Close to Home ...Caroline James

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.

North West writer Caroline James talks about:

What Cumbria Means To Me

I was born in Cheshire and grew up in a small town. School was not a happy place for me and I left as soon as I got an opportunity. Working in the hospitality industry led me lots of different places but it was through an opportunity to buy an old pub that led me back to the North West and to the market town of Appleby in Westmorland. 

Appleby is situated in the northern part of the Lake District and is known for the beautiful river Eden that meanders around the town. For one week, every summer, the river is filled with horses and visitors are entranced as they watch the gypsy owners buff and polish their prized beasts in readiness for sale and trotting races. The gypsy horse fair is loved by all who visit but hated by the locals who resent the invasion of their town. Thousands of tinkers, travellers, Romany gypsies and visitors descend on a huge field to celebrate the annual gathering, located on a Roman road not far from Gallows Hill - named after the public hangings that were carried out there. King James II made a royal charter in 1685 permitting the fair and to this day it remains a ‘people’s fair’. For me, the fair meant a great deal of hard work in the pub and most businesses closed but I always enjoyed meeting the gypsies and serving them and listening to fascinating tales of life on the road.

River Eden

Years later I decided to write about the fair and my debut novel, Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me was born. The fair is so colourful and such a perfect setting to weave a story around. Appleby is a classy little market town with lovely shops that retain a great deal of character. Pork and apple pie from a deli on the main street is a must, to be savoured whilst sitting on a bench by the river, as the thwack of leather on wood echoes from the cricket pitch alongside.

When the pub sold, I moved six miles north and bought a country house, which became a hotel and this too was featured in my first book and is the base for further books featuring two of the main characters. In Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me I continue to write about the Lake District and it’s quaint towns and pretty villages. I adored the beautiful fells and countryside that surrounded my hotel and spent every opportunity tramping through the fields that led to the river Eden and beyond. On a Sunday, I would take a day off and head for Ullswater with my son and faithful old collie, Pippa, where we would enjoy a picnic by the tranquil lake followed by scones, often in the garden of a tea room at Pooley Bridge which still serves a great cream tea today. I visit this part of the world whenever I get an opportunity. Whatever the season it has a charm that pulls me back and I find inspiration in the countryside that inspired so many great writers including William Wordsworth:

Lake Ullswater and Daffodils
Photos courtesy of the author

“I wandered lonely as a cloud, That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”

The north west has such a lot to offer and if you veer off the busy motorway and head to my favourite area, the northern lakes, you will find some hidden gems by way of villages and walking routes that lead to some of the finest views in the UK. 

Happy wanderings xx

Find out more about Caroline on her website by clicking here 

Twitter: @CarolineJames12

Facebook: Caroline James Author

http://www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk/

Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry. She lives in Cheshire and spends her time writing, climbing mountains and running a consultancy business. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Feature Editor for an online magazine. 

Her debut novel, Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me is set in North West England, in a country house hotel at the time of a famous gypsy horse fair. The book went straight to number three on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun newspaper. Her second novel, So, You Think You're A Celebrity...Chef? is set in London and Ireland with much of the action taking place at an annual Gourmet Food Festival near Cork. The story takes a light-hearted look at the world of celebrity chefs as they battle it out for fame and fortune: "AbFab meets MasterChef... A 5 Star read!" Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me is set in Cumbria and Barbados and is an Amazon best-seller. A finalist at The Write Stuff, LBF 2015, the judges commented: "Caroline is a natural story teller with a gift for humour in her writing." Jungle Rock, a novella, published in winter 2016 and Boomerville – Caroline’s latest novel based in the North West is coming soon! 

Caroline also writes short stories and contributes to many publications. She is a public speaker, reviewer, food writer and founder member of The Cheshirati

   

Huge thanks to Caroline for sharing her love of the north west with us today.

I hope that you've enjoyed this Close to Home feature

Coming next week : Debbie Johnson

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Review and Giveaway ~ The Silent Kookaburra by Liza Perrat

Triskele Books
2017

What's is all about ..

All eleven-year-old Tanya Randall wants is a happy family. But Mum does nothing besides housework, Dad’s always down the pub and Nanna Purvis moans at everyone except her dog. Then Shelley arrives –– the miracle baby who fuses the Randall family in love for their little gumnut blossom.

Tanya’s life gets even better when she meets an uncle she didn’t know she had. He tells her she’s beautiful and could be a model. Her family refuses to talk about him. But that’s okay, it’s their little secret.

Then one blistering summer day tragedy strikes, and the surrounding mystery and suspicion tear apart this fragile family web.

Embracing the social changes of 1970s Australia, against a backdrop of native fauna and flora, The Silent Kookaburra is a haunting exploration of the blessings, curses and tyranny of memory.

Unsettling psychological suspense blending the intensity of Wally Lamb with the atmosphere of Peter James, this story will get under your skin.

What did I think about it..

In 1970s Australia eleven year old Tanya Randall is growing up in a family which always seems to be at odds with itself. Her mother is not quite functioning on all cylinders, her father spends too much time and too much money in local bars and even the curmudgeonly Nanna Purvis does little to help to relieve the stress that Tanya faces. Bullied at school for her weight problem and her friendship with the 'foreign' girl, Angela, Tanya seems to be forever just one step out of step with both her family and her peers. The arrival of Shelley, her sickly baby sister,  does nothing to help relieve the unrelenting unhappiness of Tanya's life. The only bright spot is Tanya's clandestine meetings with someone who may bring even more problems into her already troubled life.

What then follows is a tightly plotted psychological thriller which induces all the languor and the heat of a blisteringly hot Australian summer. The image of a sad and lonely adolescent is beautifully described as is the waywardness and emptiness of a family who are damaged irreparably by the events which unfold during this time.

The Silent Kookaburra is a real departure for this author whose previous novels include the excellent historical Bone Angel series and as a huge fan of that series I wasn’t sure whether I would be disappointed by the author’s change of direction. I’m pleased to say that I was hugely impressed by this novel. Throughout the story the psychological tension is palpable as is Tanya’s involvement in the unfolding events of which she is too inexperienced to fully understand. The writing is flawless and only someone who has a deep affinity for this part of Australia can write with such descriptive assurance. Time and place came completely to life for me; I could hear the ‘Garooagarooagaroo’ cackle of the Kookaburra and could smell the sweet scented jasmine that whispered in the slight breeze above the gum tree where baby Shelley lay whingeing in her pram. But most of all I fell in love with Tanya, naïve, unsophisticated and yet with a wisdom that belied her tender years, all I wanted was for her to find some sort of peaceful resolution to counterbalance the horror of what was being thrown at her by her dysfunctional family life.

The Silent Kookaburra is a tight and tense family drama which engages the reader’s attention from start to finish, and which bears all the hallmarks of this talented author’s fine attention to detail and natural story telling ability.

Best read with..Vegemite sandwiches and an endless supply of tea..

About the Author

Find out more about Liza on her website by clicking here 

Find her on Facebook and Follow on Twitter @LizaPerrat

Discover more about Triskele Books by clicking here

The author is very kindly giving away an e-copy of The Silent Kookaburra
 to 5 lucky winners of this giveaway. 

Open Internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck

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Blog Tour ~ The Damsel Fly by S J I Holliday

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host a stop on The Damsel Fly Blog Tour

Banktoun #3

Black&White Publishing
2017

What's it all about ...

Katie Taylor is the perfect student. She’s bright and funny, she has a boyfriend who adores her and there are only a few months left of school before she can swap Banktoun for the bright lights of London. Life gets even better when she has an unexpected win on a scratch card. But then Katie’s luck runs out.

Her tragic death instead becomes the latest in a series of dark mysteries blighting the small town. The new school counsellor Polly McAllister, who has recently returned to Banktoun to make amends in her own personal life, is thrown in at the deep end as the pupils and staff come to terms with Katie’s death. And it’s not long before she uncovers a multitude of murky secrets. Did Katie have enemies? Is her boyfriend really so squeaky clean? And who is her brother’s mysterious friend?

With Banktoun’s insular community inflamed by gossip and a baying mob stirring itself into a frenzy on social media, DS Davie Gray and DC Louise Jennings must work out who really murdered Katie before someone takes matters into their own hands…

The Damselfly is the latest novel from the bestselling author of Black Wood and Willow Walk set in the small Scottish town of Banktoun. Fans of Rachel Abbott, Angela Marsons and Peter James will love this rivetting psychological crime thriller as DS Davie Gray tries to hold together a community once again rocked by tragedy.

My thoughts about it...

The Damsel Fly triggered my imagination right from the start because those who know me know of my fascination for dragonflies/damselflies, so to have a book with one strategically placed on the cover was, for me, going to be intriguing right from the start. I am pleased to say that in this 3rd book in the Banktoun series of psychological crime thrillers, the author, once again, doesn't disappoint her many fans.

Mentioning that teenager Katie Taylor dies almost at the start of the book is no spoiler, as the blurb tells you so, but what comes after is tightly knitted crime mystery which involves not just Katie's immediate family, but also her relationships with her boyfriend, her school friends and also her teachers, so that her unexplained death sends out deadly ripples of unrest into the wider community of Banktoun.

The mystery at the heart of The Damselfly is current and topical and there are more than enough twists and turns in the story to keep the reader guessing right until the end. I do enjoy trying to second guess a good crime writer but this author always keeps you at arm’s length never letting you get too close until she wants you to know something. 

What I love about this author's writing is her ability to get right into the nitty gritty of the story without ever resorting to superfluous waffle. The characters she creates always feel authentic and could be people you meet in everyday life and of course, it’s always great to see the return of those characters we have met up with in previous stories. The Scottish town of Banktoun, as always, features heavily in the story and there is a welcome whiff of recognition in the people and its hidden places. Those who have read Black Wood and Willow Walk  will find themselves smiling as they recognise subtle references to past events and of course, it's interesting to see how DS Davie Gray will progress in his role as a Detective Sergeant alongside his relationship with DC Louise Jennings.

Such was my need to power through to the end I raced through the book in one sitting  and, as always, I wasn't disappointed either by the story or the way it concluded. All I will say is bring on Book 4...☺

Best Read with...a raspberry zinger and a packet of custard cream biscuits

About the author

My thanks to the author and her publishers for the invitation to be part of this blog tour.

Blog Tour runs 2nd - 17th February so do visit the other stops on the tour and follow on Twitter #TheDamselfly

@bwpublishing  @SJIHolliday

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway ~ The Fire Child by S K Tremayne

**It's out today in Paperback**

Harper Collins
9th February

When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie. But then Jamie’s behaviour changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the spectre of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?

As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband. Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words:

‘You will be dead by Christmas.’

I was  a huge supporter of this book when it was published in hardback last year so I am delighted to be able to offer readers the chance to win a paperback copy in this fabulous giveaway..



Here's what I thought about The Fire Child

Firstly, there is something quite compelling about the cover of the book. The colour pop of red really stands out and succeeds in drawing your eye into the heart of the novel and focuses on the Morvellan tin mine which stands on the cliff at Penwith in Cornwall. So, keep this cover in mind, its important.

We pick up the story 178 days before Christmas which you might think is an odd place to start but stay with this idea, as the numerical countdowns which head each chapter start to take on a very sinister importance. We meet Rachel, and her handsome and charismatic husband, David, at Carnhallow, their beautiful home in Cornwall, and initially all seems idyllic with their new marriage, which is Rachel’s first and David’s second, and which has come about due to the tragic loss of David’s first wife, Nina. Rachel tries to be the best wife and step-mother she can be, but from the outset this seems difficult, and Rachel’s testing time with her step-son, Jamie, and her struggle to find her place at David’s side, gives the story a really interesting perspective.

What I loved most about The Fire Child was the way in which I was drawn, imperceptibly, into Rachel’s world. We see everything from her perspective; we walk the house in her shadow and experience everything as she sees it. Gradually, though and very slowly, the fragments of Rachel's life starts to be eroded and it becomes very noticeable that all is not going well at Carnhallow. The creepy edginess of the house comes alive, its dark and shadowy recesses, its hidden memories, which, when combined with David’s indifference, Rachel’s anxiety and Jamie’s unsettling behaviour, helps to crank the tension up to high.

The idyllic setting of Cornwall, with its rugged landscape and its history of tin mining, so reminiscent of Poldark, or the stories of Daphne du Maurier, really comes alive in a story which grabbed my attention from the very beginning and which held me in its grip until I had read on, in the space of a couple of afternoons, to its dramatic conclusion. There is a real dark edginess to this novel which in a way took me by surprise as I wasn't expecting it to be so creepy, but I found myself jumping at shadows and started looking just a little more closely into dark corners and wondered many times why Rachel didn't just pack her bags and get the hell out, but of course, why she doesn't leave, is the reason why you need to read The Fire Child for yourselves.

 

Thanks to the publishers, Harper Collins I have 2 fabulous paperback copies

to give away to lucky winners

(UK only)



a Rafflecopter giveaway

** Good Luck**



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Blog Tour ~ The One by John Marrs

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on The One Blog Tour

Ebury Publishing

What's it all about ..

How far would you go to find THE ONE?

One simple mouth swab is all it takes.

One tiny DNA test to find your perfect partner - the one you're genetically made for.

A decade after scientists discover everyone has a gene they share with just one person, millions have taken the test, desperate to find true love.

Now, five more people take the test. But even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking - and deadlier - than others...

My thoughts about it...

Imagine if the search for your soul mate was as easy as providing a DNA sample and then just sitting back and waiting until your perfect genetic match was found.

In this cleverly written novel, five people are genetically matched with their perfect partner and whilst on the surface nothing can go wrong, after all these are perfect matches, aren’t they? Well, pretty soon it becomes obvious that all is not going to be as easy as is first suggested. Each character has a very different journey to travel towards a perfect DNA match up and their individual route to true love is messy, complicated and filled with a whole heap of trouble.

This book is unlike anything I've read in a long time. For a start the short and snappy character vignettes really draw you into the concept of DNA match making and as each of the characters are so different you can’t help but be completely taken in by their stories. Each chapter ends on a real cliff hanger so that you find that you are eagerly looking ahead to see what happens next.

I'm deliberately being vague as this really is one of those stories that you should read without being told what to expect. However, what I will say is that the author's skill at conjuring a really good story shines through with every well written word. The idea is original, quirky, thought provoking, dangerously compelling and oh so clever, it made me smile with glee. I love stories that make me think, stories that never take the reader for granted, stories that make you sit up straight in your chair, stories that make turning each page an absolute delight and which keep you reading, reading, reading long after you should be tucked up and asleep.

The One is one such story. Read it.

And after reading the book would you take the test ???

Best Read with..a pot of low fat piri piri hummus and a chicken cup-a-soup 

About the Author

John Marrs is a freelance journalist based in London, England, who has spent the last 20 years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines.

He has written for publications including The Guardian's Guide and Guardian Online; OK! Magazine; Total Film; Empire; Q; GT; The Independent; Star; Reveal; Company; Daily Star and News of the World's Sunday Magazine.’

Follow on Twitter @johnmarrs1

My thanks to the author and to Stephenie at Ebury Press for the invitation to be a part of this tour.

Tour runs until the 16th February so do visit the other stops for more exciting stuff about #TheOne.

Just for fun you can try to find your character match by clicking here

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Review ~The Trophy Child by Paula Daly

Bantam press
January 2016

What's the book about..

A doting mother or a pushy parent?

Karen Bloom expects perfection. Her son, Ewan, has been something of a disappointment and she won’t be making the same mistake again with her beloved, talented child, Bronte.

Bronte’s every waking hour will be spent at music lessons and dance classes, doing extra schoolwork and whatever it takes to excel. 

But as Karen pushes Bronte to the brink, the rest of the family crumbles. Karen’s husband, Noel, is losing himself in work, and his teenage daughter from his first marriage, Verity, is becoming ever more volatile. The family is dangerously near breaking point. 

Karen would know when to stop . . . wouldn’t she?

My thoughts about the book..

Meeting Karen Bloom in this latest offering by Paula Daly is rather like meeting one of those people who you sometimes encounter at a school parents evening, you immediately recognise the incredibly pushy mother who always seems to want their offspring to take part in every activity that the school can offer.

At the centre of The Trophy Child is ten year old Bronte Bloom who is constantly pushed to her limits by a mother who feels that Bronte's every waking moment should be filled with activities. The rest of the family tiptoe around the perimeter, never really functioning as a normal family and before too long we begin to suspect that not everything in the Bloom family is as it should be.

There is no doubt that this author has made this specific area of domestic drama all her own and once again gives us a story that gets right into the nitty-gritty of dysfunctional family life. Trying to make sense of what's happening to the Bloom family is DS Joanne Aspinall, the detective we have met in previous stories. Her unique brand of police investigation is tested rather more in this story and it's interesting to see a little more about Joanne's personal life being put under the microscope.

There is much to take in, not just in the dynamics between Karen and Bronte but also in the tension between husband and wife and in the relationship between Bronte's older siblings, Ewan and Verity. As always there are some really complex family issues being dissected and the author succeeds with her usual fine attention to detail and her unique ability to keep the reader guessing until the very end. Several times within the story I thought that I was one step ahead of DS Aspinall, only to find that I was wallowing in the dark as the story veered off in yet another direction. Cleverly the story strands all join together and the story concludes in a way that I really I didn't see coming.

Just a reminder for those readers who may be new to Paula Daly's stories. All her back list can be read as standalone stories. The only common denominators being the Lake District setting and DS Joanne Aspinall's involvement somewhere in proceedings.

I'm always bereft when I finish a new novel by my favourite author and I can only hope that she writes her next book quickly !

Best Read With..A strong Nespresso and a cream cheese sandwich, eaten on the wing.. 

About the Author

Paula Daly was born in Lancashire. Before beginning her first novel JUST WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU? she was a self-employed physiotherapist. She lives in the Lake District with her husband, three children and whippet Skippy

 My thanks to the publishers for my review copy of The Trophy Child

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Review ~ Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf

HQ
January 2017

What's the book about..

Everyone has secrets

Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the town where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, hospitalised in a coma, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.

Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years agobarely a trace of the wounds that had once devastated them all. But as facts about Julia’s accident begin to surface, Sarah realises that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Caught in a flurry of unanswered questions, Sarah dives deep into the rabbit hole of Jack’s past, but the farther she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a hard reality she may not be prepared for.

My thoughts about the book..

Sarah Tierney returns with her husband Jack to his childhood home at Penny Gate in rural Chicago. The visit is filled with trauma not just because Jack's beloved Aunt Julia has suffered a devastating accident but also because returning to his family home after an absence of twenty years means that Jack must confront some distressing facts about  what happened to his family when he was just a teenager. For Sarah, returning with Jack, means that she too has to accept that there are huge chunks of her husband's life that are a complete mystery to her.

What then follows is a tight and well plotted psychological suspense thriller which looks at the burden of carrying family secrets, and of the danger of concealment when confronted with the stark reality of truth. The Tierney family are facing a time of loss and grief and there is no doubt that Jack and his immediate family would rather their secrets stay buried but Sarah, once an investigative journalist,  is determined to get to the heart of the mystery and in doing so puts her own life at risk..

I really enjoyed reading Missing Pieces and found the many twists and turns in the story intriguing and rather liked trying to fit together all the missing pieces of the puzzle. The author has done a good job of maintaining the momentum of the story and there are enough clues sprinkled within the story to allow the reader the opportunity to link all the clues together. The author, as always, writes a really good character driven story and I am sure that fans of her previous work will find much to enjoy in this latest offering,

I've read quite a lot of British psychological suspense recently so it was refreshing change to nip across the Atlantic and view things from an entirely different perspective,

Best read with ..One of Margaret's lemon squares and a glass of iced tea..

About the Author

Heather Gudenkauf is an Edgar Award nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Heather lives in Iowa with her husband and children. In her free time Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and running.

Twitter @hgudenkauf

My thanks to Alice at Midas pr  and to the publishers, HQ for sending me a copy of his book to review 



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