Tag: 4.5 stars

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Published February 18th, 2021 by Mantle
Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Historical Mystery, Women Sleuths

Thank you to Mantle Books for my proof copy of this book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘The best historical crime novel I will read this year’ – The Times

‘This is right up there with the best of C. J. Sansom and Andrew Taylor’ – Amanda Craig, author of The Golden Rule

From the pleasure palaces and gin-shops of Covent Garden to the elegant townhouses of Mayfair, Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s Daughters of Night follows Caroline Corsham as she seeks justice for a murdered woman whom London society would rather forget . . .

London, 1782. Desperate for her politician husband to return home from France, Caroline ‘Caro’ Corsham is already in a state of anxiety when she finds a well-dressed woman mortally wounded in the bowers of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The Bow Street constables are swift to act, until they discover that the deceased woman was a highly paid prostitute, at which point they cease to care entirely. But Caro has motives of her own for wanting to see justice done, and so sets out to solve the crime herself. Enlisting the help of thieftaker Peregrine Child, their inquiry delves into the hidden corners of Georgian society, a world of artifice, deception and secret lives.

But with many gentlemen refusing to speak about their dealings with the dead woman, and Caro’s own reputation under threat, finding the killer will be harder, and more treacherous, than she can know . . .

‘Spectacularly brilliant . . . One of the most enjoyable and enduring stories I have ever read’ – James O’Brien, journalist, author and LBC Presenter

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MY REVIEW:

“In the wrong hands, a secret is a weapon.”

Atmospheric and absorbing, this riveting historical crime story opens on a dark night in Georgian London when Caroline ‘Caro’ Corsham finds the bloodied and mortally wounded body of a woman she knows as Lucia, an Italian Contessa. Lucia’s fingers find Caro’s, she gazes into her eyes, and with her last breath she whispers, ‘He knows’. The police are initially quick to investigate but drop the case when they discover that Lucia is in fact Lucy Loveless, a highly paid prostitute. Caro is incensed. So, with the help of  thieftaker Peregrine Child, she sets out to solve the crime. Their investigation leads them into the darkest corners of Georgian society and gentlemen who refuse to talk for fear of sullying their reputation. Can Caro and Perry find the killer before they too are silenced?

Daughters of Night has been sitting on my shelf ever since I received the proof in early 2021 and I am so glad I finally got around to reading it. Laura Shepherd-Robinson is an exquisite storyteller, bringing Georgian London and its dark, shadowy underbelly to life in vivid detail. Her research is evident in the authenticity that runs throughout the book, making me feel like I’d been transported back in time. Exploring topics such as shame, lack of female agency, and the unrelenting exploitation and abuse of women, Shepherd-Robinson writes with compassion, but there is also a brutal honesty, and some of the scenes in this book are not for the faint hearted. 

The huge cast of characters felt reminiscent of Dickens which added to the authentic historic feel. The richly drawn and varied cast of characters leaped from the pages and I connected quickly with Caro and young Pamela, the latter breaking my heart in every scene. Evocatively narrated, I lost myself in the elaborate and intricate plot, my heart pounding as the mystery deepened and the many threads began to weave together to finally reveal the full shocking picture. 

A tense, gripping and intriguing historical mystery that is a must-read for anyone who enjoys this genre. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Laura Shepherd-Robinson was born in Bristol in 1976. She has a BSc in Politics from the University of Bristol and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics.

Laura worked in politics for nearly twenty years before re-entering normal life to complete an MA in Creative Writing at City University. She lives in London with her husband, Adrian.

Blood & Sugar, her first novel, won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown and the Specsaver’s Debut Crime Novel award, was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, and a Guardian and Telegraph novel of the year. It was also shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and the Sapere Historical Dagger; the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Best Debut Novel; and the Goldsboro Glass Bell; and longlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year.

Her second novel, Daughters of Night, was been shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year, the Goldsboro Glass Bell, the Capital Crime Fingerprint Historical Novel Award and the Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown, longlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger and was a Book of the Year in The Times, The i, and the Guardian.

Her third novel, The Square of Sevens, is a Sunday Times bestseller and available from all good bookshops now.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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Blog Tours Book Features book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Collapsing Wave (The Enceladons Trilogy, Book 2) by Doug Johnstone

Published March 14th, 2024 by Orenda Books
Science Fiction, Suspense, Adventure Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Collapsing Wave. Thank you to Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda Books for the gifted proof.

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SYNOPSIS:

Ava, Lennox and Heather make contact with alien Sandy and head for a profound confrontation … The awe-inspiring, exquisitely moving sequel to The Space Between Us, as seen on BBC Two’s Between the Covers.
 
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Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens’ visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into the water off Scotland’s west coast.
 
Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities.
 
Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history.
 
When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human race…
 
Sequel to the bestselling The Space Between Us, The Collapsing Wave is an exquisite, epic first-contact novel, laced with peril and populated by unforgettable characters, and the awe-inspiring book we all need right now…

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MY REVIEW:

“How can you explain the depths of humanity to something like Sandy or Xander? The conspiracies, hatred and anger, the violence, deviousness and dishonesty.”

It’s six months since the events of book one in The Enceladon Trilogy, and things aren’t looking good for Lennox, Ava and Heather. Ava is nervously awaiting the outcome of her trial for murder, while Lennox and Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base where they are subjected to experiments alongside Enceladons the authorities have  managed to capture. When Sandy contacts them for the first time in months, they make a plan to escape, leading to a confrontation that will impact the future for all of humanity.

Somehow this was even better than book one! It jumps straight into the action, succinctly catching the reader up on the extraordinary events of book one and filling in the gaps of what’s happened since. After sharing such a profound experience, the bond between Lennox, Heather, and Ava is stronger than ever, as is their bond with Enceladons, and we are taken on an even more remarkable journey alongside them. I wondered how they’d escape from a place that doesn’t officially exist and is run by a man drunk with power. It was terrifying, and my heart shattered as humans and Enceladons were subjected to his barbaric experiments. But what is most frightening is how plausible it all feels, and I was cheering them on while hoping for the downfall of others. 

Doug Johnstone really can do no wrong in my eyes. This storytelling master had me in his thrall and I was completely immersed from the start; devouring the book in under a day. Exquisitely written, multi-layered and fast-paced, danger and tension radiate from every page, and I was on the edge of my seat as I tried to predict what would happen next. But it isn’t only entertaining and really makes you think as Johnstone explores topics such as prejudice, humanity, and the power of connection. Examining how humans treat anything that is new or different, he reminds us that our way might not always be best and that there is much we can still learn. 

Breathtaking, moving, nerve-shredding and addictive, The Collapsing Wave is an outstanding instalment in an unmissable series. The only problem now is I have to wait impatiently for its conclusion.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Doug Johnstone is the author of Fourteen novels, including The Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for  In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022, with The Opposite of Lonely (book five) out in 2023. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was a BBC2 Between the Covers pick. He’s taught creative writing, been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in this tour.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Squadpod Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent

Published February 1st, 2024 by HQ
Mystery, Dark Comedy, Satire, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Adventure Ficiton

Today I’m sharing my review for the fierce and funny The Murder After The Night Before, which is one of the Squadpods Featured Books in February. Thank you HQ for my gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

From the author of How to Kill Men and Get Away With It, don’t miss this wickedly witty and utterly addictive novel, perfect for fans of Bella Mackie, Dawn O’Porter and Killing Eve.

Something bad happened last night.

I’ve woken up with the hangover from hell, a stranger in my bed, and I’ve gone viral for the worst reasons.

But I can’t remember a thing…

My best friend Posey is dead. The police think it was a tragic accident. I know she was murdered.

There’s only one thing stopping me from dying of shame. I need to find a killer.

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MY REVIEW:

Molly wakes up with the hangover from hell, no memories of the night before, a stranger in her bed, and has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. And it only gets worse when her best mate and flatmate Posey is found dead. The police write it off as a tragic accident, but Molly is sure Posey was murdered and sets out to find proof. The problem is, she still can’t remember what happened the night before.

This book was quite the ride! As a fan of dark comedy thrillers such as Sweetpea and  Over My Dead Body I knew I was going to love this one. But what I didn’t expect was to devour it so quickly, how timely it would be, or how Katy Brent would leave my jaw on the floor with her unexpected twists. Opening with Molly waking up after the night she can’t remember, it jumps straight into the action and never lets go, taking the reader along for the ride beside Molly as she tries to piece together what happened the night before and who killed her best friend. It feels claustrophobic, like the walls are closing in on Molly and her world keeps shrinking as she’s increasingly alone and scared to leave the house, and there’s a climate of distrust and suspicion lingers over every page as Molly tries to figure out who she can trust. 

Brent explores some sensitive and timely topics in the book, using black humour throughout to lighten the mood. This is a story that will make you feel every emotion: heartache, rage, fear, joy, laughter. But it is never heavy or bleak and instead makes you feel the many emotions those topics should make you feel. These topics are explored alongside the mystery of Posey’s death, something that I think helps alleviate some of the weightiness of the topics. I liked that Brent included excerpts of some of the tweets surrounding both Molly’s viral incident and Posey’s death at the beginning of each chapter as it felt like I was reading a true story rather than fiction. I was completely invested in both storylines and read on tenterhooks as I tried to figure out what had really happened. 

Molly is a fantastic protagonist. She’s feisty, chaotic, volatile, sloppy and destructive. Quite frankly, this girl is a hot mess. But behind her brittle and spiky veneer is a damaged, fearful young woman who is all alone and I wanted to hug her and tell her it would be ok. She is also the epitome of an unreliable narrator as she can’t even trust her own memories, something that made her even more likeable to me as you know she’s not deliberately being duplicitous. I loved this character and was rooting for her at every step. 

Fast-paced, fierce, darkly funny, and unflinching, this addictive thriller is a must-read. Just make sure you clear your schedule before you start. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Katy is an author and award-winning journalist from the UK. She has worked on newspapers, magazines and websites since 2005, writing about popular culture. How To Kill Men and Get Away With It is her first novel.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins

Published February 15th, 2024 by Head of Zeus
Romance Novel

Today I’m delighted to be sharing my review for The Memory of Us as part of the blog tour. Thank you to Poppy from Head of Zeus for the invitation to take part and finished copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘A beautifully written, gripping and moving novel about the lengths we will go to for the people who mean the most to us… I was utterly captivated, from start to finish.’ – Holly Miller

If you can’t trust your head, can you trust your heart?

If she had been found moments later, Amelia’s heart would have stopped and never recovered. Instead she was taken from the desolate beach to the nearest hospital just in time to save her life. When her sister Lexi arrives from New York, Amelia’s heart is beating, but the accident has implanted a series of false memories. These memories revolve around a man named Sam, and a perfect love story that never existed.

Determined to help her sister, Lexi enlists the help of Nick, a local vet who bears a striking resemblance to Sam. Together, Lexi and Nick recreate and photograph Amelia’s dream dates in the hopes of triggering her true memories.

But as love starts to stir between Lexi and Nick, they must navigate a complex web of emotions. How can Lexi fall for Amelia’s dream man without hurting her sister?

Filled with breathtaking romance, heart-wrenching emotion, the magic of destiny and the power of sisterhood, The Memory of Us is a must-read for fans of Holly Miller and Colleen Hoover.

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MY REVIEW:

Amelia is found on a desolate beach on a frigid January night wearing nothing but her nightgown. She’s unconscious, not breathing and verging on hypothermia. If the men had found her just a few moments later she’d never have recovered. But they were able to get her heart beating again and she’s rushed to the nearest hospital.
In New York Lexi is woken by the call no-one wants to receive and quickly packs before racing to the airport to get on a plane and fly to her sister’s side. When she arrives, Amelia is conscious but not acting like herself and asking for her husband, Sam. Only Sam doesn’t exist. 

I knew The Memory of Us was going to be a book I loved within the first few pages. A story about memories, true love, and unbreakable bonds, it didn’t start out how I expected and adrenaline coursed through my veins as I read the gripping prologue. That tension was only compounded by fear and foreboding as Lexi flew to be by her sister’s side, and while that high level of apprehension did ease, the book continued to hold my attention and I was totally immersed and invested. The sisters share a strong and unique bond, which is a central part of the storyline, and you can feel it keenly as Lexi desperately tries to help her sister even at the cost of her own happiness. 

Dani Atkins is an author I’ve been aware of for a long time and I’ve got a number of her books on my kindle. But, shamefully, this is the first time I’ve read one of them. Why did I wait so long? This book is beautifully written, evocative and moving with very real and relatable characters that I found easy to root for. Their emotions leapt from the pages and I felt like I lived every moment alongside the characters, particularly Lexi who I formed the strongest bond with. I loved her relationship with Amelia and could feel how torn she was in so many of the decisions she was having to make. I also really believed in the love between Lexi and Nick. He was a dreamy love interest and it would have been a surprise if Lexi hadn’t fallen for him. Yes, it was predictable they would fall in love, but it was also well written and I wanted them to have their happy ever after. 

Heartrending, hopeful and uplifting, The Memory of Us is a wonderful story that warms you from the inside like hot chocolate on a cold day. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Dani Atkins was born in London in 1958, and grew up in North London. She moved to rural Hertfordshire in 1985, where she has lived in a small village ever since with her family. Although Dani has been writing for fun all her life, Fractured was her first novel. She has since written The Story of Us.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org*| Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
Beat the Backlist book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Romance Novel, Gothic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Bildungsroman, Social Criticicsm, Fictional Autobiography

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SYNOPSIS:

Jane Eyre is one of the most influential English novels every written. Charlotte Brontë’s first published novel, it was immediately recognised as a work of genius when it appeared in 1847.

Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. How she takes up the post of governess at Thornfield Hall, meets and loves Mr Rochester and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage are elements in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman’s passionate search for a wider and richer life than that traditionally accorded to her sex in Victorian society.

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MY REVIEW:

I recently read this beloved classic after years of saying I’d do it and never getting around to it. When I was chatting to author Polly Crosby earlier in the year she admitted the same, so we decided to buddy read it together and dived in. 

Dark, agonisingly beautiful and alluring, I’m so glad I finally read this gothic classic. I’d always been daunted by the chonky size of this book and was worried I’d not love it like everyone else, but once I got over the hurdle of adjusting to the old-fashioned language, I was hooked. Polly and I decided to read ten chapters at a time before stopping and discussing the book, and it was after the first block that she told me she’d listened to part of it on audiobook. I discovered a forgotten download in my audible library and listened to the rest, something that enabled me to lose myself in the story. 

Following the eponymous Jane Eyre as she goes from childhood to womanhood, this is a story filled with love, passion, heartache and betrayal. It is a journey of self-discovery laced with sadness and hope that makes you feel a rainbow of emotions and I can understand why it is a classic. I love the gothic vibes that are woven into the story and Polly described it best saying that this is “the best kind of gothic! The monster is never the monster…” The infamous ‘madwoman in the attic’ was brilliantly written and I liked the uncertainty that surrounded her at first. I do wish that I’d read it when I was younger so I could have seen it through teenage eyes and felt more of the romance. Reading it now, as an abuse survivor who is a little jaded, all I saw were screaming red flags and problematic behaviour in her famous relationship with Mr. Rochester. But at the same time I felt able to separate my modern understanding of love and femininity with what those things meant at the time this was written.

There are a number of examples of Victorian prejudices, especially against women, threaded into the story, most notably in its portrayal of mental illness. While a number of characters struggle with some form of mental illness, the woman in the attic reveals the depth of prejudice against women who were battling these kinds of issues. The character in question is seen as a monster and treated as less than human, but Jane stands out from the crowd and speaks up to condemn the inhumane treatment and saying that she should instead be treated with empathy and dignity. I applaud Miss Bronte for using her writing to advocate in this way, something I am sure was influenced by her own struggles with clinical depression.

The book is filled with richly drawn characters who leap from the pages and will make you feel every range of emotion. Jane is fierce and feisty, especially when she was young, and I loved that about her. I also admired how she wouldn’t take people’s nonsense at a young age, no matter the trouble she caused for herself, and was rooting for her as she went in search of freedom and equality at a time when that went against societal norms for women. But she could also be very pious and frustrating. My biggest grievances centred around her relationship with Mr. Rochester and the behaviours she accepted from him and even excuses. That man was a walking collection of red flags and though I know it was a different time I still thought she should have taken notice of some of his problematic behaviours and it would annoy me when she’d get angry over something fairly trivial but excuse his more concerning actions. 

Overall, I adored this book and highly recommend it. Thank you Polly for making our buddy read such a joy. I can’t wait for the next one!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Published October 31st, 2023 by Tor
Gothic Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Mythology, Dark Fantasy

Welcome to my review for the eerie and unsettling gothic fantasy, Starling House, which was the October Reese’s Book Club pick. Thank you to Tor and Black Crow PR for my copies of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

‘Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent’ – Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six

Step into Starling House – if you dare . . . Alix E. Harrow reimagines Beauty and the Beast in this gorgeously modern Gothic fantasy, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Naomi Novik.

Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it’s best to let this ill-omened mansion – and its last lonely heir – go to hell. Stories of the house’s bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the generations.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, or brooding men. But when an opportunity to work there arises, the money might get her brother out of Eden. Starling House is uncanny and full of secrets – just like Arthur, its heir. It also feels strangely, dangerously, like something she’s never had: a home. Yet Opal isn’t the only one interested in the horrors and the wonders that lie buried beneath it.

Sinister forces converge on Eden – and Opal realizes that if she wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it. Even if it involves digging up her family’s ugly past to achieve a better future. She’ll have to go down, deep down beneath Starling House, to claw her way back to the light . . .

This is a romantic and spellbinding Gothic fairytale from Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award-shortlisted Alix E. Harrow.

‘Starling House is Alix E. Harrow’s greatest work yet’ – Ava Reid, author of Juniper and Thorn

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MY REVIEW:

“Dreams are just like stray cats. If you don’t feed them they get lean and clever and sharp-clawed, and come for the jugular when you least expect it.”

Starling House is the ‘haunted house’ that Eden’s residents avoid. Stories about curses, bad luck and even murder have been passed down for generations. Opal knows she should stay away from the foreboding, dilapidated mansion, but there’s something drawing her to it. And when she’s offered a job by Arthur, its strange and mysterious heir, the offer is too good to resist; a chance to finally save enough money to get her brother, Jasper, out of this small town and into a better life. But there’s a darkness to Arthur Starling and his house, something dangerous that makes Opal wonder if the stories might be true after all…

Unsettling, eerie and forbidding, Starling House is a gorgeous dark gothic fantasy filled with magic, monsters, secrets and suspicion. In her beautifully written and alluring reimagining of Beauty and the Beast Alix E.  Harrow has crafted a phantasmagoria of mystery, fantasy and horror that is impossible to resist. Much like the eponymous house, it pulls you in and transports you to another world, holding you under its spell until the last page. There are many things I loved about Ms. Harrow’s writing but I particularly enjoyed how she had Opal talk directly to the reader so you feel like you’re part of an intimate conversation rather than reading fiction. I also loved that she included footnotes throughout the book that made it seem like we’re reading an account of actual events and playing into making the story so believable. I had to keep reminding myself that all of this was fiction and the product of an author’s evocative imagination. 

“I should probably be freaked out—this place is eerie and endless, a rotting labyrinth—but mostly I just feel sorry for it. Starling House makes me think of an underfed pet or a broken doll, a thing unloved by the person who promised to love them best.”

The story is told by two narrators: Opal and Arthur. Opal is the underdog, a down-on-her-luck orphan caring for her younger brother who is scraping together every penny to survive. Spiky, fierce and spirited, you can’t help cheering her on, even as she does things you don’t approve of. After all, she’s simply trying to survive. Arthur, the heir and Warden of Starling House, takes more warming up to. Eccentric, cryptic and strange, he’s creepy at first but Harrow gives this reclusive character a beating heart, making the beast human and someone we feared into someone we care about. It’s an irresistible redemption tale that is perfectly executed. And while they may appear to be vastly different, they actually have a lot in common: they are both orphans who people of the town gossip about, look down on and are suspicious of, and they are both filled with a sense of duty: Opal to her brother, Jasper, and Arthur as Warden of Starling House. I loved watching their stories unfold and their relationship grow. By the end I was rooting for them both and hoping for a happy ending. 

“The House wants her, and the House is stubborn… He doesn’t know why it would want her of all people: A freckled scarecrow of a girl with crooked teeth and holes in the knees of her jeans, entirely unremarkable except for the steel in her eyes. And perhaps for the way she stood her ground against him. He is a ghost, a rumor, a story whispered after the children have gone to bed, and she was cold and hurt, all alone in the rising dark—and yet she hadn’t run from him until he told her to. The House has always had a taste for the brave ones.”

Starling House is more than a house. It’s a living, breathing entity and an important character in the book. When you step over its threshold you’re transported to another world. One that is dark, terrifying and secretive. Where there is magic, monsters and mythical creatures. But there’s so much more; the house seems to have a consciousness, feelings, a heartbeat. Its darkness is seductive and it pulls you in, just like it drew Opal to its gates. And while this world is filled with unbelievable things, Harrow makes it feel totally believable as she combines the perfect amount of the magical, supernatural and mythical with reality that makes us buy into its existence and lose ourselves inside it. 

“Small towns are supposed to be cozy and friendly, like perfect little snow globes, but me and Jasper have always been kept on the other side of the glass.”

The town of Eden is also very important to the story. This small town lives and breathes legend. Everyone and everything is cursed and the residents simply turn a blind eye. They also turn a blind eye to prejudice and suffering, topics that are explored throughout the book and we see examples of in both narrators’ lives. There is also an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia that comes from this small-town setting and Starling House, adding to the tense and sinister air that hovers over every page.

Darkly atmospheric, haunting, dreamlike and bewitching, this mesmerising gothic fantasy is a must read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Alix E. Harrow is the NYT-bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Once and Future Witches, Starling House, and various short fiction, including a duology of retold fairy tales (A Spindle Splintered and A Mirror Mended). Her work has won a Hugo and a British Fantasy Award, and been shortlisted for the Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus, Southern Book Prize, and Goodreads Choice awards.

She’s from Kentucky, but now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband and their two semi-feral kids.

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BUY THE BOOK

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2022

REVIEW: That Bonesetter Woman by Frances Quinn

Published July 21st, 2022 by Simon & Schuster UK
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Adventure Fiction

Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK for the proof copy of this outstanding historical fiction novel.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘What a heroine Endurance Proudfoot is! I loved her from the start. An unconventional woman who takes us on a fascinating – if bumpy – ride through a man’s world. I laughed, cried and most of all cheered! Can’t stop thinking about it… an absolute cruncher of a tale’ Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal

‘A complete joy of a novel that, like it’s wonderful protagonist’s namesake, is a story of endurance against all odds. Full of heart and so eloquently written, THAT BONESETTER WOMAN had me cheering Durie on from start to finish – I absolutely loved it’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora

​It’s usual, they say, for a young person coming to London for the first time to arrive with a head full of dreams. Well, Endurance Proudfoot did not. When she stepped off the coach from Sussex, on a warm and sticky afternoon in the summer of 1757, it never occurred to her that the city would be the place where she’d make her fortune; she was just very annoyed to be arriving there at all.
 
Meet Endurance Proudfoot: clumsy as a carthorse, strong as an ox, with a tactless tongue and a face she’s sure only a mother could love. Durie wants one thing in life: to become a bonesetter like her father. It’s physically demanding work, requiring nerves of steel, and he’s adamant it’s not a job for a woman.

Strong-willed and stubborn, Durie’s certain that in bonesetting, her big, usually clumsy hands have found their natural calling. So when she’s bundled off to London with her beautiful sister, she won’t let it stop her realising her dream. As her sister finds fame on the stage, Durie becomes England’s most celebrated bonesetter – but what goes up must come down, and her success may become her undoing.

Inspired by the true stories of two of Georgian England’s most famous celebrities, That Bonesetter Woman is an uplifting tale about finding the courage to go your own way, when everyone says you can’t – and about realising that what makes you different can also make you strong.

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MY REVIEW:

“She was going to be a bonesetter. She was going to fix people.”

I was delighted when That Bonesetter Woman was chosen as the September book by the Historical Fiction Book Club as it has been on my TBR since receiving a proof last year (yes, this review is very late). It was also one of the 12 backlist books  I added to my ‘12 in 2023’ list back in January and I haven’t been good at getting to those so I was pleased to tick another off that list. 

Endurance (Durie) Proudfoot has never fit in. Instead of being beautiful, graceful, and tactful like other girls, she’s clumsy, unusually strong, tactless, and has a face only a mother could love. She also has an unusual dream: to be a bonesetter like her father. But bonesetting is seen as a job for boys, so a frustrated Durie is carted off to London with her younger sister, Lucinda. But she’s determined that this isn’t the end of her bonesetting dreams and carves out a path to accomplish becoming England’s most celebrated bonsetter. But traditionalists don’t like that a woman is taking up space in a man’s world and set out to put her back in her place.

Mesmerising, immersive, and absorbing, That Bonesetter Woman is another outstanding novel from the pen of masterful storyteller Frances Quinn. Her magnificent debut, The Smallest Man, was one of my favourite books of 2020, so I had high expectations for this book. And she surpassed them all. As she did in her debut, Quinn has created fictional characters inspired by real historical people and then merged fact with fiction to craft an unforgettable story about those who are different. Meticulously researched and rich in fascinating historical details that I loved—did you know you used to get free zoo entry to the London Zoo with a dead cat?—it feels so real that I had to keep reminding myself this wasn’t biographical fiction and Durie is a fictional character. Exquisitely written and perfectly paced, Quinn puts our emotions through the wringer with some heartwarming, heartbreaking and wonderful subplots that are woven into Durie’s story. She brings history to life, wrenching you out of your own reality and into the one she’s created. 

“Each time seemed like a reminder that she just didn’t fit in the world like other people did. Except when she was doing the one thing age wasn’t clumsy and cack-handed at, and what was she going to do if she wasn’t allowed to do that?”

Durie Proudfoot is a truly original heroine. I can promise you will have never read anyone quite like her. She’s headstrong, stubborn, determined, plain-speaking, and honest. Someone with heart and morality who has no time for flattery, lies, or greed. And though Durie lives a life that is extraordinary and memorable, it is also a life marred by anguish and misfortune. Quinn creates a strong connection between the reader and protagonist, making us feel deeply the pain that inhabits her as she struggles with being different, trying to understand the behaviours of others, and other challenging events in her life. Also palpable is her frustration at being caged by the expectations of society as they attempt to put her in a box she has never and will never fit in. I loved how she fought for what she wanted and knew was right for her from a young age, even when facing what seemed like increasingly insurmountable odds as she got older. She was a truly remarkable and fascinating woman and I loved watching her metamorphosis from clumsy outcast to celebrated bonesetter. 

Though no other character shone as brightly as Durie, the book has a cast of richly drawn background characters that I enjoyed. George stands out as one I particularly liked, probably because of his kind, thoughtful character and the sweet relationship he shared with Durie. Like her, he is straightforward and is one of the few people she really connects with. He’s the kind of love-interest we dream of: someone who really gets you and accepts you for who you are. Their scenes together were some of my favourite in the book and I was rooting for them every step of the way.

Atmospheric, evocative, ambitious and compelling, That Bonesetter Woman is an epic masterpiece of historical fiction that I highly recommend.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Frances Quinn grew up in London and read English at King’s College, Cambridge, realising too late that the course would require more than lying around reading novels for three years. After snatching a degree from the jaws of laziness, she became a journalist, writing for magazines including Prima, Good Housekeeping, She, Woman’s Weekly and Ideal Home, and later branched out into copywriting, producing words for everything from Waitrose pizza packaging to the EasyJet in-flight brochure. 

In 2013, she won a place on the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course, and started work on her first novel. The Smallest Man was published in 2021 by Simon & Schuster with her follow up, That Bonesetter Woman, published in 2022. 

She lives in Brighton, with her husband and two Tonkinese cats.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Once A Monster by Robert Dinsdale

Published September 21st, 2023 by Pan Macmillan
Historical Fiction, Mythlogy, Fantasy

I’m a little late due to illness, but here is my review for this laybrinthing and mesmerising gothic tale. Thanks to Chloe and Pan Macmillan for the invitation to take part in the blog tour and for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘A labyrinthine delight of a novel . . . Dickensian darkness is infused with ancient myth. Historical writing at its finest . . . .’ Essie Fox, bestselling author of The Somnambulist and The Fascination

London, 1861: Ten-year-old Nell belongs to a crew of mudlarks who work a stretch of the Thames along the Ratcliffe Highway. An orphan since her mother died four years past, leaving Nell with only broken dreams and a pair of satin slippers in her possession, she spends her days dredging up coals, copper and pieces of iron spilled by the river barges – searching for treasure in the mud in order to appease her master, Benjamin Murdstone.

But one day, Nell discovers a body on the shore. It’s not the first corpse she’s encountered, but by far the strangest. Nearly seven feet tall, the creature has matted hair covering his legs, and on his head are the suggestion of horns. Nell’s fellow mudlarks urge her to steal his boots and rifle his pockets, but as she ventures closer the figure draws breath and Nell is forced to make a decision which will change her life forever . . .

From the critically acclaimed author of The Toymakers comes an imaginative retelling of the legend of the Minotaur, full of myth and magic and steeped in the grime of Victorian London; perfect for lovers of historical fiction with a mythical twist.

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MY REVIEW:

“They damned him in legend. Well, it’s always easy to damn a man who’s different, isn’t it?”

The familiar legend of the minotaur gets a makeover in this magnificent tale. 

London, 1861. Ten-year-old Nell is part of a crew of mudlarks who spend their days searching a stretch of the Thames along Ratcliffe Highway for treasures to placate their master, Benjamin Murdstone. Then one day she finds something unexpected among the usual lumps of coal and iron: the corpse of a huge creature, almost seven feet tall with what seem to be horns on his head. But as she’s trying to decide if she should take his boots and rifle his pockets for things to sell, she realises it is still alive and is forced to make a decision that will change the course of her life…

“From the front, he was less car a man; in profile, more bestial still… His eyes were marked not in fury but in caution and terror. They rolled, just like a fawn’s as it tries to take in the world it’s just been instructed it will have to survive. 
It wasn’t only Nell who was shaking. The stranger was shaking too.”

What comes to mind when you think of the Minotour? Beast. Giant. Brute. Savage. Behemoth. Monster. But what about his human side? It is here that Dinsdale succeeds in showing us that we may think we know this mythical creature but there is so much we don’t know. Have we ever taken the time to understand his pain, dreams and desires? This is the Minotour like you have never seen or imagined him before. Through Minos’ character, Dinsdale lays bare the deepest parts of the Minotaur’s soul, showing us the human side of him for what feels like the first time while examining the monster that lives inside all of us and asking us to consider what it is that makes us human. 

“The mudlark and the monster, staring at each other across the dancing flames. The things I find in the mud, they should change my life. Those words seemed to fill up the whole of the seaward cave – for wasn’t Minos one of those things?”

Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers is one of my all-time favourite books, and I’m a sucker for a Greek mythology retelling, so I was excited to read his take on the Minotaur myth. At almost 500 pages this book is quite the tome, and I did think it could have done with being a bit shorter as there are times it seems to lose its way a little. But it always finds its way back and Dinsdale has created a story that truly stands out from the crowd, not only because of the book’s striking cover. The writing is melodic and almost dreamlike in places, giving us a Dickensian vibe as Dinsdale merges Victorian Gothic with myth and history. It is evocatively illustrated, transporting me back to Victorian London so vividly that it felt like I could see the smoke rising from the chimneys, smell the pungent air, and feel the biting cold of winter. It was a cruel and unforgiving place for many, something Dinsdale explores through characters who are living on the margins of life, doing whatever they must to survive another day, and dreaming of maybe one day lifting themselves into a better life. They are a flawed, fractured group of people and some choose to be kind, while others choose cruelty or betrayal. But they all pull us into their lives and make us root for their success or comeuppance. Young Nell was by far my favourite character and a real joy to read. Feisty, determined, this young orphan has no-one and nothing in the world yet she has the kindest soul. I was rooting for her to fulfil her dreams and adored the sweet friendship she and Minos shared. 

Labyrinthine, mesmerising, imaginative and heartfelt, Dinsdale held me in his thrall as he spun his magical tale, my heart pounding as we raced towards that chilling finale. A truly astonishing piece of gothic fiction, Once A Monster will change how you look at this well-known myth forever.. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Robert Dinsdale was born in North Yorkshire and currently lives in Leigh on Sea. His novels include; The Harrowing (Faber 2010) Three Miles (Faber, 2011) Little Exiles (HarperCollins, 2013) Gingerbread (HarperCollins, 2014), and Paris by Starlight (Del Rey, 2020).

His first venture into magic, The Toymakers, was published by Ebury in 2018.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

BLOG TOUR: The Murmurs (The Annie Jackson Mysteries Volume 1) by Michael J. Malone

Published September 14th, 2023 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Gothic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror Fiction, Religious Ficiton, Book Series

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this beguiling gothic thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things for the invitation to take part and to Orenda for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

A young woman starts experiencing terrifying premonitions of people dying, as it becomes clear that a family curse known only as The Murmurs has begun, and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed…
 
On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.
 
How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions … a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as ‘the murmurs’…
 
With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.
 
And this time, it will never let go…
 
A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland’s finest authors.

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MY REVIEW:

“Who are they? 
They are every woman, burned, every man flayed and skinned, they’re every trauma visited upon every human—they’re pain they’re torture, they are the scream echoing in the distant dark, the whispered taunt in your ear.
They’re the baited breath, the hammering pulse, the cold beaded sweat, dry mouth, and the bunched yet frozen muscle ignoring the command to run, run, RUN.
They are vengeance and they will never stop.”

A family curse, long-forgotten crimes, repressed memories, and decades-old secrets all come together in this beguiling gothic thriller that is perfect for spooky season. 

Annie Jackson is a young woman whose life has been marred by tragedy. She survived the accident that killed her mother but it took her memories, leaving her with only a nightmare that returns just as she’s about to start a new job at a care home. And on her first day it gets worse as a disturbing vision and murmuring voices tell her one of the residents is about to die. From that day on she is plagued by foreshadowings of the fates of those on the margins of life and death. The eponymous murmurs come unwelcome and unbidden, leaving her frightened, bewildered and scared to look people in the eye. Annie soon discovers the murmurs are part of a curse that has cascaded through the generations of women in her family. Desperate to know more and understand what is happening to her, she and her twin brother, Lewis, begin to explore their family history. But what they discover is much darker than they ever imagined and they find themselves embroiled in old mysteries that are far more dangerous than they realise…

He’s done it again! Michael J. Malone is a masterful gothic storyteller and he had me spellbound as I read. Evocatively told, it oozes a sinister atmosphere as he weaves elements of folklore and the supernatural into the narrative, blurring the lines between what is real and what is in our imagination. Ghostly fingers of the past tighten their grip on Annie and rekindle ashes of memory that slowly reveal horrifying secrets that have been buried for decades. It is chilling, twisty, and there’s a creeping sense of dread that permeates the pages. There are elements of the unknown, the inexplicable, and the unexpected alongside complex family dynamics, dark secrets, and lots of emotion. The story is steadily paced and slowed down a little in the middle before picking up pace again during the last third of the book. This is where I couldn’t put it down, pushing aside my sleepiness in the early hours and flying through the pages as the tension escalated at breakneck speed and we hurtled towards the heart-pounding and shocking finale. 

Malone tells the story in multiple vividly drawn timelines by multiple compelling narrators. But it is Annie who is at the heart of this book. She’s is a bit of a lost soul and we can feel her confusion, fear, and isolation as she tries to figure out what on earth is happening to her. I liked her relationship with her twin brother, Lewis, which felt authentic and grounding in a story that generally feels quite bizarre. I also really enjoyed reading the historical family members and loved the addition of Moira McLean’s memoir. 

Haunting, ominous, darkly atmospheric, and captivating, this is the best I’ve read yet from this author. Add it to your TBR now. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes: Carnegie’s Call; A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage; The Bad Samaritan; and Dog Fight. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines and After He Died soon followed suit. Since then, he’s written two further thought-provoking, exquisitely written psychological thrillers In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation, cementing his position as a key proponent of Tartan Noir and an undeniable talent. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews form the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

*These purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours Book Features Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Life and Otter Miracles by Hazel Prior

Published September 14th, 2023 by Transworld
Romantic Comedy, Humorous Fiction, Uplit, Adventure Fiction, Holiday Fiction

Happy Publication Day to Life and Otter Miracles! I’m delighted to be sharing my review for this uplfiting story on such a special day. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Transworld for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

From the bestselling author of Richard & Judy’s pick Away with the Penguins comes this ‘otterly’ delightful, heart-warming and feel-good story about the healing power of nature.


‘A lovely holiday read . . . Packed full of humanity and otters!’ Sally Page

‘This book was just amazing. It made me laugh and cry!’ *****
‘There is so much to love and treasure in this story’ *****
‘This book was a delight from start to finish!’ *****
‘Glorious dose of otter cuteness’ *****
You loved Veronica McCreedy. Now meet Phoebe Featherstone . . ._____

Down by the river, Phoebe Featherstone is about to make a life-changing discovery . . .

Clever, nosy Phoebe is unable to get out much, but she has a talent for uncovering her neighbours’ secrets by examining the parcels delivered by her courier father, Al.

When they discover an abandoned baby otter on the riverbank, Phoebe must step out of her comfort zone – and she experiences an unexpected sense of happiness that she has not felt in a very long time. But now, further secrets are coming to light.

Phoebe soon realizes that something is amiss at the local otter sanctuary. She will need to overcome her own close­ly guarded issues and put all her sleuthing skills to good use if she wants to save the otters . . . and in the process, change her life for ever.

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MY REVIEW:

“In this moment, Phoebe felt it for the first time: A curious concentration of joy that had nothing to do with her own state, that was activated by focusing wholly on the baby otter. It was a new and glorious phenomenon. It should have a name. Perhaps she would call it ‘the Otter Effect’. Like the Butterfly Effect, only much, much better.”

Be prepared to feel ‘the Otter Effect’. 

A story of family, friendship, community, and self-discovery, I adored this beautifully told gem of a story told with wit, warmth, and wisdom that is a balm for the soul. It is the book I never knew I needed and I’ll never be the same again after reading. Hazel Prior has been a favourite and auto-buy author for me ever since I read Away with the Penguins, and with every book she just gets better. Life and Otter Miracles showcases her gift for writing animals you’ll fall in love with, humans you’ll relate to, and stories you won’t forget to perfection. I loved the attention to the tiniest details such as the chapter names and the otter illustrations at the start of each one. But this is the book I never knew I needed and I’ll never be the same after reading it.

19-year-old Phoebe Featherstone and her father, Al, who have just moved to the small Exmoor village of Darleycombe and are out exploring the beauty their new home has to offer when they come across an otter cub abandoned on the riverbank. Phoebe is soon struck with what she calls ‘the Otter Effect’; the warm, happy feeling that these animals bring and can’t bear to be parted from her, so after they take the little creature to the local otter sanctuary she volunteers to help care for the cub and prepare her for release back into the wild. There’s a varied cast of characters that I loved, particularly Phoebe, Al, and Christina – a woman Phoebe quickly becomes friends with and hopes to set up her father with. Phoebe is a big fan of detective shows such as Poirot and I loved how she used this knowledge to play amateur detective at various points in the story, particularly when it seems clear that someone is trying to sabotage the otter sanctuary. By this point in the story, Phoebe has found her own kind of sanctuary there, and the idea of it closing is devastating. She is determined to catch the culprit, and I enjoyed following the clues along with her to try and figure out the answers. One of my favourite aspects of the book was the relationship between Phoebe and Al and it was great to read a story that focused on a single father. Phoebe’s attempts to play matchmaker for him were fun to read, though I did doubt they’d be successful. But the stars of the show are undoubtedly the otters. Coco is the cutest little animal ever and everyone will fall for the charms of her and the other otters in this book. I wanted to immediately find the nearest otter sanctuary to visit and now understand why they are my eldest son’s favourite animal. 

But although it was the amazing writing, compelling characters, and adorable otters that drew me to this book, it is the author’s depiction of Phoebe’s chronic pain that had the greatest impact on me. I developed chronic pain at a similar age to Phoebe and I have never seen myself or my experience so evocatively represented in a book. It brought me to tears and means more than I could ever express. I can honestly say I have never felt so seen as I did when reading Phoebe talk about the little things she has to think about just to get through the day. It’s woven into every facet of her life and I lost it all over again a couple of times when Phoebe’s struggle was especially palpable. Ms. Prior’s familiarity with chronic pain is evident in the raw, honest, and sensitive way that Phoebe’s experience is written and I don’t think anyone who hasn’t lived it could have conveyed the brutal, devastating reality of living in agony day after day. I am so grateful to her for being brave enough to write this character so that those of us with chronic pain can feel seen and those who don’t know how it feels are educated by reading her words. Thank you Hazel. 

Compassionate, heartwarming, moving, and uplifting, Life and Otter Miracles is the perfect book to cosy under the blanket with on a cold night. But be warned—you will fall in love. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Hazel Prior lives on Exmoor with her husband and a huge ginger cat. As well as writing, she works as a freelance harpist. Hazel is the author of Ellie and the Harp-Maker, the #1 ebook and audiobook bestseller Away with the Penguins and its follow-up, Call of the Penguins. Life and Otter Miracles is her fourth novel.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.