"Hillstation" Robin Mukherjee

Dreaming of escape from his remote village in the Himalayan foothills, Rabindra entreats the gods to send him an English bride. When a saucy English dance troupe arrives on the run from a Bombay crime boss, Rabindra believes that his prayers have been answered. Except that they have no interest in marrying anyone. As the village begins to unravel in the presence of these scandalous foreigners, surprising secrets emerge from the depths of its past. 

"Hillstation is a love poem to a glorious, intriguing and sometimes frustrating culture still alive in the far corners of a great continent but slowly fading to the onslaught of the technological age." 

I'm just going to come straight out and say it. I thoroughly enjoyed this chaotic, hilarious, colourful and charming book. The prose rattles along at such a rate that it is impossible to take a breath, let alone put it down. Rabindra's narrative flows like a burst pipe, streaming endlessly capturing his enthusiasm, naivety, innocence and simplistic belief in all that is good. It is a comedy, a love story; a novel about family, religion, culture, coming of age and belonging.

I didn't really know what to expect when I began this novel and indeed I gave myself a shock when I found myself snorting loudly only 5 pages in. By then I was completely under Mukherjee's spell.

Rabindra (also Rabin) is delightful. I loved his rapid speech with such frequent repetition of long phrases defining each character like his older brother, Dev, "son number one who went to England and became a Doctor." Dev, who went to England and became a Doctor, is revered by the whole family - if not community - for his travel and education. In Rabin's home town - an non specific village buried deep in the Himalayan foothills where the rest of the world doesn't even realise there is anything in existence, Dev's tales of England are modern folklore and he is almost equal alongside their gods.

"His room was a shrine to all things English with posters of red buses, policemen with blue temples on their heads and the secret underground city, connected with coloured tunnels....sometimes I'd pick through his display of Limited Edition Kings and Queens of England Egg Cups or his Isle of Sheppy Summer Festival Souvenir Mugs."

"'Tell me again,' I'd plead, 'about the University of Oxford Street and the River Thames on foggy mornings, of Sherlock Holmes who knew a Lemon Tree when he saw one...and the rhyming slang you learnt from an orphaned pick-pocket in the back alleys of a rat-infested slum.'"

The family are eccentric. Rabin's father is obsessed with rules, class and propriety: "What is this 'sort-of'? Is it a word? A phrase? Does it have anything to do with even the minimum standards of linguistic dignity expected in this household?" And his mother, well, she "doesn't say anything because she is dead." But if she did.....Rabin imagines she would advise him not to marry some "insufferable idiot who farts at night."

Then one day, following Rabin and his faithful, loyal friend Pol's prayers for English brides, some visitors arrive in their humble village.

"A man was standing by the steps with a face like nothing I'd seen before. It had two eyes, obviously, and a mouth common to most human beings and animals too I suppose, but there the similarity ended. His hair neither black, henna nor any recognisable colour, but an indistinct shade of stale chapatti."

And that is nothing compared to the women who climb out of the vehicle behind him:

"her shoes were an ethereal matrix of white straps with, I noticed thrillingly, sticks on the underside.."

This book is absolutely full of highly original and entertaining imagery. The descriptions are so imaginative, wry and desperately effective. I was without a pen when I read this book and I have committed a terrible crime of folding down the corners of pages where Mukherjee made me laugh and smile. The book is ruined. There are more pages folded than straight. Mukherjee is masterful at evoking excitement, fascination, sympathy and capturing the conflict between the young and the old, the new technology and old rituals. Each character leaps of the page and the vivid, fluent dialogue adds pace and colour. The voices and relationships real and lively. Each character is easy to visualise and it is screaming out for adaption to the big screen.

Rabin assists his brother at the clinic. His medical interviews and subsequent diagnosis are extremely entertaining. When one of the western girl's goes to see him about "the runs", Rabin flicks to the "R" section of the medical dictionary and starts to search for "runs" with assured authority. In her desperation to explain herself, her use of the word "squits" leads to confusion about squints and squids. It is like something out of Monty Python or Fawlty Towers but more endearing and heartwarming. I loved Rabin's response to her answer about the dosage of the tablets he has coincidently managed to prescribe:

"in the box you will find a neatly folded piece of paper with extremely tiny writing..."

Never once does his lack of experience, understanding, education or awareness of how many of his actions are the result of luck or bluff, bother or restrain him. This was the most appealing part of his character and he very much reminded me of the owner of "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" or the protagonist of "Slumdog Millionaire".

Despite their apparent "backwardness" and lack of technology, the characters are never prepared to lose face. Malek and Hendrix's conversation about coasters - sorry, CDs- was lovely:

"I have seen them before, obviously. they are clever devices for making music."
"But not by themselves,"
"Of course not, do you think I am simple?" 

The western characters are also treated with the same affectionate humour. Cindy ties herself in knots trying to explain Christian celebrations, particularly the differences between Santa, Father Christmas and Jesus - "the goodiest bloke ever".

And then there is seriousness and poignancy. Rabin's sudden realisation of the wider world is described with one of the most effective metaphors in the whole book:

"the world seemed so very large, suddenly, with so many rooms and corners and corridors and stairs that you could turn up or down, or not, or stop, or not, or never take, or take looking down or up..."

The backdrop of the Himalayan mountains influence and shape these people's beliefs and lives:

"Sometimes they welcomed me like a cherished friend and sometimes they crushed the soaring feathers of my fragile dreams against the brute fortress of their implacability....but never so much as a twitch in the mossy hollows of its bleak indifference...."

This review is in danger of becoming like a film trailer that gives away too much of the good bits! Obviously I would recommend this book - particularly to fans of "Slumdog Millionaire", "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", "The White Tiger" and "The Inheritance of Loss". It was rather different from the other books I have been reviewing recently and therefore its freshness and originality more pronounced, but I think many readers will enjoy its gentle, heartwarming story and its boundless energy and humour.

"Hillstation" is published in paperback on 28th July 2016 by Old Castle Books.

My thanks to Old Castle Books for the free copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

ROBIN MUKHERJEE has written extensively for television and radio and won the Audience Prize for his first feature film. His CBBC series was nominated for a BAFTA and his most recent film "Lore" has won numerous awards worldwide.

For more information on this novel please visit OldcastleBooks


For more recommendations and reviews follow me on Twitter @KatherineSunde3 or via my website bibliomaniacuk.co.uk

"Willnot" James Sallis

"You live with someone year after year, you think you've heard all the stories....but you never have." 

This is a new author to me although I have since realised that Sallis has a huge back catalogue and no less that 16 novels to his name! He is also the author of short stories, essays and poems. He has reviewed books for the LA Times, New York Times and Washington Post and is the winner of several literary prizes. The praise for this book is impressive and he is clearly highly regarded within the world of crime fiction.

Synopsis:
In the woods outside the town of Willnot, the remains of several people have suddenly been discovered, unnerving the community and unsettling Hale, the town's all-purpose general practitioner, surgeon, and town conscience. At the same time, Bobby Lowndes--his military records disappeared, being followed by the FBI--mysteriously reappears in his hometown, at Hale's door. Over the ensuing months, the daily dramas Hale faces as he tends to his town and to his partner, Richard, collide with the inexplicable vagaries of life in Willnot. And when a gunshot aimed at Lowndes critically wounds Richard, Hale's world is truly upended.

Firstly, I am not sure exactly how to categorise this novel. For me the blurb was a little misleading as although there is indeed shooting, crime, mystery and dead bodies, this is not really a "crime thriller" in the traditional or presumed sense.

This is a book about a small, introvert town in America. It is a book driven by characters rather than plot- snapshots of ordinary people making sense of the their world. It is a slim volume of a mere 192 pages but memorable and resonating. This isn't really the sort of thing I would usually read, but isn't this the way you discover those stunning hidden gems which stay with you? The effect it had on me was rather like the effect of John Edward Williams' "Stoner"- albeit a much more witty and eccentric kind of story, but I felt I was reading something of an American "classic".

Dr Lama Hale is our central protagonist - general practitioner, surgeon and town conscience. He is intelligent, empathetic, insightful and his narrative combines the suspense, action and intrigue of the plot as he recounts his involvement with the lives of the other townsfolk, the endless calls made upon him and his personal relationships, alongside poetic and lyrical observations of nature and the human condition. The language is taut, stripped down, exacting and immensely powerful.

"Out my west window an orange sun held on, flattening itself crablike against the horizon to gain a few more moments."

There is great contrast in the book. Life in Willnot continues as attempts are made to make sense of the remains discovered and the return of Bobby Lowndes while the news from the rest of America filters through almost unnoticed and definitely unaffecting - "Yesterday in the school cafeteria of a nondescript town in Ohio, a 16 year old pulled a gun from his Fender Champ lunchbox and began firing........In Willnot, Richard and I sat over a late breakfast of biscuits ....the day stretched out ahead of us..." There is something more shocking in this understated commentary and such juxtaposition creates a dark affecting tension.

"Nobody talked about the bodies anymore, or the shooting, but these were tucked away at the back of our minds and hung, if not palpably then patently, in the air we breathed. Willnot was a lake into which rocks had been thrown; mud still swirled."

This is a literary gem. This is the work of a talented author with an absolute gift for language and brevity. For me, I would recommend this book to people who like "Stoner" or Hemingway as well as readers of crime fiction and American Literature.

My thanks to @NoExitPress for a copy of this book in return for an honest review - I'm so pleased to have discovered a new author who to my embarrassment I had not ever come across before, and to have enjoyed something outside my usual selection.

"Willnot"was published by No Exit Press in June 2016 and for more information please go to no exit.co.uk/willnot or follow on Twitter @NoExitPress

For more recommendations and reviews from me, you can find me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) or sign up to receive future posts via email.

"Now You See Me" Sharon Bolton

A dead woman was leaning against my car.

And so begins the first in a series of crime novels about DC Lacey Flint from Sharon Bolton (also publishes as S J Bolton). This book starts with a shocking murder, discovered by Lacey Flint for whom this is her first murder case. So haunted is she by her failed attempts to save the girl's life, she makes it her mission to catch the criminal responsible for the girl's death. As further murders and revelations spill from the pages, it appears that the police have a copy cat Jack the Ripper killer on the loose. Flint is willing to make any sacrifice in order to uncover the truth, even when she appears to be the next target.....

Bolton's writing is so engrossing that it hard not to get caught up in the story immediately. The chapters are short which ensures a sharp pace and a temptation to read "just one more"..... Lacey, our protagonist, narrates the story which means we are privy to the emotions and thoughts of quite a complex character. Lacey can be awkward, perhaps a little standoffish and sometimes makes wrong footings with the other detectives but her intelligence, wit and sarcasm make her likeable and authentic. Bolton has created an intriguing female lead to start her series of thrilling titles of with a bang.

The use of the Jack the Ripper murders was very compelling. The mix of historical detail and references was chilling and added more horror to the storyline. Lacey's knowledge of the famous crimes and her ability to make connections so quickly is impressive and really drives the story along, the reader equally satisfied by her ability to show off her skills in front of the rest of the rather cynical and doubtful detectives. The use of real life historical murders makes the plot more captivating and aspects of the book were as unsettling as the TV show "Whitechapel'.

There are several different voices alongside Lacey's narrative to keep the reader guessing which continually plants more clues, creating further suspicion, terror and suspense. One anonymous voice is particularly menacing and predatory; even more so when we realise Lacey is becoming the target.

The story hops between 1888, modern day and 11 years previously but all the threads are managed and handled with the assured confidence of a talented crime writer. Bolton's writing style is highly readable and I was surprised how quickly I became absorbed and how much I had read without even realising. Bolton is clearly an expert and accomplished writer in her genre and if you enjoy great crime writing this is the book for you. And even better, if you like it, there are another 4 books in the series and a whole other back catalogue of titles to choose from also by Bolton!

"Now You See Me" was published by Transworld Publishers in 2011. To find out more about the author you can visit her website at www.sharonbolton.com

I received my copy of the book from the Herts Advertiser in return for a fair and honest review.

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

"Jacques" Tanya Ravenswater

It is only when we matter, when we are seen and truly loved, that we know what it means to fully live.

This is the story of Jacques Lafitte, a young French boy who finds himself orphaned and torn away from everything he knows. Forced to move to England to live with his guardian – the pompous and distant Oliver – Jacques finds himself in a strange country and a strange world. 

As years pass Jacques becomes part of the Clark family. But then his feelings for Oliver’s daughter Rebecca begin to surpass mere sibling affection. A development that has the power to bring them together, or tear the family apart . . . 

Lesley Allen described this book as "seductively lyrical" and I have to agree with her. It is a simple story but what makes it special is Ravenswater's writing style and mesmerising poetic use of language. My pages are littered with highlights from where I found numerous phrases of exquisite prose and absorbing imagery.

It is a slow, measured read. It is about character, relationships, coming of age and love. Despite being so contemporary and set in the late 1980s, it had the feel of a more classical novel, maybe even a little like Dickens or a darker Laurie Lee, but certainly reminiscent of Forster and L P Hartley.

Jacques life starts sadly. Prepared for his parent's death by his Papa's methodical ordering of paperwork and finances following the loss of his mother, Jacques is then faced with "what Papa had described as the 'unlikely event 's his own untimely death. I had to accept that so-called 'unlikely events' were destined to be among the likely facts of my life." What is most striking about the two deaths is the way Ravenswater handles Jacques' realisation that his world will never be the same again. He was privileged to be held so dear by his parents that his "whole world had been built on what I trusted would be the unshakeable ground of their presence, my daily life framed by proof of how much I was cherished." She conveys such a loving, deep relationship that almost feels exclusive and separate from the rest of the world. Jacques- mature, intelligent, articulate and sensitive -explains how "discussion and storytelling had been central to my life with Maman and Papa....they had treated me as an equal in conversation". He is a character you cannot help but be drawn too and feel empathy towards. The reader is caught up in his engaging narrative and wants to read on and share his journey with him.

Jacques then finds himself shipped off to England to his "Aunt" and "Uncle", an event which Ravenswater's simple, observational statement conveys a profound sadness as deep as the channel Jacques has had to cross to get there:

"...my king and queen were dead, I was just a helpless little boy, stripped of everything, even his mother tongue.."

His new family couldn't be more contrasting to the one Jacques has lost. The house itself captures the personality of the parents with it's overwhelming atmosphere of oppression, imprisonment and reserve - a contrast from the creative, equal, discursive home his parents had embodied.

"..inside the house had 4 storeys and a steep, carpeted central staircase with white, thickly glossed bannisters. The rooms were high ceilinged, papered mainly in deep reds and browns, furnished with heavy, hard wearing fabrics, dark teak and mahogany....the floors were mostly bare, polished wooden boards with functional rugs and mats."

His Aunt is anxious, cold, and controlling. Jacques is intimidated by the first very formal meeting with her as she explains briskly "after I've taken you through our house rules, you will follow them to the best of your ability." His Uncle is more nonchalant and disinterested; a trait he displays to his own children not just Jacques. This is not the cherishing and nurturing environment Jacques experienced in France and sadly he recalls that his sense of not belonging anywhere or to anyone, alongside his grief, "forced me to evolve into a different person." Therefore their daughter, Rebecca, his "sibling" (although no blood relation) is a welcomed presence. She is more vital and colourful and enjoys telling Jacques all about her mother's job which is an abortionist. She talks frankly and bluntly - again, a contrast to Jacques naivety. But she also experiences a sense of isolation or difference from the harsh teasing at school where children regularly call out "here comes the murderer's daughter". They bond immediately and settle into a very intense relationship.

I liked Ravenswater's description. Her evocation of place and atmosphere was always so effective and always managed to effortlessly imply more about the character or events. For example, when Jacques talks about his new school he describes the "dark runners of its corridors, blackboards scored with monotonous lines.... I reduced myself to a scarcely noticeable grey dot."

There is a fantastic passage between Jacques and his aunt. Jacques is a talented piano player - a creative output for his emotions, but even this has to fall within strict rules and boundaries as his aunt is so terrified of anything she cannot control.

"treat my piano with respect ....or I will cancel lessons immediately ......You will wipe the keys after each use, and replace the cover and the stool"

It takes the joy away from anything and constantly reinstates a kind of fear. Jacques manages to penetrate her cold shell by suggesting she takes up lessons again and, revealingly, her reply is "....our hearts are no longer open and innocent. ....Our hands are irrevocably stained.... No amount of piano lessons will take that away".

There are many very moving passages. Jacques relationship with Stephen is particularly poignant, full of resonating intensity and sadness.

This is a very original read. It is one of those books which you read with ease and surprising speed but then find yourself contemplating for days after. Ravenswater's ability to capture the male voice of Jacques with such conviction and authenticity is highly impressive and it is hard to accept this is a debut novel.

Author GJ Minett recommended the book to me ages ago and he said "if you value precision and a wonderful control over the language allied to a sound instinct for exactly the right turn of phrase, then this is the one for you." It shouldn't have taken me so long to get around to reading!

I think this is definitely a writer to watch out for in the future.

The ebook of "Jacques" was published by Twenty7 (Bonnier Zaffre) on Dec 2015 and the paperback will be available on 8th Sept 2016.

If you would like to see more recommendations and reviews then you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

"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