Review ~ How I lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

Headline
2015

Three years ago Susan Webster was sent to psychiatric prison for killing her three month old son, Dylan. On her release from prison she becomes someone with a new identity and hopes to start afresh but then someone sends her a photograph of  toddler called Dylan and her world explodes in more ways than one.

This is a very clever psychological thriller which certainly cranks up the tension and creates an air of menace which is as compelling as it is intriguing. There is much to take in, both in terms of a story being told in flashback and its relevance to what's happening in the here and now. Obviously, to reel off the plot verbatim would be to spoil this story entirely. It's really worth reading for those genuine gasp out loud moments which have you frantically scurrying back through the pages to see what you've missed in the rush to find out what happens next.

I love a good psychological thriller and this is certainly up there with the rest of the current crop of female authors who do this genre so very well.

My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for my copy of this book.

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Review ~ Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell

Headline Review
2015

There's always something comforting about picking up the latest Jill Mansell book. You just know that the story will flow beautifully, the characters will be infused with warmth and wit and that before too long at least one of them will be tugging away at your hearts strings. Three Amazing Things About You tackles the sensitive issue surrounding organ donation but does so in  away that will have most readers reaching for their organ donor card or logging onto the donor website.

As always the writing is good, the story draws you in from the beginning and the characters become as familiar as friends. The author makes you care about each and every one of them until you can't stop turning the pages until you find out how it all works out.

To say too much about the nitty gritty of the story would be to spoil the overall effect but what evolves is the story of ordinary people going about their daily lives until something happens which makes them all realise that the greatest gift anyone can give, is the gift of life.

A perfect summer read and easily one of those novels that slips easily into your travel bag for use pool side, preferably  with a tall glass of something ice cold and sweet nearby.

My thanks to Bookbridgr and Headline Review for my copy of this book.

I'm, on it ...are you ....? Organ Donation

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I'm giving away my copy of this book. 

Leave a comment on here or on Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter  to be in with a chance to get this one for free (UK only)

Those interested know where to find us !


You've got until the end of July to enter - after that names will go into Jaffa's Hat.


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My guest author is Mary Rensten......

I am delighted to welcome 

Mary Rensten 

author of

Letters from Malta

Corazon Books
June 2015

The perfect summer holiday read.

When Jane Thornfield finds an envelope hidden in her mother's bedroom drawer it heralds the beginning of a journey of discovery. Long buried family secrets are unearthed and Jane is forced to question her very identity.

Jane's search for the truth takes her to Malta, where she learns about the harsh realities of life during the Siege of Malta in the Second World War. But her attempts to unlock a fifty-year-old secret are met with suspicion and a wall of silence.

Letters from Malta is about a woman's quest to make sense of her present and her past. The setting of Malta is brought vividly to life in this moving, perceptive tale of love and loss.

"The story sweeps you along and the characters are so real." Suzannah Dunn, best-selling historical novelist (The Sixth Wife, The May Bride)

"I couldn't put this down. I couldn't wait to find out what had happened in Malta 60 years ago." Meg Alexander, romantic novelist

"It has just the right combination of drama, humour, romance and intrigue to make it perfect reading at home or on holiday." TAR Entertainment

Amazon UK

Mary shares with us ten interesting facts about Malta and its history:

        

1. The George Cross was awarded to Malta in 1942 by King George VI, to ‘bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people’ during the Great Siege in WWII, when the population came close to starvation, but did not surrender. You can see the Cross and the King’s message in the War Museum in Valletta, as my character Ken in Letters from Malta did. ‘You can’t come to Malta, and not see the George Cross,’ he said.

2. Wine has been produced in Malta for over 2000 years … and today’s wines are very good; I know, I’ve tasted them!  In Letters from Malta, Jane and Carmela drink some at lunch in the hotel, and Jane learns that Maltese wines have just won prizes in an international competition.

3. Joseph Calleja, known as ‘The Maltese Tenor’, is one of the world’s top tenors. His Rodolfo in ‘La Boheme’ is stunning. What a voice … and he’s good-looking, too! He was born in Attard, which is not far from Mdina, in 1978; at 19 he made his operatic debut in Malta’s sister island Gozo.

Joseph Calleja by Paul Zammit Cutajar © viewingmalta.com

4.The Maltese language, called Malti in Maltese, is descended from an Arabic dialect that developed in Sicily. It is one of the official languages of the European Union. Jane has little chance of trying out her few words of Maltese, because nearly everyone in Malta speaks English, but she does manage to say one word: Sahha, which can mean ‘Goodbye’ or ‘Cheers!’

5.The Knights of St. John ruled Malta from the 16th century until the island was conquered by Napoleon in 1798. The Knights, whose name and emblem, the Maltese Cross, are known to us today through the wonderful St.John’s Ambulance Brigade, made Malta an important centre of learning and art. Their main Hospital had schools of Anatomy, Surgery and Pharmacy; they established a Public Library and a school of Mathematics.

6.The 2004 blockbuster, Troy, starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, was shot here and parts of the film were set in Mellieha. Tom Hanks’ 2013 movie, Captain Phillips, was filmed here, and the same year the BBC also used the waters around Malta to shoot The Whale, which tells the story behind Moby Dick.

7.Until a few years ago, the tiny island of Comino, between Malta and Gozo – you may know it; it has a posh hotel! – produced some of the finest bacon in the world. (I ate some in 1995 … as did characters in my book!) I think the pig farm there may have closed now, but Maltese bacon is still very good!

8.If you’re keen on archaeology, Malta will have you in heaven! Ancient cart tracks, Neolithic remains, caves, temple ruins, statues of goddesses … it has them all, in situ and in museums.

Hagar Qim by Mario Galea © viewingmalta.com

9..Malta has few trees … of the kind for making coffins, so during WWII, when wood could not be imported, many of them were made of tin, recycled oil drums and large NAAFI biscuit tins from the air bases. They creaked scarily when they were carried!

10.In 1608 the artist Caravaggio painted his largest altar-piece here; it hangs in St.John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, where Caravaggio, known also for his wild life-style, was a knight.

Caravaggio altarpiece, Beheading of John the Baptist by Clive Vella © viewingmalta.com

Huge thanks to Mary for sharing such interesting facts about Malta and to Ian at Corazon for his help in organising this post.

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Sunday WW1 Poet...

The songs of the Great War

are

featured this month

Tune:- Mademoiselle from Armentieres

Two German officers crossed the line - parlez vous

Two German officers crossed the line –parlez vous.

These German officers crossed the line

On the lookout for some women and some wine

Inkey pinkey parlez vous.

They came to an inn on top of a rise -parlez vous

A famous inn of bloody great size – parlez vous

They saw a maid all dimples and sighs

They both agreed she’d lovely eyes”

Inkey pinkey parlez vous.

Oh landlord you’ve a daughter fair – parlez vous

Oh landlord you’ve a daughter fair parlez vous

Oh landlord you’ve a daughter fair

With lily white tits and golden hair

Inkey pinkey parlez vous.

Nein, nein mein Herr she’s much too young -parlez vous

Nein, nein mein herr she’s much too young –parlex vouz

Mais non, mon pere, I’m not too young

I’ve often slept with the parson’s son

Inkey –pinky parlez vous

The rest of the tale I can’t relate –

parlez vous

It’s a very old story but up to date –parlez vous

The story of man seducing a maid

It could offend – you’re too sedate

Inkey Pinkey -parlez vous.

It must be remembered that these songs were usually sung by the lower ranks to keep up morale.

Whilst some of the sentiments may appear offensive to us, it must be remembered that these were very different times and must be viewed as such.

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Review ~ Away from You by Kay Langdale

Hodder & Stoughton
2015

Monica Watson is tempted by a job offer in LA, but that means leaving her surgeon husband, Daniel, and her children, nine year old Ruby and toddler, Luca, for three months. This shouldn't matter as much as it does, and at first, Monica is riddled with guilt and indecision, until she hires the enigmatic Ursula Condot as her housekeeper. On the surface, Ursula seems to be the perfect choice, she's quiet, respectful and rather bland and Monica leaves for her dream job confident that everything will work out just fine. The story then becomes Ursula's story as cleverly woven into the narrative is the reason why Ursula seems to blend into the background, quietly competent but never revealing too much about herself and yet, the burgeoning relationship she develops with Ruby, Luca and Daniel begins to speak volumes.

To say more would be to spoil a really clever story, Beautifully written and utterly compelling, I found it hard to put down and grew to both like and admire Ursula, not just because of her past story but also because of the way in which she quietly nurtured this little family. It's a sensitive look at the problems life throws at us, be it the bullying of a nine year old at school,  the corporate challenges of a surgeon working in the NHS, or the systematic controlling element of one human against another.

Sometime a book leaves a real impression on you. Away from You is one such book. It's both heart breaking and uplifting in equal measure, and tugs away so much at your heartstrings that it becomes almost impossible to read this sensitive story without a packet of tissues and a strong cup of tea close to hand.

About the Author

Amazon UK

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Bookbridgr for my copy of this book.

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Review ~ Gone by Rebecca Muddiman

Mulholland Books
2015

250,000 people go missing in the UK every year. 91% of those reported to police are found within 48 hours. 99% of cases are solved within a year. And 1% stay gone.

When the remains of a young woman are unearthed , the police investigation leads the assumption that they are those of Emma Thorley , a teenager who went missing more than eleven years ago. However, as the police investigation gets underway, both DS Nicola Freeman and DI Michael Gardner find that there are more questions than answers , and most of the questions, at the heart of the mystery, seem to revolve around Emma's violent past.

What then follows is a dual time detective story, which reveals Emma's story in flashback whilst at the same time, keeping the momentum of the current investigation. There's an awful lot going on in the novel, with a realistic portrayal of life at the dull end of the social spectrum. It's a sad place where drug dealing, prostitution and violence are commonplace and where young lives are seen as nothing more than a commodity to be bought and sold. The police investigative team feels frighteningly realistic, filled with the petty squabbles and hidden nuances of a gritty crime office. The police procedural part of the story is well handled and the officers involved are presented with flaws and foibles of their own, which gives the story an interesting personal edge. 

I can well imagine Gone as a gritty TV drama as there are more than enough red herrings in the plot to keep you guessing and the sinister aspect of the story is tight and well controlled. This is now the second book in the DI Michael Gardner series, the first of which Stolen (2013), was this author's talented debut.

I am sure that this exciting series will continue to go from strength to strength and Rebecca Muddiman is certainly a crime novelist to watch....

My thanks to Bookbridgr and Mulholland Books for my copy of this book

About the Author

Twitter@RebeccaMuddiman

Amazon UK

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Today my Guest Author is ...Alison May

I am delighted to introduce Alison to the blog.....

Hi. I’m Alison and I’m a History graduate. I’m not going to lie. It’s not a qualification that’s been of huge use in my adult life. The situations in which it’s genuinely handy to be able to talk, at some length, about the relationship between the abolitionist movement and British national identity in the early 1800s, are surprisingly limited. The old joke about history graduates spending most of their working lives asking people if they want fries with that isn’t particularly accurate, but generally it’s a good route to either teaching history or doing something completely random that doesn’t relate to your university life at all.

However, you can’t let one not particularly bankable degree deter you in life, so I decided, some years later, that the best thing to do would be to go back to university. This time however, I would make a wiser choice, so I did a second degree in creative writing, because, as everyone know, that’s a skill set that you can just take to the bank. (You can’t. Well, you can but the bank people will laugh at you and tell you you’re not qualified to work there.) There are huge hangars filled with creative writing graduates all sitting in rows and old-fashioned typewriters banging out their scripts and novels which will inevitably be published making the writers rich beyond their wildest dreams. (There aren’t. Sorry creative writing students of the world. There really really aren’t.)

So there I was qualified up to the eyeballs with absolutely no marketable skills. Whatever is a girl to do? Well the first thing to do is to write a novel, which I did. And it was terrible. So I joined the RNA New Writer’s Scheme and got some feedback on the novel and rewrote the whole thing from scratch. And then I rewrote it again. And then at least once more to end up with something that didn’t entirely suck. That book became Sweet Nothing which was published by lovely Choc Lit at the end of 2013.

But the problem then is you’re expected to write another novel, and as you’ve done it once, people are way less tolerant of you writing a sucky one. And that’s where that degree in history and all those years at university finally came into their own. Not because I wrote a historical novel – I’ve talked to historical novelists and they have to do actual research; it sounds like terribly hard work. So the history element was out of the window, but the university thing was interesting. Why not set a romantic comedy in a university? I’ve been a fan of David Lodge’s university novels for a long time. The politics of academic life is fascinating, and if I was setting a novel in a university, why not a history department? And so that’s where the main character in Midsummer Dreams all work, and within that history department we meet Helen, who is a lovelorn historian and expert on the relationship between the abolitionist movement in the early 1800s, which is funny because it I’ve studied that. I always knew it would come in handy one day.

Here's the blurb for Midsummer Dreams.

Four people. Four messy lives. One night that changes everything … 

Emily is obsessed with ending her father’s new relationship – but is blind to the fact that her own is far from perfect.

Dominic has spent so long making other people happy that he’s hardly noticed he’s not happy himself.

Helen has loved the same man, unrequitedly, for ten years. Now she may have to face up to the fact that he will never be hers.

Alex has always played the field. But when he finally meets a girl he wants to commit to, she is just out of his reach.

At a midsummer wedding party, the bonds that tie the four friends together begin to unravel and show them that, sometimes, the sensible choice is not always the right one. 

Buying Links:

Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/MEFw88

Amazon US: http://goo.gl/3rHnig

Author Bio

Alison May was born and raised in North Yorkshire, but now lives in Worcester with one husband, no kids and no pets. There were goldfish once. That ended badly.

Alison has studied History and Creative Writing, and has worked as a waitress, a shop assistant, a learning adviser, an advice centre manager, and a freelance trainer, before settling on 'making up stories' as an entirely acceptable grown-up career plan.
Alison is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, and won the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2012. She writes contemporary romantic comedies, and short stories.

www.alison-may.co.uk

www.twitter.com/MsAlisonMay

www.facebook.com/pages/Alison-May/

 My thanks to Alison for this lovely blog post and also to Lu at Choc Lit for organising everything.

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