#BibliomaniacsBookShelf 10-14th July

Bibliomaniac's Book Shelf: 

A Round Up of the Books I've Reviewed This Week!

It's been a busy week this week with some outstanding novels hitting my shelves! The real challenge has been to try to find new ways to say "gripping" and "outstanding" as I have been thoroughly spoilt with some exceptionally chilling and beautifully written reads! It has genuinely been an amazing week of 5* books!

MY BOOK OF THE WEEK:

Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas 

I am a huge Claire Douglas fan and was thrilled to be offered an advance copy of her third novel. In my opinion this is her best book yet and really proves how talented she is as an author as Douglas weaves a complex tale of friendship, identity and past secrets. Douglas's execution of such a well crafted novel is impressive and the number of jaw dropping, chilling and rug pulling moments is just brilliant. This is a book that is full of twists and revelations but more importantly, it is a great story that will have you gripped until the very last page. It is about friendship, betrayal, love, revenge, anxiety and paranoia. An absolute must read this summer and an absolutely stunning psychological thriller.

Full Review of Last Seen Alive

Other books to add to your shelves......

The Good Girl was one of my favourite Book Club reads and so I was very excited about Neill's new novel, The Betrayals. Once more Neill has created a story that is multilayered and full of complex characters and interesting dilemmas. It's ambitiously told from four different narrative viewpoints but not once do you lose your grip on what is happening. It is a very cleverly managed jigsaw where the pieces don't always end up fitting where you think! I really enjoyed the discussions about the mind, rational explanations and the irrational realities, memories and relationships. Clever, entertaining and thought provoking. 

Full Review of The Betrayals

This novel has a dual narrative which slips between the past (1950s) and the present. Both storylines are compelling and linked with the mysterious, unsolved disappearance of Audrey Wilde. Both story lines are about women, families, mothers and daughters. Both story lines use the beautiful and evocative setting of the rambling Applecote House - once a place of happiness, then tragedy and now it the present day, a place where a new family try to leave their past behind and build a new life together. The writing is bewitching, lyrical and chilling and the characters are well crafted. A great read with two plots that gradually collide and intertwine in a very satisfying ending. 

Full Review of The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde

This novel is a perfect summer read - relatively short and set in Italy in a heatwave. It tells the story of a sixteen year boy on the cusp of adulthood as he gradually confronts some difficult truths about his father. This novel is set in a small, isolated village community and focuses on the impact of a missing child on this community. The language is beautiful, the setting is stunning and the story is gently compelling and full of great observations about people under pressure. Recommend! 

Full Review of Can You Hear Me

If you are a fan of historical fiction or travel fiction then this will be the read for you this summer! McVeigh has written a novel that is fluent, well paced, interesting and thoroughly researched with a good cast of strong characters. There are some harrowing scenes and some difficult sections to read due to the historical time the novel recounts but well worth adding to that reading pile.

Full Review of Leopard at the Door

BLOG TOURS

Death Plays a Part by Vivian Conroy

I was on the Blog Tour for Vivian Conroy's new cosy crime series set in Cornwall. You can read my full post here and don't forget to check out some of the other stops with the other bloggers too!

Blog Tour Post

Author Events 

Bibliomaniac's Book Club: Real Life, Real Books

On Wednesday 5th July I was lucky enough to host an author panel event with Jennie Ensor (Blind Side), Kerensa Jennings (Seas of Snow) and Jessica Duchen (Ghost Variations) at The Harpenden Arms with the support of Harpenden Books. It was a great evening and a fascinating discussion of the whole process of getting an idea, researching an idea, writing and then getting published. There was also a lot of discussion about handling taboo subjects and tricky issues and themes in novels. Read my reviews of all three books via the link below. 

Review of Real Life Real Books

Rowan Coleman: The Summer of Impossible Things

Harpenden Bookshop 13th July

On Thursday I got to meet the lovely Rowan Coleman who came to Harpenden Books to launch her latest novel The Summer of Impossible Things. Rowan read us an extract which was tantalising and then chatted a little bit about the inspiration for this novel and her research in America for the setting and events the book revolves around. She also answered questions from the audience about where she found inspiration for her other books, her writing life and her love for the Brontes. It was a relaxing, enjoyable and interesting evening and such an honour to meet such a lovely, humorous lady whose personality was a bright and captivating as her latest book cover.

 

Rowan Coleman will be appearing at my author event in September and after this week, I cannot wait to meet her again! If you live near Harpenden (very accessible from St Albans or North London) then why not book a ticket and come along! 

Click here to buy tickets: Bibliomaniac Author Event: September 20th 2017

Phew! What a week!! Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and find a good book to spend it with! 

For more recommendations and reviews follow me on Twitter @KatherineSunde3 or via my website bibliomaniacuk.co.uk

Round Up: #BlindSide #GhostVariations #SeasofSnow #Unbound

Recently I ran an author panel with these three lovely ladies talking about the real events and real news stories that inspired the ideas and themes for their novels. Here's a round up of my mini reviews  and a couple of book club questions for each of their books.



BLIND SIDE by JENNIE ENSOR

Blind Side by Jennie Ensor is set five months before the 7/7 attacks in London. The main character is Georgie, a few months away from turning 30, single and living in London. She has a fear of falling in love or growing to close to someone because of her past and is shocked when her oldest friend Julian reveals his true feelings for her. Pushing him away, she then falls for Nikolai, a Russian with a deeply traumatic past relating to his experiences from the war torn Chechnya. Despite her friends concern and disapproval - particularly from Julian whose behaviour rapidly becomes more obsessive and more concerning, Georgie finds that she is becoming very attracted to Nikolai and more compelled to help him or to try and understand his past.

As events escalate in London, this novel explores love, friendship, prejudice, guilt and betrayal in a tumultuous time. For Georgie this novel is a kind of coming of age journey as she begins to face up to the realities in the world around her and begins to see sides of people to which she was once more oblivious.  With the dramatic and intense backdrop of the 7/7 attacks, Ensor is able to use this as an opportunity to explore how people behave towards each other, how actually, those we suspect, fear or conversely trust for a sound judgement and objectivity, are not always the ones we assume. Through her relationship with Nikolai, Georgie is exposed to some terrible truths and forced to make some decisions about what she believes and what she is going to fight for.

For me, I thought this novel was as much about characters, the relationships between them and the effect they have on each other as people as a novel about contemporary political and social issues. The novel is hugely grounded in modern day London and reflects the key issues and concerns affecting everyone but very specifically Londoners, with many social and cultural references. It conveys the atmosphere of the city following the terrorist attacks and uses them as a way of exploring questions about human nature and the human condition. But the universal themes of post traumatic stress, immigration, love, betrayal, people under pressure and motivation and consequence means this novel will appeal to anyone and have resonance for many, many years.

Despite it's themes and harrowing references to Nikolai's past, this is a very readable, accessible novel with fascinating characters. Ensor discusses and explores complex issues and evokes a menacing sense of threat as Georgie navigates her way through her confusion and period of awakening but ultimately I felt this was also a novel about understanding, hope and love. The characters of Nikolai and Georgie are powerfully evoked and stay with you once the book is finished.

BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS: BLIND SIDE

 - What purpose does Julian play in the novel? How did your feelings for him change throughout the novel?
 - How did you respond to the author's portrayal of asylum seekers and immigration? Was there anything that challenged your preconceptions or affected your opinions?
 - How did you respond to Georgie and the decisions and actions she takes? Did you find her behaviour convincing and believable?
 - "A well off career girl hooked up with an illegal immigrant - how could that ever have worked?" What do you think of this statement made by one of the characters? How does it capture some of the key themes in the novel? What do you think happens next to Georgie and Nikolai?
 - What do you think might have been some of the challenges for this author when writing about 7/7 and terrorism?




GHOST VARIATIONS by JESSICA DUCHEN 

This is a fascinating work of fiction that makes such an interesting story it is difficult to remember it's based on very real events! Set in London in 1933, this novel opens with a Ouija board game which reveals to the Hugarian violinist, Jelly d'Aranyi, a message from the composer Schumann asking her to find a missing violin concerto. This search for the concerto then takes us to Germany as it is discovered that the Nazi's are also intrigued by the power of this piece of music and how they might use it for future propaganda.

Duchen's novel has clearly been extensively researched and the historical setting, level of detail and over all convincing evocation of time, place and society is very impressive. It is a complex storyline, travelling across Europe and including many real figures from music and history. This novel will appeal to any musician or fans of historical fiction but there are also many universal themes explored through the emotional and physical journey of the main character. Duchen looks at the prejudices of the time, the role of women, mental health and the role of music in society. It is also a mystery story - it is about a quest to find the forgotten manuscript and the compulsion to perform it. There is intrigue, suspense and tension and there is threat, danger and excitement as Jelly delves deeper into the history of Schumann's piece and it's significance in a time of increasing social unrest.

There is a huge list of characters in this novel and many of them are complex individuals who existed in the real world. Duchen shows skill in creating characters that feel authentic and is also able to recreate not only relatable and believable characters but also reflect how their feelings, emotions and behaviour is influenced by the social and historical context in which they live. There are some very interesting observations about madness and delusion and the role of women. I thought the idea that Schumann believed the melody of this concerto was dictated to him in his sleep by spirits very interesting and a great premise for an ambitious but original story.

Duchen shows herself to be an accomplished writer as she manages all these characters, concepts and themes and weaves them together in an intriguing plot. Not only is the storyline flawless and tightly constructed, she also manages to ensure her presentation of the 1930s and Europe is flawless, and used as a compelling backdrop to an unknown but fascinating story.

BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS: GHOST VARIATIONS

- What did you think about the role of spirituality and the holdings of seances in the book?

- What do you think are the challenges about including 'real' people from history in a novel and how well did the author handle these challenges in Ghost Variations?

- Which characters did you relate to most and why?

- What did you think about the portrayal of women in this novel?



SEAS OF SNOW by KERENSA JENNINGS

Jenning's novel is something rather unique. It is a story of 5 year old Gracie who lives with her mum but then Uncle Joe comes to live with them. Uncle Joe is a sinister and disturbing character and it isn't long before he is abusing both the women. The only thing that saves Gracie from despair is her discovery of poetry.

What makes this book so interesting is that the author combines a storyline dealing with harrowing, emotional and difficult subject matter with that of poetry. Jennings' own writing is very lyrical and poetic and the influence of the poets she quotes in the story on her own work is clear. For Gracie poetry becomes a key - a secret key, that enables her to escape her terrible life and attempt to process what is happening to her. For the readers the inclusion of poetry also prevents the book becoming too oppressive and just as poetry allows Gracie to find ways to cope with her life, it also gives the reader a way of being able to cope with the themes explored. It's an interesting contrast and an interesting way of combining domestic noir and literary fiction.

Jennings shows herself to be an intelligent, thoughtful, clever and exceptionally talented writer through this novel and her use of language. It is very hard to categorise the genre of this novel or to prepare readers expectations but it is a story that is worth reading. It is haunting, poetic, psychologically intriguing and also full of domestic drama and complicated characters.

BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS: SEAS OF SNOW 

 - Jennings uses the metaphor of a black bird throughout the novel. How effective did you find this?
 - How well do you think the author captured the voice of a 5 year old?
 - Did you enjoy the inclusion of poetry in the novel?
 - "Why were the dragons of real life so much more terrifying then the monsters of storybooks?" Discuss!!
 - How did you respond to Billy?

GENERAL BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSING ALL THREE BOOKS:

- All three writers tackle complex issues and very involved themes and story lines. Some of the events referred to will be very real to readers. What problems might this pose to the writers and how did you respond to this as a reader?

 - Each of the authors has clearly carried out extensive research in order to present such compelling narratives. How did you find reading about real events, real people and real problems? Did the references to such specific moments in time or place affect your reading at all?

 - What key points do you think the authors want you to take away from their novels? What do you think they want to say to you through their stories?

 - All three books include references to poetry, music and literature. What effect did this have on your reading and understanding of the characters, theme and ideas portrayed in the novels?

 - "In Art alone we find salvation" (Ghost Variations) "All works of art are consequences of having been in danger, of having gone to the very end in an experience, to where man can go to further." (Seas of Snow) Discuss! Have these author's used their art to find salvation? What about their characters?

 - In Ghost Variations (set in 1933), a character states "I'm living in some kind of nightmare, some dystopian film". What makes these novels so relevant to audiences today and in the future?

Blind Side, Ghost Variations and Seas of Snow are all available to buy now and area published by Unbound. 

For more recommendations and reviews follow me on Twitter @KatherineSunde3 or via my website bibliomaniacuk.co.uk

#DeathPlaysAPart #CornishCastleMystery #VivianConroy #BlogTour

When her beloved London theatre closes for renovations, costume maker Guinevere is excited to start a job at Cornisea castle, a centuries-old keep on a small tidal island off the coast of Cornwall. Imagine a whole summer full of stories of hidden treasures, fab food and long walks with her perky dachshund Dolly.

But when a reenactment of a medieval trial in the castle dungeons ends in real-life murder, and accusations threaten the castle's future, Guinevere and Dolly dig deep into the island community's best-kept secrets to unmask the killer and save their Cornish summer.

Conroy's novels are always packed full with the right ingredients for a perfect cozy crime story. She strikes a good balance so that when you've finish reading you don't feel stuffed, over indulged or filled up with extra spoonfuls of sugar but instead you are left wanting just a little bit more to satisfy your growing appetite for this author's books! 

There are traces of things like the Ladies's Detective Agency or something equally appealing from the ITV Sunday evening schedule in Conroy's writing but there is also a lot of evidence of the influence of Agatha Christie in her books. Conroy's writing is warm, familiar, entertaining and well paced, but also show a secure understanding of how to set up and execute a good mystery story. She is able to manage the plot and characters effortlessly so that the reader is hooked and caught up the drama. For me her novel epitomises the cozy crime genre. 

This is a new series from Conroy and having read several of her other novels set in various countries and historical eras, it is fun to start with a new cast of characters and embark on a new journey with her. The Cornish setting is an inspired choice as not only does it remind us of summer holidays and Aidan Turner, it also reminds us of Du Maurier and other gothic novels set in the landscape which can be brooding and full of history. Even though the novel is set in a fictional location, it feels believable enough and it's a clever ploy to have an island, a causeway, the sea and a castle as this holds a delicious and enticing appeal for the reader. 

A new series and a new protagonist - meet Guinevere! As with Conroy's previous novels, the main character is a female and once again, she is likeable, pleasant and a perfect fit for this novel. Conroy is able to create characters who are full of energy, colour and spirit and it is easy to visualise and imagine the people and the scenes conveyed on the page. 

As it is a crime story, I'm not going to talk about the plot but I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy crime, to anyone looking for a new series to follow and anyone looking for an easy read to pass away a sunny Sunday afternoon or a few days on holiday. Just like it's bright, colourful and stylistic front cover, Death Plays a Part will not only entertain and engage you but will also give you a bit of a mental workout from the comfort of your sun lounger as you attempt to solve the mystery before all is revealed.

Death Plays a Part published on 7th July 2017 by HQ Digital.

Don't miss the other stops on the Blog Tour!

#LeopardAtTheDoor #JenniferMcVeigh #Review

After six years in England, Rachel has returned to Kenya and the farm where she spent her childhood, but the beloved home she’d longed for is much changed. Her father’s new companion—a strange, intolerant woman—has taken over the household. The political climate in the country grows more unsettled by the day and is approaching the boiling point. And looming over them all is the threat of the Mau Mau, a secret society intent on uniting the native Kenyans and overthrowing the whites.

As Rachel struggles to find her place in her home and her country, she initiates a covert relationship, one that will demand from her a gross act of betrayal. One man knows her secret, and he has made it clear how she can buy his silence. But she knows something of her own, something she has never told anyone. And her knowledge brings her power.

This is a very well written novel with an engaging main character. The setting and location is fascinating and well captured. From the opening page I was transported to a different world - a different time and a different place. I have no personal experience of the Kenya or the 1950s but McVeigh instantly roots the reader very firmly in her location. Not only is McVeigh able to capture the physicality of this time and place but manages to show the reader that this is also a world of different social conventions, expectations, rules and judgements. Her evocation of this more interesting - and perhaps more challenging - aspect of the novel is done absolutely effortlessly.

McVeigh's prose is fluent and well paced. She uses dialogue effectively and it drives the plot forward as well as revealing key details about the characters from the outset. It feels contemporary and accessible despite it's historical setting. Her characters feel convincing and authentic and are as easy to engage with as any modern day protagonist.

Although when the novel started it reminded me of something like "Out of Africa" or some of Dinah Jefferies novels, I know from her previous novel that McVeigh likes to challenge her characters as well as her readers. Despite the atmospheric and excellent description of the sounds, smells, attitudes, colour and vividness of Africa, McVeigh also writes passages that are more challenging, more chilling, more violent and more difficult to read. She has chosen a tumultuous and complex period in history that I knew little about and although the way she explains, explores and conveys the events is faultless, it is also not for the fainthearted.

In the same way, her characters are not always likeable but this is also in keeping with the social and historical context. This novel is thought provoking and the events will leave their mark on the reader as much as the characters and their journeys.

This novel has been meticulously researched and is full of tension, excitement and drama. It will be enjoyed by fans of historical fiction and women's fiction. McVeigh writes well and the dialogue and narration flow effortlessly making it a novel to loose yourself in. It is quite a long read at 400 pages but I recommend it.

Leopard At The Door is published on 13th July 2017.

And if you like the sound of this why not look up The Fever Tree?



1878. South Africa. A country torn apart by greed. Frances Irvine, left destitute by her father's sudden death, is forced to travel from the security and familiarity of her privileged English life to marry Edwin Matthews, an ambitious but penniless young doctor in South Africa. They are posted to a smallpox station on the vast, inhospitable plains of the Karoo but she is so caught up in her own sense of entitlement and loss of status that she cannot recognise its hidden beauty nor the honour and integrity of the man she has married. All her hopes for happiness seem destroyed when her husband exposes the epidemic that is devastating the native community in the diamond-mining town of Kimberley. Here, the gleaming houses of the rich disguise the poverty of a labour force under coercion, and Frances is drawn into a ruthless world of wealth and opportunity, where influential men will go to any lengths to keep the mines in operation. Passionately caught up with the man her husband is fighting to bring down, she must make a fateful choice. "The Fever Tree" is a powerful and moving novel set against the raw backdrop of nineteenth-century Colonial South Africa, its deprivation and beauty alive in equal measure. Above all it is an achingly poignant love story, saving the best and most profound moments of truth and redemption until the last pages.

The Fever Tree was published in 2013 (in a pre Bibliomaniacuk era.....!!) .

For more recommendations and reviews follow me on Twitter @KatherineSunde3 or via my website bibliomaniacuk.co.uk

#EveChase #TheVanishingofAudreyWilde #Review

From the present day . . . 

Applecote Manor captivates Jessie with it promise of hazy summers in the Cotswolds. She believes it's the perfect escape for her troubled family. But the house has an unsettling history, and strange rumours surround the estate.

to the fifties . . .

When teenage Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote during the heatwave of '59, they find their aunt and uncle still reeling from the disappearance of their daughter Audrey five years before. 

The sisters are drawn into the mystery of Audrey's vanishing - until the stifling summer takes a shocking, deadly turn. Will one unthinkable choice bind them together, or tear them apart?

Oh yes, lovely. Beautiful cover, a dual timeline, a dual narrative, a country house, a heatwave, sisters and a missing girl. Say no more. I had to read this book.

And it did not disappoint.

Chase's writing is beautiful. It is atmospheric, haunting, soporific and evocative. Whether it was the sections set in the present day, in the rain and snow or the heatwave in the past, Chase has captured the details of the moment and described them in fluent, poetic prose. The nuances in her writing help create a sense of threat, unease, secrecy, sadness and unhappiness. The girls - and there are many, past and present - are all very easy to visualise even when they are shadowy echoes of each other or reflections of each other in the mirrors.

I loved the way the two stories lines flowed along, seemingly unconnected yet echoing each other until they finally found themselves falling into step together. It was clever, it was powerful, poignant and extremely well done.

There were passages that reminded me of Rebecca, The Woman in Black, Ms Havisham and then also much more contemporary writers. There are passages of exemplary gothic writing, passages that are perfect examples of a modern psychological thriller and then moments that are so lyrical, poetic and descriptive that they felt magical and bewitching. A treat for anyone who loves language and words. A treat for anyone who loves a well crafted novel.

Chase is able to combine a story that through Jessie, Bella and Romy explores some very modern and up to the minute issues that face parents today with a secondary plot from bygone days and more universal issues. By allowing her new occupants of Applecot Manor to rediscover the unsolved mystery of a missing girl from the 50's Chase allows them to confront their fears, issues and problems which threaten to gnaw away and their chances of happiness. And also through the present day storyline, Chase allows her characters from the 'past' to seek closure, resolution and acceptance.

This novel is about women and girls, decades apart but all experiencing those universal themes of secrets, love, loss and grief. I was totally caught up in both plot lines, both settings of Applecot Manor and related to all the characters - equally invested in them and their search for peace, trust, security and forgiveness. I think Chase cast a spell with this novel and took me to a place I did not want to leave, however sinister or chilling I found it at times. There is nothing more enticing than a country home filled with haunting secrets and characters with different motives needing to travel an emotional and physical journey in order to understand themselves and the events around them more fully.

I highly recommend this novel. The setting and location is beautiful; immediately intriguing and engaging. The writing is beyond a doubt enchanting and the pace is slow enough to savour but fast enough to maintain tension and suspense. The characters are memorable. They are misguided, hurting, lost and yet generous and good.

A fantastic read. Not only is it universal in the themes it explores but it is original in its merging of genres. This will appeal to fans of historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, gothic and women's fiction. I would recommend it to people who like to read about coming of age, of motherhood and about the complexities of relationships and the repercussions of secrets. A real gem.

The Vanishing Act of Audrey Wilde is published on 13th July 2017 by Penguin.

For more recommendations and reviews follow me on Twitter @KatherineSunde3 or via my website bibliomaniacuk.co.uk

#FionaNeill #TheBetrayals #Review

Sometimes there are four sides to every story.

Who do you believe?

This is a fascinating and gripping read. Told from the point of view of all four members of one family, the reader sees each person's reaction to the crisis they are all facing and each of them forcing to confront their problems that are triggered by the arrival of a letter from their mother's oldest -yet estranged - friend. The author delves deep into the characters and with thought, insight and intelligence, fully explores the issues of betrayal, lies, guilt, responsibility and love. This is an intense read, where no character is left without some kind of metaphorical, emotional or physical scar and where the fight to uphold a projected image, an ideal, an entire family's secret is continually challenged.

Ultimately this novel has a great premise. What would you do when the woman who destroyed your marriage, family, children's happiness and completely upended your life, writes a letter begging to see you as they have something that they have to tell you? There is no doubting Neill can write a page turner. But what I enjoyed more than this was how she used the profession of her characters - a doctor and a medical student amongst them - to explore the contrast between the rational, the scientific, the proven against the irrational, the emotional and the inexplicable. This is a novel about the mind as much as about a family built on secrets and betrayals.

I thought it was ambitious of Neill to use the voice of each family member but it works. With four separate threads to keep track of and relate to, this a very multilayered novel but it also enables Neill to add a lot more depth and dimension to the family and the main characters. It also helps to reduce the claustrophobic feeling created through the portrayal of Daisy's mental illness and perhaps prevents some of the more emotional passages from becoming too overwhelming which might have happened had we only relied on hearing from Daisy.

Neill is an accomplished writer and has successfully created four voices which are all distinctive. They all have their own battles, secrets, anxieties, dilemmas and choices. There is a lot to absorb; the characters are all incredibly complex and the reader has to establish how they feel towards each one of them, but watching the relationships and interaction between them unfold - or should I say unravel -is fascinating and compelling. The reader is more drawn to Daisy, the daughter. I think her voice dominates the plot out of the four and I think it is necessary to align yourself with one character in order to drive the plot effectively and it also helps create more tension and suspense between the family.

Rosie, the mother, is a highly successful, powerful, respected, career driven woman and I liked that we watched a strong woman fighting and using every tool in her box to try and understand what is happening to her daughter Daisy and how to fix her family. I enjoyed Kit, the son, a medical student, explaining how the brain works and how this pragmatic, rational, detailed scientific explanation still doesn't actually satisfy or help him understand the mental health of his sister Daisy. Neill doesn't dumb anything down for her readers, she involves us in these discussions about the ethical dilemmas of a doctor, a mother, a friend and includes us in debates about science and medicine. I also like that, as with The Good Girl, Neill's characters are intelligent, bright and aspirational as that emphasises her themes and increases the shock and dramatic tension.

I thought it was original the way Neill used the medical background of the characters to show off her creative use of language. The ideas of disease, symptoms, feelings, imagination, strength and weakness are often captured with clever and incredibly effective metaphors or adjectives which resonate deeply and penetrate the page. I also really enjoyed the exploration of memories. Can we trust our memories? How are our memories created? How do we know we saw what we saw and how do we know these memories have not adapted, changed, morphed into something they weren't? And if the memories that the characters are clinging on to and assuring the reader that they are the truth, how reliable are our characters and who can we trust?

Another brave decision of Neill's is that her main character Daisy suffers cripplingly from OCD. This illness is not just there to create some gratuitous sensationalism or an extra twist, it is intrinsic to the plot and the relationship between the four characters, but it is also one of the most believable and realistic portrayals of this illness that I have read. It is so well evoked and so exhausting to read, so draining, destructive and so all consuming. It shows how complicit her family can become in allowing the illness to tighten its clutches around Daisy even when they think they are trying to save her. Neill's ability to pull this off is very impressive and yet again reflects her accomplishment as a writer.

However, although there is definitely great depth to this novel, it is ultimately a very gripping read about memory, fault, blame, guilt, trust and betrayal. It is about small acts of betrayal and enormous acts of betrayal. Neill raises many questions about who has betrayed who and the inadvertent misunderstandings between loved ones. This novel will appeal to everyone as the themes of family life, the pressures of parenting, of modern life, of coping, preserving and protecting yourself and your loved ones are universal and all readers enjoy the insight into the workings of another family.

The story flits between the past and the present, between the damaged and the dysfunctional, between the conventional and the unconventional. It is a novel that will make you think, reflect, question and consider as well as judge, hate, rage, cry and love the characters as they battle their way through this moment of crisis. And the ending is incredibly chilling. It demands consideration and although satisfying, it does not completely resolve everything which I think reflects the key themes of the story and summarises them beautifully.

I read Neill's first novel, The Good Girl, when it came out and have been eagerly awaiting her second  which I was absolutely thrilled to be approved for via NetGalley. Like The Good Girl, this is a novel that contains all the ingredients for a good psychological thriller but is somehow much more than that as well. As with The Good Girl, I will be recommending it to my Book Group as this is a book that can not only be devoured on the beech this summer but also screams out to be used as a great conversation starter and perfect for some interesting discussions!

The Betrayals is published by Penguin on 13th July 2017.

For more recommendations and reviews follow me on Twitter @KatherineSunde3 or via my website bibliomaniacuk.co.uk

#LastSeenAlive #ClaireDouglas #Review @katherinesunde3 @dougieclaire

This is Claire Douglas's third novel and I think it is her best. The writing is fluent, captivating, full of pace and full of compelling, well crafted characters who continuously challenge the reader to keep changing their opinions and ideas about what is happening and who they can believe.

This novel pulled me right into the story from the very first page, entangling me like loose bed sheets, twisting around and around until there seems no way of getting everything straight and into a neat place again. This novel is an exemplary example of how to plan, manage and execute a multilayered plot that is a thrilling web of secrets, lies, hidden pasts, intrigue and tension. I was gripped. I was fascinated. I could not put it down.

We are braced for a story about murder from the outset with the chilling lines of the prologue:

Was I seen killing my husband?

As with all good prologues, the voice is anonymous and the reader has no idea where or how this event is going to fit into the narrative. Also, again as with all good prologues, chapter one then opens by very clearly placing us in Cornwall - aka sunny beaches and holidays - and with Jamie and Libby who are a married couple escaping their small flat in Bath to a beautiful house for a few days. There is plenty of dialogue to establish the characters quickly and settle us into their world. Douglas sets up a contrast with a more stable, more secure, scene and the prologue is left behind.

But the sense of anxiety and fear is not. Libby and Jamie have not been married long and Libby tells us it has not been easy. She clearly suffers from anxiety and a little bit of paranoia and the reader is intrigued to find out why and what is in their past. But they seem happy and Jamie is very caring. Libby is not completely pitiable and is frustrated by her 'damsel in distress' behaviour but also frustrated when Jamie doesn't recognise her fears which seem founded and rational.

I really enjoyed the fact that Libby and Jamie have "house swapped" with strangers. For me this was a really cunning plot device and immediately raises so many questions and places the characters in a really interesting position. The theme of swapping and identity run throughout the novel and this is a great way of physically introducing it. I also really enjoyed how Libby begins to imagine what this seemingly wealthy couple with whom they have swapped homes, are like. Jamie reminds her not to put them on a pedestal and get carried away with trying to mimic the couple's lifestyle which reveals as much about Libby's personality as it does his. There are a few hints that perhaps the reader needs to be a bit wary of Libby when she tries on Tara's clothes but at the same time, Libby seems harmless and who wouldn't relish the idea of having a nose and wanting to play at being rich for a few days!

I'm not going to talk about the actual plot - it would be impossible without giving away spoilers. But I have to mention the structure. What impressed me with this book was the complexity of the storyline. At times I felt like I needed a Carrie Mathison style wall with post it notes, drawing pins and string to try and keep up with all the twists, turns, revelations, secrets and rug pulling moments. I would love to know more about how the author planned the story and how she managed to execute this brilliant narrative so effectively. It is a real credit to the author's writing ability as few writers can really pull of this sort of multilayered story telling so cleverly and so seamlessly. There are no moments of contrived coincidences, sensationalism or patchy prose in order to quickly link up all the pieces. Everything stacks up, everything is there in case the reader decides to go back and retrace their steps at all. Nothing is every far fetched; all events are convincing, carefully established and explained to optimise the dramatic impact. Most of all the shock, surprise, excitement and jaw-dropping-ness is incredibly gripping and hugely enjoyable. This novel keeps turning around on itself; up, down around and inside out. I loved it.

Claire Douglas's writing and her execution of the denouement is smooth, faultless, fluent and completely convincing. Although I joke about keeping track of the plot, it isn't actually at all difficult. Douglas clearly signposts where we are- Cornwall or the flat in Bath-  and when we move location to Thailand for the second part of the book as we delve deeper into Libby's past. We slip between the past and the present but it is easy to know where you are in the narrative at all given moments.

As well as gripping plot, Douglas also has a great cast of characters. Initially I was slightly concerned as I knew I was relating to Libby and that I had empathy for her, but I wondered why it only hovered at around 80%. The characters are all likeable, but Douglas very deliberately and carefully sows something somehow in her words to put the reader a little on edge. All the characters are flawed, all have weakness, moments of making the wrong decision, secrets they should have shared, compulsions and impulsiveness - but to very varying degrees! I enjoyed this and it makes the ending much more powerful.

Last Seen Alive isn't just a story about delivering a twist or shocking the reader, it is also a novel about the mental health of the characters, friendship, marriage, love, revenge, jealousy and just how far people will go to make a better life for themselves. It is a clever novel that is incredibly well executed. The dialogue, dynamics between the characters and descriptions of people and places are very well written and judged. The evocation of feelings, fears and the sense of the past catching up with the present are also very well captured, tangling the reader up with the characters because the writing is so believable.

Claire Douglas remains in my top ten favourite authors list and this book is jostling it's way onto my top reads for 2017 list. If you want a page turner with complexity, depth, suspense and tension then this is the book for you. A must have for any suitcase this summer. I highly recommend it.

Last Seen Alive is published on 13th July 2017 by Penguin.



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

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