Tag: Literary Fiction

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BLOG TOUR: Toxic by Helga Flatland

Published May 23rd, 2024 by Orenda
Literary Fiction, Mystery, Humour, Translated Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Toxic, the atmsohperic and unsettling new novel from Helga Flatland. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda for the gifted proof in exchange for an honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Shamed schoolteacher, Mathilde, moves to a dairy farm in the Norwegian countryside for an ‘easier life’, but she’s soon up to her old tricks … upending and unsettling the lives of two reclusive farmers.  Exquisitely written, razor-sharp and simmering with an unexpected tension, Toxic marks the return of one of Norway’s finest writers…
 
‘Flatland has the gift that I most often covet in the work of other writers: the ability to make everyday events compelling … how the quietest existence can brim with urgency and drama’ Ann Morgan
 
‘Helga Flatland writes with elegance and subtle humour’ Daily Express
 
‘The author has been dubbed the Norwegian Anne Tyler and for good reason’ Good Housekeeping
 
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When Mathilde is forced to leave her teaching job in Oslo after her relationship with eighteen-year-old Jacob is exposed, she flees to the countryside for a more authentic life.
 
Her new home is a quiet cottage on the outskirts of a dairy farm run by Andres and Johs, whose hobbies include playing the fiddle and telling folktales – many of them about female rebellion and disobedience, and seeking justice, whatever it takes.
 
But beneath the apparently friendly and peaceful pastoral surface of life on the farm, something darker and more sinister starts to vibrate and, with Mathilde’s arrival, cracks start appearing … everywhere.

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MY REVIEW:

Atmospheric, intense, surprising and seductive, I flew through this book in just a few hours. Exquisitely and elegantly told, Helga Flatland merges folklore of female rebellion and defiance with a story of obsession and toxic love to create a novel that feels both relatable and original. Set at the start of Covid, Flatland transports us to that time of uncertainty and fear. A time where we cleaned packages, scrubbed surfaces, and saw every other person as a potential threat from the invisible peril that loomed. It was the ideal setting for this story, adding to its surreal and dreamlike vibe that drifted alongside the fizzing tension and frenzied longing. 

The story is told by Mathilde and Johs, two very different people who are strangers when the story begins. Both are emotionally scarred, flawed and compelling, but it is Mathilde whose story gripped me most to start with. Mathilde is a secondary school teacher in Oslo when she begins a passionate relationship with 18-year-old Jakub, who is one of her students. It is never clear if she is a reliable narrator and there are signs she may live in a fantasy world from the start as she tells us Jakub was the one to pursue her and she was powerless to resist. We soon see signs of obsession as she is consumed by him then refuses to let go after he abruptly ends their affair. She’s so far gone that she sees nothing wrong with the power imbalance between them even after her boss points it out and is filled with  indignation when she’s dismissed from her job.  

 I wanted to shake her! But, we’ve all had relationships where the other person is like heroin to us and we can’t get enough, so, inappropriate as it was, I wondered if maybe that is what this was. 

Now in disgrace, Mathilde decides she needs a fresh start and rents a cottage on a dairy farm run by Johs and his brother, Andres. At first, it was the flashbacks to Johs family history that gripped me most in his thread, slowly unveiling how their strange and damaged dynamic was created by restrictive traditions and tales of folklore. But, we soon discover how troubled Johs really is as he develops his own unhealthy fixation. Meanwhile, Mathilde has her sights set on another inappropriate paramour. A noxious storm was brewing and I was transfixed as I tried to predict how this would end. But you could have bet me millions of pounds and I would have never guessed. Ms. Flatland plays a blinder, ending with an unexpected, strange, and ambiguous twist that left me with a deep sense of unease. 

A beautiful but unsettling novel that lingers long after reading, Toxic has put Helga Flatland firmly on my autobuy list. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Helga Flatland is one of Norway’s most awarded and widely read authors. Born in Telemark, Norway, in 1984, she made her literary debut in 2010 with the novel Stay If You Can, Leave If You Must, for which she was awarded the Tarjei Vesaas’ First Book Prize. She has written four novels and a children’s book and has won several other literary awards. Her fifth novel, A Modern Family, was published to wide acclaim in Norway in August 2017, and was a number-one bestseller. The rights have subsequently been sold across Europe and the novel has sold more than 100,000 copies. A Modern Family marked Helga’s first English publication when it was released in 2019, achieving exceptional critical acclaim and sales, and leading to Helga being dubbed the ‘Norwegian Anne Tyler’. One Last Time is her second book to be translated into English (by Rosie Hedger), and published in 2021.

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MEET THE TRANSLATOR:

Matt Bagguley grew up in the UK Midlands before moving to Oslo in 2001. Originally a musician and designer, he now works as a full-time translator of Norwegian to English and has translated a range of titles within publishing and film, including Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated comedy-drama The Worst Person in the World, Simon Stranger’s historical novel Keep Saying Their Names, and Nora Dåsnes’s graphic novel Cross My Heart and Never Lie, which recently won the Stonewall Book Award.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Hera by Jennifer Saint

Published May 23rd, 2024 by Wildfire
Greek Mythology, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale, Literary Fiction

Thank you Wildfire Books for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The enthralling tale of a powerful Greek goddess maligned in both myth and ancient history, as told by Sunday Times bestselling author Jennifer Saint.

‘An exceptional achievement’ ELODIE HARPER
‘A very special novel’ COSTANZA CASATI
‘The essential mythological book of the decade’ NIKITA GILL

When Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronus, helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side.

As they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera suspects that Zeus might be just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed.

She was always born to rule, but must she lose herself in perpetuating this cycle of violence and cruelty? Or can she find a way to forge a better world?

Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and most importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.

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MY REVIEW:

“Zeus thinks he has the upper hand. He’s made her the goddess of marriage, thinking she’s nothing more than a dutiful wife.
But he never imagines the mistake he’s made in making her his enemy and inviting her so close.”

Jennifer Saint’s latest novel sees her tackle the myth of Hera, Queen of Heaven and the Goddess of Marriage. Beautifully written and evocative, I was immediately drawn into the world of this complex immortal goddess.

Hera. Daughter of the  tyrannical Titan ruler, Cronus, she helps her brother, Zeus, overthrow their father and establish a new reign on Mount Olympus ruling by his side. But Zeus quickly betrays her, offering thrones to their brothers. She faces further humiliation when he forces her to become his bride and makes her the patron of women, marriage and childbirth. Hera swears vengeance, plotting quietly while playing the dutiful wife and queen. But she can’t stay quiet for long, and soon she and Zeus are caught in a perpetual cycle of violence, betrayal and revenge that has far-reaching repercussions. 

Hera is a complicated goddess who isn’t easy to like. She’s beautiful, regal, formidable and fierce, but also vengeful, scheming, vindictive, vicious and cruel. But interwoven with all of that is a traumatised, broken woman who is deeply unhappy. There is a caring side of her, and I liked seeing those glimmers of compassion that she had at times. But I could understand that it was hard for her to be that way as a woman who had never been shown how to be caring, maternal or loving; someone trapped in a toxic marriage; and someone who has faced a battle for survival and power from the day she was conceived. 

One of the things I liked about this book is that Ms. Saint never shied away from Hera’s flaws, excuse her abhorrent behaviour, or tried to make her likeable and sympathetic. She faces her faults head-on, instead giving us an anti-hero who we can understand on a deeper level by the end of the book, even if we don’t like her. I’ll admit, I struggled with the idea that Hera’s actions had a feminist motivation as I found her to be self-focused and motivated by power, wrath and revenge. And she often took out her rage at Zeus’ behaviour out on the women he often forced himself on. But I could understand that Hera is a product of trauma who has never developed a sisterhood with other women or been taught how to be caring and maternal. This is a woman who has known only fighting to survive from the time she was born and is trapped in a toxic marriage that she can’t find her way out of. I had sympathy for that even if I didn’t like her actions. 

One of my favourite aspects of this book is how Ms. Saint humanised the monsters of Greek mythology. I found myself grieving alongside Hera as Typhon and his children were slain and saw so-called heroes such as Hercules in a different light. The monsters were simply existing and yet they were hunted down and brutally killed in the name of glory. I shared Hera’s revulsion at this, and will definitely see those usually demonised in these myths through another lens from now on.

A feisty and glorious novel, this is a must-read for fans of Greek mythology. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Saint grew up reading Greek mythology and was always drawn to the untold stories hidden within the myths. She read Classical Studies at King’s College, London where she is now a Visiting Research Fellow in the Classics Department. After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote Ariadne which was an instant Sunday Times bestseller. It was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was  a Waterstones Book of the Month. Her second novel, Elektra, and third novel Atalanta, were number one Sunday Times bestsellers. Her latest mesmerising mythological retelling, Hera, will be published in the UK on 23rd May and in the US on 23rd July.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: The Comeback by Ella Berman

Published April 11th, 2024 by Aria
Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Literary Fiction, Legal Thriller, Political Thriller

Welcome to my review for this courageous and compelling thriller. This was one of our recent SquadPod Featured Books. Thank you to Aria for the gifted proof in exchange for an honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

They say she owes him everything.
Now she wants to burn it all to the ground.

Grace Turner was one movie away from Hollywood’s A-List. So no one understood why, at the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, she disappeared.

Now, one year later, Grace is back in Los Angeles and ready to reclaim her life on her own terms.

When Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke – the man who controlled her every move for eight years – she knows there’s only one way she’ll be free of the secret that’s already taken so much from her.

The Comeback is a moving and provocative story of justice – a true page-turner about a young woman finding the strength and power of her voice, from the author of Reese’s Book Club pick Before We Were Innocent.

‘Beautifully written and compulsively readable.At its core, this book is about redemption, grace, and pain.’ – Jenna Bush Hager

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MY REVIEW:

“Maybe their turn for winning is over, Grace. Maybe it’s our turn now.”

An empowering, courageous and thought-provoking story that reveals the darkness that lurks beneath the glamour and glitz of Hollywood, The Comeback is a story that demands to be read. The story is told by Grace, a young Hollywood starlet who was on the cusp of making the A-List when she suddenly disappeared. Now, after a year of isolation at her parents’ home in Anaheim, Grace has returned to L.A. and is slowly rebuilding her life on her own terms.  From the start there’s a sense of a secret hidden under the surface. A secret she doesn’t want to face. But she may not have a choice because just as she’s getting her life back on track she is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to her director Able Yorke. It seems perfect: the young actress honouring the man who discovered her and then mentored her for eight years. Suddenly Grace’s past demons are refusing to stay hidden and she must finally confront the things she’s been running from for so long. 

The #MeToo movement highlighting Hollywood’s culture of sexual abuse and rape is now well known, but this story was originally conceived a few months before it in early 2017 and published in the US in 2020. Since then we have heard countless stories of the horrendous abuse actors and actresses were subjected to by those in authority, including the recent documentary ‘Quiet on Set’ which focused on the terrible treatment of Hollywood’s child stars. Grace’s story of coercive control, isolation, fear, and abuse, parallels many of the stories we are now familiar with. But that doesn’t make it any less potent or heartrending. With beautiful, bleak and bold writing, Ella Berman has crafted an achingly authentic story that gets under your skin, exposing the steep price many have had to pay for fame and fortune while making us look at Hollywood and celebrity gossip through a new lens.

“The most vicious demons have always been my own, and I’ve never learned how to protect myself from them. I have tried to move quietly through the world, figuring that if I could just forget what happened, then I could move on, but maybe it doesn’t work like that.”

This story wouldn’t work without a well written central character and Bermann has got the ‘everyday girl plucked from obscurity’ down to a tee.  Fractured, flawed, vulnerable, and real, she is haunted by the trauma she’s been subjected to for eight years while everyone has told her how lucky she is. Her actions aren’t always right, but they are understandable, particularly as she confronts what she’s been through after burying it deep inside for so long. The other characters are equally as well-written and compelling and I liked how Berman illustrates the dysfunctional and transactional nature of the relationships in Grace’s life, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining healthy relationships when you work in Hollywood, and the problems that arise when trying to support someone through hardships such as addiction, trauma, and mental health issues. 

The other character who is vital to get right is the villain of the story and I felt like Berman skillfully captured Able York. Able is charismatic, charming, seductive, shrewd, and cunning. This man gave me chills. He cleverly calculates his moves and is a total slimeball underneath the ‘nice guy’ persona he portrays. He knows just how to isolate and intimidate his victims and you can understand how Grace fell for his act, especially when so young and naive. 

Melancholy, consuming, brutal and vivid, The Comeback is a timely story of bravery, strength, and the power of finding your voice. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ella Berman grew up in both London and Los Angeles and worked at Sony Music before starting the clothing brand London Loves LA. She lives in London with her husband, James, and their dog, Rocky. The Comeback is her first novel.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr

Published May 9th, 2024 by Orion
Cozy Mystery, Literary Fiction, Puzzles, Coming-of-Age Story, Domestic Fiction, Gay Fiction

Today I’m my review for this charming and uplifting debut that was one of our SquadPod Featured Books this month. Thank you to Orion for the gifted proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tune in on the SquadPod Instagram account tonight at 7.30pm to here me chat with Samuel about the book.

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BOOK DESCRIPTION:

‘Utterly beautiful. I adored it’ JOANNA CANNON

‘Hugely uplifting and wonderful’AJ PEARCE

‘A ripping yarn full of warmth and wonder’BETH MORREY

Sometimes finding your place in the world is the greatest puzzle of all…

Clayton Stumper is an enigma.

He might be twenty-five years old, but he dresses like your grandad and drinks sherry like your aunt.

Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by the sharpest minds in the British Isles and finds himself amongst the last survivors of a fading institution.

When the esteemed crossword compiler, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle to him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for his future.

Yet as Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve – and it’s a secret that will change everything…

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MY REVIEW:

Sometimes, finding your place in the world is the greatest puzzle of all.

Sometimes you only have to look at a book and know you’re going to love it. The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers was everything I’d hoped for and more. Cryptic, quirky and uplifting, this magnificent debut is an absolute gem. An ode to friendship, community, love and finding your place in the world, this hit the sweet spot where you want to devour it whole but also never want it to end. 

Clayton Stumper is not your average 25-year-old. He was abandoned at birth and found in a hatbox on the steps of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by its founder, Pippa, and has been raised there ever since. But when Pippa passes away she leaves behind one final puzzle to be solved: the mystery of Clayton’s parentage. Can Clayton follow the clues to finally solve the puzzle that has eluded even the brightest minds of the country?

Debut novelist Samuel Burr has set the bar sky-high with this phenomenal debut and I will be buying anything he writes from now on. It is cleverly written, shrewdly plotted and steadily paced, keeping the reader guessing with misdirection and surprising revelations. The story moves smoothly between dual timelines and narrators, following Clayton on his journey of self-discovery in the present, while the past details the Fellowship’s conception and events leading up to the day Clayton was discovered on their doorstep. But what I loved most about this book was how Burr intricately weaves puzzles into every aspect of the story, including making it so the reader can play along and try to solve the clues alongside the characters. But, don’t worry if you don’t like puzzles, because you can also flip to the answers at the back. I’m a puzzle fan and enjoyed trying to solve the clues, but I did use the answer sheet for some of them, too. 

Burr has created an eclectic cast of wonderful and fascinating characters who fit together like puzzle pieces despite coming from different boxes. I enjoyed their friendships that slowly blossomed into a found family. Clayton and Pippa were excellent protagonists who were both likeable, relatable, easy to root for, and had compelling backstories. I loved seeing Clayton slowly emerge from his self-imposed cocoon like a butterfly as he followed Pippa’s clues and enjoyed looking for ones that might be hidden in the flashbacks. Pippa was a nurturing, caring and supportive character, and I loved how she brought everybody together by creating a place where they could do what they love without judgement. It reminded me of finding my people in the book community, and when Pippa and the Puzzlers spoke about how puzzling makes them feel, it was as if I was speaking about my love of reading.

Charming, warm, joyful, and addictive, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is feel-good fiction at its finest. Add this to your TBR now!

Rating: 🧩🧩🧩🧩🧩

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Samuel studied at Westminster Film School and now works as an author and freelance TV executive. He has developed and produced popular-factual shows including Channel 4’s Genderquake and The Greatest Shows on Earth, BBC Two’s Eight Go Rallying and The Secret Life of Cleaners, and the BAFTA-nominated Secret Life of 4-Year-Olds.

A documentary he shot inside a retirement village when he was eighteen years old launched his career in television and inspired his debut novel, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. Samuel’s writing was shortlisted for Penguin’s WriteNow scheme and in 2021 he graduated from the Faber Academy.

In his spare time, Samuel volunteers for the elderly charity Age UK. He lives in London with his partner Tom and their cat Muriel.

He has always been old at heart.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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PUBLICATION DAY REVIEW: The Nightingale’s Castle by Sonia Velton

Published May 2nd, 2024 by Abacus
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

Happy Publication Day to this haunting and mesmerising novel. Thank you to Niamh at Little Brown Book Group for the sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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BOOK DESCRIPTION:

‘I was blown away by this dark, enchanting story of witchcraft, power and injustice. ..nothing short of brilliant’ Mary Chamberlain

Erzsébet Báthory, whose infamous place in history characterises her as the ‘Blood Countess’, was accused of the murder of over 600 peasant girls in Hungary, 1610. The Nightingale’s Castle tells the story of a woman fighting for her survival and the complicated, often cruel, household over which she presides.

Praise for The Nightingale’s Castle

‘Moving, fascinating and haunting.. A mesmerising combination of gothic horror and elegant restraint’ Francesca De Tores, author of Saltblood

‘Gripping… a fascinating exploration of women’s struggle to have their truth heard’ Louise O’Neill

In 1573, Countess Erzsébet Báthory gave birth to an illegitimate child. The infant, a girl, was swiftly bundled up and handed to a local peasant family to be brought up in one of the hamlets surrounding the Castle. Many years later, 15-year-old Boróka reluctantly leaves the safety of the only home she has ever known in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Trusted members of the countess’s household have been sent out to gather new serving girls, and the kindly old man who has taken care of Boróka for almost all her life knows that it is dangerous to turn them away.

Boróka struggles to find her place at Cachtice Castle: she is frightened of the countess’s reputation as an alleged murderer of young girls, and the women who run the castle are terrifyingly cruel. When plague comes into the heart of the castle, a tentative bond begins to form between Boróka and the Countess Báthory. But powerful forces are moving against a woman whose wealth poses such a threat to the king: can the countess really trust the women who are so close to her? And when the show trial begins against the infamous ‘Blood Countess’ where will Boróka’s loyalties lie?

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MY REVIEW:

“I’ve heard that the girls who go to Čachtice Castle never return.”

The Nightingale’s Castle is a mesmerising tale of witchcraft, myth, murder, power and injustice. A harmony of historical fiction, gothic horror and dark fairytale, fact and fiction seamlessly blend to tell the story of Countess Erzsébet Báthory, the woman who currently holds the Guiness World Record for being the most prolific female serial killer of all time and was believed to have murdered over six hundred girls and bathed in their blood to preserve her youth. 
When the Countess’s servants come to her home in the Carpathian Mountains looking for girls to work for the Countess at Čachtice Castle,  15-year-old Boróka is reluctant to leave her home and confused by her father’s insistence that she go with them. Terrified of the Countess’s fearsome reputation for allegedly murdering young servant girls and the cruel women charged with managing the servants, Boróka struggles to fit in. But things are changing and there are those who will do anything to destroy a woman whose wealth is a threat to the king. Can Countess Báthory really trust the women closest to her? And what is the truth behind the rumours of murder that surround her?

“The nightingale is still the bird of darkness and mourning, even though its song is sweet.”

Sometimes you can tell from just looking at a book that you are going to love it. This was one of those times. Haunting, luxurious and beguiling, the story between the covers is every bit as luxurious as its cover. This isn’t a story you simply read, it’s one you get lost in and has that intoxicating combination where I want to take my time to soak in every word, and never want the story to end. But, ultimately, I devoured this book whole, unable to bear being away from it for longer than necessary. I was already a fan of Sonia Velton’s writing after loving her debut Blackberry and Wild Rose, but she blew me away with this one. Evocatively told, intricately woven and complex, it is a rich tapestry laced with history, infused with malevolence and threaded with the supernatural. Velton’s meticulous research is evident on every page as she reminds us of the vulnerable and precarious position women of that time were forced to live in. Because, at the heart of this book, is a story about how dangerous it is to be a woman in a patriarchal world, of women’s fight to have their voices and truth heard, and of men abusing their power. 

“The countess is impossible to predict. Her moods are like opal stones constantly shifting their colours. She is at once caustic and kind. One minute dismissive and the next, like now, if they say the wrong thing, or presume too much, they might find themselves crushed like an insect under the countess’s pointy pink-satined toe.”

Merging fact and fiction is no easy task, but Velton pulls it off with finesse.  Čachtice Castle came alive around me and she breathed life into every character. Countess Erzsébet Báthory is intimidating, imperious, acerbic and self-assured. Her murderous reputation precedes her, surrounding her with a chilling air that strikes fear in many of the people she meets. Boróka is gutsy, likeable and easy to root for, and I really enjoyed her scenes with the countess. I’ve never read anything about Countess Báthory before so, like Boróka, I found myself unsure what the truth was about the countess which kept me on tenterhooks as I read. Dorka and Ilona Jó, the two women in charge of the servant girls, sent shivers down my spine and I was sure of their cruelty from the start. Ficzkó was a more complex character with his heartbreaking backstory and alarming personality ‘quirks’. But every one of them, and the many background characters, were expertly written and fascinating. 

Heady, dark, unsettling and absorbing, The Nightingale’s Castle is an absolute masterpiece. It is one of my favourite books of this year and a must read for fans of gothic or historical fiction. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sonia Velton has been a solicitor in Hong Kong, a Robert Schuman Scholar in Luxembourg and spent eight years being an expat Mum of three in Dubai. She now lives with her children in Kent. Her writing has been short-listed for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, long-listed for the HWA Debut Crown and optioned for film. Her new book, The Nightingale’s Castle, is a fresh look at the legend of Countess Bathory, the sixteenth century ‘Blood Countess’.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB REVIEW: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Published April 25th, 2024 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Women Sleuths, Literary Fiction

Welcome to my review for the unnerving and addictive Darling Girls, which is the SquadPod Book Club pick for April. Thanks to Chloe at Pan MacMillan for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A thrilling page-turner about sisterhood, secrets, love and murder by Sally Hepworth, the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and The Mother-in-Law.

It’s not just secrets buried at Wild Meadows.

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. Rescued from their own family tragedies, they were raised by a loving foster mother on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance for a happy family life.

But the girls’ childhood wasn’t quite the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. And when a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the three foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses.

It’s time for them to return home as adults. The only question is are they innocent victims or the prime suspects for murder?

With darkly comic timing and insidiously twisting plots, Sally Hepworth’s novels are guaranteed to keep you turning the pages . . .

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MY REVIEW:

“These days everyone is familiar with Wild Meadows. The media love the juxtaposition of the whimsical country estate and the atrocities that happened there.”

This month’s SquadPod Book Club pick – and this month’s 12 months, 12 countries challenge – transports us to Australia for a compelling and suspenseful story of found family, trauma, secrets and murder.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are sisters not by blood, but by a bond forged by their shared experience living as foster sisters at Wild Meadows. They have spent their lives being told how lucky they were to be rescued from their tragic situations and raised by a loving foster mother. But nothing was as it seemed and there are more than secrets buried at Wild Meadows. And when a body is discovered buried beneath their former home, the sisters are drawn back into their murky past and the secrets they have long tried to forget…

“It was almost as if the clock had wound back twenty-five years. They were all young girls, begging to be believed. Except this time they weren’t children. This time they were going to demand to be heard.” 

Darling Girls was my introduction to Sally Hepworth. And what an introduction! The bright cover of this book hides the dark, sinister and unnerving story between its covers. Hepworth explores topics such as abuse, trauma, and unhinged psyches, permeating the story with heartrending moments alongside the heart-stopping tension and shocking twists that keep you on your toes until the very last page. I was in her thrall. Unable to shake the story from my mind and when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it. I needed answers. I needed to know what secrets were buried at Wild Meadows. And I was sure I had it all figured out, only for my jaw to hit the floor as Hepworth sucker-punched me at the eleventh hour for a truly spectacular finale. 

“Disturbing vignettes from her childhood circled in her brain—swimming pools and basements, birthday parties and horses. And fear, of course. Lots and lots of fear.”

The story is narrated by the sisters, who each have rich backstories. They came to live at Wild Meadows due to tragic family circumstances, only to find that what was supposed to be a new beginning in a home filled with love was the beginning of a nightmare. Their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, is a sadistic and cruel monster who made my blood boil and my heart broke as I read of their torment under her so-called care. Miss Fairchild is one of the best villains of this kind that I’ve read, perfectly at odds with what a loving mother is supposed to be and sending chills down my spine when she was on the page. The sisters are each very different but share a close bond that I loved. And while they are flawed in their own ways, they are sympathetically written. But the mystery of the body buried under the house lingers ominously over every page, and while I was rooting for them, I was also aware that they were hiding something. I had various predictions over the course of the book, and, I’ll be honest, I was disappointed that it wasn’t Miss Fairchild they had done in and buried under the house.

Dark, menacing and affecting, I’d highly recommend this addictive thriller. Now I need to buy this author’s backlist ASAP.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

TW: Child neglect, abuse, trauma, drug addiction

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, most recently Darling Girls. She is also the author of Uncharted Waters, published by Amazon Original stories in 2022. Several of Sally’s novels have been optioned for TV and film.  

Sally’s novels are available around the globe in English and have been translated into over 20 languages. She has sold over one million books worldwide.

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her family.

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SQUADPOD REIVEWS: Prima Facie by Suzie Miller

Published March 14th, 2024 by Hutchinson Heinmann
Literary Fiction, Political Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Prima Facie is one of our SquadPod Featured Books. Thank you Hutchinson Heinmann for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘Bold, fearless and heartbreaking’ Elle Magazine

‘It has been an absolute joy to return to Tessa’s story . . . My hope is that it will reach the widest number of people . . . I’ve personally enjoyed delving into her story again’ Jodie Comer

‘Bold, fearless, heartbreakingly timeless. Written with skill, humour, despair and hope, Prima Facie is a deeply rewarding, absolute must read’ Chris Whitaker

‘Enthralling and sharp-witted . . . Highly recommended’ Karin Slaughter

‘Miller’s star shines as brightly as a novelist as it does as a playwright. Prima Facie the novel gives us what novels do: the intimacy of interior life. A great read’ Anna Funder

From the Olivier award-winning playwright of Prima Facie Suzie Miller comes her first novel, where power, patriarchy and morality diverge.

‘This is not life. This is law.’

Tessa Ensler is a brilliant barrister who’s forged her career in criminal defence through sheer determination. Since her days at Cambridge, she’s carefully disguised her working class roots in a male-dominated world where who you know is just as important as what you know. Driven by her belief in the right to a fair trial and a taste for victory, there’s nothing Tessa loves more than the thrill of getting her clients acquitted.

It seems like Tessa has it made when she is approached for a new job and nominated for the most prestigious award in her field. But when a date with a charismatic colleague goes horribly wrong, Tessa finds that the rules she’s always played by might not protect her, forcing her to question everything she’s ever believed in . . .

AS SEEN IN ROISIN KATE KELLY, SUNDAY TIMES, ROUND-UP OF BEST BOOKS COMING IN 2024

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MY REVIEW:

“It’s not emotional for me, it’s simply the game of law.”

Fearless, impassioned, bold, and affecting, Prima Facie is a piercing novel that explores patriarchy, power, justice and fem. Debut novelist Suzie Miller draws back the curtain on the mysterious world of the law and criminal defence, exposing the flaws of a system ruled by men, and influenced by who you know.

The story is told by Tessa, a successful criminal defence barrister who is passionate about the law and justice. But everything changes the night she is assaulted by a colleague after a date. Tessa discovers that the rules might not help her find justice after all, forcing her to reconsider everything she holds true…

“Am I going to let him get away with it? That’s not who I am. Is this what I think should happen to women? That they should stay silent? No…What about justice? What about believing in the law to get it right?”

Told in multiple timelines we start by getting to know our protagonist, Tessa, who has worked her way up from her working class roots to read law at Cambridge and established herself as a brilliant barrister through sheer grit. She’s caught between these two worlds and never quite feels like she fits into either of them. Fierce, strong and steadfast, Tessa is a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom, and you can feel her passion and belief in the system she loves leaping from the pages. Then, that terrible night causes a seismic shift and you can feel her coming undone; her heart cleaved in two and filled with despair as her whole world unravels. But what stands out even more is the fire it ignites inside her and I was rooting for her at every step as she fought against the odds in the hope of finding justice.

“I don’t want to be a victim. I want to be a survivor.”

From the first pages of this book, you feel yourself in the hands of a master storyteller, and the level of literary fiction, drama, and psychological suspense is perfectly balanced, creating an unforgettable novel that is emotionally wrought, heart-pounding, tense, and enraging. Miller starts the book with a dedication that reads, “For all the women who compromise the ‘one in three’” and, as one of those women, I was deeply touched by how she keeps us at the forefront of the readers’ consciousness throughout. Complex, layered, raw, and emotionally resonant, Miller raises thought-provoking questions and moral dilemmas while also reminding us that anyone can become a victim of sexual assault and the flawed and broken legal system, even someone who has dedicated years to defending it.

Though I have a physical copy, I listened to this one on audiobook after it was recommended to me by a few people and I am so glad that I did. Jodie Cromer is a compelling and evocative narrator. She brings the story and characters to life and I was totally invested at every step. The veins of anger and devastation that were threaded through her voice during the aftermath of the assault were particularly powerful and will stay with me long after reading.

UCourageous, challenging, compelling and outstanding, Prima Facie is a story that demands to be read. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

TW: Sexual assault, rape

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Suzie Miller is an Australian-British playwright, librettist and screenwriter. Her plays include Prima Facie, which was premiered in Australia in 2019, and had its UK premiere in the West End in 2022.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Squadpod Squadpod Recommends Squadpod Reviews Uncategorised

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: Small Hours by Bobby Palmer

Published March 14th, 2024 by Headline
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction

Today I’m sharing my review for the mesmerising Small Hours, which is one of this month’s SquadPod Featured Books. Thank you to Headline for sending me a proof in exchange for an honest review.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘Powerful’ JOANNA GLEN
‘Beautiful’ KATE SAWYER
‘A triumph’ JENNIE GODFREY

The eagerly awaited new novel from Bobby Palmer, author of the critically acclaimed debut Isaac and the Egg.

If you stood before sunrise in this wild old place, looking through the trees into the garden, here’s what you’d see:

A father and son, a fox standing between them.

Jack, home for the first time in years, still determined to be the opposite of his father.

Gerry, who would rather talk to animals than the angry man back under his roof.

Everything that follows is because of the fox, and because Jack’s mother is missing. It spans generations of big dreams and lost time, unexpected connections and things falling apart, great wide worlds and the moments that define us.

If you met them in the small hours, you’d begin to piece together their story.

‘A magical, comforting read that touches on father-son relationships, male mental health and the healing power of nature’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

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MY REVIEW:

“Things aren’t set in stone. The smallest creatures undergo the greatest transformations. We are all of us, always, in flux.”

He’s done it again! Just like Bobby Palmer’s extraordinary debut, Isaac and the Egg, Small Hours is a literary masterpiece.  Mesmerising and poignant, this book was like a balm for the soul that wrapped me up in a warm hug as I read. Told in lyrical, melodic prose, I was transfixed and lost myself in its pages. I never wanted it to end but also didn’t want to put it down. 

Small Hours is a story about a father, a son, and a fox. A story about family, estrangement, loss, grief, mental health, disillusionment, and new beginnings. Through Jack and Gerry’s strained relationship Palmer explores the father/son relationship from both sides. These characters are like chalk and cheese, and while I loved reading them both, I will admit that it was Gerry I had the softest spot for. Gerry is struggling with a memory problem that is never identified, but seemed to me to be like dementia and it was heartbreaking to read as he tried to grasp at disappearing memories or wandered through the world with no idea where he was or what was going on. Palmer’s research is clear in Gerry’s behaviours and thoughts. 

“Did other people find it easy? To ask things, to say things out loud? To grab the stalks of the thoughts in your head and to pull up their roots, to bring them out of the soil and into her sunlight?” 

Seamlessly blending literary fiction with fantasy, Palmer has taken the world we know and sprinkled in a little magic in order to help us understand ourselves and those around us a little better. It is so well done that I never once questioned that there was a talking fox or that the story was set in reality. I loved how Jack found a friend and confidant in the fox, and reading their scenes were some of my favourite parts of the story. Palmer’s decision to write the inner monologues of the humans and the fox in disjointed, poetic verses that mirror the way our own thoughts take shape was a stroke of genius. It added to the feeling of authenticity and made me feel like I was really getting a glimpse into their thoughts.

Soulful, uplifting, moving, and original, Small Hours is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read and it will stay with me long after turning the final page. This is one of those books that you have to experience for yourself and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

BOBBY PALMER is an author and journalist whose writing has appeared in GQ, Esquire, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan and more. He is co-host of the literary podcast BOOK CHAT with Pandora Sykes.

His debut novel, ISAAC AND THE EGG, was an instant Saturday Times bestseller, selling 50,000 copies in its first year of publication. A Prima and Woman & Home ‘Best Book of 2022’, the novel appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, featured as Guardian ‘Audiobook of the Week’, and was chosen by Dawn O’Porter as part of her ‘Dawn Loves’ book club with WHSmith.

Bobby’s second novel, SMALL HOURS, will publish in March 2024.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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BOOKBREAK BOOK CLUB: The Women by Kristin Hannah

Published February 15th, 2024 by Pan Macmillan
Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Medical Fiction, War Story

Happy International Women’s Day! To celebrate, I’m sharing my review of the phenomenal The Women. Thank you to BookBreak for the invitation to take part in this book club, and to BookBreak and Pan Macmillan for the copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

Soon to be a major motion picture!

‘Astonishing. Compelling. Powerful’ – Delia Owens, bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing

‘Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism’ – Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

‘Powerful’ – Matt Haig, bestselling author of The Midnight Library

From the worldwide bestselling author of The Four Winds, The Nightingale and Firefly Lane (a Number One series on Netflix),The Women is a story of devastating loss and epic love.

It would be the journey of a lifetime . . .

‘Women can be heroes, too’. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California’s idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.

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MY REVIEW:

“Women can be heroes,too…The idea of it was like an earthquake, an upending of her sheltered view of the world, of herself.”

Oh, my heart. This is how you write historical fiction. Phenomenal, breathtaking and immersive, this book stole my heart, broke it, and then pieced it back together. And when I was finished it left a part of itself behind in my soul forever. It is truly a masterpiece.

The Women is a story of friendship, love, self-discovery and war that is told by Frankie, a twenty-year-old nurse from California who joins the Army Nurse Corps and goes to serve in war-torn Vietnam. At first she is overwhelmed by the stark and horrific reality of the conflict, but with the help of her new friends, Ethel and Barb, Frankie soon adjusts and becomes one of the best combat nurses in the field. But when she returns to the US after her service, Frankie no longer recognises herself of her country and finds herself facing a new battle. One that she will need the help of those around her to win. 

Kristin Hannah is an author who has been on my radar for many years. I own almost all of her books but have somehow never got around to reading any of them. So when I was offered the chance to read her latest book with the BookBreak book club I jumped at the chance. Why did I leave Hannah’s books languishing on my shelves for so long? I have to prioritise reading her backlist after being swept away by this beautiful novel. Hannah is a masterful storyteller who knows how to draw the reader in with evocative descriptions that bring history to life, richly drawn characters who you feel an instant connection with, and riveting plotlines that will make you laugh, cry and rage. And I couldn’t get enough. I lost myself in the story and couldn’t stop reading, devouring the second half of the book in just one sitting and reading late into the night as I had to know the end of Frankie’s story before I could even think about sleeping.

Two things are vital for good historical fiction: great characters and authentic details. This book has them both in spades. Let’s talk about the characters first. Frankie is a wonderful protagonist who I immediately felt a connection with. She’s fierce but flawed. And she’s relatable; someone I could imagine being friends with. And I loved her friendship with Ethel and Barb. Their dynamic was fun to read and an example of the kind of true friendship we all want. They were really there for each other, even after coming home, and I loved how they would all drop everything for the others if they needed them and how they knew what their friend needed even when she herself  had no idea. 
Now, let’s discuss the details. This book is rich in historic detail and the author’s meticulous research is evident in those finer points that give it authenticity. The Vietnam War is a time I didn’t know a lot about so I also found it to be very educational. And while it is undoubtedly beautifully written, Hannah never shies away from the brutal realities of war and there are many raw, agonising and heart-breaking scenes. Hannah also asks hard-hitting questions about the war, examining the protests that were happening back in the USA and how veterans were treated when they returned home. This led into a heart-rending exploration of PTSD that was written with truth and compassion. All of these darker moments are balanced out by more jovial topics and scenes that remind us we can find light even in the darkest of times and how others can help us to find it when we can’t do that for ourselves.

Powerful, moving and achingly real, The Women is an astonishing piece of historical fiction that I can’t recommend highly enough. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Her newest novel, The Women, about the nurses who served in the Vietnam war, will be released on February 6, 2024.

The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore’s bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.

In 2018, The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.

In 2015, The Nightingale became an international blockbuster and was Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People’s Choice award for best fiction in the same year. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week.

The Nightingale is currently in pre-production at Tri Star. Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.

A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024

BOOK REVIEW: The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

Published February 15th by Hutchinson Heinmann
Mystery, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

Here’s my review for a book you HAVE to read. Thank you Hutchinson Heinemann for the proof copy.

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SYNOPSIS:

THE BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK

‘To read it is to feel that little bit better about life‘
ELIZABETH DAY

‘A beautiful mystery with heart’
ROB RINDER

‘This is a heart-warming book’
EMMA HEALEY

‘A gorgeous, page-turning book’
I PAPER

Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn’t an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv’s mum stopped talking.
Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don’t.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families – and between each other – than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

THE PERFECT DEBUT NOVEL TO DISCUSS IN BOOK CLUBS

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MY REVIEW:

‘We’ll make a list,’ I said. ‘A list of the people and things we see that are suspicious. And then… And then we’ll investigate them.’ 

If you’ve not read The List of Suspicious Things then you need to add it to your TBR right now! A coming-of-age meets slice of life and mystery novel, this debut was a good book that became SPECTACULAR with its conclusion. So much so that I sat hugging it to my chest for ages just repeating ‘Wow’ after finishing it. 

Yorkshire, 1979. Margaret Thatcher is the new Prime Minister, mills are closing,  and a terrifying serial killer is stalking local women. It is against this bleak backdrop that The List of Suspicious Things is set, following twelve-year-old Miv as she and her best friend, Sharon, set out to find the Yorkshire Ripper in order to stop Miv’s family moving ‘down south’. But are they prepared for what they will discover?

What a book! Jennie Godfrey is a masterful storyteller and a talent to watch, crafting an unforgettable story about family, friendship, community, secrets, suspicion, and the loss of innocence. And how could this Yorkshire girl, born in 1979, resist that premise? The familiar dialect places and characters created a sense of home for me, and I loved the feelings of nostalgia it evoked. Miv is a great protagonist who I related to from the start.  She took me right back to being that age with all the same feelings and confusion about the world. I loved the child-like innocence and wide-eyed wonderment about the world that shines through in Miv’s chapters, something that is balanced by the adults’ points of view, which not only give us a greater perspective, but also help add to the sense of community that flows throughout the book. There are a number of sensitive and difficult subjects explored in this book and I liked that Godfrey handled them with honesty and compassion. One example is the  ever-looming presence of the Yorkshire Ripper. I appreciated that Godfrey focuses on the impact of his crimes and the atmosphere of fear, danger, suspicion and distrust he created rather than the man himself. 

A phenomenal debut that left me reeling, everyone needs to read this book. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jennie Godfrey  was raised in West Yorkshire and her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, is inspired by her childhood there in the 1970s. Jennie is from a mill-working family, but as the first of the generation born after the mills closed, she went to university and built a career in the corporate world. In 2020 she left and began to write. She is now a writer and part-time Waterstones bookseller and lives in the Somerset countryside.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx