. Jess was brought up by a single parent, with no other relatives around, and when she has to clear out her mother's home you can feel the turmoil of emotions. Trivial things such as a shopping list reduce her to tears. The sense that her mother is everywhere and nowhere really resonates.

The Repair Shop is a popular TV programme and The Museum Of Ordinary People is that in book form. A home for those items we grew up with that are intrinsically worthless but to individuals are treasures because of the memories they hold, connections with our past and relatives no longer with us.

The story really struck a chord with me in so many ways, the most poignant being wanting to pick up a phone and be able to pour my heart out to someone who's no longer around.

There are other themes explored within the story; never giving up on your dreams, not taking things at face value and never settle for "good enough" but the main one is about the things that mean the most to us, the treasures we turn to when the people connected to them are no longer around.

The Museum Of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle will be published in hardback, ebook and audio format on 7th July 2022. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

 

Julian is lonely. At 79 he's been a widow for fifteen years. He's an artist and as a younger man he was very much a socialite; now he can go days without speaking to anyone. One day Julian puts pen to paper and writes about how lonely his existence is in a notebook and leaves it in the local cafe hoping that someone else will follow his lead.

Back in February I was fortunate enough to get a review copy of The People On Platform 5 by Clare Pooley. This was a new author to me but the blurb sounded interesting and would give me a break from the thrillers I normally read. Little did I realise how much I would love the book, it actually became my favourite of the month. As a result of this I was determined that at some point I would find time to read the author's first novel, The Authenticity Project. I did approach this book with a little bit of trepidation as I'd loved The People On Platform 5 so much, thankfully I wasn't disappointed and loved this book just as much.

The author has a wonderful way of mixing an eclectic range of characters, some more likeable than others, and making the reader feel as if they are part of the group. As the notebook moves from one person to the next the group of characters increases and we begin to realise that with a little love and support problems can be solved and a community formed.

Each chapter focuses on a different member of the group, or introduces a new character, and this means that you don't become bogged down by one storyline or a character you don't like. It also means that we're occasionally left on hold wondering how a thread is going to continue.

Not every thread gets a fairy-tale happy ending but I'm pleased about that, with such a diverse mix you wouldn't expect every problem to be solved at the same time. When I finished The People On Platform 5 I said that it would be lovely to return in a couple of years time to see how their lives have progressed. I feel the same about The Authenticity Project, I'd love to return in a few years and see how my friends are doing.

If you are interested The People On Platform 5 will be published on 26th May 2022 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

 

Investigative journalist Kat is surprised when Meg Williams returns to town after ten years. Kat is convinced that Meg is a con artist and the person responsible for a shocking event in her past, an event that has affected the rest of her life. Kat is now determined to get close to Meg so that she can find out what she is up to and reveal to the world who she is.

The opening chapter, set in current times, gives an air of mystery. Who is Meg Williams? Why has she returned to her childhood home? What is she planning to do? The story then jumps back ten years. At this point in the novel I was a little sceptical that the story was going to hold my interest. I'm so glad I persevered as I was totally gripped by the end.

Initially Meg is the more interesting of the two main characters. As a result of circumstance she becomes a con artist, it's a means of surviving. As the story progresses you then start to wonder if the "cons" are for survival, greed or a means of seeking revenge. Kat comes across as simply somone trying to do her job as a journalist. She's desperate to make her mark and tries to strike out on her own, this has horrifying consequences.

As the story then moves to our current time frame Kat tries to befriend Meg. Kat blames Meg for what happened to her and wants to uncover the truth so that she can finally publish the big exclusive story she feels she deserves. In trying to get closer to Meg Kat has to develop her own "con" and it's at this point you realise that con artist and journalist are the same - deceiving people to get what they want. You begin to question if Kat's methods are entirely ethical, particularly as you discover more about Meg and her reasoning.

Social media and the internet play a big role in the con. Living our lives online, sharing details of our day to day existence and those silly quizzes that ask for your "drag queen" name (your first pet's name and the street you lived on as a child). This story explains terrifyingly well how someone could trawl through all that information and use it very effectively to get closer to you.

As the conclusion draws near you feel Kat's rising sense of panic, she doesn't know who she can trust, and you begin to root for Meg as she points out that lies can be useful in "tipping karma in the right direction". I was actually sad when I finished the book. Whilst Kat's story reached a natural conclusion I feel sure Meg has lots more to offer.

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark will be published in hardback, ebook and audio format on 2nd June 2022. My thanks to NetGally and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.

Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham

Cyrus Haven is a psychologist who is asked by a colleague to help with the mysterious Evie Cormac. Evie was held captive and abused for years. No-one knows her real name, if she has any family or her actual age. Evie has been a ward of the court for years and held in a high security children's home because she is deemed to be a risk to herself. Evie is now demanding to be seen as an adult and released.

Cyrus also supports the police in his role as a psychologist and his expertise is called on when a teenage girl is discovered dead. The murderer is quickly apprehended but Cyrus has doubts that the case is as open and shut as the police believe.

I discovered Michael Robotham last year when I read When You Are Mine so when NetGalley made available review copies of  Lying Beside You I jumped at the chance to read more from the author. What I didn't realise at the time was that Lying Beside You is the third book in the Cyrus Haven series.

This book is less about the murder of the teenage girl as it is the relationship between Cyrus and Evie. Both characters have traumatic backstories. We learn quickly of the tragedy involving Cyrus. This background is what gives him the connection to Evie and a driving need to help her. Evie is the complete opposite of Cyrus. We learn very little about her background and she comes across as an unlikeable character. The more we get to know Evie we realise that she has built walls around herself as a defense mechanism. She also has the ability to know when people are lying and this makes it even more difficult for her to trust people.

I enjoyed the way in which the relationship between the two main characters developed and it was a relief that everything wasn't tied up neatly at the end. I'm looking forward to seeing how this relationship develops in the next two books.

 

March 2022 Reads

 

March was definitely a month full of thrillers and an unintentional theme for some of them - dark.

Early in March I read After Dark by Jayne Cowie which focused on a Britain in the near future where men are under strict rules and curfew as a result of crimes against women. This is a thought provoking story that raises lots of questions and shines a light on current events. Then at the end of March I read The Dark by Sharon Bolton, this also focuses on crimes against women but from a completely different perspective. This time it's men who think that women have far too much power and have more rights than men. Some groups of men begin to act together to terrorise women and demand restrictions on their activities. I found this story terrifying as it seems so plausible.

Dark Objects by Simon Toyne has everything needed for a fantastic crime thriller: a "locked room" style murder, links to a dead serial killer, deliberate clues left by the killer to taunt the police and an investigator with a past as traumatic as the current crime. The lead characters, DCI Tannahill Khan and Dr Laughton Rees, work together really well and I tweeted that I hope readers will see more of them in the future. Simon Toyne replied that they will, the next book featuring them is already written.

Brian McGilloway is a new author to me, however the quality of writing in The Empty Room means I will certainly be hunting out his other novels. Essentially this is a missing person thriller but the focus is on the mother of the missing person. The writing focuses on all the emotions a person must go through when someone close goes missing. There are plenty of uncovered secrets to keep the reader engrossed, however it's the empathy shown by the writer that makes this story stick in your mind for a long time afterwards.

As usual my thanks to NetGalley and a variety of publishers for the review copies I read this month. Dates to watch out for are listed below.

After Dark by Jayne Cowie will be published on 12th May 2022.

The Island by Adrian McKinty will be published on 26th May 2022.

The Dark by Sharon Bolton will be published on 26th May 2022.

We All Have Our Secrets by Jayne Corry will be published on 23rd June 2022.

Dark Objects by Simon Toyne will be published on 7th July 2022.

Daisy Darker by  Alice Feeney will be published on 18th August 2022.