"In Too Deep" Samantha Hayes

This really is a compelling psychological novel full of drama and suspense. I read a lot of it in the car travelling on our holiday and wasn't sure whether my queasy sense of anxiety was due to my husband's driving or the book! I also got severely reprimanded for nearly causing a few accidents with my sudden gasps and exclamations! I dare you not to do the same once you start reading this unputdownable thriller!

Gina, the protagonist, is unable to move forward with her life following her husband's sudden disappearance six months ago. Rick went out one Saturday morning with nothing but enough change to buy a newspaper and never returned. A couple of years ago Gina lost her son Jacob in a car accident and now, with her family is half it's original size, the thought of having lost Rick is almost too much for her to bear. She is consumed with guilt, blame and confusion as she frantically obsesses over his last minutes in the house and spends all her time searching for answers and explanations as the police investigation dries up and the calls from the family liaison officer dwindle. Her 18 year old daughter Hannah has returned for the Easter break from her first year at University. She is frustrated by her mother's emotional fragility and feels burdened by her. However she is also burdened with her own guilt and secrets which she wants to keep hidden from her mum. She is clearly hoping that by returning home she will escape the problems she is has tried to leave at University.

The novel then alternates between Hannah and Gina's narratives. Hayes has effectively created two different characters with distinct voices and their own plot. Both characters are likeable and easy to identify with. Both are equally intriguing as they reveal half finished thoughts, half finished pieces of information and allude to events preceding Rick's disappearance dropping a few clues and cliffhangers which imply that actually both of them are trying to keep something hidden and both of them may know more about Rick's disappearance than they are letting on. I loved Gina's line "the whole story sat precariously between my lips. One little spit and it would be out." We are left hanging, wondering whether she is going to spit it out or whether we are going to have to continue with our guess work. The way the story lines finally begin to converge and interact with each other is well executed; it shows Hayes expert control of the different threads of the plot and how accomplished she is as a writer. Her structure and pace creates a very exciting read full of well timed twists and revelations.

Gina and Hannah are both unreliable narrators. As the plot develops it becomes clear that both of them are capable of deception. Gina is so emotionally vulnerable it also leaves her open to exploitation and delusion. Neither can be fully trusted. I liked the fact that the story was set at a hotel. It created further suspense as Gina and Hannah were away from the security of their own home, possibly forced to see things more objectively but more importantly they were more exposed, more vulnerable and more susceptible to the influence and power of Susan, the hotel owner and manager.

And Susan is another very successful character. She reminded me of Ms Danvers from "Rebecca" - probably reinforced with the country house location. Susan appears kind, sympathetic, friendly and innocent but there's something about her which is slightly unconvincing - it's just impossible to quite put your finger on it!

I liked the voice of Paula, Gina's therapist. She was able to present calm, focussed observations and statements of sound advice which consequently gave Hayes the opportunity to reveal more information about Gina in a convincing manner rather than things becoming contrived or cliched.

I was amazed that by 94% I still was trying to guess the outcome and was literally gripped until the very last page. Hayes' handling of the final denouement was absolutely exceptional and very expertly done. The ending was completely stunning and I had to read the last paragraph three times I was so shocked! The finale was so dramatic and chilling, so full of surprise and shock that it really did take my breath away. I was rendered speechless.

This is a very readable, gripping thriller that completely fulfils the criteria for a psychological drama. It is well developed, well crafted, urgent, easy to visualise, vivid with tangible and realistic characters. It skilfully builds tension and I really did love the ending.

I am delighted to see that Hayes has quite a few more titles published and have already noted that "You Belong to Me" and "Before You Die" are in stock at my local library. I have previously read "Until You are Mine" and rated it 4/5 stars. I am going to rate this novel 5/5 stars. Yes, I am reading it on holiday but it gripped me, it entertained me, it intrigued me and kept me awake until midnight I was so caught up in the action. I think this is a memorable, clever book with a good cast of characters and I think Hayes delivers the perfect psychological thriller.

If you are a fan of "Grip Lit" and like authors like Sophie Hannah, C L Taylor, S J Watson, Linda Huber and Elizabeth Hayes, you will love this book!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an opportunity to read this book prior to publication in return for a fair and honest review.

For more recommendations, reviews and bookish chat, follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe for email notifications of future posts.

"The Missing" C L Taylor

This novel carries the sub heading "the gripping psychological thriller that's got everyone talking" and it certainly has! I was so disappointed to miss out on an ARC of this and it has been such a very very long wait until publication day - made more intense by being completely inundated with rave reviews from the whole of Twitter and a barrage of press releases / tweets from the publisher and author taunting me almost hourly with tantalising excerpts! My expectations were taken to such a level I began to worry that I might be disappointed!

Of course I wasn't! I had promised myself that I would read this in as close to one sitting as I could but actually this wasn't in any way a challenge. I devoured the book and found it quite addictive.

For those few of you still to read this, I don't want to give too much away. The premise of the novel is that Claire's teenage son has gone missing six months ago. Claire, her husband Mark and Billy's older brother Jake all have secrets to hide and all had altercations with Billy just before he was last seen alive. The family desperately clings together by fine threads as the toll of not knowing and the continuous search for answers exhausts them all; keeping them under tremendous pressure. Claire is also acutely aware of the noticeable withdrawal of Jake's live in girlfriend Kira, who had escaped her own troubled childhood to seek refuge in their once "happy" family home. Kira actively avoids spending time in the presence of Claire or Mark and visibly flinches when physically approached. What has made her so wary of them? What does she know? What does she think they did to Billy? Is Jake's drinking out of control? What further secrets are being kept from Claire? Claire becomes more and more suspicious and paranoid; especially as she realises that nothing she knew before Billy's disappearance was true.

It's not only Billy that is missing. Claire suffers from "fugues"; short periods of blackouts from which she awakes confused, disorientated and without any memory of the preceding events or how she ends up where she does.What scares her the most is the horrific scenarios she finds herself in on waking - real life nightmares from which she has no way of knowing what harm she has caused or what damage she has inflicted to innocent bystanders or people in her path.

This is a gripping story. Claire is a captivating narrator. The reader feels great empathy for her role as a grieving mother and yet is also aware that she could be potentially responsible for Billy's disappearance; the violence and terror that result from her fugue's show her capable of harm. C L Taylor litters her storyline with conflicting information, details which incriminate each character and show all of them to be flawed in a way that generates immense tension. However she does this with great control and command so the reader is not overly confused or caught up in an impossible entanglement of unnecessary sub plots and red herrings. The plot remains believable and the family realistic even as their unlikeable sides are disclosed. Claire is an unreliable narrator but we still relate to her, understanding her paranoid anxiety and her increasing panic as she no longer knows who to believe or if she can even trust herself. The writing is so fluid and well paced that the story races along and it is impossible to find a convenient place to tear yourself away. There are cliffhangers and snap shots of Whatsapp conversations with which we are constantly teased and this also reflects Taylor's flawless plot structure. It is also a realistic portrayal of teenagers and I liked that as the story develops, revelations about the character of Billy himself is not always that likeable. Again, Claire's view has been tainted, she's been deluded and played and needs to confront this in order to find the answers she so desperately seeks.

I thought the psychological aspect of the mental condition of "fugues" - or these prolonged periods of amnesia - was a really interesting component. It was very effective in creating more drama and further depth to the plot and character. It really challenged the reader and ensured we are kept guessing right up to the last minute. We are never sure who to trust.

I have to agree with @cleo_bannister and @jocatrobertson that this is Taylor's best book yet. This novel felt more polished and more fluent than her previous titles. The characters were more developed, it was more intriguing and the main narrative voice was more complex. It was full of topical issues. It is as visual as her other novels but somehow more memorable.

I have read "The Lie" and "The Accident" which I rated 3/5 stars and 4/5 stars respectively, but I think "The Missing" will have to be a 5/5 rating. I read it quickly, I was intrigued, I was kept guessing to the end, I liked the characters, I found it believable, I was entertained and it was well written. What more can anyone ask from an author?! If you haven't read it (or Taylor's other books) I highly recommend it - don't miss out on the book everyone really is talking / blogging / tweeting about! And personally I can't wait until the next novel from this great thriller writer!

For more recommendations, reviews and bookish chat, follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up to subscribe to future posts by email.

YA Fiction: "Orangeboy" Patrice Lawrence

Sixteen-year-old Marlon has promised his widowed mum that he'll be good, and nothing like his gang-leader brother Andre.  But everything changes when Marlon's first date with the beautiful Sonya ends in tragedy; he becomes a hunted man and he has no idea why. With his dad dead and his brother helpless, Marlon has little choice but to enter Andre's old world of guns, knives and drug runs in order to uncover the truth and protect those close to him. It's time to fight to be the last man standing.

This was a good read. Within the first couple of pages the reader has been catapulted into what is possibly the worst catastrophe for any teenager. On a first date with Sonya Wilson (who Marlon has been attracted to from afar for ages and is suddenly thrilled to find her on his doorstep, ready to go to the funfair on a date with him) she dies tragically after they take an ecstasy tablet before going on one of the fair ground rides. The novel quickly generates a sense of panic, confusion, remorse, fear and guilt about what is happening and captures Marlon's dilemma of either taking responsibility for what has happened or blaming the dead girl who he barely knows in order to keep himself out of trouble. He is torn between the advice and counsel of the police and his mother and that of his brother who has ingrained the "rules" of grassing up and surviving in the "real" world in him. Marlon is distracted by the thoughts that Sonya sought him out, that they were on a date, that she felt something for him and his naive excitement of finally being recognised and picked out of the crowd despite his quiet, sensible, studious character - a direct contrast from his trouble making, law breaking older brother - and he is unable to see the truth of the events and foresee the dangerous path on which he is about to descend. Furthermore, as events unfold, it becomes clear that this whole situation has been engineered to trap him....but why? And how can he stop it without violence and further tragedy?

There is a fantastic use of dialogue throughout this book. It is difficult to capture the authentic dialogue of teenagers without it feeling contrived but here it is total convincing. It is realistic and gritty but not gratuitously offensive or reliant of swear words and slang to cause impact and effect. The use of dialogue keeps the pace moving along rapidly and pulls the reader along with the action and spiralling sequence of events. It deftly creates characters.

Marlon is a likeable, appealing boy. The reader has great empathy for him. He is sensible and sensitive and struggles with the challenges of choosing between his single parent mother or his brother who has had trouble with gangs, drugs and the police. He struggles to choose between Sonya's reputation or his own- blinded by an attraction that wasn't really reciprocated or even real. He faces choices of right and wrong, truth or lies. The choices are contemporary, topical and relevant.

Themes of drugs, gangs, guns and the relationship the police have with the younger generation are explored in this novel. Marlon is unwittingly caught up in something quite sinister from innocently following the temptation to impress a girl and prove he is not just the "sensible one". He gets caught up in something which he cannot control - it is beyond his experience and yet he thinks he can resolve it. I liked that he does the right thing; he goes to the police, he confides in his mother but it is hard for him not to be judged by the adults -after all, he is a young boy in London and his brother has a chequered history. And even with their help, it is not enough to stop the chain of events that follow.

Andre is an important character. This novel is not preaching or educating readers about the perils of drugs and gangs but Andre illustrates that it is not a world of glamour. It has destroyed his life. He is suffering from a brain injury and the consequences of his action and decisions has had a devastating impact on his future as well as that of his mothers and brothers. I liked the lack of judgement the author made and the fact this is ultimately an action packed story with a strong male protagonist.

There are some discussion points at the end of the book which I thought were excellently worded and would appeal to teenagers. There is nothing moralising or patronising about any aspect of this novel or these additional notes. The discussion points would generate some really interesting chats about the themes in the book but also general conversations about peer pressure and decision making. Books are an important tool for opening a discussion between adults and children either within school or at home. These discussion points would work between friends, in classes or at home. They are a valuable addition to the book.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this novel in return for a fair and honest review.

For more recommendations, reviews and bookish chat please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up for an email subscription to future posts.

"Let Me Tell You About A Man I Knew" Susan Fletcher

I was intrigued by the blurb for this book - I'm always curious about an author who has either taken a character from a well known classic or figure from history and imagined their "other story", or explored another part or relationship in their life. This story focusses on van Gogh's time at a mental asylum in the South of France in the 1880s and the impact his stay has on the wife of the warden.

No one knows the name of 'the painter' who comes to the asylum in St Remy in the south of France, but they see his wild, red hair and news of his savaged ear soon circulates in the village and comes to the notice of the wife of the asylum's doctor. She feels herself drawn to him and learns that his presence is disturbing - and not just to her either. But back she goes - again and again. Until she is banned, but still she makes her way over the wall, through the garden to talk to this apparently mad and passionate man. And the consequences of her indiscretion, of what van Gogh comes to mean to her, of what it will do to her marriage, her life once she has touched danger and passion will have far reaching effects - both surprisingly catastrophic and tender.

Tender, atmospheric and contemplative are the key words I would use to capture the charm and elegance of this novel. Within moments of reading the opening pages, I was successfully transported to the exact location of the story and embedded firmly in the french countryside at the turn of the nineteenth century.  The weather, smells and wildlife are all conveyed with poetic imagery, bringing the reader from a bird's eye view of the area down to the precise setting of St Paul de Mausole hospital; "a weathered ship in a sea of olives and grass...with windows like tiny caves....and blue paint flakes like butterflies' wings of snow." It was an ancient monastery, now converted to a deteriorating asylum where paint peels from the shutters and the depleting staff of nuns do their best to nurse people "so undone the world won't have them or they won't have the world." 

 Tension is created by the impending arrival of the "mistral" - a "wild autumnal wind that can awaken grief or rage and bring up fears that have been locked away," particularly pertinent within this cast of tormented souls and an isolated wife. It reminded me of Joanne Harris's "Chocolate" and her use of the wind on which to bring a more mystical sprinkling of storytelling.

There is a sadness in the air and Jeanne, the warden's wife, is absorbed in her daily tasks of housekeeping and preparing meals for her rule making, overly cautious, ex military husband Charles now her three beloved sons have grown up and left home. From her window she can see over the walls into the hospital and watch the inmates who will never leave, they are "like the ivy that finds its way onto the powdering stones, seeks out the racks and takes hold." The writing is beautiful; exquisite and enchanting, often written with half finished phrases and fluid lists of descriptive images to effectively capture character, setting and atmosphere with real art. There is a gentle, reflective flow to the narrative. 

Van Gogh's arrival sparks an excitement within Jeanne. This man seems different from the other patients. Educated, hard working, suffering from some form of epilepsy or more manic and physical attacks rather than strictly mental suffering. A man who has requested to be here in order to paint. A man who was hounded from his village as he drank too much and wandered around unclothed. Something within Jeanne is awakened.

"Entirely unclothed. Two words. Just two. She'd tucked them away as if they meant nothing. She unfolds them now." 

As a woman who has seen nothing new, who has lived next to the asylum for many, many years, listened to her husband's daily updates and tales, she is a woman who shouldn't be shocked anymore...but this visitor promises something new and different. Her first encounter with van Gogh is captured with real vividness. His beard is "a flame of bright orange and red...blue eyes..as blue as the sky....there isn't a colour on his palette that's brighter than his own." She repeated his name to herself. "Vingt Cent." She describes him as a "newly untethered bird of blue overalls and gold".  She is truly fascinated by him. With him, he brings life, energy, bright colour, movement and a more sensual feeling to the passages. What is more powerful is the way in which he can read and understand Jeanne like no one else ever has. 

As her relationship with van Gogh develops, Jeanne reminisces about her childhood in her father's haberdashery shop, the early days of her marriage, being a mother when her children were young and her friendships. The novel is a reflection on love, loss, searching, longing and then rediscovery. Jeanne is tired of being unseen and this painter helps her to see and be seen again. He reintroduces passion, colour, vitality into her life. This novel is about the broken and the mending. 

"I love you.....the words are like a breaking thing....a jar of buttons dropped or a bird flying in an unexpected light." 

Van Gogh is not the main character in this story but instead it is the power of his art, his quiet counsel, his presence. This is a mesmerising tale. Well crafted. Beautifully executed. Memorable. I would highly recommend this poignant and entrancing novel. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review. 

For more recommendations, reviews and bookish chat please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe for email notifications of future posts.

"The Cold, Cold Sea" & "Chosen Child" Linda Huber

Oh this is good! Perfect start to my holiday reading pile!

The book opens with the disappearance of 3 year old Olivia at the seaside on holiday with her parents and brother. The worst fear of every single parent. Maggie, the mother, is so devastated that she cannot bring herself to leave the spot; she cannot stop searching or pressing the very understanding and kind Detective for more updates. Eventually her son's need for her at home forces her to return and face the damaging cracks appearing in her marriage as her husband continues to blames her for Olivia's disappearance.

The second story line is about Jennifer. She is pregnant with twins and already mother to Hailey, aged 5. Her husband Philip has been in the States for ten weeks with his dying grandmother and Jennifer is keeping her pregnancy a surprise for him on his return. However, she is becoming increasingly stressed with Hailey's uncooperative behaviour. She appears to be such a changed child since their recent move and Jennifer is struggling to remain patient with her.

What's exciting about this novel is that the reader is almost 95% sure of what has happened from quite early on so it is not really a case of them solving the mystery but more so a case of tensely watching from behind the cushions as the other characters try to figure out what has happened to Olivia and why Hailey is behaving so strangely..... as the clock ticks away and events begin to spiral completely out of control. I enjoyed this unusually privileged position and found it more engaging and more riveting. I couldn't wait to read on and find if my intuition was right - particularly as Huber is good at throwing in more twists and turns along the way! It was a kind of "can't look but can't not look" book!

I am a big fan of novels which create psychologically gripping characters and Jennifer really is a brilliant example of this. I can't say too much about her without giving any of the plot away but she is convincing, deceptive, unreliable yet simultaneously apparently truthful so it is difficult to work out what is reality and what is delusion. I love characters who function with such "normality" and are highly conniving in their "believability" but really are darker and more dangerous. Jennifer is also a great example of the impact grief can have on the mind and the mental condition.

Teacher Katie is a hugely likeable character. She faces the dilemma of how involved should she get with a pupil when you have a feeling that something is very wrong but no concrete evidence. She cares deeply for Hailey, but how far can she go to intervene? Is Jennifer merely a tired, pregnant woman, new to the area with a temporary absent husband trying her best to get by? Or is something more sinister going on? There are so many inconsistencies and then explanations that it is confusing. Katie needs to protect Hailey and this means careful handling of both mother and daughter. Her role is well written and captures the instinctive commitment good teachers feel for each and every child in their care. I also like the Detective's closing lines that we often don't see things that are right under our noses and that it's amazing what we don't notice. This is true and makes this novel even more disturbingly resonant.

This is a gripping read with a credible plot, good characters and plenty of suspense and tension!



This again features two different story lines about two different families. Firstly we meet Ella and Rick who, unable to have a child of their own, are going through the gruelling procedure of adoption, ignoring the deepening cracks in their marriage and particularly Rick's more reluctant enthusiasm when they choose a 6 year old girl rather than the baby boy he had wanted. Ella's blindness to this because of her desperate need to be a mother, trigger an unforeseeable chain of deadly events.

The second story line follows pregnant Amanda and Gareth and their son, Jaden a lovely 1 year old. But is the baby Gareth's? One mistake sets Amanda and her lover on a path of no return, deeper and deeper into a situation which keeps becoming more and more complex and sinister with every step; hurtling towards a disastrous conclusion from which there is no escape.

Both plots are engaging and begin relatively innocently, appearing to be a straightforward tale of families and parenting. But very quickly it reveals that it is much more than this. This is a novel full of dramatic twists and a really gripping, page turner - all that we have come to expect from Huber!

This is a story of blackmail, secrets, deceit, murder and kidnapping. It explores how from one small untruth, a web of lies can spread and entrap you, tie you up in such a complication of confusion that the only way out is to continue along the wrong path. I loved the character of Rick; he's like Lady MacBeth - haunted and tormented by his one wrong snap decision, unable to "wash his hands of blood"! The way his mind spirals out of control is captivatingly told; his panic and irrationality completely palpable. He becomes less and less connected with the real world as he pushes himself into further dead ends (like MacBeth too!) and the sense of his complete loss of control is brilliant.

The two story lines then collide with such deadly consequences. The way they interweave, cross over, and affect each other keeps the reader on their toes and we have to keep up with every decision made by each character as they all impact on each other. It is a very cleverly crafted plot and seamlessly controlled.

I loved the way the two plots literally "collide". I liked that the two stories had very different atmospheres and issues but then come together to form one really strong conclusion. I found the characters convincing. I thought Huber explored how people are driven to act when under pressure, or when they want something so much, very well. I liked how easy several of the characters thought it would be to rectify a mistake when actually this is the undoing of everything. The truth will always come out and anyone is foolish to think they can control it - or ever ever get away with murder!

Huber is a talented writer and I would highly recommend these books to people who like gripping psychological dramas! They have been perfect for my holiday and I am glad I saved them until now so I could really enjoy them!

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"The Girls" Emma Cline

Before we are taken back to 1969 to experience Evie Boyd's teenage summer and her involvement with a cult, the novel opens with the unexpected intrusion of her friend's son and girlfriend while she is staying (alone) in their holiday home. Immediately I was captivated by Cline's shrewd observations of teenagers - Julian doesn't remember Evie, why would he, "I was a woman outside his range of erotic attentions." Sasha, the girlfriend, reminds Evie of the "dopey part of teenage girls; the desire for love flashing in her face so directly that it embarrassed me." Through her observations of the young couple, their actions and behaviours, Evie quickly evoked empathy and sympathy from me from her deferential attitude towards herself and her ability to try to make herself invisible. I also found her comments so pertinent that they really struck a cord with me.

Julian does in fact recall Evie. He remembers that she was part of a cult. Evie's admission that she is not in any of the books with the "title bloody and oozing" or the "tomes written by the lead prosecutor with specifics down to undigested spaghetti found in the boys stomach," or the online forums that "jostled for ownership - a veneer of scholarship masking the ghoulishness of the endeavour"  immediately creates a sense of intrigue and tension. A sense of doom maybe and certainly a need to read on and see what this quiet, unassuming, forgettable woman had to do with anything so sensational.

1969. Throughout the entire novel Cline deftly conveys a sense of time and place, heat, boredom, frustration and adolescence. I really enjoyed the attempts of Evie and Connie to "create a new life" for themselves with "rituals" of face washing, hair brushing and experimental make up. Evie's need to be noticed reflects the desperation of sexual awakening and naivety. I could smell her "hair foul with hair spray" and feel the "beige putty" she'd spread on her pimples. It was so resonant and authentic. I loved the comment that they tried so hard to "slur the rough disappointing edges of boys into the shape of someone we could love." Oh, who hasn't?! Cline's insight into teenagers is perfect. Her characterisation of Evie captures her vulnerable yet complex thoughts and emotions, her misguided interpretation of events and people, her exploitation by stronger peers and more manipulative, experienced girls. She is an exceptionally well crafted character.

Evie is lonely, immature, forgotten by her parents and easily influenced by the enigmatic and alluring Suzanne. She is in a perfect position to be brainwashed by cult leader Russell, although I did feel Suzanne is as responsible for this and Evie's obsession with Suzanne more damaging than that of Russell's. The novel then focusses on Evie's fascination with the cult and her inability to see the reality of what it is and what is happening to her. Her need to belong, be loved, be accepted, be an adult, allow her to glamorise events and people even when she is uncomfortable with her experiences. As is often the way with adolescence, she is unable to stop the chain of events, or remove herself from their influence. Cline skilfully explores this dilemma and the emotionally traumatic process of "coming of age".

This is a thoughtful, reflective, resonant novel. It is memorable and interesting. It is exquisite writing and the era is expertly captured. It is not sensational which it could easily have become considering the topic and predatory nature of Russell. The ending is poignant and I was left with the feeling that Evie remains on the periphery of life - even having been part of such dramatic moments in history, she was only really a bystander; an exploited and used one at that.

The blurb on Goodreads really captures how I would sum up the book so at the risk of being repetitive I am including it. I was amazed that this was a debut novel as it is so fluid, absorbing and mature. This is definitely an author to look out for and a title that will no doubt be prizewinning.

Emma Cline’s remarkable debut novel is gorgeously written and spellbinding, with razor-sharp precision and startling psychological insight. The Girls is a brilliant work of fiction—and an indelible portrait of girls, and of the women they become.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

For more recommendations, reviews and bookish chat please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe to email notifications of future posts.

"A Country Road, A Tree" Jo Baker

Jo Baker's "Longbourn" was one of my most favourite reads of 2015 and I have recommended it and bought it for friends ever since so I was thrilled to review her latest book "A Country Road, A Tree".

This is a mesmerising read. The protagonist is an anonymous writer (who Baker reveals in the Author's Note to be Samuel Beckett) and his experiences of living in Paris in the Second World War as he evades the Gestapo, works for the French Resistance, falls in love with a frenchwoman, befriends James Joyce and travels his own literary journey as he struggles to shape and define his own creative voice.

It's clear from Baker's previous novel as well as this one, that she is interested in the characters who "scrape by in the margins of a hostile world." She explains in the Author's Note that she was intrigued by the epiphany Beckett experienced during the war where he realised the kind of writer he would become. This is a fictional version of his story but it realistically conveys his moral choices, his bravery to face the war with his friends rather than return to the neutrality of Ireland and how all these events allowed him to grow as a writer. It is a lyrical and poetic read. The style and pace may take a little getting used to, but do persist and allow yourself to become immersed in a unique and well imagined world.

The novel begins with Part One which is intriguingly called "The End." Our male protagonist is in Ireland looking out to sea, towards Europe, and observes that the "tidal wave is gathering and at any moment now will come the tipping point, the collapse and the rush, the race towards destruction." These half finished phrases float across the page like cadences from a piano symphony and I expect, if I was more well versed in Beckett's own work, they would indeed echo his style. Baker is such an intelligent writer and clearly a master of language and imagery, structure and impact. The book is full of beautiful and stunning descriptions as well as sharp insight. For example, when in Paris the narrator imagines the "queasy idea of England peering across the channel and biting her nails while America stands, arms folded and whistling, pretending not to notice what is going on at all." When working for the Resistance, he handles the information and describes how these small scraps of paper "conjure aeroplanes out of clear skies... bring hell raining down on it...these words could take a hundred lives." It's so gently presented, yet so powerful and effective. The writing really is outstanding.

There is an atmosphere of sadness and defeat in some of the narrator's experiences. He struggles with the consequences and dilemmas of the war as well as that of his writing and purpose. He is haunted by the words of his mother: "What use do you imagine you'd be?" At one point he wonders that "writing is ridiculous...jam one word up against another, shoulder to shoulder...hem them in with punctuation so they can't move an inch....expect something to be communicated, something understood...it's not just pointless it's ethically suspect." Again, the use of personification here is so innovative and impressive and captures so much about the character, writing and literature.

Fortunately the ending sees the protagonist survive his struggle to create a language that will express his experiences and the novel ends with "words form....this is where it begins." I found this an intense and hugely satisfying final sentence. Worthy of a standing ovation.

This is a literary treat. This is for readers who love language, art and the journey of tortured souls. It is a novel that takes some focus and perseverance but this pays off and will leave you in awe of Baker's skill and literary craftsmanship.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this advanced copy in return for a fair review.

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