The author is new to me, but a quick internet search tells me that she’s London born, American raised but with Indian heritage. She moved to Rome arouThe author is new to me, but a quick internet search tells me that she’s London born, American raised but with Indian heritage. She moved to Rome around 2011 and fell in love with the city, and though work means that these days she’s not always in the city, emotionally she’s never left.
This collection of short stories, each set in or around the Eternal City, are of variable length, but share an ability to stir the emotions. There’s everything here from hopefulness, lust and longing to regret, betrayal and death – and all points in between. Interestingly, each tale is de-personalised in the sense that no names are used, just ‘the woman’, ‘the mourner’, or simply a capitalised letter which presumably denotes the beginning of a Christian name. Is this because the author believes the players in her stories don’t matter, it’s the situation she wants us to focus on? Or perhaps I’m over thinking it, or just failing to grasp Jhumpa’s true motivation. Either way, I suppose this devise does bring another kind of uniformity to the tales.
A number of the stories feature immigrants living in the city. These people tend to be in low paid employment and struggling to get by or at least conflicted, accepting why they’re no longer living in their homeland but anxious and conflicted regarding the cultural values in this place they now find themselves. The stories are told from multiple viewpoints: both male and female, the young and the old, a middle aged man stirred by thoughts of an affair and a couple lamenting the loss of a young son. As always with such a collection, some grabbed me more than others, but the quality of the writing here, the insights provided and the emotions provoked, is consistently high.
My favourite story concerns a man who briefly meets a woman under unusual circumstances at a party and thereafter becomes somewhat obsessed by her. I read it twice, so taken was I with it. In fact, this is a collection I could readily read through again – I’m sure I’d find things I overlooked first time around and appreciate details that previously passed me by. It’s a superb collection, one that I’d urge all lovers of short fiction to seek it out. I’ll certainly be looking out for more offerings from this exceptionally gifted writer.
My sincere thanks to Pan Macmillan for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
The central figure here is a woman, Teagan. In her late thirties she’s desperate to have a child with her husband Todd, but fates have so far been agaThe central figure here is a woman, Teagan. In her late thirties she’s desperate to have a child with her husband Todd, but fates have so far been against her. Looking to divert her focus, she’s decided that the actions of a terrorist group called K.I.L. offer her a short-term way of turning her attention to something other than her seeming inability to conceive. She’ll find a way of helping women kidnapped by this group in the Middle East. As a respected journalist she has some contacts and some knowledge that she feels will help her achieve this aim.
Told in non-chronological order, we’re treated to a series of events that are, at first, hard to fit together. Teagan is in a hotel where K.I.L. members are marauding through its corridors killing everyone they can find. Teagan is interviewing a reclusive man who wants her to write his life story. A dodgy C.I.A agent is seeing the bottom of a bottle of wine little too often as he laments his lot, seemingly stuck in Europe with little hope of returning to his family in America. A young man in Northern Italy starts to make his way through the ranks of a ruthless Mafia gang. So, just how do these elements link together?
There’s no doubt that Teagan holds the interest most prominently here. Attacked by a dog when she was young, she bears the scars on her face as witness to the event. This either works to offset and enhance her natural beauty or it casts a shadow that’s proves to be an ugly distraction to observers – both scenarios are presented here. She’s fearless in pursuit of her career goals and also in the face of physical danger, but she’s defenceless when it comes to facing the possibility of life without a child to love and care for. Consequently, her moods and her actions are unpredictable.
At heart there’s a good story here as the various threads eventually come together to present a semi-cohesive whole. But my reservations are twofold: firstly, I struggled to like or even believe in any of the major characters; secondly, I’m just not a fan of this jerky way of telling a story where events are overlaid or the timeframe is constantly switching. There’s a follow-up book already lined up for release and I’ll have do some thinking as to whether it’s one I’ll be adding to my bookshelf.
My thanks to the publisher Pen and Picture for providing a copy of the audiobook in return for an honest review....more
I grabbed a copy of this book without reading the blurb, having grown very fond of this authors writing recently. But to my astonishment, it wasn’t atI grabbed a copy of this book without reading the blurb, having grown very fond of this authors writing recently. But to my astonishment, it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. What I was expecting was a crime thriller akin to the fast talking crime novels I’ve been devouring of late. What I actually got started out very much in this vein but quickly morphed into a tale involving strange events that occurred amid what appeared to be a thunderstorm but turned out to be a hole through which people suddenly travelled either forward or backward in time.
It took me a while to get over the shock, and I confess that I struggled to push on through the book once I realised that I’d unintentionally duped myself. Hang on a minute, I found myself thinking, this isn’t what I signed up for! I even stopped reading it for a few days before, rather reluctantly, picking it up for a second go. And I’m glad I did. Once I got into the flow of a tale told in both a present-day Californian desert setting and an accompanying story set in the same area in the late 1800s, I slowly warmed it.
In some ways, it’s odd that I didn’t settle into the story more quickly as I’m a bit of a time travel buff. I think the issue is that I found the time travel activity here somewhat unconvincing, even though the dual stories were interesting enough. The whole thing is a slightly odd mix of a modern day detective seeking to re-boot her career after it was derailed by wayward act and a man setting out to protect a daughter who – in this world he finds himself – has yet to be born. It didn’t quite work for me, and yet I still found myself smiling as I turned the final pages.
My thanks to Severn House for providing an ARC of this book visa NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I really like the way Nelson DeMille’s writes, he tends to produce lengthy tales featuring spikey characters who always have a good deal to say for thI really like the way Nelson DeMille’s writes, he tends to produce lengthy tales featuring spikey characters who always have a good deal to say for themselves. There’s always humour too, plenty of it. But dialogue – great dialogue – is unfailingly my favourite element. Here, U.S. based Army CID Agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, a typically forthright pair, are brought together to investigate (well, in a black ops kind of way) the murder of a colleague in Berlin. I’d missed the earlier novel featuring this pair, but I went in, hoping that this story would be fine as a stand-alone read. It was. I was also slightly nervous about how teaming up with his son Alex to pen this tale would impact the style and feel of the story. Once again, I shouldn’t have worried. The familiar feel and flow is in clear evidence here.
It’s obvious from the start that there’s a simmering sexual tension between Scott and Maggie. By all accounts they’d come close to sharing a bed in their previous adventure; this would continue to be a background theme during their time in Berlin. Once in situ, it quickly becomes clear that Maggie is to be the more forward thinking of the pair, whilst Scott will continually operate based on the next thought that comes into his head. It’s also evident that the vast array of government agents, police, army officers and politicians assembled to oversee the formal investigative process neither appreciate the pair’s involvement or feel inclined to pass much useful information their way.
In consequence, the investigation proceeds largely based on groundwork (much of it unauthorised) carried out by Brodie and Taylor. Danger is an ever-present companion, with racial tensions, a neo-Nazi group, and even the spectre of the old East German Stasi secret police presenting a potential threat. But Brodie, barely controlled by Taylor, is intent on bullying his way to the truth. It’s all great fun as the pair scuttle around the city, constantly in search of clues and answers.
This isn’t my favourite DeMille novel – that goes to either of his brace of hilarious John Sutter books: Gold Coast and The Gate House. But the (perhaps unlikely) events in this book really are great fun. And in Brodie and Taylor, the authors have definitely come up with a pair I’d be very happy to meet up with again.
My thanks to Scribner for providing an ARC of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
Former U.S. Army interpreter Arman Bajalan finds a body on the beach one morning, in Norfolk, Virginia, shortly after completing his pre-work swim. ThFormer U.S. Army interpreter Arman Bajalan finds a body on the beach one morning, in Norfolk, Virginia, shortly after completing his pre-work swim. These days, Arman is employed completing menial tasks at a motel situated close to the beach. We’re to learn more about how he came to migrate to America and what became of his family too, but for now he finds himself answering questions posed by the investigating officer, Detective Catherine Wheel, and hoping that this delay to the start of his working day won’t cost him his job.
It seems that Arman had seen a couple of men leaving the beach and had even picked up a phrase one of the men had uttered to his companion. This small piece of information would allow Wheel and her partner, Lamar Adams, who’d himself briefly seen military action in Iraq, to begin to unpick a complex series of events leading to the murder of this man. A number of people we’ve met in the early pages of this book will be impacted, and in ways we couldn’t have anticipated.
The story unfolds steadily, but with sudden and unexpected events punctuating the narrative. It’s possible that a private military company who are attempting to secure government funding are somehow implicated, but if so it’s not clear how. In fact, whenever I started to think I had a handle on things something would happen that would startle me, throwing me off track. All of the main characters are well drawn and believable, their discourse often punchy and always convincing. Overall, a complicated tale is delivered in a manner that is both intriguing and engaging.
A minor grumble I have is that there are an awful lot of unexplained acronyms here, though this didn’t significantly detract from my enjoyment of this tale. A standard police procedural this is not - it’s crime fiction, but with something of a twist. An enjoyable read from an author new to me.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
One of the strangest books I’ve read in quite a while!
Martin Just awakes one morning feeling like he’s been asleep for a hundred years. Wondering nakeOne of the strangest books I’ve read in quite a while!
Martin Just awakes one morning feeling like he’s been asleep for a hundred years. Wondering naked on to his balcony, he quickly finds himself accosted by police. Martin is a black man living in the affluent Hollywood hills of Los Angeles - is he being picked out, victimised? Worse is to come, as he’s thrown into a cell to be joined sometime later by a huge white supremacist intent on doing him serious harm.
What happens next is a little hard to fathom, but Martin is concious that he’s on a mission, that he’s been chosen. He’s not the only one, he's aware that there are others too. This discovery has emerged, he knows, from the long sleep. Now he’s two people, a Jekyll and Hyde, a man who is a stranger to violence and also a man who embraces it. He’s not sure how events will manifest but he understands that if he is ‘life’, then he must face down he who is ‘death’.
At times I found the narrative incomprehensible. It lurches from one strange scene to the next, piling one surreal event on top of another. The action scenes are straight out of a Marvel comic book, but the language and and the writing is that of a serious wordsmith. It’s incongruous. I'm afraid it's just too much for me.
I’ve enjoyed Mosley’s writing in the past, The Awkward Black Man is one of the finest collection of short stories I’ve read, and I’ve always been impressed by the way refuses to be locked into one particular style (compare Cinnamon Kiss to John Woman, for example). With this book he’s moving into John Boyne territory in terms of expanding his range, but I'm afraid it just didn’t work for me. On the plus side, it’s a short piece so I was able to complete it in one sitting.
My thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing an ARC of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
Set in the near future, this novel explores some challenging ideas around what it means to be human. Talisa, an American academic, agrees to be a surrSet in the near future, this novel explores some challenging ideas around what it means to be human. Talisa, an American academic, agrees to be a surrogate mother for an English couple in exchange for funding to continue her career development. But the super-rich owner of the institute that is to carry out the procedure plans to execute an outlandish plan. Experimental and corrupt, it is to have huge consequences for Talisa, the parents and Seth, the child.
It's definitely best not to give too much away here, so suffice to say it explores the genesis of some of the challenges each of us might have to deal with in our lifetime – challenges we’d all rather not have to address. There’s a good deal of very technical talk here, which sounds authentic (though I really have no idea if that’s the case), and in part, it states the case for the ‘experiment’. So it’s part of a story of how things play out, particularly for Talisa and Seth, but it’s also a discussion on the positive and negative aspects of how humans have to this point evolved.
As I’ve previously experienced with this author, the writing is really strong; Faulks certainly knows how to string words together. I was particularly drawn to Seth, a boy and then a young man who is just a bit different from others. The developing relationship between he and Talisa is, though, a bit odd – uncomfortable and somewhat spooky. But it’s certainly an eye-opening piece: a mix of science and history, woven into a story of people living in a world that has moved on from where we are at present. This new world made me smile, too, with its predictions as to what developments we might expect as the 21st century progresses. If the author set out to tease the minds of his readers, to make us ponder on the conundrum of what we are and how we got here, then I do believe he succeeded.
My thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for supplying an early reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I’ve been an avid reader of Donna Leon’s Venice based Commissario Brunetti mysteries for many years, reading all thirty two episodes and also passing I’ve been an avid reader of Donna Leon’s Venice based Commissario Brunetti mysteries for many years, reading all thirty two episodes and also passing many of them on to my late mum, who eagerly gobbled them up too. So when I spotted that she’d written a memoir, I was really keen to get hold of a copy at the earliest opportunity. But having read it, I’m not quite sure what to make of it. It certainly wasn’t quite what I was expecting.
What I was expecting - perhaps what I was hoping for – was something that would, at least in part, lead me through the journey the author went on whilst writing the Brunetti books: what inspired her, how she gathered information on how policing works in the city, what the catalyst for some of her stories was. In fact, there was only one short section that touched on these books, and this was only in passing.
Does this make it a bad book? No, of course not. Instead, there are many pleasant surprises here as we learn of the author’s early life in America and the wanderlust that subsequently took her all over the world, often at the drop of a hat and with no real means of supporting a lengthy trip abroad. The early sections are anecdotes from her youth, with a particular light shining on her truly inspiring mother, and focus then moves to some memorable episodes from her travels. Later, there are sections focussing on her discovery of Italy, a country she formed a lifelong love affair with, and also her home in Switzerland. Her last piece is a reflection on ageing; Donna has now turned eighty, and yet it’s clear she has adopted a constructive and pragmatic outlook in terms of where she is on her journey through life.
The book really feels like a random collection of memories and adventures but laid out in chronological order. Beyond her early years in America, there is actually very little here about Donna’s personal life, other than references to a number of friendships she built up over the years. The picture it paints is that of a person who has taken chances and been expansive in how she’s chosen to lead her life - a very full life. But it’s a relatively short book, and I just wish there had been more here about her writing. I enjoyed my time with it, but it does feel a bit like a meal that’s missing a course.
My thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing an early reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
To fully appreciate some stories, the less you know in advance the better. This is such a story. So, I’ll try to provide my thoughts on this outstandiTo fully appreciate some stories, the less you know in advance the better. This is such a story. So, I’ll try to provide my thoughts on this outstanding book without disclosing anything likely to spoil the experience for future readers.
It starts with an office scene. A man is stood looking out of an upper floor window, a cup of coffee in his hand. Two of the people sat around a table share a look and one of them immediately leaves the room. There’s a sense of urgency in the air. We don’t know why – we’re not yet privy to what immediately proceeded this – but it seems that the act of leaving is significant, perhaps it’s an escape. But if so, an escape from what?
We’re introduced to Heather, and in time we are to learn a good deal about her life. She has pressing needs now and is attempting to deal with them, but her mind is often drawn to the past too, and this is where we will slowly begin to unpick why events are unfolding as they are. There’s mystery here, of course, but there’s action too, quite startling and unexpected action. It’s very hard to anticipate how things will eventually play out, so tightly is this tale constructed, the sense of jeopardy so well maintained.
I’d read Apple Tree Yard, the author’s seventh novel, some nine years ago and absolutely loved it, but somehow Doughty then slipped off my radar. I’m struggling to understand how and why, because this book is in many ways completely different but equally as strong. Her writing is spare in the sense that not a word is wasted but rich in her ability to absolutely convince in her descriptions of people, their actions and their inner thoughts. There wasn’t a moment here that I doubted an action that was taken or a thought brought to mind. She paints vivid pictures throughout whilst remorselessly maintaining an iron grip on the narrative. I totally understood what was happening, even if the ‘why’ would only be revealed late on – and in a very surprising way.
It’s a wonderful book on so many levels and I’d recommend it to just about any reader. It’s a mystery and a thriller but also I’d suggest it would appeal to anyone who enjoys a well written story, regardless of the genre. It’s already clear to me that this will be amongst the best books I’ll read this year. And I’m definitely now going to track down all of her books that I’ve overlooked for so long.
My thanks to Faber and Faber Ltd for providing an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Life changes for four people who live in an Oklahoma commune when their home literally explodes. As luck would have it, they’re not at home when this Life changes for four people who live in an Oklahoma commune when their home literally explodes. As luck would have it, they’re not at home when this disaster occurs, but they’re now homeless and left holding a bunch of cash. The money is really not theirs to spend, linked as it is to an illegal drug transaction. But who’s left to question this?
On the road and looking for somewhere to stay, they eventually find a place to rent in Texas. They’re an eclectic bunch: a rough biker, an ex-stripper, a well-meaning misfit and a girl, Coral, who doesn’t talk to anyone (it’s assumed she’s a deaf mute, but the other members of this group are never quite sure).
The characters promise to be an interesting bunch. We learn a little about their backgrounds as the story plays out but, in truth, never quite enough to fully satisfy me. Coral’s background is potentially the most intriguing, but it’s also the one least explored. In fact, because of this I really failed to engage with her; she’s a big presence in the group but her behaviour is often hard to explain and (to my mind) even harder to endure.
The narrative here is actually pretty thin, it's is a character driven tale but one in which the characters are actually never fully drawn. I found this really frustrating. On top of that, I found it hard to understand many of the decisions they made and the actions they took, both collectively and individually.
It's a really quirky tale that does have its good points: I grew to like most of the key players and was interested to see how their ‘adventure’ would play out. But ultimately, I have to say I found it all rather disappointing, with insufficient here to wholly engage me. In the end, it all rather petered out, leaving me with a sense that there simply wasn't enough story in the story.
My thanks to Random House for providing an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Told as a first person account running through the course of a single day, we first learn that a man is to die today at the home of a birthday party hTold as a first person account running through the course of a single day, we first learn that a man is to die today at the home of a birthday party host. We don’t yet know the identity of the man or precisely how he is to meet his fate, though dark deeds are prophesised. We won’t, in fact, discover anything further about this incident until the breathless conclusion to this tale.
We quicky jump back in time to the beginning of the day. The host, Nadine, is setting up the event for her mother’s sixtieth birthday. We are to learn a lot about her mother and Nadine’s relationship with her and we’ll meet a good number of the guests ahead of the party itself too. Amongst the guests, we’ll particularly be interested in a half-dozen or so men who are to attend. Amongst them are Nadine’s husband Paul, his business partner (not a man Nadine much favours), a creepy neighbour, another neighbour Nadine had a brief affair with, a local store owner who might know a little bit too much and a journalist who’s written some unflattering things about her mother. Yes, there are plenty of possibilities here.
But that’s not the only point of interest, as there are a number of other things occupying Nadine’s mind on this day. Issues involving her two teenage children are to the fore and also, as we continue to gain more knowledge of Nadine’s life with her mother, we learn of a family tragedy that occurred some thirty years ago. This party is going to occur on the anniversary of that event and this fact is causing Nadine a good deal of heartache.
It’s all cleverly put together and I found myself galloping through this tale, eager to discover its secrets. It’s a whogotit rather than a whodunnit, but I think this distinction makes it just a little more interesting. Of course it’s a still somewhat formulaic in its construction and narrow its focus, but that goes for any story of this type. A positive aspect here is that with only ten percent of the book left to consume I still had no real fix on who the victim was to be. One detail eventually pointed me in the right direction, meaning the final disclosure wasn’t by then a surprise, but I still found the ending to be a satisfying one. A decent four star offering, for me.
My thanks to Penguin Random House for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
The Battle of the Bulge was (16/12/44 – 25/1/45) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during WWII. It was also the largest and bloThe Battle of the Bulge was (16/12/44 – 25/1/45) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during WWII. It was also the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the United States and the third-deadliest campaign in American history. In fact it’s really inaccurate to call it a single battle as it was really a series of fights between German and largely inexperienced US troops, fought through the densely forested Ardennes region of Belgium.
This book covers of the context of the battle and walks through the significant events that took place during those terrible five weeks. The detail imparted also includes: troop movements, intelligence gathered, equipment and armoury deployed, condition and terrain. Aside from this there are quite a number of first person accounts of actions witnessed – some of these extremely harrowing. Incidents touched on include atrocities carried out by German troops, such as the Malmedy massacre, a war crime committed by soldiers of the Waffen-SS.
What comes across strongly is just how much confusion was caused to Allied troops, who were caught completely off-guard by the offensive. Also, very evident is the chaos, confusion, random luck (both good and bad) and sheer brutality of war. One surprise to me was the degree of antipathy senior American soldiers felt towards British Field Marshal Montgomery, who after the event tried to grab much of the glory even though he only really got seriously involved after the battle had been pretty much won.
I listened to an audio version, competently read by Mack Gordon. My only reservation here being that trying to keep tabs on what was a complex and confusing event was very difficult without a map to hand or a good working knowledge of both the area and the makeup of the various American units deployed. An easy one to remedy, perhaps, but tough when you’re largely listening to the book whilst walking your four-legged friend.
My thanks to Arcturus Digital Audio for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I’d heard of Burning Man, my only real take being that it’s a wild gathering where anything goes, and then they burn a large effigy of a man. Well, afI’d heard of Burning Man, my only real take being that it’s a wild gathering where anything goes, and then they burn a large effigy of a man. Well, after working my way through this book I can confirm that I was on the right lines, but selling the whole thing short. Way short.
The week-long event takes place every year in the desert at Black Rock, north of Nevada. Attendees are asked to abide by the festival’s principals, which include a call to get involved, be self-reliant and, when it’s all over, to leave no trace that you were ever there. This book explores the background and the aims of Burning Man but the key element here is the art that’s been on display over the years. Much of it is huge, wildly imaginative and sometimes absurd. And more often than not the photographs show people climbing all over the pieces, as attendees are invited to ‘come and play’ with the exhibits.
For me this book achieved two things:
1. I was prompted to undertake further research into the festival as a result of what I saw and read here: in combination it exploded my perception that this is just a wild, uncontrolled party. Yes, shirts are optional, but at its heart it is highly organised and the ethos here is to explore, to discover, to experience and then to clean up and go home, leaving the desert as you found it.
2. I found sight of the art on display (the photographs are superb) mind boggling. The scale of much of it defies logic – how did they ever transport it out to this wildly remote place? I gained a new appreciation of how art can fire the imagination and stimulate creativity in those who see it and experience it.
My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group for supplying a e-copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
As the story begins we first learn of a group of six Irish teenage friends, three girls and three boys, delighting in the life they’re living in a larAs the story begins we first learn of a group of six Irish teenage friends, three girls and three boys, delighting in the life they’re living in a large village in north County Leitram, lying between the Dartry Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The action then quickly shifts to a period some years later, a time when a two of the group have temporarily returned to the village. We learn that one of the group, a high spirited girl called Kala, has gone missing at some point between these two events. It’s a mystery, nobody knows either where she went or what fate has befallen her.
We are to see more of some members of the group than others; we learn that aside from Kala another of the six, Aidan, is not around – it seems that he may have died? And we also begin to discover more about the relationships between them: the three boys formed a band, but only Joe went on to achieve fame; Mush, the third boy, still works at his mum’s café in the village; Kala and Aoife were close friends already when Helen moved to the village with her dad and sister, the two then became three.
The narrative is fragmented, with events and timelines being regularly interweaved. It requires concentration. There plenty are smart lines, making me pause and even to note some down for continued appreciation. And there’s a good deal of Irish slang mixed in, some of it explained and some not. It all bubbles along for more than half the book with nothing much more than the fact that there are clearly some hidden truths here to even hint at the reason for Kala’s disappearance. But then an event happens, a further disappearance, and suddenly the pace picks up, things kick off.
There are a number of mysteries here, some small and obviously the major one concerning Kala. Not all will be resolved, some loose ends will remain. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I feel. In fact the only gripe I have is the fact that the pace and feel of the book was significantly disturbed by events in the second half, and not in a good way. To me it felt unbalanced, it didn’t quite work. But even so, it’s a book I enjoyed and I think plenty of other readers will too.
My thanks to Atlantic books for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
In a short space of time Hugh has lost his wife and also his mother, two of the most important people in his life. He’s struggling, and though he’s haIn a short space of time Hugh has lost his wife and also his mother, two of the most important people in his life. He’s struggling, and though he’s had professional counselling it hasn’t really helped him. Now he’s decided to travel to Perugia, Italy, from his American home. He’ll stay for six months with his elderly grandmother and three aunts, in a medieval villa where he often spent the summers of his youth. Hugh’s daughter supports his decision, hoping it will stop him from continuing to wallow in the past.
The villa is situated in a largely abandoned village, on the top of an elevated piece of lad which itself in is the centre of a valley. It’s like a small island, with steep drop-offs on all sides (note: the author based the imaginary village of Valetto on the real life town of Civita di Bagnoregio, situated in the neighbouring province of Lazio). Hugh plans to spend his time in a small cottage he’d been bequeathed by his mother, located in the grounds of the villa. But upon his arrival he discovers that the cottage already has an occupant, a lady who claims that Hugh’s grandfather had previously gifted the property to her family.
There’s a good deal more to this story involving preparations for a grand birthday celebration and events of past, largely those occurring during the German occupation of the area. But in its essence, it’s a novel about loss and the grief and renewal; it a story about Hugh and whether it’s possible for him to find something that will free him from the shackles of his own broken-heartedness. It is, in truth, a magnificent tale, full of interesting characters of wonderful descriptions of the place and its history. I loved it from start to finish and I’m already missing the story and its people very badly.
The author’s last novel The Last Painting of Sara de Vos was one of my favourite reads of 2016, so I was very eager hands on a copy of this one. It certainly didn’t disappoint and is sure to be one of my favourite reads of 2023.
My thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for supplying a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I’m wary of tales featuring supernatural activity, of ‘other dimensions’ and particularly of devils and demons.These are elements that I’m not able toI’m wary of tales featuring supernatural activity, of ‘other dimensions’ and particularly of devils and demons.These are elements that I’m not able to grasp, or to accept; I simply do not believe in such things. So I try to avoid books in which these components are in evidence - though I do make some exceptions. I’ve dabbled with Stephen King books in which telekinesis is practiced and other supernatural activity is in evidence, and I’ve regularly sought out books in which various means of transporting its characters through time is the prime driver of the story. So why can I accept and enjoy time travel when I struggle so much to accept ghouls and ghosts? In truth, I really don’t know.
This story features those that are dead and those that are living, they intermingle and it’s not always possible to discern one from the other. A young man wakes to realise he needs to be somewhere else to keep a promise, and he needs to be there in five days time. His destination is somewhere a long way from where he is now, so this appears to offer the promise of a road trip – now there’s an adventure I really do like. He’d awoken in one place but then, oddly, he is suddenly somewhere else. And now he’s bumped into a girl he knows, perhaps a former girlfriend. Already it’s starting to feel like a mixed bag of my likes and my dislikes. Can it still it work for me?
Well, unfortunately it really doesn’t, and for a number of reasons. Firstly, I quickly started to find the whole storyline too confusing; it’s a very busy tale, with a lot of moving parts and unexplained happenings. I knew I’d need patience to work my way into this one, but that’s something I know I lack. Secondly, I found the main characters somewhat irritating. I could see that they’d both had challenges and some bad luck in their lives, but I couldn’t get a grip on their relationship and I don’t think the chemistry between them quite worked either. Or if it did, I lost it in the confusing nature of their meeting and the oddity of their subsequent interactions. I also found the overall mood quite depressing. It would eventually be explained why this was the case, and though this clarified much of what had gone before it didn’t alter my view of things – for me the ship had already sailed. Ultimately, there’s a mystery here, but no real adventure to drive it along.
I listened to an audio version, competently narrated by the multi-talented Rob Shapiro. Perhaps there’s an audience of readers/listeners who will find this one more appealing than I did, namely those that are more attuned to both the major theme that evolves in the book and also the supernatural elements that are an integral part of it throughout. It’s a miss for me, but I did work my way through the whole story, so two stars it is.
My thanks to CamCat Books for providing a copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in return for an honest review. ...more
Jess is an Australian who has been living and working in London for twenty years. She’s a journalist but has recently been struggling to hold down a rJess is an Australian who has been living and working in London for twenty years. She’s a journalist but has recently been struggling to hold down a regular job. Jess has also broken up with her boyfriend and consequently can’t really afford the cost of living alone in this city, in the house they once shared. But then she receives a call to advise her that her grandmother has had a fall, back in Sydney. Could an excursion down under give her a chance to clear her head, and perhaps she could even write an article about her trip that she might earn some money from?
Once in Australia, Jess starts to unpick a mystery concerning the genesis of her grandmother’s accident and stumbles across a lot of hitherto unknown history surrounding her family, and perhaps even a link to her virtual estrangement from her own mother. It’s a complex tale of connections and relationships in a small community, and at its centre is a tragic event that happened on Christmas Eve in 1959.
I listened to an audio version of this book read by actress Claire Foy. She does a great job of alternating between a fairly posh English accent (possibly her own) and a very passable set (to my ears at least) of Aussie accents. It’s a tale that builds slowly and includes fantastic descriptions of Australian settings. But readers/listeners will have to be patient as it all takes quite some time to come to the boil. But when it does, it provides as satisfying an unravelling of the facts as I’ve come across in quite some time.
In truth, this is not really the kind of story that normally takes my fancy: requiring more concentration than I ordinarily have to spare, as inputs arrive from a variety of sources regarding a large cast of characters. However, here it’s all so well executed that any nagging doubts I might have had were shuffled to the back of my mind as I became drawn ever deeper into this intriguing tale. It’s my first experience of a novel by this writer, but on this evidence it’s unlikely to be my last.
My thanks to Bolinda Audio for supplying a copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Ant is a Samaritan, that is to say he is one of the voices callers to the charity line are greeted by when they’re seeking help. Callers are often desAnt is a Samaritan, that is to say he is one of the voices callers to the charity line are greeted by when they’re seeking help. Callers are often desperate, sometimes suicidal. A close friend of Ant’s committed suicide, it affected him badly. Now he has a chance to help those headed for a similar end to their lives.
Seth isn’t a ‘real’ Samaritan, he’s an insomniac who, most nights, phones strangers hoping he’ll find someone willing to chat, to engage with. He’s married to Maeve, but it’s a dysfunctional union – she goes off to bed at night, aware of her husband’s proclivity.
Hadley is a troubled young woman, she’s looking for something but not finding it. She has suicidal tendencies.
Detective Sergeant Pace is investigating two murders. Both are women who have subsequently been thoroughly ‘bleached’ and then dumped far from their homes. There are no clues as to who carried out these dreadful acts.
How are these people linked? Are they, in fact, linked? We follow them alternately as they set about their daily (and nightly) business. But we don’t really get to know them. Their personalities somehow don’t come through and Pace, in particular, is almost portrayed as a non-person.
The tale is dark, very dark in places, and highly sexual – sometimes graphically so. Ciaran Saward, the narrator in the audio version I listened to, does a good job of maintaining the tension whilst his delivery also suggests that these people are actually rather ordinary, just a little quirky or bored, or perhaps simply tired. I couldn’t warm to any of the characters, but maybe I wasn’t supposed to.
It’s a mystery that shocked me and kept me guessing but with an ending I thought was somewhat telegraphed. It's somewhere between a three and a four star offering for me, but I've decided to round it up.
My thanks to Bolinda Audio for providing a copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Matt Hancock became a household name and face in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Secretary of State for Health and Social Care he regularly feMatt Hancock became a household name and face in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Secretary of State for Health and Social Care he regularly featured in the daily televised press conferences provided by the government. Essentially, he was the man largely responsible for co-ordinating the country’s efforts to combat this plague. To me, he came across as energetic and largely on top of his brief… if a little smarmy. He was forced to resign in June 2021 after his affair with a colleague – and a photograph of the pair disobeying social distancing guidelines – was revealed by a national newspaper. Here he provides his own recollections of the period, from the outbreak of the pandemic through to his resignation.
Set out as a series of diary entries, there’s a good deal here about how key people worked together and sometimes feuded as information was gathered, actions debated and decisions made. The key medical people come out well but a number Hancock’s colleagues less so. Dominic Cummings (Chief Adviser to Boris Johnson) comes across as a real snake, in fact he is accused of doing pretty much everything he could to bring Matt down. He’s clearly a hated figure: again and again he crops up, but never in a good way. It seems that Cummings had been totally let off the leash by Johnson and was a bully who ruled simply by fear, seeking to grab control of pretty much everything. Others that attract the ire of the author include Kate Bingham (chair of the UK Vaccination Taskforce), former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham. Bingham for constantly trying to undermine efforts to maximise the purchase of vaccine doses and the other two for blatantly playing politics throughout the crisis.
It’s hard to judge how much of what’s here is simply Hancock telling the truth as he saw it or alternatively a tempered version painting him in a better light than he deserves. But he’s a politician and it’s his version of the truth, so there’s are undoubtedly elements here that are self-serving. Either way, I found it interesting to re-visit this grim and dramatic period of our collective history with a decent insight into what went on behind closed doors at the highest level.
As I listened to an audio version of this book, read by Hancock, I realised that I’ve become attuned to his voice, having heard it so often in the past couple of years. I think this added positively to the experience; he’s a persuasive speaker and listening to him walk me through his recollections of this troubled time reminded me just how dark a time this truly was.
My thanks to W.F. Howes Ltd for providing a copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I’ve been reading Craig Russell’s books for years. I was initially drawn to his books featuring Jan Fabel of the Hamburg Murder Squad and then a shortI’ve been reading Craig Russell’s books for years. I was initially drawn to his books featuring Jan Fabel of the Hamburg Murder Squad and then a short series set on the gangster-ridden streets of Glasgow in the 1950s. These two series were equally strong but very different in terms of setting, timeframe and tone. But lately he’s stepped away from crime fiction novels to produce a group of books that are a complete departure from what’s gone before. The Devil Aspect is a Gothic horror story set in Czechoslovakia in 1935 and Hyde is a dark thriller set in Victorian Edinburgh. In truth, I loved the former but was a little less taken with the latter. So what to make of his latest tale, a mystery/thriller set in 1920s Hollywood?
The Devil’s Playground is reputed to be the greatest horror film ever made, a film that was also said to have cast a curse on everyone involved in its making. Finished in 1927, it was one of the last big films made in the silent movie era. But alas all copies of the film are reported to have been lost, hidden or destroyed. Forty years later, Paul Conway, a film historian and journalist, is hired to track down what might just be the only copy of the film in existence. Such is its value, he’s been offered a huge sum if he can complete this task.
We follow Conway’s quest as he potentially closes in on his quarry and we are also taken back in time to the making of the film. There are satanic rituals, black magic and ancient fears and beliefs in play as the filming takes place. There’s also an interesting cast of characters, notably Mary Rourke who is the ‘fixer’ employed by the studio making the film. In essence, her job is to troubleshoot issues arising and to tidy up uncomfortable or potentially ruinous acts carried out by anyone involved in the making of the film. She’s to be kept very busy here.
Does Conway find a copy of the film? Is there good reason to believe that this truly is the classic horror movie it’s claimed to be? We have to wait some time to get answers to these questions, but I have to say that it’s a pretty satisfying journey. I don’t have too much to criticise here either, except to say that it’s perhaps all a little too drawn out and as the story comes to a close there are a few more twists and surprises than I think the story really needs. But overall I found it to be another truly gripping tale from this very talented writer.
My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
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