Close to Home ...Beth Underdown

As a book reviewer I have made contact with authors from all across the globe and feel immensely privileged to be able to share some amazing work. However, there is always something rather special when a book comes to my attention which has been written by an author in my part of the North of England. So with this in mind I have great pleasure in featuring some of those authors who are literally close to my home. Over the next few Saturdays, and hopefully beyond, I will be sharing the work of a very talented bunch of Northern authors and discovering just what being a Northerner means to them both in terms of inspiration and also in their writing.   

Please welcome North West Writer

Beth Underdown

Photo credit : Justine Stoddart

Hi, Beth. Welcome to Jaffareadstoo and thank you for spending time with us today. 

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started as an author. 

I was born in Rochdale and went to school in Oldham. My mum is from Rochdale, but my dad is from the south, and I remember growing up thinking that he was dead posh because he said ‘baarth’ instead of ‘bath’. None of my immediate family are very arty, but when I was little there were always a lot of books in the house. I was keen on writing at high school, and had one particular teacher who encouraged me a lot – she died while I was doing my A-levels, and The Witchfinder’s Sister is dedicated to her. 

I didn’t write very much as an undergraduate – I was quite social, and writing is such a solitary thing to do – but after I graduated I moved to London and started working for a publishing house, Phaidon Press. While I was there I began to get up early in the morning to write for an hour or two in a café before work, and that was when I started to think that I wanted to dedicate a bit more time to my writing. This happened to coincide with getting fairly fed up with living in London. I decided to do a Creative Writing MA, and the only way I could even slightly afford to do it was to move back in with my mum and dad in Rochdale – I found this pretty challenging, and I’m sure they did, too! 

So I started the Creative Writing MA at the University of Manchester, part time. I began The Witchfinder’s Sister in the last year of the course, and an extract from it was printed in the anthology which the MA students produce every year. Copies of that anthology are circulated to agents and so on, and my agent, Nelle Andrew, approached me having seen my piece. I signed with PFD and then worked on the novel for a number of years with feedback from Nelle – I was ill during this time, too, which did slow things down. But then in January last year I was signed by Penguin, and a few months later I got a job lecturing Creative Writing at the University of Manchester – so I now teach on the same course I did all those years ago. 

Whilst your novel, The Witchfinder’s Sister is not set in the North West, I wonder if the North West landscape helped to shape your story in any way? 

That’s an interesting question – I’m not sure. I think the West Pennine landscape is very present in my imagination – my mum and dad live near the bottom of Blackstone Edge, which can look peaceful or beautiful or downright sinister depending on the weather. From being a kid I was always taken hiking most weekends, and so as an adult I have a habit of noticing field patterns, old boundaries, things like that, which is really just another way of noticing history. So I think the landscape of the north west has had an important role in teaching me to look in the ways that were necessary to write the book I’ve written – if that makes sense. 

In The Witch Finder’s Sister you were inspired to write about the man who was known as a notorious witch finder. How did your interest in Matthew Hopkins start? 

What happened first is that I got interested in the seventeenth century and the English Civil War in general. I had a great uncle who was a history professor, and I read one of his books, which is set in the 1600s. It’s about the town of Dorchester, which burned to the ground in this period, and my great uncle used this event to write about the lives and beliefs of ordinary people at the time. I was really struck by it – I think I hadn’t read much history that told a good story before (or told a story about ordinary people). From there I started reading about the seventeenth century in general, including a book on seventeenth century midwifery, because I was thinking about becoming a midwife! (I was doing the Creative Writing MA at this point, but had never thought writing could be a job, so I was doing some midwifery work experience.) It was in this book about seventeenth century midwifery that I found a footnote about Hopkins and his witch hunts, and the whole thing grew from there. I read Malcolm Gaskill’s book about Hopkins, and thought, ‘this needs to be a novel’. 

If you were pitching the North West as an ideal place to live, work and write – how would you sell it and what makes it so special? 

I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I hope to be in this neck of the woods for the rest of my life – I’d like to do maybe a year in the US, a year in some other places, but I think I’d always come back. It has all the ingredients I need to be productive as a writer – green space, and good stuff going on culturally in Manchester, which for me is half an hour away. Most importantly, it’s still reasonably cheap to live. I’m not sure I’d get much done as a writer in London, or at least not full-time – I loved living there in some ways, but I found it exhausting. 

As a writer based in the North West, does this present any problems in terms of marketing and promoting your books and if so, how have you overcome them? 

Not really. Quite often London events will pop up on my Twitter feed, and I’ll be like, ‘oh, I wish I could go to that thing tonight’ – but I manage to get to a reasonable amount by arranging trips down in advance and staying with friends. And actually a lot of my work in terms of events with readers and engaging with bookshops has involved long road trips in Essex, Yorkshire, the West Country – all over the place. I don’t feel like the promotional activity has been particularly London-centric. 

Writing is a solitary business - how do you interact with other authors? 

I’m really lucky to work in a very supportive department at the University of Manchester, so I see a fair bit of the other authors there, certainly during term time. That’s been very important for me – some people there have been peers and others more like mentors, but all of them are great. We also have a lot of writers visiting the department to do events, so that’s not only interesting but also good for making links. I’ve met a few other authors through Twitter who have turned into real life friends, so that’s been lovely. And then, a friend from university has had her book taken on by Penguin for 2018, so we’re in very similar boats too. 

How supportive are local communities to your writing and have there been any opportunities for book shops, local reading groups, or libraries to be involved in promoting your work? 

There’s a writer’s group I set up in the town where I live in the Peak District, and they’ve been hugely supportive. It’s now run by one of the first people to attend one of my courses – from there she went on to do the Creative Writing MA at MMU, which she’s just about to complete. I still drop in there now and then, it’s a lovely community of people and that gives me a real boost. There are quite a few reading groups doing the book, lots of them in Essex and Suffolk. My local Waterstones, the Deansgate store in Manchester, gave me a fabulous launch, for which I’ll always be grateful! 

You can find out more about Beth and her writing by going to her website 

Find her on Facebook

Follow on Twitter @bethunderdown #TheWitchfindersSister

Here is the link to my review of The Witchfinder's Sister

Warmest thanks to Beth for spending time with us today and for sharing her love of the North West with us. 

I hope that you have enjoyed this week's Close to Home feature.

Coming next week : Kirsty Ferry

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Blog Tour ~ The Butlins Girls by Elaine Everest

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be host today's penultimate stop on 

The Butlins Girls Blog Tour

Pan Macmillan
4 May 2017

What's it all about..

Times have been hard for Molly Missons. Following the loss of her parents, mysterious, long-lost family have darkened her door, laying claim to her home and livelihood.

Molly applies for a job as a Butlins auntie, in the hope of escaping bitterness and arguments.When she receives news that she has got the job, she immediately leaves her small home town, enthralled by the promise of a carefree new life in Skegness.

As soon as she arrives , Molly finds true friendship in Bunty and Plum. But the biggest shock is discovering that star of the silver screen, Johnny Johnson, is working at Butlins as entertainments adviser, Johnny takes an instant liking to Molly and she begins to shed the shackles of her recent heartache.

What did I think about it..

From the start of the story you can't help but warm to Molly Missons, she's such a lovely person, kind, generous and warm hearted. At the start of the story, we meet her when she is a at a really low ebb, her beloved parents have recently died, leaving Molly to face life alone. However, her good friend, Freda keeps her spirits up, that is until two unfamiliar relatives turn up to claim what they feel is their inheritance. Molly, with her life and security under threat, decides takes a position as a red coat at the newly reopened Butlins holiday camp in Skegness where she finds that friendship and a delicious romantic attachment can chase away her demons.

There's a real feeling of authenticity in this nicely written post-war saga. The story initially opens in Kent in 1946 and then takes the reader to the east coast, to Skegness, and to the wonderful era of fun loving holiday camps and the joy of seeing people once again enjoying a carefree holiday. Molly and her new found friends form a perfect back drop to showcase just what life was like in those heady post war days when excitement seemed to have returned, at last, to British life.

What I liked about the story was how the writer gets right into the personality of all her characters, especially Molly, Plum and Bunty who are firm friends from the outset. Molly, especially, comes across with an air of innocence which belies her strength of spirit and both Plum and Bunty add their own unique personality into the mixture. The mystery at the heart of the novel lends intrigue, and the delicious frisson of romance between Molly and the handsome, Johnny Johnson is fun to read.


With joy and sadness combined, The Butlins Girls would make a lovely holiday read...especially if you are heading to Butlins Skegness for a well earned break 😊

Best Read With...a brown Betty pot of tea and a plate of sticky buns...

About the Author

Elaine has written widely for women's magazines, with both short stories and features. When she isn't writing, Elaine runs The Write Place creative writing school in Dartford, Kent, and the blog for the Romantic Novelists' Association. The Butlins Girls is her second novel with Pan Macmillan, following her successful novel The Woolworths Girls

Elaine lives with her husband, Michael, and their Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Henry, in Swanley, Kent.

Twitter @ElaineEverest #TheButlinsGirls

Facebook 

@panmacmillan

My thanks to Bethan at edpr for the invitation to be part of this blog tour and for giving me the opportunity to read The Butlins Girls.

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Review ~ Widdershins by Helen Steadman

Impress Books

What's it all about...

Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane will soon learn that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world.

From his father’s beatings to his uncle’s raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witch-finder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft.

Inspired by true events, Widdershins tells the story of the women who were persecuted and the men who condemned them.

What did I think about it...

Living in Lancashire I am well aware of the lure of stories which feature witchcraft. Tales steeped in legend that tell of unfortunate women accused of hexing and bewitching local communities, so that when babies died, people fell ill, crops failed or general misfortune came a-calling there was always someone to blame.

Did all women have something of the witch about them?

Widdershins takes us into the North East of the mid-seventeenth century and back to a dark, dark place where superstition and mischance are as dangerous as stumbling widdershins around a graveyard in the chill of night.

Jane Chandler has learned the use of herbs and healing from her mother, Anna, and Meg, both local wise women. These generous women taught her the old ways and the cunning ways, the traditions and teachings of country folk and how to watch for signs that creep and crumble in the dark.

John Sharpe, a product of his time and Scottish upbringing, seeks to clear the world around him of evil. Evil that he feels can be found in the shape of a woman's body, in a wife that trembles before him, in the savage fury of his fist and in his absolute belief that witches lurk in all the dark recesses of daily life.

The narrative within Widdershins is superbly controlled by a very talented writer, someone who is a definite weaver of tales, and who has brought to perfect life the inner workings of a disturbed mind. A mind which is convinced that, with God on his side, he can do no wrong. Intertwining Jane and John’s story is inspired and gives a disturbing account of how lives can be brought together and changed irrevocably by the sly capriciousness of fate.

I am intrigued by stories that coalesce, which creep ever so carefully, which cleverly intertwine lives so that truth and fiction merge and blend and become so terrifyingly convincing that it hurts to read about lives which are tumbling out of control. The last section of Widdershins strikes at the very heart of terror. Its calculated evil scared me and I wasn’t anywhere near the witch pricker as he sought to condemn the innocent to their death and send them to lie forever in an unmarked grave, unshriven and unblessed.

Based on the true events of the 1650 Newcastle Witch Trials where sixteen petrified souls were taken to a needless death, the author has brought to life a chilling story of persecution, superstitious mania and terrifying ineptitude.

I can't praise Widdershins highly enough, and for someone brought up with the stories of witchcraft, believe me, this one stands up with the best I've read.

Best read with...a sip of mead and a slice of Beltane cake , carefully avoiding the carline...

About the Author

Helen Steadman lives in the foothills of the North Pennines, and she particularly enjoys researching and writing about the history of the north east of England. Following her MA in creative writing at Manchester Met, Helen is now completing a PhD in English at the University of Aberdeen.

When she’s not studying or writing, Helen critiques, edits and proofreads other writers’ work, and she is a professional member of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders.

Website

Twitter @hsteadman1650 #Widdershins

My thanks to Natalie at Impress Books for the opportunity to read 

Widdershins in advance of its publication.

Coming : 1 July 2017 

Preorder Here 

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Review ~ The Wild Air by Rebecca Mascull

Hodder & Stoughton
4 May 2017

What's it all about..

In Edwardian England, aeroplanes are a new, magical invention, while female pilots are rare indeed.

When shy Della Dobbs meets her mother's aunt, her life changes forever. Great Auntie Betty has come home from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, across whose windswept dunes the Wright Brothers tested their historic flying machines. Della develops a burning ambition to fly and Betty is determined to help her

But the Great War is coming and it threatens to destroy everything - and everyone - Della loves.

Uplifting and page-turning, THE WILD AIR is a story about love, loss and following your dreams against all odds.

What did I think about it ..

In our modern world we rarely notice aeroplanes perhaps, barely, even looking up as they flutter across the sky above our heads. Just occasionally when the noise intrudes do I look up to catch a glimpse of a meandering contrail and wonder where in the world the plane is going to or coming from. To imagine a world where the concept of flight was so unbelievable that to bear witness to the early pioneering days of flight must have been both the strangest and scariest thing imaginable.

In The Wild Air we are taken back in time to the Edwardian days of early aviation and to the prejudice which existed for those fearless women who dared to be different and who wanted more than anything on earth to extend their knowledge of this wonderful invention. For teenager, Della Dobbs, her dream started when she, together with her great aunt Betty, learned to fly home made box kites along the beach at Cleethorpes. This overwhelming passion for flight started Della’s obsession with the newly developed aeroplanes and her first flight in a Farman Biplane with the legendary female aviatrix Hélène Dutrieu is described in such breath-taking detail that I felt like I too was experiencing the wonder of flight for the very first time. To picture the earth falling away filled Della with heightened emotions, fear most certainly, but there was also an astonishing exhilaration and a fascination for flight which made Della feel more comfortable in the air than she ever did on land.

Beautifully written from start to finish, The Wild Air gives us a story which is rich in character and alive with all the passionate fervour that is so reminiscent of this author’s fine writing. From the exhilaration of Della’s first flight, through to her, at times, rather frustrating days as a trainee aviatrix when she confronted male prejudice head-on, and then beyond to the dark days of terror during the First World War, the story truly comes alive. Strong on historical detail and passionate in its pursuit of mixing fiction with factual detail, I learned more about the pioneering bravery of the early days of aviation than I ever thought possible. I never knew that there were so many courageous aviatrixes who pioneered and fought so hard to be recognised. I also developed a strong emotional bond with Della in whose footsteps I so eagerly followed as the story progressed.

This is now the third book that I have read by this talented author and each time she has surprised me by giving me the gift of a story about a subject I never knew I wanted to read. And by the time the story ended I felt like I had learned so much, not just about the early days of aviation but also about strength and courage , truth and promise, love and loss, and most of all about the bravery of the human spirit and the endless possibility of living out your dreams.

Best Read With...Succulent pork pies, spicy haslet sandwiches and crisp green apples

About the Author

Rebecca Mascull is the author of THE VISITORS and SONG OF THE SEA MAID. She works in education and lives by the sea in the east of England.

Visit her Website 
Find on Facebook
Follow on Twitter @rebeccamascull

#TheWildAir

Huge thanks to the author for sharing her book with me.

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The Author in my spotlight is ...Helen Irene Young

I am delighted to introduce today's Author in the Spotlight 

Helen Irene Young 

Author of 

Crooked Cat
25 April 2017

Hi Helen and welcome to Jaffareadstoo....Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for The May Queen?

A photograph of my grandmother aged about ten at Fairford carnival. On the back someone has written Irene as spring, carnival 1935. First prize awarded by David Niven. In the image she is squinting at the sun behind the photographer, she looks shy, but her smile is warm and inviting. I think that’s what made her win. She had a quiet strength. It’s something I knew I had to write about. It’s something I knew May would have had too.

Without giving too much away – what can you tell us about the story?

It’s a coming-of-age tale of one girls search for love and belonging. As a young girl May lives in Ma’s shadow, bearing the brunt of her fierce temper but always at her side. Things change when war comes. May makes a new life for herself in London and although branching out by herself, she is still Ma’s girl. It is only later, when she returns to the past and her small town, that she is able to re-evaluate her place in it as someone new.   

The May Queen is your debut novel, have there been any challenges in getting the book to publication and if so, how did you overcome them?

Many! But that’s the fun isn’t it? The biggest challenge was finding the inner strength to continue. I had agents ask to see the full manuscript but then tell me it wasn’t for them. I had Indies ask too, only to say the same. My good friend Karen Hamilton (whose book is publishing next year with new imprint Wildfire) told me to write down any positive comments I received, because it’s so easy to focus on the negative and forget the good. That was sound advice. I have always been quite headstrong though and I think it worked to my advantage when dealing with rejection. I knew I’d never give up.

Whilst you are writing you must live with your characters. How did you feel about them when the book was finished? Did they turn out as expected?

They worked out better than I expected, for me at least. I adored May and her friends. Ma was the most difficult to write because she had aspects of my own mother and grandmother who both died some years back. It was hard going back to that. It made it very personal. I was happy to close the book on May though in the end. I left her in a good place. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend who’s gone to live in a faraway land – bittersweet but beautiful

Which character in the story did you identify with the most?

May, of course. She was me, but wasn’t. She made me laugh and cry. Seriously, she did actually make me cry. I remember in one scene towards the end I started crying as I was writing. I think it was relief more than anything that I was taking her on the absolutely correct journey. I really went there.

Are you a plotter...or ...a start writing and see where it takes you, sort of writer? 

Plot is all. It doesn’t have to be locked in because things will change as you move through the narrative, but for me, you absolutely must have an idea of where you’re heading. On the Faber Academy course, Richard Skinner said that a narrative is like a river, sometimes it flows fast and others not, but beneath the surface there are always obstacles (rocks, unseen curves) that determine its pace. That’s something I think of often when I’m plotting. You have a responsibility to keep the river moving; otherwise you’ll end up in stagnant water.

Do you write the type of books you like to read and which authors have influenced you?

Always. You are only as good a writer as the books you have read and then, only on a fine day with a fair wind behind you. I swear by regular doses of Anton Chekov, Thomas Mann, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, Henry Green, Elizabeth Taylor and Irène Némirovsky. They’re masters of the everyday and on the whole, share an ability to turn a phrase with the lightest of touches.

What’s next ?

Where rather! Bogotá, Colombia, 1948 and a broken architect trying to build something new. My narrative centres on an event (El Bogotazo) that changed the country forever and is told through the eyes of British architect, Luke Vosey. I’ve had the absolute best time writing this novel and getting to know my second home (I have family there). I only hope others will enjoy it too.

About the Author

Helen Irene Young is the author of The May Queen (published by Crooked Cat) and a digital editor. She attended the Faber Novel Writing course and splits her time between London, Wiltshire and Colombia, when she can get there. The May Queen is her first novel.

Visit Helen's website by clicking here

Follow on Twitter @helenireneyoung

Huge thanks to Helen for sharing her thoughts about her novel, The May Queen with us today. It's been a real pleasure to have your company today.

~***~

What did I think about it ..

The consequences of family secrets, and of those events which are sometimes best left buried, is the focus for this family drama which uses as its focal point the troubled years of the Second World War.

When the book opens, in the summer of 1935, we are introduced to May, and her family. Her father works as a gardener at the local manor house, May’s mother is a rather brusque sort of figure and Sophie, May’s older sister has brought disgrace upon the family. May is a young adolescent, just on the cusp of young womanhood and her burgeoning relationship with Christopher, the young son of the manor owner, forms the basis for much of the early part of the novel.

The author has written a considerate and thoughtful coming-of-age story which follows May through the formative events which shape her life during the years of the war, and which will see May grow into maturity and understanding. The story is divided into three distinct sections and the author has done a good job in making each section easy to follow and enjoy.

The author writes well, I enjoyed her turn of phrase and the way she allowed the story to develop at its own pace. Nicely presented with an interesting cover, this is a debut novel by an author who I am sure will go on to develop her writing skills in each successive story.

Best Read With...A glass of home made lemonade and a slice , or two, of cake...

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Review ~ Children of the Chieftain : Bounty by Michael E. Wills

Silverwood Books
March 2017

Children of the Chieftain: Bounty is the third installment in this excellent Viking series which is aimed at young readers.

What's it all about..

The orphan children of the late chieftain, Sten Brightsword, have been banished from their island home after they disobeyed the instruction of the “Ting”, the island parliament. In order to be allowed to return they must bring with them a warrior’s helmet filled with silver.

The brother and sister, Ahl who is now seventeen and Ingir who is a year older, get the help of the Governor of a town in northern Russia after Ingir becomes engaged to the Governor’s son. But things go wrong for them when the town is threatened by an attack from enemies. They escape south and after many adventures Ahl and his crew reach Constantinople. At last things look better for them when the Emperor offers them work which is so highly paid that they must surely earn enough silver bounty to fill a helmet.

What did I think about it...

When I was ten or eleven I loved reading historical adventure stories and I am sure that if the Children of the Chieftain books had been around at that time I would have devoured them just as eagerly as I did the work of Alan Garner and Leon Garfield.

I’ve followed this series from the beginning and have seen both the story telling and the characters grow in confidence, and as each story comes along there is a clever continuance of the historical adventure which unfolds in every story. In The Children of the Chieftain: Bounty the young crew of the Viking ship, Eagle set off on a new adventure, on a journey which will take them to new and exciting places, and which will be fraught with danger and cruel mischance.

As always the author writes a really good, rollicking adventure and never compromises on accurate description nor does he patronise his young readers by omitting the dangerous aspects of this time in history. The historical research is as ever impeccably achieved and there is a real feeling of authenticity to the story which those who have read the series from the beginning will recognise as typical of this author’s fine attention to detail.

Whilst Bounty may be read as a standalone historical adventure, as always, my advice is to read any series from the start, as that way you notice the progression, and the story becomes far more meaningful when you become emotionally invested in the characters.

For younger readers who may struggle with some of the terminology, or even for adults like me who may need some clarification, there is a helpful word explanation at the end of the book.

At the start of this Viking adventure I was informed that it was to be a trilogy of work, I am especially pleased to find that there is now to be a fourth book, The Children of the Chieftain: Bound for Home which will oversee the conclusion. Most certainly the ending of Bounty lends itself to even more adventures in the final conclusion.

Best Read With …smoked meat and porridge...and a foaming tankard of ale for the grownups...

You can read an excellent guest post by the author about The Lure of Miklagård by clicking here

About the Author

Find Michael on his website

Follow him on Twitter @MWillsofSarum

My thanks to the author for sharing his book with me.

Children of the Chieftain: Bounty is out now and published by Silverwood Books

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Cover Reveal ~ Widdershins by Helen Steadman

I'm delighted to be able to share the cover of an exciting new historical fiction novel

Widdershins by Helen Steadman

Impress Books
Coming in July 2017

‘Widdershins was inspired by the seventeenth-century witch trials in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Although fifteen people were executed on the same day for alleged witchcraft, the trials aren’t widely known about outside the north east of England. So, I’m pleased that the story of this travesty will now reach a much wider audience.’ (Helen Steadman, Author)

‘I’m thrilled that we are publishing Helen Steadman’s engrossing novel, Widdershins. I loved following the interplay of John and Jane’s stories in this vividly evoked and fascinating period of history.’ (Laura Christopher, Commissioning Editor)

‘Her writing reminds me of Hannah Kent’s bestselling novel, Burial Rites, which follows the final days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829. Helen’s writing has a similar persuasive and empathetic force, weaving together historical fact with modern concerns about the treatment of women.’ (Helen Marshall, Award winning author)

'Did all women have something of the witch about them?’

Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane will soon learn that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world.

From his father’s beatings to his uncle’s raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witch-finder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft.

Inspired by true events, Widdershins tells the story of the women who were persecuted and the men who condemned them.

For more information go to #Widdershins @ImpressBooks1 @Helen1650 (Published 1 July 2017)

Visit Helen on her website by clicking here

Impress Books

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Review ~ The Thief's Daughter by Victoria Cornwall

Choc Lit
2017

What's it all about..

Eighteenth-century Cornwall is crippled by debt and poverty, while the gibbet casts a shadow of fear over the land. Yet, when night falls, free traders swarm onto the beaches and smuggling prospers.

Terrified by a thief-taker’s warning as a child, Jenna has resolved to be good. When her brother, Silas, asks for her help to pay his creditors, Jenna feels unable to refuse and finds herself entering the dangerous world of the smuggling trade.

Jack Penhale hunts down the smuggling gangs in revenge for his father’s death. Drawn to Jenna at a hiring fayre, they discover their lives are entangled. But as Jenna struggles to decide where her allegiances lie, the worlds of justice and crime collide, leading to danger and heartache for all concerned

What did I think about it..

There's something about a story set in eighteenth-century Cornwall that continues to appeal to me. I think it harks back to the days, when as a teenager, I devoured the Cornish family sagas by Susan Howatch and of course, the Poldark novels by Winston Graham. So, to have the opportunity to support a debut author, with a similar story set in Cornwall appealed to me right from the start.

Multi layered and exciting The Thief's Daughter is one of those sweeping Cornish sagas that immediately whisks you back in time to a bygone age when deadly feuds existed and where danger lurked on every corner. Smugglers, thieves and vagabonds conceal their secrets in hidden coves and the wild and rugged scenery combine to bring alive the jagged Cornish landscape of two hundred years ago.

The author has done a great job of telling creative historical fiction. I really enjoyed getting to know Jenna, the eponymous thief’s daughter, and also watching how her relationship with the charismatic, Jack Penhale, played out in the wider scheme of the story. The history feels authentic and there is a good sense of atmosphere which conjures the wild beauty of Cornwall, so that it becomes easy to place yourself there in the eighteenth century. The characterisation is strong and nicely developed, and the plot ,at the centre of the story, is both exciting and believable.

All in all, a good debut from a talented new writer. 

Best Read With..a calorie -laden Cornish cream tea, heavy on the jam and cream

About the Author

Victoria Cornwall grew up on a farm in Cornwall. She can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century and it is this background and heritage which is the inspiration for her Cornish based novels.

Find on Twitter @VickieCornwall

Goodreads

 My thanks to the author for sharing her story with me

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Review ~ Another You by Jane Cable

Endeavour Press
2017

What's it all about..

When the present is unbearable, can you be saved by the past?

Marie Johnson is trapped by her job as a chef in a Dorset pub and by her increasingly poisonous marriage to its landlord. Worn down by his string of affairs she has no self-confidence, no self-respect and the only thing that keeps her going is watching her son turn into a talented artist.

But the sixtieth anniversary of a D-Day exercise which ended in disaster triggers chance meetings which prove unlikely catalysts for change as Marie discovers that sometimes the hardest person to save is yourself.

What did I think about it ..

Marie Johnson cuts rather a solitary figure and is often to be found walking the headland, near to her home, in Studland Bay. Often lost in her own thoughts, Marie has much to consider, not just about her life and destructive marriage, but also about what she wants for herself and her son, Jude. And as she watches the preparations take place on the beach below for the sixtieth anniversary of a D-Day exercise, Marie gets caught up in the excitement of the commemoration, and also in the history of what happened sixty years ago during World War Two.

As always, this clever author gets right into the emotional heart of a story which looks at all the complexities of living life both in the here and now, and also of the repercussions of the past, which, at times, threatens to overshadow the future. The story is beautifully atmospheric, with lots of enticing threads and thought-provoking layers. I enjoyed seeing how the story played out in the wider context, and of how Marie’s rather lonely character developed and changed as the story progressed. Setting Another You with the stunning Studland Bay as its backdrop allows the author to give full rein to her descriptive talents. It is obvious that a great deal of historical research has been done in order to give the WW2 element such an authentic feel, and as the story progresses both time and place really start to come alive in the imagination.

This is now the third book I have had the pleasure to read by this talented author and I can say that I have enjoyed them all immensely. Jane Cable writes with such passion and love for her subject that each story is a real joy to read.

Best Read with..a sausage butty and a strong cup of tea..

About the author

Jane Cable writes romance stories with a strong element of mystery and suspense. Her first novel, The Cheesemaker’s House, was a finalist in The Alan Titchmarsh Show’s People’s Novelist competition and won the Words for the Wounded Independent Book of the Year Award in 2015

More about the author can be found on her website by clicking here  or on Facebook by clicking here 

Follow on Twitter @JaneCable 

Another You is published by Endeavour Press

Read an interview by the author by clicking here.

My thanks to the author for providing a review copy of Another You

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Review ~ Trouble in Nuala by Harriet Steel

Stane Street Press
2016

What's it all about about ...

When Inspector Shanti de Silva moves with his English wife Jane to his new post in the sleepy hill town of Nuala he anticipates a more restful life than police work in the big city entails. However an arrogant plantation owner with a lonely wife, a crusading lawyer, and a death in suspicious circumstances present him with a riddle that he will need all his experience to solve. 

Set on the exotic island of Ceylon in the 1930s, Trouble in Nuala is an entertaining and relaxing mystery spiced with humour and a colourful cast of characters.

What did I think about it...

Trouble in Nuala introduces us to the delightful, Inspector Shanti de Silva, who, with his English wife Jane, has moved to a new posting in the sleepy hill town of Nuala. Escaping the city, Shanti hopes that his life will take on a more tranquil outlook, that is, until trouble rears its ugly head in Nuala. A suspicious death, on one of the tea plantations, opens up a whole series of complicated questions which mean that Inspector de Silva's ingenuity, and that of his police team, is put to the test.

The author’s descriptive talent comes alive and from the opening pages I was immediately transported back to 1930s Ceylon, which is now modern day Sri Lanka, and taken to a place of great natural beauty, of rich red earth and the jostling of banana and rubber trees and of the scented aroma of jasmine and frangipani blossom. The story gives a lovely portrait of what life could have been like for those colonials who made it their home, and also of the problems faced when living in a small community where everyone's business becomes a matter of great interest

I really enjoyed getting to know Inspector de Silva. I appreciated his wry sense of humour and his steadfast refusal to be beaten by a myriad of complex situations. His interaction with his colleagues, particularity the hapless Constable Nadar, and the slightly more prosaic Sergeant Prasanna made me smile as they are so reminiscent of a bygone time.

Trouble in Nuala is the first of a proposed series of detective books featuring Inspector de Silva and I, personally, can't wait for the next book, Double Trouble, which, I think, is coming sometime in 2017.

Best Read With...Elephant ginger beer and a spicy bowl of Dhal...

About the Author

Harriet Steel is the author of several historical novels including Becoming Lola and Salvation. Her work has appeared in national newspapers and magazines. She is passionate about history and blogs about it at harrietsteel.blogspot.co.uk

Follow on Twitter @harrietsteel1

My thanks to the author for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Trouble in Nuala

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Review ~ To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice Colin

Allen & Unwin
Atlantic Books
February 2017

What's it all about...

In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace and Émile Nouguier meet in a hot air balloon, floating high above Paris, France--a moment of pure possibility. But back on firm ground, their vastly different social strata become clear.As the Eiffel Tower rises, a marvel of steel and air and light, the subject of extreme controversy and a symbol of the future, Cait and Émile must decide what their love is worth.

What did I think about it...

This interesting love story is set during the glory days of the La Belle Époque when the world was innovated both by design and invention. Widow, Caitriona Wallace, is the paid companion of brother and sister, Jamie and Alice Arrol, and their arrival in Paris is the culmination of a European tour. Caitriona does not expect to find love again, nor does she seek it out, but a chance meeting with, Émile Nouguier, the Eiffel Tower architect, starts a delicate relationship which opens up a wealth of unseen possibilities for Caitriona.

The story is nicely written and brings eighteenth century Paris alive in the imagination. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and think that the author did a good job in demonstrating the expectations of people in different social classes. There are a few really interesting female characters that help to give the book its light and shade. I particularly liked Gabrielle, Émile's feisty mistress, whose chaotic lifestyle clearly showed that life, for some women was never going to be easy. However, I'm not sure that the men come across with any redeeming qualities, Jamie Arrol, in particular, is a bit of a loose cannon and I think that the author captured what it was like for an aimless young man who had too much time and not enough common sense. Émile Nouguier is rather an enigma, and whilst I wanted to like him for Caitriona's sake, I found him rather disappointing as a romantic lead character. The detailed description of the construction of the Eiffel Tower was particularly fascinating as was the people’s reaction to its construction and completion.

To Capture What we Cannot Keep is a quietly confident and intelligently written historical novel. It captures the atmosphere of nineteenth century Paris really well both in terms of its social constraints and also of the magic of living in such a wonderfully inventive age.

Best Read with ... Delicate French pâtisserie..

About the Author

Beatrice Colin is a novelist based in Glasgow. The Luminous Life of Lily Aphrodite, a novel set in Berlin in the early twentieth century was translated into eight languages and was Richard and Judy pick. Beatrice has been shortlisted for a British Book award, a Saltire award and a Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Award. She also writes plays and adaptations of BBC Radio 4.

My thanks to Karen at Atlantic Books for my review copy of this book

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Blog Tour ~ The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be part of The Witchfinder's Sister Blog Tour

 

What's it all about ...

The number of women my brother Matthew killed, so far as I can reckon it, is one hundred and six...'

1645. When Alice Hopkins' husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives.

But home is no longer a place of safety. Matthew has changed, and there are rumours spreading through the town: whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in which he is gathering women's names.

What did I think about it...

Some years ago I went to a Halloween fancy dress party dressed as witch, with my pointy black hat, long black dress and black boots I thought that I looked suitably ‘spooky’. Today we take the idea of witches in a very light hearted manner but back in the seventeenth century being accused of witch craft was a very different business.

In 1645, Alice Hopkins returns home, from London, to Manningtree in Essex where after a change in her circumstances she is a widow, pregnant and penniless. She now has the need to fall upon the mercy of her half-brother, Matthew, to give her bread and board. However, Alice finds out, to her cost, that Matthew is involved in a mysterious and unholy business, which keeps him out late and brings him into contact with some influential and dangerous people.

The book is a beautifully written observation of human nature with all its many facets and disguises. On one side, we have Matthew, who is utterly convinced that what he is doing is ridding the world of evil, whilst at the same time we have the creeping terror of women being wrongfully accused and woefully represented. There is no doubt that witch finding was a deadly occupation, and the book doesn’t shy away from the scurrilous and uncomfortable detail of how witch examinations took place and of the unwholesome justice that allowed lonely and vulnerable women to be exploited in such a dreadful way.

Time and place is captured perfectly and for the short time it took for me to read the novel I felt like I was fully immersed in seventeenth century life. The stifled and gloomy atmosphere of living at the old Thorn Inn with Matthew comes vividly to life as does the subservient nature of those women who Matthew employs to keep his home in order. Alice very quickly became an integral character and I think that her relationship with her half-brother and that of the family dynamic was finely examined and utterly believable.

There is much to take in, not just about the perverse superstition of a country very much in a state of instability, as the English civil war was still raging, but also in the way that people’s attitude towards each other was uncomfortably wary and so often irrationally distrustful. In many ways this made it easier for Matthew Hopkins to go about his deadly witch finding business as communities were all too eager to point the finger of blame towards those defenceless women who had no hope of ever redeeming themselves.

Filled with superstition, secrets, gossip and innuendo, The Witchfinder’s Sister brings to life a shameful part of our past in a story which lives on long after that fabulous last sentence which made my blood run cold.

Best Read With...a platter of cut bread and cheese and a mug of ale

More about the Author on her website

Follow on Twitter @bethunderdown #TheWitchfindersSister

Find on Facebook

Beth Underdown lectures in Creative Writing at the University of Manchester. Her first novel, The Witchfinder's Sister, is based on the life of the 1640s witchfinder Matthew Hopkins. Beth's interest in seventeenth-century England was sparked by the work of her great-uncle David Underdown, one of that period's foremost historians. She came across a brief mention of Matthew Hopkins while reading a book about midwifery, igniting an interest which turned into an all-consuming hunt for the elusive truth about this infamous killer.

Blog Tour runs until the 26th March 2017 @Viking BooksUK
#The Witchfinder'sSister

My thanks to Josie at Penguin for the invitation to be part of this exciting blog tour

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