"The Girls" Lisa Jewell

This story is set in London, where the picturesque houses encircle a communal garden. Everyone knows everyone. The children roam freely, in and out of each other's houses and as familiar with each other as siblings. When Clare moves in with her daughters Grace and Pip, aged eleven and twelve, she thinks she has found a real oasis for them - especially considering the recent traumatic events they have lived through.

But then one night Grace is found unconscious in a dark corner of the garden. What happened? Who did this?

Lisa Jewell is a hugely popular author with a dedicated following and this novel was picked as a Richard & Judy read recently. Lots of people have commented on how she has moved to "the dark side" with this story compared with some of her earlier romantic comedies and I would agree, this book is a more sinister and nods more towards the thriller genre. However, essentially I think it is a novel about human nature, relationships, parenting, jealousy, grief and love. I think what Jewell shows in this book is her interest in characters and their interaction with each other.

I had bought this book months and months ago when it was nominated in the Richard & Judy reads this summer but it was languishing on my TBR pile. On Friday a friend asked me if I'd read it as she'd just done it with her book group and they'd all disagreed over the ending. By Sunday I could resist no more - I had to see what it was in the story that had led to such a discussion!

I'm so glad I bumped it up the TBR pile and read it! It was the perfect tonic for a wintery weekend. It's easy, light and engaging yet with enough tension, twists and revelations to keep you hooked until the end.

There are several threads of mystery and tension running through "The Girls". Clare and her daughters have lived through some very emotionally difficult times and Clare definitely carries a sense of fear and being found. There are plenty of unresolved issues between herself and her husband and these are carefully drip fed to the readers in a way that builds up a steady sense of suspense and curiosity.

Although we begin the story with the discovery of Grace, and therefore know that ultimately the we need to find out how she ended up in this state and who knows what really happened to her, we are steered away from this moment. Jewell introduces us to a wealth of characters and their roles within the close community that is formed around this communal garden. We have to start piecing the story together a little. We have to get to know each of the characters and through getting to know them more, we begin to see their weaknesses, their fallibility, their secrets.

I was intrigued by Tyler, a disturbed teenager, full of jealousy, possessiveness and a little competitive. But, once more of her situation was unveiled, although you may not necessarily sympathise with her completely, it was easier to understand her motivation and reactions to certain situations. She was very strong in my mind and very easy to engage with.

I also though Adele was an interesting character. I wasn't always sure about her culpability towards the end and I liked that she evolved in to a more complex character than I initially credited her to be. She home-schools her children, she is an 'earth mother' sort of parent, she's loving, generous and kind. But still sometimes I felt there was a hint of something a little uncertain in her bubbling away at the back of her mind.

Pip is probably the star of the show and I liked her letters to her absent father. Jewell captures the voice of an eleven year old realistically - often heartbreakingly so. Pip is a switched on, sensible, honest and perceptive child. Maybe older than her years suggest.

The male characters are as well crafted as the female ones. They all invite suspicion and judgement, ensuring that we are lead up and down several garden paths before the final few twists are revealed.

For me, this was a very good weekend read. I pictured it all vividly. I liked the spread of characters who were all colourful, three dimensional and individual. There was lots going on but not too much that you couldn't keep track of the various character's stories. There was suspense and mystery but it was enjoyably engaging rather than chilling. I really like Jewell's style and will definitely be going through her back catalogue of titles for the more recent ones that I have missed.

I think it would make a fantastic TV series. And it seems from what my friend tells me it makes a good book group choice too!

The only thing I'm a little concerned with is the slightly nagging feeling Jewell has left me with about my own house and the way my children play! We also live in a block of terraces that surround a communal garden. In the summer months my children do run a little feral (alright, the feral bit isn't just confined to the summer....) and the garden is full of various children and neighbours. We often seem to acquire extra people for lunch or tea. We frequently forget that our 'discussions' can be heard by an audience of many!

 I mean, of course I would never ever curtain twitch or listen to conversations while I'm pottering about outside (!), but the whole thing about who your neighbours really are and living a little on top of people is fascinating. It's that old thing of 'behind closed doors' I guess! I will be looking at everyone a little bit more suspiciously next time we all head out for an impromptu barbecue!

"The Girls" is available in paperback and I bought it on offer in WHSmiths as part of the Richard and Judy Book Club selection. I'm off for a coffee with my friend now to see what exactly it was that her book group disagreed on!

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

"A Portable Shelter" by Kirsty Logan

In their tiny, sea-beaten cottage on the north coast of Scotland, Liska and Ruth await the birth of their first child.

Each passes the time by telling the baby stories, trying to pass on the lessons they’ve learned: tales of circuses and stargazing, selkie fishermen and domestic werewolves, child-eating witches and broken-toothed dragons.

But they must keep their storytelling a secret from one another, as they’ve agreed to only ever tell the plain truth. So to cloak their tales, Ruth tells her stories when Liska is at work, to a background of shrieking seabirds; Liska tells hers when Ruth is asleep, with the lighthouse sweeping its steady beam through the window.

This is an absolutely stunning book. It is a complete gem. It is one to treasure and return to again and again.

"A Portable Shelter" is a collection of short stories linked together by introductions from Liska and Ruth as they take it in turns to speak to their unborn child. It is only 176 pages long, the stories are short and I found the shorter length and brevity of the narratives really effective.

Kirsty Logan's writing is mesmerising, hypnotic and exquisite as well as often brutal. She tackles stories about grief, loss, love, kindness and sadness with a sense of magic and fairytales. The prose is very poetic and at times just like the lull of the sea surrounding the characters.

There is so much about story telling in this very short volume. The opening line sets the premise:

"I'm going to tell you a story. You just stay there, warm and cosy, all cooried in."

But not all stories have happy endings. Not all stories are true and not all stories bring comfort, but this collection seems to show us that stories are a way of learning to deal with truths, nightmares, fears and tragedy. As well as how intrinsic stories are and how much we need stories to survive.

"The dark brings stories, and I want to share one."

"Life is not a fairy tale. It's brighter and darker, longer and briefer, duller and more magical. It's full of contradictions, but one thing it's not neat." 

"People always have to make things into stories so they're easier. So they can tell them to other people, to get sympathy or a laugh, to try and explain themselves. 'I only did this because this happened to me.' But life isn't like that." 

I enjoyed the first story "Cutting Teeth" which is told by Ruth about her parents.

"My father, Caleb, worked on a rib boat on Loch Ness. He took tourists out on trips and spun yarns about the things that lurked in the deep waters and dark woods. Some were true, some were not - but what does it matter? There's no such thing as a true story." 

It's a brave story to start the collection with. Initially there is a lot about the relationship between the parents - "The bed was not so little any more. The space between them felt wide as the loch," - it develops into something far more fantastical. The images of the mother are like something from folklore, or a myth or a fantasy. There's an eclectic mix of tradition, Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected, and the Grimm Brothers. Logan's writing is unusual, quirky and refreshing as she combines all these influences- but then it is also contrasted with stories like "The Perfect Wife" which are given a much more contemporary and realistic feel.

I thought this was highly original and hugely imaginative book. I really enjoyed the writing and the lyricism, the poetics and the description. I loved the images and the narrative voices. If I had to pick a favourite story it would be "Stars, Witch, Bear" which is an interpretation of the tale of Hansel and Gretel where Logan captures some real sadness and poignancy.

"The cruellest things do not hide in the dark. They sit in full view in the sunlight and in the clearings. I had found an ending. But I did not want it." 

I would recommend this slim book of magical storytelling. It's enchanting as well as bold. It's a special book.

"All stories contain a truth if you look hard enough - but it might not be a good truth." 

I bought a copy after reading about it on Twitter. "A Portable Shelter" was published by Vintage on 3rd November 2016.

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

"The Harbour Master" by Daniel Pembrey

Maverick cop Henk van der Pol is thinking about retirement when he finds a woman’s body in Amsterdam Harbour. His detective instincts take over, even though it’s not his case. But Henk’s bigger challenge is deciding who his friends are – not to mention a vicious street pimp who is threatening Henk’s own family. As his search for the killer of the woman in Amsterdam Harbour takes him into a corrupt world of politics and power, Henk finds himself facing some murky moral choices.

Well it's difficult not to pick up a book which has a quote from one of my literary idols, Susan Hill, on the front cover! She endorses the novel as a "cracking tale with verve and style" and of course, I'm not going to disagree with her!

This is the first instalment in a series of crime thrillers set in Amsterdam. Pembury establishes a sense of place and setting extremely well, with vivid and authentic detail. The description is not contrived or forced but subtle references, inferences and the odd slip into colloquial language locate the reader very firmly in Amsterdam. His creation of the docks, harbour and Amsterdam itself are convincing and make it very easy for the reader to picture the location even if we have never visited there.

The book begins with the discovery of a dead body. Henk watches and his description of the body is brutally ugly it prepares us for the complexity and nature of this crime thriller.

"I had my phone out, in order to film the removal of the body. The woman's thighs and arms had swollen up to Frankenstein-like proportions, her dark trousers and top so stretched that they'd ripped at the seams."

It did remind me a little of the one of the opening sequences of the French TV drama "Spiral", but thankfully, although Pembury immerses us in a dark world of illegal human trafficking and the red light district, the violence and any temptation to add gratuitous detail is kept to a minimum. This is a writer interested in characters, human behaviour and a complex narrative.

Henk is an interesting character. Pembury has created a very distinctive voice which feels original and also full of gravitas. I found that he was a man I was able to picture quickly, and that his intelligence, determination, thoroughness and persistence was consistent throughout the novel. Pembury paints a very good picture of a man with integrity -

"...excuses wouldn't help the woman hoisted out of the harbour. She didn't need excuses, she needed justice." 

-and he is definitely a protagonist who can sustain further instalments as Pembury develops this in to a detective series.

It was interesting to read about a police office at the end of his career and an interesting choice by Pembury, but it works very successfully and the narrative voice feels authentic and convincing. It also adds a further level of intrigue and risk as Henk struggles to stay on the case and avoid being usurped by younger men.

"You've been a good cop, Henk. My advice? Have people here remember you that way."

I really enjoyed Henk's relationship with his wife. Initially I wasn't sure if the formal way in which they often responded to each other was amusing or too detached but again, it works.

"Mrs van der Pol was in her house slippers, watching a rerun of some talent show competition I vaguely recognised, working her way through a jar of English liquorice." 

Henk is actually a man who is very committed to his family. And when their safety is threatened it adds a great sense of tension and danger to the story.

"Was I so obsessed with Slavic that I'd created the very problems for me and my family I was now trying desperately to solve?"

Henk's relationship with his daughter is captured equally well. I enjoyed his conversation with her when he notices a diamond ring on her finger - it actually reflects so much about both characters and the dynamics between them.

"Do you know if it's OK?.....A conflict free diamond." 
"That's hardly a question I can ask now is it? Oh thanks so much for the lovely gift, can I just see the paperwork for it?" 

Pembury has clearly spent a lot of time researching this novel. He has obviously dedicated time to making sure every detail is accurate and that he tells a story that stands up to the scrutiny of serious crime readers. He tackles complex and contemporary issues with confidence. I was intrigued to read that Pembury lived in East Amsterdam for a while and spent time with an undercover team from the Dutch National Crime Squad. This has clearly inspired him to write this first instalment of the Harbour Master series.

"The Harbour Master" is quite an involved read. It's not overly long at just over 300 pages, but the prose is quite dense and sophisticated in style. There is a lot of information and threads to follow and although the plot moves along, it is not a book I would describe as a traditional page turner. However, this book will definitely appeal to crime fans who are looking for a new detective to follow and it definitely has the grit, realism and depth that readers want from European Noir books.

The early reviews of this book are excellent and Goodreads says:

The Harbour Master delivers for Amsterdam what fans of Scandinavian crime fiction have come to love: a fascinating light shone on the dark side of a famously liberal society, combining vivid characterisation with ice-cold suspense.

"The Harbour Master" is published by No Exit Press on the 10th November 2016.

My thanks to No Exit Press for a review copy of this novel.

If you would like to find out more about Daniel Pembury, this book or No Exit Press, please visit their website no exit.co.uk or follow them on Twitter @noexitpress @DPemb

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

"Perfume River" by Robert Olen Butler

From one of America’s most important writers, Perfume River is an exquisite novel that examines family ties and the legacy of the Vietnam War through the portrait of a single North Florida family.

Robert Quinlan is a seventy-year-old historian, teaching at Florida State University, where his wife Darla is also tenured. Their marriage, forged in the fervor of anti-Vietnam-war protests, now bears the fractures of time, both personal and historical, with the couple trapped in an existence of morning coffee and solitary jogging and separate offices. For Robert and Darla, the cracks remain under the surface, whereas the divisions in Robert’s own family are more apparent: he has almost no relationship with his brother Jimmy, who became estranged from the family as the Vietnam War intensified. Robert and Jimmy’s father, a veteran of WWII, is coming to the end of his life, and aftershocks of war ripple across their lives once again, when Jimmy refuses to appear at his father’s bedside. And an unstable homeless man whom Robert at first takes to be a fellow Vietnam veteran turns out to have a deep impact not just on Robert, but on his entire family.

So I admit it, I was a little daunted when I started this as it is written by a Pulitzer Prize winner - I was expecting something heavy and intense. However I found that I was quite gripped and was genuinely enjoying the story more than I had anticipated. It is in no doubt exceptionally well written literary fiction, but I found it a very absorbing, concise read with a distinctive narrative style and distinctive protagonist. There was so much in the book that really appealed and worked for me. As they say, never judge a book by its cover .......

The very topic of the Vietnam War and the dysfunctional relationships within the protagonist's family mean that it is not without intensity, emotion or gravitas but Butler's writing is very readable and very engaging. It is a relativity short book at around 250 pages so the story is actually very contained and focussed. Although there are quite a range of issues and relationships explored in the story, it was not overwhelming or overly complicated. I became immersed in Robert's world very quickly, I felt very much part of his journey and I found the alternate sections where the narrative switched to one of the few other main characters did not interrupt the flow of the story or the connection between the reader and Robert.

I would perhaps have liked some chapter breaks but that's more to do with the fact that I always struggle to put a book down and a chapter break might have made it easier to take a pause! However, reading without the enforced structure of chapters does increase the fluidity of the novel. Perhaps it accentuates that it is a little more of a shorter novel which is quite introverted, focussing on the build up, tensions and flashbacks which are preparing us for the climatic denouement.

The Vietnam War isn't something I can personally relate to and I wouldn't necessarily chose to read a book based around a man's experience in that war. Equally, I probably read more novels with female leads but I found it a really refreshing perspective to read about something different. I also really enjoyed the male characterisation and it reminded me of other American novels with male protagonists which I have enjoyed in the past.

"What are Robert Quinlan and his wife feebly arguing about when the homeless man slips quietly in? Moments later Robert could hardly have said. ObamaCare or quinoa or their granddaughter's new boyfriend. Something."

These are the intriguing opening lines. Effortlessly establishing atmosphere, character and a sense of time and place as well as tension. There are repeated references to specific brands which I found rooted the novel firmly in today's society as well as creating a contrast with some of the more dream like sequences, internal wanderings and flashbacks.

"They are focussed thinkers, Robert and Darla. They would, if pressed to consider the matter, attribute some of their focus to the mutual respect they have for each other's work. They need give each other not a single thought once they are sitting in these long familiar rooms."

The marriage between Robert and Darla is quite fascinating. A couple who seem detached and foreign from each other yet still connected. I thought the fact that "Their kindles have their own lights" was hugely metaphorical for how they lived their shared existence. I liked the description of their bedtime routine:

""Goodnight" she says, aware of the vanishing of his light in her periphery. "Goodnight," he says, though they have long ago agreed that the formality of his reply is unnecessary.....Nor do they kiss. They are so very familiar with each other. And that familiarity has become the presiding expression of their intimacy."

And the use of "a utilitarian kiss, surely, conveying gratitude for a courtesy rendered" equally effective as Butler explores the dynamics and relationship between the couple.

The other relationship which is explored in the novel is the one between Robert and his father and then that with his estranged brother, who has his own issues to confront.

"You didn't choose your parents. You didn't choose your land of birth. If you and they have nothing in common, if they are always, irrevocably at odds with each other, is it betrayal simply to leave family and country behind? No." (Jimmy, Robert's brother)

Robert's fixation with his experience in the war dominate the novel and even though it is so far in his past it slips into his daily thoughts. The war divides the brothers as well as their relationship with their father. A father who Robert is desperate to gain approval from and so set to follow in his footsteps, takes himself off to Vietnam.

".....who goes to war and sleeps and eats and drinks and writes letters and listens to music and falls safely in love in another country with an exotic girl and writes a resume and plans a future life and goes home; who goes to war to please your dad, to receive your dad's approval, to make your dad proud, to win your dad's love."

A sense of underlying violence runs subtly between the words, ever present in a manner that becomes more threatening until the final climax, when suddenly the action and drama becomes quite breathtaking.

This is an eloquent and mesmerising tale. The issues raised are profound and moving but the prose feels understated, simple and subtle. It is a book exploring the apathy of a long term marriage, mortality, ageing, family, love, estrangement and war. It is about damage, physically and emotionally. There are many lines which linger with you and many moments where it feels as if you need some time to absorb what Butler might be implying, suggesting or alluding to. It is intellectual and broaches many quite philosophical questions but overall, I found it did this effortlessly and was highly readable.

I would recommend this to people who enjoy literary fiction, American fiction, books with male protagonists and reading something that can conjure up quite complex situations and characterisations through a brevity of language and description.

My thanks to No Exit Press for an advanced copy of this book.

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

**The TBR Book Tag**

Thanks to Cleo for posting with the TBR Book Tag and getting me thinking about mine! I'm wondering if I'm really brave enough to confront the reality of what is going on with my TBR pile, and the various TBR piles I have hidden under different guises, but any excuse to distract myself further by talking about books rather than actually getting on with reading them....!! 

So here goes.....

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

I only really 'keep track' of my TBR pile of ARCs. I have a separate diary just for keeping track of blog posts and publication dates. I then scribble in which days I need to read which book by so the review will be ready for a blog tour or publication day. I also have a list on Goodreads and a wish list on Amazon but these are for books I want to read rather than ARCs - which always take priority!

Which book has been on your TBR pile the longest?

"Nora Webster" by Colm Toibin

Which book has been most recently added to your TBR pile?

I just ordered this paperback at the weekend:

 

On a January morning, Beth and Steve bring three-day-old Ismae home from the hospital. A little girl to complete their suburban family.

Except Beth knows that Ismae is different. And that, as she gets older and stronger, her difference will become more obvious.
As the future Beth imagined grows even more out of reach, the walls of their vast house close in on her, isolating her from Steve.
Then she makes a terrible discovery ...
Will Ismae's difference break her family apart? Or will Beth be able to see that it's the one thing that can save her?

I've also just been approved for the new Dinah Jefferies coming out in February so I'm thrilled about that too! 

Is there a book on your TBR pile just because of its cover?

Almost certainly!! I can't think of one off the top of my head but I've always bought Carys Bray's books because of the cover and also "The Finding of Martha Lost" for the same reason. That's the one bad thing about using a kindle- I love the covers but never see them!

Is there a book on your TBR pile that you never plan on reading?

Not at the moment. I tend to go through my TBR shelf (the virtual and the real one) and delete / take off books that have been sitting there for a long time and I just don't think I'll ever get to read. They don't get thrown out or anything shocking like that, but they will just go elsewhere for a while! 

Is there a book on your TBR pile that everyone's read apart from you?

Yes! "The Sister" by Louise Jensen. Shame on me!! The other book before this was "Missing Presumed" - and then I started to put it off because I'd heard so much hype about it - but it did not disappoint and I'm sure this one won't either!! 

Grace hasn't been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie's words, the last time she saw her, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie's. It soon becomes clear there was a lot she didn't know about her best friend. 

When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie's father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie's sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family, and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan's home. 

But something isn't right. Things disappear, Dan's acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace's mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger? 

There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie ...or was there?

Is there a book on your TBR pile that everyone recommends to you?

Um, yes, hundreds!!! I've got no will power when it comes to books and there are so many fab bloggers out there reading fab books! I think it's probably this one - I saw the author at Killer Women but since then have read a flurry of review on Twitter and really really want to read it!

Two people in exile. Two secrets. As the past tightens its grip, there may be no escape… TV presenter Allis Hagtorn leaves her partner and her job to take voluntary exile in a remote house on an isolated fjord. But her new job as housekeeper and gardener is not all that it seems, and her silent, surly employer, 44-year-old Sigurd Bagge, is not the old man she expected. As they await the return of his wife from her travels, their silent, uneasy encounters develop into a chilling, obsessive relationship, and it becomes clear that atonement for past sins may not be enough… 

Is there a book on your TBR pile your dying to read?

Yes, all of them!! 

But these two in particular:

I'm also very keen to read "What Alice Knew" by T A Cotterell which I chased the poor publicist for like some kind of starved animal.... *shame* 

How many books are on your TBR pile?

Don't even go there..... I don't even count that!! 

I have 10 on my shelf via NetGalley, 30 downloaded on my Kindle (older titles swirling around on a cloud somewhere), probably 50 paperbacks piled up by my bed, and that still doesn't include my Goodreads list or my Amazon wish list....*sigh*

Well, I sure don't have time to hang around here blogging......reading and reviewing calls! That was fun though and great to think about what is on my list and how I could organise myself a little bit more efficiently!! 

Why don't you have a go? What's on your TBR pile?!

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

**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)