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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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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani

Published October 26th, 2023 by Zaffre
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Cozy Mystery

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this chilling and suspenseful whodunnit. Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours for the invitation to take part and to Zaffre for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

Find the truth. Solve the murder. Never reveal your secret.

Twelve years ago, eight friends ran an exclusive group at university: The Murder Masquerade Society. The mysteries they solved may have been grisly, but they were always fictional – until their final Christmas puzzle, when one of the group disappeared, never to be seen again.

Now, the remaining members receive an invitation to a reunion masquerade, to be held in a beautiful and remote country house in Scotland. The game begins, and it feels just like old times.

Until the next morning, when Lady Partridge is found hanging from a pear tree.

It quickly becomes clear that in this game, the murder will be all too real, and the story is bringing long-hidden secrets to the surface. If they hope to survive the festive season then they will need to face the truth about what happened on that fateful night twelve years ago.

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MY REVIEW:

“You are invited to a murder.” 

Claustrophobic, unnerving,  and mysterious, The Twelve Days of Murder is a gripping whodunnit. There’s secrets, suspicion, suspense, and slaughter as a group of university friends reunite and resurrect their old murder-mystery group. It’s the first time The Murder Masquerade Society have been together since one of their members disappeared without a trace during a game twelve years ago. The games begin in a remote country house in Scotland, but their festive fun soon turns into a terrifying nightmare when the game becomes all-too real…

This twist-filled thriller had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It’s a dynamic ripe for conflict: a group of old friends, full of mistrust, who are trapped together in a remote house during a snowstorm while a killer picks them off one by one. And the conflict is plain to see in every facet of this cunningly crafted thriller. Andreina Cordani drops clues like breadcrumbs for us to follow, making it feel like we’re playing the game alongside the characters as we try to identify the killer in their midst. I loved Cordani’s creative plotting, such as telling the story in five parts that are set out like the acts of a murder-mystery and the various ways she wove the Christams carol ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ into the plot. And the creeping sense of dread, of a predator hunting its prey, that lingers over every page made this one I couldn’t put down.

A dual timeline novel, the story is narrated by Charley in the present, while different Masqueraders take turns narrating the flashbacks to events twelve years earlier. While all the characters are richly drawn, compelling, flawed, and unreliable narrators, it was Charley I felt the sense of camaraderie with. I think this is because she’s the odd girl out of the group – the have-not among a group of those who have – and there’s a clear divide in how she is treated by them in both timelines which made me angry for her. But Charley and the group are sitting ducks. Prime targets for someone out for revenge. And Cordani doesn’t make it easy for us as we try to identify the killer, keeping us guessing with lots of misdirection and some surprising revelations that turn everything upside down and an unmasking of the culprit that left my jaw on the floor.

The Twelve Days of Murder is a chilling, sinister and suspenseful whodunnit perfect for those who like their festive reading with a side of murder.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

From the author’s website:
I wanted to be a writer from the age of seven, but got a little bit distracted by the world of magazines. Over the years I’ve written for titles including Cosmopolitan, Grazia, Good Housekeeping, Prima, that’s life! and Marie Claire. I specialise in real life interviews, talking to seemingly ordinary people about their extraordinary lives, and these chats inspired me to put myself in other people’s shoes and imagine how different life can be. I write young adult thrillers about people in impossible emotional situations, with a little bit of murder thrown in. My dream is to sit and write books all day then sit and read books all night, but I also love procrastinating on social media, being sarcastic and swimming in the sea.

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BOOK REVIEW: Fyneshade by Kate Griffin

Published May 18th, 2023 by Viper Books
Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Supernatural Fiction, Mystery, Suspsense

Today I’m sharing my review for this gorgeous gothic novel. Thank you Viper Books for the proof.

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SYNOPSIS:

*A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF 2023*

‘A dark, inventive story’ – SUNDAY TIMES
‘A gloriously foreboding Gothic tale’ – HEAT

Many would find much to fear in Fyneshade’s dark and crumbling corridors, its unseen master and silent servants. But not I. For they have far more to fear from me…

On the day of her beloved grandmother’s funeral, Marta discovers that she is to become governess to the young daughter of Sir William Pritchard. Separated from her lover and discarded by her family, Marta has no choice but to journey to Pritchard’s ancient and crumbling house, Fyneshade, in the wilds of Derbyshire.

All is not well at Fyneshade. Marta’s pupil, little Grace, can be taught nothing, and Marta takes no comfort from the silent servants who will not meet her eye. More intriguing is that Sir William is mysteriously absent, and his son and heir Vaughan is forbidden to enter the house. Marta finds herself drawn to Vaughan, despite the warnings of the housekeeper that he is a danger to all around him. But Marta is no innocent to be preyed upon. Guided by the dark gift taught to her by her grandmother, she has made her own plans. And it will take more than a family riven by murderous secrets to stop her…

Perfect for readers of Laura Purcell, Jessie Burton and Stacey Halls, Fyneshade is a dark and twisted gothic novel unlike any you’ve read before…

‘A thrillingly dark page-turner’ – MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘Marta is Jane Eyre’s black-hearted alter ego’ – THE TIMES

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MY REVIEW:

“Many would find much to fear in Fyneshade’s dark and crumbling corridors, its unseen master and silent servants. But not I. For they have far more to fear from me.”

Atmospheric, haunting and disquieting, Fyneshade is, quite simply, one of the best gothic novels I’ve ever read. 

This is a story of dark secrets, betrayal, temptation, and the supernatural. It’s a game of smoke and mirrors; a cryptic maze where the monsters don’t only lurk in the shadows, but inside our own minds as others try desperately to keep the truth hidden. This was my first time reading a book by Kate Griffin and I am in awe of her talent. She is an exceptional storyteller who weaves together darkly poetic prose, evocative imagery, compelling characters and a chilling atmosphere to cast a spell on her reader. I was transfixed and would have devoured it in just one sitting if exhaustion hadn’t forced me to tear myself away. 

Marta is a fascinating protagonist and I loved reading her. Intelligent, determined, wiley and sensual, this complex character is the antithesis of the innocent, meek and trusting protagonist we often see in gothic fiction. She knows how to play the game and isn’t afraid of using her dark craft to do so, making her more than a match for the untrustworthy staff and residents of Fyneshade. We understand that it is these parts of her personality combined with the suspicion, desire and secrecy surrounding her that motivate her actions and allow us to keep rooting for Marta even as she plotted deeds that were increasingly dark. 

Fyneshade is an ancient, bleak and decaying house located in the wilds of Derbyshire. Isolated and eerie, it is the kind of place where the walls bleed malice and the air is thick for foreboding. It feels alive, chilling your bones and sending fear up your spine. I would have been out of there before the first night fell. And the unsettling atmosphere that surrounds Fyneshade only increases with the mystery that surrounds the house, its history, and those who live there, creating a heart-pounding, edge-of-your seat read that I was powerless to put down. 

Bewitching, claustrophobic and deliciously diabolical, Fyneshade is a literary gothic masterpiece that will linger long after reading. Perfect for Halloween, this needs to be on your TBR! 

Rating: 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kate Griffin was born within the sound of Bow bells, making her a true-born cockney. She has worked as an assistant to an antiques dealer, a journalist for local newspapers and now works for The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders, Kate’s first book, won the Stylist/Faber crime writing competition. Kate lives in St Albans.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Paperback Publication Day

BOOK REVIEW: Sweetpea (Sweetpea Book 1) by C. J. Skuse

Published: October 26th, 2023 by HQ
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Dark Comedy, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction, Parodies, Book Series, Serial Killers

Sweetpea is re-released today with a gorgeous new cover so I’ve updated my review for this crazy and hilarious rollercoaster ride.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘If you like your thrillers darkly comic and outrageous this ticks all the boxes’ The Sun

The last person who called me ‘Sweetpea’ ended up dead…

Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret.

By day her job as an editorial assistant is demeaning and unsatisfying. By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s plans for marriage and babies whilst secretly making a list.

A kill list.

From the man on the checkout who always mishandles her apples, to the driver who cuts her off on her way to work, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge.

Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder…

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MY REVIEW:

“If only they knew what this quiet little sweetpea could do.”

Rhiannon Lewis is the girl you don’t notice. The girl who fades into the background. She’s not beautiful or skinny, works a boring job, and lives in a flat with her boyfriend and their dog. And though she was famous once after surviving a crime that seems to have cursed her entire life, her life now is dull and ordinary. Or so people think. But people have a tendency to underestimate Rhiannon. They have no idea she actually spends her time dreaming up gruesome ways to kill those who annoy, cross and betray her and then carries them out. And they certainly don’t suspect that Rhiannon is a serial killer. 

Scathing, twisted, darkly funny, and completely outrageous, Sweetpea is my idea of book heaven. I first read it back in 2019 after rave reviews from fellow blogger Zuky and devoured it quickly, wondering where this book had been all my life. And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since; making it a rare book that I can vividly recall even after four years and hundreds of other books. Not only did this book become an instant favourite, but so did the series, and it’s become a go-to thriller recommendation for me. Today it is re-issued with a gorgeous, bright new cover – which obviously I had to buy even though I own the books already – so I thought it was the perfect excuse to update my review and share it with you all again.

Rhiannon is my favourite anti-hero. A snarky, feisty, short-tempered and hilarious  murderess, she thinks, says and does everything you aren’t supposed to. I love her jet-black, dirty sense of humour, her warped outlook, and how she doesn’t take crap from anyone. Her scathing and raw inner monologue is so entertaining and it’s impossible not to root for her despite her deadly hobby. Let’s be honest, we’ve all thought of ways we’d like to hurt back those who’ve hurt us in our heads before. The difference is Rhiannon not only thinks things, she plots them and carries them out. She may be scary, but she’s bloody brilliant at the same time, something I think is a testament to the talent of C. J. Skuse. Her writing is sharply observed, dark, witty and addictive, always leaving me yearning for more at the end of a book. And I’m delighted to learn there will be more, because Rhiannon isn’t just getting a new look, she’s also getting a new story; book four, Thorn in My Side, is out at the end of this year (January 2024 in paperback). Not only that, but we are apparently getting news about an adaptation soon! I’m giddy with excitement!

A crazy rollercoaster ride with an anti-hero you’ll love, I can’t recommend this one enough. So if you like your thrillers brimming with bloody, murderous vengeance and ink-black humour that will make you laugh out  loud, pick up Sweetpea now. 

Rating:  🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Weston-super-Mare in 1980, C.J. (Claire) is the author of eleven novels including the Young Adult novels Pretty Bad Things, Rockoholic, Dead Romantic, Monster and The Deviants and adult crime thrillers The Alibi Girl and the Sweetpea quintet  (Sweetpea, In Bloom, Dead Head, Thorn in my Side and The Bad Seeds). She has a First Class BA degree in Creative Studies in English and an MA in Writing for Young People with Distinction, both from Bath Spa University. C.J. worked in publishing from 2008-2017 both in editorial and as a professional reader, and now works as a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing. Sweetpea has been optioned by See Saw Films and is in production with Sky Atlantic. Books four and five in the Sweetpea series will be published in summer 2023 and spring 2024.

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Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: Please Take My Baby by Emma Robinson

Published October 17th, 2023 by Bookouture
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Literary Fiction, Saga

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this gut-wrenchingly emotional story. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and eBook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

As I hand my newborn baby to my mother, I see the softness in her face as she gazes down at the tiny, helpless girl in her arms. And I feel my heart shatter as I say the words that will change all our lives… ‘Please, take my baby.’

I know she will be better off without me.But as I leave her behind that dark night, I wonder, will I ever see my baby again?

Will I have the chance to explain to little Erin why I had to go? Even if I do find the strength to return, what will my mother have told her?

Only one person really knows what happened, and why I had to do what I did.

I know the truth will come out some day. I don’t expect forgiveness. The only thing I hope is that my family can survive the fallout…

A heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting tale about the sacrifices mothers make for their children, this story will make you hold your loved ones tight. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Kate Hewitt.

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MY REVIEW:

“When you’re told a mother makes sacrifices, you think of the sleepless nights and the wrecking of your body and the nights you’ll have to stay home. But they are easy when compared with the biggest sacrifice. The one where you have to let them go. Worse, you have to make them feel as if they can walk away and not look back. Freedom without strings.”

My heart was not ready for this book. A story about identity and the relationship between a mother and her children that explores the sacrifices mothers make and what it means to really put your child first. Gut-wrenchingly emotional and moving, it broke my heart into pieces before putting them back together again. 

A story about four generations of women, a family secret that has been hidden for decades, and life-changing decisions, it centres around Erin, a forty-something divorcee who has recently moved back into her mother Ava’s home to help care for her as she battles dementia. The pair have always had a strained relationship and there is added tension in the home as Erin’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Harriet, is far from happy with the move as it meant leaving her school and friends behind. But it’is when Erin finds a photograph of her mother holding a baby she’s never seen before that things really begin to unravel, leading Erin to a shocking discovery that makes her question everything about herself and her life. 

“Layer upon layer of lies. Her whole childhood covered and hidden and papered over. Now those layers were peeling and tearing apart and what was she going to find underneath?”

Emma Robinson has created a beautifully and sensitively written story filled with compelling and real characters that make you feel everything they do. I felt like I walked in Erin’s shoes at every step and there were times I had to put the book down to compose myself before picking it up again. Themes of maternal sacrifice that run through every facet of the story but it was Erin’s agony over Harriet possibly moving away to live with her father that resonated most with me. Having recently sent my eldest off to university in another city I felt her pain in my soul but loved that she chose to put her daughter’s best interests above her own again and again.  

“Hang on in there. That’s how she felt, like she was hanging on by her fingernails to both her mother’s past and her daughter’s future. What would happen if she let go?”

Dementia is not an easy subject to write about but Robinson deals with it brilliantly, her skill for writing difficult subjects in a candid but sensitive way evident once again. She provides a raw, honest, emotional, and detailed exploration of dementia, the emotions it stirs up, and the repercussions for the patient’s whole family. I felt Ava’s confusion and fear as she moved between lucidity and forgetting simple things like how to make a cup of tea and Erin’s heartache and devastation was palpable, reminding me of how I felt watching my own grandmother descend deeper into dementia. 

Heartfelt, poignant and affirming, Please Take My Baby is a powerful and thought-provoking read that I highly recommend. Just make sure you have a box full of tissues handy.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Emma Robinson is a USA Today Bestseller with a passion for stories which explore the power of family and friendship in the most challenging circumstances. Whilst her early novels are humorous; her recent work focuses on emotional themes and these novels are both heart-breaking and life affirming.

​Emma currently lives in Essex, England with a husband, two children and a small black dog.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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Book Features Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023 Squadpod Squadpod Book Club Squadpod Recommends Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: The Birdcage Library by Freya Berry

Published June 22nd, 2023 by Headline
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Welcome to my review for the gorgeously gothic The Birdcage Library. This was one of our summer Squadpod Book Club picks, so I’m late with this review. But this book was more than worth the wait for me. Thank you to Headline for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:
Dear Reader, the man I love is trying to kill me…

A mesmerising tale of buried secrets and dark obsession with shades of Daphne du Maurier, The Birdcage Library will hold you in its spell until the final page.

‘A delicious page-turning mystery within a mystery’ LIZ HYDER
‘A twisty treasure hunt of a novel… Utterly beguiling’ LIZZIE POOK
‘It glistens with a hint of the danger that lurks within‘ CHARLOTTE PHILBY
‘Dark, claustrophobic and clever storytelling’ JANE SHEMILT
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1932. Emily Blackwood, adventuress and plant hunter, travels north for a curious new commission. A gentleman has written to request she catalogue his vast collection of taxidermied creatures before sale.

On arrival, Emily finds a ruined castle, its owner haunted by a woman who vanished five decades before. And when she discovers the ripped pages of a diary, crammed into the walls, she realises dark secrets lie here, waiting to entrap her too…

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MY REVIEW:

“Welcome, dear reader. You have found me, and I you. The diary you hold in your hands is a treasure map. It will lead you to what you ought to seek. Like all such maps, the trail is cryptic. The reason for this is simple. The man I love is trying to kill me.”

Gorgeously gothic, dark and forbidding, The Birdcage Library is an absolute masterpiece. Set in 1930s Scotland, Botanist and Adventuress Emily Blackwood is about to begin a new commission cataloguing the collection of creatures for sale. When she arrives at Castle Parras she finds a remote and ruined place inhabited by a peculiar nonagenarian and haunted by the memory of a woman who disappeared fifty years ago. After finding the pages of an old diary hidden in the walls, Emily sets out to solve the mystery in its pages. But alongside its secrets, a darkness lurks in the crevices of this old castle. Can she discover the truth before it entraps her?

Enthralling, eerie and suspenseful, this had everything I want in a Gothic mystery. This was one of our summer Squadpod Book Club picks so I’m late reading it, but it feels perfect for this time of year. Castle Parras is a cold, uninviting place but it lures you in, tempting you to try and be the one to make it give up its secrets. There’s a hint of malevolence and a nameless dread that hovers over the pages, making tendrils of fear creep up your spine as you read. With her exquisite storytelling and evocative imagery, Freya Berry takes you on a literary treasure hunt that wrenches you out of your own world and into the one she’s created as you try to solve the decades-old mystery. I was utterly captivated, not wanting to put the book down even to sleep as I desperately needed answers. 

“The summer solstice, with its sliver of dark, seemed a strange time of year for a haunting. But perhaps it was not the creatures of night that were most terrifying – at least with those you knew that day would come. Worse, perhaps, were the monsters that rose while the sun was high.”

Emily and Hester were great protagonists. While they lived very different lives fifty years apart there were many similarities between them. Both women are strong yet vulnerable. They are plagued by inner torment, fear, and regret while also possessing a fierce resolve and determination. They are also both surrounded by mystery. For Hester, this is her disappearance, while for Emily it is her past and the secrets she’s keeping from the reader. While you are never completely sure if either woman is a reliable narrator, they are easy to like and I was cheering them on at every step. We can’t talk about the characters without mentioning Heinrich Vogel, Emily’s employer and Hester’s brother-in-law. The nonagenarian is a strange man who gets increasingly creepy as the story goes on. I didn’t trust him or his nephew, Yves, one bit, and was worried for Emily’s safety as she’s trapped in the castle with them.

“The best most of us can hope for is to find comfort in our cages.”

One of the themes running through this book is cages as Berry explores the ways in which they are a metaphor in our lives. She discusses how we can be caged by society, relationships, or even ourselves, vividly capturing how it feels to be trapped in an invisible prison, being desperate to escape but having no idea how to free yourself. She also weaves in literal cages in the form of the castle walls, birdcages and the boxes that hold the various creatures, both alive and dead, adding to the claustrophobic feeling radiating from the pages.

Darkly atmospheric, chilling and immersive, this clever and twisty puzzle gets all the stars. One of my favourite books so far this year, The Birdcage Library is a mesmerising gothic mystery that will haunt you long after reading. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Freya Berry worked as a journalist at Reuters, covering everything from corporate M&A to Brexit. After a stint in New York reporting on the 2016 US election she left to write her first novel, The Dictator’s Wife, published by Headline in 2022. She received a double starred first in English from Trinity College, Cambridge and her writing has appeared in the TLS, the Guardian, the Independent and the Mail Online among others. She also works as an investigative corporate researcher. Her time is split between London and the Welsh coast, where she spends an inadvisable amount of time in the sea.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Watertones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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

BLOG TOUR: The Beaver Theory (The Rabbit Factor Trilogy Book 3) by Antti Tuomainen

Published October 12th, 2023 by Orenda
Thriller, Mystery, Dark Comdey, Noir Fiction, Book Series, Horror Fiction

I’m a little late due to illness, but here’s my review for the laugh-out-loud funny The Beaver Theory, which was also my first Orentober read. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for my invitation to take part and to Orenda for my proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

Can everyone’s favourite insurance mathematician, Henri, combine the increasingly dangerous world of adventure parks with the unpredictability of blended-family life? He’s about to find out in the final instalment of the hilarious, nail-biting Rabbit Factor Trilogy.
 
Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure-park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order. That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…
 
As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…
 
Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.
 
In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher… 
 
Warmly funny, quirky, touching, and a nail-biting triumph of a thriller, The Beaver Theory is the final instalment in the award-winning Rabbit Factor Trilogy, as Henri encounters the biggest challenge of his career, with hair-raising results…

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MY REVIEW:

We’re back with Henri and the others at the YouMeFun Adventure Park for the last book in the Rabbit Factor Trilogy. In his final adventure, the actuary and adventure-park entrepreneur is trying to balance his new family commitments with saving his park, preventing his staff becoming embroiled in an adventure-park war, and solving a murder. And time is running out. But Henri believes that order and mathematics will win the day as they always have, even if he’s forced further out of his comfort zone than ever as he faces his biggest challenges to date.

Laugh-out-loud funny, wacky, touching and unpredictable, The Beaver Theory is a glorious finale for this offbeat trilogy. In this instalment Henri is a real fish out of water as he embraces the chaos of family life, school runs and bake sales alongside the running of his adventure-park, a job that is far more dangerous than you’d imagine. Written with Antti Tuomainen’s signature kooky comic genius, warmth and tension, he kept me guessing as the madness unfolded right up to the spectacular finale. But this witty caper was also bittersweet as I never wanted the trilogy to end and I’m glad I’ve got the TV adaptation to look forward to. 

Henri remains one of my favourite characters ever written. Sensible, ordered, meticulous and very quirky, there is no one else like him. I adore this character and love the way he finds respite in logic, order and mathematics even when he’s a suspected murderer. He’s such a refreshing character to read and you can’t help but root for him every step of the way. I loved seeing him happy and taking on the challenge of family life and all its craziness in this book, especially when he’s pulled into being part of the ‘Dads Gang’. The latter paved the way for many hilarious moments and I enjoyed seeing his softer side in his interactions with Laura and her daughter. 

Kooky, original and entertaining, The Beaver Theory is another must-read from Tuomainen and Orenda. While it could be read as a standalone, I’d recommend reading the whole series to avoid missing out on some of the best fiction you’ll ever read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for Best Finnish Crime Novel and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. In 2013, the Finnish press crowned Tuomainen the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime-genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’, and Little Siberia (2019) was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The Rabbit Factor, the prequel to The Moose Paradox, will soon be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell for Amazon Studios.

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MEET THE TRANSLATOR:

David Hackston is a British translator of Finnish and Swedish literature and drama. Notable publications include The Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy, Maria Peura’s coming-of-age novel At the Edge of Light, Johanna Sinisalo’s eco-thriller Birdbrain, two crime novels by Matti Joensuu and Kati Hiekkapelto’s Anna Fekete series (which currently includes The Hummingbird, The Defenceless and The Exiled, all published by Orenda Books). He also translates Antti Tuomainen’s stories. In 2007 he was awarded the Finnish State Prize for Translation. David is also a professional countertenor and a founding member of the English Vocal Consort of Helsinki.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: The Prom Queen by Laura Wolfe

Published October 9th, 2023 by Bookoture
Psychological Thriller

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this jaw-dropping thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

Bailey stood on the stage, her crown glittering under the high school lights as she blew kisses to those glaring beneath her. Despite the celebrations, something didn’t feel right. She wasn’t supposed to be prom queen, and someone would make her pay for it…

Twenty years ago, my best friend, Bailey, was found dead by the train tracks, half of our friendship locket missing from her pale neck. She never took that off. Officially, it was ruled a tragic accident – but I knew better. She’d been crowned prom queen only hours earlier, and someone’s jealousy had finally gotten to them.

Now I have been forced to return to my childhood home, to the small lakeside town, and the group of friends I grew up with. Back to the scene of the crime that ruined my life, and stole my best friend away from me forever. I need a fresh slate, but I am seeing Bailey everywhere. A quick flash of her locket on a woman in a café surely can’t be a coincidence?

As I walk along the street, I avoid the suspicious stares of my former classmates. Everyone here thinks I had something to do with Bailey’s death. Sure, we did things we shouldn’t have as teenagers, but who didn’t? But when I start to hear noises in my house and receive threatening notes, I realize someone here never wanted me to come back, and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep me away…

Someone in this small town murdered my best friend the night she was crowned prom queen, and now they’re after me. We all have our secrets, but who would kill for them?

A gripping psychological thriller with a twist that will make your jaw drop, perfect for fans of The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and Lisa Jewell.

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MY REVIEW:

It’s been twenty years since Brooke’s best friend Bailey died the same night she was crowned prom queen. Her death was ruled a tragic accident by the police, but Brooke always believed she was murdered. Now she plans to prove it. 

A small town. Long-buried secrets. Suspicion. Murder. Prom Queen has all the ingredients for the kind of suspenseful, twist-filled thriller that I love. And it didn’t disappoint. This was my first time reading a book by Laura Wolfe and I have another brilliant thriller author to add to my ever-growing list. She had me hooked from the chilling prologue to the shocking finale, keeping me guessing as I tried to figure out who the killer was. I was on the edge of my seat as I raced through the pages to find out the answer. And that ending! OMG. How could you do that to me?!

The reader knows from the prologue that Bailey has in fact been murdered but in the story no-one but the killer knows for sure that her death wasn’t a tragic accident. But there are many people who suspect, including podcast host Hannah. The story is narrated by Brooke in dual timelines, the flashbacks to twenty years describing events leading up to the night Bailey died. They tell a very familiar story of teenage angst, friendship and high-school drama while also holding an air of something much darker and there’s a sense of dread as the clock ticks down to Bailey’s murder. The small-town setting adds to this with its claustrophobic, unsettling vibes. Wolfe also creates an overwhelming feeling of distrust, and you have no idea who might be hiding a deadly secret, even making me question if Brooke was a reliable narrator a number of times. It really is a case of everyone being a suspect, and as I searched every page for clues I had some suspicions, but  could never say with certainty who I thought it was. This heightened the tension and made it impossible to stop thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it.

Atmospheric, addictive and surprising, this jaw-dropping thriller is a must read for any thriller lover. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Laura Wolfe is an Amazon charts bestselling author who writes twisty, fast-paced psychological thrillers and suspense novels published by Bookouture. Her indie titles have also been shortlisted for multiple book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her husband and two kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon* |

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Once A Monster by Robert Dinsdale

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

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

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SYNOPSIS:

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Takedown by Carlie Walker

Published October 3rd, 2023 by Orion
Romance Novel, Mystery, Romantic Comedy, Holiday Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this funny, sexy and addictive debut. Thank you to Becca at Orion for the invitation to take part and my copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

MISS CONGENIALITY meets Emily Henry with the spice of MR AND MRS SMITH in this fun, sexy and absolutely irresistible romcom.

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‘Fun, flirty, and fabulous!’ LAURA JANE WILLIAMS
‘A hilarious, smart and swoony joy of a romcom’ CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN
‘The heat between Sydney and Nick is a literal inferno right off the bat’ LIZZY DENT

He wants to take her out. She wants to take him down…

Sydney’s mission is simple:

1. Stop her little sister from marrying a notorious criminal
2. Seduce his bodyguard to gather intel for the FBI
3. Definitely do not fall in love…

Agent Sydney Swift is going home for the holidays. She’s just discovered that her younger sister, Calla, is engaged to Johnny Jones – the heir to the nation’s most notorious crime dynasty – and she’s determined to stop their perfect winter wedding at any cost.

But gathering incriminating evidence on Johnny isn’t as easy as she’d hoped, especially as her biggest obstacle is Nick, his infuriatingly handsome and charming bodyguard!

As Sydney spends more time with Nick, lines begin to blur, and while seducing him to gather intel was bad enough, falling for him is even worse.

Soon Sydney is faced with a difficult decision – one that certainly wasn’t covered in her training . . .

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MY REVIEW:

A female spy on a mission to gather intel on the notorious crime lord engaged to her younger sister by seducing his bodyguard. What could go wrong?

The Takedown is one of the best romcoms I’ve read in a while. Addictive, fun, witty, mysterious, and red-hot, Carlie Walker gives us a masterclass in romcom storytelling with her swoon-worthy debut. It had me hooked from the first page, the tension indisputable as the family gathered together the night before Calla and Johnny’s wedding. It then jumps back to a few days earlier when Sydney first learned about her sister’s engagement and then follows on as she attempts to carry out her mission.

Romcoms generally take a predictable route that we all love and while this one did to some degree, it was also an original take on the stories and tropes we’re familiar with. Firstly, we have a female spy as the central character, and secondly, she has to spy on her own family. It is also filled with surprising twists along the way that keep the reader on their toes and make it all the more entertaining to read. I also enjoyed that although this is technically a holiday read, the Christmas side of things isn’t overbearing. I love a Chrismassy read, but sometimes you aren’t in that mood, and I liked that this one could be read whatever mood you’re in or at any time of year.

What isn’t there to love about a bad-ass female CIA Agent who can take down (like what I did there?😉) criminals with ease? Sydney is a great protagonist. But inside that hard shell is a woman who is a hot mess. Her job is a way to run from her past family traumas and prevent anyone from getting close to her. She’s barely been in touch with her Grandmother or her sister in the last three years and while on this mission she finds it increasingly difficult to balance her past and present colliding. She’s having an internal crisis while trying to save her sister and bring down a crime lord. It’s a lot. But it all helps to make her relatable to the reader and I really liked her and was rooting for her. The background characters were also brilliantly written and I had a real soft spot for Grandma Ruby. What a woman she is! But for a romcom to work you need a believable love interest and Nick is a dreamboat. The chemistry between him and Sydney is undeniable from the start, just like his charm. It was so hot in places that I needed suntan lotion and I loved their effortless banter. You can tell where this one is going for sure. Or so you think…

So if you’re looking for a different kind of romcom and holiday read, then The Takedown is for you. Hilarious, sexy and suspenseful, you won’t be able to put this one down.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carlie is a big fan of rescue dogs, 90’s rom-coms, and books with happy endings. She lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. The Takedown is her first novel for adults.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These links are affiliate links