The Miseducation Of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor

 

It's the summer of 1962, and Evie Epworth has just finished her O-levels. She knows that this summer marks her transition into womanhood, but she's not exactly sure what being a Woman (with a capital W) is all about. There's also the issue of what to do at the end of the summer; should she study for A-levels or get a job?

The Miseducation Of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor is my book group read for November. The synopsis on the back of the book certainly appealed to everyone in the group; this is the first "uplifting" novel we've had since I joined the group.

It took me a while to engage with the character of Evie. Despite being sixteen years old, I felt that there were times when she came across as much younger. The mixture of naivety and recklessness may just be because of the fact that the novel is set over sixty years ago, a time when life was simpler but change was on its way. It is also set in rural Yorkshire, well away from the bright lights of the swinging sixties.

Being set in the 1960s made for some genuinely funny moments, such as Evie's belief, via a woman's magazine, that "becoming a Woman is basically all about efficient typing skills and good deportment" and her father's ability to hide behind a newspaper. I found myself laughing aloud at one section which was likening a collection of items to a still-life painting, until the dog broke wind.

Most of the women in Evie's life are caricatures, from dolly bird Christine, to her no-nonsense mother, Vera, who are only out to entrap Evie's father. Thankfully, Evie has another female to offer the advice she is sadly lacking. Neighbour Mrs Scott-Pym is the quintessential English gentlewoman, a woman who listens to opera, drinks sherry and is worldly wise. There is mystery surrounding Mrs Scott-Pym's daughter, Caroline, and I felt that Mrs Scott-Pym's mothering of Evie was a result of the guilt she felt at her treatment of her own daughter.

The sudden appearance of Caroline in Evie's life is the catalyst in this coming-of-age story. She learns that there is a wider world beyond her tiny corner of Yorkshire, one in which women can be anything they want; they don't have to be defined by a husband or a job. Caroline is the standout character for me, a strong, independent woman who treats Evie as an equal and helps her to overcome the problems she has. With Caroline's help, Evie is all set to see what life has to offer.

Author Details

Matson Taylor is the bestselling author of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth and All About Evie.  Born in Yorkshire, he now lives and works in London. He is currently working on his third novel, another funny book about serious things.

You Sent Me A Letter by Lucy Dawson (Audiobook)

 

Sophie wakes in the middle of the night to find a stranger in her bedroom. He doesn't harm her but makes it explicit that if she doesn't follow his instructions, to read aloud the letter he leaves to all the guests at her birthday party that evening, danger will befall her and members of her family.

The very opening of You Sent Me A Letter by Lucy Dawson filled me with dread. The simple thought of waking to find a stranger in your room is terrifying. The menacing stranger informs Sophie that his client has left very strict instructions. That evening, at her 40th birthday party, she needs to open and read aloud the letter he is leaving. He also makes it clear that if she doesn't follow his instructions precisely, he'll return. 

Sophie is filled with horror; not only is she concerned for the safety of those she loves, but she's also worried that a terrible secret is about to be uncovered. The brilliant narration of Julie Maisey keeps you on the edge of your seat as Sophie tries to work out who is responsible and what she can do to stop her secret being revealed.

Sophie is convinced that her partner Mark's wife, Claudine, is responsible. She has been difficult throughout their relationship, dragging her heels over divorce proceedings and hostile regarding custody of the children. The narrative does an excellent job of making Claudine the villain and Sophie and Mark a loving couple, prepared to do whatever they are asked to keep everyone happy. 

As the hours tick down towards the birthday party, Sophie tries everything in her power to foil the stranger's plans; however, it becomes obvious that he is watching everything she does. The situation becomes even more frantic when Sophie discovers that Mark has also been hiding a huge secret. The race against time is frenzied. I found myself completely gripped, wondering where the storyline was going, but more importantly, desperate to know how Sophie was going to resolve the situation and who was responsible.

There are twists galore before the conclusion. I was shocked and surprised after each reveal, the type of reveal that has you nodding and thinking "it all makes sense now", only for the author to throw in yet another twist. 

Author Details

Lucy Dawson was a children's magazine editor before she had her first bestselling book, His Other Lover, in 2008. Since then she has published eleven other novels. She lives in Exeter with her husband and children.

The Night Watcher by Tariq Ashkanani

 

Private investigator Callie Munro has been hired by Grant Miller to find out if his wife is having an affair. Shortly after providing the evidence, Grant's wife disappears, and everyone assumes he's responsible. Callie isn't so sure and soon uncovers a possible serial killer lurking around the streets of Edinburgh.

I first heard about Tariq Ashkanani in 2024 when absolutely everyone was talking about The Midnight King, a twisted tale about an author who is a serial killer (you can read my review here). When I saw that his latest novel, The Night Watcher, was available as part of the Amazon First Reads program, I didn't hesitate in downloading it.

The Night Watcher is the first book in the Callie Munro series, and I'll certainly be reading the rest of the series as they are published. Callie is such a likeable figure, despite her flaws. Being raised in the foster system has moulded Callie into a loner, she's tough and independent, she has no regard for authority and hates being told what to do. Woe betide anyone who thinks she's a pushover because she's female.

The story moves at a brisk pace. The writing is sparse, which adds to the momentum and reinforces the fact that Callie is a woman of action; she'll worry about the consequences later. This impulsive nature does cause problems as Callie finds herself straddling two very distinct worlds as she hunts for a serial killer. Finding an ally in the police force proves to be extremely beneficial, but this has to be carefully balanced with the support she gets from the leader of Edinburgh's largest criminal gang, support that Callie knows will, eventually, carry a cost.

Throughout the novel, we hear from the killer; these sections are chilling and haunting. When it becomes obvious that he knows that Callie is hunting him, you begin to worry for her safety, and begin to question who he is. I was surprised by the final reveal in this hard-hitting, gritty thriller, and it has left me wanting more.

The Night Watcher by Tariq Ashkanani will be published on 1st December 2025 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

Author Details

Tariq Ashkanani is a writer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. His debut thriller, Welcome to Cooper, won the Bloody Scotland Debut Award and was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger. The Cooper-verse continues in the prequel novel, Follow Me to the Edge. His latest book - THE MIDNIGHT KING - won the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Award. When he's not writing, his dulcet tones can be heard interviewing other writers on the podcast Page One, which he co-hosts.

One Of The Family by Jess Ryder (Audiobook)

 

When Liv and her boyfriend, Jensen, move back into her family home, things seem ideal. Jensen is the perfect guest, virtually one of the family. Tensions soon begin to rise, and then Liv disappears. Jensen is circumspect about Liv's whereabouts, and no one can contact her.

One Of The Family by Jess Ryder had me completely gripped from the beginning. The author manages to include so many different threads within the story that the pace never lets up for a moment. Brilliant narration by Bronwen Price added to the rising level of trepidation as the plot unfurled.

The opening is fairly mundane, and one that many families must ponder: do you accept a stranger into your home? Rachel is happy for her daughter to move back home after finishing university. Liv has been living with her boyfriend while at university, so the family offers him a home too. Rachel's husband, Dom, is a little reluctant to welcome a stranger into their home, but Rachel points out that Jensen has no family of his own to help him.

Jensen's background is tragic, having lost his family in a house fire. Liv explains to her family that he doesn't like to talk about it. Rachel is sympathetic towards Jensen as she lost both her parents in a terrible accident. Tensions begin to rise when things start to go wrong for members of the family, with Rachel always jumping to Jensen's defense, ensuring that no one questions his actions.

Rachel's naive acceptance of everything Jensen did raised major problems with me; she was far too trusting and a bit of a doormat. I found myself shouting "red flag, red flag" repeatedly as the story progressed, and not just with situations involving Jensen. There are a number of minor story lines which eventually feed into the main plot, adding multiple layers to characters and events. After a terrifying series of events, things begin to clear, and we begin to understand the chilling motives behind the actions of some individuals. But even then, there is still a master manipulator at work.

One Of The Family by Jess Ryder is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy.

Author Details

Jess Ryder is the pseudonym of Jan Page, author, screenwriter, playwright and award-winning television producer. After spending many years working in children’s television, she returned to writing novels and has written nine psychological thrillers to date. These include the e-bestseller The Ex Wife, which was adapted as a TV miniseries for Paramount Plus. She lives in London with her husband.

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

 

In Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1596, a young boy searches frantically for one of his relatives to let them know his twin sister is gravely ill. When his mother is eventually found it looks as if her premonition will finally come true and she will be left with only two children. 

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell is my book group read for October. I've read some of the author's much earlier work, but never felt drawn to Hamnet despite all the praise it has received. One of the brilliant things about being part of a reading group is reading books I might otherwise avoid. Unfortunately, this story really didn't grip me.

I enjoyed the aspect of the story that focused on Hamnet and his twin sister, Judith. You really feel his devotion to his sister and the helplessness he felt as he tried to find a member of his family. As he raced through the streets of Stratford, you get a sense of the hustle and bustle of Elizabethan England. There is also that sense of horror when you realise that the illness is probably the bubonic plague.

The part of the story that didn't engage me was the romance between Hamnet's parents approximately fifteen years earlier. The change of name of the mother and the complete lack of a name for the father baffled me. I was also bewildered by the structure of the narrative. The two story lines are intertwined, and from the outset we are aware of Hamnet's death. This removed all suspense and uncertainty during some of the scenes, particularly the birth of Hamnet.

The writing is evocative; you can feel the dust, smell the odors of food and rubbish, and imagine the crowds. There was a startling reminder that anyone who had an affinity for nature, who used plants for healing, was treated with suspicion. It was astonishing to see how much freedom children had, but also shocking how much responsibility was placed on them, tasks that children today wouldn't be expected to carry out. I found it amusing to see that teenagers haven't changed much in 400 years; refusing to get out of bed on a morning, demanding food, keeping everyone awake at night, not doing as they are asked.

I am sure that the story will appeal to fans of historical fiction; however, the narrative just didn't captivate me, and the possibility of a hint of mystery was lost because of the structure.

Author Details

Maggie O’Farrell, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, is the author of HAMNET, Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020, and the memoir I AM, I AM, I AM, both Sunday Times no. 1 bestsellers. Her novels include AFTER YOU’D GONE, MY LOVER’S LOVER, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, which won a Somerset Maugham Award, THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX, THE HAND THAT FIRST HELD MINE, which won the 2010 Costa Novel Award, INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEATWAVE and THIS MUST BE THE PLACE, and THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT. She is also the author of two books for children, WHERE SNOW ANGELS GO and THE BOY WHO LOST HIS SPARK. She lives in Edinburgh.

The Cider House Rules by John Irving

 

Homer Wells has spent all his life at St. Cloud's Orphanage. Doctor Wilbur Larch, the orphanage's director, hopes that one day Homer will take over the vital work he does. All Homer dreams of is a family of his own.

I first read The Cider House Rules by John Irving almost forty years ago, having discovered the author when I read a battered copy of The World According To Garp. I quickly read everything by the author I could lay my hands on, and from 1986 his books became ones I'd purchase as soon as they were published. When I discovered there was going to be a sequel to The Cider House Rules, I knew I'd have to re-read the book to remind myself of the story.

A forty-year gap between reads meant that the book was virtually a new read; I remembered vague elements of the story, but much of that probably comes from the themes that run through lots of the author's novels. It's a hefty read at just under 800 pages, the longest novel I've read in a long time, but the style of writing just draws you in. Even the smallest characters are fleshed out, and you can clearly visualise each and every one. 

What really surprised me as I read was how relevant the book still is today. One of the major themes of the story is women's right to choose. Dr. Larch sees himself as doing God's work; on one hand, he's saving children by running an orphanage for unwanted children, on the other, he's saving women by performing procedures on those with unwanted pregnancies. Set in a time when these procedures were frequently carried out in unsanitary backrooms by people without medical training, the descriptions are bleak and brutal, showing the extremes women were prepared to face. Dr. Larch offers a non-judgmental alternative.

Another big theme that runs throughout the story is that of family. The orphanage is isolated and relatively poor, yet the children are showered with love. The bond between Homer and Larch is like that of a father and son. Larch is torn, just like any father, he wants Homer is leave and find his place in the world, but at the same time he would love Homer to stay and take over the vital work he does. When Homer does leave, he is welcomed into the Worthington family, a family that treats him like a son, the family he has always dreamt of. All the threads combine to show that family is more than just blood.

Many of the themes that recur in John Irving's novels are seen in the narrative; the consequences of war, religion and sexuality run throughout. Themes such as wrestling and writing get brief mentions, but don't feature as heavily as they do in some of the author's other novels. 

While I did enjoy the re-read, I still wouldn't put this near the top of my favourite novels by the author. However, I am now tempted to re-read some of his other novels, to look at them with a fresh eye and see if they've stood the test of time as well as this one has. I'm also eager to read the sequel, Queen Esther, which is published on 6th November.

Author Details

John Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968. He has been nominated for a National Book Award three times-winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp. He also received an O. Henry Award, in 1981, for the short story "Interior Space." In 1992, Mr. Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules-a film with seven Academy Award nominations. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

October 2025 Reads

 

Knowing I had a holiday in October to look forward to, I decided I’d use the week to make a slight dent in the TBR pile. With so many good books available for review, I find that the TBR pile simply grows and grows, and I know that I’m probably missing out on some fantastic books. Hence, there are a few older books among my October reads.

I’ve always loved Sharon Bolton’s books, so I leapt at the chance to take part in the blog tour for her latest, The Token. The opening chapter is very dramatic and has you wondering where the story can possibly go. The narrative then jumps back a few days and takes a completely different turn; seven strangers receive tokens and are told they will inherit a billionaire’s fortune when he dies. Why have they been chosen, and how are their lives impacted?

I’m trying to work my way through the David Raker series by Tim Weaver. Last month, I read Never Coming Back, the fourth book in the series. An old friend asks Raker to help her find out what happened to her sister and her family, who disappeared from their home almost a year ago. The scope and geography of the story take the series to a whole new level, with Raker taking on a decidedly evil adversary. This is a somber story, but it offers a little window of hope at the end.

The Queen Who Came In From The Cold by S. J. Bennett is the fifth book in the Her Majesty The Queen Investigates series. The story is set in 1961 and sees the Queen involved in a spy trying to defect from Russia. It is all set against a backdrop of British double agents and the space race. There is also quite a glamorous feel as the Royal Yacht Britannia is being used for a state visit to Italy, and England is obsessed with James Bond and the upcoming visit of the Kennedy's.

The return of The Thursday Murder Club in The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman was like visiting old friends; I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed them. A friend of Joyce’s daughter asks for help after his life is threatened. His subsequent disappearance has the group springing into action. This is very much Elizabeth’s story as we see her regain some of her spark. There is a fine balance of humour and danger, with a lovely bit of karma for good measure.

New Year’s Eve must be pretty lonely if you have recently moved to a new country and your husband is completely focused on the opening of his new business. This is the predicament Becca finds herself in in The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly. It is no wonder she jumps at the chance to reconnect with a friend she hasn’t seen in a decade. Things take a nightmare turn when Becca wakes in the hospital with no knowledge of how she got there, and her friend is missing. Becca becomes the prime suspect in this unsettling story with massive twists.

Believe by S. M. Govett was the first of my TBR holiday reads. This is a brilliant psychological thriller that has you feeling rattled throughout. Natalie has never recovered from the trauma of being attacked by her boss. Ten years later, her husband is accused of the same crime. She is torn between being loyal to her husband and believing the other woman. The story is turned completely on its head when the accuser is murdered; an added complication is that Natalie is suffering blackouts and can’t account for huge chunks of time.

The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware has sat on my TBR pile for ages. The publication of a sequel reminded me that I hadn’t read it, but the TV adaptation moved it to the top. Travel journalist Lo Blacklock is given the opportunity to sail on the maiden voyage of a boutique cruise ship. In the middle of the night, she is convinced she witnesses the woman in the cabin next door being thrown overboard. The only problem is that the owner and crew are adamant that the adjacent cabin was unoccupied. Lo’s mental health is called into question, and her life is in danger, as she searches for clues to prove what she saw.

The Names by Florence Knapp is another of those books I kept putting off reading, and I’m kicking myself for doing so. On the day Cora registers her son’s birth, she faces three options: to follow tradition and name him after his father, to use the name her young daughter likes, or to give him the name she has chosen. The story splits into three separate threads as we follow the boy through life and see how the choice of a name can have such a huge impact on the life he leads. This is a powerful and emotional read.

The Slough House/Slow Horses series is a favourite of mine. Having read them all, I decided to check out some of author Mick Herron’s other books, starting with Down Cemetery Road. This is the first book in the Oxford series, featuring private investigator Zoé Boehm. Boehm doesn’t really feature much; this is more about bored housewife Sarah Trafford, who is investigating an explosion at a neighbour’s house. Sarah is intrigued by one of the people who died in the explosion, a soldier who supposedly died four years earlier. Sarah finds herself mixed up with unscrupulous members of the intelligence service.

When I discovered that John Irving had written a sequel to The Cider House Rules, I decided to re-read the book before the publication of Queen Esther in November. It’s almost forty years since I originally read the book, so the majority of the story felt fresh. Homer Wells was brought up in St. Cloud’s orphanage. As he gets older, he begins to help Dr. Larch with the medical procedures carried out at the orphanage; Larch hopes that Homer will one day take over his role and continue the work he does. Considering this was written forty years ago, the message regarding women’s rights is just as relevant today.

I finished the month with my book group read, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. This is a fictional telling of the death of Shakespeare’s young son. The writing is evocative, I felt as if I was immersed in the hustle and bustle of Elizabethan life. It certainly made me appreciate how convenient modern life is. I was gripped by the story of Hamnet, but wasn’t engaged by the romance element of the story.

I managed two audiobooks during the month, the first being The Woman Downstairs by JD Kirk. This is a new author to me, but I’ll certainly be checking out more of his books after listening to this twisty tale. Diane is sympathetic towards her new neighbour, who is fleeing an abusive relationship. Things quickly escalate when the abusive partner turns up and Diane is dragged into a living nightmare.

Back in September, I fell in love with the small town of Maple Falls when I took part in the Tandem Collective Readalong of The Cinnamon Spice Inn by Harper Graham. I was over the moon to get a review copy of the sequel, The Spiced Cocoa Café. Cassidy is new to town as it gears up for Christmas. She is immediately attracted to Liam, a local, but both have reasons to swear off the idea of romance. Fate keeps throwing them together, and they find it impossible to keep their hands off each other. This is definitely for those who like small town romances that are extra spicy.

Publication dates to watch out for:-

The Token by Sharon Bolton will be published on 6/11/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Queen Who Came In From The Cold by S. J. Bennett will be published on 6/11/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.