**AUTHOR Q&A** Fleur Hitchcock "Murder in Midwinter"

Today I'm lucky enough to welcome Children's Author Fleur Hitchcock to my blog! 

"Murder in Midwinter" was published in October by Nosy Crow and would be the perfect wintery tale for any reader between the ages of 9-12 years. 

But enough of this - let's meet Fleur and find out more about murder, mystery and midwinter!

  I love the opening of "Murder in Midwinter" and that idea of just glancing out of the window of a bus and in those crucial two minutes, seeing something that changes the course of your life. Has there ever been a moment in your life when something caught your eye from the bus, car or cafe window that somehow affected you?

When I was a child, I did the same bus journey every Saturday and I would look into the same houses from the top deck of the bus.  I never saw anything as disturbing as Maya’s glimpse, but I did see tiny fragments of other people’s lives. I saw people aging, new babies, ill advised building projects that languished and died. It was that sense of passing through, which is exactly what happens to Maya.  More recently, I did travel on a stop start bus through central London at Christmas, and without realising it, it must have been the germ of the idea.

In your novel, Maya uses her phone to take a photo. What was the last thing you took a photo of on your phone and who did you share it with?

Oh this is sad – The last photo I shared was a picture of a 1970s brown sink that was in a cottage we rented in Cornwall. It was so extraordinary, I had to capture it, and I shared it on twitter. 

 In the novel, Maya has to go and stay with relatives in Wales. For you, where would be the worst place you could be sent and why? 

A place with no books – that would be awful. I’ve recently stayed in a long string of holiday cottages with no books and no pictures on the walls. Boy, were they hard work.

 Have you ever been a witness to a crime or seen something you wish you hadn't? (this question comes from my 10yr old!!) 

A crime was committed very near my childhood home (kidnapping) but I kind of missed out on all the excitement – and a policeman who lived near us thought he had a bomb left under his car but it wasn’t a bomb, it was just a badly welded exhaust pipe. Still, it provided some excitement for the day. But my dad, who was disabled, once brought down a bag snatcher with his walking stick and sat on him.  Does that count?

Absolutely!! That sounds like a scene that needs to be written into a book sometime! 

You have written a lot of novels! Which would you recommend I read next and why? 

If you can get a copy (DEAR SCARLETT is having a shiny new cover) I’d recommend DEAR SCARLETT or SAVING SOPHIA – They’re not quite so heart-in-your-mouth – but they are character led adventures and they do contain risk, and in DEAR SCARLETT’S case, quite a few laughs. Your 10 year old might like them too.

They sound great - I shall investigate and add them to his Christmas present list! 

Are you writing anything at the moment? Will there be a "Murder in Midsummer" to look forward to at any point in the future?!

Right this second, I’m writing four younger adventure stories about a collection of cousins who stay on their grandparents’ farm in the countryside.  They’re a great deal of fun and there are lots of cream teas and are for Nosy Crow

But more murder? That would be telling...

.......oh that is too tantalising!! I will be watching out for your new titles when they appear! 

Thanks so much for answering my questions - it's been really interesting hearing you chat and finding out a bit more about you. Thanks so much for your time and good luck with all your writing projects! 

You can find out more about Fleur on her website:
https://fleurhitchcock.wordpress.com

Or from Nosy Crow:
nosycrow.com

For my review of "Murder in Midwinter" please click here:
http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/10/childrens-fiction-murder-in-midwinter.html

If you would like to see more or my reviews or recommendations, please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

"Small Great Things" by Jodi Picoult

When a newborn baby dies after a routine hospital procedure, there is no doubt about who will be held responsible: the nurse who had been banned from looking after him by his father.

What the nurse, her lawyer and the father of the child cannot know is how this death will irrevocably change all of their lives, in ways both expected and not.

Jodi Picoult doesn't shy away from controversial and emotional topics. Her books always guarantee a great plot, complex characters who are full of conflict, several 'rug pulling' moments and a fierce need for discussion once you've turned the last page. "Small Great Things" is no exception.

It is a while since I last picked up any Picoult, but I have read nearly all her titles. They are a dependable 'go to' for anyone who enjoys issue based dramas or stories exploring thought provoking situations. As soon as I started this one, I was reminded how well she crafts her plot.

There are recognisable traits in her fiction. There's nearly always a court case, big dilemmas, consequences that ripple through families, friendships and communities in ways you'd never expect and characters who you end up changing your whole opinion of as the story develops - or as your own prejudices are put to the test. And an ending that you didn't see coming!

"Small Great Things" delivers on all these points.

"....there was a moment - one heartbeat, one breath- where all the differences in schooling and money and skin colour evaporated like mirages in a desert. Where everyone was equal and it was just one woman, helping another."

The opening establishes the key themes of the book, which is racial prejudice and equality. I was intrigued that Picoult also sets the opening of her novel in a  maternity ward - perhaps one of the most emotive environments which will already hold deeply personal connotations for many readers. But perhaps it is fitting to start somewhere that sees joy, pain, love, loss - a place where people's lives change forever and shape a new future.

Centring the story around a vulnerable new born baby is bold and throws the reader straight into a highly sensitive and harrowing situation. As we have come to expect, Picoult is going to have us in tears at least once while we read this book, if not more!

We meet Ruth Jefferson. Maternity nurse. A professional who is excellent at her job. We meet Brit and Turk Bauer who have just delivered their first baby. Immediately Ruth is aware there is something wrong as she enters the room. Assuming it is the overwhelmingly possessive love new parents can have which makes them unwilling to give up their baby for her to check, Ruth accommodates this in the way she checks the baby. An atmosphere remains. Later she is to find out it is because she is black. The post it note she discovers on the Bauer's baby's file is a shocking revelation.

"No African American Personnel to care for this patient." 

Ruth is pragmatic, strong and intelligent. She has lived a lifetime of fighting to prove her worth. Her constant repetition of her education and qualifications, and the surprise in which it is always met, reflects how hard she has worked to succeed in life despite the daily prejudice she suffers. She is a good person and the reader instantly warms to her as a character. She works hard and is determined to make sure her son has all the opportunities he's entitled to if not more.

"He is going to college and he will be anything he wants to be. I've spent my life making sure of it." 

She makes some effective observations very early on which feed the reader as they consider the situation presented to them. Her honest language making her points even more pertinent.

"every baby is born beautiful, it's what we project on them that makes them ugly." 

I particularly liked her description of Turk. It captured his personality so well.

"Turk Bauer makes me think of a power line that's snapped during a storm, and lies across the road just waiting for something to brush against it so it can shoot sparks."

In contrast to Ruth, the chapters alternate between her narrative, Turk's narrative and that of Kennedy, Ruth's legal representation. Turk is aggressive, potentially violent and an active member of racist groups. Kennedy is an intelligent, successful member of a legal team who is driven by justice. Picoult uses the alternating voices to build tension, explore the character's back stories in more detail and to look at the same situation through very different points of reference. This makes the book complex and adds depth. It also makes it very readable and very engaging. All the characters are interesting and intriguing enough to make you read on, whether you like them or not, and the dynamics between Ruth and Kennedy are particularly absorbing. The chapters are long and Picoult's writing can be quite dense, but the variation in narrative voice ensures that the plot always moves forward and carries the reader through the novel at a good pace.

Despite Turk's general behaviour and beliefs, he does have moments of insight and gives the reader an opportunity to feel some empathy for him. His account of his grief and how they try to deal with the loss of their son is moving.

"What no one told me about grief is how lonely it is. No matter who else is mourning, you're in your own little cell. Even when people try to comfort you, you're aware that now there is a barrier between you and them, made of the horrible thing that happened, that keeps you isolated."

Once we arrived at the court case, I really put my feet up and settled in.

"Ruth Jefferson," she says, "Murderer," a woman screams. There is a buzz in the crowd that swells to a roar.

This is classic Picoult. This is that moment when you turn the phone on to mute and make sure you have a fresh cup of coffee. This is the bit when you are transported to a court room and listen transfixed to the questions, statements, revelations, last minute evidence and surprise witnesses as the characters battle it out with wit, cleverness, manipulation, skill and emotion. Always so satisfying! Always that moment when the character you care for says the wrong thing, reveals a secret, loses their temper! Always waiting for that moment when the rug is pulled out from underneath you as suddenly things slip into place or a final connection is made. Always worth waiting for and always rewarding!

Kennedy works hard. The relationship between her and Ruth is really well crafted. They are women who are not initially drawn to each other but come to learn much from each other. Ultimately Kennedy is dedicated and wants to save the world even when she knows she can't. Ruth too wants to champion a cause and chance the world.

"Ruth looks into my eyes, and for a moment, I can see right down into the heart of her." 

There is not much more to say other than I would recommend this book. We all know what we are getting with Picoult and it's a great relief to see that her latest piece of work does not disappoint. It is as full of drama, sentiment, empathy and conflict as her others and delivers characters who you are prepared to care about and become involved with. It's a satisfying read and one to savour for when you need your fix of ethical and social drama.

My thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this novel.

"Small Great Things" is now in paperback (20th April 2017) published by Hodder.

For more recommendation and reviews, please follow me on twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

"A Year and A Day" Isabelle Broom

Three different women.

Three intertwining love stories.

One unforgettable, timeless city.

This will be a good book to buy for friends this Christmas. Romantic, light, readable and ultimately heartwarming, it is a great read to enjoy in a winter's evening tucked up somewhere cosy.

"It all seems pretty simple to me. If two people care about each other, they should be together. It should be easy." 

But can it ever be that simple? In this story we follow three women as they travel to Prague, each emotionally troubled and each wanting to rediscover love and happiness. Broom hides us away in their suitcases as we watch them journey through through these few days of their lives; sharing their fear, risks, friendships, hopes and love.

I have never been to Prague, but Broom's picturesque detail and beautiful description makes it sound like a perfect setting for a novel about love. In this story it is a city which represents warmth, comfort, happiness and hope. Our three female protagonists have all chosen to travel there for different reasons, but ultimately they are seeking answers and resolution. This ancient city with its beautiful architecture, mythical tales, statues and culture, offers the girls a perfect space in which to confront their internal conflicts.

One of our female protagonists, Megan, claims her first love is photography. She has travelled to Prague with Ollie, her best friend, to seek inspiration for her next collection. Her passion for taking photos is an effective metaphor in illustrating how Megan often sees the world - as "a snapshot of a moment, a memory saved forever, the view of the world as she saw it," and indeed Broom is exploring the concept of what we see - or what we don't see- versus what is actually happening.

Megan fights against a gradual realisation of her true feelings for Ollie. But Megan is frightened. To her love is a threat. To her it is imperative not to show Ollie the real her. To her, being in love can only lead to being hurt.

"With her ex, she had always been wary of saying the wrong thing, of upsetting the fragile shelf  upon which their strange little relationship was precariously balanced."

Ollie is a hugely likeable man; kind, funny, supportive and interesting. The couple are very at ease with each other and their relationship is very natural. The reader likes them both and Broom does a good job of writing about their friendship and exploring that transition between friend to lover, or how to accept that being hurt once, won't mean you'll necessarily be hurt again.

Hope is another of our protagonists. She has a daughter, Annette, with whom she has a strained relationship.

"It was far less dramatic to jab a screen with your finger than smash plastic against plastic and hear that satisfying ring of enraged silence, but the result was still the same: she felt as if her heart was breaking into pieces." 

She's on holiday with Charles - he is not her husband, but her "upgrade"! However, Hope's time in Prague is spent agonising over her damaged relationship with her daughter and reflecting on how well she actually knows Charles. Again, this is a woman who has been burned by love before and who needs to reconcile herself with her daughter before she can allow herself some happiness.

Finally comes Sophie, a younger girl who awaits the arrival of her fiancé. There is something a little mysterious about Sophie and a more mythical aura surrounds her as she meets with the other characters in the book. At first she seems very excited about travelling to Prague and seems to relish the opportunity for travel. However as the novel proceeds, the reader begins to worry about Sophie and whether she is narrator to be relied on or not. There's definitely a sense that Sophie is keeping something from us and her storyline injects a bit of intrigue and mystery.

"She'd known Prague wouldn't let her down. She had been silly to ever let the dark shadow of doubt cast it's nasty hunched shoulders across her mind."

Sophie awaits the arrival of Robin, her fiancé and spends a lot of time extolling his virtues. Her story is a slight contrast to the others as both Megan and Hope have a sense of being let down by men and  having been too dependent on them. Both these women want to have some more independence. Both are reluctant to become dependent on men again, whereas Sophie seems incomplete without Robin and almost unable to operate without him. But ultimately, all of them want love.

So will they find what they are looking for in Prague? Will the magic golden cross, pointed out by a guide, which can grant a wish to come true in a year and a day work for them all? Will their wishes come true? Will the magic and myth of Prague bring them the hope and love they so need? Is love easy or is it an impossibility? What effect will this magical, christmassy city have on them?

This is a good read. It's reasonably predictable, but there are a few shots toward the end which add an emotional depth to the storyline and remind us of the complexities of people, love and relationships. Perfect winter romance!

"A Year and A Day" is published be Michael Joseph on 17th November 2016.

My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

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

"The Easy Way Out" Steven Amsterdam

Evan is a nurse, a suicide assistant. His job is legal . . . just. He's the one at the hospital who hands out the last drink to those who ask for it. 

Evan's friends don't know what he does during the day. His mother, Viv, doesn't know what he's up to at night. And his supervisor suspects there may be trouble ahead.

As he helps one patient after another die, Evan pushes against legality, his own morality and the best intentions of those closest to him, discovering that his own path will be neither quick nor painless.

He knows what he has to do.

In this powerful novel, award-winning author Steven Amsterdam challenges readers to face the most taboo and heartbreaking of dilemmas. Would you help someone end their life?


"Death is where life gets really interesting."

Set in Australia, in the near future at a time when assisted suicide is legal, Amsterdam tackles a very emotive subject for his novel. I wanted to read this book as I wondered how the author would handle such a taboo and controversial subject in what appeared to be a more light and entertaining narrative voice than perhaps found in other titles which deal with terminal illness and suicide.

This is a brave novel for a brave reader. I think your reaction to this book could very much depend on where you are in life and what personal and emotional issues you may have surrounding the subject of illness and death. Having said that, although it is not a light read, there is a good balance between humour and seriousness. The writing is not oppressive or sentimental. It is not insensitive or offensive either. There is humour, quirkiness, bluntness and honesty which make it a novel hard to define but actually easier to engage with than one might think.

Whatever the reader feels about the subject matter, there is no denying that Amsterdam can write. I found some of his observations and images profound; understated yet very evocative and effective.

"The cancer ran through him like drain cleaner"

"This is the family picture: three hands and wrists woven together, each with a different purpose - the daughter grooming, the father pulling back in terminal retreat, the mother trying to protect them all."

"There we are, six white people fine tuning a death."

The book opens with us watching Evan carry out his job as a suicide assistant. As this is not something that happens legally in the UK, it was an alien experience for me to read about this in such normalised circumstances. I'm not sure whether the fact that it is not a "real life" relatable scenario for me actually made it easier to read as there was a sense of detachment -almost as if I was reading something set in an imagined future. I found the calm normality of the narrative voice effective in discussing what must be some of the most difficult and imaginable moments in someone's life. Evan's matter of fact, practical voice also helped to remove the potential emotional intensity and sensationalism from the scenes. In fact, he is trained to be emotionally detached, and pulled up on it by his boss Nettie several times. As the novel continues and Evan's role begins to invade his personal life as he watches his beloved mother's health deteriorate, it is this awareness that he's been trained to keep a level of detachment from death and terminal illness that creates dilemma, conflict and confusion.

There are several accounts of Evan's 'assists'. One of the most moving comes towards the end of the book with Leo aged ninety and his girlfriend, Myrna, aged eighty six. It is interesting how the characters who are 'attending' the 'assist' behave each time and what they expect from Evan as he tries to remain invisible and unobtrusive despite sharing possibly the most intimate moments of anyone's life. Amsterdam again shows that he can write with great poignancy.

"Two people watching the tide go out."

And then Myrna's repetition of "So simple and so beautiful. So simple," create an overwhelming sense of peace, resolution and calm. This book undoubtedly challenges the reader's perception of 'assisted suicide', whether it will change your mind at all is probably irrelevant. It's just offering a very different perspective and it's also interesting how Evan reflects and responds to his role as the novel continues. Evan's almost throwaway comments often present the reader with something quite thought provoking. For example, his reflection on how different people respond to death is presented with an emotional detachment not usually seen in stories dealing with final moments. Seeing it from a practical viewpoint of someone whose is helping someone to die, offers a different perspective from usual in which to observe characters and their behaviour.

"Will they sail past the news untouched or will it send them off in a new direction?"

Amsterdam injects a level of humour, modernity and contrast with the sub plot of Evan's personal life. His relationship with his mother is quite fascinating and written with a mixture of compassion and wry humour and then Evan's own romantic relationship with two other men as they operate as a "throuple." This really is a very contemporary novel, bursting with contemporary issues and written in a bold contemporary voice.

Towards the end of the book Evan reflects on his career. The metaphor of the rubbish men is very effective.

"a garbage truck notches its way through the middle of the street. The men run to collect the bins on opposite sides, empty them into the munching maw at the back......There may be easier jobs in this world."

This novel is interesting, quirky, shocking, modern and highly original. It took me a while to get to grips with Evan's voice and although I enjoyed his entertaining responses to friends as he tries to hide the reality of his day job, he is a complex character and perhaps a little of an acquired taste.

I am pleased that I read it but I am not completely sure how I would rate it or indeed feel about it. I think I would suggest you make your own mind up. Although thought provoking, emotive and controversial, Amsterdam's voice is also quirky and humorous. There is plenty of dialogue and it is a well paced novel. The relationships between the main characters is also unusual. It is a relatively short novel too, which is possibly necessary really because of the scenarios and dynamics explored within the book.

"The Easy Way Out" by Steven Amsterdam is published on Nov 3rd 2016.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the novel.

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

Children's Fiction: "Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Spooky School"

Here, right in time for Halloween, is a book with three hilarious read-aloud stories from author Tracey Corderoy (Hubble Bubble series) and illustrator Steven Lenton - a perfect treat for any 5-8 year old!

Meet Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam - two brave baker dogs, who solve wacky mysteries too! Halloween at St Spectre's school brings out the cheekiest of ghosts! And who is to blame when the weather goes CRAZY? A power-grabbing red panda maybe? Certainly not the raccoon gang fixing the museum's toilets - they've got dastardly plans of their OWN!

This story is from the successful creators of Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam picture books series. It is their first title for children who want to begin to read more independently and make the leap from picture books to something slightly more substantial. It also works very well as a book that can be read aloud to children as they begin to become more confident about tackling longer and more complex texts.

The orange and black cover and illustrations are appropriately thematic for the season but also fun and add plenty of humour. There are illustrations on each page which ensures the text is broken down into smaller sections and not too overwhelming.

Shifty and Sam are very likeable characters; dogs who bake and solve mysteries at the same time makes for an appealing and winning combination! The first story sees them arriving at St Spectre's Boarding School where they proceed to prepare a delicious banquet of sandwitches, creepy crawly cupcakes and "totally terrifying trifles that bubbled like volcanoes." But within no time at all they are involved in the hunt for the "lightning strike" ghost. The action is fast paced and sprinkled with so many amusing phrases like their motto "All for bun and bun for all!" to their weapons "whisk-a-web". The alliteration and bubbling adjectives make the story entertaining. The writing is full of energy; the words and illustrations seem to almost leap from the page.

The second story, "The Wacky Weather Week" involves the devilish Red Rocket who uses his remote control to change the weather and create havoc. There's a great scene when Shifty and Sam turn baguettes into skis! The imaginative use of food as gadgets to save the world from wacky wrongdoers  is definitely the thing I enjoyed most and in this tale there were croissants disguised as walkie talkies and a cupcake catapult!

This is a very enjoyable, witty and amusing story which will liven up any bedtime and appeal to any child who enjoys a bit of adventure and a world where the main characters are animals. The tasty mix of 'crime fighting' dogs with cooking and baked delights will give the stories a wide appeal, particularly those addicted to 'Paw Patrol', 'Octonauts' and 'The Great British Bake Off'.

I would recommend this book to children between 5-8 either to help straddle children from picture books to 'chapter books' or for children who read ably. They are great fun to read with your children and the presentation and production of the books is very visually pleasing. Three books in one is always a bargain too!

"Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Spooky School" by Corderoy and Lenton is published by Nosy Crow on 6th September 2016.

You can find out more about the book and authors at www.nosycrow.com or on Twitter @nosycrow

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

"The Last Days of Leda Grey" Essie Fox

During the oppressive heat wave of 1976 a young journalist, Ed Peters, finds an Edwardian photograph in a junk shop in the seaside town of Brightland. It shows an alluring, dark-haired girl, an actress whose name was Leda Grey.

Enchanted by the image, Ed learns Leda Grey is still living - now a recluse in a decaying cliff-top house she once shared with a man named Charles Beauvois, a director of early silent film. As Beauvois's muse and lover, Leda often starred in scenes where stage magic and trick photography were used to astonishing effect. 

But, while playing a cursed Egyptian queen, the fantasies captured on celluloid were echoed in reality, leaving Leda abandoned and alone for more than half a century - until the secrets of her past result in a shocking climax, more haunting than any to be in found in the silent films of Charles Beauvois.

The words used by critics and reviewer are "sensuous", "beguiling", "mesmerising" and "surreal". I would have to agree with all of these.

The opening is very factual and indicates that ultimately we can expect some tragedy and misdemeanours by the end of the story, but then we are led into a narrative voice that sounds so very unlike a thriller or mystery and much more like literary fiction.

The protagonist, Ed Peters, reminded me of a more grown up Leo from L P Hartley's "The Go Between" as we meet him when he is "lonely, restless and bored" in the "summer's endless heat". He finds a photo of the actress Leda Grey whilst browsing in a shop and

"when the sunlight dazzled on the glass it gave her the look of a living skull. It was such an odd illusion, and it lasted no more than a moment or so but I felt a prickling jolt of fear, a sense that if I stepped too close that girl might reach out through the frame and try to drag me into it. .....When I looked back up again the natural features were restored, so perfect and alluring......"  

The shop keeper's riddles ("The light of attraction between lost souls. Do you also see between the veils?") made me wonder if I was wandering into a kind of 'Tales of the Unexpected' story or whether there would be a supernatural twist emerging along the way. Then he begins to reveal more about the mysterious life of Leda Grey, the girl in the photo, and explains how she is locked away in a house, tucked away from everyone and everything.

"The way she hides herself away like a doomed princess in a fairy tale. I used to visit, every month, as regular as clockwork. But my health, and these drugs I have to take, mean I can no longer drive. Even if I could, the cliff side road has grown too perilous. They've closed it off. The path's still there, but I'd never manage such a trek."

Now I was beginning to think of Miss Havisham, or someone out of a Susan Hill novel as the man continues by saying:

"My sister keeps many secrets. Many skeletons in her closets.....those ghosts may rise to haunt us all." 

Ed decides to go and meet Leda and find out more about her story and her past. He is intrigued by her and sets off to locate the house, buried deep in the overgrown countryside, mystified at how a woman can survive there for so long without visitors and without needing to leave the house. He description of the inside of the house is even more like something from Miss Havisham or 'The Woman in Black':

"....zigzag cracks riddled through the ceiling, all the corners where large spider's webs were dangling down to reach the floor......stained with years of mould and penetrating damp. The paper fell away in folds." 

And later on, the location reinforces this more ghostly and malicious atmosphere when Ed is warned of riptides; he glances back to see the "silhouette of a woman who stood beneath the wall, as vague as a photo negative." 

But Leda is not frightening or unkind, not malicious or cruel. She openly begins to chat with Ed and appears very normal. She welcomes his company. Her conversation is lively and full of imagery as she her thoughts tumble out without any sense of restriction, only openness.

"Such a tumble of memories in my mind, like the tinkling beads of coloured glass that you find in a child's kaleidoscope. Which patterns are the prettiest? how to know which random arrangement of shapes might be the best with which to start?"

I love her speech. I love Fox's use of language and her beautiful, lyrical prose.

Each chapter begins with a quote from Shakespeare and very cleverly create an ominous sense that something deeply unpleasant lurks in the shadows of the house and of Leda's past. The quotes were very effective in creating suspense and tension to the unraveling story.

Fox then switches to italics and we are privy to Leda's story. Her voice is strong and provides a good contrast to that of Ed's. Again, Leda's passages are exquisitely written. They are engaging and intriguing as well as full of metaphors, connotations and analogies.

"My soul had been stolen. Or was it cursed? I only know, from that day on, my fate would be forever bound to the man who'd filmed the promenade. Who didn't even know my name." 

The story continues with the same compelling and mesmerising pull as it delves into themes of love, control, obsession, power and relationships. It is a very original piece of writing with passages that deserve recognition for their lyrical detail and imaginative choice of adjectives. It was not quite the story or style I was expecting but it was enjoyable and absorbing. I was impressed with the prose (as you can tell from the number of quotes I've used) and thought the characters were well crafted.

I have not read anything else by Essie Fox but I am now tempted!

"The Last Days of Leda Grey" will publish on 3rd November 2016.

I received an advanced copy of this novel through NetGalley.

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

"My Sister's Bones" Nuala Ellwood

Wow, wow and wow. This is one of those books which makes you miss your stop on the train, burn the dinner, forget to put the kids to bed and keeps you reading until way too late into the night. And then, when you finish the last sentence it makes you wake up your husband and say, "Oh my word, that was amazing," because you just have to tell someone how incredible it is!

I literally could not put this book down and towards the end was reading so rapidly my whole body was as tense as the action on the page.

Synopsis:

Kate Rafter is a high-flying war reporter. She's the strong one. The one who escaped their father. Her younger sister Sally didn't. Instead, she drinks.

But when their mother dies, Kate is forced to return home. And on her first night she is woken by a terrifying scream.

At first Kate tells herself it's just a nightmare. But then she hears it again. And this time she knows she's not imagining it.

What secret is lurking in the old family home?
And is she strong enough to uncover it...and make it out alive? 

This book gripped me from the beginning. With lots of clues, half suggestions, memories and leading statement, the reader is working hard from the beginning to try and solve the puzzle of Kate's life and her deep secrets. I was immediately intrigued by her character and the sense of tragedy and guilt that seems to overwhelm her. Ellwood doesn't hold back with hooks, cliffhangers and questions:

"Of the two of us, how is it possible that I am the one who survived?"

Further mystery surrounding the relationship between herself and her seemingly estranged family hints at more dysfunction and even the physical description of her mother's house immediately creates tension and atmosphere akin to a gothic horror story.

"Light was not to be trusted. It revealed too much. And so my mother had installed low-wattage bulbs throughout the house and retreated into the shadows."

I loved this sense of anxiety, fear, unhappiness, lack of trust and implication of threat created through the description, observations and detail of setting, Kate and the other characters.

"......watching him as he skitters about the kitchen like a large confused bird....."

"My miserable childhood is embedded in the wood, in the springs of the mattress, in the blue velvet headboard ....."

Kate is clearly disturbed and haunted. She hears voices and I loved the way Ellwood captured this in her description:

"But as I speak they're back, fading in and out like a radio between frequencies."

The first half of the story is told through the narrative of Kate, interjected with memories of the past - from her childhood as well as her professional life, present day and an interview currently taking place at Herne Bay Police Station - an interview which lasts over several days. The increasing number of hours of this interview and the length of time she has been held in custody begin to build up a sense that possibly Kate is an unreliable narrator, that if the police are detaining her for so long she must be of some danger to someone - or herself. Equally she doesn't even seem to trust herself.

"I have to stop letting my mind wander; I have to be alert, careful. Every word I say here can be used against me."

The reader has to keep up with changes in the chronology and the mixing up of the plot line about Kate's childhood, her experiences in Syria and her present day struggles with the loss of her mother and the strange goings on in the house. It sounds confusing, but it really is not difficult to keep up with Ellwood's fluent prose.

I thought Kate was a fantastic character. I thought the combination of a woman who has been working in Syria dealing with traumatic encounters that have affected her so profoundly, a woman mourning the death of her mother and estranged from her sister, a woman whose family suffered grief and pain throughout her childhood, all came together to create a complex psychological profile that made her completely captivating. An ambitious creation, but one that Ellwood pulls off brilliantly. I could not work out whether to trust or rely on Kate, whether she was reimagining her past, filtering the memories she shared with the reader, or whether she was honest and innocent. But I was well and truly invested in her story and as desperate as her to unravel all the threads that were knitting themselves in to a headache of confusion and suspense.

I was also unsure whether this was going to be a complex psychological thriller, a ghost story or a supernatural tale. There were some brilliant images and moments when Kate 'sees' things but we don't know whether it is real, an illusion, a memory or a drug induced hallucination.

"How can a memory lie dormant like that for so many years then spring forth unbidden?"

I loved the reference to her mother's dictaphone, the appearance of a marble and a further few random objects that are connected with her past which helped create this sense something more ethereal taking place.

To exaggerate this sense of something more unnatural or eerie at work, Kate and her sister's husband visit the graveyard. I really liked Ellwood's comments as Kate scanned the headstones as she wandered through them:

"......Past Rita Mathers who has been 'sleeping peacefully since 1987' and Jim Carter who had been 'one more angel in Heaven' for the last thirty years...."

The references to "bones" is used to create an underlying sense of intrigue, suspense and at times terror. There are lost bones, found bones, bones of your body, loving down to the bones, feeling emotions down to the bones, looking at the bones of a person and perhaps most importantly:

"but they loved the bones of each other really."

And the reference to bones also adds to the general metaphor throughout the novel of people being lost, found, disappearing, being buried within themselves and stripped of everything they thought they knew.

The mental health of our characters is further questioned through the character of Sally as we suddenly see the story through her eyes in a stunning midway twist. Sally was a teenage mum, now an alcoholic and her teenage daughter is missing. She is a self destructive, negative person who we have initially been led to distrust and dislike. Now we begin to learn more about her, her past, her secrets and her burdens. Her alcoholism is captured with bleak realism.

"My eyes are bloodshot and it's been days since I last washed. My hair is limp and greasy; my skin a sickly yellow."

"I have no idea what time of day it is or what day, all I can see in front of me is a bottle of cold white wine and all I can feel, as I cross the road that leads to the shops, is the absence of it in my throat."

I can't say anymore without revealing spoilers or giving too much away. But for the last 30% of this novel I was clinging to the edges of my kindle, my shoulders aching with tension and excitement as I literally could not read fast enough. Echoes of "Room", "The Collector" and Susan Hill raced through my mind. Ellwood's use of literary devices, a compelling storyline and the drama of incorporating such an emotive and contemporary political topic such as Syria made this one of the most tense and climatic novels I have read in a while. Her themes of family, love, loss and guilt are explored with such rawness it is impossible not to become completely engrossed in this powerful psychological thriller.

5/5 stars. Without a doubt. Highly recommended. Read it!

My thanks to NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this novel.

"My Sister's Bones" is available from Penguin from 1st November and in hardback from 9th Feb 2017.

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