Category Archives: Book Reviews

A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS

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Jane Cable reviews three books from authors from whom quality is a given

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves

I love it when you pick up a book and you know you’re in safe hands; seamless writing you cease to notice within minutes, credible characters, a beautifully bound together plot. I know it sounds strange to say so for a writer of Ann Cleeves’ experience, but not every author stays on top of their game in such an emphatic way.

This is the tenth Vera book and the first I have read. I don’t like crime books in general as I find them terribly formulaic and predictable, but, encouraged by my husband, I hoped for more. And The Rising Tide delivered in spades.

Fifty years ago a group of teenagers spent a retreat weekend on Lindisfarne and although their lives diverged, most of them return every five years, even though the first reunion was blighted by tragedy.  Now they are in their late sixties and make unlikely murder suspects, but when one of their number is killed they are all in the spotlight. Their backstories make them fascinating characters with so much depth, which is one of the things I enjoyed most about this fabulous book.

 

A Perfectly Good Man by Patrick Gale

It’s a long time since I read Notes From on Exhibition and I had forgotten what a convincing writer Gale is. His characters spring quietly from the page and somehow seep into your life so that you believe in their existence almost without knowing it. And for this book the setting was my adopted county of Cornwall and the author’s own home; the real Cornwall too, and not the sugar-coated touristy one.

The book opens with a young man’s suicide, and it isn’t hard to guess there is more than meets the eye to his relationship with the priest he calls to pray for him as he dies. Their stories, and the stories of those close to them, are then unwound, backwards and forwards, forwards and back in time, in a way that could feel disjointed, yet in fact makes perfect sense. This is a book I will remember for a long time.

 

Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd

This was a book club pick and not the sort of thing I normally read. But that was my reason for joining a book club – to try new things. And guess what? I loved it.

A thriller set in the underbelly of London that most of us hope not to see, it follows the world of middle class academic Adam Kindred from the moment his world unravels when he’s accused of murder. At first one poor decision follows another and within days he is homeless and hungry, pursued not only by police, but by a ruthless hitman.

The story is told from multiple points of view that weave seamlessly together. Adam, the hitman, the boss of a pharmaceutical company that may be at the centre of it all, a policewoman and a prostitute. An unlikely cast of compelling characters who create a faultless narrative only a really skilled an experienced novelist could pull off.

 

 

CARIADS’ CHOICE: AUGUST 2022 BOOK REVIEWS

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Phil Rickman’s The Fever of the World reviewed by Georgia Hill

This is book 16 in the Merrily Watkins series featuring a beleaguered vicar and “Deliverance Consultant” – or exorcist – and set in the Welsh Marches. There’s a mysterious rockfall death, an examination of Wordsworth and his experiences as a young man in the Wye Valley, the odd Druid (a very odd Druid) and it’s all wrapped around with Covid’s cold, clammy hand. Phil has a cult-like following (I’m one) and his Merrily books are a fabulous and impossible to categorise mix of crime, the supernatural and folklore. Go read!

 

Jen Gilroy’s The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls reviewed by Jane Cable

I’ve been meaning to read this book for a long time and I enjoyed it so much I’m disappointed with myself for putting it off. It was absolutely delightful to escape to a small town community in the Adirondacks, the kind of place I suspect many of us have a secret hankering to live.

Jen Gilroy draws both the people and the place so beautifully, even the most minor of characters come alive in her skilled hands. I was pulled into Annie and Seth’s stories from the moment we meet them both. I knew they both had journeys to take and I knew how those journeys would end, but that’s the point of romantic fiction, isn’t it? No huge surprises, but a really interesting and emotional story that felt as though it was about real people. A place and a time to lose myself in with characters who become to feel like friends.

Not trying to be anything fancy, this is feelgood romance at its best.

 

Faith Hogan’s The Gin Sisters Promise reviewed by Morton S Gray

I loved Faith Hogan’s novel The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club and that was what attracted me to this title. Having finished this one, I’m off to find her other books.

A story full of love, pathos, family misunderstandings, secrets and laughter. Initially I wondered if I would cope with the three sisters’ storylines, but I soon became absorbed in their lives, loves and losses.

The book made me think about legacies and the family tangles and feuds we get into over the years.

I wanted each of the sisters to get their happy ever after and it seems their father did too. Definitely a thought-provoking novel which made me experience a wide variety of emotions from laughter to tears. Highly recommended.

 

Clare Marchant’s The Mapmakers Daughter reviewed by Kitty Wilson

Probably my favourite book of the year so far. Both timelines fully held my attention and I loved both Frieda and Robyn’s stories. Clare Marchant’s writing is so skilled that she takes you deep into the heart of Tudor London, all the senses stimulated and I really felt if I was there, hearing, seeing, smelling all that was going on around her characters. The detail she weaves though is not merely evocative, her books are so well researched that I learn things that I did not before and she always makes me want to dive into further research the minute I finish reading.

Her writing is taut and deftly woven, everything moves the story on, informs the reader and weaves together a truly spellbinding story. The jeopardy she creates had me gasp out loud, my heart pounding with fear – all whilst safely tucked up in my own bed, such is the skill with which she writes. Honestly, I thought this book was flawless and I suspect it will remain one of my favourites for years to come. Absolute perfection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Keep House While Drowning: A gentle approach to cleaning and organising, by KC Davis. Reviewed by Nadia Tariq

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With the laundry baskets overflowing, three children at home creating chaos faster than I could possibly manage – and a handful of Audible credits that needed used up – I made what turned out to be the best spontaneous book choice.

Forget your typical summer reads (I wouldn’t be making it to the beach in any case). This book is exactly what I needed. Self help isn’t my usual genre, but the title alone – How to Keep House While Drowning – spoke to me, and with a listening time of only 3 hours, I’d be stupid not to give it a go.

Indeed, the key aspect of this book for me was its accessibility – it was very easy to engage with, very easy to understand, and very easy to finish (and I do have a problem with finishing audiobooks – difficulty concentrating through constant interruption can make them seem like more of a chore than a pleasure).

Crucially, author KC Davis is a licenced therapist, as well as having active experience ‘drowning’ while keeping house herself. She shares her struggles and her techniques for keeping afloat, which are all relatable, doable, adaptable and centred around caring for the self above all else.

I did not come away from this with a rigorous new game plan for tackling my home. I did not and still do not harbour dreams of becoming a domestic goddess. Instead – which in my view is far more valuable – I came away with the ability to not feel guilty about the state of my home.

Here are a few choice lessons that have stayed with me after listening (paraphrased):

Try not to think of it as ‘housework’ or ‘chores’. These are ‘care tasks’.

Anything that is worth doing is worth doing partially.

Momentum breeds momentum.

It is not tidying. It is ‘resetting your space’.

Your space exists to serve you. You do not exist to serve your space.

For the full experience, I thoroughly recommend giving this wonderful book a read or a listen. If your home doesn’t thank you, your mental health probably will.

Reviewed by Nadia Tariq

PUBLICATION DAY SPECIAL: HIDDEN IN THE MISTS BY CHRISTINA COURTENAY

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It’s a very long time since a book has gripped me as much as this one. There was a time, close to the end, when it was genuinely hard to put down. I was so invested in the characters and their future happiness (or not!) that I didn’t want to leave them.

The setting on the Argyll coast is atmospheric and incredibly well drawn, as is the way of life but now and in the Viking age. Christina is the mistress of the Viking romance and personally I preferred the ghostly dual timeline story to time travel, which although popular I struggle a little to buy into.

For me, a sign of a great dual timeline is when I enjoy both stories equally and it was certainly the case with Hidden in the Mists. In the Viking era Asta’s world collapses when her father dies and her cousin steals her birth right and takes over the settlement, but help – and love – come from an unexpected quarter. In the present day narrative Skye is struggling to keep together the modern crofting existence she loves following her husband’s departure but then Rafe arrives out of the blue. Although the attraction between them is electric, both have secrets. And they’re both seeing ghosts.

The only other thing I’m going to say about this book is please do read it. Few writers pull off ghostliness as effectively as Christina and, coupled with an evocative setting, richly rounded characters, and a cracking plot, it’s one of the best romance novels I’ve read this year.

Given she writes ghosts so well, I asked Christina if she has ever encountered one:

“No, I have never had the honour of meeting/seeing a ghost myself, but I know people who have. People I trust implicitly, and who I’m sure would not lie about something like that or make things up. I used to spend a lot of time with friends in a 600-year old manor house which was definitely haunted. You felt it the moment you stepped inside – there was a certain atmosphere, as if the house itself was watching you and waiting for something. The owners told me all about their various experiences with their resident ghost. It changed my perception of ghosts as theirs seemed to be mischievous rather than trying to scare them. He (it was a man, dressed in chainmail the few times they saw him), used to sabotage all sorts of modern machinery, as if he didn’t like such newfangled things in his house – the lawnmower was forever breaking down, as were all the electrical appliances. It was hilarious, although obviously a bit of a pain for the poor owners who had to keep having things fixed or replaced. He would also open and close doors so that you’d think someone was arriving when there was no one there, or walk around upstairs when everyone was downstairs. At the time, I was actually terrified of possibly meeting him, but I’m braver these days and now I’m sorry I didn’t get to see him. I really do feel it would have been an honour!

“No one likes to think that death is final, that there is nothing else afterwards but a black void. The possibility that we can live on in some form or other is comforting, and with the amount of people who have come across ghosts, it is clear that there are plenty of unexplained things in the world. Therefore, I prefer to believe they exist, although I do think someone would have to have a very strong reason for lingering and it won’t happen to everyone. As for how I write about them, I just try to imagine how I would like my ghostly encounters to be if I had a choice and what possible reason they had for hanging around.”

 

 

 

CARIADS’ CHOICE: JULY 2022 BOOK REVIEWS

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Nita Prose’s The Maid reviewed by Kitty Wilson

This is my favourite audiobook in ages. I absolutely loved it and found myself racing through it over the course of a weekend, deliberately choosing activities that meant I could keep listening. A delightful heroine surrounded by a fab cast of characters, you cannot help but fall in love with Molly the maid as she navigates a world full of social cues, clues and language that she doesn’t always understand. On the surface this is a simple whodunnit with a neurodiverse detective heroine, but it’s also a witty, refreshing look at society, how we communicate and what we prioritise. Highly recommended.

 

Lynne Shelby’s Rome for the Summer reviewed by Carol Thomas

What a lovely, uplifting read! I read the novel on holiday; it was the perfect book to relax and unwind with. Kate was a likeable heroine, her family were wonderful, and her newfound life and love interest in Rome was perfect. For a novel filled with artistic fervour, Jamie was the ideal hero; his passion for both the art exhibited in Rome and that created by his hand was evident throughout. The insights into the past worked well, and I enjoyed discovering more about Kate’s Italian girl (depicted in a painting). Overall it is a lovely escapist read that will whisk you off to Rome for the Summer, fill you with warmth and leave you with a big satisfied smile.

 

Anne Booth’s Small Miracles reviewed by Jane Cable

I can absolutely see why this book is published under Random House’s Vintage label, because it is just that. Quaint, charming and a little old-fashioned, not just because it is set in 1995; it transports the readers back to simpler times, before the world was glued to its mobile phone.

Set in an English catholic convent down on its luck, the book follows the remaining three nuns, the local priest and a small cast of parishioners and friends, as after a modest lottery win, a series of other ‘small miracles’ begin to occur.

Although I quite enjoyed the journey, there was something missing from the book for me. I wanted it to be either funnier, or tug at my heart-strings more, and I had problems relating to the three main characters. However if you yearn for fiction akin to the Miss Read books, this may very well be exactly to your taste. It was in no way a ‘bad’ book (whatever that is), just not for me.

 

Bella Osborne’s A Wedding at Sandy Cove, parts 1 and 2 reviewed by Morton S Gray

I have loved all of Bella Osborne’s books and wasn’t surprised that I loved this one too. I sat and read the first part of Ella’s story in one sitting and didn’t want it to finish. Can’t wait for the next part.

Like Ella, I was a bridesmaid numerous times and never thought I would be a bride, but to work in the bridal industry must make that thought even harder. Love her cat and her friends, who can see her flaws but want the best for her.

Easy to read, easy to relate to, left me wanting more …

Part two of A Wedding at Sandy Cove didn’t disappoint and I found myself laughing and even shouting at my kindle, so I guess that means I was involved in the story!

Ella’s adventures continue. I’m glad I wasn’t at her friend’s hen party event but there is plenty to read about and I even spat my mouthful of tea out at one point when I laughed totally unexpectedly!

Waiting for Part Three…

 

 

 

PUBLICATION DAY SPECIAL: THE LOVE EXPERIMENT BY KITTY WILSON

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Sometimes I fall in love with a book instantly, and sometimes it takes a little while. This was one of the latter, but let me tell you, by the final chapters I was laughing and sobbing at more or less the same time, which isn’t the best of looks in a busy Starbucks branch.

The premise of The Love Experiment is deceptively simple; Lily won’t date – even staying the night after a hook up is too much like commitment, and Jay can’t date – he’s promised his sister he won’t in an attempt to show her that changing the habits of a lifetime is possible. But there the cliches end.

All the characters, large and larger than life, are drawn with an incredible eye for detail and a roundness that is often missing in romantic comedy. They were real and will stay with me for a very long time. And laugh? Did I mention a fair chunk of the action is set in a drag club? The names of the artists alone was enough to make me cackle. And don’t even get me started on the harpist…

This book is laugh out loud funny while at the same time dealing with serious issues and the horrendous scars they leave. The more I came to know about Lily’s past the more I ached for her to be able to move forwards. The more I understood what made her the way she is. The more I wanted to be her friend.

Lily’s backstory and what happened to her as a teenager really got to me. So much so I had to ask Kitty Wilson why she decided to shape her character that way:

Thank you. Lily is far from my usual heroine and is polished, successful and on the surface has it all but, underneath, is a scared young girl desperate for a sense of control.

When I was creating her, I initially wanted to highlight women’s health, I know so many women with periods that are completely incapacitating[1] and yet I haven’t seen it mentioned often in novels. That was my starting point but, as an author, it is hard not to be shaped by the things around you. As I wrote the first draft, the discussion of women’s safety was at its peak with the subsequent growth of Everybody’s Invited illustrating how schools and universities were often far from the places of safety that every parent hopes. This awareness worked its way into Lily’s story and when her body changes as a teen, things take a dark turn as name-calling in school morphs into something more sinister.

I did consider carefully whether these themes should be included but they are so frequent in women’s lives it felt wrong to cut them, so Lily was born, a high achiever who is privately carrying the weight of gynaecological issues and a related history of childhood bullying. These two things then shape all her life decisions; decisions that on the surface look like they are healthy, empowered choices but are actually indicators of deep-rooted scars.

But I love a happy ending – I write romance after all – and adore weaving through the joys in our lives, and hopefully The Love Experiment brings many, many moments of light and laughter to brighten Lily’s path as she learns to defeat the dark and open herself to life and love at its fullest.

 

 

[1] One in ten women in the UK have endometriosis and another one in ten have PCOS. https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/information

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/

 

 

 

 

SKINTELLIGENT: What you really need to know to get great skin

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SKINTELLIGENT

What you really need to know to get great skin

By Dr Natalia Spierings

 

Published by Vermilion.

Trade Paperback priced £16.99

The first entirely evidence-based skincare guide written by a real expert that explains how skin actually works, how to navigate the confusing world of Big Skincare and what you really need to do to achieve healthy, glowing skin – throughout your life.

 

This is the first book about skincare based on fact, not fiction

 There is no such thing as ‘essential’ skincare; almost all skincare should be viewed as a ‘luxury good’ and therefore, in fact, absolutely not essential!

  • Scared of using Vaseline? Don’t be – it’s the best moisturiser on the market, also the cheapest, it doesn’t ‘clog pores’ or cause pimples and it is totally safe to use. Plus, it is in every single moisturiser on the market anyway.
  • You don’t need to buy a separate product to use around your eyes, just use your regular moisturiser around your eyes; ‘eye creams’ are a scam
  • Facials are a waste of time and money
  • When it comes to skincare, less is always more
  • Expensive skincare is never better than cheaper skincare

 

Consultant Dermatologist Dr Natalia Spierings of Channel 5’s Skin A&E has announced the launch of her new book, Skintelligent: what you really need to know to get great skin, published by Vermilion. Dr Natalia Spierings is here to shake things up in the skincare world and isn’t afraid to tell the truth and call out the BS about all things related to skincare. Drawing on a decade of work as a practicing consultant dermatologist, helping thousands of people achieve great skin, she will empower you with the knowledge to navigate the confusing world of skincare so you never get fooled into buying hundreds of pounds of disappointing cosmetic skincare products again. If you have a problem with your skin – whether it is pimples, pigmentation, overly dry skin, large pores or whatever – the problem you have needs to be viewed as a skin abnormality or even a disease and therefore cannot be corrected with a three-step skincare regime you buy at a department store.

 

Dr Natalia Spierings said: “I wrote this book with the aim of answering all the hundreds of questions I get every day from my patients and through social media about skincare; there is too much misinformation being thrown at us about skincare from people who just don’t know what they are talking about, merely to sell products. It’s time to empower the skincare consumer with facts and the correct information so we all stopping wasting our money (and our hope) on products that don’t deliver on their (often outlandish) claims.”

Using an unbiased, evidence-based approach and cutting through the pseudo-science, she explains:

–        how skin actually works

–        which skincare products are proven to be effective for all of major facial skin complaints

–        what trendy skincare ingredients do or don’t do what they promise and why

–        what you can do to manage everything from acne to rosacea to melasma as well as wrinkles and sun-damage

 

Bringing together years of experience treating a huge range of skin problems, Skintelligent is the only book you will ever need to read to get great skin.

 

“Buying this book will be a great investment; following Natalia’s advice will save you money on your skincare whilst helping you to look your best.”

Dr Andrew Birnie, Consultant Dermatologist & Founder of Altruist Sunscreen

 

“Dr Natalia Spierings is a terrific consultant dermatologist with a very clear – and utterly science-based — approach to skincare which many people will find refreshing.”

Alice Hart-Davis, founder of thetweakmentsguide.com

 

About the Author

 

Dr Natalia Spierings is a Consultant Dermatologist with a Master’s Degree in Aesthetic Medicine. A unique combination of technical skill, depth of knowledge, aesthetic sensibility and communication skills has positioned her globally as a leading dermatologist. She currently splits her clinical time between both the NHS and private sector in London, and at Kings College Hospital in Dubai. @drnataliaspierings

 

 

The Bay by Allie Reynolds Book Review

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The Bay by Allie Reynolds is the second novel from the author of the widely acclaimed chiller thriller, Shiver. I LOVED her first novel and was so excited to receive The Bay. Thankfully I wasn’t disappointed. Allie Reynolds has a way of writing a pacy, sporty thriller like no one else. This is a tense and absorbing story about what happens when Type A sporty athletes get thrown together. The Bay is paradise to them, the ultimate surfing spot and they will do anything to protect it.

You are never sure who to trust or what is going to happen. The Bay will have you by the throat until the very last page. I am not sure how Allie Reynolds does it, but I’m glad she does. Her high-octant sporty thrillers are as brilliant as they are unique. Truly stunning. Get a copy now.

 
The Bay, Allie Reynolds, Book review

The Bay is an addictive summer thriller where the waves are to die for at the wild and beautiful Sorrow Bay, a remote surfing spot paradise that a mysterious group of people will do anything to keep a secret.

 

Allie has a trademark ability to pair isolated and dangerous natural landscapes with high-stakes, extreme sports to rewrite the popular locked-room mystery with an elegant, high-octane twist. She has received wide praise from the world of crime writing, including Peter James (‘sensational’), Harriet Tyce (‘a knife-sharp locked room mystery’) and Sarah Pearse (‘nail-bitingly tense’).

 

Ideal for slipping in holiday beach bags, The Bay is filled with sun, sea, suspense and a sinister cast of characters driven by obsession and perfection.