"Beside Myself" Ann Morgan

Helen and Ellie are identical twins - like two peas in a pod says everyone- except the girls know this isn't true. Helen is the leader and Ellie is the follower. 

One day they decide to swap places, just for fun. Just for one day. 

But then Ellie refuses to swap back. And so begins Helen's nightmare from which she cannot wake up.......

The quotes adorning this novel are striking hyperboles like "compelling", "gripping", "ingenious" and "blistering clever". However, in this case, I have to completely agree with every single adjective used both on the inside and outside of its cover!

Any story about twins - and there have been some excellent ones published recently - is usually captivating, but this novel really is compulsive.

The atmosphere set up in the prologue is cold and unpleasant- the narrative voice is so unkind, so cruel and so full of malice that automatically a high level of tension and anticipation is established. The spine chilling final sentence, "We're going to play a game," was literally left ringing in my ears as I turned to Chapter One.

The writing is clever. The prose is sometimes quite lyrical; often only short phrases or deliberately vague imagery is used to convey character and setting. At other times the voice of the young Helen is captured with sincere authenticity and conviction. Morgan has set herself the challenge of writing two story lines - one in the present day as "Smudge" receives a phone call forcing her to confront her past, and one in the past, following the story from the moment of the swap. Both voices are the same character but both voices are very different - just as the character is so very different as a result of the disastrous effect their game.

Morgan's novel is about identity and how the way we are defined and treated by others affects us. What I found really fascinating was the judgements made against Ellie and the lack of fairness or opportunity offered to her. Then Helen becomes Ellie - Helen who is supposedly the intelligent, pretty, graceful and popular child- she is automatically treated unfairly and never once given the chance to prove herself. Helen's outrage and frustration is so palpably created by Morgan that it was impossible not to become emotionally involved with these three dimensional characters.

The children's world of school and family is exceptionally well evoked. The twins first day back at school after the swap was compelling reading - I've just tried to skim back for a quote and ended up rereading three pages, once again totally absorbed in Helen's childlike observations and hopes. It's so vivid. It's so emotive.

Morgan allows us to care for both girls even though they can both be equally monstrous in their behaviour towards each other. At first I did not believe I could ever sympathise with Helen, but when she tries to trick Ellie using the same cruel game herself and Mary have frequently tormented her with and it backfires so she is suddenly the victim, I felt a surge of shock and sympathy.

It's incredible that Ellie, always thought to be so slow, dimwitted and weak, has the power, insight, confidence and brazenness to reinvent herself as Helen with so much conviction. But then I guess this idea of prejudice and never allowing people to shake off labels is a fascinating theme which Morgan wants to explore in her writing.

Helen gradually becomes "Smudge". A woman who has lost her own identity and become a shadow. Her musings do become more muddled, the blurring between the truth, the past, the present, which girl is which and keeping track of whether it's Ellie / Helen or Helen / Ellie reflects a kind of descent into madness and conveys how devastating the consequences of a malicious game can be. The shockwaves from the Ellie's decision to suddenly not relent to Helen throw huge crashing waves thought the entire family for the rest of their lives. I liked that at times I felt I was drowning in the novel, spiralling into madness alongside Helen. It is not often that you can become so absorbed that it feels as if you are truly inside the disturbed, confused mind of the protagonist.

It is not just a thriller - it is more than that. It is gripping as there is a constant confusion about which twin is which, if they will ever be discovered and then the shock revelations about some dark secrets hidden behind the closed doors of the family home. It is a sinister page turner. But this novel is more unsettling than that. This book is psychologically unnerving; it examines mental illness, fragility and the sense of self. The ending raises shocking questions about secrets, game playing and parenting. The protagonists are complex, the plot is multilayered, the writing often beautifully metaphorical. It is immensely thought provoking and an impressive debut.

I can't wait to read more from Ann Morgan and as Heat says on the back cover - I do feel a little haunted even after nearly a week of finishing the last page!

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

"The Devil Wins" Reed Farrel Coleman

Synopsis:

In the wake of a huge storm, three bodies are discovered in the rubble of an abandoned factory building in an industrial part of Paradise known as The Swap. One body, a man’s, wrapped in a blue tarp, is only hours old. But found within feet of that body are the skeletal remains of two teenage girls who had gone missing during a Fourth of July celebration twenty-five years earlier. Not only does that crime predate Jesse Stone’s arrival in Paradise, but the dead girls were close friends of Jesse’s right hand, Officer Molly Crane. And things become even more complicated when one of the dead girls’ mothers returns to Paradise to bury her daughter and is promptly murdered. It’s up to Police Chief Jesse Stone to pull away the veil of the past to see how all the murders are connected.

This is number 14 in the New York Times bestselling Jesse Stone series. Coleman was selected by the estate of Robert B Parker to take over the writing of the Jesse Stone series of novels when Parker died in 2010. The Huffington Post states that "'The Devil Wins' is such a winner of a novel that Parker's loyal fans, and Coleman's new ones, will be equally delighted." This is quite a claim to make with such confidence, but this reviewer is not alone in their praise for Coleman's work.

I am intrigued by this book - and even more so by the fact that I have not heard more about this author! I love that the Sunday Times has said the Parker "packs more meaning into a whispered 'yeah' than most writers can pack into a page."

The Guardian states that Robert B Parker is one of the "greats" and Newsday says the "sentences flow with as much wit, grace and assurance as ever, and Stone is a complex and consistently interesting new protagonist." 

This definitely looks like a book to add to your TBR pile for lovers of crime and police procedural novels.

Author Bio:
Reed Farrel Coleman is the Edgar nominated author of 18 novels and 3 novellas, including the critically acclaimed Moe Prager series. He teaches at the Hofstra University and is a founding member of the MWA University.

Robert B Parker was the best selling author of over 60 books and lived in Boston until he died in 2010.



Contact info:
@noexitpress
noexit.co.uk/thedevilwins
01582 766348

"An Honourable Man" Paul Vidich

"An Honourable Man" by Paul Vidich publishes on 22nd September 2016 in Hardback with No Exit Press.

Synopsis:

Washington D.C. 1953. The Cold War is heating up: McCarthyism, with all its fear and demagoguery is raging in the nation's capital, and Joseph Stalin's death has left a dangerous power vacuum in the Soviet Union.

The CIA, meanwhile, is reeling from a double agent within their midst. Someone is selling secrets to the Soviets, compromising missions around the globe. Undercover agents have been assassinated, and the anti-Communist plots are being cut short in ruthlessly efficient fashion. The CIA director knows any news of the traitor, whose code name is Protocol, would be a national embarrassment and compromise the entire agency.

George Mueller seems to be the perfect man to help find the mole: Yale educated; extensive experience running missions in Eastern Europe; an operative so dedicated to his job that it left his marriage in tatters. The Director trusts him. Mueller, though, has secrets of his own, and as he digs deeper in to the case, making contact with a Soviet agent, suspicion begins to fall on him as well. Until Protocol is found, no one can be trusted, and everyone is at risk.

Reviews:

This book is receiving huge international praise so far. I was particularly impressed to read the quote below from Schiff as "The Americans" has definitely been one of my favourite TV series recently and I think there has been a resurgence of interest in the Cold War era in both television, film and novels in the last 12 months or so.

Stephen Schiff, writer and co-executive producer of "The Americans" writes:
"A cool, knowing and quietly devastating thriller that vaults Paul Vidich into the ranks of such thinking-man's spy novelists as Joseph Kanon and Alan Furst. Like them, Vidich conjures not only a riveting mystery but a poignant cast of characters, a vibrant evocation of time and place, and a rich excavation of human paradox."

John Connolly says that this novel is a "rare beast: a good old fashioned spy novel. ....For a book about the Cold War, it left me with a warm, satisfied glow." 

Jayne Anne Phillips, New York Times bestselling author describes the book as an "immensely assured debut, a requiem to a time...intensely dark, silken with facts, replete with promise." 

The reviews left by established authors suggest that Vidich is going to be a very strong, new voice in spy thriller fiction and that this book is definitely one for that TBR pile! Mine's added - I can't wait to read it and be swept away by a world of betrayal, moral compromises and excitement!

Amazon Link 


Author Bio:

Paul Vidich has had a distinguished career in music and media. Most recently, he served as Special Advisor to AOL, Inc. and was Executive Vice President at the Warner Music Group, in charge of technology and global strategy. He serves on the Board of Directors of Poets and Writers and The New School for Social Research. A founder and publisher for the Storyville App, Vidich is also an award winning author of short fiction. This is his first novel.

Contact:

@noexitpress
noexitpress.co.uk/honourableman

"The Two O'Clock Boy" Mark Hill

TWO CHILDHOOD FRIENDS... ONE BECAME A DETECTIVE... ONE BECAME A KILLER...

One night changed their lives
Thirty years ago, the Longacre Children's Home stood on a London street where once-grand Victorian homes lay derelict. There its children lived in terror of Gordon Tallis, the home's manager.

Cries in the fire and smoke
Then Connor Laird arrived: a frighteningly intense boy who quickly became Tallis' favourite criminal helper. Soon after, destruction befell the Longacre, and the facts of that night have lain buried . . . until today.

A truth both must hide
Now, a mysterious figure, the Two O'Clock Boy, is killing all who grew up there, one by one. DI Ray Drake will do whatever it take to stop the murders - but he will go even further to cover up the truth.

As first lines go, this is a killer.

"The boy loved his parents more than anything on this Earth. And so he had to kill them." 

I was instantly hooked. And with each line, the writing just got better and better. 

"Perched on the edge of his bunk, he listened to them now. The squeak of their soles on the deck above as they threw recriminations back and forth in voices as vicious as the screeching seagulls wheeling in the sky. He heard the crack of the sail in the wind, the smack of the water against the hull inches from his head...Slap....slap....slap...." 

The threat of menace is so darkly palpable through Hill's description of the boat; the words "slap, vicious, crack" and "smack" all instantly implying violence, aggression and murder. I loved the line "His love for them was untethering, drifting away on a fierce tide.....Slap...slap....slap.." The metaphorical power of such a simple phrase is so effective and not at all the kind of lyrical phrases I was expecting when picking up this new debut crime thriller. 

By the end of the first page, there was nothing drifting or untethering about my attention - it was well and truly caught. 

This anonymous character whose voice opens the story - and who we know only to be a boy - is utterly chilling. He is filled with corrosion and bitterness; fury and rage:

"Already he felt anger swelling like a storm where his love had been." 

As the novel continued, I was determined to enjoy Hill's descriptions and clever use of language despite the speed at which the story races along. I liked his image of "clots of people gathered in the sweep of the cherry lights to watch the proceedings from the outer cordon..." for a crime scene. The subtle choices of colour and words absolutely brimming with connotation and help creating suspense and tension. Hill has written a gritty, contemporary novel that doesn't shy away from hard hitting scenes but with the more unexpected brush of lyrical description. It bodes for an interesting and original voice. 

As well as an ability to convey scene and atmosphere with such assurance, Hill also creates convincing characters. His description of Kenny here illustrates the more gritty tone of the novel:

"Kenny hated going straight. Loathed it. He'd been a good boy for three years now - three years, eight months and fourteen days to be exact - and every single minute of every single hour had been excruciating."

Continuing with the grit, DI Ray Drake is our man for solving this crime and he has all the ingredients for an engaging character that readers will want to invest in and follow on further adventures. Suitably haunted by a past and a a secret, suitably admired and referred by his colleagues he is a great creation. Again, I could quote much here but have already used up precious word count tantalising you with the opening and don't want to give anything else away for those of you that want to meet this new detective on the block yourselves. I must confess also that I became too absorbed in the plot to remember to keep highlighting good quotes! 

What I will say is that so far critics have draw similarities between "The Two O'Clock Boy" and the TV series "Luther" and I'm hard pushed to better that. This comparison captures the essence of this original detective book. 

Hill is a journalist and a script writer and I think this is evident in his writing. It is very visual, it is very polished and it is very authentic and compelling. Although this is his debut novel, it is clear that he is a talented writer and confident in his ability to thrill, shock and keep you up until the early hours of the morning turning the final pages. 

But don't just take my word for it. The endorsements from other authors is overwhelming. David Young ("Stasi Child") says it is "unsettling and powerful.....shocking edge of the seat twists and a heart stopping finale." Several others use the word "talented". 

This must surely be the start of a hard hitting crime series that will be devoured by those who like to discover dark, fresh writing. 

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

Little Brown publishes "The Two O'Clock Boy" in ebook on 22nd September 2016 and paperback on 6th April 2017.

**BLOG TOUR** "Time for a Short Story" Julia Roberts

Eloise is still coming to terms with the death of her mother two years previously when she takes a job as a waitress in a tearoom while she is home from university to spend the summer in Guernsey. There she meets regular customer, Josephine, whose hobby is writing short stories.  English student, Eloise, offers to read some of the stories and is surprised by how good they are. She organises a special ninetieth birthday treat for Josephine but when the elderly lady doesn't show up for her usual Wednesday morning elevenses, Eloise gets a feeling that something is terribly wrong.

Where is Josephine? And will she ever find out about Eloise's extraordinary act of kindness?

Today is my turn on the Blog Tour for Julia Roberts' "Time for a Short Story". This is indeed a short story - about 38 pages long and easily read in one sitting. I was delighted when Julia said she would also answer a few questions for me about her writing as part of my blog post today.

So without further ado, I'll hand over to Julia!

In "Time for a Short Story" Josephine says, "The best university, if you're serious about being a writer, is life." Is this also your opinion? What would be your top tip to any aspiring writer?

Not necessarily, although to quote Ernest Hemingway; "To write about life, first you must live it." Josephine is ninety so, like my mum, believes that there are things in life that school and university can't teach. My tip to any aspiring writer would be to start putting your ideas down on paper and see what develops.

At the end of this book, you explain that the inspiration for this short story is your mum. Did she influence your passion for writing? Do you ever read each other's work-in-progress or bounce ideas around together?

I wouldn't say Mum influenced my passion for writing but both she and my dad were very supportive of my desire to write. Twelve years ago they bought me a gold Caran d'Ache pen and I still have the accompanying note; "Hope this pen will inspire you to write happy notes, cheery letters and - perhaps - a novel!" Unfortunately, my dad didn't live to see my work in print but I like to believe he knows. With regard to reading each others work-in-progress, I don't share my with Mum until it is finished. She and my twenty-eight year old daughter, Sophie, are always the first two people to read my work. Mum likes to read her stories to me when she is still working on them and asks for suggestions if a piece of the plot is proving tricky.  

There are several characters in "Time for a Short Story"; all of them have back stories and all of them probably deserve a longer story of their own. Will we be meeting any of them again in a future novel?

I'm not sure, but probably not. Funnily enough, my copy editor asked me why I didn't make "Time for a Short Story" into a full length novel as she also wanted to know more about the characters - I think Josephine may well have led quite a colourful life!

Tell me a bit about your "Liberty Sands" trilogy.

I had the idea for the trilogy while I was on holiday in Mauritius, recuperating from a year of quite intense medication. The protagonist, who we meet at the beginning of "Life's a Beach and Then...", is single mum, Holly Wilson, who has recently landed herself a job as an undercover travel blogger, travelling to luxury resorts around the world. She hasn't had a boyfriend in the twenty years, since the father of her child deserted her when she was pregnant, choosing instead to devote her life to bringing up her son, Harry. In Mauritius she is introduced to writer, Philippe, by a British couple she has met, whose lives are set to be devastated by terminal illness. Holly falls in love with Philippe and he pledges to join her in England when he has finished writing his book. A series of misunderstandings cause Holly to break off their relationship before discovering she is pregnant with his child. The second book, If He Really Loved Me..., brings Harry in to the story more as he begins searching for the father he has never known, after finding out his mum is pregnant again. His search, aided by one of his university friends, Amy, who is secretly in love with him despite being his best friend's girlfriend, takes him to Los Angeles where he meets his grandparents and discovers the real reason that his father, Gareth, abandoned his mother. I also introduce 'knight in shining armour, Nick, towards the end of the book, posing the question who will Holly choose to spend the rest of her life with. It's Never Too Late To Say... is the conclusion of the trilogy. In it, we finally meet Holly's estranged mother, Carol, who we have heard about in the previous two books. She is an alcoholic suffering from liver cirrhosis and alcohol-induced dementia. It is a darker storyline in places but we do end up back on the beach in Mauritius for a wedding. The question is, who is marrying who?       

I see from your back catalogue that you have written an autobiographical book, "One Hundred Lengths of the Pool." You have led a very varied and fascinating life. What one thing from your life so far do you think has had the most impact on you as a writer?

I feel very blessed to have led such a full life and, like most people, assumed I had many years ahead of me to 'eventually' write the novel I had always wanted to. Shortly before "One Hundred Lengths of the Pool" was due to be published, I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia. I remember walking out of University College Hospital in London in a state of shock. I had cancer and at that point I had no idea if the drug therapy was going to work for me. I think that may have been the catalyst for me to start writing fiction, once I was feeling well enough, just as losing my dad was the catalyst for me writing "One Hundred Lengths of the Pool." 

What would you say were the main differences between writing a non fiction book and a fictional one?

"One Hundred Lengths of the Pool" was about remembering special moments in my life, whereas my novels are using my imagination to create story-lines, although, in truth, elements of my novels have their basis in real life. 

What do you think are the main differences between writing a short story and a longer novel?

The obvious answer is that it doesn't take as long. This is my first attempt at a short story and it started off as an exercise to see if I could do it. I hadn't plotted it out at all, I just sat down and started to write. Award-winning novelist, Sue Moorcroft, had very kindly forwarded me some notes from a talk she had given at a meeting of the London chapter of the Romantic Novelists' Association that I had been unable to attend. The most important thing I learned from those was that you still need to tell the whole story but in a condensed way, with fewer characters and locations.    

Are you working on anything at the moment?

I have plotted my next full length novel which I hope to make a start on writing in my next break from QVC in a couple of weeks time. I'm also intending to write another short story in the next six weeks or so, and a Christmas novella for which I have a great title but as yet a very 'sketchy' plot - maybe that will have to be for Christmas 2017! 

The title "Time for a Short Story" has a double meaning in this instance. What one ambition do you want to make time for in the future?

I'm glad you picked up on the double meaning. Honestly, I feel very fortunate to have done the things I have in my life so I'm not sure I can apply the word 'ambition' to anything I would still like to achieve. If I can stay healthy, and keep writing books and stories I will be happy, especially if one day I can share my writing with grandchildren.

What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading Sue Fortin's "The Girl Who Lied" although I must confess I'm only a couple of chapters in - so far it's really good. 

Thank you Julia for such detailed answers and for chatting here today! It's been really interesting! I hope all your books continue to do well and look forward to catching up with your back catalogue! 


And now, my review of "Time for a Short Story"!

"Time for a Short Story" is a charming book; a gentle easy read that nicely accompanies a slice of toasted teacake and frothy coffee, just like one of the main protagonists, Josephine, likes to enjoy once a week at her favourite café!

Roberts' story is less than 40 pages long and can be read in one sitting in your local café while eating homebaked goods – and believe me, with all the description of cakes, sponges and café ambience, that is the only place you really can sit to read it!

There are a handful of interesting characters, all with a back story and all well established in the brief time Roberts has within these mere 8000 words. The pages are packed full of characters, mini stories and touches on lots of themes. There is a great balance struck between developing enough complexity to carry an enjoyable plot, without things becoming too unnecessary complicated or convoluted.

This is a comfortable, comforting read about realizing dreams, rebuilding relationships and the power of storytelling.

If you are looking for something to nudge you along your creative journey, then read this. Or, if you just fancy an extra slice of something one afternoon, help yourself to this satisfyingly light morsel!

"Time for a Short Story" was published on Monday 12th September 2016.

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

**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)