In Enlightenment, Sarah Perry captures small town Essex, its rivers, streets and railways with perfection. She also creates wonderful characters — flaIn Enlightenment, Sarah Perry captures small town Essex, its rivers, streets and railways with perfection. She also creates wonderful characters — flawed, ambitious, confused — at odds with each other and yet strangely in harmony.
At the centre we have Thomas Hart, an old school regional newspaper columnist. Out of step with modern times, but his readers treasure him. Thomas’s adventures, real or imaginary, and his conflicts with his faith (and its lack of charity) take centre stage. But Grace, raised in a god-fearing family, with all the confusion that can bring, holds her own in the narrative.
And the mystery of long-dead Maria, and her astronomical observations, haunts them. She is as much a live character in this book as any other.
Enlightenment is beautifully written. Even when I was not comfortable with the tale I was drawn back to it. I enjoyed the astronomy and Thomas’s struggles with learning physics most. The strict baptist religion I did not. But atmosphere… so well created and maintained.
It is not a short book, and it divides into three sections, covering twenty years. And there are no chapters or even *** breaks. This may be solved in the final version, but made reading it hard going, with what seemed like follow-on paragraphs turning out to be from a different point of view. At times it made me want to give up, and accounts for the length of time I spent on it. But the last section is wonderful, and I couldn’t stop. The reader reaps a rich reward!
Perfect for literary mystery enthusiasts who like a little science thrown in....more
The author switches her focus from the Pacific North West coast to Maine to begin her new series, and a very lovely place it is too. Popular with seveThe author switches her focus from the Pacific North West coast to Maine to begin her new series, and a very lovely place it is too. Popular with several cosy authors, but they all love the scenery, the isolation and the propensity for slightly weird locals – or so I think! Seffi is an outsider, and as the librarian says, just because you’ve lived somewhere for fourteen years, don’t think you belong yet! The librarian is one of the friends Seffi develops – and she is sorely in need of them.
I like the way the author lets us get to know Seffi little by little. There’s a lot of baggage she’s carrying around, but only little bits come out at this stage — and that’s all a reader needs to get to know her, empathise with her, and egg her on to solve the crime.
The story lives up to all Rebecca Douglass’s customary deep and intricate plotting. The clues are all there, but I challenge you to notice them. Douglass has assembled an extraordinary diverse set of characters, yet they gel well, even when in dispute with each other. I’m looking forward to more investigations from Seffi Wardwell, and her friends (and neighbours!)....more
I started Love Will Tear Us Apart with some trepidation, remembering my reservations about the second in the series, which I reviewed at the start of I started Love Will Tear Us Apart with some trepidation, remembering my reservations about the second in the series, which I reviewed at the start of 2022. I need not have worried. C K McConnell swiftly sweeps us into the weird world of The Stranger Times. But with a jolt, as the reliable Hannah has disappeared off to pastures new. Indeed, as we find Hannah contemplating the oddities about her divorce proceedings, it seems she has a role to play still, thank goodness.
And thus the story unfolds. This is a well-crafted tale. There are parts for all our favourite characters, and new ones, both good and weird. The strange fare that is the meat of the Stranger Times newspaper is given full rein. We experience Loon Day for added entertainment. I was pleased to pick out the ‘correct’ fictional conspiracy theory, which sub-plot was excellently put together. There were shades of Stepford Wives, the Prisoner, and Harry Potter thrown in, (but JKR threw so much in, it’s hard to avoid her). The best thing is that there are no real twists: nothing comes out of left field. It’s all waiting for you, well-disguised and beyond belief.
It’s a thoroughly enjoyable mystery, and I’m looking forward to the next one. I hope this series will keep rolling off the presses as long as the newspaper!...more
Anyone who enjoys theatre or theatrical mysteries will be drawn to this book. It’s the 1920s, and men are returning from the great war, scarred and muAnyone who enjoys theatre or theatrical mysteries will be drawn to this book. It’s the 1920s, and men are returning from the great war, scarred and mutilated, whether you can see the damage or not. With nothing better to do, Jack tries for a job as a doorman at the theatre, knowing little about the theatre, and nothing about the power struggles going on in local business behind the scenes. Will the Lassiters comes to terms with the old lord’s death, will the new one take over the reins, or will he bodge his responsibilities like Jack knew he did in the war? There are plenty of secrets to be revealed!
Michael Ball writes with an assurance that shows he knows his plotting, his characters, and he loves them all. We love them all, even the baddies. The Empire is beautifully portrayed, with the life of an old theatre struggling to rekindle its glory days, and the many characters within it all hoping to hang on to their dreams. I found it amusing that in creating the musical that the cast hope will put them back on their feet, he describes a plot that has so many twists it is almost a parody of the book itself. Does it reflect the book’s plot, no. But it revisits old flames, uncovers hidden pasts, and reunites loves that went astray by accident or misadventure. And all with an undercurrent of dangerous business afoot.
By modern standards, I think it is a slightly over-the-top cosy mystery. But it reeks of the 1920s, when excess was what everyone wanted, to escape from the horrors of the previous decade. So it becomes–very fittingly–a period piece, masterfully crafted. It’s a roller-coaster ride that keeps you on your toes, and brings you to an unexpected finish. Well… and the expected conclusion. And above all it’s great fun!...more
One thing you can be sure of when reading an Elly Griffiths novel. Misdirection is forced upon you with every turn of the page.
Even the title, BleedinOne thing you can be sure of when reading an Elly Griffiths novel. Misdirection is forced upon you with every turn of the page.
Even the title, Bleeding Heart Yard, could be misdirection, although it is part of the plot, in several different forms.
But although Elly Griffiths leads you through a tortuous maze of lies, deceit and forgetfulness (the characters, not mine this time), the story is brilliantly written. It never lets you down. The characters consistently come up with excuses and false memories. Somebody mentions reading Machiavelli. Did that have a bearing on their life as a politician? Or someone else’s life?
Both Anna and Cassie have memories of the day David died, the last day of their school exams, 25 years ago. Occasionally I forgot who Anna was, but this may be because she herself is wondering who she is and what she should do in the future. She is drifting, and easy prey for someone trying to twist her memories.
But it turns out to be the author who is twisting all our thought processes, leaving the killer in plain sight. It even says that on the cover, although I didn’t notice. Fortunately Harbinder Kaur is prepared for anything. Although maybe not for her flatmate. I love Harbinder. She’s a real person, even if she is a cop.
I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!...more
When I first started reading Looking For Emily, I was reminded of other books where a city kid has moved to a small seaside town, and hoped it wasn't When I first started reading Looking For Emily, I was reminded of other books where a city kid has moved to a small seaside town, and hoped it wasn't going to be much the same. Nothing is further from the truth. The 'one-of-a-kind mystery' lives up to its billing!
Fiona Longmuir brilliantly recreates the hidden depths of an old smuggling community, complete with false fronts and secret passages. It's the ideal setting for a thrilling mystery that takes many twists before it all turns out well. But there are still more secrets that emerge in the end.
It's beautifully written; I loved the changing attitudes of Lily - and her friends Sam and Jay - who are pretty much the village oddities themselves, until Lily turns up.
With a complex plot skilfully executed, it may well be one of the best middle grade books of 2022 - but it has a lot of competition, even in my lists! ...more
The Physicists’ Daughter is an orphan, but she’s a grown woman, working at a factory making secret who-knows-what to help the war effort. Having been The Physicists’ Daughter is an orphan, but she’s a grown woman, working at a factory making secret who-knows-what to help the war effort. Having been raised by two deeply scientific parents, she has trouble relating to her peers. This sounds a lot like Lessons in Chemistry, but with a completely different approach and outcome. This is a thriller, and a mystery, although we are given a few more clues than Justine gets thrown at her. We get some insights into one, or more, people who may be goodies, baddies, or something in between.
This is a masterfully constructed web of deceit and withheld information. The most interesting part of the clue-laying lies with Justine’s clandestine visits to her estranged aunt, who seems just a little bit paranoid. And just because she’s paranoid, doesn’t mean that people aren’t out to get her – and to Justine through her.
And Justine does make friends – through the unlikely joint interest in maths – of a girl with little or no schooling who is as bright as they come. The balance of plot that runs through both of their lives helps to keep this tale from the dry, uninteresting one it could have been, to a vibrant, girls-still-want-to-have-fun even in the war years. With the threat of a defeat looming over US heads, everyone wants the work the women make–or do they?
I had one quibble: the code Justine solved was too easy (the author made too long an explanation of it). Then I remembered that I’d used the same code in an MG book. I just assumed every boy and girl knew of it by age 10. Maybe they don’t get educated in these things these days. Anyway, Justine had translated the code into letters from pin pricks in a panel to get to the easy bit. So she’d passed the real test first.
So, yet another excellent book from my reading list this year. The Physicists’ Daughter is a truly interesting, intelligent, historical mystery with a touch of romance. I’m looking forward to the author’s next book (which may be a sequel)....more
There can be few people that do not know Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom story. If you’ve read the original Gaston Leroux, you will be prepared for a moThere can be few people that do not know Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom story. If you’ve read the original Gaston Leroux, you will be prepared for a more in-depth approach to the opera ghost. I enjoyed the focus on Meg Giry, the ballet dancer, and found her background beautifully rich in the development, along with that of her mother. Her obsession with the phantom has more basis than her fellow performers. She thinks she met him when she was very young, and he helped her find her way back when she got lost in the massive opera house. So she’s very protective of him, and that colours all the rest of the plot, from the way she is treated by the cast, to the friendship with Christine Daae.
I love the way the author leaves several things in doubt that might have been canon in another telling. Her descriptive powers are given full rein in the lavish spectacle of the opera house. The tensions between characters, let alone the terrors of the ghost, are well developed and sensitively handled. I’d almost forgotten some key events of other accounts as I was swept up in the new love affairs, or are they obsessions? She also gets the period right, and the relationship between Raoul and his elder brother rings true.
All in all, however much you want to stick to ‘your’ version of the phantom story, I recommend you read this one. It’s a keeper....more
The only thing wrong with this book is the cover: its not a ginger cat, Tiger’s a tabby with white chest and tummy. It says so right when we first meeThe only thing wrong with this book is the cover: its not a ginger cat, Tiger’s a tabby with white chest and tummy. It says so right when we first meet him!
And for me, that was the only thing wrong with the Cat Who Saved Books. It is perfect in every other way. Intriguing, enthralling, intelligent, mystifying, visual, heartwarming, mildly scary… Everything you could want in a book, all wrapped up with some lovely characters, even they are a perfect examples of extremes!
Sometimes when Tiger the Tabby led us down mysterious stacks of books into a white lit strange world, I was reminded of Wrinkle in Time. Maybe it is a mashup between Wrinkle in Time, Alice in Wonderland and the Ninja Librarian. But it is a wonderful mashup with its own voice, its own heroes in Rintaro, and the class rep turned good friend, Sayo.
The reasoning that goes on in order for Rintaro to solve the puzzles was my favourite bit. It’s hard to defy false logic and see through to the heart of a problem. There is a lot here for a thoughtful middle grade reader. There’s a lot here for an older reader too, who will see the problems only too clearly, since they are at the heart of our society and our calamities at present. And the final problem shows that it is indeed not so easy to solve these problems as Rintaro first thought. But they can be solved… if we try hard enough and hold firm.
I love this book. I will probably buy a copy to read again, and then hand on to someone younger than me!...more
Sometimes Rebecca Douglass takes a while to build up to the discovery of the body in her cosy mystery books. This one pulls no punches: the victim dieSometimes Rebecca Douglass takes a while to build up to the discovery of the body in her cosy mystery books. This one pulls no punches: the victim dies in almost the first scene and poor JJ is the one trying to resuscitate him. The horror of that is well handled, along with several emotional and stressful events that take place.
In children’s books, the big issue is how to get the kids away from the parents to get on with some adventure. In this one, it’s how to get rid of the cops, so JJ can do the sleuthing. The author sends Chief Ron off the island to a conference, which gives the opportunity for investigation without getting the remaining police too upset, but leaves her all the stress of her boyfriend being out of town when she needs him. Yes, the tension between the two is ramping up nicely. JJ may have agreed to get engaged, but she’s really wobbly on the next step–getting married!
In fact, with all the pressure JJ is under, I wondered how she could possibly cope with it all without exploding? I havent even mentioned the campaign to get the pool for the school (PTA mysteries, after all) or the problem with her near-foster-child’s absent parent.
In fact there’s so much going on, that it’s amazing how strongly the story holds together. All credit to the author for a tight plot, beautiful descriptions of the settings, and plenty of intrigue.
It’s a beautifully crafted book, and a worthy successor to the previous books in the series. In fact I think it’s the best so far. It’s full of raw emotions and unreliable witnesses, all wrapped up in an island mentality where people look after their neighbours come what may. First class....more
When I wrote the first Princelings book, I did an epilogue, showing them arriving in Hattan ready to do business with Mariusz, making good on the promWhen I wrote the first Princelings book, I did an epilogue, showing them arriving in Hattan ready to do business with Mariusz, making good on the promise they'd made him.
So although the later books in the series showed different aspects of the Realms, and introduced new characters, certain threads ran through them. George, developing fuel cells that run on strawberry juice, and how that changed society. Fred, turning from insignificant princeling to King of Castle Marsh. George, inventing flying machines, bigger ones, faster ones, ones that can carry cargo…
And now it’s time to make that trip across the Great Western Sea to Castle Hattan. The planes are nearly ready. Fred has the sway to persuade the other kings to support them.
And then… it all falls apart.
Naturally, I think it’s the best of the lot. There are several cliff-hanging chapters to keep you turning the pages. I think I’ve balanced descriptive place-setting with vibrant personalities. There’s enough action, scheming and plotting to keep most people happy. It’s true to the world of the Princelings Realms, and we see nearly all of our favourite characters in it. And Jasmine, Fred and Kira's daughter, takes centre stage at times.
It’s going to be very hard for me to say farewell to the Realms, and to Castle Marsh in the middle of the Broads area in Norfolk. But as I’ve now left Norfolk, maybe it’s right and fitting that this chapter in my life finally ends.
If you haven’t read any of the Stephanie Plum series, then it makes sense to start with number 1. I read through to somewhere between eight and twelveIf you haven’t read any of the Stephanie Plum series, then it makes sense to start with number 1. I read through to somewhere between eight and twelve when I was living in a road with a library at the end, i.e. more than twelve years ago.
These are good fun crime-type books with a touch of the absurd. Stephanie is a crime solver who works as a bounty hunter, catching people who have skipped bail, in the main. She has a complicated love life, of the likes that Lindsay Buroker makes for her protagonists (e.g. Amaranthe & Sicarius).
I really enjoyed Notorious Nineteen, like picking up an old friend. Reading other people’s reviews I seem to have done something clever, which is to skip a dull patch in the series. My advice is: if you are reading the series, and start to find them dull, skip to 19....more
First off, if you can’t imagine life cut off from most big town or city amenity, you may struggle with some aspects of life on Pismawallops Island. ItFirst off, if you can’t imagine life cut off from most big town or city amenity, you may struggle with some aspects of life on Pismawallops Island. It’s a close community, where some secrets are hidden deep in the archives of people’s minds. Others are to be found in the cafe owner’s gossip, or the PTA chair’s imagination. What I like about Rebecca’s cosy mysteries, is that the amateur sleuth (JJ) doesn’t trample over all the evidence and get in the way of the police. I hope police chief Ron agrees with me when you get to the interview below, but JJ is pretty level headed for a redhead, and she’s more likely to lose that head over a police visit than a bit of blood. Well, as long as it’s Ron doing the visiting. In fact, with the level of policing on the island, they can use all the reliable help they can get.
The writing is both easy reading and smart, the plot has been cleverly worked out. Red herrings abound, but no leaps of faith are needed. I didn’t see any of the twists coming, in fact some bits still surprised me when I read the final version. (I was a beta reader, but this review is as fair as any I do) It’ll keep you entertained and you’ll want to come back for more. And I’m pretty sure there’s more to come!
A great book for your Christmas stocking – because you probably won’t want to give it away!...more
This is a story of a traditional nature: an ancient boarding school where the teachers were pupils themselves – and the servants, too, although this iThis is a story of a traditional nature: an ancient boarding school where the teachers were pupils themselves – and the servants, too, although this is slightly odd. Why did they go to this exclusive school anyway? I ask this question, because Justice’s continual questioning gets to be a habit. She was told never to take anything at face value, and she doesn’t! The school is nicely in the middle of nowhere (Romney Marsh), and the era is the 1930s.
Just the sort of setting for a girl with brains to get involved in a good murder mystery!
And this is a good murder mystery, albeit for younger readers.
There is a question in some countries as to whether death is allowed in MG books. In Europe we tend not to have a problem with it, as long as it is the tradition of such crimes – no gory details, and the focus on the baddie, not the victim. Teen angst hardly raises its head, save for the swooning that goes on over the French master, since he’s about the only male around. The caretaker doesn’t count. This swooning is accurately portrayed, since I remember the swooning that went on over our Latin master. Our music master survived without it, but then, he was ancient! All the problems of small groups of girls crammed into a closed environment rear their ugly heads. Beauty is definitely not accompanied by intelligence. And I never did understand the game of lacrosse, which is something I have in common with poor Justice.
Elly Griffiths has a lovely way with descriptions, clues, hints and red herrings. She also has an excellent line in cliff-hangers. Since I ‘read’ this during lockdown when she was reading one chapter at a time on Facebook, there were several times when she shut the book, and I thought ‘nooooo!’ But I had to wait till the next day. It became the highlight of my day, with the added bonus of exchanging comments with the author..
A delightful tale, well read by the author, which takes you back to another time and place. I’m ready for the next in the series....more
The blurb intrigued me, and the book continues the intrigue. The reader is continually trying to work out what is going on, who the other people are,The blurb intrigued me, and the book continues the intrigue. The reader is continually trying to work out what is going on, who the other people are, where Ele is. Eventually her location came as a surprise to me. Then the type of establishment sent changing ideas through my brain. The answer was very different from the thoughts I'd had.
The book is a conundrum, wrapped in a riddle. The outcome is an enigma in many ways. The power of the author's voice keeps you turning the pages, full of hope for Ele, but full of dread that things could get worse. Even worse.
The writing is so strong, you are wrapped in Ele's thoughts and world, and following her growing understanding of the Rules of Outside, just as you struggled to interpret her life through her Rules of Inside. The people she meets are so well characterised it is really hard to tell whether they are true hearted or not. Ele herself vacillates. The author has achieved a masterpiece to make us see the world through such eyes, and give voice to others who might find themselves in a similar situation.
Similar situation? Yes. The author's voluntary work with the NSPCC gives the only clue. For the rest, you'll have to read the book yourself. ...more
Loading...
