The Mother by T. M. Logan

 

Ten years ago Heather Vernon was found guilty of the brutal murder of her husband, Liam, an up and coming MP. Newly released on licence Heather is determined to discover who actually murdered her husband so that she can clear her name and be reunited with her sons.

Right from the start you are gripped as we join Heather Vernon watching her own funeral and mentioning her husbands funeral. Your interest is immediately piqued wondering what could have happened. The fact that Heather is hiding and in disguise adds to the mystery.

The story then moves back ten years and we learn about Heather and her husband. They are a fairly typical family, both have busy working lives which they are trying to balance with raising a young family. There are obvious tensions, particularly with Liam being a rising star in parliament. When Liam is murdered everyone immediately jumps to the conclusion that Heather has murdered him because of the obvious tensions within the marriage.

The elements of the story set in 2013 builds the case against Heather as evidence is collected, hinting at a possible affair that she has just discovered. In the present day we follow Heather as she digs for evidence to prove her innocence, evidence that points towards conspiracy within government.

Heather is a formidable character. Given her background and situation she could easily have left prison broken, however she is spurred on by the determination to see her sons again. The details of her licence mean that if she tries to contact anyone connected to the case she will return to prison to serve the remainder of her sentence. In her quest Heather is befriended by another ex-con, someone far more streetwise than Heather. Jodie is a really likeable character, she's open and honest despite her past. Also helping Heather are a journalist who has been looking into the story for years and her sister-in-law, the only person from her past who will have anything to do with her.

As the group search for information which points towards a conspiracy worth millions shadowy figures threaten then. But how have these people been able to find them? You begin to question who can be trusted. Is everyone who they claim to be? The threats become physical, these scenes are difficult to read. As well as running from those threatening her Heather is also trying to stay clear of the police, all of this adds to the suspense. Just as we reach the conclusion and wait with bated breath there's a twist in the tale that I did not expect.

The Mother by T. M. Logan will be published on 2nd March 2023 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for a review copy.

End Of Story by Louise Swanson (Audiobook)

 

In the near future fiction, in any format, is banned. Books, writing and TV are all banned. Fern Dostoy, a once famous author, now works as a hospital cleaner and is regularly visited by government officials to ensure she isn't writing. Through journal entries Fern chronicles joining an underground organisation that runs a telephone hotline reading bedtime stories to children. As Fern becomes more involved the risk of being discovered and punished becomes greater.

This is a fantastic addition to the genre of dystopian fiction. Author Louise Swanson has set it just near enough in the future to make many of the technological advances seem reasonable and sit easily alongside the everyday objects we have now. We see that there is a fine line between advanced technology making our lives easier and the ability for organisations to track our every movement, internet search and communication.

Even more disturbing is the banning of books. When fiction holds a light to some questionable practises by government organisations it is quickly banned. Writers are relocated, publishers closed down and only state run bookshops selling approved non-fiction exist. The idea of censorship is appalling, a means of controlling information and the population.

End Of Story isn't just about how the restrictions are a form of oppression, it's also about how the lack of story-telling has an impact on children. A lack of stories inhibits creativity and imagination and this is having a negative impact on the mental health of children.

When Fern learns of an organisation that reads stories to children you feel rebellious and joyful, knowing that the human spirit, the thirst for fiction, cannot be quashed. There is also the growing sense of fear as through journal entries we learn not only of the visits by officials who check up on authors but also of the punishments that are carried out for those people who break the law.

Slowly, as I became more and more engrossed by the story, I started to piece things together and I had an inkling of where the story was heading. I only guessed a fraction of what was happening, Louise Swanson has produced a work of fiction that kept me engrossed, involved, terrified and surprised. My only criticism is that I wish I'd read this rather than listened to the audiobook as I kept wanting to go back and check parts of the story.

End Of Story by Louise Swanson will be published in hardback, ebook and audio format on 23rd March 2023. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for a review copy.

The Wilderness Retreat by Jennifer Moore

 

Bella Burnstone's life is changing. Her career as a composer is beginning to take off and her 18 year old son is off to university. To cope with the departure of her son Bella has been gifted a week at a wilderness retreat in Sweden. A luxury retreat in the middle of the forest with seven other guests and four members of staff. Shortly after arriving Bella begins to experience things that make her doubt her own sanity.

Bella is a likeable character. For eighteen years it's just been her and her son, Asher. Having gotten pregnant just as she started university she dropped out and raised her son on her own, never revealing to anyone who the father is. There is a close bond between Bella and Asher and this helps you to understand the mixed feelings Bella is going through as her son leaves home.

The wilderness retreat is a gift from Bella's sister, the hope is that it will take her mind off Asher leaving for university. The retreat is in the middle of the forest, a chance to get away from the stresses and strains of everyday life, particularly as there is no phone signal.

The other guests are a mixed bunch, some are eccentric, others seem to be hiding secrets; Oscar is an aspiring thriller writer, keen to find novel ways of murdering his characters. Krista is a grieving widow, her husband was killed in a hit and run and a psychic has told her there is a Scandinavian connection to the driver who has never been found. T (yes, that's a name) is newly single, having recently being dumped by his partner. Hamer is a practical joker. Lena is a journalist who is writing a review of the retreat. Two other guests are due to arrive the following day, one of whom is guest speaker, someone who has links to Bella's past.

The story starts slowly, you understand how Bella is torn between needing to take her mind off events at home and her reluctance to cut herself off completely from the outside world. As little things begin to happen to Bella there is a sense of paranoia. Bella, and the other guests, begin to question her sanity as no-one else seems to be experiencing the same things. 

As the tension builds and Bella tries to figure out why things are happening to her one of the other guests goes missing. No-one else seems to notice the missing guest and this adds to the sense of paranoia and isolation.

I enjoyed the slow build, the tension, the neurosis but I found Bella's reaction to everything a little strange. I found far too many of her actions to be passive. The who and why didn't come as a surprise either, although there were still some revelations towards what I felt was an abrupt ending.

The Wilderness Retreat by Jennifer Moore will be published in ebook and audio format on 22nd February 2023 and in paperback on 27th April 2023. My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy.

Perfect Remains by Helen Fields

 

DI Luc Callanach has transferred from Interpol to the Major Investigation Team in Edinburgh under a cloud. On his first day a body is discovered in a burnt out bothy and all evidence points to it being a woman missing from Edinburgh. When a second woman goes missing it becomes a race against time to find her before she turns up dead.

Back in November 2021 I read One For Sorrow, little realising it was book 7 in a series. I was completely blown away by the story and promised myself I'd read the rest of the books in the series. Over a year later I've finally got around to the first book in the series, Perfect Remains. The book is an excellent introduction to the characters of DI Luc Callanach and DI Ava Turner.

We meet Callanach on his first day with the MIT in Edinburgh and discover that his employment has ruffled a few feathers. This would be normal behaviour in many places of work, but set against the backdrop of the abduction and murder of a woman it really adds to the tension of the story. As the story progresses we slowly begin to find out the reason for Callanach's move from Interpol to Scotland and this really adds another layer to the tale, one which could have far reaching consequences.

Support against some of the hostility is offered by DI Ava Turner. Turner is a great partner for Callanach, she's tough, assertive and self-contained. Advice is offered sparingly, knowing full-well that Callanach needs to find his own footing within the team, but there is the reassurance that he has someone who is looking out for him. There is obviously a connection between Luc and Ava but it is fantastic to see that the author has avoided hints at romance.

As for the baddie, we have a seriously creepy protagonist, one of those characters who hides in plain sight. The abductions and murders are well thought through, making everything that happens very plausible. At times I was cringing, my heart racing at some of the scenes. 

Perfect Remains from Helen Fields was a brilliant introduction to the DI Luc Callanach series. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series, I just have to make sure I don't leave it a year before reading it.

 

Found In A Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

 

The Lost For Words bookshop offers a click and collect or postal service during Covid restrictions. When they realise that they are losing out on those customers who browse the shelves, not sure of exactly what they want in a book, they set up a book pharmacy. Email them outlining the type of book you want or the issue you are struggling with and they will curate a list of books for you. 

When I started Found In A Bookshop I struggled. I didn't like the writing style and found it difficult to get my head around the constantly changing characters. However, I stuck with it and this book really grew on me. Some characters were fleeting but we regularly returned to the main ones.

Set during the first set of Covid restrictions during 2020 we are reminded of exactly how much life changed for everyone. Now that life is returning to normal we easily forget how normality simply stopped. I know that I personally view that time from my own perspective, what Found In A Bookshop does is show you how others were impacted. We meet restaurant managers, supermarket staff, domestic abuse survivors and the retired to name just a few. We are given a brief glimpse of their daily struggles, loneliness, anxiety or need to simply retreat from reality.

Through the book pharmacy we see that books are a form of medicine. They offer an escape, a glimpse into another life, greater understanding, comfort, nostalgia and hope. The communication between the staff of the bookshop and the customers also proves to be a vital lifeline for some. The most poignant being retired teachers Rosemary and George who have no family. Up until Covid they were content in their house by the sea, tending their garden and happy in each others company. Covid coincides with a major health issue and we learn how lonely existence became. 

Thankfully some of the characters are revisited throughout the book and I really warmed to them, wanting to know what direction their life would take. Not everything has a happy ending, just like life, but we do see how much community, support and hope matter.

Found In A Bookshop by Stephanie Butland will be published on 27th April 2023 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

The Close by Jane Casey

 

DS Maeve Kerrigan is investigating the murder of a surgeon when politics intervene and she has to go undercover to discover why a vulnerable adult disappeared from care and turned up dead in a boarded up house. Meave has to work with her boss, DI Josh Derwent, pretending to be a couple in a tight-knit community, the last known whereabouts of the possible murder victim. 

I came across Jane Casey in 2021 when I read The Killing Kind. I enjoyed it so much that I jumped at the chance to read The Close. What I didn't realise was that The Close was book ten in a series. Thankfully the story was so engrossing that it really didn't matter that I hadn't read the previous books.

As the book opens we are straight into the murder of a surgeon. This story alone would have been great as a police procedural but the introduction of a new story-line really does take the whole thing up a notch. Alongside this are hints to what happened in previous books that mean that Maeve isn't functioning as well as she normally does.

The undercover aspect of the case results in Maeve and Josh having to pet sit, pretending to be a couple. The writing is so good that you can feel the attraction between them, there's a frisson of excitement as you constantly wonder "will they, wont they"? I was on the edge of my seat fascinated by where the relationship was going to go.

The setting, a close in the small town of West Idleford, sounds very charming. All the neighbours know each other and are very friendly. I found the majority of the characters quite creepy, particularly the men. This was further cemented when we suddenly switched narrator, someone who was creeping around, watching through windows, lurking in undergrowth. This new voice gave a very sinister feel to the whole story. It was impossible to figure who the new narrator was, you just knew that danger could be lurking around any corner.

As we reached the conclusion my heart was racing as the tension increased. I've thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to the Maeve Kerrigan series, I now want to read the rest of the books. I want to know more about how Maeve and Josh's relationship developed. I also want to know where it's headed.

The Close by Jane Casey will be published on 2nd March 2023 in hardback and ebook format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.

December 2022 Reads

 

I'm still struggling with concentration (second month in a row) so not many books finished in December. Once again, I can't fault the books. Hopefully January 2023 will be a little better.

The month started with the eagerly anticipated The Pain Tourist from Paul Cleave. I loved the author's previous book, The Quiet People, so was really keen to read this. While it didn't have the same pace as The Quiet People the carefully woven threads of the story filled me with a sense of growing dread. It was one of those thrillers that was impossible to figure out how it was going to end.

As with my first book of the month the second was another where I'd read something previously by the author so was keen to read more. All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham shares similarities with A Flicker In The Dark mainly because of the setting. The American deep south setting lends a languid feel to the story. This gradual, somnolent pace is perfect for a story about sleep-walking and sleep deprivation. The switching between the present and the past added to a slow sense of dread as I tried to figure out exactly what had happened in the past and how it impacted on the present.

Third book of the month was an absolute cracker. Stuart MacBride can always be relied upon to deliver dark and gritty and The Dead Of Winter certainly lives up to the description. From the opening chapter which leaves you open mouthed to the gripping conclusion you are entertained by the antics of DC Edward Reekie and his assertive boss as they try to solve a murder in a snowed in village populated entirely by criminals. I really do hope that this is the start of a series.

I finished the month with what would be an ideal beach read. The Other Guest by Heidi Perks is about a couple on holiday trying to salvage a marriage under strain. The wife, Laila, likes to people watch and becomes obsessed with another family who appear to be perfect. When a body is then discovered in the hotel pool Laila is torn. Should she report her suspicions, particularly when some of them involve her husband.

I also managed one audiobook and that was the excellent The Second Stranger by Martin Griffin. Another snowed in thriller but this time two strangers turn up, hours apart, at an isolated hotel. They both claim to be the same police officer who was transporting a dangerous criminal who is now on the loose. Once the initial scene is set this had great pace and you really did wonder who was telling the truth and who was the imposter. There was also the nagging doubt that there may be other people who you shouldn't trust.

Publication dates to look out for are:-

The Second Stranger by Martin Griffin will be published on 19/1/23 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Other Guest by Heidi Perks will be published on 19/1/23 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham will be published on 2/2/23 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Dead of Winter by Stuart MacBride will be published on 16/2/23 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Five Survive by Holly Jackson (Audiobook)

 

Six friends head out for a road trip in an RV. When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere they suddenly find themselves under attack from a sniper. Initially they believe it's because they've strayed on to someones property but it soon becomes obvious that they've been targeted because one of them has a secret.

Author Holly Jackson takes her time at the beginning of Five Survive to set the scene. Lead character, Red, is still struggling to come to terms with her mother's murder. Her father has given up on life and Red is floundering emotionally and financially. Her best friend is aware of the strain and tries to help without being too obvious, hence a road trip in an RV for spring break, rather than flying.

Red is a sympathetic character, someone who doesn't put herself forward, doesn't make demands, but I found her constant inner monologues annoying. Red was the only person among the group of friends who really had any appropriate skills for the situation they found themselves in but allowed herself to be railroaded by more assertive members of the group.

The premise of the story is great. When the sniper demands that one of them gives up "the secret" we discover that there may be more than one secret being withheld; secrets which link to a high profile court case involving a local mafia boss. Having the story contained within the space of a few hours in an isolated location keeps the pace moving. The fact that the sniper seems to know exactly what is happening inside the RV also means that the friends begin to wonder if they can trust each other.

While the story-line was great I wasn't gripped by it. I needed to keep reminding myself that this was written for a YA audience. I wasn't enamored of the narrator either, this could be part of the reason I found the inner monologues annoying.

Five Survive by Holly Jackson is available in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.