Tag: Backlist Books

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Kranostein

Published April 10th, 2018 by St Martins PR
Biography, Autobiography, True Crime

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SYNOPSIS:

Longlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize
Winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature
Winner of the Australian Book Industry Awards

A woman who sleeps among rubbish she has not put out for forty years. A man who bled quietly to death in his loungeroom. A woman who lives with rats, random debris and terrified delusion. The still life of a home vacated by accidental overdose.

Before she was a trauma cleaner, Sandra Pankhurst was many things: husband and father, drag queen, gender reassignment patient, sex worker, small businesswoman, trophy wife… But as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home, she just wanted to belong. Now she believes her clients deserve no less. Sarah Krasnostein has watched the extraordinary Sandra Pankhurst bring order and care to these, the living and the dead – and the book she has written is equally extraordinary. Not just the compelling story of a fascinating life among lives of desperation, but an affirmation that, as isolated as we may feel, we are all in this together.

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MY REVIEW:

The Trauma Cleaner is the extraordinary story of Sandra Pankhurst, who created a trauma cleaning company that takes care of a wide range of cleaning needs from hoarding to decomposition. I went into this expecting a story about a woman who cleans crime scenes but this ended up being so much more. 

Pankhurst was born male and raised in a violent home where her sexuality and gender identity was used against her. She transitioned as an adult and has worn a variety of hats, including husband, father, drag queen, sex worker, small business owner, and trophy wife, before opening her trauma cleaning business. Author Sarah Kranostein spent a few years with Sandra, interviewing her and accompanying her on a number of her cleaning jobs, something that allows her to not only tell us Sandra’s story, but that of some of her clients. 

The book is filled with lots of fascinating characters, but none are more intriguing than Sandra herself. She’s quite the character and it is impossible not to be drawn to her. She’s a complex person who has lived a life filled with sadness and trauma and there are some dark and graphic scenes in the book. She is also an unreliable narrator, though we are never sure if this is a case of outright lies or her past drug use and trauma. And although she can be selfish, she is also warmhearted and non judgemental, able to talk to anyone or put herself on any level.

Powerful, moving, funny, and compelling, this book reminds us of the importance of kindness, compassion, and human contact and connection in our lives. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah Krasnostein is a multi-award winning writer and critic. She is the best-selling author of The Trauma Cleaner (2017), The Believer (2021), the Quarterly Essay, Not Waving, Drowning (2022) and On Peter Carey (2023). She holds a PhD in criminal law and is admitted to legal practice in New York and Victoria.

Sarah has been awarded the Victorian Prize for Literature, the Australian Book Industry Award for General Non-Fiction, the Victorian Premier’s Prize for Non-Fiction, the Dobbie Literary Award, and the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. She was a finalist for the Walkley Book Award, the National Biography Award, the Melbourne Prize for Literature and the Wellcome Book Prize (UK). In 2022, she was awarded the Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism.

Sarah is a regular contributor to The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. Her work can be found in a variety of publications in Australia, America, and the UK including The Guardian, Tablet Magazine, Longreads, Literary Hub, The Jewish Quarterly, Meanjin and Oxford Handbooks Online as well as various academic journals. She has lectured in post-graduate criminal law and taught creative writing.

Sarah was born in America, is based in Australia and has lived and worked in both countries.

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley

Published May 26th, 2022 by Bantam Press
Humorous Fiction, Literaty Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Lesbian Literature, Urban Fiction

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SYNOPSIS:

Get ready to hop onboard this summer’s unmissable book – the perfect feel-good and heart-warming read.

Readers are falling in love with The People on Platform 5:

‘Incredible book, full of joy and warmth and love!’
‘A great novel with some truly wonderful characters‘
‘The fantastic cast of eclectic characters will steal your heart & have you rooting for their happy endings’
‘A feel-good, once-in-a-lifetime story‘
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Every day at 8:05, Iona Iverson boards the train to go to work with the same group of people who she makes assumptions about, even giving them nicknames. As a seasoned commuter, she knows there are rules that everyone should follow:
· You must have a job to go to
· Don’t consume hot food
· Always pack for any eventuality
· You must never speak to strangers on the train

But then, one morning, Smart-but-Sexist-Surbiton chokes on a grape right in front of Iona. Suspiciously-Nice-New Malden steps up to help and saves his life, and this one event sparks a chain reaction.

With nothing in common but their commute, an eclectic group of people learn that their assumptions about each other don’t match reality. But when Iona’s life begins to fall apart, will her new friends be there when she needs them most?

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MY REVIEW:

One of my promises to myself this year is that I’d read more of my backlist and, as The People On Platform 5 has languished on my shelves for far too long, I decided to listen to it this month. Uplifting, engaging, emotional and hilarious, this love letter to the joy of friendship and the power of connection was just what I needed to lift my spirits on the cold January days. 

Every day Iona boards the train to go to work and sees the same group of people, giving them nicknames and making assumptions about their lives. But she sticks to the strict rules all commuters should abide by and never speaks to them. Until one day when a grape sparks a chain of events that will bring an eclectic group of strangers together. 

This was my first time reading a book by Clare Pooley, but it won’t be my last. Beautifully observed and wonderfully written, this heartwarming story is one I’ll not forget. Romance, humour, heartache, drama, skeletons in closets, and secrets waiting to be revealed, this gorgeous book had it all. It shattered my heart and then pieced it back together, and I often found myself laughing out loud. Who knew that the commute to work could be so eventful. 

The characters are a key part of this book and I adored this motley crew of compelling and richly drawn characters. They each narrate the story, offering us a glimpse into each of their lives and how differently they see the same events. But although there are multiple narrators, Iona still feels like the central character, and she was certainly the one who stole my heart most of all. Spirited and ebullient, she stands out from the crowd and refuses to fade away like people expect a woman of her age to do. I loved her nicknames for the other characters before she met them, her little schemes, and her beautiful romance with her wife, Bea. 

Comforting, affecting, entertaining and funny, this was an absolute joy to read. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge and spent twenty years in the heady world of advertising before becoming a full-time writer.

Clare’s memoir – The Sober Diaries – has helped thousands of people worldwide to quit drinking.

Clare’s first novel – The Authenticity Project – was a BBC Radio 2 Bookclub pick, a New York Times Bestseller and the winner of the RNA debut novel award. It has been translated into 29 languages. Her second novel is coming Spring 2022.

Clare lives in Fulham, London with her long-suffering husband, three children and two dogs.

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Cozy Mysteries Read Christie

READ CHRISTIE 2024: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Series Book 1) by Agatha Christie

Published October 1920
Mystery, Cosy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Detective Story, Classic Fiction

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SYNOPSIS:

When Emily Inglethorp is poisoned the police are certain they’ve found the killer, but Hercule Poirot is not so easily satisfied. The sleuth digs deep into a tangled mystery in his debut appearance as the detective hero of Christie’s classic crime series.

Agatha Christie’s first mystery novel marks the initial appearance of her renowned Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, known for his impeccably neat appearance, fine mustache, and ability to cut to the core of some of the most complex and puzzling mysteries ever conceived. Summoned to investigate a murder in an elegant English country house, Poirot begins assembling clues and finding reasons to doubt the apparently obvious culprit was actually responsible for the murder. Riddles and secrets multiply as documents vanish, secret alliances are unveiled and the seemingly unsolvable is broken wide open. Deliberately conceived and written to puzzle devoted mystery fans, The Mysterious Affair at Styles has delighted readers since its first publication in 1920 and marks a perfect entry point for those new to the author or her unforgettable sleuth.

With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Mysterious Affair at Styles is both modern and readable.

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MY REVIEW:

Ok. I confess. I’m a bad book blogger and I had never read an Agatha Christie book before this one (despite owning many). Like most people I am familiar with the stories and have watched many film and TV adaptations over the years but never got around to picking up one of the actual books. Every year since joining Bookstagram I’ve wanted to take part in the Read Christie, the official Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, but didn’t manage to fit it in. This year I was determined to make it happen and I am thrilled to have finally read my first Agatha Christie. . 

Each year Read Christie has different prompts and in 2024 they are exploring Christie’s works through the decades, starting in 1920 and going all the way through to the 1970s. January’s prompt is the 20s, so after talking to my Christie-expert friend, Sue, I decided to start at the very beginning with Christie’s first ever novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which was first published in the US in October 1920 and in the UK on 21st January 1921, introducing the world to the now-famous Hercule Poirot.

Enthralling, compelling and mysterious, I loved this book. It isn’t a story of Ms. Christie’s that I’m familiar with but I loved that it felt both completely new and comfortingly familiar. It felt like finding a soft toy I’d had as a child and holding it again. Sue recommended listening to the audiobook and I am so glad I took her advice. I loved the little details like the sound of the typewriter keys clicking and thought the narrator was fantastic. I was enrapt and couldn’t stop listening, finishing it in just a few hours. And that ending! Wow. 

This book was a brilliant start to my Agatha Christie reading and one I’d recommend, especially if you’re looking to start her books for the first time like I was. Roll on another one next month! 

Rating: 🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Torquay in 1890, Agatha Christie became, and remains, the best-selling novelist of all time.

She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world’s longest-running play – The Mousetrap. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation.

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Lido by Libby Page

Published April 19th, 2018 by Orion
Literary Ficiton, Romance

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SYNOPSIS:

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

Meet Rosemary, 86, and Kate, 26: dreamers, campaigners, outdoor swimmers…

Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life, but everything she knows is changing. Only the local lido, where she swims every day, remains a constant reminder of the past and her beloved husband George.

Kate has just moved and feels adrift in a city that is too big for her. She’s on the bottom rung of her career as a local journalist, and is determined to make something of it.

So when the lido is threatened with closure, Kate knows this story could be her chance to shine. But for Rosemary, it could be the end of everything. Together they are determined to make a stand, and to prove that the pool is more than just a place to swim – it is the heart of the community.

‘Feel-good and uplifting, this charming novel is full of heart’ LUCY DIAMOND

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MY REVIEW:

“It is raining smiles.”

Emotional, heartwarming and uplifting, The Lido is a truly special book. A story about  the restorative power of friendship, the power of community, life, love, and loss,  it warms you from the inside like Ready Brek and was the perfect book to chase away the cold January blues. 

Rosemary, 86, has lived in Brixton her whole life and has swum at the lido every day since she was a child. It’s the place she met her beloved late husband, George, and remains the centre of her world. Rosemary isn’t your typical elderly woman. She’s feisty, fiercely independent, and has an unquenchable zest for life. The lido is her lifeline to friendship, freedom and community, and its potential closure would mean losing a part of herself. 

Kate, 26, is a reporter for the local newspaper who was assigned to report on the potential closure. She’s recently moved to Brixton and hasn’t managed to make any friends. She’s lonely, filled with self-doubt, and crippled with anxiety and depression, but hasn’t told anyone. The two women forge a strong friendship and join forces with members of the local community to try and save the lido.

This book had languished on my shelves for far too long and I am so glad I finally took the plunge (excuse the bad pun). Libby Page’s writing is alluring, uplifting and emotionally resonant. She takes you through a rainbow of emotions, creating an overwhelming feeling of warmth and positivity despite the loneliness and sadness that runs through the story. But it’s the characters that are my favourite part of this book. I love an intergenerational friendship and the one between Rosemary and Kate is one of the best I’ve read. They were fascinating characters individually but even better together. I loved how Rosemary got Kate on board her quest to save the lido by getting her to swim and the ways they both enriched each other’s lives. I listened to this book on audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the characters and story to life. I was bereft when the story was over and am excited to read the follow up, The Lifeline, which is out in April. 

So if you’re looking for a book to brighten your day, The Lido  is the book for you.

Rating: 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

From Libby’s official website:

I’m Libby Page, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lido, The 24-Hour Café, The Island Home and The Vintage Shop of Second Chances. The Lifeline, a follow-up to The Lido, will be published in the UK in April 2024.

Before writing The Lido I worked as a journalist and in marketing. I live in Somerset with my husband and young son.

Are you signed up to my newsletter? By being a subscriber you will receive the latest news about my books as well as regular reading recommendations and behind-the-scenes content.

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

Published July 22nd, 2021 by The Borough Press
Thriller, Supsense, Dark Comedy, Satire

Welcome to my review of the delciously dark How To Kill You Family. This is my first audiobook and backlist book of 2024. Thank you to The Borough Press for the copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:
THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘I loved this book’ RICHARD OSMAN

‘An antiheroine able to best villainous male protagonists such as Patrick Bateman any day’ OBSERVER

‘Chilling, but also laugh-out-loud funny. Another corker’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

They say you can’t choose your family. But you can kill them.

Meet Grace Bernard.
Daughter, sister, serial killer…
Grace has lost everything.
And she will stop at nothing to get revenge.

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MY REVIEW:

“I have killed several people, some brutally, others calmly, and yet I currently languish in jail for a crime I did not commit…”

Grace Bernard is currently in prison for a notorious crime that she didn’t commit. Ironically, her real crimes are unknown and Grace is actually a serial killer who has calmly and meticulously murdered six members of her family and will stop at nothing in her quest for revenge.

A deliciously dark and deadly debut, How To Kill Your Family is a gripping story of familial dysfunction, vengeance and murder. After it languished on my shelves for far too long I decided to listen to it as my first audiobook of the year. And I’m so glad I did. Bella Mackie has created a story dripping with jet-black humour and a compelling anti-hero you won’t forget. It was one of those great audiobooks that are easy to listen to because both the story and narration are so good and I got completely lost in this story. I thought I knew where it was headed and listened safe in that knowledge. But I was completely wrong and was left reeling with my jaw on the floor. Also, how could she end it there?! So cruel. 

Mackie takes us deep inside Grace’s mind, allowing us to understand her behaviours even if we don’t agree with them. She’s a fantastic anti-hero: flawed, unforgiving, bitter, emotionally detached, unpredictable, calculated and untroubled by guilt or remorse yet she has a charm and magnetism that makes you root for her. It’s easy to understand why she’d want revenge on those who destroyed her life and I think we’ve all fleetingly considered how to get revenge on those who’ve hurt or betrayed us. But while we’d move on Grace doesn’t and methodically plans and carries out her complex plans, taking her time to avoid being caught instead of acting rashly and making mistakes. She’s consumed by her obsession and I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever truly feel satisfied even after her plans were complete. 

Witty, entertaining and addictive, How To Kill Your Family is a brilliant satirical debut that I highly recommend. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Bella Mackie is a former journalist who previously worked for The Guardian and Vice News. She writes a twice monthly Vogue column. Her first book, Jog On, was a memoir about mental health and running. It was a number two bestseller (just underneath Michelle Obama, which is a hallowed spot).

Since then she’s written an accompanying journal to encourage others to try exercise more for their minds than their bodies. Bella’s first foray into fiction, How To Kill Your Family, came out in July 2021 and ended up in the number one bestseller spot. Bella lives in London and spends a lot of time wrangling her large stupid dog.

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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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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Bone China by Laura Purcell

Published September 19th, 2019 by Raven Books
Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror Fiction, Ghost Story, Medical Thriller, Romance

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SYNOPSIS:

A Daphne Du Maurier-esque chiller set on the mysterious Cornish coast, from the award-winning author of The Silent Companions.

‘Du Maurier-tastic’ GUARDIAN

‘Deliciously sinister’ HEAT

‘A clever, creepy read’ SUNDAY EXPRESS


Consumption has ravaged Louise Pinecroft’s family, leaving her and her father alone and heartbroken.

But Dr Pinecroft has plans for a revolutionary experiment: convinced that sea air will prove to be the cure his wife and children needed, he arranges to house a group of prisoners suffering from the same disease in the cliffs beneath his new Cornish home.

Forty years later, Hester Why arrives at Morvoren House to take up a position as nurse to the now partially paralysed and almost entirely mute Miss Pinecroft. Hester has fled to Cornwall to try and escape her past, but she soon discovers that her new home may be just as dangerous as her last.

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MY REVIEW:

Laura Purcell has done it again. Gloriously sinister, gothic and eerie, Bone China is an unsettling tale from the queen of the gothic mystery. The Cornish coast and Morvoren House provide a haunting backdrop that is the perfect setting for Purcell’s unmistakable chilling and malevolent gothic style. You feel yourself in the grip of a master storyteller as she pulls you into the world she created with her meticulous and darkly poetic prose, compelling characters and strong sense of place. Filled with folklore, mystery, suspicion and foreboding, there’s a lingering atmosphere of unease and the sense of dread deepens as Purcell expertly blurs the lines between reality, imagination and the supernatural. All of this merged with the expressive narration of the audiobook to create a truly visceral and immersive experience. 

Told in three timelines we follow Hester Why in the present as she arrives at Morvoren House to take up a position as Lady’s Maid and Nurse to Miss Pinecroft, the strange and reclusive Lady of the house. A second timeline flashes back to Ms. Why’s past and slowly reveals her secrets. Lastly, we go back forty years before Hester’s arrival at Morvoren House to follow the story of Miss Louise Pinecroft and her father, Dr. Ernest Pinecroft. The Pinecrofts have come to Morvoren to continue his quest to perfect his radical cure for consumption. Purcell seamlessly weaves the many threads together, holding me in her thrall and keeping me guessing right up until the end. 

Purcell’s research is detailed, delving into Cornish folklore and the origins of bone china, which are surprisingly morbid. Integral to the story are the unsettling local tales of changelings and faeries, seen as a serious matter at the time. Faeries were dark and dangerous creatures with limitless power and were blamed for everything and anything: pregnancy loss, stillbirth, disability, famine, mental illness, and sickness, such as tuberculosis which is a central part of the storyline. Then known as consumption, tuberculosis is the illness that shattered the Prichard family which has led Dr. Ernest Prichard to Morvoren House so he can perfect his innovative cure with the assistance of his daughter, Louise. It was hard to read about the barbaric ‘cures’ people were subjected to in the name of so-called modern medicine at that time knowing it was based in historical fact. 

The characters are intriguing and well-written. Purcell allows us greater insight into who many of them are by having them appear in multiple timelines so we really get to know them and their backstories. While the characters appear very different, they are all deeply flawed people who are consumed by guilt and inner turmoil. Hester is a secretive, impulsive and obsessive young woman who oozes desperation. We know she’s fleeing from a tragic event and is plagued not only by regret but also fear of being discovered. I found her intriguing but was frustrated she refused to learn from her past mistakes and kept going in circles. Miss Pinecroft is a much more sympathetic character with a moving backstory. But it takes some time to unravel that and in the present we see her as a feeble and mute old woman who is confined to her bed or the parlour. Flashbacks tell us the fascinating story of an intelligent and determined young woman who is working hard to overcome the tragedies she has lived through and help others through working with her father on his cure for consumption. But the character who stood out most for me was Creeda, Miss Pinecroft’s servant who has been at Morvoren house for many years. Creeda is well versed in folklore and wholeheartedly believes the stories are true. In her world there are faeries waiting to steal people and changelings live amongst us. Needless to say, she’s a strange character. She is also shrouded in mystery and seems to be at the centre of everything that happens at Morvoren House, adding to the overall feeling of unease that surrounds her. I loved that the more we learned about her tragic past the more unnerving she became and her backstory was one of my favourite storylines.

Darkly atmospheric, insidious, menacing and utterly magnificent, Bone China is a DuMarier-esque gothic novel that is one of Laura Purcell’s best books yet. Highly recommended, especially on audiobook. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Laura Purcell is a former bookseller living in Colchester, Essex with her husband and pet guinea pigs.

She began her career with two historical novels about the Hanoverian monarchs, Queen of Bedlam and Mistress of the Court before her break-out Gothic ghost story The Silent Companions.

The Silent Companions won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award in 2018 and was shortlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell. It was selected for both the Radio 2 Book Club and Zoe Ball’s ITV Book Club.

The Shape of Darkness won a Fingerprint Award for Historical Crime Book of the Year 2022 and was shortlisted for both an Edgar Award and a Dead Good Readers’ Award.

Laura’s short stories have been published in a number of collections including the Sunday Times best-selling The Haunting Season. She recently worked as lead writer on Roanoke Falls, a Realm podcast executive produced by John Carpenter and Sandy King Carpenter. It won a silver Signal Award for Best Scripted Fiction.

Please note that in the USA Laura is published by Penguin Books, where The Corset is titled The Poison Thread and Bone China is called The House of Whispers.

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Changeling (Six Stories Book 3) by Matt Wesolowski

Published January 15th, 2019 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Noir Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror Thriller, Hard-boiled Mystery, Crime Fiction, True Crime

TRIGGER WARNING: Domestic Abuse

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SYNOPSIS:

lusive online journalist Scott King investigates another cold case the disappearance of a seven-year-old boy from his father s car on Christmas Eve in an intensely dark, deeply chilling and searingly thought-provoking thriller, in another episode of Six Stories.

***LONGLISTED for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year***

***SHORTLISTED for Best Thriller at the Amazon Publishing Readers Awards 2019***

***SHORTLISTED for Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers Awards 2019***

‘Insidiously terrifying, with possibly the creepiest woods since The Blair Witch Project  a genuine chiller with a whammy of an ending’ C J Tudor

‘Frighteningly wonderful one of the best books I ve read in years’ Khurrum Rahman

‘A creepy, chilling read that is ridiculously difficult to put down’ Luca Veste

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A missing child
A family in denial
Six witnesses
Six stories
Which one is true?

On Christmas Eve in 1988, seven-year-old Alfie Marsden vanished in the dark Wentshire Forest Pass, when his father, Sorrel, stopped the car to investigate a mysterious knocking sound. No trace of the child, nor his remains, have ever been found. Alfie Marsden was declared officially dead in 1995.

Elusive online journalist, Scott King, whose ‘Six Stories’ podcasts have become an internet sensation, investigates the disappearance, interviewing six witnesses, including Sorrel and his ex-partner, to try to find out what really happened that fateful night. Journeying through the trees of the Wentshire Forest a place synonymous with strange sightings, and tales of hidden folk who dwell there, he talks to a company that tried and failed to build a development in the forest, and a psychic who claims to know what happened to the little boy

Intensely dark, deeply chilling and searingly thought provoking, Changeling is an up-to-the-minute, startling thriller, taking you to places you will never, ever forget

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MY REVIEW:

“At the end of it all, you just want answers, and for this to end. You want to tie off the loose threads of this case like the veins and arteries of an infected limb; amputate and move on.
It’ll leave a scar.
But you knew that when you started, somehow.”

Changeling is the third instalment in Matt Wesolowski’s sinister Six Stories series. I started this series on book four and then read books five and six before going back to the beginning, so listening to Changeling has completed the series for me. I’ve loved this series and was reluctant to say goodbye, so I put off reading this one for a long time. But finally I decided I could wait no longer and listened to it on audiobook in September. 

The format of six stories is simple but effective: host Scott King takes a cold case and looks at it six different ways for his podcast ‘Six Stories’. He interviews six different witnesses to get the different perspectives on each crime and tries to unearth the long-buried truth In Changeling he is exploring the case that, unbeknownst to him, will have the biggest impact on his life yet. Seven-year-old Alfie Marsden, who vanished in the dark Wentshire Forest Pass on Christmas Eve 1988. His father, Sorrel, was the last person to see him alive. But is he telling the truth about what happened that day in the forest? Could the folklore about Wenshire Forest be true? And could a psychic really hold the key to discovering what really happened to Alfie?

“Some say that Alfie’s disappearance in 1988 was one controversy too many for Wenshire Forest and led to the majority of the site being closed to the public. But this only meant the ghoulish draw of the forest intensified, as did the speculation in the press. Descriptions of alleged occurrences between the tangled branches of one of England’s most ancient woods became distorted and bloated. With story upon story, claim upon claim, Wentshire forest has become a place synonymous with horror.”

Atmospheric, sinister and eerie, this one chilled me to the bone. There’s a missing child and a case that’s steeped in folklore and rumour, making this a difficult one to listen to at times. I don’t mind admitting that I got so freaked out that I had to stop listening and go do something else a couple of times. And that epilogue! I had chills running down my spine. But it wasn’t just the hints of the supernatural that were difficult for me, it was also the discussion of domestic abuse that felt like reliving my own first marriage that made it necessary to take a breather at times. Not that it is explicit or badly written, Wesolowski has written about a difficult subject with honesty and sensitivity that feels very relatable. So much so that I felt like I’d gone back fifteen years and had to centre myself in the present before I could keep listening. Wesolowski addresses writing about domestic abuse in his Author’s Note at the end of the book and I appreciate him bringing awareness to this important subject and including places readers can access support.

As I’ve said before, the premise of this series makes it perfect for audiobooks. It is a completely immersive experience, making you lose yourself in the story and it really feels like you’re listening to your favourite true crime podcast. Matt Wesolowski is one of my favourite sinister storytellers with a unique style that is instantly recognisable. His books are unnerving, guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, and not for the faint hearted. But they are absolutely phenomenal and I’m bereft to have come to the end of this spectacular series. But who am I kidding, I’ll definitely be listening to them again. 

So if you love dark, eerie stories and are feeling brave, add this series to your TBR. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for young people in care. Matt started his writing career in horror, and his short horror fiction has been published in numerous UK- and US-based anthologies, such as Midnight Movie Creature, Selfies from the End of the World, Cold Iron and many more. His novella, The Black Land, a horror set on the Northumberland coast, was published in 2013. Matt was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2015. His debut thriller, Six Stories, was an Amazon bestseller in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia, and a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick, and film rights were sold to a major Hollywood studio. A prequel, Hydra, was published in 2018 and became an international bestseller. Changeling, the third book in the series, was published in 2019 and was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. His fourth book, Beast, won the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Independent Voice Book of the Year award in 2020. Matt lives in Newcastle with his partner and young son.

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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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Categories
Book Features Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Yours Cheerfully by A. J. Pearce (The Emmy Lake Chronicles Book 2)

Published June 24th, 2021 by Picador
Hisrtorical Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Coming-of-Age Fiction, Book Series

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SYNOPSIS:
The Times bestseller Yours Cheerfully is the charming and hilarious tonic we’ve all been waiting for.

‘The best possible antidote for the blahs, the doldrums, all slumps, all dumps… Loved. Every. Word.’
Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

London, September, 1941. Following the departure of the formidable Editor, Mrs Henrietta Bird, things are looking up for Emmeline Lake at Woman’s Friend magazine. And while the war rages on, Emmy is even firmer that she must do all she can to help on the Home Front. As ever, she is determined to Make a Go of It. When the Ministry of Information calls on Britain’s women’s magazines to help recruit female supporters to the war effort, Emmy is thrilled to be asked to help.

But when she and best friend Bunty meet a young woman who shows them the real challenges that women war workers face, Emmy must tackle a life-changing dilemma: should she carry out her duty or stand by her friends?

‘Buoyant and bubbly, a tonic in testing times’ Mail on Sunday
‘A brilliant follow up to Dear Mrs Bird’ Clare Mackintosh
‘Absolutely lovely!’ Marian Keyes
‘Full of wit, friendship and the uplifting knowledge that when people come together, great changes can be made’ Katie Fforde

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MY REVIEW:

“I thought of Yours Cheerfully, there had certainly been letters about war work, but had I taken them seriously enough? Or had I been concentrating too much on the lovelorn and romantically baffled? Who exactly was I trying to help? The ministry I was so desperate to impress, or the readers I had promised I would do everything I can to support?”

Picking up where the previous book left off, we are back with Emmeline Lake in this marvellous sequel to Dear Mrs. Bird. It is September 1941 and Emmy has been given the job of assisting the new advice columnist at Woman’s Friend. With war still raging around them, she is determined to do all she can to help on the Home Front. So when the Ministry of Information calls upon women’s magazines to help recruit female supporters of the war effort, she is thrilled to be asked to help. Spearheading a new series focusing on real women workers, Emmy learns the stark truth of the challenges they face each day that leaves her in a quandary: will she carry out her duty or stand up for what she believes in?

Lively, uplifting, moving and funny, this is a scrumptious treat of a story that soothes your soul like a balmy spring day. After loving the first book in this series I had been meaning to pick up this sequel since it was released. With the third instalment now being published, I have finally got around to it and decided to listen to the audiobook so I could fit it around my physical reads. And I am so glad I did. Wonderfully written and impeccably narrated, the story came to life as I listened, transporting me back to war-torn London and immersing me in the world of the everyday people trying to survive. When you have a chipper, lighthearted story set in such a tumultuous and dark time, it is a real reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. This book broke my heart and then mended it again many times over. And I couldn’t get enough.

“There are women who stick up for each other, and women who don’t.”

One of my favourite elements of this book was its cast of strong female characters, including the protagonist who is at the heart of this story. Bubbly, courageous and admiral, Emmy Lake is a likeable and relatable heroine who is a key part of this story’s charm. It was great to be back with her and watch her blossom in both her personal and private life but it was the themes of female friendship and women supporting and uplifting other women that I enjoyed most of all. The other characters, particularly Emmy’s friends, are compelling, spirited and memorable, leaping from the page as much as Emmy did. And as much as I enjoyed revisiting the characters from book one, there were some great additions to the cast that were vital in making this book so special. A particular mention has to go to young Ruby who stole my heart and made me smile every time she was on the page. 

Jaunty, vibrant, heartwarming and tender, Yours Cheerfully is a book you get lost in. A joy from beginning to end, I would highly recommend it. I loved the audiobook so much that I immediately bought Mrs Porter Calling and started listening. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

AJ Pearce was born in Hampshire, UK. Her favourite subjects at school were English and History, which now (finally) makes sense.

She majored in American History at the University of Sussex, spending her Junior Year at Northwestern University in Illinois, USA.

Her debut novel Dear Mrs Bird was a Sunday Times Bestseller and has been published in the USA, Canada and Australia and in translation in over fifteen languages. 

Dear Mrs Bird was shortlisted for the Debut of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards as well as the Royal Society of Literature Sir Christopher Bland Prize and the Historical Writers’ Association’s Debut Crown 2019 for the best historical debut. It was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick in the UK, and in the USA was shortlisted in the US Library Reads Favorites of Favorites 2018. In 2022 it was chosen for BBC Radio 4’s Book Club.

AJ has appeared at literary events and festivals across the UK, including Cheltenham, Henley, Ilkley, Chipping Norton, Durham, Guildford, and The British Library.

Her second novel, the sequel Yours Cheerfully, was published in 2021 and was a Times Top 10 hit. Her new novel, Mrs Porter Calling is the third in the Emmy Lake Chronicles series and will be published 25 May 2023 in the UK and 8 August in the USA/Canada.

AJ will be touring the UK around the publication, starting in May. Please go to the Events page for full info and how to book tickets.

When not talking about, researching, or writing books, AJ enjoys being fairly rubbish at a variety of hobbies, and has recently decided to try to learn to paint. Should anyone have alerted members of the Royal Academy of Arts, it is more than likely that no one is holding their breath.

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