"Releasing my Jarred Dream!" YA author Camilla Chester

Through the silent, grey streets of Stanbridge he creeps, the Dream Thief who captures the joy of children's dreams and drains the colour from their lives. Until the day that 12-year-old Sade moves into town with her bright blonde curls and love of art.... She knows something is terribly wrong, but can she find out what it is before she loses everything she loves, including her own dreams? 

"Jarred Dreams" is an original and engaging story with elements of mystery and adventure; a story of dreams, memories, darkness and light by a new voice in children's fiction, Camilla Chester. The book was shortlisted for the National Literacy Trust New Author Prize 2015 and has been described by readers as "brilliant', "intriguing," "full of suspense," and "gripping."  It was published in April 2015 and will be officially launched on  Saturday 14th May in Harpenden. Please come along and say hello if you are in the area. Camilla will be signing books from 3-6 pm at The Oddfellows Arms, Harpenden AL5 2TG. There will be a real life board game about writing a book and a chance to dress up as the characters. Please come along and say hello!

Meet Camilla Chester. Mum, dog walker and children's author. Her debut YA novel was published on 28th April 2016 and is available via Amazon (Kindle and Paperback), Harpenden Books or direct from Camilla's website (http://www.camillachester.com). I met with her to learn more about her new life as a self published author and her inspiration for her part supernatural, part adventure and part magical story about the Dream Thief and 12 year old Sade.

Congratulations on the publication of your novel! How are you finding your new life as a writer? Can you tell me a little about your "journey"to this point?
Well, it's not really a "new" life! I've always been a writer - just now I'm a published writer! I've always wanted to write for the 8-11 year old market; I've experimented with other genres and age ranges but it's always this one that I feel most comfortable with and to which I keep reverting. I think it's a magical age as readers are beginning to move on to reading more independently and really embracing their own imagination and learning where the world of books can take them.

In about 2010 when we moved to Harpenden, I decided to take my writing seriously and properly dedicate some time and a more structured approach to see what I could achieve. I enrolled with the Open University for a Diploma in Creative Writing and Literacy course and spent two years focussing on honing my skills. The real benefit of this course was the networking opportunities and the chance to have your work continuously critiqued. My fellow students and I set up a Facebook page and regularly offered each other support and feedback. I also joined a local writing circle and SCWBI (an organisation for children's writers and illustrators) which has been amazing and invaluable.

"Jarred Dreams" came about from a conversation with my children. I am fascinated by dreams - ironically I am often writing to the soporific sound of my dog snoring at my feet! So, we were talking about a world without dreams, and out of our chat grew the concept for "Jarred Dreams". The book was initially a very linear tale focussing on the complete back story of the Dream Thief himself- much more sci fi with a scientific emphasis rather than magical.

The Dream Thief himself is a very dark character. Did that present any problems when writing for this age range?
He is dark! The descriptions of him are quite scary. That was how Sade came into existence. I needed a contrast and it had to be someone who was not frightened of anything, someone completely fearless, otherwise the story would never work. If Sade isn't scared, then the reader doesn't need to be scared - or as scared. I also made sure her chapters were longer and much more action packed. Although the narrative voice of the Dream Thief is more lyrical and slower than Sade's, it is much shorter so it's not overwhelming or distressing.

How did you go about getting published?
I entered a few competitions with various short stories which was great for getting a feel for how my writing might be received and then attended as many masterclasses, conferences and support groups as I could to get as much feedback as possible. When I was finally happy, through SCWBI, I organised a session with an agent and it was just amazing when they said they loved my manuscript! They also encouraged me to enter the National Literacy Trust New Author Prize Competition 2015 for which "Jarred Dreams" was shortlisted which was just amazing!

Of course, the journey to publication wasn't then that straightforward or easy, and I've actually ended up self publishing my novel, but it's been a great experience as well as a steep learning curve! There is so much more to being an author than just writing a book! I've learnt how to build a website, design a cover, produce and publish a book, arrange school visits, design marketing materials and now I'm learning about publicity and sales!

What's been the best thing that's happened to you since the book was released?
Walking in to the school playground and overhearing two students talking animatedly about my book! About my world! My characters! My creation! It's the best buzz ever!

What are your ambitions for the next 12 months?
I have only three ambitions in life. The first is to hold my book in my hand - tick! The second is to see my book in a bookshop that I don't know or I haven't arranged the order for and the third ambition is to see a stranger reading my book!

Thanks so much Camilla for meeting with me and telling me a bit more about your writing. I'm sure the book will be a huge success! See below for my review of "Jarred Dreams".

If you want to meet Camilla or hear more about her book, she is involved with Harpenden Library, and will be giving a few talks and visits in the near future. She is giving a talk and running a workshop at the St Albans Literary Festival on the 10th July and is also a judge for the Children's Writing Competition that's part of the festival. Her daughters have created a You Tube trailer for the book which can be found just by searching for Camilla Chester "Jarred Dreams". She also has a website: www.camillachester.com 

"JARRED DREAMS" CAMILLA CHESTER - REVIEWED BY BIBLIOMANIAC

The book opens with the chilling description of the Dream Thief. A creature with sickly yellow skin; deep set, hooded black eyes, a large hooked nose, a pointed chin, enlarged ears, gnarled feet and a melted skull. A hideous creature who prowls the streets of Stanbridge every night to "free the people from the torment of their dreams", to make them forget, to rob them of their joy and hope, to drain the world of colour. "To rid the world of dreams is his cause and there is nobody who has the power to stop him." He focusses into the tune of the dream, it will "beckon him to where a child must be having a vivid dream" and he'll catch it "before it changes to something mundane....he can enter at the tip of something and feel the energy of the child switch to one of fear." He stores the dreams in jars deep in his cellar. He fills the world with grey nothingness and mediocrity.

Twelve year old Sade arrives in Stanbridge with her father as it is near to the hospital where her mother lies in a coma, "sleeping". They visit her daily. Sade is brave, courageous, unafraid of anything. Immediately she is struck by the eeriness of the place; of the expressionless people that live here and don't engage. Something strange is going on and she refuses to become part of it. She wants to find out why the people and children are so odd, so forgetful, so subdued, so colourless and change it before both herself and her father end up succumbing to the same fate. Can she prevent the Dream Thief from his destructive agenda before he takes everything away from her?

This is a really unusual book which is a real fuse of several different genres. It is part ghost story, part thriller and mystery story, part supernatural and part magical. It has hints of dystopian novels and at times reminded me of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Philip Pullman's "Northern Lights" trilogy, Frances Hardinge's novels, and possibly something more ancient like "Paradise Lost".

Although the opening sounds quite frightening, it is more ethereal than that and the Dream Thief's chapters are shorter so they do not become overwhelming. His chapters are alternated with those following Sade's narrative which is modern, contemporary and suitably contrasting. The Dream Thief's passages are aptly dreamlike and bewitching; a malevolent voice and ghostly predator. He is a menacing presence but only as unsettling as many other "dark forces" existing in current Young Adult fiction and Chester writes his voice in a more lyrical and surreal style which ensures it doesn't become too dark. Alternating the two voices also gives Chester a real opportunity to show her ability to create different voices and construct a more complex story structure which will pull the reader in and sweep them up in the journey alongside Sade.

Sade could be likened to other contemporary strong female protagonists like Catniss from "The Hunger Games". She shows a resilience and determination from the outset. She wants to go home to her old life, "one with colour and smiles and noises......she will make it happen." She meets Seb who is also able to see that something very strange is occurring in their town and is willing to help her solve the mystery. During an art lesson, they learn more of the town's history from Maggie Farrant, their art teacher, and with her information they begin their quest to seek out the Dream Thief.

Sade is a character full of hope and goodness. She herself is struggling to come to terms with her own grief and unhappiness but she is constantly described with colour and brightness. The Dream Thief identifies her as the "golden girl of light" who "emits such brightness and flair" when she's awake that he can't imagine the "vibrancy of her dreams". She is a girl who seeks out adventure and challenge. The Dream Thief is determined to capture her dreams. She is a real threat to him. He talks about her moving as if she is gliding and repeatedly comments on her dazzling, blonde hair which "bounces around her like a golden light...like a halo." Sade almost becomes something much more metaphorical. It feels as if there is something more saviour like and celestial about her and therefore there is a great sense of anticipation.

I enjoyed Chester's use of colour and her contrasting imagery between grey and brightness which was also echoed in more subtle references to winter and summer, death and rebirth. This book embraces lots of interesting themes like art, self expression, dreams, memories, hope and grief. On a deeper level, older readers might pick up on ideas about renewal, redemption and restoration. There are some interesting suggestions about the role of the subconscious and the way our mind reveals things to us.

It is ambitious for a debut novel to tackle such concepts but Chester does so effectively and actually the novel has a very positive and uplifting finale. Sade's energy and her strong belief in the "colour" of life ensures her spirit cannot be beaten and this is the final message of the book. Where the adults have failed, Sade triumphs and everyone can once again not only dream but also live in a world which is a kaleidoscope of colour. I would suggest this book is suitable for ages 10 upwards.

For more recommendations and reviews, follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up to receive future posts via email.

"Everyone Brave is Forgiven" Chris Cleave

I was pleased to be approved for an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley as not only have I read Chris Cleave's other's books and enjoyed them, but the buzz about this one from Twitter and other Book Bloggers was too tantalising!

Cleave always picks interesting - sometimes controversial - issues to explore in his novels. I remember "Little Bee" to be particularly captivating and quite unputdownable - particularly the ending. I read it with a Book Group and it was a successful choice, popular with everyone and stimulating good conversation. If you haven't already read it, I would really recommend you do!

"Everyone Brave is Forgiven" is a little different from Cleave's previous work in the sense that it felt a more understated book. To me, there was nothing initially remarkable or outstanding about this Second World War novel; the plot is not new, the set up and events familiar to many stories set in this time period. However, there is something quietly powerful about it. There is something subtly captivating about it and the writing is a real treat. Cleave's prose appears simple and yet there are so many compelling descriptions and images, I found myself frequently rereading passages and sentences I was so taken by the use of language. It was a gently surprising read and the more I read, the more absorbed I became. This book really shows his capabilities and talents as an accomplished author. This novel uses the back drop of war to explore the effects of war on the ordinary; the courage, suffering and love of everyday people during a time of violence, loss and sacrifice. It is an unassuming novel that actually proffers much food for thought, unobtrusively and without pretension.

The book begins in 1939 with Mary North, a young socialite, who decides to sign up for the war effort within 45 minutes of it's declaration with the main purpose of shocking her family. She leaves her European Finishing School unfinished and rushes back to London anxious that "she may have missed a minute of war." She is immediately engaged as a teacher and there is a very entertaining section where Mary remains convinced this is a cover as she is secretly being vetted for her real vocation as a spy - surely she is destined for more dangerous and adventurous purpose rather than accompanying children on their evacuation to the countryside? I immediately took to Mary. She is a vivid and authentic character with a well defined identity. Cleave presents her through wry and ironic humour but she is likeable and appealing. I enjoyed her part of the story the most and her voice was always clear and confident.

We are then introduced to two other characters, Tom and Alistair; old friends who write letters to each other while Tom continues in his job as an Education Administer and Alistair enlists and is sent to fight. Tom first meets Mary through their work and then introduces her to Alistair. Both men fall in love with her and the tragic ensuing love triangle is then the main focus of the novel. This is what makes this novel remarkable. Not necessarily the wartime setting, but the definition of these characters and their journeys - physical and emotional.

Mary has never taught before but when the children have been sent away to a village far away "that London never called to mind unless some ominous thing happened", she feels bereft and misses them, particularly Zachary to whom she promised she would not leave. I found her surprise attachment to the children and the job very touching. When Tom creates a new position for her - to establish a new school for the "cripples and pariahs" left behind- she sees the "raindrops as champagne bubbles bursting on her skin" and is filled with a vitality, a mission and an anger about providing an education and a history for these young people. I absolutely loved it when she said "What good is it to teach a child to count if you don't show him that he counts for something?" A truly thought provoking statement which also illustrates the change in Mary and her beliefs and attitudes.

Interjected amongst and in contrast to the war torn London of Tom and Mary's lives, we follow Alistair; his training and then his travels abroad and his experiences of a fighting solider. The sergeant who trains him speaks ONLY IN CAPITALS which I thought was a really effective way of simply conveying character, tension and atmosphere. The men are a "chance agglomeration of greengrocers and machinists and accounting clerks." Alistair's sections are made up with juxtapositions between his attempts to process the terrible events he's witnessed and what he choose to write in his letters to Tom. It is again a simple, yet effective way of highlighting the discrepancy between the experience of those at "home" and those at the "front". Alistair's statements about war are blunt but carry resonance. His disaffectedness and disconnection from what is happening in front of him is unsentimental yet moving at the same time.

There were some lines that were just really beautiful writing. For example: "You could have lost your gloves in the fog and found them later still suspended in the air at waist height." And then: "Perhaps this was what love was like after all- not the lurch of going over a humpback bridge and not the incandescence of fireworks, just the quiet understanding that one should take a kind hand when it was offered, before all light has gone from the sea." As I said before, there were some passages that I had to reread in order to appreciate fully. Perhaps the most dramatic moment of Mary's story comes when she is trapped beneath some rubble. This was probably the best passage in the book.

Overall this was a good read. I thought the dialogue was particularly well written; it always felt real and believable. Cleave has created interesting and convincing characters whose lives intertwine in an intriguing and tragic way. The story arc is well controlled and well paced. The reader is held until the end and his writing is well observed and with insight. Within the book are some real gems of imagery and description - often hidden away and always catching you slightly unawares.

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

Flamstead Book Festival 20 & 21 May 2016

Flamstead Book Festival 2016

   
The Flamstead Book Festival (Flamstead, Hertfordshire)– Books in the Belfry – ran for the first time in June 2014 and was judged by all to be a great success. It ran for the second time in June 2015, with the event featuring Jane Hawking a sell-out in advance. It has a fantastic line up for 2016 including a talk from the thrilling Renee Knight, a Writing Boot Camp Session and Story Telling for younger bibliomaniacs! There is a whole programme of events available from their website. 

http://www.flamsteadbookfestival.com

Come along to hear the author's discuss their books and maybe ask them a few questions, get your book signed, buy featured books from the Waterstones stand and also to enjoy the two best ingredients for a relaxing summer weekend - books and a pretty village surroundings!

The Flamstead Book Festival is run for the benefit of the Friends of St Leonard’s, Flamstead (FOSL) to raise funds for restoration and conservation of the village church and its surroundings. Funds are urgently needed to repair and conserve the church and its surroundings, in particular the roof above the North aisle, which was recently stripped of its lead and the unique mediaeval wall paintings, second in Hertfordshire only to St Albans Abbey. The building and its grounds are used for concerts and other events, and now for the Book Festival. For 800 years it has been the centre of Flamstead's community but now it needs help in order to maintain it's vital role within the village. 

The organisers also love books and want to enable others, young and old, to discover new books and to meet their authors in the beautiful surroundings of our historic church in the picturesque village of Flamstead. The main organisers are Vikki Orvice, Mary Jenkin and Mark Jenkin and the event is supported by Waterstones.

Here are some of the highlights of the weekend:

DEBI ALPER
Book Writing Boot Camp

Debi Alper is the author of six novels, the first two of which were published by Orion and are also available as e-books under her own Nirvana Publishing imprint. For the last ten years, she has been helping authors perfect their novels through critiques, mentoring, Book Doctor sessions and creative writing workshops, as well as running an online self-editing course. She edits in all genres and many authors she has worked with have gone on to be published.

RENÉE KNIGHT
Disclaimer

Renée Knight worked for the BBC directing arts documentaries before turning to writing.

She has had TV and film scripts commissioned by the BBC, Channel Four and Capital Films. In April 2013 she graduated from the Faber Academy “Writing a Novel” course, which is sponsored by the famous publisher and known for nurturing breakthrough talent.

Disclaimer, which catapulted into the top 10 best-selling fiction lists earlier this year, is Renée’s first novel and the film rights have already been sold to 20th Century Fox.

Likened to the domestic noir thrillers ‘Gone Girl’ and ‘Girl on a Train’ it has a brilliant central premise: Imagine you had a terrible secret that you’d never told a living soul. Then imagine casually picking up a novel and discovering that your terrible secret is the plot of the book in your hands. What would you do?

Renée is currently working on a second novel in her writing shed in the garden of the London home she shares with her husband and two children.

DERMOT TURING

Alan Turing: Decoded

Dermot Turing – or Sir John Dermot Turing to give him his full title – is the nephew of legendary mathematician, computer scientist and code-breaker Alan Turing.

Having followed his uncle to Sherborne and King’s College, Cambridge he spent his career in the legal profession, most recently as a partner of Clifford Chance.

As a family member and also a trustee of Bletchley Park, he had access to many previously unpublished papers and photographs for his biography “Prof: Alan Turing Decoded” including Alan’s own notebook and diaries.

The book which draws on personal insights and family sources explores the impact of Alan’s codebreaking work at Bletchley Park and the tragedy of his early death in the wake of his conviction for gross indecency in 1952. Along the way Dermot presents a portrait of Alan the man – his friendships, his loyalty and his extraordinary achievements.

CLIVE HAYWARD
Start the Day with a Story
With Great Pleasure

Clive Hayward trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, winning the Newton Blick Award.

His theatre work has involved numerous West End and National Theatre appearances including Horace Hardwick in Top Hat; Ted Punch in Ducktastic, directed by Kenneth Branagh; Friar Francis in Much Ado About Nothing, alongside David Tennant; Bernard Woolley in Yes Prime Minister; Aeschylus in Frogs and Earl Haig in Oh What A Lovely War.

Clive has just finished filming an episode of a new sitcom, The Windsors, playing George VI. Other TV credits include Eastenders, Silent Witness, Law and Order, Utopia, Prime Suspect VII, Doctors and Afterlife.

In 2014 he was a full-time member of the BBC’s Radio Repertory Company for which he recorded over 30 radio plays. He has voiced numerous factual programmes for Radio 4 and the World Service.

Clive has written an adaptation of Billy Budd with the composer, Paul Knight, and he has written and directed five traditional pantomimes for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Clive lives in Flamstead, and with two youngsters of his own he is well-rehearsed in reading children’s stories.

Tickets and further information are available from the website: http://www.flamsteadbookfestival.com

"Stalker" Lars Kepler

I was delighted to win a copy of this from Killer Reads after entering a competition where you had to say which book had scared you so much you couldn't sleep. First I listed "You" by Caroline Kepnes  but then had to add that actually, it's "The Woman in Black" by Susan Hill- even writing the title makes me shiver!

This is the fifth book in the Joona Linna series. I have only read one other ("The Hypnotist") but for me, I don't think it detracted from the plot although from what other reviewers have said, I probably would have gained a little more had I been more familiar with some of the finer details of the back story and past events.

This novel is immediately intriguing and it is obvious from the very first page that this book is going to unsettle and disturb even the most fearless amongst us! The reason I entered the competition was because I thought the front cover was so sparse and so bleak, it was in itself scary enough to stop me from sleeping! It opens with a definition of a stalker:

"A stalker is someone who suffers from obsessive fixation disorder, an unlikely obsession with monitoring another individuals activities ........the pathological obsessiveness of the stalker brings with it a self generating potential for danger...can suddenly become extremely violent." 

The final words of the definition above show why stalking is always taken seriously by the police. The explanation of how an obsession can escalate into danger and violence sent another chill down my spine. It then states that 10% of the population will be subjected to some form of stalking in their lifetime and I think that is what makes this book so unnerving - it is a situation that any of us could find ourselves in. This crime is perhaps more easy to relate to than some of the other situations featured in crime fiction. It's possible lots of us have had slightly uncomfortable experiences of someone invading our "personal space" a little too much and surely the more imaginative (imaginative, not highly strung you understand!) amongst us have wondered that great questions all good authors start their writing with...."What if...."

The novel hurtles straight into the action with the police receiving a video clip of a woman who has secretly been filmed through her window. The next day she is found dead. Then they receive another clip but there is so little evidence about location, time, place and person on it that the Criminal Investigation Team feel helpless: "We can see right into her life but we can't find out who she is until she's dead and someone finds her body." This sense of foreboding failure and helplessness from the very people we rely on to keep us safe and solve the mysteries is a great way to open a book.

What is brilliant about the opening is that one moment we are with the investigation team watching a video of the woman - who is unaware of anyone filming her as she moves around her house-  and the next minute we find ourselves in the woman's house, living the moments again, knowing that she is being filmed by a potential murderer. This switch of narrative perspective was really clever and I must admit I read this whole section without remembering to breathe. It could have been me in my house, forgetting to shut the back door as it's a warm evening, walking around without drawing the curtains....scaring myself as I hear little noises which seem to be nothing....thinking I catch a glimpse of something in the window.... The use of lights, reflections and windows was very clever and definitely peppered the section with constant moments of high tension and unease. It was also very filmic and so well captured it must be one of the most nerve wracking passages I have ever read!

Tension is effectively created throughout the novel. Things are well described, characters very realistic and the various different threads of the story are woven together in a very controlled and satisfying way. The chapters are short, moving between different voices and characters so the reader is always wanting to read on. It is easy to lose track of time as you try to fit in "just one more bit." The novel is written with a lot of short sentences and short paragraphs. This creates further tension and suspense as well as making it a very readable and accessible novel although for me, I did find it a little jerky and jarring at times.

This is a very solid crime novel and will definitely appeal to readers who enjoy thrillers. It will have a wide appeal as the behaviour of stalkers always seems to interest people - maybe because it could happen to anyone and is something that can spiral out of control quickly. As the opening definition explains, is something that starts as an obsession, becomes fanatical and then dangerously violent.

I'm glad I had the chance to read this novel just as it was published (5th May 2016) as it would definitely have been on my "To Read" list! It was a great prize and my thanks to Killer Reads for sending it on! I will be looking out for future competitions as well as forthcoming recommendations from them! You can follow them on Twitter @KillerReads or Facebook.

For further recommendations and reviews from me, look me up on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe to receive future posts via email.

"The Girl of Ink and Stars" Kiran Millwood Hargrave (YA)

Synopsis:
Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella Riosse dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped.
When her closest friend disappears into the island’s Forgotten Territories, she volunteers to guide the search. As a cartographer’s daughter, she’s equipped with elaborate ink maps and knowledge of the stars, and is eager to navigate the island’s forgotten heart.But the world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a legendary fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

Age 10+

This is Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for May 2016 and currently The Times Children's Book of the Week. It is the author's debut novel which I found incredible as it is so magical, imaginative and very well conceived. It's an ambitious novel; immensely creative and the sort of book I would have really found inspirational as a young adult - and probably would have spent the months after finishing it inventing my own maps and fantastical islands - I'm sorely tempted even as an adult!

The cover is stunning, the pages are stunning (full of little images and symbols- printed on white paper), the title pages and sectional headings are stunning. It's a lovely book to just hold and look through, let alone read! The story is a captivating and magical as the front cover suggests. Even the names of the character's and places are attractive arrangements of letters and like pictures themselves, matching the artistic feel of the whole novel. It is clear that Millwood Hargrave has drawn on her background as a poet and playwright to pool all her literary knowledge of language into creating something rather special.

It is a story of myths, legends, adventure, travel and stars. It is fantastical and set in a parallel world but explores themes of friendship, loyalty, love, friendship and dreams. It will appeal to readers who enjoyed Phillip Pullman's "Northern Lights" trilogy - or even has a slight feel of Narnia maybe. It is a great new voice in Children's Fiction and it's great to see such an imaginative and original title being chosen by the bookshops as their recommended read.

There is a fantastic clip on You Tube by the author which is what made me go and by the book so I
would recommend you take a look so you can hear what they have to say and get a little more information about the book (search "introducing THE GIRL OF INK AND STARS by Kiran Millwood Hargrave") Definitely an author and book to watch out for in the future!

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

"Murder Ring" Leigh Russell

Synopsis:

Hearing footsteps pounding along the street behind him he glanced back, fleetingly worried, then laughed because the street was deserted. All the same, he felt uneasy. Everything looked different in the dark. Then he heard more footsteps approaching, and a hoarse voice called out. Turning his head, he made out a figure hovering in the shadows and as it raised one arm, the barrel of a gun glinted in the moonlight… The dead body of unassuming David Lester is discovered in a dark side-street, and DI Geraldine Steel is plunged into another murder investigation. The clues mount up along with the suspects, but with the death of another man in inexplicable circumstances, the case becomes increasingly complex. As Geraldine investigates the seemingly unrelated crimes, she makes a shocking discovery about her birth mother. 

This is the 8th book in the DI Geraldine Steel Mystery Series. It is only the 2nd one I have read - I fully intend to rectify this but as far as I can tell, these books work equally well as stand alone crime thrillers.

Geraldine is an appealing character. She is considered, professional, successful but also human; "she had investigated so many murders...she remembered them all." She is also in deep emotional turmoil herself following the death of a colleague in the previous novel. There is a contrast between her personal and professional self. She is able to shut off her personal problems and emotions, focussing so wholly on her work that no one suspects how fragile things behind the facade really are. There is a clever "drip feed" of information about her birth mother -just enough to intrigue the reader but not to distract from the main crime or over complicate the novel with too many contrived sub plots. Russell has established a good balance. The reader is empathetic towards her. She appears to be a hard police woman but has her own weakness and vulnerability. She is lonely, a little isolated and struggling to work through her own grief. She generates sympathy but also interest and respect. The reader wants to learn more about her.

There is clearly a back story with Geraldine which has obviously been gradually established over the previous 7 books but the reader is brought up to speed quickly and neatly with any necessary details. This will not be boring or repetitive for those who have already read the other titles but will probably help refresh everyone's memories over what is important as we move forward into the next "chapter" of Steel's life. As I said, this works as a stand alone novel but actually, I liked Geraldine a lot and would like to learn more about her backstory.

The chapters are short, full of pace and deftly switch between the different characters who are either involved in the investigation or a potential suspect. It is impossible not to be drawn straight into the action and finding yourself turning the pages to find out more about the story line you've left behind or intrigued by the new developments presented from the range of characters and the various subplots which Russell swiftly sets in motion and effectively controls in a way which ensures tension and suspense are well maintained throughout the whole book.

The ending is good. There is a clear resolution and conclusion but also a few seeds are sown for the next instalment. I must admit, I am a little hooked! I didn't solve the crime, I fell for all the red herrings -Russell is too clever for me! My attention was held until the last page and I liked the fact that the revelations were held until the very ending of the book. It's an enjoyable, satisfying, easy read. Russell has clearly researched police procedure well and it is not a gratuitously graphic or violent crime novel. The reader is captivated by the characters - their motivation and deception, the tangled web that people spin through greed and opportunism.

This has all the key aspects of a great detective novel. It has multiple characters who are all authentic and convincing. There is good dialogue, plenty of action, a great pace and the plot is well structured. There are complications and revelations which ensure the reader is kept guessing. It is very readable and written in a very fluent style.

"Murder Ring" is published on 26th May. She is hailed as "one of the most impressively dependable purveyors of the English police procedural" by The Times and greatly admired by bestselling author Lee Child.

I am participating in the "Murder Ring" Blog Tour this May so look out for my post on the 23rd May!


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"The Hand That First Held Mine" Maggie O'Farrell

I chose to read this book as it was on offer on Kindle and I have read a few other Maggie O'Farrell's and have always found they are a reliable read. However, I do think this book was more than "reliable". For some reason it struck a deeper cord and I was surprised how quickly I engaged with the writing and how reluctant I was to put it down. I think it is the style which I found so appealing. O'Farrell chooses an omniscient, anonymous narrator for this novel, and blended with her clever use of metaphor and description it is quite a mesmerising voice. The opening lines are so gentle but as intriguing and beguiling as the opening of a thriller.

Listen. The trees in this story are stirring, trembling, readjusting themselves. A breeze is coming in gusts off the sea and it is almost as if the trees know, in their restlessness, in their head-tossing impatience, that something is about to happen. 

We begin on the border of Devon and Cornwall in the mid 1950s. It is late summer and 21 year old Alexandra is at home having been sent down from University for leaving through the door marked for men. She is cross. She is frustrated. She despises her family - her mother in particular. She sits under the tree and reads. Then a man, Innes Kent, passing in his car, spots her and is immediately entranced by the beautiful composition she makes, a "rural madonna." "Life," as Alexandra knows it, "is about to begin."

We then move about 50 years forward to the present day and the story of Elina, a Finnish artist living in England who had a baby 4 days ago but has lost all memory of it. The birth was problematic, traumatic and involved operations and a blood transfusion. She now finds her self weak and frequently falling asleep; these "lapses as she likes to think of them, are like the needle on a record player...leaping from one song to another," or that her life has "sprung 400 holes." I found the descriptions of Elina really entrancing. O'Farrell captures the fugue like moments and evokes the confusion, tiredness, dreamlike mental state really effectively in a way that mimics Elina's mind. Her mediative reflections about what is happening to her were well written. Elina describes her voice as "drowsy, vague as if at any moment it might wander out of the range of sense." I think this is one of my favourite lines in the whole book. It truly encapsulates the first few days of motherhood (and possibly the next decade!) but also the internal struggle that Elina is enduring as she tries to reconcile herself with who she has become and tries to remember or reconnect with her previous identity. She feels so removed from her life before the baby; she wishes she was still pregnant, still complete.

Her husband Ted is also haunted by memories. The memories his mother speaks of don't seem connected to him. His childhood was one of "absent parents" and completely different to that of Elina's past of freedom and adventurous outdoor games. He vows to be a better father to his child. Both characters in this storyline are used to explore themes of memory, forgetfulness and dreams, and both characters feel like they are trapped within some kind of trance from which they have to be released.

There is some beautiful writing in this novel. I found the passages about Elina quite soporific. I liked sentences such as "there are better things to do with your life. If only she could remember what they are." How she feels she could "float up and disappear into the clouds" but another part of her is "tethered to the house." I loved the descriptions of their house and life with a brand new baby:

"there isn't a surface that isn't covered with the flotsam and jetsam of the day; nappies washed up all over the floor, coffee cups on tables, a breast pump on the television." 

O'Farrell's attention to the minutiae is so convincing that it is incredibly easy to visualise everything. She subtly conveys character and emotions to the reader through the details she chooses to draw to our eye. When Elina first returns to her studio to paint and her mother in law barges in, completely oblivious to the sacrosanct space and organisation of the room - not to mention the significance of the fact Elina finds herself able to paint again - the tension and emotion of each character is very well caught. There is such power in what is left unsaid; what is implied, what we can see going on underneath the surface. The scene is depicted with such clarity and thoroughness that is vivid- full of colour and noise. O'Farrell's writing is not arduous or prolonged, or overwritten, but it is perceptive and shows someone who is full of experience in making excellent observations of people and life. Another wonderful scene is the description of the Blue Lagoon Cafe:

"Cups and glasses stand inverted on the draining board, tepid water slides off them to pool in circles around their rims. the floor is swept but not very well...there is a focaccia crust under table 4 dropped by a tourist from Maine;....the cafe listens attentively.....as if sensing the night time calm, the refrigerator obligingly shudders into silence." 

Oh yes, the English Teacher in me was desperate to photocopy and present to students, to all get out our highlighter pens and pull some of these paragraphs to shreds. What a luxury to just be able to appreciate exquisite imagery and lovely writing.

There are many references to film in the story. There is a great passage when we actually watch Alexandra - or Lexie as she becomes- life rewind back in slow motion to the point at which we left it. There is a moment when Ted "rolls the film forwards and backwards" during work editing a real film reel but metaphorically this shows the lack of control in his own life and how he teeters between decisions and paths. The use of film as a metaphor also puts the reader in the position as an observer. The narrator often refers to "we" which encourages a relationship between reader and narrator but also the sense that we are both watching a film or play unfold in front of us. We are detached but involved. Similar to film there is a continuous reference to the sea. Both metaphors perhaps encapsulate the sense of fluidity, movement backwards and forwards, a trance like- hypnotic swaying as we are carried along through life. The two story lines work well together as one is reflects on a life lost, one on a life found. Both about new life. It is not lost on me that in one scene a magazine was left open at a headline "How to Become Someone Else".

Lexie's storyline is much more active and action packed than Elina and Ted's narrative and this also provides a good contrast. It is impossible not to like Lexie. She is ruthless, irksome, prickly and a workaholic. She is feisty, bold, inspiring, ambitious. Her sections are often wry and full of character in a way the other storyline is more placid and passive. But she is sensitive and caring. She is flawed but easy to empathise with. I loved the sentence describing her leaving for work and leaving her son behind for the day:

"As she walks away through the streets she is aware of the thread between her and her son unspooling, bit by bit. By the end of the day she feels utterly unravelled."

The ending is emotive, evocative and powerful. It is gentle but still full of drama. There is suspense and tension but understated. The reader is completely caught up in the atmosphere of the novel. It is a book to read slowly and to savour. The voices of the characters are exceptionally well captured and it is sad but not sentimental. It was like watching a play.

Although the two story lines do converge and connect, which is enlightening and adds further depth to the characters, for me it was not really what the story was about. For me, I was motivated to keep turning the page because of the believable, troubled characters each searching for who they are, their lost self, how they were going to define their role as a mother, a wife -a lover. How each of them, the women and the men, were on a journey of self discovery and to become reconciled with their own true identity.

I would recommend this book. It's a 4/5 star rating from me.

I would also recommend "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" and "Instructions for a Heatwave". Her latest book "This Must be the Place" has also received fantastic reviews.

For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe by email to receive future posts.