Tag: Backlist Books

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Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: Snow Blind by Ragnar Jonasson

Published October 23rd, 2025 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Translated Ficiton, Icelandic Noir

Today is my stop on the blog tour for the dark and sinister Snowblind. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The seminal, multi-million-copy Icelandic bestseller, Snowblind, celebrates its tenth anniversary, including a never-before-published Ari Thór prequel, Fadeout.
 
**Introduction by Anthony Horowitz***
 
The blizzard returns…
 
‘A modern Icelandic take on an Agatha Christie-style mystery, as twisty as any slalom…’ Ian Rankin
 
‘Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty’ Peter James
 
‘Seductive … Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully’ Ann Cleeves
 
‘A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens. First rate and highly recommended’ Lee Child
 
***More than 5 million copies sold worldwide***
 
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Snowblind
 
Siglufjörður: an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors – accessible only via a small mountain tunnel. Ari Thór Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik – with a past that he’s unable to leave behind. When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theatre, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life.
 
An avalanche and unremitting snowstorms close the mountain pass, and the 24-hour darkness threatens to push Ari over the edge, as curtains begin to twitch, and his investigation becomes increasingly complex, chilling and personal. Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness – blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose.
 
Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from an extraordinary new talent, taking Nordic Noir to soaring new heights.

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MY REVIEW:

“The red stain was like a scream in the silence.”

With an opening line so chilling and having had this book and the entire series recommended to me many times, I knew I was in for a treat when I started this book. And it didn’t disappoint.

Rookie policeman Ari Thor Arason moves to Siglufjörður, a quiet and idyllic fishing village in Northern Iceland to begin his career. This is a place where everybody knows everybody and nobody bothers to lock their doors as it’s so safe. Suddenly, Arit Thor finds himself thrust into two major investigations when a famous, elderly writer falls to his death in the theatre and a young woman is found half naked and unconscious, bleeding in the snow like a macabre snow angel. And as the snowstorm rages outside, the investigation deepens, secrets and lies from the past haunt the present, things get personal for Ari Thor and he faces a race against the clock to get to the truth.

Sinister, dark, atmospheric and twisty, Snowblind is a bingeable thriller that had me hooked from start to finish, inhaling it in just two sittings. I finally get the hype for Ragnar Jonasson and his Dark Iceland series and am excited to read the rest of the series after enjoying this one so much. Expertly written, tightly plotted, fast-paced and full of evocative imagery Jonasson creates a menacing and forbidding tone from the first line and keeps you in his thrall until the heart-stopping conclusion.

The scene setting is a huge part of this book’s atmosphere. Siglufjörður is a small, isolated village with a close-knit community. Everybody knows everybody and they all know each other’s secrets and history. Ari Thor is the newcomer, isn’t exactly met with open arms and we see how hard it can be to integrate into a tight-knit community. It adds to the claustrophobic and isolated vibes, making the stakes feel even higher for Ari Thor.

And speaking of Ari Thor, a good series needs a great protagonist, and Jonasson delivers that with Ari Thor. Likeable, relatable and flawed, he is easy to root for and has a compelling backstory that makes you want to know more about him. I was fortunate to have the prequel, Fadeout, to read as part of the 10th anniversary edition of this book, and I loved knowing more about who Ari Thor is before starting to read Snowblind. The background characters are equally compelling and it felt like everyone was a suspect, which I loved because it kept me guessing right up until the big reveal.

So if you’re looking for a dark and sinister thriller you can really sink your teeth into, Snowblind is the book for you!Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Icelandic crime writer Ragnar Jónasson was born in Reykjavík, and currently works asa lawyer, while teacher copyright law at the Reykjavík University Law School. In the past, he’s worked in TV and radio, including as a news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. Before embarking on a writing career, Ragnar translated fourteen Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic, and has had several short stories published in German, English and Icelandic literary magazines. Ragnar set up the first overseas chapter of the CWA (Crime Writers’ Association) in Reykjavík, and is co-founder of the International crime-writing festival Iceland Noir. Ragnar’s debut thriller, Snowblind became an almost instant bestseller when it was published in June 2015 with Nightblind (winner of the Dead Good Reads Most Captivating Crime in Translation Award) and then Blackout, Rupture and Whiteout following soon after. To date, Ragnar Jónasson has written five novels in the Dark Iceland series, which has been optioned for TV by On the Corner. He lives in Reykjavík with his wife and two daughters.

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ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR:

Larissa Kyzer is an Icelandic to English literary translator, writer, and editorial professional.

Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, she lived in Reykjavík for five years after receiving a Fulbright grant in 2012. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature, an MS in Library and Information Science, and an MA in Translation Studies, which she earned at the University of Iceland.

Her translations include children’s books and chapter books for young readers, short stories, poetry, essays, plays, nonfiction, and novels, most notably Fríða Ísberg’s The Mark, which has been longlisted for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award, and Kristín Eiríksdóttir’s Nordic Council Literature Prize-nominated A Fist or a Heart, which was named one of Library Journal’s 10 Best World Literature titles in 2019. Larissa was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s Nadia Christensen Translation Prize for her translation of this remarkable work.

In addition to receiving grant funding and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, European Union Prize for Literature, the Fulbright Commission, the Icelandic Ministry of Education and Culture, the Icelandic Literature Center, and Finland’s Kone Foundation, Larissa was Princeton University’s Fall 2019 Translator in Residence and has since taught translation workshops to undergraduate and graduate students at Princeton and New York University. She’s a member of Ós, an Iceland-based international and literary collective, an at-large board member for the American Literary Translators Association, an organizer on the National Writers Union’s Translator Organizing Committee, and a former co-chair of PEN America’s Translation Committee. In her spare time, Larissa runs Jill!, a virtual Women+ in Translation reading series that spotlights women, trans and/or nonbinary translators and authors.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG BLAST: Anything For Her by Jack Jordan

Published June 5th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Suspense

Welcome to my review for this nail-biting debut . Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for the invitation to take part and to Simon and Schuster UK for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The unputdownable debut from bestselling author Jack Jordan.

Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you.

Louise Leighton’s life has fallen apart, all because of one fateful night. Her husband is an adulterer, her sister is his mistress, and soon, Louise will lose everything she owns. But she never imagined she would lose her daughter.

Eighteen-year-old Brooke Leighton is missing. It’s up to Louise and the Metropolitan Police to find her. Has Brooke run away? Or has she been taken against her will? And can Louise aid the investigation without mentioning the night where all of her troubles began?

If she mentions that night, she will incriminate her daughter for heinous crimes. But if she doesn’t, she may never find Brooke; and if she has been abducted, the person who took her may come for Louise, too.

Sometimes the past comes back to kill you.

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MY REVIEW:

Louise’s world shatters when her husband, Michael, tells her he’s been having an affair with her sister. It’s the last straw for Louise who is already facing losing her home and financial security after Michael lost it all. In need of an escape, Lousie goes to their country house in the Cotswolds. However, Louise can trace the beginning of the end of their marriage back to a night one year earlier. A night that she and her daughter, Brooke, have vowed never to reveal the truth of. But when strange things begin to happen at the country house and Brooke goes missing, Louise fears that someone else knows what they did…

As soon as I read Before Her Eyes in 2018 I became a fan of Jack Jordan and his nail-biting thrillers. And though I’ve read everything he’s published since, I had never actually gone back and read his debut or self-published books. So, when Compulsive Readers Tours sent out an email asking for people to take part in a blog blast of Jack’s books, including his early releases that are being re-released, I jumped at the chance to finally go back to the beginning of one of my favourite thriller authors. 

Ominous, tense and forbidding, Anything For Her is a nerve-shredding debut. Well written, tightly plotted and cleverly choreographed, it showcases that from the very beginning Jack was a thriller writer extraordinaire. The story is intricately interwoven, steeped in sinister foreboding and filled with the sense that nobody will come out of this unscathed. As he explores just how far a parent would go for their child, Jordan also examines dark secrets, fractured people, trauma and fear. The characters are compelling, relatable and deeply flawed and Jordan makes us feel every bit of their devastation, heartache, guilt and terror. Heart-stopping and gut-wrenching, it kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat right up until the shocking finale. 

A must-read for any thriller fan.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jack Jordan is the global number one bestselling author of Anything for Her (2015), My Girl (2016), A Woman Scorned (2018), Before Her Eyes (2018) and Night by Night (2019).

His latest thriller, Do No Harm, was an instant Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Most Recommended Book in the DeadGood Reader Awards. Coined the thriller of the summer for 2022, it was described as “relentlessly tense” by Sunday Times Bestseller Lesley Kara, and “Chilling and perfectly paced” by New York Times Bestseller Sarah Pearse.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*
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Thanks for reading, Biblophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part

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BOOK REVIEW: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

Published September 15th, 2022 by Mantle
Greek Mythology, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale, Fantasy

Today I’m sharing my review for this fierce feminist retelling. Thank you to Mantle for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023.

In Stone Blind, the instant Sunday Times bestseller, Natalie Haynes brings the infamous Medusa to life as you have never seen her before.

‘Witty, gripping, ruthless’ – Margaret Atwood via X (Twitter)

‘So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters’

Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her Gorgon sisters, she begins to realize that she is the only one who experiences change, the only one who can be hurt.

When Poseidon commits an unforgiveable act against Medusa in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge where she can: on his victim. Medusa is changed forever – writhing snakes for hair and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. She can look at nothing without destroying it.

Desperate to protect her beloved sisters, Medusa condemns herself to a life of shadows. Until Perseus embarks upon a quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . .

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MY REVIEW:

“They will fear you and flee you and call you a monster, just like they do your sisters.”

Fierce, feminist, moving and addictive, Stone Blind is a powerful story full of humour, strength, empathy, heartbreak and righteous female rage. It tells the story of Medusa, offering you a new way to see the myths we think we know so well. And it tells us how a story can be warped and twisted until the truth is no longer recognisable.

Medusa is a myth I have long been fascinated with, and as a long-time fan of Natalie Haynes, I was excited to see her bring her and her story to life in a new way. Medusa is the original complicated protagonist, and I have a soft spot for those kinds of characters. Traditionally billed as the villain, this book finally exposes the truth of Medusa’s fate in all of its devastating and complicated glory. It’s unsettling and hard to read in places, but never gratuitous, exposing the so-called heroes for the villains they really are. And while it is billed as Medusa’s story, the snake-haired Gorgan is actually only a part of this tale. It is also a book about the bickering, jealous, selfish and vengeful gods and goddesses who are inextricably linked with Medusa and her tragic fate. 

“I feel like becoming the monster he made.”

The story itself is exquisitely written, richly layered and intricate. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Haynes. Her narration is evocative and emotive, making the world around me disappear as the story came to life around me. It’s emotional, raw and heartbreaking, but also funny, insightful and passionate. Natalie’s meticulous research and extensive knowledge is evident throughout, making these ancient stories feel as relatable and resonant today as they were when first written. 

A magnificent retelling, I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Greek Mythology or stories about strong women.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Natalie Haynes is a writer and broadcaster and – according to the Washington Post – a rock star mythologist. Her first novel, The Amber Fury, was published to great acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, as was The Ancient Guide to Modern Life, her previous book. Her second novel, The Children of Jocasta, was published in 2017. Her retelling of the Trojan War, A Thousand Ships, was published in 2019. It was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020. It has been translated into more multiple languages than she can now remember. Her non-fiction book, Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myth was published in Oct 2020, and reached number 2 in the New York Times Bestseller chart. Her novel about Medusa, Stone Blind, was published in Sep 2022 and Margaret Atwood liked it.

Natalie has been speaking on the modern relevance of the classical world for the last fifteen years, on tours which have spanned many countries and three continents.

Natalie is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4: ten series of her show, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, have been broadcast on Radio 4: all series are available now on BBC Sounds. She will make series 11 in 2025.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*these are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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BOOK REVIEW: After the Storm by G. D. Wright

Published August 1st, 2024 by Avon Books
Thriller, Mystery, Suspenseful, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Police Procedural

Welcome to my review for this outstanding debut. Thank you to Avon Books for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘So compelling and tightly plotted I couldn’t put it down’ CLAIRE DOUGLAS

‘Tense and emotional…A dark beating heart of a novel’ GILLIAN McALLISTER

‘Totally addictive. One of the most tense and gripping thrillers I’ve read in ages’ LISA JEWELL

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Don’t miss the gripping debut crime novel in which a child’s tragic drowning rips a small community apart with devastating consequences…

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TWO CHILDREN WENT INTO THE SEA.

When Andrew and Sophie take their daughter and her friend to the beach on a stormy day, they are momentarily distracted and both children are washed out to sea. Andrew dives in, but comes back ashore with only one child – Maria, his own daughter. Joe, the son of his best friend and local police officer, Chris, has drowned. But it was just a tragic accident…wasn’t it?

ONLY ONE CAME OUT ALIVE.

As Sergeant Mike Adams and DS Sue Willmott investigate what really happened in the water that afternoon, the ripple effects of the tragedy tear the community apart. The detectives must discover the truth before their colleague – bereaved and desperate father, Chris – takes the investigation into his own hands…

BUT WHO IS TO BLAME?

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MY REVIEW:

Andrew and Sophie take their daughter, Maria, and her best friend, Joe, to the beach on a stormy day. The kids are happily playing when a moment of distraction changes everything and both kids are washed out to sea. Andrew dives into the water to find them, but only comes back with one child. 
When Joe’s parents, Chris and Linda, learn of his death, they want answers. Could his death be more than a tragic accident? As the police investigate, the community is torn apart by the ripple effects of the tragedy. Chris is out for vengeance. Can the police get answers before he takes matters into his own hands?

Heartbreaking, tense, atmospheric and consuming, After the Storm is a remarkable debut. Exquisitely written, deftly plotted and keenly observed, this is a story enmeshed in raw grief, utter devastation and white hot rage. G. D. Wright showcases himself as a talent to watch on the thriller scene, delivering heart-pounding tension and emotions that go straight to your soul in a story that wrecked havoc on my heart as well as my blood pressure. Losing a child is every parents’ worst nightmare and the scenes where they learn of their son’s death are some of the most heartbreakingly raw and evocative that I’ve ever read. I wiped tears from my eyes as their hearts shattered and he wrecked havoc on my heart as well as my blood pressure. I am in awe that this is a debut as it reads like the work of a veteran author. 

Before that tragic day it wasn’t just the kids who were friends, but the parents too, but afterwards they find themselves on opposite sides of the tragedy. While Chris and Linda try to wrap their heads around their life-shattering loss, a cloud of suspicion over Andrew. He fights to prove his innocence but he’s an unreliable narrator and is clearly hiding something. As time goes on, Chris is fueled by the fire of revenge and determined to see Andrew pay for what happened. As the reader, you feel for both sides and also don’t know what to believe as Wright keeps the truth close to the vest. 

For any book to be truly great, you need good characters and Wright has created a cast of brilliant characters who are richly drawn, relatable, made me care about them and made me feel invested in their lives. He makes us feel their emotions and allows us to step into each of their shoes. You can feel the love he put into each of these characters on every page and they are people that will stay with me.

Powerful, moving, unsparing and unforgettable, After the Storm is an absolute triumph. And that ending! Gaz, you totally broke me😭 Both this, and the follow-up Into the Fire, are must-reads for any thriller fans. 

Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

*I listented to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 60 days of listening free*

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From Amazon:
My name is Gary (pen name G.D. Wright) and I live on the south east coast of England with my wife and two young children.

I joined Kent Police at the age of 18, working on the front line in a variety of uniformed roles until the age of 29 when, completely out of the blue, I suffered two cardiac ‘events’, and was subsequently diagnosed with a hereditary and incurable disease of the heart (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy if you’re being fussy!). As a result, I had an internal defibrillator implanted in me, and I had to retire from the police aged 30.

One door closed, but another opened, and my wife and I bought a coffee shop in Ramsgate Harbour. We spent eight of the happiest years of our lives there but, when the kiddies came along, it just wasn’t sustainable. Family comes first, every single time (a theme in my books…), and the simple fact was that we knew our summers should be spent with the kids, not working seven days a week. In 2022, we sold our ‘third baby’ (the coffee shop, not an actual baby – although… what a plot line for the future… making a mental note…), and I took to writing full time.

Fast forward to now. I’ve signed a two book deal with Avon UK (part of the Harper Collins family), and my debut was released in August 2024. It’s called AFTER THE STORM, and it’s a police procedural with a twisty, emotional hook. My second novel, INTO THE FIRE, is coming in the summer of 2025.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*these are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Published June 25th, 2024 by Orion
Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

A sweeping coming-of-age tale, an epic love story and a searing thriller, all unfolding on a vast canvas.

There is a moment when childhood ends.

For Joseph ‘Patch’ Macauley and Saint Brown, it comes late one summer as Patch is abducted from their hometown. Devastated, Saint devotes her days to finding her best friend.

Held in total darkness, Patch is hopeless and alone – until he feels a hand in his. Though he never sees the girl, they fall in love. When he escapes, he’s left with only her voice and name – and promises to spend the rest of his life searching for her.

As Saint’s heart breaks for the boy she lost – and the man he becomes – she will shadow his journey, to uncover the truth behind who took him.

Over a lifetime driven by obsession, Patch and Saint must sacrifice everything for redemption, justice, and, ultimately, love – even if that means losing each other forever …

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MY REVIEW:

Monta Clare, Missouri, 1975. 13 year-old Joseph ‘Patch’ Macaulay is abducted after bravely stepping in when he sees a masked man assaulting a young girl. Patch is held captive in complete darkness. But he isn’t alone. Also in the dark is a girl named Grace who tells his stories and paints pictures with her words to comfort him. When he eventually escapes, Grace is nowhere to be found and investigators can find no proof that she ever existed. But Patch is convinced she is real and begins what will become a life-long search for Grace. His best friend, Saint, is devastated by the loss of the boy she knew, but pledges to keep helping him in his search. Following them both over their lifetimes, this is a story of love, obsession and the relentless search for justice.

Where on earth do I begin with this review? This is honestly one of the hardest reviews I’ve written. Not only because of the scale of this epic story, but because of the writing and the emotion it conveys. Both are difficult to describe adequately. But I will try my best to do it justice. 

Hypnotic, breathtaking and totally consuming, ‘All the Colours of the Dark’ is a masterpiece. It had been on my TBR for over a year and I had avoided reading as I was intimidated by its sheer size and all the hype that surrounded it. So, when some blogger friends invited me to join their readalong it seemed like the perfect chance to read it in a manageable way. But I failed miserably, devouring it in under a day. It stole my attention, made it impossible to think about anything else and pulled me in. I didn’t just read this book. I lived it. It wreaked havoc on my emotions and hasn’t left me since.

Chris Whitaker is a masterful storyteller and I was unprepared for the sheer beauty of what I was about to read when I started this book. The writing is breathtaking, cinematic, mesmerising, and somehow feels both gentle and raw. He paints pictures with words, just as Grace did in the darkness for Patch, using imagery and prose that is poetic, evocative and colourful. Complex, intricate, epic and sweeping, it is a story about what lurks in the shadows. It defies genre, merging a serial killer thriller, historical mystery, small-town drama and love story. The characters are richly drawn, nuanced, compelling and fractured people who make you care about them deeply. It is full of twists and turns, many of which pack a powerful punch, and moments of high drama and intensity are lightened with humour or contrast with the slower and quieter moments. Whitaker explores a variety of themes, some of which are dark and disturbing, while others inspire hope. Friendship, loss, obsession, morality and the pursuit of justice feature heavily, but it is love, trauma and human resilience that are at the centre of this story. 

Phenomenal, moving, mysterious and utterly magnificent, this is my favourite book so far this year. I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Whitaker is the author of the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling All The Colours Of The Dark. His other acclaimed and bestselling novels include We Begin At The End, Tall Oaks, and All The Wicked Girls.

Chris’s novels have been translated into thirty languages and have won the CWA Gold Dagger, the CWA John Creasey Dagger, the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, the Ned Kelly International Award, and numerous awards around the world.

His books have also been selected for the Read With Jenna Book Club, Waterstones Thriller of the Month, Barnes & Noble Book Club, Good Morning America Book Club, and for BBC2’s Between The Covers.

All The Colours Of The Dark is currently in development with Universal Pictures. We Begin At The End is currently in development with A24.

Chris was born in London and lives in the UK.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Published May 22nd, 2025 by Pan Macmillan
Historical Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Historical Romance, Literary Fiction

Welcome to my review for this magnificent story. Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘I have loved Kate Morton’s spellbinding novels since I was a teenager’ – Emilia Hart, bestselling author of Weyward

Rediscover The Forgotten Garden, the breathtaking intergenerational mystery from the multimillion-copy bestseller, Kate Morton.

Three women. Three generations. One spellbinding mystery . . .

Once upon a time, a little girl was found abandoned after a gruelling sea voyage from England to Australia. She carried nothing with her but a small suitcase of clothes, an exquisite volume of fairy tales and the memory of a mysterious woman called the Authoress, who promised to look after her but then vanished.

Years later, Nell returns to England to uncover the truth about her identity. Her quest leads her to the strange and beautiful Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast, but its long-forgotten gardens hide secrets of their own.

Now, upon Nell’s death, her granddaughter, Cassandra, comes into a surprise inheritance: an old book of dark fairy tales and a ramshackle cottage in Cornwall. It is here that she must finally solve the puzzle that has haunted her family for a century, embarking on a journey that blends past and present, myth and mystery, fact and fable . . .

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MY REVIEW:

A nameless little girl is found alone after the long sea voyage from England to Australia. The port master finds her, he and his wife take her in and raise her as their own. Years later, that little girl is now grown and wants to know the truth about her identity, so she travels to England. Her only clues are a volume of fairy tales she carried in her suitcase all those years ago and her memories of a woman she knows only as the Authoress. They lead her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast, a ramshackle cottage, and a forgotten garden full of secrets. But she never finds answers. And when her granddaughter learns of her surprise inheritance after her grandmother’s death, she embarks on a journey to England, determined to solve the puzzle that has haunted her family for all these years. 

Kate Morton is an author whose books have been languishing on my shelves for far too many years. So when the SquadPod were offered the chance to read the beautiful reissued edition of The Forgotten Garden it was the perfect excuse to finally pick up one of her books and discover an author I was sure I’d love. And I did. Beautifully written, intricately interwoven, gorgeously evocative and with a strong sense of place, Morton brings the world she has created to life in exquisite detail. She knows exactly how to pique the interest of her readers, using little details to keep us reading such as the slightly sinister elements, subtle nods to Gothic and Victoriana, and ending each chapter with a revelation and then switching to another timeline. But my favourite detail was how Morton wove dark fairytales written by the Authoress into the narrative. Not only were they brilliantly written, they also served as clues and foreshadowing for the secrets hidden for a century that were being slowly unveiled.

The story is told by a cast of compelling and richly drawn narrators, but it is Nell who is at the centre of this entire story. She narrates at different stages of her life: a child, a young woman, and elderly lady. I enjoyed seeing how she’d changed and how she’d remained the same at all these points in her life, and admit to having a real soft spot for little Nell. The other narrators – Authoress Eliza and her cousin Rose, and Cassandra, Nell’s granddaughter – are all equally as fascinating to read, pulling me into their lives, immersing me in their stories and making me feel invested in the outcome. Moving seamlessly between timelines and continents, Morton took me along for the ride as these women embarked on journeys of self discovery and tried to unravel the mystery that surrounds them.

Hypnotic, immersive and enthralling, don’t miss this magnificent book.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

KATE MORTON is an award-winning, Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author. Her novels – The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, The Secret Keeper, The Lake House, The Clockmaker’s Daughter and Homecoming – are published in over 45 countries, in 38 languages, and have all been number one bestsellers around the world.

Kate Morton grew up in the mountains of southeast Queensland and now lives with her family in London and Australia. She has degrees in dramatic art and English literature, and harboured dreams of joining the Royal Shakespeare Company until she realised that it was words she loved more than performing. Kate still feels a pang of longing each time she goes to the theatre and the house lights dim.

“I fell deeply in love with books as a child and believe that reading is freedom; that to read is to live a thousand lives in one; that fiction is a magical conversation between two people – you and me – in which our minds meet across time and space. I love books that conjure a world around me, bringing their characters and settings to life, so that the real world disappears and all that matters, from beginning to end, is turning one more page.”

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BOOK REVIEW: The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Published August 30th, 2022 by Tinder Press
Historical Fiction, Biographical Ficiton

Today I’m finally sharing my review for this magnificent novel. Thank you to Tinder Press and Netgalley for sending me an eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023
A Reese’s Bookclub December Pick (2022)
An Instant Sunday Times, New York Times and Irish Times Bestseller (August 2022)
A Guardian and LitHub Book of the Year (December 2022)

‘Every bit as evocative and spellbinding as Hamnet. O’Farrell, thank God, just seems to be getting better and better’ i newspaper

‘Her narrative enchantment will wrest suspense and surprise out of a death foretold’ Financial Times

‘Ingenious, inventive, humane, wry, truthful . . . better than her last novel’ Scotsman

‘Finely written and vividly imagined’ Guardian

‘In O’Farrell’s hands, historical detail comes alive’ Spectator
Winter, 1561. Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara, is taken on an unexpected visit to a country villa by her husband, Alfonso. As they sit down to dinner it occurs to Lucrezia that Alfonso has a sinister purpose in bringing her here. He intends to kill her.
Lucrezia is sixteen years old, and has led a sheltered life locked away inside Florence’s grandest palazzo. Here, in this remote villa, she is entirely at the mercy of her increasingly erratic husband.

What is Lucrezia to do with this sudden knowledge? What chance does she have against Alfonso, ruler of a province, and a trained soldier? How can she ensure her survival.

The Marriage Portrait is an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger.

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MY REVIEW:

Italy, 1561. Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara, is unexpectedly taken to a remote country villa by her husband, Alfonso. As dinner is served Lucrezia begins to suspect that Alfonso has sinister intentions for bringing her here. She is sure he plans to kill her. Can this sheltered sixteen-year-old survive against her powerful, combat-trained husband?

Atmospheric, evocative, intriguing and beguiling, Maggie O’Farrell brings history to life with this mesmerising reimagining of the life of Lucrezia de’ Medici. The book opens with a historical note that Lucrezia died aged just sixteen of ‘putrid fever’, though there were rumours that her husband, Alfonso II de Este, Duke of Ferrara, had a hand in her death. The story then begins in 1561, at that meal in the remote fortress with her husband, then jumps back to her birth in 1544. It then moves between timelines, telling her story from childhood to adolescence and her ill-fated marriage to her untimely death. 

Exquisitely written and meticulously researched, this is a glorious tapestry of a novel. O’Farrell transports her reader to sixteenth-century Italy, where we are immersed in all of its opulence, art, luxury, political tension, strict social codes and expectations for women. I lost myself in its pages, savouring O’Farrell’s luscious prose. But always in the back of my mind was Lucrezia’s impending death, adding to the tension and creating a sense of dread that lingered over every page. I knew her fate, yet I couldn’t  help but hope that somehow there would be an escape, a different ending for her at the end of Ms. O’Farrell’s pen. 

Lucrezia de’ Medici is a tragic heroine, brought to life once more from the archives of history for modern readers. Lucrezia may appear to have had a charmed life since birth, with her title and upbringing in a palazzo, but there was much hardship alongside the wealth and luxury. Her conception was considered unfortunate and she was such a difficult infant that her mother removed her from the nursery and sent her to be cared for by a maid in the kitchen. There, she was placed in a laundry tub and watched over by the young daughter of the kitchen maid, her only contact with her mother being reports sent back to her mother each day. As we follow Lucrezia through her childhood sheltered in the palazzo and into adolescence, we see beyond the tragedy and it was easy to develop a fondness for this artistic, feisty and spirited girl who has always been an outsider, even in her own home. For women of Lucrezia’s era and class, their destiny was set, and she was married to Alfonso at just fifteen. But instead of a new beginning, her marriage is the beginning of the end, turning into a dark fairytale that concludes with her death less than a year later. 

Dark, alluring and suspenseful, this unforgettable novel is one that lingers long after reading. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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BOOK REVIEW: The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

Published July 15th, 2014 by Gallery Books
Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

In this “skillfully penned tale of murder and cover-up that will keep readers enthralled until the powerful finish” (Fresh Fiction), family secrets and a serial killer from the past converge in this electrifying thriller.

In 1985, Edward Shank famously gunned down the Beacon Hill Butcher, ending the serial killer’s reign of terror over the city of Seattle. But now in his eighties, Edward’s action-packed glory days are long behind him. The decorated former Seattle police chief has given up his high-maintenance Victorian home to his grandson Matt for a quiet life at the nearby Sweetbay Village Retirement Residence, where mac-n-cheese Wednesdays have become the highlight of his week.

Though it’s hard to watch his grandfather get older, Matt is thrilled to inherit the large house he grew up in. Already an accomplished chef with a popular restaurant and a TV show in the works, Matt’s dream life is finally within reach…until he discovers a crate buried in the backyard that holds a secret about his grandfather so terrible, it threatens to ruin all their lives if it ever gets out. Especially his girlfriend Sam’s, whose mother was killed when she was only two years old.

As Matt struggles with his dark family secret, Sam’s obsession with solving her mother’s murder continues to grow. A true crime writer now working on a book about the Butcher, Sam has always suspected her mother was one of his victims, even though she was killed two years after the Butcher was supposedly gunned down.

But when new victims begin to turn up, their murders eerily similar to the Butcher’s all those years ago, Sam realizes she might be right. The more she digs into the old murders, the more dangerous it gets…and the truth is closer to home than she ever could have imagined.

“A tense, suspenseful, thoroughly creepy thriller” (Booklist), The Butcher sinks its teeth in you from the very first page.

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MY REVIEW:

Retired Seattle Police Chief Edward Shank is famous for gunning down The Beacon Hill Butcher in 1985 and ending the serial killer’s reign over the city. Now in his eighties, Edward decides the time has come to move to a retirement home and leave his Victorian house to his grandson, Matt, who is thrilled to inherit the house, having been raised there by his beloved grandparents after the death of his mother. An accomplished chef with his own popular restaurant and a TV show in the works, with the addition of the house Matt feels his dream is finally in his reach. But all that falls apart when he discovers a crate buried in the back garden that holds a dark family secret so explosive that it will ruin many lives if it is discovered, leaving Matt unsure whether to tell the truth or try to keep it hidden. 

As Matt struggles with this conflict, his  girlfriend Sam’s obsession with solving her mother’s murder grows. Sam has always suspected that her mother was one of The Beacon Hill Butcher’s victims, even though she was killed two years after the Butcher was killed. And when new victims killed in the same way as the Butcher’s victims emerge, it looks like she could be right afterall. But as she delves deeper into her search for the truth, Sam puts herself in greater danger, unaware just how close the truth actually lies…

Unsettling, eerie and addictive, this nerve-shredding thriller had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Expertly written, defly plotted, fast-paced and packed with surprising twists, Jennifer Hiller showcases why she deserves her crown as the Queen of chilling thrillers. And this time she takes the traditional murder mystery format and turns it on its head, revealing some of the twists – including whodunnit – early on, but she keeps the tension taut and still packs in so much that keeps us guessing. She also explores a range of topics in the story, including the twisted mind of a killer, if behaviours can be inherited, and confronts the shades of grey that exist in all of us. 

Richly drawn and compelling, the characters leapt from the pages and pulled me into their stories. I may not have always liked them, but I was always fascinated by them and Hillier made them leap from the pages. I could feel  Matthew’s torment bleeding from the pages, Sam tugged at my heartstrings, while Edward was so dark, vile and unsettling that he made shivers run down my spine. 

A murderous, grisly and disturbing thriller, The Butcher is a must read for anyone who likes their thrillers dark and twisted. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Hillier imagines the worst about people and then writes about it. Born and raised in Toronto and a proud Canadian, she spent eight years in the Seattle area, which is where all her books are set.

She’s the USA Today, Globe and Mail, and Toronto Star bestselling author of THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK. Her six previous novels include LITTLE SECRETS, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Anthony Award, and JAR OF HEARTS, which won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel and was nominated for the Anthony and Macavity Awards.

Her latest book, THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, is available now.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Published July 23rd, 2020 by Picador
Historical Fiction, Medical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Romance, Lesbian Literature

Welcome to my review for this powerful and unforgettable story. Thanks to Picador for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Three days in a maternity ward at the height of the Great Flu. The Pull of the Stars is the Sunday Times Bestseller from the acclaimed author of The Wonder and Room.

‘An immersive, unforgettable fever-dream of a novel’ – The Times

The old world dying on its feet, a new one struggling to be born . . .

Dublin, 1918. In a country doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar flu are quarantined together. Into Julia’s regimented world step two outsiders: Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney.

In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over the course of three days, these women change each other’s lives in unexpected ways. They lose patients to this baffling pandemic, but they also shepherd new life into a fearful world. With tireless tenderness and humanity, carers and mothers alike somehow do their impossible work.

In The Pull of the Stars, Emma Donoghue tells an unforgettable and deeply moving story of love and loss.

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MY REVIEW:

Dublin, 1918. Ireland is a country ravaged by war and in the grip of a pandemic. At an understaffed hospital in the city centre, we follow Nurse Julia Power as she cares for expectant mothers who have contracted the flu. She is helped by Birdie Sweeney, an inexperienced volunteer helper, and Doctor Kathleen Lynn, an Irish Nationalist on the run from the police. Over the course of three days, we see them battle to give patients the best care, bring new life into the world, and tragically lose lives to this mysterious disease. 

Beautiful, moving, harrowing and immersive, The Pull of the Stars is an unforgettable piece of historical fiction. Exquisitely written and meticulously researched, Emma Donoghue had me hooked from the first pages, transporting me into Julia’s world and making me feel like I was in the room with her. Likeable and easy to root for, Julia was a great protagonist. I loved the care she had for all of her patients, her passion for nursing and that she was refusing to conform to society by staying unmarried as she turned 30. The other characters are equally as compelling. Birdie was naive  but enthusiastic and willing to learn. And my heart broke as we learned more about what she’d been through growing up in religious institutions. Dr Kathleen Lynn, who is based on a real person, was modern, visionary and unafraid to do whatever it takes to further her cause. Each of the women are strong in their own ways and I loved seeing the effect they had on Julia’s life in just three short days.

1918 was a dangerous time to be a woman, especially in a country like Ireland where religious beliefs meant there was an expectation to marry young, an aversion to contraception and a societal expectation to churn out babies back to back regardless of whether or not you wanted to or could afford them. Donoghue explores these issues along with others such as the horrific realities of the Magdalene laundries and religious institutions, and the terrible infant mortality rate, especially amongst poorer families. The characters represent different social groups and offer us an example of many different lives. There are victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, impoverished and malnourished women struggling to give birth for a twelfth time and terrified teenage first-time mothers. Each of these women are fighting to survive at a time when the mortality rate was 15% and we see successful births and tragic losses of both mothers and babies.

One of the things I love about historical fiction is getting a glimpse of life at the time the book is set and as someone who has always been fascinated by medical history, I enjoyed learning about how different treatments and knowledge were at the start of the twentieth century, while also seeing how knowledge about hygiene and medicine were growing at the time and helped to save lives. I appreciated that Donoghue didn’t shy away from the more shocking and gruesome aspects of nursing and the complications that can arise in obstetrics, although it may be too intense for some readers. 

Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Dublin in 1969, Emma Donoghue is a writer of contemporary and historical fiction whose novels include the international bestseller “Room” (her screen adaptation was nominated for four Oscars), “Frog Music”, “Slammerkin,” “The Sealed Letter,” “Landing,” “Life Mask,” “Hood,” and “Stirfry.” Her story collections are “Astray”, “The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits,” “Kissing the Witch,” and “Touchy Subjects.” She also writes literary history, and plays for stage and radio. She lives in London, Ontario, with her partner and their two children.

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BOOK REVIEW: A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon

Published April 28th, 2022 by The Borough Press
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

Welcome to my review for this compelling black comedy. Thank you Borough Press for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

MEET LINDA.

Linda lives a nice, normal life, on a nice, normal street with Terry, her perfectly ordinary husband.

Linda’s not like everyone else, she keeps herself to herself. But she’s good at solving puzzles and there are times she sees things other people might have overlooked.

Because nothing on Cavendish Avenue is quite as it seems. People have started to go missing in the neighbourhood and Linda will soon discover that some secrets can’t stay buried forever…

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MY REVIEW:

In an ordinary English neighbourhood local girls are being murdered by someone the papers have dubbed The Hexford Stranger. As suspicions swirl and everyone is trying to figure out who could be responsible we follow Linda, a normal woman who is one of the residents. She lives with her husband, Terry, and those who know her would say she keeps to herself. But Linda also notices things that other people miss. And lately she’s been noticing strange things that she slowly begins to piece together….

Darkly funny, sinister and deeply human, A Tidy Ending is a captivating and atmospheric read that feels like  peeking out of your living room window. Deftly written, skillfully constructed and acutely observed, Joanna Cannon vividly transported me into Linda’s world. Cleverly concealed clues are dropped like breadcrumbs for us to follow, and I don’t mind admitting that I missed a lot of them. And that ending! My jaw dropped. As Linda says repeatedly, appearances can be deceptive.

Now, we need to talk about Linda. Quirky, cringey, sad, lonely and needy, she’s a memorable and compelling but not particularly likeable protagonist, though as I love an unreliable narrator I did find myself warming to her as the story went on. In a loveless marriage, ignored by her husband, put down by her mother and with no friends, you can’t help but feel for her, especially as her traumatic backstory is revealed. She is also socially unaware, cringey, and easy to take advantage of, often making me want to ride in and rescue her when others were mistreating her. 

Tense, twisty, complex and full of heart, this is an entertaining domestic noir with heaps of black humour and an appropriately tidy ending. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 60 days of listening for free*

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joanna Cannon graduated from Leicester Medical School and worked as a hospital doctor, before specialising in psychiatry. Her novels, The Trouble With Goats and Sheep and Three Things About Elsie, were both Sunday Times bestsellers and Richard and Judy picks. Her new novel, A Tidy Ending, was published in April 2022. She lives in the Peak District with her dog, Lewis.

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