Limelight by Emily Organ

How did an actress die twice?

London, 1883. Actress Lizzie Dixie drowned in the River Thames, so how was she murdered five years later in Highgate Cemetery?

Intrepid Fleet Street reporter Penny Green was a friend of Lizzie’s and Scotland Yard needs her help. Does Penny unwittingly hold clues to Lizzie’s mysterious death? Penny must work with Inspector James Blakely to investigate the worlds of theatre, showmen and politicians in search of the truth.

But who is following her? And who is sending her threatening letters?

Penny is about to discover that Lizzie’s life was more complicated, and dangerous, than she could ever have imagined.

I do love an Emily Organ book!

I stalk Emily - sorry - I mean I keep an eye out for Emily's new books as I have read every single one and never been disappointed. This is no exception. Moving to a new historical era following on from the Runaway Girl series that was set in the 1350s, Limelight is set in 1883 and yet again Organ shows off her talent for creating a convincing world and transporting the reader back in time.

What I also admire about Organ's writing is that even though I recognise her style and rich use of language, each novel does feel quite different. The tone and atmosphere of this book feels refreshing and new which is both an achievement a pleasing change after having lived with so many of Organ's characters throughout a whole trilogy. Limelight appears to be a stand alone novel - although who knows?!

Again, there is a slight change in genre too. So far Organ has written two very contemporary novels set in the modern day; The Last Day is perhaps more of a character driven story, The Outsider is a more popular fiction/ psychological thriller with the echoes of the fabulous Du Maurier's Rebecca hiding beneath some of the inspiration for the plot and The Runaway Girl Trilogy is an historical thriller series. I would describe Limelight as more of gentle crime read - it's not cosy crime as there are scenes of violence and some quite graphic moments, but it feels intriguing and a very satisfying mystery rather than a chilling or disturbing read.

I liked it. A lot.

The book opens in Highgate Cemetery with a policeman in pursuit of the sound of a gun shot which has disturbed the still night. Eerie. Dramatic. Excting!

"The night was moonless and now silent as PC Preston followed the path through the cemetery, holding his lantern out in front of him. The other hand was wrapped tightly around his revolver. 'Police!' he called out. 'Show yourself!' There was no response."

We then move on to meet our Detective James Blakely who is to investigate the murdered body discovered in the cemetery. He approaches Miss Penny Green, our protagonist, who is a journalist although not a news reporter on the daily paper following an article she wrote as she "believed that the wrong man had been hung" and as Blakely concurs, "time revealed that the wrong man was, indeed, hung." Therefore we are shown Penny to be a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind and is a driven and dedicated professional journalist in a time when it was not easy for women to be taken seriously or respected as equals.

However, Blakely continues.

"'Miss Green, it is most urgent that I speak with you. It is regarding the actress, Lizzie Dixie. She has been murdered.'
I came to an instant standstill. ......
'Lizzie Dixie? But that's impossible. She drowned. Years ago.'"

Ooohhhh, yes. Now you're interested aren't you?!

Miss Penny Green is a great character. Serious, sharp and perceptive. Single, intelligent and perhaps a little ahead of her time, but ultimately believable and likeable. I related to her immediately. Introducing her against her back story of having just lost her regular salary from the newspaper, because of her values and search for justice, means the reader is rooting for her from the start. She doesn't need, want or ask for our sympathy and is very independent but I respected her and wanted to know more about her. Her relationship with her sister which is revealed as the novel develops, shows us a softer side to Penny and how even though sometimes her job - or life choices - have separated her away from her friends, family and peer group, some of them secretly envy her confidence and drive.

"..[Eliza] often laughed at me for being a working woman and shunning family life, she had always taken a keen interest in what I did and I sensed that she sometimes dreamed of having a job like mine."

However, most of the time Organ gently reminds us of the social and historical context of the novel and that actually Penny is subjected to barbed remarks about age, family, marriage and respectability frequently. I loved the sly look at her "ink-stained fingers" which conveyed such "disapproval that I had a job" when Penny was at dinner. I also liked Penny's need for extra sherry when visiting a family with 13 (that's 13 folks!!!!) children who she attempted to endure! Organ juggles a great balance between making Penny independent and single without making her hard and cold. It's refreshing to read about a female protagonist who is content with their life, ambitious without being cut throat and single by choice rather than a traumatic back story of a broken heart or abuse!

Not that there isn't a love interest - but it is a slow burning relationship born out of mutual respect;   not in the slightest bit twee, sentimental or reflecting any weakness or digression in Penny's character.   It's well executed and welcomed by the reader!

As well as the relationship between Blakely and Penny there is also another male character with whom Penny has much involvement; journalist Edgar Fish. Fish is a competitor of Penny's and always quick to throw both physical and emotional obstacles in her way.

"'There are plentiful ladies' journals in need of writers, so I am sure it will be easy for you to find work. The grand ladies of Britain always require advice on which colour hat to wear and how to discipline their maids.'"

There's a great contrast between the developing closeness and understanding between Blakely and Penny and the tension between Fish and Penny.

What's also interesting about this murder investigation is Penny's previous relationship with Lizzie which allows us some insight into Lizzie's character and the potential to reveal hints, clues and information which enhance the tension and suspense surrounding the case. Lizzie is also a strong female character who again has struggled with the conventions of society versus her ambitions. She is also a good contrast to Penny's character.

"I have done things I am not proud of to get where I am today....."

"I would not have been able to refuse [Charles Burrell] he would never have let me. But that was just the start....... I liked to be desired. Being an actress made me desirable; I could dress up and look beautiful. So that's what I did, and I made lots of money from it."

And, as possibly with many actresses but definitely with most people, there is a hidden life, a buried secret or choices and decisions made which reveal another side to a character and make the circumstances more complicated. Maybe indeed there was much more to Lizzie's apparently glamorous and successful life than anyone really knew?

"One day people will realise who I really am. They will hate me."

I won't dwell any more on the plot for fear of spoilers but what worked well for me in this story was the use of gentle humour in places, usually relating to historical context. I particularly enjoyed some of the comments when the journalists were introduced to the typewriter:

"Just one letter at a time? This is rather laborious."
"But the letters aren't even in alphabetical order."
"Our hands are perfectly suited for writing. Why use a machine?"

And also meeting Mrs Henrietta Henderson of the Rational Dress Society as they discuss the merits and dangers of "divided skirts" to create more practical "baggy trousers"!

All in all, Organ is showing herself to be a very versatile writer who has a skill for creating engaging and interesting, three dimensional characters. I am really hopeful that Limelight will appeal to a new audience again and introduce even more people to her novels. It is a very rewarding and well written novel and I am already counting down the days until her next book!!

This is the perfect read for fans of Victorian history, stories with strong female protagonists and for people looking for a good murder mystery story.

Limelight will be published on 2nd March 2017.

Emily Organ



I write historical mysteries and thrillers with strong female characters. THE RUNAWAY GIRL SERIES is a trilogy of thrillers set in 14th century London. The sights, smells and dangers of medieval life are combined with contemporary themes into a page-turning read.

2017 sees the publication of a series of Victorian mysteries featuring the Fleet Street reporter Penny Green. LIMELIGHT is the first book and set in late 19th century London. Penny Green must help Scotland Yard solve the mystery of an actress who appears to have died twice. It's a whodunnit which will keep you guessing until the very end.

I live in the south of England.
@emilysorgan
emilyorgan.co.uk
emilyorgan.co.uk/newsletter

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

Sealskin by Su Bristow

What happens when magic collides with reality?

An amazing story, that's what.

Every single aspect of this book is beautiful. Every single adjective I could choose to describe it has already been taken by the authors, booksellers and bloggers who have fallen in love with this unique and stunning novel.

Is it just enough to say read it? Read it. You'll love it.

This is a story based on a legend and Bristow continues this with her dream like prose, blurring the realms between reality and mythology. Set on the isolated West Coast of Scotland this book tells the tale of Donald, a fisherman, who makes a decision one night that changes the course of his life, his family and the small community of which he is part.

This is a story about repercussions, judgements, violence, transformation, atonement and resilience. This is a story about love, forgiveness, understanding and belonging. This is a story that is rich with imagery, description and simply gorgeous writing. This is a story that will linger with you as long as the legend of the selkies has lingered over the Scottish Isles.

"Moonlight silvered everything, casting doubt and shadow. So he scrubbed at his eyes and looked again, but they were still rolling, rising up, standing and stepping out of their heavy skins, helping each other to get free. Six, seven maybe nine young women, lithe and graceful, holding hands, beginning to sway and dance as though the moon had pulled them up and out of the sea, almost airborne, drunk with the joy of it."

Donald's sense of wonder and fascination catch him in a spell which is then broken by that instinct to own, to have, to hold something so beautiful and so special. He is overwhelmed and commits an act of brutality and violence for which he will pay dearly as the consequences of his actions begin to write their own legend.

Although the location is fixed, the exact time and setting of Sealskin remains unclear which enhances the fairytale like atmosphere of the story. I think this is effective and it was not difficult to let myself get caught up in this world where myths and reality converge. It's irrelevant when it is set as actually, even though this seems like a fantastical story, it is still relevant and resonant with readers today. There are plenty of universal themes and questions within these pages and plenty or ideas to consider about human nature.

I liked the character of Donald's mother and how her dialogue reminded me of fairy tales. Her kind of prophetic claims that "there will be a child" and "you've made your bed now you must lie in it" created a great sense of tension and foreboding. The dynamics between her and Donald are fascinating and nuanced. The relationship between the family as they try to nurture Mairhi is engaging and enchanting. Bristow is a writer with immense creativity and with a bewitching imagination.

Honestly I am reluctant to start quoting from this book as I just will not stop. And every phrase I find is usurped by something even more captivating. It's impossible to pick out just one or two phrases which made the book for me as I was constantly dwelling on sentences which struck me with their exquisiteness.

I loved the description of skin and how it was a repeated motif used to illustrate many different concepts from the obvious to the more subtle. I loved how it transcended between the physical, metaphorical and psychological ideas explored in the book. I am intrigued to know more about Su Bristow herself and what has influenced her writing journey to lead her to produce such mesmerising prose.

Nature is a huge part of this book with numerous references to birds and animals. The natural habitat is as much a character as Donald and Mairhi and as significant in the storytelling. This is a story where you live, breath and dream the landscape. It also explores ideas about tradition, secrets, and storytelling. Communities, families, marriages and friendships all play out with the same complications and dramas century after century.

Sealskin left me feeling enriched and in awe. But writing my review has left me feeling dissatisfied and frustrated as it feels impossible to do the book justice.

If you love being transported to another world, if you love reading about stories buried in mythology, if you love stories about the human condition, the decisions made by people, loss, love and atonement, then you will love this book. If you relish well written prose then this has to be one of the best examples.

Read it. You'll love it.

Sealskin is published by Orenda Books. The ebook was published in December 2016 and the paperback will be available from 6th March 2017.

Su Bristow



Su Bristow is a consultant medical herbalist by day. She's the author of two books on herbal medicine and two on relationship skills. Sealskin is her first novel and won the Exeter Novel Prize. Her writing has been described as "magical realism; Angela Carter meets Eowyn Ivey."
You can follow Su on Twitter at @SuBristow 

Or Orenda books at @OrendaBooks or via their website orendabooks.co.uk

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

#BibliomaniacsBookClub March: #ABoyMadeofBlocks (Paperlight)

March's Bibliomania is for 

Keith Stuart's 

A BOY MADE OF BLOCKS

Published by Little, Brown January 2017 

What is it all about?

In the tradition of Nick Hornby and David Nicholls comes a warm and tender novel in which a father and his autistic son connect over the game of Minecraft.

Alex loves his family, and yet he struggles to connect with his eight-year-old autistic son, Sam. The strain has pushed his marriage to the breaking point. So Alex moves in with his merrily irresponsible best friend on the world’s most uncomfortable blow-up bed.

As Alex navigates single life, long-buried family secrets, and part-time fatherhood, his son begins playing Minecraft. Sam’s imagination blossoms and the game opens up a whole new world for father and son to share. Together, they discover that sometimes life must fall apart before you can build a better one.

Inspired by the author’s own relationship with his autistic son, A Boy Made of Blocks is a tear-jerking, funny, and, most, of all true-to-life novel about the power of difference and one very special little boy.(Goodreads)

To read my full review please click here:
Bibliomaniac's Review for A Boy Made of Blocks

WHSmith Richard & Judy Book Club have selected A Boy Made of Blocks for their 2017 Spring read, click below to see their reviews of the novel:

Richard & Judy Book Club Reviews for A Boy Made of Blocks

A BOY MADE OF BLOCKS Questions:

How authentic did you find the relationship between Alex and Sam?

How convincing did you find Stuart's portrayal of Alex and Jody's relationship? What emotional reaction do you think Stuart wants us to have towards Jody and towards their marriage?

Keith Stuart has a son who is autistic. Do you think this has helped or hindered Stuart's writing? Did it change the way you read the book knowing that Stuart has a son the same age as Sam with autism?

What observations or messages might Stuart be exploring about parenting in this novel?

How different might this novel have been if it had been narrated from Jody's point of view? 

Alex talks about the 'labels' that we give medical conditions and the quest for a diagnosis. How far do you think labels and an 'official' diagnosis help families like Alex, Jody and Sam?

What is your attitude towards computer games? Do they have a role in helping children develop empathy, understanding, skills and creativity or are they something to be viewed with caution and with monitored and restricted access?

A Boy Made of Blocks contains a lot of humour. How did you find the voice of Alex and the use of humour in the novel?

Has the book helped develop your understanding of autism or for parents and children who live with a similar condition? Is it just a book about autism or are other universal themes explored as well?

Would A Boy Made of Blocks make a good film? If it was to be made into a film, who would you cast as the lead characters? Why? What problems - if any- might the screenwriters and producers have to consider when adapting to film?

Where to hold your book group for A Boy Made of Blocks?

• someone's lounge - with an x-box and a tv big enough for everyone to get a good view of Minecraft 
• a selection of air beds to sit on

What could you serve?

• Beer and fizzy drinks 
• Sweets and Crisps 
• Cubed fruit - preferably apple in 1cm squared chunks 

What props could you use to start a conversation about A Boy Made of Blocks?

• mine craft game rules / comics / handbooks / toys
• a video from StampyCat via You Tube as he takes you on a tour of his 'world'
• squared paper and pens - draw your own mine craft village
• fruit, a ruler, a knife and a plate 
• an information leaflet about autism

Quotes to start a conversation with:

• Labels don't "help you sleep, stop you from getting angry and frustrated".
• "Jody had to restrain me from picking Sam up, handing him over to the concerned woman on the deckchair next to us and saying. 'Here, honestly, you take him.'"
• "Video games get a bad rap; we often think of them as things we need to control and limit- by they can also be a permissive space where people learn and share and create, without judgement or confinement."
• "Life puts up so many barriers to people who are different. Any tool that helps us to appreciate those people - whoever they are, however they differ from us- is a precious thing. This is what I learned and what this book is about."

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

KEITH STUART

In 2012 one of KEITH STUART's two sons was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The ramifications felt huge. But then Keith and both boys started playing videogames together - especially Minecraft. Keith had always played games and, since 1995, has been writing about them, first for specialist magazines like Edge and PC Gamer then, for the last ten years, as games editor for the Guardian. The powerful creative sharing as a family and the blossoming of communication that followed informed his debut novel.

You can follow Keith Stuart on Twitter @keefstuart 

You can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) 

To find out more about Bibliomaniac's Book Club click here:

Bibliomaniac's Book Club Reads 2017

To read about Bibliomaniac's March PaperWeight read click here: 
bibliomaniacsbookclub march paperweight

#BibliomaniacsBookClub March Read (PaperWeight)

March's Paperweight Bibliomania is for not just one, but FOUR authors! 

Graham Minett, Chris Whitaker, Simon Booker, Alex Caan

This month Bibliomaniac's Book Club is hosting Dazzling Debuts - a live event featuring four authors so the Paperweight read for March will be slightly different this time as we encourage you to read one of these titles. Tune into Bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com throughout March for guest posts and a review of the evening which takes place on the 22nd (2017). 

Bibliomaniac Book Club questions will be available at the end of March on Bibliomaniac's blog.

TALL OAKS by CHRIS WHITAKER 

For fans of Twin Peaks and The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair, this brilliant debut is dark yet hilarious, suspenseful and sad.

Everyone has a secret in Tall Oaks . . .

When three-year-old Harry goes missing, the whole of America turns its attention to one small town.

Everyone is eager to help. Everyone is a suspect.

Desperate mother Jess, whose grief is driving her to extreme measures.

Newcomer Jared, with an easy charm and a string of broken hearts in his wake.

Photographer Jerry, who's determined to break away from his controlling mother once and for all.

And, investigating them all, a police chief with a hidden obsession of his own . . .

In Chris Whitaker's brilliant and original debut novel, missing persons, secret identities and dangerous lies abound in a town as idiosyncratic as its inhabitants.

For my review of Tall Oaks please click :
bibliomaniac's review of Tall Oaks

For my interview with Chris Whitaker please click: 
bibliomaniac's Q&A with Chris Whitaker



LIE IN WAIT by G J MINETT

Vividly imagined and ingeniously plotted, LIE IN WAIT is GJ Minett's stunning follow-up to the bestselling and acclaimed THE HIDDEN LEGACY

Owen Hall has always been different. A big man with an unusual fixation, one who prefers to put his trust in number patterns rather than in people, it's unsurprising that he'd draw the attention of a bully.

Or a murder investigation.

And, in the storm of emotions and accusations that erupts when a violent killing affects a small community, it soon becomes clear that a particularly clever murderer might just get away with it.

All they'd need is a likely suspect . . . 

To read my review of Lie In Wait click here:

Bibliomaniac's review of Lie in Wait 


THE HIDDEN LEGACY by G J Minett 

1966. A horrifying crime at a secondary school, with devastating consequences for all involved.

2008. A life-changing gift, if only the recipient can work out why . . .
Bearing the scars of a recent divorce - and the splatters of two young children - Ellen Sutherland is up to her elbows in professional and personal stress. When she's invited to travel all the way out to Cheltenham to hear the content of an old woman's will, she can barely be bothered to make the journey.

But when she arrives, the news is astounding. Eudora Nash has left Ellen a beautiful cottage, worth an amount of money that could turn her life around. There's just one problem - Ellen has never even heard of Eudora Nash. 

Her curiosity piqued, Ellen and her friend Kate travel to the West Country in search of answers. But they are not the only ones interested in the cottage, and Ellen little imagines how much she has to learn about her past . . .

Graham Minett's debut novel, The Hidden Legacy, is a powerful and suspenseful tale exploring a mysterious and sinister past.

To read my review of The Hidden Legacy click here:
bibliomaniac's review of The Hidden Legacy 

To read my interview with Graham click on the link below: 
Bibliomaniac In Conversation with G Minett



CUT TO THE BONE by Alex Caan 

For fans of THE FALL a slick, dark contemporary thriller, in the tradition of SARAH HILARY and ROBERT GALBRAITH that grips from the very first page...

One Missing Girl. Two Million Suspects.

Ruby is a vlogger, a rising star of YouTube and a heroine to millions of teenage girls.

And she's missing . . .

But she's an adult - nothing to worry about, surely?

Until the video's uploaded . . .

Ruby, in the dirt, pleading for her life.

Enter Detective Inspector Kate Riley; the Met's rising star and the head of a new team of investigators with the best resources money can buy. Among them, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris, the poster boy for multiracial policing. But can Kate wholly trust him - and more importantly, can she trust herself around him?

As hysteria builds amongst the press and Ruby's millions of fans, Kate and her team are under pressure to get results, and fast, but as they soon discover, the world of YouTube vloggers and social media is much darker than anyone could have imagined.

And the videos keep coming . . 

For my review of Cut to the Bone please click here:
Bibliomaniac's Review of Cut to the Bone

For my Blog Tour Q&A with Alex Caan please click here: 
Bibliomaniac's Q&A with Alex Caan


WITHOUT TRACE by Simon Booker 


A gripping psychological thriller for fans of Gone Girl and Making a Murderer.

"A cracking debut. A real page-turner with a compelling central character"
- Mark Billingham 

For four long years, journalist Morgan Vine has campaigned for the release of her childhood sweetheart Danny Kilcannon - convicted, on dubious evidence, of murdering his 14 year-old stepdaughter.

When a key witness recants, Danny is released from prison. With nowhere else to go, he relies on single mum Morgan and her teenage daughter, Lissa.

But then Lissa goes missing.

With her own child now at risk, Morgan must re-think all she knows about her old flame - 'the one that got away'. As the media storm around the mysterious disappearance intensifies and shocking revelations emerge, she is forced to confront the ultimate question: who can we trust...?

For my review of Without Trace please click here:
Bibliomaniac's review of Without Trace

For Bibliomaniac's Book Club March Paperlight read please click here:
bibliomaniacsbookclub March PaperLight

For more about Bibliomaniac's Book Club please click here:

Bibliomaniac's Book Club Reads 2017

Follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) 

Run for Your Life by Jenny Baker

This weekend I ran my first half marathon in Brighton. I have been running for about two years now and I have completed quite a few 10k races so this felt like a natural progression and a good challenge for 2017....... And boy, was it a challenge! The training is more intense and more time consuming for this distance and I had to listen to my body much more carefully to avoid injuries (which I seemed more susceptible too!) and make sure I stayed well fuelled and well hydrated to keep physically fit. But not only is a half marathon a physical challenge, it is also more mentally demanding. In Run for Your Life, Jenny Baker talks a lot about how running is not about being the best or winning a race, it is about "exploring what your body can do, how far it can go and trying to go further, how it feels to run a marathon, how to develop the mental endurance that enables you to persevere when you want to give up."

"It is about being the best you can be and discovering who you are deep down." 

I'm not sure whether I can run another half marathon at the moment, but I'll see how I feel after my muscles have stopped aching and my chocolate consumption has regulated itself! What I do know though is that I have proved something to myself and that running does give me something unique - an escape, a mental headspace and a satisfaction in knowing my body is strong and fit. Running can be addictive, it can be a release, it can be hard work but it can be rewarding. Baker is right, running is about discovering more about yourself and giving yourself some time to explore what you can do.

Two years ago I couldn't run for the bus. I never thought I'd run 5k, let alone 10k, let alone a half marathon. I never thought I'd get so much out of something so physical, I never thought I would look forward so much to my weekly catch up with my 'running buddies' and I never thought that the first thing I would pack when going on holiday would be my trainers. It's funny though, as Baker also reflects, it takes a long time before you ever consider yourself "a real runner" and when you realise that running has "changed from being something I occasionally did in my spare time to being a core strand of my identity". Even when I crossed the finish line on Sunday and got my medal, I'm not sure I felt I could call myself a "real runner" but I guess I must be! And if I can do it, anyone can!

One of my friends ran a half marathon last year and she met Jenny Baker while training. She recommended that I read Jenny's book so I took it on the train down to Brighton and found it inspirational. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

Running had been many things to Jenny Baker - a space to achieve new things, a way to keep fit and healthy and a source of friendship and community. had planned a year of running to celebrate her birthday; instead Jenny was hit with a bombshell which rocked her life when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had one question for her oncologist: can I keep running? It gave her a sense of identity through her chemotherapy, while her treatment was stripping away everything that was important to her. Run for Your Life is the story of how she kept running to help her beat cancer and how it helped her to get her life back on track after an intensive spell of treatment and a turbulent time in her life. 

This book is such an uplifting read. Baker's attitude and outlook on life is relentlessly positive and optimistic. There are some paragraphs which are truly inspirational. In her down to earth, straight forward observations and clear insights, Baker captures what running means to her and how it shapes her attitude to life, change, challenge, adversity and her ability to adapt and cope with whatever is thrown at her in this journey for which we are never fully prepared. Ultimately it is a book about hope and living hopefully, something which runner or non runner, we can all strive towards.

Obviously Baker's book talks about her cancer and her treatment. There are passages when she talks about developing a metaphor for cancer:

"Was it an adversary that I was battling against, or a companion that I would journey with for a while? ..........A metaphor is never perfect, but it can set your thoughts in the right direction and bring the unknown into reach."

She talks about the diagnosis and includes her original blog post "Not what I had Planned" when she found out. There is another blog post about "How to Help" and a special mention of the "Human Repair Kit" a friend gave her. There are chapters about chemotherapy, appointments, being gravely ill and the long battle which she went through.

This is as much a book about running as it is about having cancer. I thought Baker's observations about what running meant to her were really quite enlightening and they summed up my own feelings in a more concise and eloquent way than I could manage. I liked Baker's initial description of how running subverts the pressure on women to be obsessed with their appearance:

"There will always be a few women who turn up for races with a full face of make-up but when you run you really don't have to worry about what you look like. .......throw on the same kit time after time....stuff unwashed hair in a ponytail....get hot and sweaty in the face...."

In fact, for me, I find it a real relief when its a "run day" and I can just get up, pick up my gear from the last run and take the children to school without having had a shower, a second glance in the mirror or a care in the world. I run through my town puce, breathless and without style, lost in my own world and buried deep in whatever song is playing too loudly through my headphones! That is liberating!

As Baker says, running is about "experiencing my body as strong and capable, rather than something to reduce through diets or put on display." I think this is a really important message. Running can give you a space for just you and to appreciate your body; a real satisfaction that you are fit, strong and healthy.

Baker also talks about how she became very involved in the Right to Movement Palestine Marathon where "we run to tell a different story".

"Running to my chemotherapy appointments had enabled me to tell a different story about my treatment." 

Baker talks about running to her hospital appointments as a way of showing her determination, her right to choice - a choice which not everyone has. She also says it was liberating and gave her a chance to hold on to something of herself when everything else was becoming lost. This realisation led her to becoming more involved with a charity which ran to raise funds for those people in Palestine who do not have a voice, freedom or choice.

But as well as talking about her incredible marathon achievements, Baker also talks about parkrun. Parkrun is a national organisation where every Saturday at 9 o'clock in the morning, across Britain, in town centres, city centres and country villages, people meet at the park and run 5k. It's a great way to start running, to meet other runners or to take the whole family along - and the dog! - and start your weekend with a fun run around the park.

"It is where marathon finisher shirts line up next to not-been-worn-since-school plimsolls. It is for people who that Saturday felt they couldn't go any further, but who a couple of days later find they actually can. No one is too slow for park run. you can't get lost of left behind." 

And who knows, if you get the running bug then

"parkrun is the quiet witness to countless people turning their lives around, where good intentions to exercise first become a reality, where dreams of running a marathon 'someday' start to become a possibility."

It is hard not to want to close Baker's book, grab your trainers and head off out she enthuses so much about the physical, mental and emotional benefits of running. If this woman doesn't make you want to start running, no one will!

But I am going to leave you with an extract from the end of the book. I hope Baker won't mind me quoting such a large chunk of her final thoughts but I think they capture her wisdom, voice, passion and absolutely inspirational attitude to life.

"Training is an exercise in hopefulness. You sign up with a goal in mind, perhaps to run faster than ever before, or to try a different distance, or as an excuse to visit a new city. you commit yourself to a training plan and carve out time so you can follow it. But you don't know what will happen next.

There will be times when everything aligns and you run the perfect race. There will be times when you get injured and you have to modify your expectations of what you can achieve. There will be times when you have to give up on the race, take time to heal and start again in a few weeks' time. But it all starts with the choice to act hopefully.

There is no knowing what the future holds, but you do have a choice about how you will move forward. I will do what I can to live well and to live healthily but ultimately I cannot control what happens next. I choose to live hopefully." 

I can't find the exact quote now, but there was also some great advice which I took with me all the way around the Brighton Half Marathon. I'll paraphrase it but the idea is that you take each kilometre at a time - only think about the next kilometre rather than the whole race. Not bad advice for life either, don't you think?

Run for your Life by Jenny Baker is published by @pitchpublishing  and is available from Amazon.

JENNY BAKER 

Running has been many things to me – a space to achieve new things, a way to keep fit and stay healthy, a source of friendship and community and, in the running I’ve done in Palestine, a way to demonstrate solidarity with people whose freedom is restricted.

So when I thought about how to celebrate my 50th birthday, I naturally planned lots of running – marathons in Palestine and London and a 50k race in the autumn. Instead I was diagnosed with breast cancer and those plans evaporated to be replaced with chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and hormone therapy.

But through all that treatment, I kept running. I ran to all my chemotherapy sessions, seven miles along the river from Kew Bridge to Hammersmith. I did my 50th parkrun and a half-marathon six weeks after finishing radiotherapy. Running was a way to hold onto my sense of identity when I felt I was losing everything, and helped me get myself back once all the treatment was over. I blogged my way through the whole experience and I’ve written a book about it, Run for Your Life, which will be published by Pitch Publishing in January 2017. I hope it will be helpful for other women facing the same thing, whether they are runners or not, and for the friends and family who love and support them. And I hope that runners of all shapes and speeds will resonate with the story of how I got into running and what keeps me going.

I’ve written a book based on this blog, about my experience of running and cancer. It was published in January 2017 by Pitch Publishing and you can download the first couple of chapters from their website, or order it on Amazon, Waterstones or from other online bookshops. You can find links to my original blog posts on my ‘about’ page.

The i news has published an extract from the book and there’s an article about me in the Daily Mirror. I’ve written about my experience for Huffington Post and the Running Physio and Ealing Half Marathon have done a great press release about it. The book is being reviewed by a few people and there are more articles about it to come, so I’ll keep this updated.

I’m hoping it will be helpful to women facing a breast cancer diagnosis, to their friends and family who want to know how to support them, indeed to anyone struck by the cancer thunderbolt. But I also think it will be of interest to everyone who runs. It explores how I got into running, how running became part of my identity, why I’ve run in Palestine, how running builds resilience and makes you stronger in so many ways.

Press Article: Running with Cancer

@runningjenbaker


jennybaker.org.uk

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

Ragdoll by Daniel Cole

A body is discovered with the dismembered parts of six victims stitched together like a puppet, nicknamed by the press as the 'ragdoll'.

Assigned to the shocking case are Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes, recently reinstated to the London Met, and his former partner Detective Emily Baxter.

The 'Ragdoll Killer' taunts the police by releasing a list of names to the media, and the dates on which he intends to murder them.

With six people to save, can Fawkes and Baxter catch a killer when the world is watching their every move?

Well, books don't come much more anticipated than this one! The hype for "Ragdoll" began at least 3 months ago and the excitement for its publication have been building ever since! Early reviews are amazing; author Rachel Abbott claims it is the best debut she's ever read and MJ Arlidge compares it to the iconic film Se7en. The marketing campaign has been impressively high profile and this is possibly one of the most talked about books on social media this month.

So does it live up to the hype?

Yes, I think it does!

The opening prologue completely took me by surprise. It starts with the Jury filing back in to court. Although the case sounds very grim (understatement), I thought Cole was following the standard form. I thought I was following one particular character and was expecting one particular outcome but suddenly events - well, they don't exactly spiral out of control so much as leap up and literarily knock you over! The opening pages capture one of the most unexpected and uncharacteristic scenes I've ever witnessed in a court room!

Leap forward four years and Cole continues with Chapter One, continuing to surprise us with characters who are not afraid to test the conventions of their genre. The main Detective is named Wolf Fawkes which automatically triggers connotations in the reader's mind. I also liked TV reporter Andrea and the risks she takes with the information she has - very very gripping opening pages!

Cole is a bold, fresh voice who has written a story that is violent, gritty, dark and absolutely not for the faint hearted! It's a lot more graphic than the crime thrillers I usually read but despite this it's difficult to put the book down. The pages almost turn themselves with Cole's vivid, lively, dynamic prose and his authentic dialogue that brings the characters to life and makes them larger than the pages which try to contain them.

The chapter headings increase the tension and pace of the novel by announcing the day and time. I was immediately intrigued by how the chapters followed on each other - starting at 4.30am and then moving on through the day, sometimes by a matter of minutes to 4.32am and sometimes longer like 12.10. This is a brilliant technique. The sense of a countdown, an anticipation of a climatic finale, a sense of chase and urgency can only make you want to read on. I'm also a fan of these sorts of headings as it does help you keep track of any changes in the chronology of events or dual timelines. Well, that's if I remember to read them properly in my impatience to get on to the next chapter!

It very much reads like a film - which is no surprise as it started off as screenplay and the TV rights have been already snapped up. It will make a fantastic film. It is a great debut and will be highly successful.

"Ragdoll" is published by Trapeze on the 23rd February 2017.

Daniel Cole 


At 33 years old, Daniel Cole has worked as a paramedic, an RSPCA officer and most recently for the RNLI, driven by an intrinsic need to save people or perhaps just a guilty conscience about the number of characters he kills off in his writing.

He has received a three-book publishing and television deal for his debut crime series which publishers and producers describe as “pulse-racing” and “exceptional”. 

Daniel currently lives in sunny Bournemouth and can usually be found down the beach when he ought to be writing book two in the Nathan Wolfe series instead.

You can follow Daniel on Twitter  @Daniel_P_Cole

Find out more about "Ragdoll"- including lots of other reviews of the book -by following Ben Willis on twitter :  @BenWillisUK   @orionbooks

Here is an article from the Guardian from last April anticipating the phenomenon of "Ragdoll":
the guardian - exparamedic wins three book and tv deal

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