#BookGroup #TheSisters #ClaireDouglas

This week my Book Group met to discuss "The Sisters" by Claire Douglas.



When one sister dies, the other must go to desperate lengths to survive. Haunted by her twin sister's death, Abi is making a fresh start in Bath. But when she meets twins Bea and Ben, she is quickly drawn into their privileged and unsettling circle. 

When one sister lies, she must protect her secret at all costs. As Abi tries to keep up with the demands of her fickle friends, strange things start to happen - precious letters go missing and threatening messages are left in her room. Is this the work of the beautiful and capricious Bea? Or is Abi willing to go to any lengths to get attention? When the truth outs, will either sister survive?

"The Sisters" was published in April 2015 by Harper Collins. 

For my review of "The Sister" please click here

Questions for Book Group:

How effective do you find the dual narrative? Was there one character you felt more drawn to? Why?

This novel is very firmly located in Bath. How important is the setting in this book? Did the specific references make it more tangible to you or does it not matter?

There are some very specific cultural references in the story like “The White Company”, “Happy Mondays” and “Marc Jacobs”. Do they help or hinder your reading of the novel and your understanding of the characters?

Did your judgements, opinions and feelings towards the characters change at all during your reading of the novel? In what way? Do you think this is intentional?

What do you think about the relationship between Bea and Ben? How authentic did it feel to you?

What do you think about the presentation of friendship in the novel?

What do you think attracts Bea and Abi to each other as friends? What are the clues that tells us this relationship will be complicated from the beginning?

What do you think were the key themes in the book?

What did you make of the ending? How did affect your reading of the novel?

What question would you like to ask Claire Douglas about this book?

Our discussion of "The Sisters":

Firstly, everyone enjoyed the book and certainly had plenty to say about the lead characters! There was lots of discussion about exactly what people felt and exactly what people had understood by some of the story which highlights the level of ambiguity and intrigue in the novel! 

The group was a split over their reactions to the ending- which I won't talk about here in case of spoilers!! But some felt it was too much of a surprise, too much of a twist - particularly those who hadn't seen it coming - but others really loved the ambiguity, threat and new questions it posed. As Claire had asked us what we thought the ending meant, we discussed this at length! Ultimately we had a list of questions that we were begging the answer to - like what happened next to Abi and Bea? .....all I can reveal is that we didn't think it would end well! A few members of the group were very keen for Bea to have a happy ending where she 'saw sense' and for Abi to have a much more stable and grounded future - but we weren't sure that Claire was implying that was going to happen!!

Most of the discussion was about Abi and her unreliability as a narrator. Can we believe anything she said? How many lies has she told? How screwed up is she?! Is it grief or is it something more entrenched in her character? What exactly was her relationship with her twin like? I think the thing the group liked was that we were left wanting to know more about what might happen next and whether there was a change in Abi as she now seemed more in control. There was a lot of conversation about what motivated Abi and what her ultimate goal might be. 

We felt that the friendships in the book are not based on anything real. No one is who they say they are and the life they lead in the house is very unreal (in terms of the environment Bea has created - the attitudes and 'rules' rather than it not being convincing or believable!) We wondered about the backstories of Jodie and Nina as they were the only ones who seemed to have some concept of what it meant to be a friend! We also wondered what had happened in the house between the group of 'friends' before Abi arrived. 

There was quite a lot of chat about the cultural references and the firm location of Bath. Generally the feeling was that it would have worked just as well if the word "Bath" wasn't there. It seems people like the book to be rooted in truth but not too specific- believable but not literally named. But we also know that this is contentious and varies from reader to reader! 

One of our book group members has a twin brother so we had quite a lot of fun asking her about her relationship with her brother, being a twin and the deep, almost unexplainable bond between twins. She would like to clarify that her relationship with her brother has never ever crossed the lines that Bea and Ben have!! 

A couple of people thought "The Sisters" would make a really great film. Although casting so many similar looking people could be a challenge! 

We would like to ask Claire:

• Did you ever think of letting Ben kill Bea? What might that have meant for Abi and Ben?
• How intentional do you think Abi's car crash at the beginning was? 
• Have you ever been obsessed with someone or had trouble with an obsessive relationship? 

For an interview with Claire you can click here:

Author Q&A Claire Douglas

And here are some extras if you fancy using "The Sisters" as your book group read!

Where to hold your book group for title:

• A terraced Georgian property
• House party

What could you serve?

• To eat: Crisps, homemade lasagne, bread
• To drink: Glass of fizz or Chablis, Spring Water

What props could you use to start a conversation about title?

• A bouquet of daisies or lilies 
• A Playlist including the Happy Mondays, Waterloo sunset and Psych Killer by Talking Heads
• Daisy by Marc Jacobs (perfume)
• Handwritten letters
• A selection of costume jewellery including necklaces and things with birthstones
• A map of Bath
• Spa goodies

Quotes to start a conversation with:

• “I’ve won. He’s chosen me over her. So why do I not feel as triumphant, as delighted, as I should?” Is it ever possible to choose between a partner and a family member? Is it ever a fair position to put someone in?
• “In that moment I sense it, the bond between us; formed over a shared grief and the special relationship that can be understood by twins.” How far do you agree with this statement?
• “…..we’re twins and so we love each other more than other people….” Louise May Alcott
• What do you think about this quote? What does it add to the story by appearing at the beginning?

If you liked this book and want to read similar novels try:

• The Woman Next Door by Cass Green reviewed here
• The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins
• The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne
• The Silent Twin by Caroline Mitchell
• Sister by Rosamund Lupton
• One by Sarah Crossan reviewed here

And Claire Douglas' "Local Girl Missing" - reviewed here

Other films:

• Single White Female
• Notes on a Scandal (or the book by Zoe Heller) 

For more about Claire Douglas you can follow her on Twitter @Dougieclaire and you can follow me @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) for more recommendations, reviews and bookish chat. 

**Author Q&A** with Claire Douglas

My book group chose "The Sisters" by Claire Douglas for their read this month. "Local Girl Missing" has been one of my most read blog posts for months so with both these things in mind I contacted Claire and asked if she would mind answering a few questions. I was thrilled when she agreed!

Thank you so so much Claire for agreeing to be interviewed - I have a lot of questions and I appreciate the time you have spent answering them!

This is your debut novel. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a published author?

I’ve been writing for years and tried to get published before (I’d written three other unpublished novels) but it wasn’t until I started writing The Sisters that a friend told me about a competition that Marie Claire magazine were holding. They wanted the first three chapters and a synopsis. So I sent off the first 6,000 words and a two-page outline, never expecting to hear anything. A few months later I received the phone call that told me I’d won. The prize was a publishing contract and an introduction to a literary agent – Juliet Mushens, of Caskie Mushens –  who was also one of the judges. I was over the moon when she offered to represent me and I know it sounds cheesy but it really was a dream come true.

How did your experience of being a journalist influence your fiction writing?

I wrote mainly human interest features for women’s magazines so I had an insight into a number of really interesting true life stories and the human psyche, which helped greatly when it came to thinking of stories and characters for my own novels. The idea for The Sisters came about after reading about an annulled marriage in a newspaper, where a couple only discovered after they were married that they were in fact twins separated at birth.

You have dedicated the novel to your sister. Has she read the book? What does being a sister mean to you?

My sister is very special to me. We lost our brother when he was a teenager, so as a result the two of us are even closer. She was one of the first people to read The Sisters. She always reads the first drafts of my novels, in their unpolished, unedited glory and gives me advice and encouragement.

You have quoted from Louisa May Alcott and Emily Dickinson in the opening page. Are these authors particularly important to you? Which other authors have influenced you?

I loved Little Women growing up and particularly related to Jo! I went through a Virginia Andrews phase as well. So many authors have influenced me; Agatha Christie (I went through a period when I only read her books), Enid Blyton, Maggie O’Farrell, Lisa Jewell, Sarah Waters, and then writers like Donna Tartt and Zoe Heller. I’ve been a big fan of Emily Barr for years, she wrote dark women’s fiction/psychological thrillers before they became really popular. One of my favourites of hers is Cuban Heels. It was reading novels by her that made me decide I wanted to write something dark and a bit twisted too.

The plot for “The Sisters” is complex and there are lots of twists and shocks. Did you always have the ending in mind and the twists planned before you started or did some things present themselves once you started writing?

I knew the major twists and I always had that ending in mind, but then I chickened out and wrote an ending which was lighter and happier and more “Hollywood” but my editor was like, “Er … are you sure about this ending?” and I admitted that I wasn’t. I told her my original ending and she gave me the confidence to go with it. I love dark, open-ended conclusions. They are the ones I remember. One of my favourite endings is in The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. It gives me shivers thinking about it. That made the book all the more powerful for me.

Who was the most ‘enjoyable’ character to write about and why? Which character gave you the most headaches and why?

I think Ben gave me the most headaches. He had to be a fine line between untrustworthy but also attractive. My favourite character to write was Abi, because I loved that she was so messed up, and I prefer writing in the first person, present tense.

Have you ever had to choose between a partner and a friend / family member?

No, thank goodness. It must be a horrible situation to be in and I always think that if somebody truly loved you they would never ask you to choose.

Abi, Bea and Ben are all quite disturbed characters. What advice would you give to an aspiring writer who was interested in creating an emotionally complicated character? What problems can a writer face when creating unreliable narrators?

I love writing disturbed characters but I think, for me, I have to sometimes reign it in a bit because you want them to be believable and not too “pantomime villain”, and that can be a fine line. I think unreliable narrators still need to be relatable to a certain degree, even if you don’t like them, and only afterwards for a reader to wonder if she/he was always telling the truth. So, I think, they still have to be rooted in truth somewhere, but maybe their own version of what they think is the truth, rather than them actually lying and deceiving the reader.

Abi describes Bath as “peaceful” at the beginning of the story. Which three words would you use to describe Bath and which is your favourite place there?

Beautiful, touristy and creative. Ooh this is a hard one as there are so many places in Bath that I love. The one place I really enjoy spending time in is Victoria Park, near The Crescent.

What one question would you like a book group to ask about your novel?

What happens to Abi – and Bea?

What one question would you like to ask a book group about your novel?

What do you think the ending means?

Your second novel “Local Girl Missing” is also in a similar genre to “The Sisters”. What appeals to you about this genre?

I love dark novels and mysteries, particularly if they are a bit twisted. I love writing characters that are a little bit messed up, I find them so interesting.

Are you working on a third book? Is it in a similar genre or something different?

Yes, it’s a similar genre. It’s called Last Seen Alive and is about a couple, Libby and Jamie who agree to swap their city flat for a house in Cornwall for a week, but things take a sinister turn which makes them wonder if there is more to this simple house swap than they realised.

Claire, this has been so interesting! Thank you so so much for appearing on the blog today with this interview! It was really exciting to hear all about your novels and your writing. Good luck with Last Seen Alive - I for one can't wait to read it! 

To find out more about Claire, you can follow her on Twitter at @Dougieclaire

Click here to read my review of The Sisters

Bibliomaniac's Review of The Sisters 

Click here to read my review of Local Girl Missing 

Bibliomaniac's Review of Local Girl Missing

Click here for questions to use with a Book Group for The Sisters 

Bibliomaniac's Book Club: The Sisters

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

The Breakdown by BA Paris

The word breakdown has several different meanings:

1.

a breaking down, wearing out, or sudden loss ofability to function efficiently, as of a machine.

2.

a loss of mental or physical health; collapse.

Compare nervous breakdown. 

3.

an analysis or classification of something; divisioninto parts, categories, processes, etc.

This novel tackles all of these definitions. 

"It'll only take me forty minutes. Unless I come back through the woods, by Blackwater Lane."
"Don't you dare!.......Cass, promise me you won't come back that way. First of all, I don't want you driving through the woods on your own at night and secondly, there's a storm coming."

So, what would you do? You're driving home to your rural cottage, late at night, in the middle of a storm. You take a shortcut through the woods, even though your husband has asked you not to travel this way as it is so remote and isolated. You see a parked car with a woman sitting inside it. You know your husband will be furious if he finds out you've taken this route and the downpour too heavy for you to really leave the car and investigate further. Do you stop? Do you get out? Or do you drive on?

Such a great premise for a book! And yes, a familiar set up - rain, wind, dark night, isolated roads, broken down cars...... the stuff of so many urban legends and horror movies but why not? It always works!

I lived in the countryside as a teenager and spent many late nights racing back through winding lanes terrifying myself with the ghost stories me and my friends had spent the evening telling each other - too proud to say anything as they waved me off smugly from their lit doorway! I could picture everything Paris described and I could feel Cass' dilemma as she panics about whether to stop or not. 

But this isn't just a case of Cass' over imagination. When she wakes up the next day, she hears that this same woman she decided to drive past has been found dead ....... presumed to have been murdered. Now what should she do? What would you do?

I love how Paris explores how one small white lie - or a decision not to be transparent with the truth- suddenly spirals out of control and leads Cass deeper and deeper into a nightmare; a nightmare where she has to mask her true anxieties, feelings of guilt and fear of being judged. She cuts herself off emotionally from the two people she has always relied on to support her and then, as her fragile emotional state seems to disintegrate before her, she finds herself spinning more and more into a state of confusion and remorse. 

Cass starts to forget things. Little things; meeting up with friends, where she left something, whether she had opened the upstairs window or not, why she'd ordered a pram when she isn't even pregnant. Is she suffering from 'periodic amnesia' or early onset dementia - a disease from which her mother had suffered before her recent death - or was she just 'away with the fairies'? Was it trauma and grief that was making her forget things and why was she so haunted by the death of the woman in the car?

Paris does a great job of capturing Cass's rapid descent into a kind of madness. As we see everything from Cass's point of view we are as confused as her as we try to work out whether she is telling us the truth or not. We are definitely on her side and full of sympathy for her; this woman has recently lost her mother, found herself in a new house and on the brink of a starting a family with Matthew but carries a niggling worry about whether he is the right man for her, a sense of inequality in the relationship and an irrational concern that she her forgetfulness is actually part of something more life threatening. I enjoyed the way we see events as they happen to Cass but then hear the other characters - primarily Matthew and Rachel who we believe to be centred, rational, supportive people who love Cass - reveal what has actually happened and then find ourselves as caught up in the fog of confusion as Cass. 

The novel is written in a very engaging style. We are immediately drawn in by the chatty, informal voice of Cass who is a character very easy to relate to and empathise with. There is plenty of good, well paced dialogue and events move along at a satisfying pace. I found myself turning the pages and becoming totally absorbed in the novel without even realising. 

As the story progressed I did feel that Paris might have been beginning to tread a fine line between effectively raising the tension and overplaying Cass's mental anguish; there was a slight threat that she might lose the reader. For me, I did feel that I needed to suspend belief a little, particularly when Cass's medication takes full effect and there is a lack of intervention from any other characters who would surely have become concerned or suspicious about her changing personality and problems. But, having said that, I cared enough about Cass to go along with this and I was interested enough in finding out what was going on to read on. I was sure there would be a reason for everything and I knew I could trust in Paris. 

And I'm so glad I did! Just as there was the  risk of losing my sympathy and getting a little fed up with Cass's repetitively long days of drug induced sleep and forgetfulness, wham! Breakdown. 

Literally, figuratively, physically, mentally. Everything. A complete breakdown of everything the reader thought they knew, everything Cass thought she knew; a breakdown of every relationship, event, happening and even the ending we were anticipating. 

The twist begins slowly. A few observations, a few casual remarks, a gradual revisiting of past moments. There isn't a sudden penny dropping moment, but rather a slower awakening- like when you put your penny in one of those huge basin type things and it begins to circulate at the top, rolling around and around, eventually lowering itself loop by loop until the momentum builds and suddenly it hurtles towards the centre and falls into the  black hole! I really liked the delivery of these slight twists that actually changed the whole direction of the book, recaptured the pace and charged on to an electrifying ending. 

I must admit, I had an inkling of how the story might end and there was a sense of convenience about the way in which all the threads were tied up. But, sometimes it's good to know everything and sometimes it's great to walk away from a novel completely satisfied and with everything resolved. 

I liked the last line a lot! 

I would recommend this book. I think it's going to be a hit. I think it has good characters and a great plot. I think Paris handles writing about dementia and memory loss really well and I think she successfully manages to write from the point of view of a character who barely trusts themselves. It has all the ingredients of psychological thriller and will not disappoint fans of "Behind Closed Doors". Once again themes of entrapment, obsession, love and trust dominate the novel and once again carry the reader along through an atmospheric story peppered with suspense and tension.

Enjoy it! But keep an eye on what you order online and whether you've closed that upstairs window or not! 

The Breakdown is out on 9th February 2017 by HQ Digital Press. 

For my review of "Behind Closed Doors" click below:
Bibliomaniac: What is waiting behind all these closed doors?
For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) 



B A Paris

B.A. PARIS grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters.

You can follow her on Twitter @BAParisAuthor 

If I Ever Fall by SD Robertson

Is holding on harder than letting go?

The prologue of this novel opens with the most unsettling words to ever come out of anyone's mouth:

"I don't know who I am."

Not only that, this anonymous character has no idea where they are, what has happened to them and why they are struggling to come to in a strange room with a strange person. Then, before we have the chance to work out who this person is and what they might be doing there, we start Chapter one which is set in 2017 and takes the form of a letter.

What intrigued me about this book was that for a while I thought I was reading a thriller. All the ingredients for a mystery are there - a person who appears to be trapped somewhere suffering from 'retrograde amnesia', another character writing a letter in which they are surrounded by odd coincidences yet obviously hiding a secret and a third story line following another character who is suffering from depression and also has a backstory to reveal.

Of course you'll know from the blurb, it isn't a thriller, there isn't a crime to solve but the reader does have to concentrate as we alternate between the three different narratives and timelines and try to work out how these three seemingly separate story lines all in fact fit together. There may not be a crime to solve but there definitely is a little bit of a mystery and there definitely is a sense of threat for each protagonist. There are also a few twists, a few shocks and a few moments of revelation. Each character has a demon to confront and their safety (emotional or physical) to fight for.

I liked the three different narratives. Each is very different - first person, third person and the form of a letter. The letters from Maria to Sam help reveal a lot of information and fill in some of the gaps as the reader begins to piece together the main events and the relationships between the characters. Maria answers a lot of our questions for us which even if occasionally a little contrived, is actually helpful as the other two sections remain more allusive and ambiguous. The letter form encourages Maria to be more honest as it is often more confessional in style and so this helps the reader build a relationship with her and empathise with her struggle.

Dan's storyline reads very easily. It is an authentic voice of a journalist who is coming to terms with the breakdown of his marriage and his faltering relationship with his daughter. There are lots of hints about what might have happened to the family which I liked.

"They'd been so good together. Under normal circumstances, he was sure they'd still be happily married. But what they'd been through was enough to tear apart even the strongest of unions." 

Both Dan and Maria's sections explore different responses to grief, different responses to parenting and different responses to making a marriage survive after a tragedy. Neither is right, neither is wrong, neither is more likeable or more pitiable. They offer different insights and ultimately compound the sense of sadness, hopelessness and despair of the novel.

I liked the sections about "John" the most. They are very cleverly written and Robertson recreates the sense of confusion, frustration and fear really effectively as "John" struggles to remember who he is and what has happened to him. The presentation of a sluggish mind that drifts between reality, dreams and flashbacks is really well written and I liked the tension and suspense that these passages created. The mysterious appearance of the girl in red is intriguing and the repetition of words like "it's not safe here," "you have to open your eyes," and "John's" sense of anxiety create a great atmosphere of unease.

The marketing campaign for this book has involved tissues and the warning that this is a bit of a tear jerker. I didn't need any tissues but I did feel a sense of sadness and I did feel sympathy for Maria and Dan. The novel tackles a difficult subject and does it with sensitivity. There is a promise of hope at the end of the story which I welcomed and felt it was a fitting finale to the protagonists' journeys.

As the blurb on Goodreads recommends, this is a book for fans of Amanda Prowse, Kathryn Hughes and JoJo Moyes. I enjoyed discovering a new author and I will definitely read Robertson's first novel "Time To Say Goodbye".

"If I Ever Fall" is published on the 9th February by Avon.

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


S D Robertson 

Former journalist S.D. Robertson quit his role as a local newspaper editor to pursue a lifelong ambition of becoming a novelist. 

An English graduate from the University of Manchester, he’s also worked as a holiday rep, door-to-door salesman, train cleaner, kitchen porter and mobile phone network engineer. 

Over the years Stuart has spent time in France, Holland and Australia, but home these days is back in the UK. He lives in a village near Manchester with his wife and daughter. There’s also his cat, Bernard, who likes to distract him from writing – usually by breaking things.

www.sdrobertsonauthor.com
Twitter: @SDRauthor

"Stasi Wolf" by David Young

This is the sequel to "Stasi Child" which if I'm honest, was perhaps not a book I would have normally picked up to read but I did and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's exciting when you stumble across something that is not in your normal genre then end up buying it for half a dozen friends! As I said in my review for "Stasi Child" (which you can read here: Bibliomaniac's review of Stasi Child ) I was surprised this was Young's first novel but then, that meant there would be many future instalments and without having to wait too long - here it is!

Once again, I had a momentarily flicker of trepidation about reading a police procedural novel set in East Germany in 1975 but do you know what, even though the historical and political setting is still very much part of the novel, this is actually a story about women, motherhood and missing children. It is as gripping and as harrowing as any contemporary detective or psychological thriller and I found it incredibly fast paced and readable. I became carried away in the personal lives of the central protagonists as much as the more complex story arc regarding the Stasi and communism.

It's great to see the return of Karin Muller as Young takes us back to 1975, picking up a few months after the events from "Stasi Child". Things have changed for Muller; she is divorced and sidelined from the Murder Squad but it is not long before she finds herself working on a case that requires all her skill if she is to solve a crime that is intriguing, complicated and distressing.

Transferred to Halle-Neustadt, a new town which is the pride of the communist state, Muller needs to solve the mystery of a pair of missing infant twins. But the Stasi have forbidden them from publicising the disappearances and their restrictions threaten Muller's chances of ever uncovering the truth in the race against time to find the tiny, vulnerable victims.

Not only has Muller had to transfer to a town she doesn't really want to go to, she is also under the added pressure of surveillance:

"If you ever want to rise above the rank of Oberleutnant then you are going to have to say yes occasionally. You're going to have to take on jobs you might not particularly want to go......There can be no errors of judgement like last time. Your performance will be monitored closely - and as you can imagine, not solely by the People's Police."

Young's research is meticulous and the detail that has gone in to recreating the atmosphere, setting, physical and emotional details is massively impressive. The reader is so fully transported to this moment in time and completely buys into the whole setting. The characters are intimidating, fearsome and convincing. The issues and restrictions that affect the police work are well integrated into the story and the attitudes towards the communist state and the Stasi well captured through dialogue and the relationships between the characters. For me, someone who does not read a lot of fiction set in this political and social context, I was able to visualise, understand and follow this aspect of the novel which just goes to illustrate the strength of Young's writing.

In contrast to Muller's narrative and the police investigation, there is another voice interspersed between the chapters which is set in 1965. These were definitely my favourite sections. I loved the voice of Franziska and the unnerving behaviour of her partner Hansi. I am hugely impressed with Young's ability to capture such a chilling voice and weave such an unsettling story. This truly rivals passages from any contemporary thriller.

"Hansi gives me these little pills to prevent it. He's so clever. He works at the chemical factory ......And he does some work for the Ministry too - he's quite important. Sometimes he gets me to help with his official Ministry business. You know, if I see anything that doesn't look quite right. If anyone's acting oddly, and might need the authorities to help them."

As was "Stasi Child", this second instalment is also claustrophobic, graphic at times, dark, harrowing, distressing and yet compelling. There is a lot to keep track of, a lot of different threads from several different characters but Young manages them all competently and has produced a novel full of drama. There is quite a lot of switching backwards and forwards through time - relatively close periods of time - which did require concentration and at times I was a little worried about losing my place but I didn't.

I think what I enjoyed most about this crime novel was that as Young continues his series, we are learning more about the central protagonist Muller. She is a feisty, strong, intelligent woman and it was great to see more of her but also discover more about her backstory. It was also interesting to see her personal life actually becoming part of the central plot. I liked the fact that this book is a real mash up of historical drama, political drama, police procedural, crime and also include a very human angle exploring the emotional side of the characters and themes such as loss, grief, love and motherhood.

In the acknowledgements Young says his aim was to tell a cracking story. He does. It's a cracking story and an action packed read.

He says he tried to make his East German world authentic and honest. He does. I would agree that you might have to suspend belief a little bit but on the whole the novel is convincing.

Young also wanted to explore the backstory of Karin Muller as "it is the essence of the book. How the past impinges on, and defines, the present." I would say for me this was the most successful aspect of the novel and the bit I enjoyed the most.

His choice of East Germany in 1975 is really interesting. As Young says, it is the product of World War Two and "stood at the edge of two conflicting systems: capitalist and communist...."  This lends itself to lots of potential about conflict, the past and the present and the unique bearing this has on the characters and the events in the novel.

I would recommend "Stasi Wolf". I think it is probably necessary to read "Stasi Child" first but they are both engaging and fast paced reads so it will not be difficult to catch up. I am eagerly awaiting the third and final instalment which is due in 2018 as it will be fascinating to see what happens to Muller now her life has changed yet again.

"Stasi Wolf" is published on 9th February 2017 by Zaffre.

My review of "Stasi Child" can be found here:

Bibliomaniac's Review of Stasi Child



DAVID YOUNG

David Young was born near Hull and – after dropping out of a Bristol University science degree - studied Humanities at Bristol Polytechnic specialising in Modern History. Temporary jobs cleaning ferry toilets and driving a butcher's van were followed by a career in journalism with provincial newspapers, a London news agency, and the BBC’s international newsrooms where he led news teams for the World Service radio and World TV.

David was a student on the inaugural Crime Thriller MA at City University – winning the course prize in 2014 for his debut novel Stasi Child – and now writes full-time in his garden shed. In his spare time, he’s a keen supporter of Hull City AFC.

Follow David on Twitter: 
@djy_writer
Or visit his blogspot on his novels:
Stasi Child Website

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

Bibliomaniac's Book Club: Louise Beech

BIBLIOMANIAC'S BOOK CLUB: 
Louise Beech 

 "How to be Brave" 

Both Louise Beech's books have staggeringly high ratings on Goodreads and Amazon and the reviews are absolutely oozing with praise for her writing and storytelling. As novels that have affected so many people so deeply, they would be perfect choices for Book Group, particularly as they explore such great universal themes of family, history and love. Here's some ideas for running a book group session of both of the books including some questions from the author herself! 

But first, here's a bit of information about what both books are about.

"How To Be Brave" 

When nine-year-old Rose is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, Natalie must use her imagination to keep her daughter alive. They begin dreaming about and seeing a man in a brown suit who feels hauntingly familiar, a man who has something for them. Through the magic of storytelling, Natalie and Rose are transported to the Atlantic Ocean in 1943, to a lifeboat, where an ancestor survived for fifty days before being rescued. Poignant, beautifully written and tenderly told, How To Be Brave weaves together the contemporary story of a mother battling to save her child’s life with an extraordinary true account of bravery and a fight for survival in the Second World War. A simply unforgettable debut that celebrates the power of words, the redemptive energy of a mother’s love … and what it really means to be brave.

"The Mountain in my Shoe" 

A missing boy. A missing book. A missing husband. A woman who must find them all to find herself. On the night Bernadette finally has the courage to tell her domineering husband that she’s leaving, he doesn’t come home. Neither does Conor, the little boy she’s befriended for the past five years. Also missing is his lifebook, the only thing that holds the answers. With the help of Conor’s foster mum, Bernadette must face her own past, her husband’s secrets and a future she never dared imagine in order to find them all. Exquisitely written and deeply touching, The Mountain in My Shoe is both a gripping psychological thriller and a powerful and emotive examination of the meaning of family … and just how far we’re willing to go for the people we love.

A GOOD BOOK GROUP GUIDE: HOW TO BE BRAVE

Props to start a discussion:
a toy row boat
a map of the sea
a medical leaflet about diabetes 
a shark (a plastic toy version will do this time!!) 
a brown leather note book
a medal / bravery award 

Snacks to accompany this title:
sea salt crisps
water biscuits and cheese
a stiff drink 

Questions I’d Love To Ask Readers At A Book Group about How to be Brave by Louise Beech 

• How did it feel reading something you know was inspired by a real-life experience – two actually?
• Did you learn anything about Type 1 Diabetes that you might not otherwise have known?
• Did the ghostly element work for you?
• How did you find the ending?
• What did you enjoy most?

Here are some quotes from the book for you to chat about:

"Yes I know, [she's not just any child] she's your child"

"How much should a child go through?"

"Being sad is how you start to be brave." & "You have to know how to be sad to know how to be happy and if you know both of those things you'll know how to be brave." 

Further Questions:

• Did you find Rose authentic and believable for her age?
• What did you think about the relationship between Colin and Ken?
• What do you think Louise is saying about storytelling in her novel?
• Is there a book that has particular significance to you? (fiction or non fiction) Why?
• Is there a time when you've used stories to help you cope or to help someone else cope?
• Colin is a kind of guardian angel for Natalie and Rose. Has there ever been a time in your life when you've felt you've had someone watching over you or trying to get in touch with you?

If you like "How to be Brave" try:

• Love Anthony by Lisa Genoa
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart
• Panic Room (film) 

And here are some questions from Louise herself about "The Mountain in my Shoe". 

• Did the three POVs work okay for you?
• Did they come together smoothly enough?
• Who was your favourite character?
• What did you think about a Lifebook being one of the voices?
• Did it make you think about possibly doing voluntary work?

BIOGRAPHICAL INFO ABOUT LOUISE BEECH:

I’ve been writing since I could physically hold a pen, and before that I made stories up in my head. As a child, I used to fill notepads with full-length novels, including a proper contents page, foreword and diagrams. I told anyone who would listen that one day I was going to be a world-famous novelist. There’s never been anything else I’ve wanted to do. It’s the only thing I feel confident about, and love. Writing is my safe place. My happy place. It’s where I escape, go for adventure, find therapy and healing. That’s my favourite part first and foremost. The second thing I love about writing is the readers. I’ve had so many lovely messages and met so many readers who say my words have touched them in some way. And it makes all the work worth it. Because even though I love it, it’s the hardest thing to do. Which is why I think you must love it to keep going. 

It took me almost ten years, and four novels, four plays, fifty short stories, multiple newspaper columns, millions of rejections, the odd competition shortlist, and a few tears to get a book deal. When How to be Brave lost a big competition in 2014 I saw on Twitter that Karen Sullivan was starting her own independent publishing company, Orenda Books. I followed her and cheekily asked if she’d look at the novel. She did. And after about ten weeks she said yes. I’ll never forget that moment as long as I live. She then published my second book, The Mountain in my Shoe, this year. An my third novel, Maria in the Moon, will be released in September 2017.

I’m always writing, and am working on book four too.

You can follow Louise on Twitter @LouiseWrites and visit her website louisebeech.co.uk 

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