"Birdcage Walk" Kate Riordan

I'm so pleased to have discovered Kate Riordan. There's nothing better than finding a new author and then realising they have a back catalogue of titles to indulge in! If you haven't read one of her books yet, I highly recommend them. Riordan is an exquisite, intelligent and beautiful writer who can conjure up historical settings effortlessly and create characters with which you immediately engage become embroiled in their journey.

So what's "Birdcage Walk" about?

A London Murder Mystery Based on a True Historical Crime

George Woolfe is a young working class East London printmaker in the early 1900’s. Frustrated by the constraints of his class and station, he sees an opportunity to escape when he by chance meets Charles Booth, author of one of the most comprehensive social surveys of London ever undertaken. But this auspicious encounter has tragic consequences for George who, within six months, is charged with the murder of a young woman. But did he do it?

Set at the dawning of a new century, when the rigid class and gender boundaries of the Victorian age were soon to shift and realign, Birdcage Walk is a historical novel that vividly brings to life a real-life Edwardian murder and the possible miscarriage of justice that followed it.

First and foremost I must say how vividly Riordan is able to bring Edwardian London to life. I slipped into the era easily, completely transported there without even having to think about it, enjoying the attention to detail and her evocative descriptions, for example:

"Only in the darkest corners of the tenement street, where the sun never quite penetrated, did the silt of muck, canal slop and coal rake shine wetly between the uneven cobbles. Elsewhere all was as dry as dust, baked by a late summer sun that shone relentlessly.."

We meet George who lives with his father, a birdcage maker. I loved the description of the birdcages - I felt I could almost touch them from the beautiful images Riordan created. The sense of passion and love the owner felt for them immediately made them feel special and as significant as the characters in the book. Riordan conjures up the artistic skill and patience that creates something so arresting with phrases like "....gently as though it were wrought from glass, he lifted down the cage. Though unpainted, it was delicately crafted, with fine tendrils of metal wound into the likeness of roses at its tapering top and ivy leaves threaded around the base......he could manipulate and shape the bands of metal into miniature aviaries as if he was twisting ribbons... though the finished cages were as sturdy a they appeared delicate..." I was left hankering after one for myself!

This particular Birdcage was "the grandest cage he had ever made" which subtly implies the significance that it will have in the novel - not only is it special to George's father, it also becomes more symbolic. It is the sale of this birdcage to a wealthy gentleman which changes the course of George's life forever. George also uses it as a metaphor for marriage and to explain how he feels about the character of Charlotte. In fact, the more I reflect upon it, the more I realise just how significant the birdcage imagery (and then implicitly the connotations of birds, flight and freedom) is to many aspects of the novel's plot and characters.

George is an interesting character. I felt sympathy towards him. He is an honest, hardworking young man who hankers after a better life - it is not necessarily the wealth of Clemmie's family (the daughter for whom the gentleman bought the cage) that he envies but more the intellectual potential and promise that her life holds; the opportunities he cannot access. His interest and budding friendship with Clemmie is genuine and innocent. It is his integrity that actually becomes his downfall.

His sense of class and place is palpable and reminds us firmly of the era in which the story takes place and therefore the consequences this will have on the future for George when his character is called into question. I loved the Booth's maid whose distain for having to serve George - someone of her own class- is captured through the following description: "looking openly disgusted the maid withdrew and soon returned with a white enamelled plate and a large mug of stewed tea". She will put him firmly in his place even if the family won't. Similarly George's painful awareness of his position is agonisingly captured through the "strain to behave in the correct way, to not betray himself".

Similarly, Charlotte, George's best friend, and Cissy, his sister, are well drawn characters. Charlotte's vivaciousness compliments George's cautiousness and her jealousy is deftly portrayed. I love the way Riordan is able (in all her novels) to convey so much through such understated phrases, for example Charlotte's reaction to George's fondness for Clemmie is actually more significant as it unsettles all she thought she was sure of -"as if her knack of carelessness had been stolen when her back was turned". I guess this also shows how "dangerous" perhaps George's attempts to transcend class barriers are and the risks of imagining himself to be worthy of a place in Clemmie's parlour.

I also related to Cissy who at every turn just tries to do what she thinks is for the best even when unwittingly affecting the dramatic turn of events.

Riordan's novel is captivating and atmospheric. Her moments of thoughtful observation are as compelling as the events in the story itself. In his short life, George undergoes a huge journey of self discovery through his interaction with Charlotte. His revaluation of his father was particularly moving as he realised "the gentleness George had always loved and prized had warped into passivity; the quietness that once seemed like self assurance, now seemed to reveal itself as weakness."

I really do love Riordan's writing. It is atmospheric and haunting. Her use of George's letters to break up the chapters added real intrigue and gave the story some additional suspense. The historic detail is so well intwined that the book reads with an assured authenticity. The dialogue is convincing and the charters are all very three dimensional and well drawn. Each of them leaves a mark on the reader.

What is more captivating is that this is actually based on a true story. For me, this made the ending so much more poignant and powerful. I was gripped and I could have highlighted pages and pages of exquisite description and imagery that appealed to me.

With only one more of her books to go on my To Be Read pile, I am almost delaying reading it. A sense that I will be left rather bereft once I have finished it already puts me of starting it!!

If you like Katherine Webb, Kate Morton, Sarah Waters, Emily Organ, Kate Mosse or Kate Summerscale, then you should definitely give this book a go. And as it was published in 2012, it is available on Amazon for an exceptionally reasonable price!

If you'd like to read more of my recommendations and reviews then you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3

"S is for Stranger" Louise Stone

There are two sides to every story.

But only one is true.

Sophie wished she’d paid more attention when her little daughter, Amy, caught sight of a stranger watching them. She only looked away for a second. But now Amy’s gone.

No one trusts an alcoholic. Even a sober one. The police are suspicious of Sophie’s tangled story and so is her ex-husband, Paul. Especially when new information emerges that changes everything.

But what if Sophie is telling the truth? What if her daughter really is missing? And what if that stranger at the fairground wasn’t really a stranger at all…

I picked this up for 99p on Kindle following a flurry of reviews on Twitter when it was published. It is billed as a "gripping psychological thriller" and oh my word, it really is just that!

It starts of reasonably predictably and true to "grip lit" form. We meet Sophie, her ex-husband Paul, and her young daughter Amy. There are a few issues introduced - the tension between Paul and Sophie, Sophie's deep frustration about her lack of custody over Amy and Amy's confusion about her parent's relationship. They are at the fairground to allow Sophie her one day a week with Amy.

Stone encourages the reader to side with Sophie as she is the narrator. Sophie clearly distrusts Paul's parenting skills and is quick to judge even though it is her that has restricted access. The reader joins her in this suspicion and it is hard to warm to him. A subtle suggestion of Amy's safety is implied while Paul is with her and Amy's reference to being watched, but it is not until Sophie wanders off with Amy that disaster strikes. She takes her eyes off her for one moment and then - very parent's worst fear - Amy disappears.

But that is not the shocking part. When Sophie phones Paul to check he hasn't got Amy, he replies calmly, "I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't at a fairground with you today."

*Shivers*

That was it. I could not put it down. I was well and truly hooked.

And then Stone relentlessly dragged my through the whole novel at such a rate my brain was spinning with all the twists, shocks and revelations. There was no way I could switch the light off and go to sleep even if I had wanted too!

Sophie is a complex character. An alcoholic who no one is prepared to give any credit or time to. She's deluded, vulnerable, broken. She has a past - a secret that haunts her. And what of Paul? Is he telling the truth? Which of them do we trust? Who do we believe? Stone enjoys the roller coaster ride of unreliable narrators, characters who are hiding the truth and characters with psychological issues that are preventing them from being able to accept reality or operate within the real world. The ending is as eerie and "shiver inducing" as the opening - I can still hear Sophie's final words ringing in my ear..... *Shivers again*

This is truly psychologically thrilling. It's full of confusion and suspense. As reviewer "The Book Review Cafe" wrote on Goodreads:

The air of tension and malice that ricochets throughout this book make for an intriguing and compelling read.

But it is a light read too. Stone writing is fluent, controlled and easy to follow. In fact this is another reason why I raced through the book. It is very readable.

The reviews seem very mixed which I am a little surprised at but I would recommend your give this book a whirl. You may like me, get that amazing buzz from reading an opening that almost makes you forget to breath.

This book was my holiday read, at a ridiculous bargain price. It is a psychological thriller with all the perfect ingredients to keep me suitably unnerved and desperate to read just one more page! Sometimes you just can't ask for more.

For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3

"The Sisters" Claire Douglas

Abi has moved to Bath to try and come to terms with the death of her twin sister Lucy. She is alone in a new city and grieving despite her attempts to try and make a fresh start. Very quickly, through what appears coincidence, she becomes friends with Bea, a vivacious character who bears a strong resemblance to her dead sister Lucy. Bea shares a luxurious 5 storey house with her twin brother Ben and Abi, flattered to be noticed by someone so glamorous as Bea, moves in with them, becoming part of their artistic, albeit offhand and transient, group of lodgers and friends.

But as her feelings for Ben deepen into something more than friendship, Bea appears to be jealous of Abi. And then odd things start to happen. All too late Abi realises that the friendships in the house can actually quickly become full of distrust, jealousy and suspicion. Suddenly Abi feels threatened, her precious things go missing and she is left cruel messages. Is it Bea? Or is it Abi? Both girls want to protect Ben from the other, but why? Who is telling the truth? Who can you trust?

This book is compulsive. I was pleased I read it on holiday as it was the ideal book to have stashed in my suitcase for a binge read! Although I think it would have been a one sitting read anyway, it was so thrilling and so full of cliff hangers! It is a great set up - two sets of grieving twins, buried secrets, delusions, obsessions, possessiveness and a group of friends who are all confused about the boundaries and rules - it can only but hurtle towards an explosive conclusion.

The plot races along. Told in alternate points of view between Abi and Bea, Douglas cleverly creates two intriguing characters. Initially we bond with Abi more and empathise with her fragility, vulnerability, pain and sense of isolation. Bea comes across as jealous, controlling and possessive. But as we hear a little more from Bea, it is clear that things are not so clear cut. I spent most of the novel trying to work out who to believe, who was capable of what, who I sympathised with and who I believed. And Douglas kept me guessing this until the very end.

The plot is tight and well constructed. Douglas keeps the reader on their toes with a number of unseen twists and turns that weave a complex web of secrets and lies. She further complicates this by the characters all suffering from a certain amount of delusions, so not only does the reader not know who is telling the truth, we are also unsure of who has lost their grip on reality. It's a thoroughly gripping read.

The ending was astounding. It made me want to start right back at the beginning and read it all over again. I felt like someone had grabbed the pillow out from behind my head and turned the air conditioning up to full blast. Goosebumps. Shivers. Brilliant!

I read Claire Douglas "Local Girl Missing" a few weeks ago and was blown away by it so I knew I had to get hold of everything else she had written. "The Sisters" is Douglas's debut novel and for me, I think that "Local Girl Missing", her second novel, is a smidge better. Not that there's much in it, and not that any of these really read as books written at the beginning of a novelist career. I can't wait for more from Douglas as she continues to develop and hone her great skill for telling a captivating psychological thriller. She's definitely in my top ten for "grip lit"!

I would rate "The Sisters" a 4/5 star read and "Local Girl Missing" is a 5/5 star read.

For more recommendations and reviews please look me up on Twitter @katherinesunde3

"The Loving Husband" Christobel Kent

The novel opens with the shocking discovery of Nathan's body and then we watch the subsequent events unfolding over the period of a week as the police open an investigation placing Fran as their main suspect. Through Fran's flashbacks and glimpses of old memories, the reader has to piece together the real truth behind this marriage and the real truth behind Nathan's death.

Although engaging, I wouldn't describe it as the straightforward racy, vivd thriller, full of cliffhangers that usually defines this genre. Fran is suffering from so much anxiety, confusion and some kind of post natal depression that the events and recollections are like a jagged jigsaw which has lost several vital pieces. It was a page turner, but in the sense that I was keen to muddle through the chaos of Fran's thoughts and wanted to see if Kent's final resolution matched my deductions.

Fran is an intriguing protagonist. It is hard to know whether to feel sympathy towards her because of her propensity to be a victim or stand in judgement towards her because of some of the decision she has made. It is also impossible to work out how reliable and truthful she is. I always like an unreliable narrator and her reluctance to admit what it is she is frightened of despite the continuous needling from the police is cleverly managed to maximise the suspense. It is also effective in creating a conflicting opinion of Nathan and the secrets he may have been hiding. Kent taunts us with Fran's haunting fear - so many times we get so close to finding out what secrets Fran harbours and why she is so frightened but just as Fran's memory cuts out, so too does the reader's hope of any easy answers. I did find Fran a confusing character to relate to as at times she appears quite unhinged or too weak but by the end of the novel I completely understood what Kent had set out to achieve and how effectively she had done this.

The relationship between Fran and Nathan is complex and we are shown such different versions of their marriage that for a long time it is unclear why other people like Jo, Fran's best friend, dislike him so much or are suspicious of him. Nathan seems loving, considerate, kind and thoughtful but as the novel progresses there is something which irked me about their relationship. There is a sense of distance and almost disinterest from Nathan despite his need to control everything, but conversely Fran recounts tales of when he has done nothing but spoil and care for her. The real issues seem connected with the arrival of their young family. Fran clearly longed for a baby and there is a sense that the couple had some kind of unspoken agreement or understanding about this. The marriage is strange. There is something unnatural about it. And it becomes quite menacing as Fran reveals more about their sudden move away, isolation and the restrictions Nathan puts upon her: "she had always had the sense too that he wanted her in sight, somehow, even if he wasn't there he wanted her in the house. He just wanted to know where she was."

But then isn't that how marriage should appear to the outsider? A mystery to everyone except the couple themselves? As they say, no one ever really knows what goes on behind closed doors....... Even Fran herself thinks there is nothing worrying or peculiar about the way Nathan behaves as she says, "You work it out, don't you? What marriage is all about."

The police openly suspect Fran which challenges the reader to consider the reliability of what she tells us, but as a character who is so vulnerable and fragile, it is impossible to think that she really could be capable of murder. A few times I was a little irritated by Fran's hopelessness but I think this is deliberate to enhance the more menacing aspect of the marriage. The police officers are also quite bullying in their handling of the case - in fact I don't think there are any likeable male characters in the book! The police officer running the case is intimidating and his clear suspicion of Fran from the outset also plays with the reader's mind. Several characters repeat sentences like "You need to be completely honest with us. You know that, don't you? It's the only way we can help you" which I think Kent uses to pull the reader in deeper- planting more seeds of doubt against the troubled, harassed, stressed Fran.

Fran's confusion is catching and the deep fog that engulfs her mind also permeates the readers'. So many times I couldn't guess which way the story was heading and what the truth might be. Kent also deliberately presents Fran as confused and suppressed to reflect how indebted she feels and how she is trying to play along with all Nathan's wishes as a kind of penance for what she is desperate to keep hidden from him. The hints and half finished phrases which pepper the pages with clues as to what she is actually guilty of, or what she is actually scared of revealing, are managed frustratingly well. It makes it impossible to put down!

I liked the way Kent manipulated the reader so you were never really sure how to respond to the main characters and whether they were victims or villains. She keeps her cards tight to her chest which in turn creates tension and suspense until literally the last page.

This was an engaging and intelligent read, Kent is an able writer with quite a literary style. At times, because of the number of different characters, threads and overall evocation of confusion and lost memories, it required a little more effort but the extra concentration pays off!

I think "The Loving Husband" is like S J Watson's "Before you go to Sleep" in the sense that a character is trying to work out through the fog to find out what is happening. Fran's mixture of confusion, fear or self deception means information is withheld from the reader without either character or reader realising. As with "Before you go to Sleep" there is a sense of urgency as the reader faces the challenge of trying to sort out the snippets of memory into a coherent narrative. Kent uses some of the techniques seen in "Gone Girl" - characters are suddenly shown to be something they are not and both have shocking denouements that throw all of what the protagonist ever knew into question.

My thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3.

"The Joyce Girl" Annabel Abbs

 

Lucia, the talented and ambitious daughter of James Joyce, is making a name for herself as a dancer, training with many famous dancers of her day and moving in social circles which throw her into contact with Samuel Beckett. Convinced she has clairvoyant powers, she believes her destiny is to marry Beckett, but the overbearing shadow of her father threatens this vision. Caught between her own ambitions and desires, and her parents’ demands, Lucia faces both emotional and psychological struggles that attract the attention of pioneer psychoanalyst Dr Jung.

This is a really interesting story - Abbs has chosen a more hidden story and focused on the lesser known character amongst all the legendary names who play roles in her novel which makes it a really intriguing read. 

The era is well evoked and the characters are all deftly created. Quiet, often referenced or in the background, but fiercely powerful and influential, the men are described cleverly and with subtle phrases as soft as the sweep of an artist's paintbrush. 

I think Beckett and Joyce are fascinating writers to read about in this fictionalised story of real events. Although the star of the show really is Lucia. It is an eye opener and a moving story about Lucia's life as she tries to develop her own talent and creativity alongside the struggle of living in the shadow of a genius. The reader definitely shares Abbs' affection for her!

It is quite mesmerising and I enjoyed it. I found it a real insight and appreciate how much research the author must have done in order to complete such a convincing piece of writing. It doesn't feel "academic" at all considering its about Joyce and Beckett and the writing is fluent and easy. I would recommend this book, particularly for fans of Paula McCain. 

I have had this book on my TBR pile for ages as I bought it following a flurry of good reviews on Twitter when it was published. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it - it didn't disappoint and I can understand why so many other reviewers enjoyed it so thoroughly. 

"Five Go Glamping" Liz Tipping

Glamping Check list

Festival tickets
Double check best Instagram filter
Avoid thinking about work/Connor/five year plan!!

A four day break from her hectic life to relax in the countryside and hang out at a local festival (for free!) is just what Fiona Delaney needs. With her best friends, great tunes and a cool looking hat her Instagram shots are going to look A-Mazing!

Until suddenly glamping starts to feel a lot more like camping and Fiona’s in desperate search of a comfy chair, wi-fi and a chilled glass of wine. But when she finally makes it to the local pub she discovers this trip could be more than just a holiday, it might just change her life forever… 

I saw this recommended on Twitter; it was ridiculously cheap on kindle and I was just about to go on holiday so I took a gamble on it- it looked like the perfect light read to while a way the boredom of hanging around in airports.

I liked the cover, the design is immediately appealing and eye-catching. The title also attracted me, it made me smile - I think it sets the perfect tone for this enjoyable light chick lit read and gives the reader a very fair idea of the sort of story lying between the pages.

I liked Fiona. I liked her attempt to stick to her five year plan and Tipping's description of Fiona's office job and colleagues was amusing and brought a wry smile to my face. I liked the group of friends - it was reminiscent of Bridget Jones and her crew on a night out but ultimately, you felt enough interest and affection towards them to care about reading on ahead to find out where the story might take them.

Tipping's writing captures the lifestyle of a young group of friends well and I think readers will find them authentic and convincing, even if a little cliched. But, let's face it, sometimes we all want a bit of cliche - isn't that what a holiday read is all about?

I think I saw that Tipping has a background in film and photography and I think the general pace and dialogue in the novel reflects this influence on her writing. This enhances the book and suits the genre and style.

This is for fans of chick lit; for people who like a fast, warm hearted read that is comfortably predictable and soothingly entertaining. It doesn't want to leave you with a bundle of shredded tissues or terrifying nightmares, instead it sets out to leave you smiling, cheerful and in the perfect mood to start your holiday. What more could you ask for this summer?

Currently it's only 99p on Kindle (30/07/16) so it is definitely worth making room for in your suitcase this summer!

YA "Looking at the Stars" Jo Cotterill

Amina’s homeland has been ravaged by war for many months, but so far she and her family are safe, together. When a so-called liberating force arrives in the country, the family think their prayers for peace will soon be answered, but they are horribly wrong . . . The country is thrown into yet further turmoil and Amina’s family is devastated . . .

Through it all, Amina has her imagination to fall back on – of a better place and time. But can her stories get her through this?

This is a really interesting novel about survival and what it is like to flee your own country and end up as a refugee. Cotterill has written a bold and important story which tells us the plight of Amina who lives in a developing country under an oppressive ruling “Kwana”. It appears to be a fictional place and remains non specific which I did find a little confusing to start with but appreciate that Cotterill really wants to explore the human story behind the family’s struggle rather than make a political statement or stick to factual events.

The story begins with the aggressive intervention of the Kwana as the girls are unsuspectingly just walking home. Their mother is immediately suspicious: “Why did they pick on you?” “I was smiling….I looked too happy.” The Kwana don’t need an excuse and Amina’s response is almost flippant in her acceptance that this is just how it is. “Nobody cares what I think,” she continues, “The Kwana have taken away everything women had had- jobs, rights, freedom – when they came to power”. Amina and her sister have to stop going to school and her mother has to give up her job.

Cotterill doesn’t shy away from the more shocking aspects of a controlling, militant dictatorship and the story of Amina’s brother, Ruman, is distressing and upsetting even though it is a powerful and necessary part of the plot.

The fear and hopelessness of the characters is palpable, their need to escape but with nowhere to escape to is well captured. The description of the refugee camps is convincing and clearly well researched and despite the sense of location throughout the novel generally remaining (deliberately) a little hazy, the scenes within the camp are very easy to visualise.

Amina remains a positive and optimistic character as much as she can and turns to the power of storytelling to help the people survive the atrocities. As in her other novel “The Library of Lemons”, Cotterill shows us the power of stories, imagination and sharing in books to heal, unite, reassure and calm.

This is a moving story. It is one which will remain with you. It is poignant and definitely an important read for the now. It would be a good book to use in the classroom or with a young adult reading group because of the issues raised and also because of the characters and their fortitude.

I would rate this book 3.5/5 stars and would highly recommend that you check out “Library of Lemons” as well.

More about Jo Cotterill (taken from biography on Amazon) 

I like variety, which is why I’ve had three careers so far: acting (and music), teaching (English GCSE, eep!) and writing children’s books. Writing is my favourite job so far because it enables me to create all the variety myself! I write the Sweet Hearts series for girls aged 9-13 and also lots of short books for reluctant readers (Love Bites, Take Two etc). My standalone novel Looking at the Stars came out in January 2014 and is the book I’m most proud of. It’s about a girl called Amina who’s a natural storyteller but her society has never valued her imagination. When civil war brings in a foreign army, Amina’s family is torn apart and she and her sister are forced to walk to a refugee camp to seek help. To keep their spirits up, Amina tells her sister stories – and soon, both of them discover that storytelling is possibly the most valuable skill a person can have when all around is horror and grief.

I live in Oxfordshire with my husband and two young daughters. I like sewing, making cards and writing songs – and I read a lot of fiction for 9 upwards. You can find my reviews and my general musings on my blog at jocotterill.com – and the Sweet Hearts series has its own website at http://www.ilovesweethearts.co.uk

I have also published several books under my maiden name Joanna Kenrick.