**Q&A** with Corrie Jackson "Breaking Dead"

Today I am thrilled to welcome Corrie Jackson to my blog.

"Breaking Dead" is Jackson's debut crime thriller and introduces us to Sophie Kent, a journalist returning to work after a brief time of compassionate leave following the death of her brother. As with all the best protagonists and heroines, Sophie is bright, determined, fiercely loyal and prepared to take any risks in order to uncover the truth. She is also damaged, vulnerable, dealing with grief, guilt and her own demons. 

It may be Corrie Jackson's first book but there is nothing novice at her ability to create an intriguingly complex character and spin a story where the back story of the protagonist is as compulsive and affecting as the serious crimes around which the main plot revolves.

So, welcome Corrie and thanks for chatting to me about "Breaking Dead" today! 

Sophie Kent is a journalist and you are also a journalist, so the job has clearly inspired and influenced your writing and helped with the authenticity and detail! Is Sophie or any of the characters based on any colleagues, situations, real people or yourself at all? Were you ever in the interesting position of working alongside the police?

Sophie has my dream job! Growing up, my heroes were characters like Lois Lane and Nancy Drew. Tenacious types who went the extra mile for the truth. I didn’t go the newspaper route, instead choosing magazines (Harpers Bazaar, Grazia, Glamour). But I always worked on the Features Desk. Amongst the fluffier articles, there were lots of harder hitting pieces. Anything from newsy reports profiling women on the front line in Iraq, or female victims of crime, to going undercover at the House of Commons. However, I only commissioned and edited these features. I didn’t write them. By creating Sophie, I get to do all the hard-hitting newsy stuff without having to, you know, actually having to get off my arse.

You have a very good knowledge of police procedure and the language of a post mortem etc. Did you acquire this from your job or did you find you had to carry out more research?

Before I started, the only forensics I knew was what I’d gleaned from TV - aka: the souped-up version. Once I started my research in earnest, I realised it’s a lot more technical and prosaic than it appears. I made sure I spoke to former police officers and forensic pathologists to get the details right. There’s nothing worse than reading something that reeks of bullshit.  That said, I think there has to be an element of poetic license in order to move the plot along. 

Did you always want to write a crime novel? What is it that appeals to you about this genre?

PD James says she loves writing crime fiction because, ‘[the puzzle] is solved by a human being. By human courage and human intelligence and human perseverance. In a sense, the detective story is a small celebration of reason and order in our very disorderly world’. That sums it up for me. Real life is messy and unjust, but in fiction, you get to play God. In your world no one gets away with murder – and there’s something innately satisfying about that.

How have you found fiction writing compare to writing as a journalist?

Tough. I’m a sociable creature at heart and I miss the cut and thrust of a magazine office. I miss the glamour, the people, and the collaboration. That said, there’s something very special about creating something by yourself. It’s given me a different kind of fulfilment. My author copies of Breaking Dead arrived this morning and holding the book in my hand for the first time was magical. I can remember very clearly struggling over the first paragraph and almost giving up, deciding fiction-writing wasn’t for me. And yet, here I am on the brink of being published. I still can’t quite believe it.

 “Breaking Dead” is gritty and includes many grim and unpleasant moments or characters. Can you tell me a bit about the effect (if any!) this has on you while writing?

I shrugged off the squeamishness fairly quickly. Mainly because I was keen to get the details right, and you can’t do that unless you’re willing to do the research. Unfortunately that research often entails reading and looking at images you’d rather not. But the desire to get things right trumps the fear for me. What I did find difficult were the scenes about Sophie’s brother, Tommy. I drew on my relationship with my own little brother (who is nothing like Tommy, by the way!); the protectiveness I felt towards him as a child. I loved Tommy, so it was hard to write the more upsetting parts. But the grim stuff you mention: that wasn’t hard at all. I’m not sure what that says about me!

Which three words would you use to sum up Sophie? How do you want readers to respond to her?

Smart, stubborn…sinking. She has sharp edges but there are reasons for it. I hope readers can see why she makes some of the more unwise decisions.

As the subtitle of the book is “A Sophie Kent Thriller” I’m assuming there are more to come? Did you always plan to write a series? How does this affect your planning / writing?

I hoped Sophie Kent could carry a series. It’s wonderful, actually, because it means I have time and space to develop her character. The more I get to know her the more interesting it is for me as a writer. She’s consistently surprising me!

Can you reveal anything about the next book?

I’m halfway through it at the moment! Here’s the gist. A woman’s mutilated body washes up in the Thames. The evidence points to The London Herald’s Charlie Swift. A man Sophie Kent trusts with her life. On the edge of a breakdown, following the recent bombshell about her brother’s death, Sophie puts her reputation on the line to clear Charlie’s name. Then Charlie flees. With each step, Sophie is drawn deeper into Charlie’s web of deceit, his troubled marriage and his twisted past. As she starts to question his innocence, something happens that blows the investigation – and their friendship – to pieces. Now Sophie isn’t just fighting for justice, she’s fighting for her life. Still, Charlie is her friend. He wouldn’t hurt her, would he?

 Which other writers do you admire or find yourself influenced by?

 The list is endless. I enjoy sharp writing so Gillian Flynn, Tana French. And it doesn’t have to be crime. I recently read Emma Cline’s "The Girls" and the prose was out of this world. I’m so jealous! 

What are you reading at the moment?

I just finished Claire Seeber’s brilliant ’The Stepmother’, and am in the final third of Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘This Must Be The Place’. Next up is Angela Clarke’s ‘Watch Me’ and GJ Minett’s "Lie In Wait". I loved both of their debuts so am really looking forward to the follow-ups.  

If you could pose one question for a Book Club based on “Breaking Dead” what would it be?

Oooh good question. How about: when it comes to fighting for the truth, do the ends always justify the means? 

Thanks so much Corrie for such fantastic answers! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me! I can't wait for the next Sophie Kent book and wish you all the best with the paperback of "Breaking Dead". I hope other readers enjoy it as much as I did! 

"Breaking Dead" is available on kindle and publishes in paperback on 15th September 2016 with Bonnier Zaffre. 

Read my review of "Breaking Dead" here:http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/07/breaking-dead-corrie-jackson.html

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

"A Proposal To Die For" Vivian Conroy

Yes, guilty. It was the cover. All the way. I wanted to read this because of the gorgeous vintage stye cover - and its the only time I regret using a kindle and not being able to stroke (or frame!!) the front of the book while I'm reading it!

I also liked the title - a gentle pun which gives the sense of a playful mystery thriller, which is just what this book is!

With her father away in India, Lady Alkmene Callender finds being left to her own devices in London intolerably dull, until the glamorous Broadway star Evelyn Steinbeck arrives in town! Gossip abounds about the New York socialite, but when Ms Steinbeck’s wealthy uncle, Silas Norwhich, is found dead Lady Alkmene finds her interest is piqued. Because this death sounds a lot to her like murder…

This novel introduces us to Lady Alkmene, a sassy young woman who is a little ahead of her time. She's not a detective - she's bored and looking for something exciting to happen to her. This is the first in a set of three novels featuring Callender and this initial instalment neatly concentrates on setting up her character, revealing her interest in detective work and preparing the way for what promises to be a charming and delightful series.

Lady Alkmene has a nose for drama and is quick to add a sprinkle of suspicion to anything she observes from the outset. The very opening sentence shows her listening in to a mysteriously whispered conversation behind a curtain and kick starts the book into an intriguing situation regarding a marriage proposal from an anonymous voice. Although not trained in the world of detective work, or having had much exposure to crime, Alkmene is quick to learn, a keen observer with an appealing spirit and sense of adventure. Journalist Jake Dubois, who is reluctant to accept her help or involve her with solving the crime, eventually relents and together they embark on exposing deep secrets and dancing with danger.

The writing is very fluid, easy, gently humorous and satisfyingly amiable. Conroy slips in historical detail and character description with a few deft strokes of her pen, painting very visual pictures from well chosen adjectives and appropriate imagery. The era of the twenties makes the novel even more attractive and helps to cast a spell over the reader.

Alkmene is a likeable, cheerful protagonist. Conroy writing style effectively strikes a balance between the necessary ingredients for a classic crime mystery alongside a more wry, droll voice. For example, lines like the following draw a smile to the reader's face and mimic the affectionate tones with which people think of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.

"Unexpected death always had an unhealthy appeal to Alkmene, and she perused the few lines underneath with great interest."

"There was no place like the Waldeck tea room to catch some gossip about a sudden death."

And one of my favourite quotes:

"She wanted to say something meaningful and profound, but she had no idea how she could prevent it from sounding thought-up and untrue."

Unlike many recent contemporary crime novels - particularly those in the psychological thriller genre -  where there is always a sense of haste, speed and desperate pace, this story is more relaxed. The crime will be solved, there will be moments of high drama and tension, but not one that will set your pulse racing in that slightly unhinged manner. This is a take-a-breather-with-a-cup-of-tea book (or a sip of champagne perhaps?) and for that, I found it rather refreshing!

Alkmene and Dubois' relationship continues to flourish as their investigation proceeds, both keen to uncover the truth. I liked Conroy's description of their disappointment when things don't go as planned:

"But there was nothing....No documents either, no letters, no plans to some top secret invention or treaty that could throw all Europe into war..."

And the more time Alkmene and Dubois spend together, the more proficient she becomes in thinking like a detective which lays good ground work for the next instalment. As Alkmene later comments:

"Now she understood better why the police at times followed up on fake clues, pursing one angle, while not seeing other elements that were right under their noses. There were so many elements to a case, and the picture kept shifting like a kaleidoscope."

Conroy's voice is assured and she can clearly write. She seems to have struck gold here with a perfect mix of an enticing era, genial characters and a good, solid plot that is entertaining and satisfying. There have been some press articles recently about the return to "cosy crime" which makes the publication of this novel very timely.  This book is a cross between "Downton Abbey" and "Miss Marple". It is like a cross between "Mr Selfridge" and "Sherlock Holmes". Perfect for the long winter nights ahead where comfort becomes a key word in everyone's vocabulary.

And Conroy has plans for her two main characters. "A Proposal to Die For" ends with this conversation between them:

"'Spare me, I think I just want a better breakfast first and then we can decide what to do about getting back to civilisation.' Jake straightened up and passed her chair, laughing. 'At your service, my lady.'"

"A Proposal To Die For" publishes on 19th September 2016 and will be followed by "Diamonds of Death" and "Deadly Treasures". 

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

If you have enjoyed this review then please follow me on Twitter for more recommendations and reviews at @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniac) 

**BLOG TOUR** "Only Daughter" Anna Snoekstra

You've been arrested. As you sit in the police station, hungry, cold, homeless, on the run and with a charge of shoplifting hanging over you, an idea of how to escape forms in your mind. 

Eleven years ago, Rebecca Winter went missing. You share an uncanny likeness. What if she has come back? And that she, is you?

But what if the cosy life of a loving family, hot food, money and a secure roof over your head turns out to be even more of a nightmare than the one you're trying to leave behind?

This is the exciting and chilling premise for Snoekstra's debut novel. It is a gripping concept and the opening is compelling.

"A memory slowly opens and I realise I know exactly how to get myself out of this.....I know I can pull this off. ....I savour the moment.....enjoying the exact instant their faces change.....'My name is Rebecca Winter. Eleven years ago I was abducted.'"

The narrator of the story remains anonymous throughout - we only ever know her as the Rebecca she is pretending to be - and her character is menacing, cool and without morals. All she wants is to be safe and to escape a prison sentence. It takes a bold person to let a family think their long lost daughter has returned to them; someone without scruples and with a sense of entitlement that usually only belongs to the criminal of the story. It is hard to relate to the protagonist fully but it is fair to say you will be intrigued by her and care enough to read on to see if she really can delude the family. The first person narrative encourages us to relate to this Rebecca rather than the other Rebecca.

The police are initially suspecting but the family readily welcome 'Rebecca' home and enough of the questions are dodged to allow her to join them. There is a bit of artistic license here; 'Rebecca' appears physically unaffected and psychologically unscarred by her eleven years of abduction; she returns to a 'normal' routine quickly and the family seem to reintegrate smoothly too. This is fine to a certain degree -particularly as there are a number of other threads causing enough suspense and tension for the reader to be entertained, but it is a little unfortunate when it competes against such highly acclaimed books like "Room" and TV shows like "Thirteen". However, it is a storyline that will always attract and captivate readers and many will be prepared to suspend reality in the name of a good read.

Once our impostor is settled, Snoekstra takes us back to 2003 and we follow the story of the real Rebecca and the events leading up to her disappearance. The narrative is third person which perhaps helps establish the distance between the past and the present and stops the reader becoming confused about whose story they are reading.

In 2003, teenage Rebecca is plagued by black outs, nightmares, mysterious bleeding and a sense that she is being watched and followed. I enjoyed Snoekstra's description of the night hauntings and the confusion about what she thinks she's seeing and what might actually be happening.

The first two thirds of the novel continue in a relatively predictable style; events and information comes to light as we might expect with a thriller, and the character's continue to develop and reveal themselves. The impostor reveals a rather unsavoury attitude where she feels she's entitled to her new life. She plays with the new relationships she's suddenly involved in and the old friends she has stolen from Rebecca. She's honest and open with the reader about how she enjoys mind games and what her objectives are. The back story also continues in a relatively straightforward manner, peppered with a few twists, hints and mysterious, unexplainable happenings.

Then the last third of the book suddenly explodes across the pages. The pace pushes up to full throttle, the dramatic tension soars off the grid and the background characters step out of the shadows to reveal their menacing and deeply frightening selves. The reader finally feels some sympathy for the impostor and for the teenage Rebecca as their fates hurtle along to a climatic ending. It was like watching an episode of "The Following" where the budget on bloodshed is limitless and the characters are guided by some deeply disturbing, misguided beliefs. There is a lot of violence and graphic description.

For me, and as this is an honest review, I did feel like the ending of the story didn't quite tally up with the rest of the story because of such a change in gear, pace, content and atmosphere. The final section of the book was a little more of a blood bath than I expected from the more intriguing atmosphere of initial "will she won't she get away with it" premise.

But I do think Snoekstra has a good nose for a plot. There were many elements I enjoyed and I would be interested in seeing what she writes next. I would have preferred to engage a little more fully with one or other of the characters and see her stick with the more unsettling, predatory style of writing which evokes a much more subtle sense of fear and foreboding.

My thanks to HQStories, Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in return for a fair and honest review.

"Only Daughter" is published by Harper Collins on 22nd September 2016.

Author bio:

Anna Snoekstra was born in Canberra, Australia in 1988. She studied Creative Writing and Cinema at The University of Melbourne, followed by Screenwriting at RMIT University. She currently lives in Melbourne with her husband and tabby cat.

Keep up with Anna online at www.annasnoekstra.com, twitter.com/annasnoekstra, facebook.com/AnnaSnoekstra and goodreads.com/author/show/14074268.Anna_Snoekstra

Amazon buy link:
http://amzn.to/2cZFAG7

Make sure you haven't missed any other reviews or stops on the Blog Tour:




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

***COVER REVEAL*** Rory Clements "Corpus"

COVER REVEAL! 

CORPUS 

by

RORY CLEMENTS 

Published by Bonnier Zaffre 26/01/17 

Book Blurb:

1936.

Europe is in turmoil.
The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland.
In Russia, Stalin has unleashed his Great Terror. Spain has erupted in civil war.

In Berlin, a young Englishwoman evades the Gestapo to deliver vital papers to a Jewish scientist. Within weeks, she is found dead in her Cambridge bedroom, a silver syringe clutched in her fingers.

In a London club, three senior members of the British establishment light the touch paper on a conspiracy that will threaten the very heart of government. Even the ancient colleges of Cambridge are not immune to political division. Dons and students must choose a side: right or left, where do you stand?

When a renowned member of the county set and his wife are found horribly murdered, a maverick history professor finds himself dragged into a world of espionage which, until now, he has only read about in books. But the deeper Thomas Wilde delves, the more he wonders whether the murders are linked to the death of the girl with the silver syringe - and, just as worryingly, to the scandal surrounding King Edward VIII and his mistress Wallis Simpson...

Set against the drumbeat of war and moving from Berlin to Cambridge, from Whitehall to the Kent countryside, and from the Fens to the Aragon Front in Spain, this big canvas international thriller marks the beginning of a major new series from bestselling author Rory Clements.

Author Biography

RORY CLEMENTS was born on the edge of England in Dover, the son of a Royal Naval officer and a former WREN. Since 2007, Rory has been writing full-time in a quiet corner of Norfolk, England, where he lives with his family. He won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award in 2010 for his second novel, Revenger. A TV series of the John Shakespeare novels is currently in development by the team behind POLDARK and ENDEAVOUR. Find out more at www.roryclements.co.uk.

"Lost in Static" Christina Philippou

Callum has a family secret. Yasmine wants to know it. Juliette thinks nobody knows hers. All Ruby wants is to reinvent herself. 

Sometimes growing up is seeing someone else’s side of the story.

This is a gritty, modern, coming of age novel about four people in their first year away at University. Four people with things to hide, things to run away from and things to discover about themselves. It opens with a shocking event which then leaves the reader trying to piece together the dynamics between the characters and the truth behind what actually happened.

This is a bold debut. Philippou has chosen to have not one, but four protagonists. Each protagonist uses a different kind of narrative voice to tell their story ranging from email, internal voice, first person and third person. Philippou has to convince us not only of her ability to write authentically from four points of view, but also of her ability to write from a male perspective as well as a female one.

And convince us she does.

There is no doubt Philippou can write.

It is hard to believe this is a debut. The complex characters, each with a complex story to tell, are all convincing and believable. Because of the different style of prose for each voice, it is always easy to differentiate between them and keep track of who is talking. The four different story lines from each character are managed with competence and skill and despite it being a multi-layered plot, it is not overtly confusing.

Ruby's chapters use italics to reveal her internal thoughts which feel like muttered comments under her breath. Juliette address the reader directly with her first person narrative which, for me, made her feel more omniscient - her hints of the foreboding future very intriguing. Callum writes emails to an anonymous recipient which adds more hints of expectation, particularly as his obsession and hurt deepen. Yasmin's third person narrative is just downright menacing and manipulative. There is an overriding sense of conspiracy and that delicious sense of an unreliable narrator at large.

Philippou obviously loves words as her vocabulary is excellent. There were a few occasions when I felt perhaps a particular word wasn't quite in keeping with the voice of a young undergraduate and it grated a little, but generally I really enjoyed Philippou's choice of language and admired her wide ranging, confident and intelligent vocabulary.

Her evocation of student life is perfect. She has captured student life brilliantly; the description of the nightclub with its "shanty town toilet style", the "stale odour permeating every corner" and weeks that come and go "quickly, lubricated by generous alcohol consumption…" were very reminiscent and will be resonant with all students past and present.

The chapters are very short and sweet. Well, maybe not that sweet! The pace therefore is very fluent and it is easy to keep reading "just another chapter" as each one is so brief but also because the reader wants to keep track of each storyline. Such pace also ensures a dramatic race along to the ending. The atmosphere of the novel is full of suspense that is deliberately reinforced by the words of the characters:

“….I know you’ve already judged me. But….I feel it’s my duty to tell my story. You may not want to hear it- I know you’ve already made up your mind. But I have to clear my conscience …. I don’t care if you don’t want to hear it, I’m telling you anyway.”

"And now we have a problem. We both know you don’t want to hear this part of the story but I can’t resolve anything if I don’t tell you. Please keep listening – I really need you to."

I would just quietly add that there is a lot of drink, drugs and swearing in this novel. It's not particularly gratuitous and generally in keeping with the context of the novel, but it could mean this book will not be everyone's cup of tea.

Christina Philippou is a dedicated and exceptional book blogger and her understanding of language, structure, suspense, intrigue and three dimensional characters from her extensive reading and reviewing is self evident in this, her debut. I was really excited to see she had written something and am very grateful to the Facebook Group "The Book Club (TBC)" for giving me the opportunity to review an ARC ahead of publication. I hope Christina also enjoys her experience of the world of blogging from "the other side"!

Thanks so much TBC for the ARC copy in return for my honest opinion.

"Lost in Static" by Christina Philippou will be published on 15th September 2016.

"The Devil's Work" Mark Edwards

I have only just come across Mark Edwards this summer– thanks to Queen of Thrillers Elizabeth Haynes, who recommended him as one of her favourite authors. With such an endorsement, how could I not investigate further! I borrowed “The Magpies” from the library and loved it.

So, I was delighted when Mark Edwards contacted me with the offer of reading his new title, “The Devil’s Work” before publication – a novel C L Taylor (also a huge fan!!) claims to be his best yet.

“The Devil’s Work” is a gripping, psychological thriller; this time set in an office with the protagonist, Sophie Greenwood, becoming caught up in a nightmare that soon puts her whole family at risk.

I like that Edwards chooses a very familiar setting, as he did with “The Magpies” which focusses on the tenants in a shared building of flats. There is something beautifully claustrophobic about Edwards’ choice of setting for "The Devil's Work". Immediately, the office suggests an environment of intense relationships, competition, convoluted etiquette, invisible rules, games, stress and tension (or is that just me?!). We are all able to relate to the familiarity of an office setting and, for even more dramatic effect, we can probably all identify with some of the traits portrayed by the characters we meet there.  Once he’s introduced everyone, Edwards callously starts to stir in an unhealthy dose of paranoia, office politics, jealousy, insecurity and we read on, helplessly enthralled as the character’s lives begin to unravel and events spin out of control in a completely chilling and unsettling manner.

I could have put this book down; I just did not want to.

Nothing beats that feeling of starting a new book and almost letting out a sigh of relief as you realise the style, pace, flow and language is absolutely just what you're in the mood for. It was as if Edwards had pushed me back into the depths of my armchair and tied me to it with threads of a narrative that I was not going to attempt to release myself from until the last page was turned.

The characters are convincing. As a male author, Edwards captures Sophie very well. She is a mother returning to work and her anxiety, fears and pressures are portrayed through a very natural narrative and dialogue. There were points in the novel when I was almost squinting in a “I can’t watch this” way while simultaneously knowing I would behave exactly the same if put in the same situation and under the same pressure. Sophie is a professional, ambitious, competent employee but when undermined and manipulated in such a way that she cannot tell who is responsible -or why they might be doing it- such an atmosphere of tension is created it makes me feel sick just recalling it now! Everyone can imagine that moment when all the emotional pressure from your own expectations, as well as from others, gets too much and results in some explosive scenes.

The novel has a dual storyline shifting between Sophie’s university life in 1999/2000 and her friendship with the enigmatic Jasmine, and the storyline set in 2015 where she is a wife and mother, returning to work and facing subsequent issues with assistant Cassie. I liked the way the headings were used to clearly distinguish between the sections. The back story just gave the date, plain and simple: “Sunday 9^th Jan 2000”, whereas the main story was headed with the more ominous “Day 1”, “Day 5”, “Day 16” etc, charting each day Sophie had spent in her new job. The reader is therefore aware that the book is moving towards something more monumental and this technique was really effective. We also realise that the back story is important and wait with baited breath as Edwards cleverly marries the two plots together.

The imposing figure of Franklin Bird, owner of Jackdaw publishing, is deliciously disconcerting. His comments about how to discipline children are disturbing and his reference to the company as a “family” exaggerate the claustrophobic feeling of entrapment.

Cassie is also an inspired character. The type you love to hate. The office assistant that everyone loves apart from Sophie; her work, attitude and manners are impeccable but there is just something Sophie can’t put her finger on……..Or, is Sophie really falling apart and suffering more mental stress than she cares to admit? Who are we to believe? 

At about 55% of the way through, events take such a twisty turn that I was left shivering and covered in goosebumps. The only words I can think of to describe the second half of the novel are spooky, creepy and eerie. I was reminded of scenes from “The Sixth Sense” or “The Others”. From here on, the % tracking on my kindle was almost a blur as the pages ramped up to a climatic ending that leaves me reeling.

Oh yes, this novel is indeed the Devil’s work!

I really would recommend this book. Edwards' writing style is effortless, absorbing, and engaging. This story flows well and all the details, depictions and characters are instantly visual, realistic and believable. You will be hooked from the outset. Edwards is fast becoming one of my “go to” authors for a fast, easy, reliable thriller that will completely take over my life for the short time it takes me to race through it.

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

"The Devil's Work" by Mark Edwards is published on 13th September 2016. 

I would also recommend "The Magpies" and my review can be found here: http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-magpies-mark-edwards.html