"Holding" Graham Norton

So it's obvious why I wanted to read this! We are all very familiar with celebrity comic Graham Norton and this is his first foray into fiction writing. It's clear from his television work that Norton is a bright, sharp, intelligent guy so I was intrigued to see what kind of novel he might produce - while simultaneously not trying to raise my expectations too high or put too much pressure on Mr Norton!

Here's a quick synopsis for those not familiar with the book blurb:

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn't always been this overweight; mother of­ two Brid Riordan hasn't always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn't always felt that her life was a total waste.

So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke - a former­ love of both Brid and Evelyn - the village's dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.

This book reflects a different side of Norton - his wit lies more unassumingly between the lines; less obvious, more heartwarming and perhaps more sincere than that of his bold, cheeky, upfront persona presented on screen.  In "Holding" he reveals a depth to his writing that shows an assured understanding of people, emotional journeys, choices and dilemmas -which is probably what makes him such an appealing and successful interviewer and chat show host.

"Holding" has the accomplished feel of an established Irish author and keeps very comfortably within the tradition of Irish Contemporary Popular Fiction. Norton clearly feels very at ease with this genre and I was impressed with the conviction of his character's voices, particularly the women.

The book feels very effortless and it is very fluent. The town of Duneen is described in a soft, mocking tone and Norton easily establishes an atmosphere and setting with a few wry sentences:

"People didn't stop in Duneen. In defence of the casual traveller, there was little reason why they should.....Time didn't pass in Duneen; it seeped away."

There are many characters in this novel - the setting of a small village automatically provides Norton with a cast of protagonists whom he breathes much life and colour into. Each character is three dimensional, complex and most definitely relatable and believable. They are engaging and entertaining; PJ particularly, is a character of which the reader can not help but grow fond.

"It was still quite unsettling for the village that their safety depended on a man who broke into a sweat walking up from communion."

And there's a lovely balance between mocking the folk of Duneen without being crass, unkind or creating caricatures for a cheap laugh. For example, PJ's struggle to take the reins on a real crime are well captured:

"Somebody knew......Was there a conspiracy of silence amongst the good people of Duneen? They seemed sheepish and furtive....Did they all have something to hide or were they just unsure of how to treat him now that he finally had a real crime to investigate?"

Norton's descriptions are adept, original and expertly fitting. He talks about Susan Hickey's "small round face with its mouth pursed like a balloon knot ....red and shiny from a mixture of heat and excitement". It's a book full of chuckles and smiles.

As the story progresses there are passages of extremely accomplished description. Norton's humour and initial light, delightful voice adapts with the plot to match the shift in atmosphere as the deepening police investigation reveals more sinister and more emotional past events. He can ably create tension, suspense and mystery giving the book a more involved plot.

"It might have been a ghost, but then the crunch of a heel against some loose grit on the road betrayed that it was a living soul. Someone was walking with a steady confidence through the darkness up the hill past the primary school. One foot in front of the other, both hands clutching the collar of their coat to their throat though it was a mild, windless night."

Norton's writing is gently charming and humorous but he is also capable of very powerful, darker imagery. The quote below epitomises how the religion culture still underpins these Irish communities and it captures the sense of appearance and judgement which haunts (or controls) some of them. Norton is capable of great empathy and can imply much characterisation with a few deft strokes of subtle suggestion.

"A vision drifted into her mind where she was nailed to the big cross that sat behind the altar. She saw  her grey haired head slumped to one side, the blood from the crown of thorns trickling down her face, her body draped in a silky dressing gown. All the people of the village she had ever known, alive or dead, sat in the pews and glared at her, their eyes full of unforgiving judgement."

I found the story lines of some of the characters really moving and well written. I liked the story arc and how everything became interwoven. It was a hugely enjoyable read - quick, light but with enough thought provoking moments and enough troubled characters to stay with you once the final page is read. It's a very satisfying read.

I loved the ending -an inspirational metaphor!

"PJ flicked through the pages of a life not yet lived. He thought he liked the sound of this chapter."

I like the sound of this chapter too. Does this mean "Holding" is the start of a series and we will see PJ again in another novel from Norton? I hope so. I really hope so!

My thanks to NetGalley for approving my request for an ARC of this book in return for a fair review.

If you have enjoyed my review then follow me on Twitter for more reviews and recommendations @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

"The Secret Letters" Catherine Law

"In her hands were his letters to her: unread, unknown, unearthed forty six years after she had last seen his face."

The prologue of "The Secret Letters" immediately drew me in. I had already been very tempted by the blurb - any story combining undiscovered letters that have been hidden, unopened for nearly 50 years and a setting of the Second World War suggests a great historical drama of romance, tragedy and survival. And Law does not disappoint.

The prologue sets up lots of questions as we are introduced to Rose, her mysterious pile of letters and her daughters as they prepare themselves for a trip to Prague. Law ably establishes a scene which awakens the reader's sense of curiosity. It's clear there is a dark, painful secret lurking within Rose and maybe even a life or a side to her that her family have never known about. The way Rose handles the letters reveals quite a lot of information so the reader can take guess at what story might unfold but there is still enough of a sense of secrecy to make you want to read on.

"Rose could not look her daughter in the eye as she reached for the letters with a surprisingly steady hand. Cradling Krystof's letters, so fragile, so light, she noticed how they were disintegrating at the folds, a little torn. Like me, she thought. His looping hand was off-venter, the inked postmark, Praha 9 June 1946, fading. Once again, her mind was lame. She could not bear to think. She wrapped them tenderly back up in her scarf and stowed them in a corner of her suitcase." 

There's also an implication that Rose's world has become very limited and so the idea of her suddenly travelling to Prague feels out of character and perhaps physically demanding which accentuates the tension and atmosphere of expectation.

Small details are added into the conversation between Rose and her daughters, once more hinting at more secrets and hidden truths.

"'It's so small I've never noticed [the small crescent shaped mark on Rose's cheek] It's always been part of your face. It's not important, Mum.'
Rose pressed her lips together. Nancy didn't know how wrong she was." 

Rose is an intriguing protagonist. Appearing so ordinary, almost retiring but obviously a woman burdened. Her stoic mannerisms beg a flurry of answers and I was certainly curious to find out what this unassuming woman had seen or suffered. She's clearly put her parenting and happiness of her family above everything else but now it feels as if a day of reckoning is near. Her fear of constantly being discovered is implied by Nancy's throw away comment about things buried in her subconscious and then further heightened by Rose's admission that:

"Her daughters had never been aware of the chilling, draining emptiness of the rooms once their playing was over and they were tucked up in bed; the creeping loneliness that followed her solitary figure upstairs every night." 

We are then transported to the Second World War and Rose's life as a young girl, only daughter and engaged to Will - a very controlling character who fits the desired requirements of her parents. Already Rose feels like a girl trapped and frustrated.

I enjoyed the story as it followed Rose to her new home on a farm. Ignoring her parents and Will, she does her bit for the War by taking up the position as a Land Girl. This section was very reminiscent of lots of TV adaptions and particularly for me, it echoed the 1998 film "The Land Girls" with McCormack, Friel and Weisz which I liked as despite the book's historical context, it felt very alive and relatable. I liked the sparky character of Mel - refreshing company for Rose - and the homely, gentle character of Betony the farmer's wife and of course, Ted, the farmer whose initial gruffness gives way to a man full of empathy and kindness. They become her new family; her nickname "Ginge" almost releasing her from her past life and helping her assert herself as a more gregarious, independent and adventurous woman.

And while at the farm, she meets Krystof, a Czechoslovakian officer in the army and falls deeply in love.

But it is the war so tragedy then starts to strike. First Krystof is posted away, then Rosie is called home. I thought the description of Rose's return to her street was very evocative and visual.

"Her mother's enamel colander lay in the vegetable patch alongside a dented tin of milk, discarded among her father's charred cabbages. It was as if the soil was belching out random bits of rubbish. The chicken coop was a tangle of wire and singed straw; she spotted the brown corpse of a hen, feathers lifted by the breeze........The black and white bathroom tiles looked as pristine as ever and yet the wall they were attached to was bulging like a distended stomach. Her parents' bed was sheathed into sticks, lying on the parlour floor; pages of the Radio Times flicked over and over, as if being read by the wind." 

I think that last line about the Radio Times is excellent. 

In the turmoil that follows this devastating event, Rose makes some ill judged decisions. Will reappears and takes advantage of her weakened state. He is menacing and the repetition of words like "knowing" and "knew" highlight how much Rose has changed and how ill suited the couple are. 

"'I knew it, Rosebud,' he whispered to her in the semi darkness. "I knew you'd one day be mine.'"

Will is a perfect "baddie". He's a villain that makes you want to shout out and save Rose from him. There is very little that is redeeming about him and therefore the contrast between the him and Krystof are very obvious. When Will moves Rose into their new home, Law's description of the house captures Rose's emotional state of mind and her inward knowledge that she is desperately unhappy.

"....the Old Vicarage stood in its dripping garden, its windows blank and unwelcoming. Paint peeled and bubbled on the front door and moss carpeted the stone steps. Rose shivered in the hallway.... the stairs rose in front of her into darkness...her nose twitched at the smell of unlived-in spaces, undusted nooks, the aroma of mouse.......dust on table....grime on shelves.....stale smell...." 

But Rose is a fighter and sets out to follow Krystof to Prague, chasing hopes of a happier life.

The story of Krystof and Rose is heartbreaking, tender and very moving. Their story is one of love, longing, loss and sacrifice. Law manages the plot well, capturing the decisions and dilemmas that faced people at this time convincingly and with sympathy. There are some nail biting moments and some moments of high tension as well as moments of poignancy and sadness.

I enjoyed the actual war time story more than the plot line set in 1992 following Rose as an older woman, although it was interesting to see Law knit all the threads and characters together and resolve the relationship between Rose and her daughters as they discover the truth about their mother. This is quite a romantic read, tear-jerking at times and will appeal to people who like that kind of genre.

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

"The Secret Letters" is published by Bonnier Zaffre on 6th October 2016.

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

**EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT**"The Taken" Casey Kelleher

     

When you’ve lost everything, you’ll do anything to survive.

Saskia Frost’s world is blown apart when her dad dies. Without any family, she’s on her own now and up to her eyeballs in her father’s debts. He owed a lot of money to some very dangerous men – Joshua and Vincent Harper. Before long, aspiring ballerina Saskia finds herself lap-dancing in a London club to survive. A club run by the infamous Harper brothers. Saskia is now their property and they’re going to make her pay every penny back. 

Teenager Lena Cona has fled a cruel and controlling marriage. She arrives in England with her newborn daughter, desperately relying on strangers for help. But she soon learns that not everyone can be trusted as she finds herself caught in the clutches of Colin Jefferies, a twisted individual obsessed by his own sinister secrets. As the sickening truth is revealed, Lena is forced to fight for her life - and her baby’s. 

When their worlds collide, Lena and Saskia form an unlikely friendship. But with the terrifying Harper brothers on their tail, as well as Lena’s vengeful and violent husband, can they escape with their lives?

"THE TAKEN" by Casey Kelleher is published on the 5th October by Bookouture and I am thrilled that today on my blog I am able to share with you an exclusive extract from the opening pages!

As if you weren't already excited enough from the blurb and hype surrounding this novel billed as "A twisted, gripping crime thriller - not for the faint hearted", then I'm sure the extract below will have you clicking on Amazon before you finish the last sentence!

So here you go.......

THE TAKEN

By Casey Kelleher

Prologue

Albania: One year earlier

‘Tariq?’

Whimpering, Lena Cona looked down at the ground to where her brother lay.

The two men were shouting now, their voices angry, intimidating.

She tried to comprehend what they were saying, but their jumbled words were muted, merging into background noise as her ears began to ring loudly, a high-pitched screech filling her head.

She was in shock.

Unable to think straight, Lena tried to move, but she couldn’t.

Her legs were shaking, but her feet felt weighed down, as if her shoes were filled with lead.

She was afraid. Paralysed to the spot, all she could do was stare; her eyes fixated on the thick stream of blood that oozed out from the gash at the back of Tariq’s head.

He’d been hit.

The taller of the men had whacked him around the head with the butt of his gun.

They had a gun!

Panic ripped through her at the sudden realisation.

Lena tried to shout out; opening her mouth, a strained squeak barely louder than a whisper was the only noise that crept out.

‘Get in the car.’

The man pointed his gun at her now. Aiming it straight at her. His words were devoid of emotion, reflecting the same vacant hollowness that she could see in his eyes.

Stepping closer, he shoved the barrel against Lena’s chest.

‘Now!’ This time he bellowed, his face twisting in anger as he pushed the gun harder against her skin.

Lena could see his finger hovering threateningly over the trigger. This wasn’t an empty threat. She knew he was dangerous, but still she couldn’t move.

A few minutes ago she and her brother had been laughing and joking together.

Tariq had been walking her home from school.

That was her parents’ order: that her brother would walk her to and from school every day.

Lena had thought her parents were overreacting. Of course there were risks, but they didn’t apply to her, surely. Now she’d realised she’d been stupid, naïve. She remembered, with increasing terror, Néné’s harrowing tales of girls from Shkodër being snatched. Abducted and taken to the city’s main port, Vlorë, before being shipped off on speedboats across the Adriatic Sea, never to be seen again.

Her parents had pleaded with her to stay at home, to accept the traditional life of a normal Albanian girl just as many of her peers had done, but Lena was anything but normal.

Strong-willed. Defiant. Unlike most of the other girls in her class who had left school at the age of twelve or thirteen due to the pressures that their families had bestowed on them, Lena had refused to follow suit, insisting on completing her education. Why should she be penalised just for being born female? Why should she submit to a life doing what was expected of her? Instead, adamant to remain, schooled in a classroom of eleven boys, Lena had strived to be top of her class.

Not only had Lena excelled in mathematics, but she was also fluent in English. Her teacher had been impressed. He had told Lena that she had mastered the language so well that, eventually, she’d be able to teach it herself.

Lena had loved that idea. Travelling the world, working as a teacher or a translator. Practising daily, she’d even started to educate her parents and her brother. Just the basic words of salutation, or naming the food they ate.

She wanted to learn as much as she possibly could, so that, one day, she could have more than just what her parents had chosen for her. She didn’t want to be stuck here in Albania as just somebody’s wife, or somebody’s mother.

It may have been enough for Néné, but it would never be enough for her. Lena wanted so much more: to be treated as an equal; to experience the same opportunities and freedom that her brother had.

Unwilling to back down, she’d argued so intently that her parents had finally given in; insisting, in the end, that if Lena must continue with her schooling until she was nineteen then she could, on the condition that Tariq chaperone her.

Only now it seemed that fate had played out a cruel hand. Staring down at him she could see that Tariq was hurt, maybe dead.

And it’s all my fault, a voice screamed in Lena’s head.

‘Help me! Please, somebody?’ Shouting hysterically, Lena finally found her voice as she prayed that someone would come to her aid.

‘Help me, please… ’

Lena caught the gaze of a woman across the road, her eyes pleading with her to help her, but all that stared back at her was the woman’s fear. With an apologetic look, the woman put her head down and kept walking, pretending that she hadn’t seen.

Crying now, desperate, Lena scoured the street, looking for anyone that might help her, but the dusty road was almost deserted. School had finished; people were already indoors, evading the mid-afternoon scorching heat.

A single car passed by. Slowing down, the people inside stared out from behind the glass windows, but they didn’t stop to help her. They didn’t dare.

‘Pick her up,’ the taller man shouted now, directing the shorter man.

He did as he was told: grabbing her roughly from behind, clamping his hand over her mouth to mute her cries.

Lena saw their car. It was a battered-looking bright blue Mercedes, covered in flaky patches of orange rust. The back door was wide open; the engine running.

They are going to take me?

Gripped with fear, Lena dug her heels into the dry mud, trying her hardest to resist as one of the two men tried to grab at her feet, but it was no use. The men were much stronger than her.

Overpowering her, they lifted her off the ground, hauling her over to their car.

A hand came from behind her, clamping tightly across her mouth, making her gag for breath. Silencing her. Lena struggled to break free but her attempts only caused the men to hold on to her tighter.

‘Stay still, you stupid bitch!’

The man’s voice was commanding. He was losing patience. The sternness of his tone indicated that he’d had enough of her not complying. ‘Do as you are told, or you will be punished.’

Punished?

Lena twisted her head back to where her brother lay sprawled out on the ground, motionless.

Hadn’t they punished her enough already?

She had no idea who they were or what they wanted. All she knew was that she couldn’t let them take her.

Her brother needed her. Despite feeling helpless, Lena couldn’t just leave him like this.

Kicking and clawing at the men like a wildcat as they tried to force her onto the back seat, her body convulsing, Lena fought to break free from her abductors.

If she got inside this car, maybe she’d suffer the same fate as all the girls before her.

She had to fight.

Kicking out her heel, her foot connected with the shorter man’s face. She startled him, just enough for him to lose his footing and his grip. Stumbling, he dropped her legs. But her small victory was short-lived.

A massive thud exploded at the back of her skull. The almighty blow from the man behind her immobilised her in an instant.

‘I warned you.’

Lena flopped forward like a rag doll.

She felt the man grab at her roughly, breaking her fall just before she hit the ground.

She felt herself being lifted up, thrown into the back of the car. She was dizzy, her head pounding.

A sharp burn of her scalp as the man seized a fistful of her long auburn hair. Wrapping it around his fist, he twisted her around to face him.

He was just inches away from her now; his face almost touching hers. He was so close that she could smell his stale rancid breath, see the glistening beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His face was puce from the heat and the struggle to get her into the car.

Still woozy from the blow she’d received to the back of her head, she tried to focus. Her vision blurred; she was surprised at how young her abductor looked. She had expected someone older. This man looked only a few years older than Tariq. No more than twenty, she guessed.

‘So, you think you’re a wild one huh?’

The man’s steely grey eyes flickered then, and Lena thought that she saw the tiniest hint of amusement behind them as he yanked at her hair even harder, ripping a clump from her scalp as he did so. The pain so acute, it forced Lena alert once more.

‘Well, it won’t take me long to tame you.’

Lena kept eye contact. Refused to let him see her pain; she stared back at him with nothing but pure contempt.

‘Stupid little girl.’

He punched her again, this time his fist locking hard with her cheek, her neck snapping back, her head smacking against the window behind her.

Slumped in the car now, Lena had nothing left. She was exhausted; her body weak and broken.

‘Tie her up,’ the man commanded, as the shorter of the men slid in beside her.

The man did as he was told. He bound her legs together tightly with coarse brown rope before wrapping thick black strips of tape firmly around her wrists. He was obviously taking no more chances with her.

The car began to move.

Petrified, Lena sat slumped in silence as she stared out of the window. Her gaze fixed on Tariq’s body, motionless, on the ground.

Move! Please, let me know that you’re okay?

Only Tariq didn’t. He remained completely still, lifeless, as the car continued off into the distance.

Lena watched until her brother was completely out of sight. All hope from her now gone.

She could feel the stream of blood pouring from her nose; the metallic taste mixed with the saltiness of her tears, filling her mouth.

Silent tears ran down her face as she wondered what fate was ahead of her.

She thought of Néné’s words once more.

About those girls. About what happened to them after they were taken.

How they were trafficked around Europe like cattle.

Her mother hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell her young daughter why the girls had been taken, but Lena knew. Rumours in Shkodër were rife. People in the village had spoken of how the girls that were taken were used for sex. Forced to earn money for men in ways so disgusting it was almost unimaginable to Lena.

Except maybe now she didn’t have to imagine it.

Maybe she was destined to experience the horror of it all herself, first hand.

Lena sobbed as she thought how she should have listened to her parents.

They only wanted the best for her, to keep her safe, but she’d been so foolish, so pig-headed. She’d put Tariq in danger.

These men were savages, animals.

Capable of anything.

Resting her head on the window as the car made its way out of Shkodër, out towards the rural mountains of the countryside, Lena closed her eyes and said a silent prayer.

She had no idea what fate lay ahead of her, but one thing she knew for certain, her nightmare was only just beginning.

THE TAKEN by Casey Kelleher out on 5^th October

UK: http://amzn.to/2aWAuYC

US: http://amzn.to/2aIO1DH

Born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, Casey Kelleher grew up as an avid reader and a huge fan of author Martina Cole.

Whilst working as a beauty therapist and bringing up her three children together with her Husband, Casey penned her debut novel Rotten to the Core. Its success meant that she could give up her day job and concentrate on writing full time.

www.caseykelleher.co.uk

www.facebook.com/OfficialCaseyKelleher

www.twitter.com/CaseyKelleher

My thanks to Bookouture for the generous offer of sharing an extract from "The Taken" on my blog and including me in the launch day of Kelleher's book.

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

"Sins of the Father" Emily Organ

Not usually a Historical Fiction Fan, I have been very much converted by Emily Organ's brilliant trilogy "Runaway Girl" of which "Sins of the Father" is the final part. Organ's ability to evoke the historical setting with so much detail and conviction makes her stories highly engaging. Her characters are so vividly brought to life they are as relatable and appealing as any contemporary protagonists. The dialogue is full of authentic dialect and vocabulary but reads with a fluency that helps keep a healthy pace in this exciting instalment which ends the overriding story arc Organ has carefully managed over the three books.

Alice de Grey is settling into married life in medieval London, but her world is shattered when her two year old niece, Mary, is kidnapped. As the city searches for the little girl, Alice realises that it was her own mistake which put Mary in danger. 

Alice’s adversary, Sir Walter, is back. He has duped her and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Even murder. 

Alice is forced to fix her mistake but Mary isn’t the only one to suffer. Sir Walter is one step ahead, and time is running out for Alice and her family.

It doesn't matter if you haven't read the first two novels in this series but I would recommend that you do! Not just because it will allow you to fully appreciate the characters' positions, behaviours, actions and relationships but also because they are just great, well written historical thrillers!

As with the previous books - and all good thrillers - the story starts with a prologue. Annoymous characters rush around in the dead of night; running away and hiding, setting up a great opening premise of mystery and secrets. This one involves a young child which generates a sense of urgency.

"'There, there, don't cry Mary. We can clean [your cut] up when we get home.' She knew she wasn't telling the truth. They weren't going home."

The novel continues by reacquainting us with familiar characters and reminding us of how "Forgotten Child" ended. Information is conveyed quickly and succinctly so the reader has everything they need to know to become fully involved in the plot without becoming distracted by digressions and contrived repetitive passages.

I am always impressed with Organ's attention to detail. Not only is her historical research faultless and thorough, but her descriptions appeal to each sense, fully immersing the reader in the world of 1351 London. At the funeral in one of the early chapters, Alice is overwhelmed by "the scent of incense mingled with the smell of sweat and wet wool." Organ clearly lives and breathes her novel as her writing so effectively recreates her imagined world for the reader with such authenticity.

There's an underlying atmosphere of threat and menace as details of the infamous Sir Walter are sprinkled into the narrative alongside strange goings on in the background. Again, at the funeral Organ writes ominously:

"A crow hopped among the graves and a man stood on the far side of the churchyard wall, holding his hood low so that it half-covered his face." 

Organ's trilogy has a cast of strong, female leads who are all resilient, independent, thoroughly modern and bold women. They are all dealing with their own difficult past or present issues and look to each other for support. There's an interesting dynamic between the women; I enjoyed that the story has been so female centred with such admirable role models.

I really enjoyed the thread about Sarah Dalton and her frightening descent into madness. The treatment of women's mental health in society is a fascinating one and with "The Woman in White" and "Jane Eyre" in my top ten of classic titles, it was intriguing to read about the desperate fate that befalls Sarah.

"He confirmed her ailing condition was due either to possession by the devil or the result of a curse that has been cast upon her by a witch..... What Mistress Dalton is exhibiting here is a melancholic response." 

Her appalling treatment and rapid descent into a trance like stupor is moving, as is Alice's visit to see her while she is being "nursed".

"Inside it reeked of damp and excrement Cockroaches scuttled along the bottom of the slimy wall as they walked in. The candle in Sister Gabriel's hand was the only source of light.....Alice couldn't find any words; she was dumbstruck by the pitiful sight that met her. Sarah sat slumped in the corner of the room, her bedraggled hair obscuring her face and her knees tucked up under her chin." 

Although what do we make of Dr de Servain and his diagnosis? Ah ha! I want to say more - and talk about the brilliant Doyle-esq characterisation but I can't without risking a spoiler or three! Such a shame, as this was a very impressive and confident section of the novel which illustrated Organ's writing at her best.

And it was great to see Millicent again! I really like this character. Her blunt, candid observations are so acute it's both impressive, moving and humorous all at once. Organ has created a great background character with care and empathy. Her response to Sarah's illness and Dr de Servain's diagnosis is more matter of fact as well as reminding us about medicine, belief and ritual at this time.

"He's a strange 'un. I don't think 'e's got much of a clue what 'e's doin'. We need ter get Sarah outta there so as I can 'elp 'er with some of me 'erbs an' charms." 

This was the third instalment of "The Runaway Girl" series and Organ's fifth book in total. I have enjoyed them all and certainly was not disappointed by "Sins of the Father". I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction and strong female leads but also to fans of mysteries, thrillers or anyone just a great weekend read.

My huge thanks to Emily Organ for allowing me to read an advanced copy of her novel prior to publication in return for a fair and honest review. It has been such a pleasure to chart Alice's journey and join in her adventures!

To read my reviews of Part One - "Runaway Girl", and Part Two - "Forgotten Child" click here:
http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/02/my-review-of-runaway-girl-by-emily-organ.html

http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/07/forgotten-child-emily-organ.html

To read my interview with Emily Organ, click here:

http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/07/author-q-emily-organ.html

To read the opening pages of "Runaway Girl" click here:

http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/03/runaway-girl-extract-from-opening-pages.html

If you would like more recommendations and reviews, please follow me on Twitter @ katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

**BLOG TOUR** "Death at the Seaside" Frances Brody

It is my privilege to kick off the Blog Tour for "Death at the Seaside" by Frances Brody today!

Nothing ever happens in August, and tenacious sleuth Kate Shackleton feels like she deserves a break. Heading off for a long-overdue holiday to Whitby, she visits her school friend Alma who works as a fortune teller there. 

Kate had been looking forward to a relaxing seaside sojourn, but upon arrival discovers that Alma’s daughter Felicity has disappeared, leaving her mother a note and the pawn ticket for their only asset: a watch-guard. What makes this more intriguing is the jeweller who advanced Felicity the thirty shillings is Jack Phillips, Alma’s current gentleman friend.

Kate can’t help but become involved, and goes to the jeweller’s shop to get some answers. When she makes a horrifying discovery in the back room, it soon becomes clear that her services are needed. Met by a wall of silence by town officials, keen to maintain Whitby’s idyllic façade, it’s up to Kate – ably assisted by Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden – to discover the truth behind Felicity’s disappearance.

And they say nothing happens in August . . .

This book from Little, Brown Book Group has to have one of the most appealing covers around at the moment! A classy vintage look with such a stylish font makes it very eye-catching and captures the 1920s setting perfectly. 

There has been a bit of a resurgence in "cosy crime" novels recently and Brody's latest title in the Kate Shackleton series definitely fits into the genre! 

The Independent refers to the book as a "winning tale full of colourful shenanigans". I really like the use of the word "shenanigans" as that's exactly what this story is full of. It's a lightweight, entertaining tale with a likeable protagonist whose amateur sleuth work shows her to have intelligence, resilience and perseverance. Shackleton seems a little weary of the demands of her role at times and by the way she is under-appreciated by the other characters, but this makes her more endearing and amiable. 

This is a charming read. There is a serious crime, a real investigation and a mystery to solve but this book feels as if it should read while sipping tea from bone china, helping yourself to a thin cucumber sandwich from a three tier cake stand and listening to some rhythmic twenties jazz music. Brody's writing allows the reader to relax and enjoy the very visual story with it's gentle humour and soft smiles. 

So from the outset, it's clear Kate isn't going to get the relaxing break she's expecting on her return to Whitby. As soon as she arrives, her Goddaughter Felicity has gone missing and Felicity's mother, Alma, reveals her husband's bigamy:

"....he was an enthusiast for matrimony. ....bigamist is an unkind term. ...." 

The twenties obviously was a very different time for women and marriage so the shame of Alma's plight and Felicity's illegitimacy are of much more significance. As Alma candidly points out, Felicity has enough on her plate with a fortune teller for a mother. I really enjoyed Alma's dialogue. Her  quips, blunt acknowledgements and frank statements such as, "I do tell other people's fortunes and see their futures but my own evades me entirely," are refreshing and funny. Not only does Alma tell fortunes, she also does automatic writing when the spirits send her messages. This was an intriguing plot device - and added a level of suspense to the plot but again, Brody's expression while recounting these scenes remains wry; Alma's frustration and impatience with the more mundane messages keeps the scene light.

Whitby is a great setting for a murder story. Birth place of Stoker's "Dracula", a town already seeped in connotations of darkness, with cliff faces and one-hundred-and-ninety-nine step climbs to the ruined Abbey, it's suitably atmospheric. Brody captures it well, as she does the historical era with convincing and well researched details.

Mrs Shackleton's relationship with Sergeant Garvin is well developed. I enjoyed their exchanges and interactions. For example when Kate is caught late at night exploring the Abbey grounds, Sergeant Garvin questions  her:

"Not that I am well-acquainted with ladies' bags, but the contents seem rather unusual....If one were are war, which thankfully we are not, then some of those items would arouse suspicion. Camera, torch, knife, hip flask,  unauthorised police whistle, set of keys.... You might explain why these items rather than a purse, comb and powder compact."

Readers are invited to form a direct relationship with Kate as her chapters are told in first person and her narrative more frequent but we also follow Alma and Felicity. The chapters following Felicity are  very short and create a real sense of mystery and suspense as the reader works to piece together the clues as to where she is, who she is with and what they are doing. Again, Brody uses the setting of Holy Island and sand shifting tidal waters to suggest further danger. 

I would recommend this book to those who like a traditional mystery thriller and historical fiction. 

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group for a copy of the paperback in return for a fair and honest review. Thank you also for inviting me on the Blog Tour! 

"Death at the Seaside" is published in paperback by Little, Brown Book Group on 6th October 2016 

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FRANCES BRODY 

Frances Brody is the author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries, as well as many stories and plays for BBC Radio, scripts for television and four sagas, one of which won the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin Award. Her stage plays have been toured by several theatre companies and produced at Manchester Library Theatre, the Gate and Nottingham Playhouse, and Jehad was nominated for a Time Out Award.

www.francesbrody.com

www.facebook.com/FrancesBrody

www.twitter.com/FrancesBrody 

For more information please contact Clara Diaz on

Clara.Diaz@littlebrown.co.uk | 020 3122 6565 | @ClaraHDiaz

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